Dinner! 2008

[Shelby]

Suzi that lasagna looks so yummy. I might make some tomorrow!

David oh my gosh, every single dish looks so delicious and is plated so beautifully.

[Daniel]

Picked up this hen of woods that was found in the woods that day..Was like 1.3 pounds, cooked in butter

Ribeye on the big green egg:

These really cool looking japanese eggplants grown in this guys greenhouse in marcella hazen's butter tomato sauce with bacon added.

[David Ross]

Picked up this hen of woods that was found in the woods that day..Was like 1.3 pounds, cooked in butter

Ribeye on the big green egg:

These really cool looking japanese eggplants grown in this guys greenhouse in marcella hazen's butter tomato sauce with bacon added.

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The steak and mushrooms are absolutely delicious! Especially those Hen of the Woods Mushrooms. I've never cooked them at home before but after your photo, I will have to try it. I've had them at Craftsteak in Las Vegas and they cook them simply in butter in a saute pan then finish them off with a quick roast in the oven. Very nice.

[rooftop1000]

tracey

Edited September 28, 2008 by rooftop1000 (log)

[Daniel]

Love the photo.. Whether its rain or steamy grease its a dreamy shot.. I was out today cooking.. I am in the process of doing deviled bones in the broiler..

Edited September 28, 2008 by Daniel (log)

[hungrykoala]

and johnnybirds dessert...butterscotch pudding with cool whip

Butterscotch pudding! I adore butterscotch... this dessert looks oh so satisfying.

[percyn]

Insipired by a dish at Talula's Table which highlighted local ingredients, I made:

Shellbark Hollow Farm's Goat Cheese Ravioli and Birchrun Hills Farm veal meatballs w/Chanterelles.

[C. sapidus]

suzilightning, care to share your recipe for your butterscotch pudding?

Kabochka soup: Onion, garlic, chicken stock, coconut milk, palm sugar, hot sauce, and a bunch of herbs – parsley, cilantro, oregano, bay leaves, and fresh thyme. Finished with chopped chives and a dollop of sour cream.

Oven-roasted yogurt-marinated chicken: Chicken legs marinated with yogurt, cumin, fennel, cardamom, cayenne, black pepper, asafetida, and chopped cilantro, baked with cinnamon and chopped mint, and then topped with fried onions.

Stir-fried green cabbage with fennel seeds: Boys love cabbage. ‘Nuff said.

[AlexusF]

Picked up this hen of woods that was found in the woods that day..Was like 1.3 pounds, cooked in butter

Ribeye on the big green egg:

These really cool looking japanese eggplants grown in this guys greenhouse in marcella hazen's butter tomato sauce with bacon added.

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My GOD I dont think I can type after looking at this.... I could possibly die and be happy. Ok, maybe if I had gotten to TASTE it.

[AlexusF]

Special dinner party for 6 tonight: Leek and potato soup with fresh chives

and bacon wrapped, jumbo pan seared scallops cooked in a really nice chardonnay and butter sauce

Beautiful veal- pan sauteed and then drizzled in a pan sauce of butter, olive oil, good white wine, lemon juice, thyme, basil, garlic and a tiny bit of heavy cream.

Any one care to give advice on whats going on with my camera? No matter the lighting or the plate color its just blurry. Wasnt like this before, usually nice clear photos.

In any event, it was a lovely dinner party.

[suzilightning]

suzilightning, care to share your recipe for your butterscotch pudding?

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Bruce

it is from the 1967 Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that my mom had given me for my 13th birthday.

[percyn]

Braised Short Ribs w/Brown Rice

Dr J, there are so many dining options in NYC that it is almost impossible to list them all. I am sure Daniel has many good recommendations but if you PM me the dining style you are looking for (fine dining, ethnic, etc), I can send you some recommendations. Also recommend checking out the NYC Dining thread.

[menuinprogress]

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That looks absolutely fantastic!

[GreekCook]

Any one care to give advice on whats going on with my camera? No matter the lighting or the plate color its just blurry.   Wasnt like this  before, usually nice clear photos.

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Hi Alexus

Check your batteries

[judiu]

Special dinner party for 6 tonight: Leek and potato soup with fresh chives

and bacon wrapped, jumbo pan seared scallops cooked in a really nice chardonnay and butter sauce

Beautiful veal- pan sauteed and then drizzled in a pan sauce of butter, olive oil, good white wine, lemon juice, thyme, basil, garlic and a tiny bit of heavy cream.

Any one care to give advice on whats going on with my camera? No matter the lighting or the plate color its just blurry.   Wasnt like this  before, usually nice clear photos.

In any event, it was a lovely dinner party.

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Er, ah, urm, clean the lens? (Runs. Fast.)

Edited September 30, 2008 by judiu (log)

[Prawncrackers]

Any one care to give advice on whats going on with my camera? No matter the lighting or the plate color its just blurry.   Wasnt like this  before, usually nice clear photos.

