Dinner 2015 (Part 1)

[Baron d'Apcher]

And where does one acquire those type of chop sticks?

Somewhere  in southeast Asia, from his dearest sister, who he loves to pieces, and trudges through the unsavory, swampy, abused, and untended parts of the world  in a hard pressed effort to ensure that the natural balance of animal lives we take for granted balance our somewhat shellfish existence.   

Edited March 11, 2015 by Baron d'Apcher (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Hey Kim,

 

That's a very good looking venison meal. I love venison. I miss my neighbor who shared venison her hunter friends shot and striped bass she caught in Kerr Lake with us regularly for years. She moved into her parents Kerr Lake house after their deaths.

 

If you're lucky enough to have a venison roast, do it very rare at high heat.  It's a good idea to bard it with some good bacon because venison is so lean. It's like beef filet mignon, but with lots more flavor. Just don't overcook it because it can become very tough and dry.

 

It brings back memories of a special cat, now sadly gone on to a better place, that would sit in the kitchen after dinner scarfing venison roast bits I tossed him until I thought he would pop. He never did, but I'm pretty sure it was only because I cut him off. 

 

Your cubed venison would also make terrific chili.

[huiray]

Pork spare ribs, cut into ~3-inch lengths; sautéed w/ smashed garlic (lots) & peanut oil, salted, water added, simmered; rehydrated snow fungus added, simmered; angled loofah (ridges shaved) sliced diagonally added, seasoning adjusted, brought back to simmer for just a couple of minutes.

 

[huiray]

Late at night...

 

薑蔥牛河: "Ginger – scallions – beef – hor fun".  (a.k.a. 幹炒牛河: "dry – stir-fried – beef – hor fun")

Sort-of similar to this recipe, with proportions adjusted amongst other things.  The amount of ginger was greatly ramped up, for one.  IMO there needs to be a lot of ginger in this dish.  I used ribeye, sliced against the grain.

 

[rotuts]

scubadoo97

 

Fantastic looking salmon.   its close to being my favorite when really really fresh.

 

cant get it that way around here.  used to in CA from Cook's Seafood in menlo park CA  had it every other day.

 

when no one was looking I got an extra piece and had salmon sashimi  ( a large piece ! ) for lunch !

 

best ever that way.

 

( ps  I know one is supposed to cook salmon, as its also a fresh water fish.    .  but that's just me and only from Cook's )

[liuzhou]

 

I know one is supposed to cook salmon

 

Says who?

[Shelby]

Hey Shelby,

 

Your pasta dish looks delicious and is very intriguing to me.

 

Your baby artichokes' name translates from Italian to English literally as "artichoke wild tower Saracen" (Muslim or Arab invader) in both Babylon and Google Translate. Perhaps some native Italian speaker can clarify, because we all know the phrase "hair of the dog" has nothing to do with hair nor dogs.    

 

Apparently there are still standing defensive observation towers on the Amalfi and Sorrentine coasts called Saracen towers that were built starting in the 11th century. Perhaps these little artichokes grow wild in those areas.

http://www.naplesldm.com/saracen.html

Interesting!  Thank you so much!  Those little hearts truly are delicious.  I've very sad that I don't  have any more.  I need to google and see if I can find them again.

 

huiray – your wontons are just beautiful, like porcine origami!  And the crispy pork looks so delicious, too.

 

I don’t think I’ve ever eaten venison before and I KNOW I’ve never cooked it.  Mr. Kim’s co-worker gave some to us awhile back and it’s been sitting in the freezer while I got up my courage to cook it.  The first batch I decided to thaw was labeled “cube” and I got some advice from Shelby.  She suggested that I just make chicken fried steak since the meat was already tenderized.  I did the Roadfood method for chicken fried steak, green beans, whipped potatoes and freezer biscuits – without gravy:

 

And with:

 

This was delicious.  It had great texture and was stronger than beef, but in a flavorful (not gamey) way.  Good thing I liked it – we have enough leftovers for 2-3 more meals!

Oooooh Kim, you did a great job.  My husband would dig into that faster than you could get it on the table lol.  The steak looks perfect--as does the gravy and everything else!  I can't wait to see your next venison adventure

[rotuts]

""  Says who? ""

 

various fresh water parasites.

[liuzhou]

""  Says who? ""

 

various fresh water parasites.

 

Which is why sashimi salmon (and most other fish) has, by law, to be frozen first - to kill any parasites.

 

I have no statistics, but I'd wager that, worldwide, as much salmon is eaten raw as is cooked. Most of friends here didn't realise it could be cooked!

Edited March 11, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[rotuts]

raw - frozen  equals not plain raw

[Anna N]

Conventionally cooked duck breast with some Shanghai bok Choy.

[Smithy]

That's beautiful duck breast, Anna N. How do you decide, these days, between "conventionally cooked" (which presumably covers a wide range) and "sous vide"?

[Anna N]

That's beautiful duck breast, Anna N. How do you decide, these days, between "conventionally cooked" (which presumably covers a wide range) and "sous vide"?

I use a very complicated algorithm. I will share it with you but then I will have to order your immediate demise.

How hungry am I?

Which will be faster conventional cooking or Sous Vide?

Can I wait for Sous Vide (usually gives me a better product)?

If the answer is no then conventional cooking wins!

[gfweb]

Exactly my method, Anna.

[Norm Matthews]

I made tacos tonight.

[scubadoo97]

Made chicken and corn stock today for a corn and chicken soup

[huiray]

Pork baby back ribs, in the night's version of Canto-Hoklo type Bak Kut Teh.

