Dinner! 2007

[David Ross]

and your Still single David????   Damn!

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Yes, single man eating rich Cannelloni in the far reaches of chilly Eastern Washington. Now that I think of it, that would probably be my post on a dating site for foodies. And now that I think of that, what a concept, a dating site for foodies.

[David Ross]

David, both the soup and the cannelloni look really, really good. By the looks of it you're starting with uncooked fresh pasta sheets, is that right? I almost made cannelloni the other night but I couldn't be bothered par-cooking the pasta sheets. I had no idea starting uncooked was the proper way.

The last few evenings I've been making a lot of pasta. First off, spinach and ricotta

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I cheated a bit and used fresh wonton wrappers out of the dairy case from the supermarket. The traditional recipe in the Time-Life book calls for making fresh pasta sheets with a traditional pasta recipe using egg and semolina flour. I've used that recipe in the past, but it takes a long time and since I don't think I'm good at pasta, I sometimes cheat and use the wonton wrappers. I don't boil the sheets ahead of time-they soften and cook in the sauce as the cannelloni bake. The wonton wrappers aren't my first choice-they can taste a bit sticky and gluey in the finished cannelloni. I don't have a local source for fresh pasta sheets, but sometimes I use dried, flat lasgna noodles (not lasagna noodles with the frilled edges). If I'm using dried pasta sheets I would boil the pasta to soften it before using it to roll the cannelloni.

[David Ross]

David - the  cannelloni is beautiful.  I have meatballs and sauce in the pot right now and I'd trade it in a minute for those!  Do you make your own pasta sheets?  I can't imagine that I would do that, but we do have a pasta store nearby and they might sell the sheets.  Would you possibly be willing to PM me the recipe?  I have made  cannelloni before, but am intrigued by the chicken liver addition.

Kim

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I'll send you the recipe, it's pretty lengthy. There are instructions for 1) making the pasta sheets, 2) the tomato sauce, 3) the filling and 4) assembling the cannelloni and baking.

It's all worth the effort as it's one of those memorable dishes that once you have it, you'll add it into your 'classic' recipe file.

I'm not a fan of chicken livers and so I wondered about adding them to the recipe the first time I made the cannelloni. Most people eating the dish wouldn't even recognize the flavor of chicken liver in the filling. But the chicken livers add a creaminess and rich flavor that the recipe wouldn't be the same without.

[Shelby]

David it took me a full 5 minutes to scroll past your cannelloni.

Dr Tim your pasta is gorgeous too.

Everyone's food looks delicious!

I've taken some pictures, but I've been too lazy to upload them

[monavano]

David, I could seriously do a swan dive into that casserole dish. Wow. The tutorial is wonderful, so thanks for that.

Doctor, I hadn't heard of cappellaci before. They are beautiful. Wonderfully done!

[Shelby]

Venison pot pie

Plated with mashed taters

Garlic cheese biscuits

[rooftop1000]

MMmm pot pie

Tonight was roast chicken with fresh sage, buttered spaghetti squash, and roasted yellow and red beet salad

tracey

[Jmahl]

Tonight, Shrimp with Pasta Shells. . Just shrimp, white wine, cream, garlic, grated Parmesan, parsley salt and pepper. But so good.

Bon Appetite

Jmahl

[Jamie Lee]

Amidst all the delicious-ness of these posts, I beg you to remember the last time you had to move... meals got simpler - weirder, even - as you ate through the freezer and fridge... at first, it was a bounty of discovery... "what's this? A Rump Roast?" then it was "What's this? a one shot of chicken innards.." then "What's this? I couldn't care less!"

Recent dinners have included a 1/2 cup of chicken salad, followed by a single hard cooked egg (with S & P, of course! I'm not a barbarian!), a coffee mug or three of chicken stock, some last slices of a pan-roasted rib eye with an asian dipping sauce ... you get the idea.

It amazes me how long I'd have to go before starving, since I haven't worried about touching the pantry yet!

So, tonight, it was "Anything in the freezer Vegetable soup"!

Some stray bacon ends in the pot...

Add last of onions and shallots...

Chop two carrots, some rather limp celery, dust a few defrosted bits of beef with flour, and add...

