Dinner 2015 (Part 3)

[Norm Matthews]

Liuzhou your skewered lamb photo brought back pleasant memories of an old friend who dug a pond in his back yard, pushed all the dirt up in the middle to make an island then built a playground so he could entertain his friends.  He always grilled lamb on skewers and had beer on tap.  He called it shashlik.  I sculpted some gargoyles for his castle. 

 

 

 

[Anna N]

It's a little early for dinner but I just know I won't get around to photos once it is served up. It's the blue plate special for dinner with my son tonight and is presently chilling in the sink with lots of ice cubes I will re-heat it and serve it over rice. This is Diana Henry's Chicken Forestiere. I have made similar dishes many times before but this one just seems amazingly flavourful.

As I was making it I realized this is the kind of cooking I enjoy the most. That is very different from saying this is the kind of food I like to eat the most. I do love the product but most of all I love the process.

[kayb]

ThanksfortheCrepes -- Take care of yourself! You have, I trust, been to the doctor? 

 

Shelby -- Don't buy any lottery tickets. Best lay off playing the ponies until your luck changes, too.

 

Picking up carryout tonight -- the local Hispanic Services Center, for which I do some occasional work, is having a fundraiser. Massive pork steaks, beans and cole slaw. It's what's for dinner.

[radtek]

Made Coq au Vin yesterday with five chicken legs. Was supposed to be a fairly quick meal. Was not.

 

I ate late.

[MetsFan5]

Lettuce wraps

 

 

lettuce wraps.jpg

Would you mind sharing your recipe? They look great!

[FauxPas]

Thanks for the Crepes, I hope your eye gets its blink back! That must be frustrating. 

 

Shelby, what can I say? That really is a humdinger of a bad week. Things have got to turn around soon, right? So I'm going to disagree a bit with kayb and say that maybe this is exactly the right time to make a bet or buy a lottery ticket. 

 

Meanwhile, I was thinking of having some fresh peas (from the farm) with dinner but this is what happens when I am around fresh peas.

 

 

Notice how few peas actually make it to the bowl? 

Edited June 18, 2015 by FauxPas (log)

[FauxPas]

FauxPaus--Your caprese is SO beautiful.  Almost to pretty to eat.  Almost  Do your crackers have bits of dried fruits in them?  Maybe cranberry?

 

Thanks, Shelby! 

 

The crackers are Raincoast Crisps, made in Vancouver, BC (well, Richmond - just outside of Vancouver). There are a few different varieties, these ones were cranberry and hazelnut. I love them but they are pricey so I keep meaning to try making my own. Here is a recipe for one make-at-home version that I should try:

 

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-harvest-crackers-with-cranberries-pecans-amp-rosemary-recipes-from-the-kitchn-197627

 

Has anyone else made these or similar? 

[rotuts]

I had a decent garden some time ago

 

I had a wonderful yellow lab that was my best friend.  when he moved on, I had woodchucks   

 

but i did grow peas  just as have been mentioned.  I can't tell you how many I grew, but 'enough'

 

none of those peas made it out of the garden.

 

I just ate them raw.  on the spot.

 

delicious they were.  did not even need mayonnaise.

 

many things do.

 

not peas dans le garden.

Edited June 18, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[Anna N]

Thanks, Shelby! 

 

The crackers are Raincoast Crisps, made in Vancouver, BC (well, Richmond - just outside of Vancouver). There are a few different varieties, these ones were cranberry and hazelnut. I love them but they are pricey so I keep meaning to try making my own. Here is a recipe for one make-at-home version that I should try:

 

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-harvest-crackers-with-cranberries-pecans-amp-rosemary-recipes-from-the-kitchn-197627

 

Has anyone else made these or similar?

Perhaps you should start a new topic on these so we don't derail the dinner topic. I have made them and they were extremely good. I used the recipe from a blog called More than Burnt Toast. I recall that slicing them Thinly was challenging.

[radtek]

I make crackers but this is really interesting. The freezing is for cutting. I roll mine out so this is a toast-like cracker- which is appealing.

[FauxPas]

Perhaps you should start a new topic on these so we don't derail the dinner topic. I have made them and they were extremely good. I used the recipe from a blog called More than Burnt Toast. I recall that slicing them Thinly was challenging.

 

I revived a "Homemade Crackers" thread and added the Raincoast Crisps to it. 

[FauxPas]

My husband has been a bit under the weather, so I made him his fave grilled cheese and tomato sandwich (no pics, it disappeared too fast). But he still had room for dessert. Funny how you crave things when you don't feel well. He wanted DQ ice cream (milk?). I had some lovely fresh cherries and blueberries, so that became the best part of dinner. 

