Dinner! 2013 (Part 5)

[patrickamory]

mm, what recipe did you use for the blanquette de veau? It's something I've always wanted to make.

[mm84321]

I followed the one in Thomas Keller's Bouchon book, with a few minor variations. It was also my first time making it. I had looked at a few different recipes, but this one was written particularly well. You start by cutting the veal shoulder into ~2" pieces, then blanching the meat in water, draining and rinsing, then simmering in chicken stock with aromatics for around 2-2.5 hours in a 350F oven, (test the meat with the tip of a paring knife). Then I let the meat cool a little in the braising liquid before removing it and keeping covered to keep its' moisture. The braising liquid (around 4 cups) is reduced a bit, then a cold, previously made roux is whisked in and allowed to reduce some more, before adding a cup of cream, and reducing a bit more, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and I used white pepper, then put the veal back into the sauce. When you are ready to serve, finish with a little creme fraiche, nutmeg and lemon juice to taste. The vegetables I simply blanched individually, warmed in water with a little butter, and finished with chopped parsley. I also attempted some tourned mushrooms which are almost certainly never worth the effort they require.

[C. sapidus]

Cooked from Julie Sahni’s Classic Indian Cooking tonight. As usual with Indian food, the house smelled fantastic. Younger son repeatedly tore himself away from video games to check on progress.

Potatoes in spicy yogurt gravy (dum aloo): Fry whole peeled potatoes and remove. Brown-fry onions, add ginger and ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and garam masala, and then simmer with tomatoes and yogurt until done, finishing with cream. One of my all-time favorite dishes.

Buttered smothered cabbage (bandi gobhi ki sabzi): Fried cumin and asafetida, and shredded cabbage, simmered with tomatoes, minced ginger, and chiles, and finished with cilantro.

Patiala pilaf (patiala pullao): Basmati rice rinsed, soaked, and fried with cumin, minced onions, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaves. Topped with fried onion slices (which I forgot to include in the picture - oops)

Edited October 15, 2013 by C. sapidus (log)

[merstar]

Tonight was a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese.

[Dejah]

C. sapidus: I love the "smell" of that Indian dinner. I have been seeing a fresh herb in our local Superstore. I am told it is used in Indian cooking. Looks almost like portulaca plant but isn't. Any idea?

I was "shocked" when I opened the fridge last night - not a bit of leftovers from the weekend of food! Guess kids thought they needed food more than Mom and Dad for their supper after they got back to the city.

So we had a quick family favourite version of Mac'n'Cheese. Boiled macaroni, added butter, milk and leftover half package of shredded Kraft Taco / Nacho cheese. Opened 2 small cans of sockeye salmon, a can of mushrooms, and a can of kernel corn. Added all to a cream sauce. Made a moat with the pasta, and filled the centre with the creamed salmon. Sprinkled with crush chili peppers for a bit of kick, along with fresh green peppercorns!

[weinoo]

Fish soup with striped bass we caught last month off Chatham, MA.

[C. sapidus]

I have been seeing a fresh herb in our local Superstore. I am told it is used in Indian cooking. Looks almost like portulaca plant but isn't. Any idea?

Sorry, I have not seen that, but it does sound interesting. Can you post a picture? There are some folks here who might be able to identify it.

[huiray]

A very late dinner last night:

Teochew-style Bak Kut Teh.^¶

Eaten w/ white rice (Hom Mali). I also added in Japanese-type Zen sushi age (fried tofu).

^¶As distinct from the herbal Canto-Hoklo style I've posted about elsewhere here on the forum.

[heidih]

C. sapidus: I love the "smell" of that Indian dinner. I have been seeing a fresh herb in our local Superstore. I am told it is used in Indian cooking. Looks almost like portulaca plant but isn't. Any idea?

Dejah - my first thought was purslane http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea

[Ann_T]

Cooked from Julie Sahni’s Classic Indian Cooking tonight. As usual with Indian food, the house smelled fantastic. Younger son repeatedly tore himself away from video games to check on progress.

Potatoes in spicy yogurt gravy (dum aloo): Fry whole peeled potatoes and remove. Brown-fry onions, add ginger and ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and garam masala, and then simmer with tomatoes and yogurt until done, finishing with cream. One of my all-time favorite dishes.

Buttered smothered cabbage (bandi gobhi ki sabzi): Fried cumin and asafetida, and shredded cabbage, simmered with tomatoes, minced ginger, and chiles, and finished with cilantro.

