Dinner! 2011

[djyee100]

I love anchovy, but my husband does not. Any tips? Rinse them? I'm in Kansas, so no fresh available, only the salty canned or jarred.

Most people object to anchovies because they've tasted the oil-preserved anchovies, which may be packed in cheap, or worse, rancid, oil. Those anchovies can taste unpleasantly fishy. Soaking those anchovies in milk helps (Nickrey's suggestion). The salt-cured anchovies have a clean taste. Does your husband dislike the saltiness? I can only suggest the obvious: soak the anchovies in a big bowl of water, changing it a few times to remove as much salt as possible. At best salt-cured anchovies should taste bright rather than salty.

[rarerollingobject]

Prawncrackers, that looks incredible.

Dinner tonight was pad thai with prawns and LOTS of birdseye chilli..phew. My pad thai is still not quite right, a little too damp, but getting better.

[aschall]

This was a quick omelet with sauteed onions, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and goat cheese. A little crispy bacon to go with.

[Mel Z]

Curried Pumpkin Soup! I realized after making it that it was vegan (coconut milk), as was the roti I made. For those who have had trouble with roti/chapatti puffing (unless it's just me), press lightly on the bread after it has browned, but still on the skillet. It will quickly puff up and form a beautiful pocket. Recipe is adapted from Gourmet, for those who want to try...a nice warming dish. Will hopefully post pics later.

[ScottyBoy]

This was a quick omelet with sauteed onions, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and goat cheese. A little crispy bacon to go with.

Nice roll on the omelet, I like the little things.

[heidih]

Prawncrackers, that looks incredible.

Dinner tonight was pad thai with prawns and LOTS of birdseye chilli..phew. My pad thai is still not quite right, a little too damp, but getting better.

Have you checked out our Pad Thai Cook off? The video in my post here may give you help on the wetness issue and it is a great view of the fast food nature of the dish.

[kayb]

Short ribs braised in Guinness and honey.

I served it over fried polenta, with a side of lima beans. Can't complain.

[Kim Shook]

Prawn – so sorry about your ouchies! Obviously all better now judging from your gorgeous meals! Nice to have you back in the game.

aschall – I agree with ScottyBoy - beautiful omelet!

kayb – I love the sound of your short ribs. How are they done?

Dinner last Sunday:

my grandmother’s beef stew and yeast rolls.

I tried out making yeast rolls with hot roll mix. I can’t find the thread, but someone started a topic about hot roll mix and I hadn’t tried it in years. I wasn’t terribly impressed. It was wonderfully easy, but bland. The OP used Pillsbury mix and this was Fleishman’s, though, so not a true test!

[djyee100]

A dinner of Pasta with Clams here. I cooked Alice Waters' recipe in The Art of Simple Food, and it's the best recipe for this dish that I know of. The sauce is basically the juices from the clams, spruced up with garlic, chile flakes, white wine, and parsley. If you don't have to fuss with the raw clams (i.e., purge 'em), this dinner is a quickie.

Served with a green salad and a crisp unoaked chardonnay. Some good bread to mop up the juices, too.

To make Pasta with Clams: Scrub and rinse 1 lb small clams. If necessary, purge them of sand in cold salted water in the fridge for 30 mins. (I use these proportions for the salted water: 1/3 cup salt in 4 qts H2O. The clams won't purge unless the water is sufficiently salty.) Meanwhile, start heating water for the pasta and figure out the timing for the pasta so that it finishes cooking with the clams. When the clams are ready to cook, drain and rinse. In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 TB extra-virgin olive oil. When hot, add the clams (be careful of spatters), 2 chopped cloves of garlic, a generous pinch of chile flakes, 1/4 cup dry white wine. Cover and cook over medium high heat until the clams open, about 6 mins. Shake the pan occasionally. Meanwhile, cook 1/2 lb of pasta until al dente. When the clams have opened, add in 1 TB chopped parsley and 2 TB extra-virgin olive oil. Combine with the hot cooked pasta. Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately. My variation of a recipe in Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food.

[harrysnapperorgans]

I made pork chops with a mushroom & balsamic pan sauce roast potatoes and sweet potatoes and brocolli.

Was pretty tasty, although the pork rind didn't render down very much, I need to work on that . . .

Edited January 26, 2011 by harrysnapperorgans (log)

[Doodad]

Pan seared catfish with mango/habanero sauce, veggie curry in lettuce wrap, pickled mango and blood orange, mixed veggie salad with tangerine vin.

[Okanagancook]

For Scottyboy, awhile back you posted a dinner photo of your root vegetables with preserved lemon dressing and beet "soil". I have been eyeing that I wonder if you use T. Keller's beet powder recipe to make the beet soil? Or, if not are you willing to share your method....I have some beets in the fridge.....thanks in advance.

[Shelby]

Thanks for the anchovy advice, everyone! I'll let you know the outcome.

Prawn! I'm glad you're on the mend! Your goose and noodles looks way yummier than mine!

Kim, I think the rolls looks warm and delicious.

Kay, I want some ribs now!

Doodad, I love your plating. The salad looks especially good.

Everyone, lovely looking meals!

I had a bunch of shredded chicken to use up, so I threw it in the slow cooker along with some white beans, hominy, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, chicken broth and roasted poblanos.

Also found a bunch of broken pasta in some buried bags, so I made fideo.

Does anyone make their own tortillas? I tried and had some success last night. I don't have a tortilla press, though. Does anyone use a press, or is it one of those kitchen gadgets that you just don't need?