 

 

 

 

[Shelby]

LOL, yeah, no playing the ponies......  I need to go rototill and I'm half afraid to do it.  A lot can go wrong around power tools 

 

Asparagus, ham and mushroom quiche for us.

 

[kayb]

Carryout fundraiser dinner was forgettable (but for a good cause, so that's OK). Dessert, however, was sublime. It is blackberry season in Arkansas, and there is NO better pie than blackberry cobbler. I ate very nearly a quarter of this one, with Yarnell's French vanilla ice cream (another Arkansas product).

 

 

 

[huiray]

Various meals.

 

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Beef & tendon meatballs [Venus], chopped baby kale, sliced green garlic, full-size garlic, baby portobello mushrooms, beef broth, some oil.

 

 

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"Kimchi Flavor Noodle Soup" [Nongshim], with two farm-fresh eggs poached in situ, trimmed spring onions/young onions, lots of extra baechu kimchi.

 

 

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The remainder of the batch of basil pesto made recently; tossed w/ fedelini [De Cecco]. Fresh basil leaves.

 

 

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Savoy cabbage & duck leg soup w/ smashed garlic in chicken broth w/ a couple good pours of Shaohsing hua tiao chiew. Eaten w/ Fookchow-type min6 sin3 (this one). Dressed w/ chopped scallions.

 

Edited June 19, 2015 by huiray (log)

[liamsaunt]

Would you mind sharing your recipe? They look great!

 

It was just ground up chicken stir fried with a couple of shallots, a few cloves of garlic, chopped chiles, a cube of palm sugar, a glug each of rice wine, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, and a big fistful of thai basil leaves.    I did not measure anything.  I think pork is more typical but I don't eat pork.

[rotuts]

wow

 

blackberry cobbler

 

I love all cobblers, and blackberry is right at the top.  pleased to see you know Fr.Vanilla is the way to go.

 

w/o seeming to be too rude, I would have maneuvered for 1/2.

[Morkai]

I recently came into possession of a 36 oz porterhouse and a 24 oz ribeye from Lobels. 

 

I cannot yet speak to the flavor, but I must say, at first glance I was disappointed by the looks of the meat. The strip section of the porterhouse looks to have a thick tendon running through the middle, the color is a pinkish hue, and the marbling seems fairly average. Considering the cost was $180.00+ for these two pieces of meat, I feel a bit let down. The ribeye looks better, but nothing like picture I have seen of Lobel's in the past. For instance, the following picture was uploaded by an eGullet member as representative of Lobel's quality:

 

 

My steak does not look like that - though it is the same cut, same purveyor, and same size. That steak seems worthy of an $80.00 price tag. 

 

Regardless, I am trying to decide how to cook these. Right now I have the porterhouse in the fridge, heavily salted. It's either sous-vide then a char on the grill, or slow cooked on the cool side of the grill basted with butter/herbs/roasted garlic and then seared up near target temp. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I should proceed? 

Edited June 19, 2015 by Morkai (log)

[Kim Shook]

Poor Shelby!  Hugs to you.  In spite of all that, you still find time to actually cook.  And I’m betting those meals were not as boring as you say!  My heroine!

 

As always, everyone's food looks amazing.  I was clicking 'like' non-stop!

 

We were out of town the week of June 6^th through the 12^th (putting a trip report together now and will post in a little bit) visiting eG’s Caroled and racheld and family and most of my time back has been spent getting organized again!  Sunday morning we had a church potluck.  I brought  Chicken Pineapple & Macaroni salad:

This has been a family favorite for years.  My mother’s best friend used to make it and it just means summer to me.

 

Dinner that night started with salad:

 

Short ribs w/ caramelized onions:

On egg noodles.  Not terribly summery, but they were in the freezer and needed to be cooked.  Served with broccoli and crusty bread:

 

We’ve eaten since this week, but I hardly know what!  

[rotuts]

Morkai

 

you were not able to take some Snaps of your meat?  the picture you posted is a different piece from anEg member ?

 

Im interersted in how this turns out

 

personally Id do the SV  brief chill only to cool the sides and then a quick sear

 

but only if you have some SV experience  with this technique.

 

hope it works out.   

 

hope you can take some pics and if not satisfied, Id let L's know

 

initially politely, then, well you know.

[Morkai]

Hi Rotuts. 

 

I'll try to take a photo tonight when I get home.

