Dinner! 2013 (Part 3)

[Franci]

Thank you, Rotuts!

Heidi, yes, I made the chutney following this recipe, which I already tried in the past and remembered as delicious, substituting this time loquats for mango. For 1 kg gross weight of loquats I scaled to 75%. The only advice I have is that I kept the pot covered and I should have thought loquats release more water than mango and by the 30 minutes it was too runny. So I had to keep on the stove on high other 5 minutes to thicken. Keep in mind if you don't want to overcook. Otherwise it's a lovely recipe. I also omitted the raisins and added just a bit more sugar.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Franci (log)

[nickrey]

Nickrey, did you like it? How does a dehydrated meringue taste?

It was a bit like a very tart lemon meringue pie without the pie crust and with a textural variation with the pickled fennel.

The dehydrated meringue was very light, crisp, and sticky all at once. Basically it was an Italian meringue with added lemon juice and zest spread over parchment paper and dried in my dehydrator.

[C. sapidus]

RRO – I love complicated salads, and your lamb chops look/sound terrific.

dcarch – Thanks! The fish looks fantastic (in both senses of the word).

Franci – Lovely to see you posting!

I expect Marilyn Tausend’s Cocina de la Familia to get a workout this week.

Green chile with pork and potatoes (Chile verde con puerco y papas) – Pork shoulder and new potatoes simmered with a puree of tomatillos, Serrano chiles, and garlic, finished with cilantro. Green salad not pictured.

Seasoned white rice (arroz blanco) – Jasmine rice, fried with white onion, garlic, and Poblano chile strips, and then cooked with chicken stock, fresh corn, bay leaf, and whole Serrano chiles, and then tossed with feta cheese.

[sigma]

Cleared out my freezer the other night and found some stuff I had forgotten I'd put there. Sirloin steak topped with pan-seared foie gras, sauce bearnaise and asparagus. Gratin of potatoes served in separate ramekins.

The combination of foie gras and bearnaise is slightly questionable, but the execution is really good. Sauce looks wonderfully made.

[Baselerd]

From the garden (except the mushrooms):

Pan-fried gnocci, roasted tomato-basil puree, glazed shimeji mushrooms, pickled radishes.

[SobaAddict70]

thanks RRO/dcarch.

lots of great-looking stuff.

tonight -- a REALLY late dinner, just something I threw together in 15 minutes:





Potato gnocchi, with black trumpet mushrooms, mousseron mushrooms, ramps and cabbage flower

Doable in about 15 minutes, including prep. Warm some olive oil, add some chopped ramp stalks, the black trumpet mushrooms and fairy ring (mousseron) mushrooms. Season with sea salt and black pepper. When the mushrooms are tender and the ramp stalks have started to brown, add the ramp leaves and chopped cabbage flower. Let the greens cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While you're doing this, bring some lightly salted water to a boil, and drop in the potato gnocchi. The gnocchi, if they're freshly made, should take about 2-3 minutes to cook. When the gnocchi float to the top, lift out with a slotted spoon, then add to the pot with the ramp and mushroom mixture. Toss once or twice, taste for salt and pepper, then spoon into warmed serving bowls. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, then serve immediately.

Also, take a look at the NYT op-ed article below when you get a chance.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/opinion/pay-people-to-cook-at-home.html

[Mr Holloway]

Fantastic meals everyone

Love, how the Dinner thread is now onto part 3 and it's only May

So many great pics

A couple of quick meals from the grill

The Egg is easy enough, that I light, quick prep, shower, and cook a nice dinner for work

Lamb, sweet tater fries, simple salad and homemade herb focaccia we are working on for Eggfest

Shane

[Keith_W]

Love, how the Dinner thread is now onto part 3 and it's only May

It's my favourite thread on eG! I come here to perve at food porn and get ideas for what to cook next! Certainly some very interesting meals, e.g. Callinectes sapidus' green chile and the rice with the chilli, cheese and corn mixed through it. Intriguing.

[SobaAddict70]

shane -- I love your dinner; if only I had a balcony, then I could grill to my heart's content without setting off the smoke alarm.

tonight:



Insalata di tonno e ceci -- spring greens (chickweed, fava greens), with Italian tuna and chickpeas.

You can use canned chickpeas (as is, drained and rinsed; or simmered for 20 minutes with 2 cups cold water, a pinch of sea salt, some sliced onion, carrot and celery, then drained) or prepared from dried (soak overnight in 4 cups cold water, then prepared with the onion/celery/carrot treatment). To the cooked, drained chickpeas, add good quality Italian tuna packed in olive oil, finely chopped red onion or shallots, lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Taste for salt and pepper. Spoon atop some greens, then serve immediately.

