Dinner! 2007

[David Ross]

One of the unique ingredients in the Turkey Noodle Bake are the noodles. We usually use thick egg noodles in this type of casserole.

The Good Housekeeping recipe calls for 'thin noodles.' I use little egg noodles that you can find in the Jewish section of the grocery store. The noodles are usually used for chicken soup, but they are really delicious in this casserole.

[Shelby]

One of the unique ingredients in the Turkey Noodle Bake are the noodles.  We usually use thick egg noodles in this type of casserole. 

The Good Housekeeping recipe calls for 'thin noodles.'  I use little egg noodles that you can find in the Jewish section of the grocery store.  The noodles are usually used for chicken soup, but they are really delicious in this casserole.

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Thanks David. I thought they looked like those kind of little noodles.

[C. sapidus]

Tonight we ate dum aloo (Indian potato curry), leftover from a pot luck lunch at work. Fried Yukon Gold potatoes cooked in a sauce of brown-fried onions, ginger, tomatoes, fageh yogurt, heavy cream, and much of the spice cabinet. We have a small but dedicated spicy-food-eating contingent at work, but they left enough for dinner. Fortunately, this is one of those dishes that gets better with reheating.

Eternal cucumbers and leftover turkey from Mrs. C’s holiday pot luck, so we didn’t have to cook a thing tonight.

Dum aloo, etc.

[nakji]

Oh, wow, I love Dum Aloo, and that looks like a spectacular one. Care to post the recipe specifics? I haven't cooked at home in a week, as it's my last week in Tokyo, and I've been clearing out the apartment, and going to "forget the year" parties. I'll be back home in Nova Scotia tomorrow (!) and near a working oven for the first time in two years, so I'm looking forward to cluttering up this thread again. And baking! Dinner tonight was a few bites in an izakaya, and then clearing out the fridge at home with the last handful of black olives and a wedge of cheese.

[C. sapidus]

Oh, wow, I love Dum Aloo, and that looks like a spectacular one. Care to post the recipe specifics?

Nakji: Thank you! The recipe is from Julie Sahni’s Classic Indian Cooking, so I sent you a PM.

I'll be back home in Nova Scotia tomorrow (!) and near a working oven for the first time in two years, so I'm looking forward to cluttering up this thread again. And baking!

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Good luck moving and baking. We want lots of cluttering.

[Swisskaese]

After reading Abra and Chufi's blog about cooking with chestnuts, I decided to make a stew with chestnuts. I made Beef Stew with Chestnuts and Pomegranate and in a word it was orgasmic.

The recipe I found called for lamb, but lamb here is outrageously expensive, so I used goulash meat.

The photo just looks like a regular beef stew, but if we had scratch and sniff functionality on eGullet then you would know that this ain't yo mama's beef stew, unless your mama is from the Caucasus.

Because I used beef, I omitted the mint and added dried sour cherries, but next time I will use sour apricots. The cherries were lost in the dish.

Edited December 15, 2007 by Swisskaese (log)

[eskay]

Swisskaese, that stew looks really really good.

eskay: Your chicken sounds delicious, blue garlic and all. Are you taking or administering exams?

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Thanks Taking them...and as usual I'm stuck here till the 21st

Winter storm warning tonight, and I had a butternut squash donated from a a friend who's moving out and won't have a chance to use it, as well as a bag of arborio rice ageing gracefully in the cupboard...so I made risotto. For a first attempt I think it was pretty good

Edited December 16, 2007 by eskay (log)

[David Ross]

While the Turkey Noodle Bake was good this past week, I like to splurge a bit around the holidays-thus, a few photos of weekend dishes:

Pork Pate (store-bought), Buttered Crouton, Huckleberry Compote- (from this year's crop of huckleberries, I always have this compote on hand).

I visited my local seafood store to get some first of the season crabs for a cooking segment I did on one of our local tv stations. We did Dungeness Crab Cakes. The season annually starts on December 1. But as you probably heard, we had terrible rains in the Northwest last week and it upset the first crab boats getting out to sea. But I was lucky as I got some of the first crabs caught after the storms passed and the boats could get out. While I was at the market a man came in and bought $961.00 worth of fresh Dungeness Crabs! He said he was buying them for his 'holiday party for his employees.' I wish I worked for him!

