Dinner 2014 (Part 6)

[BonVivant]

It was most simple, the only thing I had to cook was the potatoes. The fish was from my regular fishmonger, big enough for 2 people and 2 meals.

 

I prefer red wine with rich, fatty smoked fish with dark meat.

 

 

[Prawncrackers]

I know you guys like a steak dinner so I'm happy to oblige!

 

A nice Dexter rib, 1.2kg aged for about 5 weeks. Seasoned it liberally with salt the day before cooking. Used the Ducasse method for cooking a fat steak and roasted some bone marrow to go with it. I garnished it with crispy chimichurri (my take), served with truffled spaetzle and a salad. Check out the crust and the gorgeous yellow fat that comes from pure grass-fed beef, it was great eating.

 

[huiray]

Yong Tau Foo.

 

"Fish Emulsion" [Venus brand], mixed with and stirred/beaten with chopped scallions (lots), sesame oil (both black & normal [Kimlan]), generous fresh ground white pepper [Caravelle peppercorns], a bit of fish sauce [Red Boat].  This was rested then used to stuff/fill suitably trimmed soft tofu blocks [House Foods], poblano pepper, hot red/green chillies, sweet Italian pepper, and smallish Chinese mushrooms/far koo [五谷丰 brand] (this one; I like these) stems snapped off and pre-softened.  The chillies and peppers came from the Farmers' Market.

 

Pic of stuffed stuff before poaching in chicken stock. 

 

 

Eaten w/ Lingham's Hot Sauce.

[huiray]

I was in the mood for bigoli con l'anatra, no bigoli to be found around here...so I made some very thick spaghetti alla chitarra with duck sauce

image.jpg

 

I suppose you couldn't find any commercially-available bigoli in your shopping area?  I assume you made the thick spaghetti yourself as a stand-by for the bigoli.  I would love to see your pasta-making setup and what you did to make the thick spaghetti - I'd like to make my own pasta one day (perhaps!).

[c oliver]

I suppose you couldn't find any commercially-available bigoli in your shopping area?  I assume you made the thick spaghetti yourself as a stand-by for the bigoli.  I would love to see your pasta-making setup and what you did to make the thick spaghetti - I'd like to make my own pasta one day (perhaps!).

I'd like to see it also.  I've only made lasagna, thin spaghetti and fettucine with my KA pasta attachments.  I've heard that the extruded ones aren't as good/successful but maybe that's not so.

 

Holey moley, here's one for bigoli for a mere $380!!!!!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Torchio-Bigoli-Press-Pasta-Maker/dp/B00AU5KOCO

[huiray]

c oliver, one of the brands of commercially-available pasta I like is Garofalo.  The make their pasta using bronze dyes and their stuff have that textured rough surface expected from using such dies.  I likee.

[c oliver]

c oliver, one of the brands of commercially-available pasta I like is Garofalo.  The make their pasta using bronze dyes and their stuff have that textured rough surface expected from using such dies.  I likee.

Thanks, 'ray.'  When we get to big cities, I try to stock up on things like that that I can't get in Reno/Tahoe.  You should have seen me in Batali's Eataly when we were in NYC last winter!  Oh, the glory of it all

[Franci]

I suppose you couldn't find any commercially-available bigoli in your shopping area?  I assume you made the thick spaghetti yourself as a stand-by for the bigoli.  I would love to see your pasta-making setup and what you did to make the thick spaghetti - I'd like to make my own pasta one day (perhaps!).

 

One hour before dinner I was at a Whole Food nearby my house. They only carried one type of tagliatelle, at 7.99 a box, I preferred to make my own.  I'm sure it's possible to find bigoli somewhere, Eataly, Buonitalia...

My thick spaghetti were  not as good as the bigoli I ate in Verona but good enough for me. I use a chitarra. One side is used to make the squared spaghetti alla chitarra. The other side traditionally is for "chitarrine" a short tagliatelle eaten in pasta and legumes (chickpeas, beans) dishes. But normally I use it for tagliatelle.

These spaghetti are very quick because I run the pasta sheet only a couple times in the thickest setting of my pasta machine. I only left  to dry 15 minutes before cutting it on the chitarra. And I freeze the surplus.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Franci (log)

[Kim Shook]

huiray – I agree about the Cipriani pasta.  It is certainly the best I’ve had.  My favorite is also the tagliarelle – which is also a treat for us!