Fresh sardines make an excellent substitute for the tuna.






Asparagus, eggs and cheese

Steam or simmer asparagus; fry an egg in unsalted butter, then serve over the asparagus. Spoon some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese atop the asparagus and egg, and some melted butter. Taste for salt and pepper, then serve at once.

You don't need much else -- maybe a glass of white wine and some fruit.

[Mr Holloway]

Thanks SobaAddict70

I have to tell you,

The Creamed mushroom bruschetta recipe has spread like wildfire here

Variations include provolone and now a much anticipated prosciutto wrap

Thanks again for the recipe

Shane

[Mr Holloway]

Hey Keith

You are a great contributor here

You are giving as much food porn as your taking

Shane

[SobaAddict70]

Shane -- it's not my recipe though. thanks anyway.

tonight:



One-egg omelette, baby cauliflower greens

The greens and shallots were cooked in olive oil, then dressed with a touch of sesame oil, red pepper flakes, sriracha, sea salt, black pepper and garlic chives.

One-egg omelette: one egg, 1 teaspoon cold water, sea salt and black pepper to taste. Prepare as you would a normal 2- or 3-egg omelette by frying in unsalted butter.




Baby cauliflower and olive bruschetta

Cauliflower and olive confit -- chopped baby cauliflower, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, olive oil, shallots, capers, Moroccan oil-cured olives, rosemary. Simmer over low heat for one hour or until the cauliflower becomes as soft as baby food. Serve over toasted semolina bread or Italian bread.




Crispy heirloom potatoes, black trumpet mushrooms, baby arugula

Potatoes -- parboil potatoes in lightly salted water for 5 minutes, then marinate in enough olive oil to cover along with fresh sage or oregano, for 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then roast at 350 F for 30 minutes.

The mushrooms and arugula were cooked in olive oil, with salt and pepper.




Mussels steamed in Belgian beer, with ramps and pearl barley

Mussels -- steamed in Belgian beer for 3 minutes, then drained and shelled. Discard any mussels that do not open.

Pearl barley -- simmer 1/2 cup pearl barley in 1 1/2 cups Chinese chicken stock (chicken stock, garlic, ginger, scallions, sea salt) for 5 minutes on medium-high heat, then for 40 minutes on low heat or until all liquid is absorbed.

Ramps -- chopped ramp stalks and bulbs were sautéed in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, to which was added the cooked pearl barley and chopped ramp leaves, slivered uncured Casalingo salami and the cooked mussels.

Taste for salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, then serve immediately.

[Keith_W]

Aw, thanks Mr. Holloway

SobaAddict that omelette looks perfect, I have a hankering to make myself one right now!!

Oh yeah, where was I. Dinners!

Last night's dinner. Panfried John Dory with a lemon-caper sauce with salad. Some of the salad was used as garnish, the rest was plunked into a big ugly bowl

Tonight's dinner. Duck breast with duck skin wafer, sauce Perigeux, mashed potato, and vegetables.

Duck breast: injected with a brine made from milk and apple juice, then sous-vide at 60C for 2 hours.

Duck skin wafer: stitched to a rack then brushed with soy sauce, paprika, and sugar. Allowed to dry in the fridge for 24 hours, then roasted at 180C for 30 minutes.

Sauce perigeux: madeira and truffle oil was added to beef stock, then reduced and thickened with a roux. Yes I know it is missing the foie gras, but I didn't have any. And I had to use truffle oil instead of truffles as well. Not truffle season yet!

Mashed potato: as per my "ultimate mashed potato" recipe

Vegetables: microwaved. You will be surprised how good this simple cooking method is.

Edited May 15, 2013 by Keith_W (log)

[Ranz]

Sous vide Short Ribs, 56.5C for around 42 hours. Was a bit more rare than I'd have liked, but the texture was very nice. I'll try again at around 59C soon.

Was finished under the broiler. Did quite a good job.

[SobaAddict70]

tonight:



Spring vegetable soup, with artichokes, peas and potatoes

For those of you who have "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking", this is on pages 85-87 of the 2012 edition. If you don't have the book -- basically fry some garlic in olive oil, then add sliced potatoes. Cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat, covered; then add thinly sliced artichokes (that have been trimmed of their inedible parts, thorny tips, and fuzzy choke) and enough water to cover. Simmer for 25-30 minutes on low heat. Then stir in either fresh or frozen peas. Cook for 10 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, stir in chopped parsley and serve immediately. Not as substantial as a minestrone, nor as complex, but immensely satisfying.

patrick -- this is another example where water is preferable over stock or broth.