Dungeness Crab Bisque, Buttered Crouton, Crab Salad-

While I was at the fish market I spotted some wonderful smoked halibut. I thought it would go well with the Salt Cod/Potato Cake. I usually serve the salt cod and mashed potato cake with roasted cod, but the smokiness of the halibut was a nice complement to the rich, salty cod cake. Thankfully the green herb vinaigrette (parsley, cilantro, olive oil, apple cider vinegar), was a much needed element to cut through the salty, rich flavors of the other parts of the dish.

Smoked Halibut, Salt Cod-Potato Cake, Crab Bisque, Green Herb Vinaigrette-

I had never poached a pear in ice wine before-I always stuck with the standard pears poached in red wine. But the sweet flavor and apricot scent of this ice wine was perfect for bringing out the sweetness and delicate scent of the pears.

Bosc Pear Poached in Ice Wine, Chestnut Creme Anglaise, Toasted Walnuts, Hazelnut Cookies Dipped in Chocolate-

[C. sapidus]

David Ross: Gorgeous seafood dishes, especially this one:

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Today we made Huasteca-style chicken in mole for a holiday potluck. I posted some pictures of how we made it on Making Mexican at Home, a thread started by The Blissful Glutton. I hope that others who love cooking Mexican food will contribute to that thread.

Mole Huasteco

[Marlene]

David, those pears look wonderful! Bruce, your food always looks so good! Not much cooking here tonight, except in preparation for our Christmas dinner tomorrow. Yes, there will be beef. Yes, there will be gravy.

[saucée]

I made duck breast for the first time ever:

Fig/port wine sauce with the duck, over top sweet potato confit:

My partner and I went to a restaurant and she ordered their "sweet potato confit." When it arrived, it was just a sweet potato puree and she was disappointed so I decided to try and make it for real. I stewed diced sweet potatoes in lard, then mixed with pork jowl bacon and onions carmalized in the rendered pork fat (and a little butter). I finished it in a 400 F oven and it was incredibly good.

It was very rich, but the flavors were very bright. You can't eat too much though (what's on that plate was a bit much). Next time, I'll eat a little less of it (it put me to sleep) and I'll serve it without a blanket of duck which made for some less than stellar plating. The duck was also a bit overcooked. Oh well--next time. It was delicious anyway.

josh

[Dr. J]

Very nice DRoss.

I was in Puerto Rico last weekend, and cooked for my brother and wife. My brother was on call so his wife took him the togo version of this dish we ate.

Came out pretty good.

First dish is pork ribs topped with squash and the best avocado in the world. (I still dont know why they dont grow this variety of avocado in the states)

Avocado was dressed with ground rock salt and olive oil.

Next dish I have made before but they requested I make it for them. Potato, Sweet potato, carrots, Pearl onions made in my creme fraishe-cheese sauce.

Next dish was made by my brothers wife. It is stuffed Bread fruit (Panna) with ground beef/veggies and spices. Came out great

[Marlene]

Our plated dinner from our Christmas meal yesterday. I'll try to get the rest of the pics up later, but they're all up on my website.

[Ce'nedra]

What is this?! All these home-cooked meals are fit for a king! Or at the very least would be perfect for upper-end restaurants!

I present to you the humble nem nuong with rice paper!

Had this for dinner yesterday -it was quite delicious I've previously posted another nem nuong dinner I had a couple pages back (I think) but seeing as I love these meatballs so much, I just had to do it again.

Having the leftovers tomorrow woohoo!

P.S. We're missing vermicelli noodles but since there were only 3 of us, I really couldn't be bothered.

[Chufi]

After reading Abra and Chufi's blog about cooking with chestnuts, I decided to make a stew with chestnuts. I made Beef Stew with Chestnuts and Pomegranate and in a word it was orgasmic.

The recipe I found called for lamb, but lamb here is outrageously expensive, so I used goulash meat.