Add the last of the garlic, and the remaining bits of tomato paste, beef broth, and a few cubes of my homemade chicken stock, a pack of pre-sliced criminis (shoot me now!) and..

Then the remaining mis en place:

The last of frozen corn, green beans, artichoke hearts chopped up, canned diced tomatoes with their juice, fresh zucchini, parsley, and... um... mushrooms. Guess my sequence of events and the pics don't match, sorry.

As it is right now...

I have some "mini-ziti" I could add, but it's so thick and rich as it is, I think I'd ruin it. I was also saving back some peas to add at the last minute, but now I'm not sure how they'll reheat...

No amuse, no first course, no cheese course, no dessert. Just "Dump the Fridge/Freezer Soup"!

Yum.

Edited October 29, 2007 by Jamie Lee (log)

[nakji]

Pasta! Venison Pie! Refrigerator soup! Oh My!

I've let my posting lapse while trying to figure out the macro on my husband's new camera. My camera is one plug adapter short of being fully charged, so I finally gave up and went back to my husband's old camera. Now I have to pause and wonder why my house has three cameras but nothing to bake in. There is no decent answer to this question.

Recent dinners:

Thinly sliced pork, rubbed inside with grainy mustard and wrapped around asparagus. Pan-fried and served over garlic mashed potato.

Chicken "marsala" - actually, "Chicken Cheap Red Wine". Anyone know where to buy real Marsala in Tokyo? This is one of the few dishes my husband can actually cook. Served with a loaf of fresh bread and a salad of baby beet greens with sesame dressing. My husband cooked it as a gesture of goodwill, after I spent the day tromping around at the motor show, holding his swag bag while he took photos of motorcycles and models.

Tonight, chicken meatballs with teriyaki sauce, as per Hiroyuki's ratio, with mushroom rice - I can't remember if they were matsutake or maitakes. They started with an "m", anyway. And eternal carrots. They're cheap.

[Susan in FL]

I cut back my working hours and it has given me the opportunity to browse the forums more often. There's no way I can catch up with all I've missed or comment on all these delicious looking and sounding dinners, but suffice it to say, you all are eating as good as ever!

i was gifted some lovely spanish smoked paprika recently. so, tonight i braised chicken thighs covered with smoked paprika and a bit of salt, a la ronnie_suburban's "chickeny chicken"  in the paprika thread. thanks, ronnie. love the chicken! 

Thanks, Judith. I have been using Spanish smoked paprika recently, after buying some for a specific recipe, so I appreciate the ideas. I've found that the key for me is not to over-do the amount.

Tonight, Shrimp with Pasta Shells. .  Just shrimp, white wine, cream, garlic, grated Parmesan, parsley salt and pepper.  But so good.

Ahhh yes, a favorite stand-by of mine which I haven't had for a while. Thank you, and thanks All, for the ideas.

I'm not into photographing food like I used to, but I do so once in a while. Last night was not one of them. I had horseradish-crusted salmon and potatoes, corn, cucumbers & onion salad, and Shiraz. It tasted good, but it was not pretty.

Here's a picture of a recent beer can chicken on my Weber, though. If I recall correctly, smoked paprika was in the rub. Beer can chicken tastes good, AND is pretty.

[broadway]

Those meatballs look good, what are they made with?

Pasta! Venison Pie! Refrigerator soup! Oh My!

Chicken "marsala" - actually, "Chicken Cheap Red Wine". Anyone know where to buy real Marsala in Tokyo? This is one of the few dishes my husband can actually cook. Served with a loaf of fresh bread and a salad of baby beet greens with sesame dressing. My husband cooked it as a gesture of goodwill, after I spent the day tromping  around at the motor show, holding his swag bag while he took photos of motorcycles and models.

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Can't help with sourcing marsala in Tokyo, but have you thought of using mirin instead of red wine?

[Jensen]

Jmahl, where did you get that wonderful little anteater salt thingie?

I think I need one of those!

[Chufi]

I cut back my working hours and it has given me the opportunity to browse the forums more often.  There's no way I can catch up with all I've missed or comment on all these delicious looking and sounding dinners, but suffice it to say, you all are eating as good as ever!

