Lunch! What'd ya have? (2012–2014)

[huiray]

Yong Tau Foo (釀豆腐).

Today I used soft tofu blocks, fried tofu puffs, bittergourd, brinjal, sweet mini peppers, fresh thick-cap shiitake mushrooms. Fish paste mixed w/ sesame oil, chopped scallions & cilantro, ground white pepper, sea salt. Stuffed bittergourd & brinjal slices pan-fried before poaching in chicken stock. Rest were simply poached in the stock. Napa cabbage barely wilted in the residual stock (diluted a bit) --> a companion soup. Dipping sauces: Lingham's Hot Sauce & Kokita Sambal Bangkok.

[weinoo]

We had Spaghetti alla Carbonara this weekend...

The blog post about it.

[rotuts]

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

such a fine winter dish, and yours looks delicious!

[huiray]

Hmmm...I still have some pancetta in the freezer, and farm-fresh eggs, and I do have Pecorino Romano in the fridge...and it's still just a few degrees above 0ºF outside...

Edited January 22, 2013 by huiray (log)

[weinoo]

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

such a fine winter dish, and yours looks delicious!

It is indeed a great winter dish...thanks.

Hmmm...I still have some pancetta in the freezer, and farm-fresh eggs, and I do have Pecorino Romano in the fridge...and it's still just a few degrees above 0ºF outside...

Now, the questions are - do you have some good quality pasta? And what are you waiting for?!

[rotuts]

Roll-Up:

Joe's Whole Grain tortilla, SV turkey breast ( 4h 140 PrimeRib seasoning ), Mayo ( Im a fan ) , BaTampte half-sour, MajorGey's, spinach on the side to see the turkey. It goes on next Pre Roll.

the tortilla and turkey are warm.

this same roll-up serves as dinner sometimes w Bean Soup. The turkey can't be beat !

Edited January 22, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[huiray]

Heh. I do have quality pasta too. :-D

(BTW I prefer dried pasta over fresh pasta for Carbonara - just a personal preference, if you will, both in texture and final result - although I also do find that the vigorous stirring and tossing I do with fresh pasta is, um, more deleterious to their integrity...depending on which fresh pasta I use. I have never made my own pasta (horrors!!) and have tended to get fresh stuff from this very good local maker of it - and I'm sure my experiences have been colored by what I got from them. "Store bought" so-called "fresh" stuff works fine, but for my tastes a good dried pasta does best in my hands in this dish.)

[Unpopular Poet]

Hey everyone -- first post, glad to be a part of the discussion. This is Sunday Lunch -- Venison steaks seared in duck fat with a red wine and espresso butter, served with a side of kale and lardons. So happy that my friends hunt.

[weinoo]

Heh. I do have quality pasta too. :-D

but for my tastes a good dried pasta does best in my hands in this dish.)

Yes, it's definitely a dried pasta dish. I like Setaro brand, but it's not always that easy to find.

[liuzhou]

Two duck egg / Three mushroom (button mushrooms, shiitake and cèpes) omelette. Bread and butter.

[rotuts]

I used to eat duck eggs growing up, as we had ducks. tough to steal their eggs, but not as tough as trying to get a Goose egg!

Ive completely forgotten what they taste like and im sure I cant find them near me.

[liuzhou]

Ive completely forgotten what they taste like

Not so different from chicken eggs but richer.

Duck eggs are my usual choice. I seldom buy anything else, although chicken and quail eggs are easily available. Haven't had a goose egg for a couple of years.

Edited January 23, 2013 by liuzhou (log)

[Paul Bacino]

Made a Cod Stew!!

Reserved Mussel Broth/Poached Cod/Left-over Brown Rice/Marinara/Peas/Knob of Butter and Fennel fronds to finish!! Easy and Flavorful

A Side of N0-Knead Bread!

[rod rock]

Hello Unpopular Poet, welcome to the forum! Those are nice looking Venison steaks! Good work!

[Paul Bacino]

Welcome Poet!!

Our Venison supplys are really down this yr in the Mid-west!! Along with Pheasant and quail!!

