Dinner 2014 (Part 5)

[BonVivant]

I'm backpacking in northern Japan at the moment and in this town it's all about squid so here goes:

 

 

 

 

(This series in one .gif file)

 

 

[Norm Matthews]

I made individual salads with the last of the tomatoes from the garden. Sorry for the blurry picture.

 

 

I also had enough stuff in the refrigerator to use up some stuff and make an enchilada casserole.

 

[Baselerd]

I made a peanut butter themed dessert, adapted from this recipe at Starchefs. The peanut butter semifreddo from this recipe is fantastic, and very easy to make. My ice cream maker is out of service, so I decided to go for a granita. I ended up simmering the raisins in the sake syrup to make the sake raisins, rather than just steep as per the recipe (they didn't seem to take up enough flavor using that technique).

 

-Peanut butter semifreddo

-Apple-miso granita

-Peanut butter powder (4:1 ratio of N-Zorbit to peanut butter, blended)

-Raisin fluid gel

-Sake-ginger raisins

-Peanut brittle

 

Edited September 25, 2014 by Baselerd (log)

[huiray]

Soup.

Water, chicken legs w/ skin & fat left on, garlic, sea salt; chopped Savoy cabbage, jozo mirin, couple splashes of Maggi sauce.

 

Edited September 25, 2014 by huiray (log)

[Dejah]

All the meals are like fall: colourful and most definitely enticing...:-P"""""" (drooling...)

 

Weather's been phenomenal this week. Today is 30C, and that's with a + sign !

 

So, the BBQ beckoned:

 

Rack of lamb stuffed with sprigs of rosemary. Eaten with fresh mint sauce, blanched then stir-fried baby bok choy

 

 

BBQ beef burgers served on Portobello mushrooms, along with bell peppers, onion slices, and cauliflower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[c oliver]

Soup.

Water, chicken legs w/ skin & fat left on, garlic, sea salt; chopped Savoy cabbage, jozo mirin, couple splashes of Maggi sauce.

 

DSCN2756b_800.jpg

That looks super.  And I say, health be damned sometimes, skin and fat add SO much flavor and umami (is that a dirty word here?  I could say "mouth feel" but people loathe that also)

[huiray]

That looks super.  And I say, health be damned sometimes, skin and fat add SO much flavor and umami (is that a dirty word here?  I could say "mouth feel" but people loathe that also)

 

Heh.  Thanks.  In my old age I myself also don't care particularly about super-healthy this-and-that - not that I ever did; while I'll take all the preservatives in food that I can get.  OK, maybe that was hyperbole but it is something along the lines of what my sentiments are. :-)

 

Those small, glistening blobs of oil you see in the pic of the soup is entirely chicken fat.  I added no additional oil to the pot.  I considered adding more cut-up chicken fat (from the tub of it I have in my freezer) but didn't in the end.  Can I claim virtuousness for not doing so? :-) ;-)  The mouth-feel you mention is also a factor.  I could have lobbed off the knuckles and other gelatinous/cartilaginous parts but purposely left them on for the small amount of gelatin they contributed to the final soup - plus the taste (some might find it slightly funky).  The bowl of soup was just part of the pot I made, BTW.  I had seconds then polished off the rest after leaving on the stove top at RT overnight.  (Food Safety aficionados can stop there right now)

[c oliver]

Heh.  Thanks.  In my old age I myself also don't care particularly about super-healthy this-and-that - not that I ever did; while I'll take all the preservatives in food that I can get.  OK, maybe that was hyperbole but it is something along the lines of what my sentiments are. :-)

 

Those small, glistening blobs of oil you see in the pic of the soup is entirely chicken fat.  I added no additional oil to the pot.  I considered adding more cut-up chicken fat (from the tub of it I have in my freezer) but didn't in the end.  Can I claim virtuousness for not doing so? :-) ;-)  The mouth-feel you mention is also a factor.  I could have lobbed off the knuckles and other gelatinous/cartilaginous parts but purposely left them on for the small amount of gelatin they contributed to the final soup - plus the taste (some might find it slightly funky).  The bowl of soup was just part of the pot I made, BTW.  I had seconds then polished off the rest after leaving on the stove top at RT overnight.  (Food Safety aficionados can stop there right now)

Yeah, I'm 67 so those preservatives are key IMO.

 

Do you remember Sam's 'magic house' thread?  I'm totally into leaving things on the stove top.  Made it this far.

[huiray]

Do you remember Sam's 'magic house' thread?  I'm totally into leaving things on the stove top.  Made it this far.

 

I do indeed.  :-)

I'm still alive myself, too.  :-D

[Dejah]

Seeing Patrickamory's spaghetti made me want pasta!

 

Tonight: spaghetti with 3 sauces: spicy "carnivorous" sauce, creamy clam sauce, and burnt butter and Romano cheese.

I need to use a different cheese with the burnt butter, so it would thicken just a bit to cling better to the pasta. Lovely flavour though! Brings back memories of The Old Spaghetti Factory three sauce plate.

