Dinner! 2009

[Dr. J]

Kim that lasagna seems very interesting. Very creative in my opinion.

Here are a few more dishes from the last few weeks.

First time cooking wild boar. I was a bid disappointed, the cut really didn't have a ton of flavor and

not great texture either. The other times I have had wild boar were different cuts, so perhaps that was the problem.

The next meal is some very nice duck breast. The experimentation here was the sauce. I used the stock from this olive based chicken stew I made a few days back and added a bit of vanilla. I have used vanilla in some chicken dishes which goes very well, but its the first time using it in duck dishes. Very nice. (Use very little vanilla). The first try the sauce broke on me, but the flavor was still there.

Not the best presentation, tasted great.

Second night I tossed the sauce with spaghetti.

[Kim Shook]

Dr J – lovely duck! The vanilla sounds perfect with it. I’ve had something similar and you are right – a very small amount of vanilla is wonderful with duck.

Dinner last night:

fried chicken and mashed potatoes w/ gravy, slaw, purchased macaroni salad (from wmart – it was pretty good), Sister Shubert rolls, corn on the cob.

[Kim Shook]

Football dinner last night (yay Steelers - that's for Mr. Kim - I'm a Redskin fan and therefore permanently dead in post-season):

Mr. Kim made his chili - really good. I did corn muffins and we had leftover slaw and macaroni salad from the Saturday.

[christine007]

Kim, it could be worse, football wise, I'm in Cleveland

You take your chili just the way I like it. Do you use ground beef or stewing beef?

[Prawncrackers]

First time cooking wild boar.  I was a bid disappointed, the cut really didn't have a ton of flavor and not great texture either.  The other times I have had wild boar were different cuts, so perhaps that was the problem.

The few times i've tried cooking boar have been very disappointing too. Tried shoulder and loin, both were dry and tasteless, haven't bothered since. You're not alone Dr J!

Cooking-wise it's been a slow start to the year but managed cook these dishes in the past week.

Thai Green Curry

Chicken with Chillies & Basil

Angus rib with Shallot & Stilton dressing

Can you guess which ingredient i have in excess recently?

[hummingbirdkiss]

well I made this and it looked just like this ..I tried to take a picture but even though my dish looked as nice as this ..my picture sucked ..so look at this and know that it is HONESTLY really exactly as it looks, easy, very inexpensive and most important absolutely delicious as is! thanks! (I am early making dinner and have already eaten two bowls )the textures and tastes are perfect together! fresh crispy and nice click here please

this is my frist duck gizzard dish and absolutely will not be my last! they have a crazy texture and I love the taste!

Edited January 20, 2009 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[s0rce]

First time cooking wild boar.  I was a bid disappointed, the cut really didn't have a ton of flavor and not great texture either.  The other times I have had wild boar were different cuts, so perhaps that was the problem.

The few times i've tried cooking boar have been very disappointing too. Tried shoulder and loin, both were dry and tasteless, haven't bothered since. You're not alone Dr J!

Cooking-wise it's been a slow start to the year but managed cook these dishes in the past week.

Thai Green Curry

Chicken with Chillies & Basil

Angus rib with Shallot & Stilton dressing

Can you guess which ingredient i have in excess recently?

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is it fresh green pepper corns?

[Prawncrackers]

Yup, it's fresh green peppercorn. Though they are a bit dark and a lot harder now. Anyone know if i just leave them out would they become normal black ones?

[prasantrin]

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Everything looks great, but I really want to know how you did your fries. Did you double fry? Triple fry? Or bake? I've got a craving for fries, and yours look perfect to me!

[Kim Shook]

Kim, it could  be worse, football wise, I'm in Cleveland

You take your chili just the way I like it. Do you use ground beef or stewing beef?

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Christine - It could be worse for both of us - we could live in Detroit ! Here's the recipe. We have only used ground chuck in the past, but have been wanting to try 1/2" cubed stew meat.

[Prawncrackers]

Everything looks great, but I really want to know how you did your fries.  Did you double fry?  Triple fry?  Or bake?  I've got a craving for fries, and yours look perfect to me!

They were really good this time, crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. No big secret really just deep-fried in fat. I started with Maris Piper spuds, cut, soaked, rinsed and dried. Heated up some canola oil (sometimes i use duck fat) on medium low temp and started the chips on a slow rolling bubble. I cooked them for a good 20 mins till they are soft and started to break up a little then whack up the gas to high till they were done - another 10 mins or so. It is i suppose a double fry method but an appended one. Works with fat or thin chips, you just move from the first stage to the next when the chips are soft and starting to break up. Just be careful not to break them up too much when you are stirring them. I have no idea what temp the two stages are - it's just how i do 'em!