Patiala pilaf (patiala pullao): Basmati rice rinsed, soaked, and fried with cumin, minced onions, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaves. Topped with fried onion slices (which I forgot to include in the picture - oops)

Bruce, thanks to you I now have a craving for curry. Julie Sahani's Classic Indian Cooking is my favourite Indian Cookbook.

We had our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday with our neighbour. We shared the work. Clif did the turkey, dressing and gravy and I did all the sides and the dessert.

Apple Pie

[Dr. J]

Thanks for Basquecook for the idea. Saw his post about the market japanpremiumbeef and bought a few things to try for my brother in town. We purchased wagyushu filet 1lb, bought 2lb of pork (special pork on a diet, i forgot the name of it), 1.5lb of kobe rib eye. We had that with mashed potatoes, i used the heston blumenthal method of making perfect mashed potatoes. They were good, not sure they were worth the time or effort. You can see his video on youtube one potatoes. We had burrata cheese, beefsteak tomatoes with oliveoil and balsamic. Thats it.

Great posts by everybody as usual and thanks for all the inspiring dishes.

Looked for yannick alleno cookbook all in french

As expected the kobe beef rib eye was best steak i ever had. Incredibly soft, and tasty. The wagyushu filet was very soft, not sure if it is worth the price as I have had some good prime filet probably as soft. Difficult to tell when you are eating it next to the perfect steak. No plated pictures as we ate the second we plated and everybody was starving. Sorry for ugly pics

[Bojana]

May I join you (after having lurked for a long time)?

Mushroom consomme, broad beans, smoked cauliflower puree, smoked paprika almonds, maple bacon

[Paul Bacino]

Kinda did a Mexican Flare to my Tomato and Pepper Soup!!

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Bojana, that looks delicious! Are those enoki mushrooms in your consommé?

[Ann_T]

Kinda did a Mexican Flare to my Tomato and Pepper Soup!!

10313161404_0edcaf5c86_h.jpg

Paul, I want MY pictures to look like yours.

[scubadoo97]

Kinda did a Mexican Flare to my Tomato and Pepper Soup!!

10313161404_0edcaf5c86_h.jpg

Paul, I want MY pictures to look like yours.

That was an excellent photo. Made me want to dive in

[Norm Matthews]

We had brined pork loin chops sauteed with onions, mushrooms and fresh pineapple with wine, honey and whole grain mustard cooked down into a glaze. Also served with potato cakes and asparagus.

[C. sapidus]

Bojanna – Welcome to Dinner! Lovely flavors in your mushroom consommé.

Paul – Whoa, gorgeous!

Norm – Beautiful color on your potato cake. How did you like the pineapple glaze?

Simple dinner tonight: Charcoal-grilled strip steak, olive oil bread from the store, and salad with gorgonzola cheese. Steak was seasoned with salt and pepper, grilled, and then rested in a low oven for about 10 minutes.

[Norm Matthews]

Norm – Beautiful color on your potato cake. How did you like the pineapple glaze?

Thank you. The onion, wine, grainy mustard and honey were the original glaze. I added the mushrooms to the glaze but added the pineapple at the end to heat through. We thought it was pretty good. Cassie said she would not have thought the mushrooms and pineapple would go together but she thought it was a good combination

Edited October 17, 2013 by Norm Matthews (log)

[Paul Bacino]

Anne--Your Photo's are really awesome too!! But your complete meal layouts on your products are fabulous. I think you even beat me in the meat department!!

Dr. J-- Nice marbling, remember you need to cook ( finish ) those cuts at a bit higher temp. to meld the fat marbling. Thats could be just me though.

Judiu -- cook ole cooking.

C -- Thanks

[Ann_T]

Thanks Paul. But I still want my pictures to look like yours.

Bruce, beautiful piece of beef.

Last night's dinner. Filet Mignon with baked potato. The beef was presalted two days earlier. Seasoned with black pepper. Rubbed with a garlic clove after coming off the grill.

[judiu]

Paul, thanks for the answer, but now I don't remember the question!

[scubadoo97]

Ann, looks better than most high end steak restaurants and bet it taste better too.

[Steve Irby]

Great post's to all over the past couple of week's. Paul Bacino - great photo of the tomato and pepper soup.

Just getting back into the swing of things after a couple of weeks out of town and a very disagreeable intestinal virus. Last nights dinner was a quick salad, potatoes anna and paneed chicken thighs.

[rotuts]

Steve Irby

looks delicious .... 'and some mushrooms' serious Yum on that plate. !