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Hi Alexus

Check your batteries

Or you have your camera on the wrong setting, maybe it's in Landscape mode? It would have difficulty focusing on near objects if that was the case.

I haven't posted on the Dinner thread for weeks! Been busy studying for professional exams so haven't had the time to spare. So here's a catch up. Last time i remember posting some Twice-cooked pork, well here is some more:

Twice-cooked pork cooked twice you could say :

Prawn and Peppers Tempura, Soba Noodles

Confit Duck, Green Bean and Potato Salad

Mole Poblano Guinea Fowl, Refried Beans & Avocado Salsa

[Dejah]

Prawn and Peppers Tempura, Soba Noodles

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Those prawns and pepper tempura look great, Prawn! Recipe and method please?

Did you use panko as well as a batter?

[Prawncrackers]

Thanks Dejah, the tempura was pretty standard though as you spotted the prawns did get an extra coating of panko. Probably, everybody has a different tempura method so I may be teaching people how to suck eggs around here but here goes!

I mix half cornflour and half plain flour, toss the prawns and peppers in the mix to give an initial light coating of flour then set aside. I then drop a few ice-cubes into the flour mix and some cold water to form a lumpy batter. First, the peppers were dunked in the batter using the fat end of wooden chopsticks and fried in moderately hot cooking oil. Whilst it is frying I used the same fat end to sprinkle more batter onto the peppers, I think this is called the Hana (flower) and creates more lacy batter onto the food. When the peppers are done set aside on a rack in a warm oven. Prawns are always last and they get an extra dip in panko after the batter but no hana when frying. They've been shelled except for the very end piece where you handle them. Also, they have deep little slashes across the belly to stop them curling too much.

That's it, it's really simple but you do have to be organised and careful when deep-frying as always. Little things make life easier, having a warmed rack to drain, keep things crispy and another pair of long thin chopsticks to handle and separate the food in the oil. I have a pair of metal moribashi and they make making Tempura a real joy.

[Dejah]

Thanks Dejah, the tempura was pretty standard though as you spotted the prawns did get an extra coating of panko.  Probably, everybody has a different tempura method so I may be teaching people how to suck eggs around here but here goes! 

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Thanks, Prawn. I'll have to give it a go during Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend.

[Daniel]

Beautiful photos prawn.. What about the twice cooked pork, I would really like to hear how thats done..

[Daniel]

Few pizzas.

Speck, sausage, ricotta.

More speck:

Showing the light coming through:

Veal prior to cooking, wonderful quality:

Peach, basil, ricotta:

This was cheese and bread dipped in a batter and cooked in butter:

Served with grilled sardines:

Edited October 1, 2008 by Daniel (log)

[Prawncrackers]

Lovely stuff but methinks there's a photo missing from your last post Daniel, where is the after shot of the veal?!

[Prawncrackers]

Beautiful photos prawn.. What about the twice cooked pork, I would really like to hear how thats done..

Couldn't resist posting that pic because the colours photographed so well (plus it tasted good too of course).

Twice-cooked pork is a funny one because it's actually cooked three times!

First, i gently poach a nice square piece of skin-on pork leg meat in salted, gingerised, scallioned water for 20 mins. Remove and let cool. When cool, take the skin off and slice thinly perpendicularly. Each slither should be half meat, half pearly fat. That's why a nice square piece of meat to start is preferable.

Second, hard fry the slithers in batches till they are brown and crispy. Not too far or they'll be too dry. Set them aside.

Third, fry off 2 heaped tsp of chilli bean paste (or to taste), garlic, ginger and scallion white in a little of the leftover lard. Add a splash of shaosing, sesame oil, dark and light soy and softened crushed black beans. Add the pork along with scallion greens and fresh red chillies. Stir fry, add a splash of water if it looks a little dry. Finish with as much chilli oil as you like.

[Daniel]

Lovely stuff but methinks there's a photo missing from your last post Daniel, where is the after shot of the veal?!

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Thanks for the recipe.. Will give it a go..

Haha. Yeh, sometimes, its hard to photograph the whole thing.. I have been cooking a lot lately and usually only end up with photos of the prep work.. Newspapered tables of crabs, bowls of pasta, steaks and most other things just get eaten too quickly..

Edited October 1, 2008 by Daniel (log)

[tupac17616]

Been away from this thread for a while, but no time like the present to get back into it...

Pasta con le sarde

My own weird spin on it. Sauteed some arugula and a bit of garlic in olive oil, added currants, red pepper flakes, splash of sherry vinegar, and, of all things, cinnamon. The fresh California sardines were "grilled" (if we can call what the Cuisinart Griddler does as such) separately with just a nice Ligurian olive oil and salt, then placed on top. Final dish was a bit more agro than dolce, surprisingly, but pretty darn tasty if I do say so myself.