The photo just looks like a regular beef stew, but if we had scratch and sniff functionality on eGullet then you would know that this ain't yo mama's beef stew, unless your mama is from the Caucasus.

Because I used beef, I omitted the mint and added dried sour cherries, but next time I will use sour apricots. The cherries were lost in the dish.

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That looks amazing and thanks to your evocative description, I'm going to try that soon! Aren't chestnuts the greatest thing?

Bruce - thanks to a couple of generous eGulleters, I have a whole pile of different dried chiles. Thanks for reminding me I must make mole soon! That Huestaca chicken loos fantastic.

[kbjesq]

Dungeness Crab Bisque, Buttered Crouton, Crab Salad-

I want Santa to bring me this for Christmas!!

David, I love how you used a bit of the crab bisque to garnish the smoked halibut. When I first looked at your photos, I thought, "How did he do all of this in one weekend?" but then as I studied the photos again (and again, drool), I realized that the dishes have shared components. Very creative and inspiring!

And BTW Ce'nedra, I like to leave out the vermicelli so that I can eat more rolls. Yours look great. I wish that I could get nice, fresh bean sprouts around here. There is not a huge demand, so the ones in the market aren't always good. Nothing worse than old sprouts!

[David Ross]

Dungeness Crab Bisque, Buttered Crouton, Crab Salad-

I want Santa to bring me this for Christmas!!

David, I love how you used a bit of the crab bisque to garnish the smoked halibut. When I first looked at your photos, I thought, "How did he do all of this in one weekend?" but then as I studied the photos again (and again, drool), I realized that the dishes have shared components. Very creative and inspiring!

And BTW Ce'nedra, I like to leave out the vermicelli so that I can eat more rolls. Yours look great. I wish that I could get nice, fresh bean sprouts around here. There is not a huge demand, so the ones in the market aren't always good. Nothing worse than old sprouts!

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Thank you very much. I often use a garnish to tell you that the garnish is an element in the main dish-aka crab salad garnishing crab bisque.

The crab bisque can also be used as a sauce for pasta. Think fettucine tossed in crab bisque, dungeness crab and a snow shower of parmesan. Try it and you'll REALLY want that for Christmas!

[C. sapidus]

Bruce - thanks to a couple of generous eGulleters, I have a whole pile of different dried chiles. Thanks for reminding me I must make mole soon! That Huestaca chicken loos fantastic.

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Klary, thank you! I can’t wait to see your mole – what kinds of chiles did your eGullet friends bring you to play with?

Tonight Mrs. C roasted a chicken. She followed Alton Brown’s advice and started breast-side down. It turned out falling-apart tender, and even the breast meat was completely juicy. Sweet potatoes, squash, and garlic bread on the side. Good job, hon!

[Pille]

Our dinner on Sunday and Monday: Russian Vinaigrette Salad, served on toasted dark Estonian rye bread:

Pre-Christmas detox, you know

[Prawncrackers]

Lovely dishes David Ross, aside from being a fully paid-up member of your fan club you know i'm sucker for crab porn!

Tonight was Confit Duck Leg, Camargue Red Rice & Beans:

[Marlene]

Bruce, it must be roast chicken week! That's what we had tonight.

With potatoes and peas

The potatoes are the leftover roast potatoes from Sunday's dinner, fried in butter and garlic.

And of course, gravy

That's it for me folks. I'm hanging up my spatula for a couple of weeks.

Happy Holidays!

[C. sapidus]

Marlene, your chicken looks nice and crispy. Ours wasn’t quite so crispy, probably because the oven mysteriously shut off part-way through.

We made a Thai dinner tonight: pomelo and grilled shrimp salad; sweet pork; and jasmine rice. More on Thai cooking at home.

For dessert, younger son looked up a recipe on the internet and made crescent roll cinnamon rolls.

[Jensen]

Our plated dinner from our Christmas meal yesterday. I'll try to get the rest of the pics up later, but they're all up on my website.

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My god, Marlene...that pud is AMAZING!!!!!

I'm thinking I should have packed myself in Mr. B's luggage!

[Marlene]

You'd have been welcome. I was pretty happy with them, I must say!

[MiFi]

Shepherd's Pie last night