 

dcarch – as usual, your dishes amaze and delight!

 

Prawn – gorgeous oysters!  And that duck is so lovely.  I admit that, being your average American, I find eel a tad scary, but I’ve tasted it at sushi bars and liked it better than anything else on offer.  So I’d eat it, but would have a horror of seeing it pre-prep!  And I think your steak killed me.

 

Franci – your roasted potatoes look perfect.  How do you do them?

 

mm – your roasted chicken, salad and cheese meal is, to me, the perfect fall home meal.  Lovely.

 

Norm – congratulations and much happiness to the couple.  All of those breakfasts sound fantastic.

 

I’m still on antibiotics, so I have zero interest in eating, grocery shopping or cooking.  But I did manage to throw together an awfully good dinner from an assortment of freezer gifts and the odd leftover.   Started with a salad of some rejuvenated Romaine, cucumbers and frozen mango chunks – dressing with some lime-olive oil vinaigrette that was lurking in the back of the fridge:

 

Chicken sautéed with pearl onions, cornbread dressing, green beans and smashed potatoes.  Without gravy and with:

 

The meal really was a lesson in frugality.  The chicken was from a good sale I found a couple of months ago, the beans were some I bought from a restaurant in NC during last month’s visit.  The dressing was made of leftover cornbread from the freezer along with a very tired onion and some limp celery.  The potatoes were just a very few babies that were languishing in the cabinet – not the firmest, but sound.  And I made stock from a rotisserie chicken carcass that we’d tossed in a bag in the freezer a week ago.  That served the gravy and moistened the dressing.  It really all sounds deadly dull and almost institutional.  But it was not at all.  It had no business being as good as it was!

[ninagluck]

another quick and easy dinner on a weekday. stuffed potato with spinach and dolcelatte

[Franci]

Franci – your roasted potatoes look perfect.  How do you do them?

 

 

I cut the potatoes in thick slices and boil them starting from cold water for maybe 7-8 minutes, drain and let to dry a bit in the colander. Meanwhile I preheat my oven at 400 F with a cast iron pan inside (I use a staub hexagon pan) and a couple minutes before adding the potatoes to the pan I add some fat to it to get really hot (duck fat/tallow/bacon fat/olive oil). I also pour some hot fat over the potatoes and mix before adding them to the pan in a single layer. I wait until they form a nice crust before turning them.  Fleur the sel just out of the oven.

I hope you feel better soon

[c oliver]

One hour before dinner I was at a Whole Food nearby my house. They only carried one type of tagliatelle, at 7.99 a box, I preferred to make my own.  I'm sure it's possible to find bigoli somewhere, Eataly, Buonitalia...

My thick spaghetti were  not as good as the bigoli I ate in Verona but good enough for me. I use a chitarra. One side is used to make the squared spaghetti alla chitarra. The other side traditionally is for "chitarrine" a short tagliatelle eaten in pasta and legumes (chickpeas, beans) dishes. But normally I use it for tagliatelle.

These spaghetti are very quick because I run the pasta sheet only a couple times in the thickest setting of my pasta machine. I only left  to dry 15 minutes before cutting it on the chitarra. And I freeze the surplus.

Could you snap a pic of the chitarra please?

[Franci]

Could you snap a pic of the chitarra please?

 

spaghetti side

 

chitarrina side

 

 

on the side

 

[c oliver]

spaghetti side

chitarra.jpeg

 

chitarrina side

 

chitarrina.jpeg

 

on the side

 

chitarra side.jpeg

Thanks.  Cool.

[demiglace]

I know you guys like a steak dinner so I'm happy to oblige!

 

A nice Dexter rib, 1.2kg aged for about 5 weeks. Seasoned it liberally with salt the day before cooking. Used the Ducasse method for cooking a fat steak and roasted some bone marrow to go with it. I garnished it with crispy chimichurri (my take), served with truffled spaetzle and a salad. Check out the crust and the gorgeous yellow fat that comes from pure grass-fed beef, it was great eating.

 

I haven't seen that colour fat on a steak in ages. Did you lick the plate? 

[Anna N]

Broccoli and blue cheese gratin.