 

I have lots of experience with sous-vide for steaks, but in some ways I feel that a steak like this deserves a "primal" technique. Risk of overcooking, but that's part of the challenge, isn't it? Man vs. meat. 

 

When I sous-vide I usually sear on the grill and quickly baste with melted butter with herbs and roasted garlic. I hear the calls to keep beef of this caliber "pure", using salt and pepper and little else. I usually prefer it my way

[rotuts]

fair enough.

 

Im interested in the pic not that Im going in this way, but keep them and  if you do not feel you got good value for your $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

then let L's know

 

of course their might be a little Widdle and Waddle

 

but these days, there is no excuse for implying they are selling you  "this'

 

and you get "that"

 

best of luck how ever you do this

 

Id like to see your  results

 

can you email a piece as an Attachment ?

 

I guess not

 

[Ashen]

FauxPaus--Your caprese is SO beautiful.  Almost to pretty to eat.  Almost  Do your crackers have bits of dried fruits in them?  Maybe cranberry?

 

Ann--OMG I want that salad.  

 

 

Kay--That "swineapple"  (LOL Ashen I loved that!!!) looks great.  I've never been a fan of fruit with meat, but I could definitely get on board with this.  I'm thinking about a bacon/pineapple/jalapeno combo??

 

ThanksForTheCrepes--Oh No!!!!  I'm so sorry to hear this.  Will your eye recover?  I'm glad it was mild, but ugh.  Big hugs from me to you.  

 

Luizhou--Thanks for the pic of the stand.  I don't think it looks unsanitary at all!  It looks like just the perfect place to get some great food.  I'd go for the pig ear for sure.  YUM.

 

 

You guys ever had a week....or two when 10 million things go wrong?  I'm having one lol.   I have broken windows (well I didn't, but the wind did), backed into something and broke my husbands taillight ( I ordered a new one and installed it myself.  Thanks to the guy on YouTube), computer cord almost started a fire while plugged in--it burned my outlet, too (and Apple knows full well of this problem and yet they still won't fix it so $75 later and singed outlet I'm back and running), septic system has failed and will need to be replaced in a month after we harvest the corn, and while mowing I ran over a main hose to the garden and shredded it.  Oh, and my mailman just backed into a vehicle parked in my driveway and dented the hell out of it.

 

Knock on wood, nothing else can go wrong right? lol

 

Thus, my meals have been boring.  BUT I've been inspired by LiamsAunt and I think I'll make lettuce wraps tonight.

 

Thanks for letting me vent lol.

 

 

I can't take credit for that.. I have seen them called PorkUPines as well, although Swineapple seems to be the most used .   It is a recent rage it seems, all over facebook and social media

[Mendel C-k]

I recently came into possession of a 36 oz porterhouse and a 24 oz ribeye from Lobels. 

 

I cannot yet speak to the flavor, but I must say, at first glance I was disappointed by the looks of the meat. The strip section of the porterhouse looks to have a thick tendon running through the middle, the color is a pinkish hue, and the marbling seems fairly average. Considering the cost was $180.00+ for these two pieces of meat, I feel a bit let down. The ribeye looks better, but nothing like picture I have seen of Lobel's in the past. For instance, the following picture was uploaded by an eGullet member as representative of Lobel's quality:

 

 

My steak does not look like that - though it is the same cut, same purveyor, and same size. That steak seems worthy of an $80.00 price tag. 

 

Regardless, I am trying to decide how to cook these. Right now I have the porterhouse in the fridge, heavily salted. It's either sous-vide then a char on the grill, or slow cooked on the cool side of the grill basted with butter/herbs/roasted garlic and then seared up near target temp. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I should proceed? 

Hmm, it would be unlikely that it is a tendon. The strip section represents the epaxial muscles and thus is actually a composition of my different muscles : Splenius, Spinalis, Iliocostalis, Longissimus, Semispinalis, Multifidus and rotatores. Which muscles are present will depend on which vertebral level the steak is taken from. A picture would help, but my guess is that it is a bit a facia between the erector spinae and transversospinalis. 

[Morkai]

Here are the steaks. The porterhouse has salt and pepper on it, so it may be more difficult to see, but I think you can see the clear thick striations throughout the strip portion that I fear will be tough. There's even a thin one that hugs the bone. 

 

As for the ribeye, it looks... fine. If this is what I saw a local butcher I would be satisfied, but this is supposed to be the creme de la creme. I certainly wouldn't think this was the "top 2%" of prime steaks, as Lobel's advertises. Simply by visual inspection, I would not think the ribeye here compares to the beauty posted above. Perhaps looks aren't everything. 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2015 by Morkai (log)