 

The baby back ribs were cut into riblets, given a fei sui (飛水) treatment (blanched/parboiled, starting from cold water), rinsed under the tap and placed into a pot of fresh clean water and cooking continued.  Brought to a simmer, some very minimal skimming done (most of the scum and blood etc were taken care of with the fei sui); Herbs & roots & spices added (staggered additions), then a mixture of double-fermented soy sauce + dark soy sauce + oyster sauce, and sliced aburaage towards the end.

 

Eaten w/ Chinese spinach (菠菜) (like these) flash stir-fried w/ lightly crushed garlic cloves & peanut oil, quenched w/ diluted oyster sauce.  Plus a couple bowls of white rice.

 

 

 

The herbs and roots and spices etc used.  These were the materials that actually went into the pot.

Starting from the top left, going clockwise: white peppercorns, whole cloves, dried tangerine peel, dried Longan flesh/"meat", garlic heads, dried sliced Polygonatum odoratum rhizome, dried Codonopsis pilosula root sections & (below it) a couple of black cardamom pods/Amomum costatum (cracked before adding to the pot), dried sliced Angelica sinensis roots & star anise pods, and cassia bark sticks.

 

 

Edited to correct a link

Edited March 12, 2015 by huiray (log)

[BKEats]

Last night, was flank steak marinaded in this commercial chimmichurri sauce.   We have all of these samples so, i have been trying to use some of them to see if they are worth selling..(opening a gourmet shop/bar/restaurant soon) This was spicy, lots of red peppers.. But, it had a nice balance.. I would not call it a chimichurri but, good none the less.   

 

So, i didn't feel like using the grill last night.. So, i fried in oil for about 3.5 minutes or so per side.. After that, I threw it on the indoor range top grill.. for another 3 minutes per side.. it came out a perfect medium rare..  

 

 

Served with boiled yucca with a lime juice, onion and garlic.  

 

and a rice with pepper, onions, sazon, parsley. wine and at the end, a mixed in some crema.  

 

A few banana breads:

 

[BKEats]

BKE-great stuff!  Smokers Deli has a PA Dutch sound to it. Bet that scrapple is the real thing.

 

 

Exactly. I am half Pdutch, my mother grew up on a farm speaking P-Dutch.  She goes to this place down in Jersey to go shopping.. This is the real stuff! 

[Paul Bacino]

Pork baby back ribs, in the night's version of Canto-Hoklo type Bak Kut Teh.

 

The baby back ribs were cut into riblets, given a fei sui (飛水) treatment (blanched/parboiled, starting from cold water), rinsed under the tap and placed into a pot of fresh clean water and cooking continued.  Brought to a simmer, some very minimal skimming done (most of the scum and blood etc were taken care of with the fei sui); Herbs & roots & spices added (staggered additions), then a mixture of double-fermented soy sauce + dark soy sauce + oyster sauce, and sliced aburaage towards the end.

 

Eaten w/ Chinese spinach (菠菜) (like these) flash stir-fried w/ lightly crushed garlic cloves & peanut oil, quenched w/ diluted oyster sauce.  Plus a couple bowls of white rice.

 

DSCN4200b_800.jpg

DSCN4203a_800.jpg

 

 

The herbs and roots and spices etc used.  These were the materials that actually went into the pot.

DSCN4191a_800.jpg

Starting from the top left, going clockwise: white peppercorns, whole cloves, dried tangerine peel, dried Longan flesh/"meat", garlic heads, dried sliced Polygonatum odoratum rhizome, dried Codonopsis pilosula root sections & (below it) a couple of black cardamom pods/Amomum costatum (cracked before adding to the pot), dried sliced Angelica sinensis roots & star anise pods, and cassia bark sticks.

 

 

Edited to correct a link

Wow..  Nice  but when I cook..I would only use 1-2 or 3    ?    Seems overwhelming to me

[Anna N]

The Thursday night Blue Plate Special chez moi. Bangers and not mash. Sausages in onion gravy with potatoes and carrots roasted in duck fat.

[patrickamory]

Bangers and mash with duck fat carrots look to die for Anna.

 

Rancho Gordo are out of white coronas and in fact all their white beans so I went back to Purcell Mountain and placed an order for their giant whites as well as some cannellinis. 

 

Cooked the giant white beans in the tagine with onions, celery, garlic, rosemary and not much else but the soaking liquid till the beans were falling apart creamy… superb. Purcell Mountain Farms - I'd forgotten about them - highly recommended!

 

Edited March 13, 2015 by patrickamory (log)

[BKEats]

made these huge patty melts for me and the ladies.. some really nice rye bread, i covered in mayo and cooked on the griddle.. The burgers were just large balls, flattened on the grill, steamed over onions.  

 

three squares of cheese and bacon.  sriracha as a condiment and the last of the yuca with mojo.. 

 

I think i make my favorite burger these days..  and i am super critical of myself.  

 

 

to drink, Six Point started delivery the Abigale.  

 

 

 

 

it's not like i am killing trees by posting more photos. 

 

the bread is so good too.. and there was one point where i just had bread bacon and cheese.. it was like an awesome grilled cheese on its own..  

 

the crispy rye, better than a bun.. 

 

happy to have run 6 miles tonight. 

 

 

[MattyC]

Literally been years I think since I've posted to a dinner thread, but no time like the present, right?

 

Wife and I have been on a pizza kick lately, so we pumped one out before she went into work tonight.

 

Pizza with buttermilk braised potatoes, doenjang and maple, radish greens, mozzarella, black sesame.

 

Sweet and funky.

 

 

 

[spipet]

One of my all time favourites: steak tartare.