 

 

 

[mm84321]

Soup.

Water, chicken legs w/ skin & fat left on, garlic, sea salt; chopped Savoy cabbage, jozo mirin, couple splashes of Maggi sauce.

 

DSCN2756b_800.jpg

 

Looks delicious. Do you use particular water when cooking, or do you have a fairly good source where you live? I've been experimenting recently cooking with ionized water. I've thus far noticed a bit more flavor coming through in stocks, as well as a higher extraction of gelatin. 

[Franci]

I'm going to work my way through Franci's pastas as posted in the pasta thread. Here is spaghetti con pomodorini. I had a mildly spicy pepperoncino that I bought in Maine that got minced and added with the garlic, and some fresh sage.

 

Oh, thank you! I hope you are enjoying them.

I should really find the time for posting, I really miss the dinner thread!

I'm with Hurray, I like fat in my stock and this beef stock has some bone marrow added just at the end, plus some radish tops

Shaved Bruxelles sprout hearts salad with radishes and golden beets

Despana chorizo with Bruxelles sprouts and sweet potatoes

Canned sardines with sweet potatoes, shaved banana pepper from the garden and a black garlic dressing

Shaved radishes, celery, red beets with lemon and oil

[rotuts]

yes indeed, Franci, you have to find more time to post !

 

[rotuts]

Dejah

 

 

""  creamy clam sauce ""

 

how did you make that ?  pasta w white clam sauce is a favorite of mine

[huiray]

Looks delicious. Do you use particular water when cooking, or do you have a fairly good source where you live? I've been experimenting recently cooking with ionized water. I've thus far noticed a bit more flavor coming through in stocks, as well as a higher extraction of gelatin. 

 

Thanks!

 

I just use local tap water most of the time.  This pot of soup did so also.  The water is fairly hard around here but tastes OK to me.  The in-coming main house water line does have a carbon filter (which I am reminded of now needs changing)

[huiray]

• Fish & tofu curry.

Peanut oil, garlic, galangal,* turmeric,* red cayenne chilli (finely chopped), water, salt, simmer; sliced hot long green chillies, block of soft tofu (crumbled coarsely by hand), scallions, lots of coriander leaves and stems, sliced cod.  Seasoning adjusted.  (I may have put in a few splashes of this and that, I don't remember now)

• White rice (Thai hom mali).

 

* Both fresh but frozen then thawed.  They slice very easily then.

 

[Shelby]

We have company, so it's been busy around here.  Pizza night last night.

 

Started off with some munchies

 

 

[huiray]

I can't say "pizza" is a favorite foodstuff of mine.  I may have had maybe 3-4 dozen pizzas in all in all my life.  I enjoy it when I have it (in my recollection) but can't say that I ever hankered for it or ever made it a focus of my food-seeking.  It might be an idea that USAmericans not assume that pizzas are an expression of universal food longing.

[spipet]

No photo of the results, but today I bought some really really delicious wagyu flank steak (or bavette for us europeans). Pan fried one piece which was already really good, but tomorrow and the day after i'll try a piece sous vide, 55 degrees for 24h and 48h.

 

[ninagluck]

soulfood for cool evenings, potato goulash

[rotuts]

spipet

 

what do you think this is :

 

 

is that fat or an Aggressive Fat-like Tendon ?

 

 

i think flank steak, of any kind should be cooked as rare as possible, w a bit of thin

 

'crust' on each side.  cut very thin across the meat

 

and then devoured instantly

 

just saying

 

please let us know how it worked out

 

of course w pics  lots of them !

 

[spipet]

spipet

 

what do you think this is :

 

tendon.jpg

 

is that fat or an Aggressive Fat-like Tendon ?

 

 

i think flank steak, of any kind should be cooked as rare as possible, w a bit of thin

 

'crust' on each side.  cut very thin across the meat

 

and then devoured instantly

 

just saying

 

please let us know how it worked out

 

of course w pics  lots of them !

 

 

I'm 100% sure it's fat. The way you describe the meat is exactly how I cooked it, seasoned with some salt and pan fried in a very hot pan. I'm guessing the core temp of the meat reached about 40 degrees. It was very soft so that's why i'm sure its fat

[mm84321]

Wild Scottish hare courtesy of the iPhone

 

 

[Dejah]

rotuts: The clam sauce was basically a while sauce with butter roux, the liquid from the can of clams, and cream, some thyme, salt and chopped dill. Added a can of clams at the last minute.  The supermarket didn't have lively clams, so canned was what I had to use. Instead of a sauce with white wine, etc, this was easier and tasted fine.

 

Daughter and s-i-l to be came out this weekend to replace our toilets. To reward him, I picked up striploin steaks. He loves to BBQ, so we had these just seasoned with Montreal Steak Spice. Daughter prepared zucchini and bell peppers, also on the BBQ. We have 2 grand dogs, and they usually sit under the table patiently waiting for treats. Tonight, Lily, the Great Pyr couldn't stay away from softie Grandpa;-)

 

 

 

 

[Franci]

My weekly enjoyment of liver