[steverino]

Christine - It could be worse for both of us - we could live in Detroit

Easy now, some of us DO live in Detroit!

Steve

[Kim Shook]

Christine - It could be worse for both of us - we could live in Detroit

Easy now, some of us DO live in Detroit!

Steve

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So what are YOU eating for Super Bowl Sunday, Steverino? I'm thinking braised crow for us!

[prasantrin]

They were really good this time, crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside.  No big secret really just deep-fried in fat.  I started with Maris Piper spuds, cut, soaked, rinsed and dried.  Heated up some canola oil (sometimes i use duck fat) on medium low temp and started the chips on a slow rolling bubble.  I cooked them for a good 20 mins till they are soft and started to break up a little then whack up the gas to high till they were done - another 10 mins or so.  It is i suppose a double fry method but an appended one. Works with fat or thin chips, you just move from the first stage to the next when the chips are soft and starting to break up.  Just be careful not to break them up too much when you are stirring them.  I have no idea what temp the two stages are - it's just how i do 'em!

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Thanks! I read something like that on eG before (I think a famous French chef uses it), but hadn't tried it. After seeing your fries, though, I've got some on the stove as I type! I've got another 5 or so minutes left of low-heat frying, then I'm pushing it up to crisp them!

Unfortunately, no mayo left, so it's just ketchup tonight.

ETA: They would have been great if the potatoes had been decent. Darn Japanese potatoes!

Edited January 21, 2009 by prasantrin (log)

[steverino]

So what are YOU eating for Super Bowl Sunday, Steverino? I'm thinking braised crow for us!

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No need to go to all the trouble of braising, Kim. Really.

Steve

[whatsaMcGee]

Raw duck breast...hmmm

Edited January 21, 2009 by whatsaMcGee (log)

[suzilightning]

hey, y'all - you could be Kelly Ripa's dad who lives in south Jersey and is an avid Lion's fan and has been for years.

great duck breast, dr.j.

picked up some d'artagnan chicken breasts that were discounted. took off the bone and will riff off one of my mom's 60's recipes for chicken with onion and peppers with wine.

saute the breasts; move to a plate; saute the onion and peppers; add some artichokes and some capers then deglaze with a macon-lugny "les charmes" chardonnay. breasts back and into the oven. serve with some green rice and some sauteed zucchini.

luckily our local shoprite had ground buffalo today - good for some bacon blue cheese burgers on whole wheat with oven baked sweet potato fries for dinner friday. will re-purpose some of the leftover pot roast into a cottage pie with some sauteed mushrooms, carrots, onions and peas with mash.

[purplechick]

Cooking-wise it's been a slow start to the year but managed cook these dishes in the past week. 

Chicken with Chillies & Basil

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That looks lovely. Are those capers? Still on their stalk? I've never seen them that way.

[Prawncrackers]

That looks lovely.  Are those capers?  Still on their stalk?  I've never seen them that way.

Fresh green peppercorns silly! They are visually very striking aren't they? Used mostly in Thai cuisine, they give a fresh mild peppercorn heat.

[Pille]

Dinner last night started off with some salty-spicy tiger prawns a la Jamie Oliver, followed by a simple ragout/stew of chicken hearts:

Eating out tonight and hosting a dinner for two visiting eGulleteers tomorrow night

[purplechick]

That looks lovely.  Are those capers?  Still on their stalk?  I've never seen them that way.

Fresh green peppercorns silly! They are visually very striking aren't they? Used mostly in Thai cuisine, they give a fresh mild peppercorn heat.

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Duh, of course!

I made something with capers in it last night, so I must have had them on my mind.

I've only seen green peppercorns in jars (sometimes pickled). The fresh ones look beautiful. I'll have to look around and see if they are available here (in the Northeast US). Does anyone know?

[percyn]

Was a little cold earlier in the week, so I made some braised short ribs with some parsnips over mashed sweet potatoes. Does not look appetizing, but it hit the spot after 4.5 hrs of braising.

[MikeHartnett]

Looks pretty appetizing to me!

No pic, but last night I made a similarly ugly-but-tasty meal: bratwurst with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. The sauerkraut was from the newly opened Cochon Butcher, and was superb.

[Prawncrackers]

We had our Chinese New Year meal last night. Started with Stir-fried Lobster and Poached Chicken. Then Braised Pork Stew and Five-Flavoured Duck (shop bought). Lastly we had a lovely steamed turbot and Gai Lan. There was some homemade mooli cake and lotus cake floating around and shop bought buns and tarts too. Sadly as i was cooking i didn't get to photo much of the food though did manage a good before and after of the fish at least!

[SobaAddict70]

Potage de Crécy (with sourdough croutons)

Green salad with a white wine viniagrette

A baguette