Dinner 2015 (Part 2)

[gfweb]

I would love to eat more duck, but the cost is ridiculous here, even for the two breasts it would take to feed my fiancee and I.

Can you get whole frozen duck? In US it is about $18. You get two breasts (1 meal for 2), two legs (for confit...another meal), a load of duck for stock and a load of duck fat. Not quite cheap, but not horrendous either.

 

If I buy breasts here it is about $20 for two anemic breasts. Whole bird is cheaper.

[Anna N]

Can you get whole frozen duck? In US it is about $18. You get two breasts (1 meal for 2), two legs (for confit...another meal), a load of duck for stock and a load of duck fat. Not quite cheap, but not horrendous either.

 

If I buy breasts here it is about $20 for two anemic breasts. Whole bird is cheaper.

I rarely buy duck unless it is on sale. Frozen whole pekin duck is usually about $13. Fresh duck of the same weight is almost double. Legs run $4-5 each and breasts $9-11. A friend watches for sales for me and has found Moulard breasts for five dollars each! These are so large that one will easily feed two people. The small smoked breast that I just finished up was between eight and nine dollars. I find it so rich that it made three meals for me.

[rotuts]

look in Asian Markets.  Fz whole ducks, while still not free, are much cheaper.

 

the ChineseEmporium I go to from time to time in Alston has them fz.  single price which i forget

 

for any of the ducks which vary in size a bit

 

 

I have one in my freezer but it is not priced.

 

when I do thaw the quacker I know exactly what to do :

 

the two legs will go in the CSB   ( think : those Ck thighs )

 

the two breasts will go in the SV after the two tendons are carefully removed

 

and the carcass in the pressure cooker for the Fat, and some stock.

\

that's about as efficient as possible

Edited April 11, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[huiray]

Wolfberry leaves (枸杞菜) & pork spare ribs soup. (Oil, garlic, pork spare rib chunks, salt, water, simmer; wolfberry leaves, simmer very briefly.)

Turmeric chicken wings. (Chicken wing segments sans tips, ground turmeric, hon-mirin, lots of black & white pepper, oil, salt, toss & marinate; then under the broiler.)

Plus several bowls of white rice.

 

 

 

 

Some of the stalks of wolfberry leaves.  The leaves are detached (easy, just run your hand down the stalk) and soaked/rinsed in water (fair bit of sand & grit).

 

[ninagluck]

Once a week I try to have fish. today I was very lucky and got some sardines from the adriatic sea. served them with salsa verde oven roasted potatoes and a salad on the side

[BonVivant]

Finger (sea) food: clams (Portuguese style), razors (with pounded fresh tumeric, ginger, lemon juice, fish sauce), and brill.

 

 

 

[Ranz]

look in Asian Markets.  Fz whole ducks, while still not free, are much cheaper.

 

The meat I've seen at our Asian Markets seem a little manky to me.

 

Can you get whole frozen duck? In US it is about $18. You get two breasts (1 meal for 2), two legs (for confit...another meal), a load of duck for stock and a load of duck fat. Not quite cheap, but not horrendous either.

 

If I buy breasts here it is about $20 for two anemic breasts. Whole bird is cheaper.

 

Thanks, will be on the look out. Now that you mention it, I have seen a whole duck for not too much more than two breasts. They still seems very expensive, but I guess it's worth the expense for the experience and if we enjoy it.

 

 

I rarely buy duck unless it is on sale. Frozen whole pekin duck is usually about $13. Fresh duck of the same weight is almost double. Legs run $4-5 each and breasts $9-11. A friend watches for sales for me and has found Moulard breasts for five dollars each! These are so large that one will easily feed two people. The small smoked breast that I just finished up was between eight and nine dollars. I find it so rich that it made three meals for me.

 

I seem to remember you have a BGE. Would you suggest smoking or sous vide for breasts?

[Ranz]

Finger (sea) food: clams (Portuguese style), razors (with pounded fresh tumeric, ginger, lemon juice, fish sauce), and brill.

 

 

 

You really need to give me a crash course on lighting food. Your pictures always have such fantastic, even light.

[Norm Matthews]

I was thinking about making meatloaf until Cassie reminded me that it was a little hot to be using the oven today, so I grilled some Kabobs outside.  I picked up a Dole Southwestern Salad Kit because I was feeling a little lazy.  It came with packets of taco flavored Ranch dressing, sour cream, cheese, and Dorito-tasting chip crumbs.  I added some left over roast chicken pieces. We all liked it.