[rotuts]

PB: that soup looks perfect! and beef-less to boot. what's your fav no-knead ?

[Paul Bacino]

Rotuts,

Thanks,, really simple!! Dish. I always save any left over mussel dish broth, good for these quick meal occasions

My favorite No-Knead Bread-- this one ( my Patient made it for me --She said she had been a pain in the ASK ) well she wasnt. But, The only one I ever made was Cook's Illustrated. I just dont bake that much.

I'm open for suggestions though!!

Edited January 23, 2013 by Paul Bacino (log)

[Martin Fisher]

I used to eat duck eggs growing up, as we had ducks. tough to steal their eggs, but not as tough as trying to get a Goose egg!

That's for sure! LOL

~Martin

[huiray]

I was in the mood for more "Tai Yee Ma Kar Lui" [大姨媽嫁女] today. (Hairy gourd with cellophane noodles & dried shrimp) Made a lotus root soup to go with it. (Beef slices sautéed w/ garlic, water, sliced lotus root, snow fungus, fresh cloud ear fungus, raw peanuts, soft tofu, sea salt) White rice. (Hom Mali)

[liuzhou]

I had other plans for lunch, but they required me going out and it's a horrible wet day here so I raided the cupboards and made a simple spaghetti with bacon, garlic, tomato and olives. And it was just fine.

[rod rock]

Those spaghetti looks nice, not only fine! Yumm!

[rotuts]

I don't think I ever managed to get a egg from the geese we had growing up. they are fearless and very quick, faster than a 4 year old!

interestingly the Jan-Feb '13 issue of CI had a paragraph on duck eggs:

$ 4.49 for 6. Larger yolks proportionally to chicken eggs. duck: 42 % by weight yolk, Chicken 32 %. duck eggs richer. have a higher fat content. Scrambled Duck eggs: denser. Duck albumen more structure-albumen.

[huiray]

Thursday lunch:

• "Kon Lo Mein" – skinny wonton noodles dressed w/ a sauce of sautéed chopped garlic & shallots, minced chuck pre-marinated w/ light soy sauce, thick dark soy sauce, Red Boat fish sauce, sesame oil, and the (sweetish) juices from some "Char Siu".

• "Choy Sum" blanched in oiled hot water.

• Shrimp & pork wontons in soup** with chopped scallions & Chinese celery leaves.

Heh, I forgot about the "Char Siu" which I had on the side waiting to be sliced...didn't notice it was missing as the minced beef dressing and the wonton soup were sufficient. :-)

** Chicken stock, simmered w/ a small handful of largish whole semi-dried anchovies and a couple dried thick-cap shiitake mushrooms, volume & seasoning adjusted, poured through a sieve onto the cooked wontons in a bowl, and the scallions & celery leaves scattered in.

[huiray]

Friday lunch:

• Spaghetti & meat sauce.

Brunoise of one large white onion & one smashed clove of garlic sautéed in corn oil till beginning to brown, finely sliced de-stringed Western-type celery added, tossed, ground chuck added, tossed; generous Heinz “Simply Heinz” tomato ketchup added, the mixture stirred; several dried bay leaves, good light soy sauce (Pearl River Superior) & Jozo mirin added, stirred, and sautéed till just beginning to “crisp”/brown; chopped tomatoes (canned) added, stirred; generous Maruchan rice vinegar added, stirred; a few sticks of whole cinnamon & a small handful of whole cloves added, stirred, diluted w/ a little water, covered, simmered for about 1 hour total from start.

Served over Barilla spaghetti.

• Napa cabbage flash-sautéed w/ peanut oil & sea salt.

Very hot pan, oil at smoking point, covered immediately after adding the cabbage, tossed and swirled with cover on, cover taken off after about 1-2 minutes, spluttering cabbage tossed w/ spatula, recovered & heat turned off, cover half-removed after 30 seconds.

Yes, there is "juice"/liquid from the sauce; it has dripped to the bottom below the spaghetti in the bowl.

[rod rock]

Huiray, Thursday lunch is perfect!