[robirdstx]

Hi Shelby. You don't need a press for flour tortillas. Just roll them out. I can't find it now, but last summer I watched a video on youtube that demonstrated a method for getting a nice round tortilla. My notes have: form dough into 41-42 gram balls, with tight skin. Keep covered. Press a dough ball out to oval shape (rolling from center to edge) with rolling pin, turn 45 degrees and roll again, turn another 45 degrees and roll until round. Cook tortilla in hot dry cast iron pan, watch for tiny bubbles, turn quickly, tortilla will puff up, turn for final time. Ready to eat. Hope this helps.

[scamhi]

A dinner of Pasta with Clams here. I cooked Alice Waters' recipe in The Art of Simple Food, and it's the best recipe for this dish that I know of. The sauce is basically the juices from the clams, spruced up with garlic, chile flakes, white wine, and parsley. If you don't have to fuss with the raw clams (i.e., purge 'em), this dinner is a quickie.

Served with a green salad and a crisp unoaked chardonnay. Some good bread to mop up the juices, too.

To make Pasta with Clams: Scrub and rinse 1 lb small clams. If necessary, purge them of sand in cold salted water in the fridge for 30 mins. (I use these proportions for the salted water: 1/3 cup salt in 4 qts H2O. The clams won't purge unless the water is sufficiently salty.) Meanwhile, start heating water for the pasta and figure out the timing for the pasta so that it finishes cooking with the clams. When the clams are ready to cook, drain and rinse. In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 TB extra-virgin olive oil. When hot, add the clams (be careful of spatters), 2 chopped cloves of garlic, a generous pinch of chile flakes, 1/4 cup dry white wine. Cover and cook over medium high heat until the clams open, about 6 mins. Shake the pan occasionally. Meanwhile, cook 1/2 lb of pasta until al dente. When the clams have opened, add in 1 TB chopped parsley and 2 TB extra-virgin olive oil. Combine with the hot cooked pasta. Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately. My variation of a recipe in Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food.

the Paul Pernot Bourgogne is a really nice wine. Drinks above it's price point.

[djyee100]

the Paul Pernot Bourgogne is a really nice wine. Drinks above it's price point.

For anyone interested, the wine is: 2008 Domaine Paul Pernot Bourgogne Blanc. It costs somewhere around $20 a bottle. I've been drinking it up regularly since it was recommended to me. In fact, that was my last bottle in the house, so I have to order more. Tasty, well-balanced, food-friendly; and this wine has extra oomph from declassified Puligny-Montrachet grapes.

[C. sapidus]

Doodad, that’s gorgeous, and the flavors sound right up my alley.

Shelby, nice job on the tortillas. Our non-traditional tortilla press is a cutting board with felt pads, documented in Making Mexican at Home (clicky).

djyee100, your lovely clam dish must have lodged in my brain and unconsciously influenced tonight’s meal.

Shrimp with garlic and wine sauce; spaghetti aio e oil; microplaned Parmesan cheese over the lot. Accompanied by Mrs. C’s never-the-same-but-always-delicious cabbage salad, this time with fresh-squeezed oranges and pear vinegar.

The house is suffused with the aroma of slowly-fried garlic, the (fake) fire flickers in the hearth, and wet, heavy snow falls outside. I’m ready for spring. Anyone else?

[kayb]

Kim and Shelby, the ribs are from the Food52 recipe here: http://www.food52.com/recipes/9109_short_ribs_with_beer_and_buckwheat_honey (can't figure out how to make the clicky thing). I didn't have buckwheat honey, so used regular with a shot of molasses, and used Guinness. Lowered the heat and cooked longer to accommodate my schedule. They were wonderful. Pot was a b**** to wash.

Lovely dinners, everyone. Seeing the shrimp makes me want some. I'm thinking shrimp and Andouille and grits this weekend.

Tonight was pizza. Fresh tomatos from last weekend's farmers' market haul, fresh basil, mozzarella, parmigiano, and at the last minute because I saw it in the fridge and thought, "I need to use that," chopped barbecued beef, a leftover from lunch earlier this week.

[robirdstx]

We had Beef Stew for dinner last night and the leftovers tonight.

[dcarch]

Absolutely wonderful meals everyone! Totally spectacular!

I made scallops with bacon powder and sous vide cooked pork chops.

dcarch

[DanM]

I made Mario Batali's dirt simple eggplant Parmesan for my wife. Roast eggplant, top with mozzarella, sauce, basil, and parm. Stack 3 high, sprinkle with bread crumbs and then bake until cheese is melted and eggplant is soft.

I could not enjoy it with her since I am on a liquid diet... At least until I put a stack in my vita-mix, extra tomato sauce and plenty of veg stock. I gave it a whirl, strained the results, and had eggplant parmesan soup for dinner.

Dan

[ScottyBoy]

One of my huge comfort foods, spaghetti. Just plated all fancy like.

[djyee100]

Dcarch, are those thinly sliced strips of chard stalks? Usually I trim away those stalks. I should try to do something else with them. Are the chard stalks sauteed? (if they are chard stalks). Interesting idea of bacon powder on the scallops, too.

[dcarch]

One of my huge comfort foods, spaghetti. Just plated all fancy like.

Nice plating.

Dcarch, are those thinly sliced strips of chard stalks? Usually I trim away those stalks. I should try to do something else with them. Are the chard stalks sauteed? (if they are chard stalks). Interesting idea of bacon powder on the scallops, too.

They are beet green stems. Nice and tender.

dcarch

[ScottyBoy]

Oh a plating compliment from you is one I will gladly take, thank you.