[Mmmpomps]

We had the slow cooker turkey thigh again, I don't usually redo a meal that fast (last week) but it just is working in this freezing cold weather! Today I'm having the broth for lunch its incredible:

 

 

[Ann_T]

Anna, I can just imagine how good that broccoli gratin was.  Nice combination of flavours.

 

Last night's dinner.

 

 

Braised prime rib bones over polenta.

 

 

This little chicken was  presalted on Monday with the intentions of roasting for dinner on Tuesday.   That didn't happen so I roasted it yesterday morning and we had it for breakfast.

 

As hot chicken sandwiches and homemade fries.  Kept us going until dinner.

[Shelby]

Anne--I love your breakfast!

 

BRRRRRRRRRRRR........it's COLD here on the plains.  Our furnace broke a couple days ago.  I keep it set on 60 degrees in the winter because I like my house a bit on the chilly side......but, it's averaging 50 degrees and my toes are blue lol.

 

SO, I'm baking a lot because the oven heats the kitchen up nicely

 

Rye bread....so I had to make reuben sandwiches.

 

 

[Anna N]

Wow Ann_T that is my kind of breakfast and the braised beef ribs on polenta calls out to me. I have never had polenta but I may have to change that soon! I know there are prime rib bones in my freezer. And Shelby, way to go on the rye bread.

[suzilightning]

_{The temperature is dropping by the minute here but the kitties insisted on going out anyway...}

_{Taking a break from chores and have just pulled ground bison and ground turkey out of the fridge to warm a bit before making MY ultimate comfort food...meatloaf.}

_{I have small red potatoes on the par boil then will smash and oil them to bake with the meatloaf and using up some carrots to make carrots and peas(frozen) with olive oil and sage honey.}

 

_{Leftover meatloaf for sandwiches...mine with special sauce(mustard and ketchup with some Cain's mayo)  and John's with his new favorite thing...lingonberry sauce and miracle whip both on ciabatta.}

[rotuts]

""   MY ultimate comfort food...meatloaf. ""

 

as is mine.   I'm a BTW Expert w Soooooooo many Stars and Rave reviews on my Turk Loaf, that it would take too long to list.

 

Bison .... well good for you

 

Id be interested in your Rx .  the best Rx for ML is ' some of this, some of that, and a bit of that '

 

a Key : do you top the ML w bacon ? Bison Bacon ?

 

BTW   ML // Mash // gravy // canned peas  ( the little ones ) treats more things than can be listed.

 

and its better reheated and makes a 4 star sandwich.

 

please a few pics would be enjoyed.

[suzilightning]

""   MY ultimate comfort food...meatloaf. ""

 

as is mine.   I'm a BTW Expert w Soooooooo many Stars and Rave reviews on my Turk Loaf, that it would take too long to list.

 

Bison .... well good for you

 

Id be interested in your Rx .  the best Rx for ML is ' some of this, some of that, and a bit of that '

 

a Key : do you top the ML w bacon ? Bison Bacon ?

 

BTW   ML // Mash // gravy // canned peas  ( the little ones ) treats more things than can be listed.

 

and its better reheated and makes a 4 star sandwich.

 

please a few pics would be enjoyed.

Thanks Rotus but I have yet to figure out the freaking camera in the 5 years I have owned it.

We have used local beef or bison for the last 10 years or so since John's IBS is triggered by too much fat.  Some panko bread crumbs, lactaid milk, egg, Worcestshire sauce, a bit of salt, the bison and ground turkey, some chopped parsley and grated onion.  I have found that grating the onion helps keep the meatloaf moist.  For me, with hot hands, I also have found that an oversized fork to toss and mix keeps it lighter.  No bacon as the fat issue comes up again.  I sometimes cook it in a water bath but not this time.

 

Sorry but canned peas in any way, shape or form is NOT on my list.  It was just two years ago that I got John to eat peas (his mom cooked them until they were total mush and inedible) by making them when I found fresh English peas up in Maine.  I grew up on the east end of Long Island with fresh lima beans and fresh peas so frozen is the best I can do there

[gfweb]

Duck leg confit with risotto

 

[Anna N]

I was fairly certain that by the time dinner was plated I would forget to take any photographs. So here are the component parts.

A roasted spatchcock chicken.

A potato gratin.

And some steamed broccoli.