 

Edited April 11, 2015 by Norm Matthews (log)

[mm84321]

Stuffed baby onions

Bass with artichokes

[gfweb]

Stuffed baby onions

Bass with artichokes

 

 

Tell me more about the stuffed onions, please

[mm84321]

Tell me more about the stuffed onions, please

 

Sure. The onions are scooped with a melon baller, blanched, and filled with a mixture of sweated onion, parmesan, thyme leaf, chopped anchovy, and half an olive on each. They are then cooked slowly in the oven, basted regularly with chicken stock, then finished with a veal jus to glaze. Served with caper and anchovy toast. They were really delicate, aromatic and delicious. 

[BonVivant]

Ranz, I have absolutely no fancy lighting rig. There's a standard (neutral) light which hangs above my dinner table and that's my only artificial light source. In the summer it's easier when there's longer natural light and I often eat in the back garden.

 

Sometimes I use the corner of my table where the light is a lot less so a couple of settings on my camera also have to be changed.

 

 

[huiray]

A simple clean-tasting meal.

 

Pan-fried salmon fillet, skin on.  Salt & black pepper only; EV Arbosana olive oil.  Nice crispy skin too.

The pan residues w/ chopped smashed garlic, chopped de-stringed celery, a chopped Roma tomato; tossed w/ just-cooked fedelini [De Cecco] & fresh parsley; plus some of the pasta water.

 

[patrickamory]

couple recent meals

 

Yellow Indian Woman beans with leek greens

 

 

Spaghetti puttanesca

 

[mm84321]

Calamari sautéed with artichokes, ink sauce

[ninagluck]

one chicken is far too much for me, a poussin is just the right size for dinner. bread stuffing and salad

[BonVivant]

Lamb shanks next to my garlic plants. It got darker and colder fast so I had to hurry.

 

 

 

 

 

[mm84321]

Peas, artichokes, sucrine and guanciale 

[David Ross]

Lamb with white beans and an herb mixture of garlic, thyme, oregano, parsley and rosemary, preserved lemon olive oil and a good dash of sherry vinegar. 

 

 

[Okanagancook]

Peas, artichokes, sucrine and guanciale 

Oh, my goodness, that looks sublime!  And everyone, the last couple of pages of dinners are fantastic.  Thank you for sharing.  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Normally I am constrained where I can do my marketing, but this afternoon my dear son came down and I have makings more adventuresome.

 

After three nights of hot dogs (hey, I am not complaining) tonight was asparagus hollandaise piment d'espelette, American rib lamb chop on a bed of fresh plucked watercress, Boursin cheese and a baguette -- the last of my most recent batch made with King Arthur French style flour.

 

Sorry no picture but it is 3:00 am and I was hungry.

[huiray]

Yesterday...

 

 

Chicken broth (from two stewing hens) w/ carrots, celery & maitake mushrooms.

 

 

 

Clams stir-fried w/ ginger, garlic, scallions, orange & green hot finger chillies (un-deseeded), black bean garlic sauce, Shaohsing wine, sugar, sesame oil, ground white pepper, bit of corn starch, coriander leaves, more scallions & finger chillies. Water as needed. Patterned after this recipe.

 

Fuzzy squash (skinned) & chicken breast slices in chicken broth.  Scallions.

 

Plus a couple heaping bowls of white rice.

[patrickamory]

I tried David Tanis's spring chicken soba noodle soup and heartily recommend it. Pics of the shiro miso I used (so good you can eat it straight with a spoon). Served with smacked cucumbers.

 

 

 

 

[Norm Matthews]

As Cassie was walking out the door for work this morning,  she said she got off at 8pm.  I wondered whether that was a hint that she'd like something ready to eat when she got home so I started thinking about dinner.

 

First I cut up an onion into rings and put them in a jar with pickled pepperoncini juice and added some rice vinegar and sugar and let them pickle all day.  I decided to try a hamburger mix with 1 lb hamburger, 1bratwurst, bread crumbs and seasoned salt.  I also got some triple cream brie, mushrooms, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, dill pickles and some pasta salad.  We had grilled hamburgers and the pasta salad along with some baby watermelon. BTW, I did not squeeze the hamburgers on the grill .

Edited April 14, 2015 by Norm Matthews (log)