There's a slice of fried bread (slightly stale baguette fried in olive oil) on the bottom of the bowl.

keith -- ty

Edited May 16, 2013 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[C. sapidus]

Keith – Thanks! Your John Dory and duck look like wonderful meals.

Soba – Thanks for the pointer on the spring vegetable soup.

Garlic chicken – Baked with S&P, and then baked some more with a head of garlic pureed with olive oil and lime juice.

Mexican red rice – with white onion, roasted Poblano chiles, garlic, pureed tomato, chicken stock, and parsley. Unpictured green salad.

[patrickamory]

Soba that spring vegetable soup looks perfect. Maybe I'll make it to USG this weekend. And thanks for the tip on the water instead of stock! Makes perfect sense for a fresh & delicate soup like this one.

[SobaAddict70]

patrick -- you'd enjoy it, I think.

c. sapidus -- great plate of chicken.

tonight:



Dandelion greens and kohlrabi "bread salad" -- dandelion greens, kohlrabi, dried cranberries, croutons, saffron, red chile flakes, olive oil, lemon juice, cranberry soaking liquid.

The cranberries were briefly soaked in hot water (which had a few saffron threads in it).

Can't wait for tomatoes to start appearing...




Spaghetti with ramps, asparagus, peas and bacon

[liuzhou]

Last night. Stir fried crab and clams. Served with wilted baby bok choy and rice.

[Franci]

Liuzhou, we would have really liked your crab and clams. How do you stir fry them?

So, full of spring your dishes, Soba! I hope you are going to give me tips on where is best to buy in USGM, we are moving back in Sept/Oct to Brooklyn.

Yesterday night we had

Beef carpaccio

Celeriac Rosti with tzaziki

and Turkish fava beans with dill. Plus a salad not pictured and some toasted garlicky bread

previous nights. No fancy food, pretty basic food

potatoes croquettes

friggitelli and some fried mackerel (oh, this was terrible, how I miss good Cornish mackerel ). Not sure if friggitelli are the same as pimentos de padron, think so. I grew up eating them.

Some left over polenta and oyester mushrooms (which my 2 years old daughter loves!)

pork skewers

and some roasted eggplants. Wanted to do the miso spread, Prawncrackers reminded me of this tasty dish, but was running short of time...next time.

Edited May 18, 2013 by Franci (log)

[liuzhou]

Liuzhou, we would have really liked your crab and clams. How do you stir fry them?

I fried up some garlic (a lot) and an equal amount of grated ginger and one chopped Thai style chile. As soon as they get fragrant the crabs go in. They are these little blue crabs. The crab girl in the local market cuts them up and removes the nasty bits, so I save a job.

When they start to turn red I add a slug of soy sauce and a similarly sized slug of oyster sauce (a slug is the technical term for about half as much as my wok stirrer can hold - sorry, I'm not a measurer). About the same time I add the clams.

When the crab meat is white rather than translucent and the clams have opened, I declare everything to be cooked, add a quarter slug of sesame oil and a handful of chopped scallions.

Taste. Sometimes they don't need salt. Sometimes they do. Adjust as required.

Then serve.

Then eat.

The picture I posted didn't have the sauce on them. How silly of me. This is a delightfully messy dish to eat. You got to get in there with fingers and get messy!

Then take a shower.

[Simon Lewinson]

Dinner today was porcini fettucini with duck confit and pea ragu. The duck confit was from my first attempt a couple of weeks ago and was a bit salty. Pairing it with the baby peas added some sweetness to offset some of the saltiness. The porcini fetuccini was made with 20% of the flour replaced with ground dried porcini .

I still need to work on my plating skills.

Edited May 18, 2013 by Simon Lewinson (log)

[mm84321]

I still need to work on my plating skills.

I think it looks fine. I mean, it is what it is: a bowl of pasta. It would probably look silly, or at least less honest, plated otherwise. What I would suggest you working on, however, are new plates.

[Keith_W]

I still need to work on my plating skills.

It's OK, so do I. I have found a little trick though. I cook up enough food for us to eat. Then I plate up a dainty little portion, because they look nicer. Once the photo is taken, I pile on the food and eat!

[rotuts]

croquettes

second only to Fried Calamari !

Yum !