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SUSAN!!!!!

How wonderful to see you! Oh and that beer can chicken looks good too

Jamie: I love your refrigerator soup.

[Prawncrackers]

Thank you David Ross, my mother gave me pumpkin that she'd grown a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't a clue what to do with it until i saw your dish!! Here is my take on creamy roasted pumpkin and garlic soup, dressed with crispy sage and bacon:

Followed by oh so rare and meaty Gressingham Duck Breasts, simply seared and served with cabbage:

[David Ross]

Thank you David Ross, my mother gave me pumpkin that she'd grown a couple of weeks ago.  I hadn't a clue what to do with it until i saw your dish!!  Here is my take on creamy roasted pumpkin and garlic soup, dressed with crispy sage and bacon:

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Wow. Thank you so much. It's a great compliment to know that you just took my photo of the pumpkin soup and created your own delicious looking dish. Great job.

[nakji]

Those meatballs look good, what are they made with?

QUOTE(nakji @ Oct 29 2007, 01:43 PM)

Pasta! Venison Pie! Refrigerator soup! Oh My!

Chicken "marsala" - actually, "Chicken Cheap Red Wine". Anyone know where to buy real Marsala in Tokyo? This is one of the few dishes my husband can actually cook. Served with a loaf of fresh bread and a salad of baby beet greens with sesame dressing. My husband cooked it as a gesture of goodwill, after I spent the day tromping  around at the motor show, holding his swag bag while he took photos of motorcycles and models.

user posted image

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Can't help with sourcing marsala in Tokyo, but have you thought of using mirin instead of red wine?

The meatballs are made with ground chicken, and maybe some seasonings like green onion and ginger. I pick them up in the meat department. The sauce is a 1:1 mix of mirin and soy, reduced a little.

As for the mirin, I thought about that, like, 10 minutes after posting. But I'd have to get my hands on good mirin. Do you think it would go well with olive oil and butter?

[Dr. J]

First of all.

Very nice on the venison pot pie Shelby.

I am intrigued by the buttered spaghetti squash rooftop, Any hints on the prep for that?

Love the pork with green asparragus nakji. I will try to make that dish soon!

Duck looks awosme Prawncrakers

Ok here we go. Sundays dinner.

Scallop cooked in clarified butter topped with Papaya on a bed of Oragne slices. The sauce is a Orange/Honey glaze infused with spices and finished with stock. Also in the plate some basil infused oil.

Vegetable Tempura.

Baby mixed green salad with Gorgonzola, Walnuts, Cantalope and a Strawberry Vinagrette.

[judiu]

Garlic cheese biscuits

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Oh, lust, lust! Recipe please? Pretty please?

[Ce'nedra]

Venison pot pie

Plated with mashed taters

Holy moly! How did you make this?!

Bitter melon soup (eaten with rice)

[rooftop1000]

I am intrigued by the buttered spaghetti squash rooftop,  Any hints on the prep for that?

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I just put a small spaghetti squash right in the roasting pan with the chicken for the full 1.5 hours. I cut it in half lengthwise and scooped the tiny bit of seeds/gook. Then you take a fork and start scaping around the inside, it just starts to shread and fluff up. I pulled it all up and out so I could S,P, and butter then tucked it back in the shells

tracey

[yunnermeier]

Kung Pow chicken with Pak Soi

[Marlene]

Lasagna

and garlic bread

Dinner

[Jensen]

Bitter melon soup (eaten with rice)

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Is that meat stuffed into the bitter melon? That just looks awesome and I know that there was still bitter melon available at my farmer's market last weekend. What type have you used? I can get the shorter, bumpier, darker-green one and the smoother, lighter-green, longer one.

I wonder how that would taste with some loofa squash added to it!??!

[Kim Shook]

Jamie Lee - love your soup - I really need to make that !

Susan - I am so glad to see your 'pretty' food and great photos again! Please stay and keep posting - I have missed you!

Marlene - the lasagne is gorgeous - I love that browned, cheesy crust!

Pasta for me tonight again!

Tagliatelle & Meatballs, salad and garlic rolls:

Kim