Dinner! 2013 (Part 4)

[mm84321]

Can't really know yet. Last year, the price for black hovered around $790/lb, if I recall correctly. Of course, that price fluctuates on an almost weekly basis, and will spike around the holidays. The best time to buy black truffles are the months of January/February when they are at their peak, in terms of quality, and least expensive.

Any cheaper for delivery to the UK? It's closer and we don't need to pay any food taxes for it!

I haven't dealt with anyone that distributes in the UK. I can ask come truffle season, though.

[dcarch]

"------My mum is Hakka from the New Territories, ----"

Amazing! Enjoy your cooking always! Something different about your cooking fascinates me. Now I can understand a little better.

I came across this a while back, and I had wondered if these Hakka people have unique food traditions:

https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=732&q=hakka+house&oq=Hakka+&gs_l=img.1.6.0l10.2467.3723.0.8869.2.2.0.0.0.0.81.144.2.2.0....0...1ac.1j2.26.img..0.2.142.ew5R_zXwDII

dcarch

Edited September 15, 2013 by dcarch (log)

[huiray]

Bingo! Thanks. I've been eating it thinking its like a really succulent tasty romaine lettuce. It's exactly like this from one of the google searches http://kitschow.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/384-blanched-choy-with-oyster-sauce.html

My mum is Hakka from the New Territories, she does grow that veg out until the stalks are pretty thick. It's delicious. So what would be the most common English name for it? A Choy or Sword lettuce?

Thanks for the response. I guess both names are applicable and probably depends on where one is.

ETA: There is another name/type - celtuce - although the leaves for this are more romaine-like in general or at least less spiky with few side-lobes if any, and the Chinese name(s) is/are different (i.e. not "麥菜"). Linda Lau Anusasananan in her cookbook "The Hakka Cookbook" (pg 251, in section: 'The Hakka Pantry') refers to celtuce and lists the alternative names as "Chinese lettuce, A-choy, stem lettuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce". In the end they all may be just variants of each other!

Edited September 15, 2013 by huiray (log)

[liuzhou]

I came across this a while back, and I wondered if these people have unique food traditions:

Without wishing to stray too far off topic, let me quickly say that most of those Hakka (客家 - kè jiā) houses have long gone and the few which remain turned into Disney-esque tourist traps.

There were once several distinctly Hakka dishes, but most have been incorporated into general Chinese cuisine. At least the good ones!

[rotuts]

the eel looks stunning. bet it was worth the work.

[sigma]

Bingo! Thanks. I've been eating it thinking its like a really succulent tasty romaine lettuce. It's exactly like this from one of the google searches http://kitschow.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/384-blanched-choy-with-oyster-sauce.html

My mum is Hakka from the New Territories, she does grow that veg out until the stalks are pretty thick. It's delicious. So what would be the most common English name for it? A Choy or Sword lettuce?

Thanks for the response. I guess both names are applicable and probably depends on where one is.

ETA: There is another name/type - celtuce - although the leaves for this are more romaine-like in general or at least less spiky with few side-lobes if any, and the Chinese name(s) is/are different (i.e. not "麥菜"). Linda Lau Anusasananan in her cookbook "The Hakka Cookbook" (pg 251, in section: 'The Hakka Pantry') refers to celtuce and lists the alternative names as "Chinese lettuce, A-choy, stem lettuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce". In the end they all may be just variants of each other!

Celtuce is wonderful. We can't get it too often, but on occasion one of the large Asian markets in town will have it. The leaves are not so exciting, but the stems are so delicious.

[Ann_T]

that brie looks so good, with those baguettes. luck you!

Thanks Rotuts

Huiray, Sirloin Cap is new to me this year. It has become a favourite cut of beef.

Thanks Bruce. You always have the most wonderful combinations. Makes my mouth water.

Cookalong, Not sure which I want more, the beef or the saddle of lamb. Both perfectly cooked. Might have to go with the saddle so I could have the potato gratin.

Take-out Friday night. - All tuna.

Saturday night - Picked up Fresh Halibut on the way home from work. Baked Italian style.

[Wapi]

Paella

Vongole

[huiray]

There has been some chit-chat about "The Hakka Cookbook" by Linda Lau Anusasananan here and elsewhere. For those interested, there is a thread on this book here, started by Anna N.

[Paul Bacino]

Scallop / Chirizo Patty Succotash in Tomato water-- Pickled Onions, Scorpion Pepper laced Jalapeno, Cherokee Tomato with Braised Garden Kale

[rotuts]

PB that's a very small plate or a scallop on steroids!

lucky you.

[Norm Matthews]

The recent discussion about frying chicken made me hungry for some so I made chicken strips, some Mexican style rice, a tossed salad and dressing.

[C. sapidus]

Thank you, Ann. Tuna is my second-favorite sushi after smoked eel (which is probably why Prawn’s grilled grilled unagi looks so very tasty).

A case of ripe mangos inspired tonight’s dinner, cooked entirely by Mrs. C.

Mango grilled chicken – Salsa of diced mango, cucumber, red onion, garlic, mint, lime juice, and olive oil. Half of the salsa was set aside, and the other half pureed to marinate chicken breasts before grilling on the Big Green Egg.

Watermelon, tomato, and mango salad – with basil and lime juice, probably some other things. This was completely fantastic, mainly because the heirloom tomatoes are some of the best we have ever grown.

Babaghanouj – Made with Asian (skinny purple) eggplants on the Egg, this was particularly clean-tasting.

Baked potato

[Steve Irby]

I have been prepping some food for my friends 60th birthday next weekend. I use a Weber kettle and cooked two butts yesterday and two today. Dinner tonight was a little poaching from the grill.

Dry rub pork butts smoked with pecan wood and grilled for ~12 hours.

Ten hours over the grill and then about two hours in foil to relax.

I also prepped 17 chicken legs (drumsticks) that I skinned, deboned, stuffed with sausage, "meat glued" some bacon, and cooked sous vide. Definitely a separate post.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Steve Irby (log)

[Dejah]

Thai green curry with baby cuttlefish, basa fillet, and huge 8-12 shrimp. Eaten with nasi lemak and small piece of coconut milk yeast-base naan.

[pastameshugana]

Take-out Friday night. - All tuna.

I'm curious: I've never seen tuna that 'pink' before - is it just the photo or was it really that light in color? Or is this a different kind or grade of tuna that I've just never seen?

[Keith_W]

Tuna belongs to a genus, meaning that the different types of tuna are related but may not interbreed successfully. The common names of some tuna species include albacore, skipjack, bluefin, blackfin, yellowfin, etc. Depending where the tuna was caught and which species are fished, the amount of myoglobin in the muscle may vary. This is why the colour of the flesh varies from pink to red.

[liuzhou]

Depending where the tuna was caught and which species are fished, the amount of myoglobin in the muscle may vary. This is why the colour of the flesh varies from pink to red.

No. it depends on what they eat.

[dcarch]

Depending where the tuna was caught and which species are fished, the amount of myoglobin in the muscle may vary. This is why the colour of the flesh varies from pink to red.

No. it depends on what they eat.

See what happens if you eat too much carrots.

dcarch

[pastameshugana]

Depending where the tuna was caught and which species are fished, the amount of myoglobin in the muscle may vary. This is why the colour of the flesh varies from pink to red.

No. it depends on what they eat.

See what happens if you eat too much carrots.

dcarch

Wait a minute...tuna are eating carrots now? Mind = blown.

[mm84321]

Onion soup, comté croutons

Black bass with lardo, vegetables of the moment, preserved lemon butter

[rotuts]

those bacon legs look very interesting. you brown up the bacon after cooking SV?

[rarerollingobject]

As much as I hate posting right after mm84321's pictures, this was a pretty simple but delicious piece of salmon, coated in Dijon mustard and then crusted with a mix of crushed pistachios, garlic, brandy, orange zest and olive oil.

[Steve Irby]

those bacon legs look very interesting. you brown up the bacon after cooking SV?

Yep, I deep fry them to crisp up the bacon. Here's a photo from the previous batch.

[rotuts]

wow. why de-boned legs? after all, you just get dark meat after all

that. the meat 'falls apart'

why not thighs, that have more meat?

just a thought. sometimes one can get boneless thighs on sale. its

not free range stuff, but lends it to adaptions as you have done.

I no long deep fry.

maybe these puppies would enjoy the Gas Fired Tandoor instead?

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/145630-cooking-with-the-char-broil-oil-less-big-easy-fryer/

I can this on a long skewer with several of this tight in a row.

Youve given me interesting ideas!

thanks

Edited September 16, 2013 by rotuts (log)