Dinner 2015 (Part 3)

[liuzhou]

Chicken, fresh shiitake mushrooms and couscous.

 

Edited June 15, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[Norm Matthews]

NM : the Yoder arrives this Wed.  Noon.  120 lbs of various pellets from here :

 

http://www.pitmasterselect.com/

 

My first 'cook' was going to be a Butt for carnitas.   I was thinking of not brining the meat, but salt and pepper and some ground cumin that I toast then grind

 

onion and garlic granules  ( all the above ex. cumin ) from penzy's

 

what times and temps do you think ?   i can add extra smoke via my 6" pellet smoker for additional smoke.  maybe the last two hours ?

 

many thanks for that delicious pic.

 

I was thinking 4 or so vertical chicks then saw that Pork !

 

I tried to hold mine at about 265º.  It was only 3.5 lbs.  It stalled after 5 1/2 hours at 180.  Two hours later I took it out. It was reading 193º in some places and 185º in others. It could have stayed on longer but it started raining (again) and getting dark.  It shredded OK but as I said, a little longer, say 195 or so would have been better.  I only used salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder as a rub on mine. The enchilada sauces I plan to use today has the rest of the seasoning.  Most of the time, I think two or three hours of smoke is sufficient with meat, but I have never used pellets. I hear they impart a lighter smoke flavor than a stick burner.

[Shelby]

Liuzhou, I just love shiitake mushrooms.  Great flavor.

 

FauxPaus, pasta and fresh cherries.  Looks sooooooo good.  

 

MM, it all looks great as usual, but those figs grabbed me.  I'm a fig nut.  

 

I'm not complaining but we need a tiny break in the rain over here in monsoon Kansas.  We got 3 inches over night--some place close to us got 5-7 inches.  My yard is a jungle lol.

 

I was able to get into the garden to pick a bit, though.  Salad is all from the garden except for the tomato.

 

 

A little shrimp pasta primavera....alfredo.....combo thing lol.

 

[liuzhou]

Liuzhou, I just love shiitake mushrooms.  Great flavor.

 

 

They are the standard mushroom round here. The Chinese name, 香菇 (xiāng gū) literally transaltes as 'tasty mushroom'.

 

[rotuts]

Shelby

 

i like the Alfredo-Combo idea

 

'creamy' is second only to 'Fizzy'

[Ann_T]

So many amazing looking dinner.   This is the place to come to get inspired.

 

FauxPas, I keep coming back to look at your Pasta aglio e olio. A favourite here too but mine doesn't look as good as yours.

 

I had nothing planned for dinner last night........so I stopped on the way home from work and bought what I needed to make an antipasto platter.

 .

 

 

 

 

 I roasted red peppers and grilled zucchini slices. Plated them with a caprese salad.

 

 

Wrapped melon in prosciutto and drizzled with olive oil and black pepper. Thinly sliced a parmesan coated salami. Add cheese, olives and my home-made bread to one of our serving boards and dinner was served.

[rotuts]

Dinner last night :

 

mise :

 

 

ButterHead lettuce in the spinner.   In the can : TJ's smoked herring.

 

 

the usual TJ's Greek Feta dressing

 

tasty, but with staying power.  Don't try this unless you like smoked fish.  'from the can, not the deli'

[scubadoo97]

I agree Ann_T and your meals are always inspiring!

[FauxPas]

So many amazing looking dinner.   This is the place to come to get inspired.

 

FauxPas, I keep coming back to look at your Pasta aglio e olio. A favourite here too but mine doesn't look as good as yours.

 

 

 

Wow, thank you! Your meals are so delicious-looking and always beautifully photographed, so I am very flattered. 

[patrickamory]

FauxPas, dying for your pasta e olio.

 

I made the least Ottolenghi-esque (and least summery) dish from Jerusalem, but man do I love it. Chicken with caramelized onions, cardamom and barberries, cooked in rice like a biryani. Forgot to add the greens and the yogurt before the photo.

 

[Norm Matthews]

Whew. This was too much work. First I made the pulled pork in the smoker yesterday, then I roasted and peeled  Anaheim peppers, stuffed them with the pulled pork which was simmered with a tomato, chili and onion sauce, then wrapped each one in tortillas and baked them with tomatillo sauce and topped with cheese. The original recipe used chicken but I wanted to use pork and that took an extra day. I hope they like it but not enough to ask for it again too soon.

 

 

 

 

[FauxPas]

Norm, that looks amazingly tasty. I hope your hard work is appreciated! I am grateful just to see pictures of the food you make, I would be over the moon to be served such delights!  

[radtek]

NM : the Yoder arrives this Wed.  Noon.  120 lbs of various pellets from here :

 

http://www.pitmasterselect.com/

 

My first 'cook' was going to be a Butt for carnitas.   I was thinking of not brining the meat, but salt and pepper and some ground cumin that I toast then grind

 

onion and garlic granules  ( all the above ex. cumin ) from penzy's

 

what times and temps do you think ?   i can add extra smoke via my 6" pellet smoker for additional smoke.  maybe the last two hours ?

 

 

 

I would not do a long cook for carnitas. Break down the butt into 2-3" pieces and marinate overnight. Roast in a pan at 350f in Yoder until tender- perhaps an hour or so. Pour in sauce and toss to coat, shake pan while turning meat every five minutes until a little crispy and caramelized to taste.

[mm84321]

Broccoli and cauliflower bulgur

King salmon, sesame polenta fingers, lemon condiment 

 

[FauxPas]

Some starters.

 

Caprese Verrine. Lovely in these little 4 oz glasses. Layers of tomato gelée, fresh mozza with olive oil, basil chiffonade. I just wish that the tomatoes I used for the tomato water had been a bit fuller-flavoured. Pretty, though!

 

 

 

 

Buffalo Brie - made here in the Comox Valley from buffalo milk. Served with Cranberry Hazelnut Raincoast Crisps made by Lesley Stowe Foods in Vancouver. I saw the Raincoast Crisps being sold in AZ last year, so I assume they are pretty widely distributed now, though you used to only see them in (parts of?) Canada.  

 

I have seen a few recipes that try to duplicate these crackers, I really need to try making my own some time because I love them and they are a bit pricey to buy. 

 

[gfweb]

Flank steak au jus with roast veg.

 

[Ranz]

 Most of the time, I think two or three hours of smoke is sufficient with meat, but I have never used pellets. I hear they impart a lighter smoke flavor than a stick burner.

 

This is definitely the case. My Weber used to impart a better smoke flavour than my GMG, but the pellet smoker can't be beat for ease of use.

[liuzhou]

This evening, to mark Bloomsday, dinner was a pork kidney. Mr Bloom's was eaten for breakfast, slightly burnt; it wasn't pork and he didn't eat it with shiitake mushrooms, chilli pepper and shallots. But hey, it's the thought that counts.

 

 

Served with rice and some greenery.

[huiray]

Spaghetti [Garofalo] al pesto.  

Pesto made w/ a mixture of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano, plus Arbosana EV olive oil (plus garlic & pine nuts, of course).

 

Baby zucchini & baby crimini sautéed w/ evoo & garlic.

[Ann_T]

This is my version of a salad from a restaurant in Toronto - Vittorio's Spinach Salad. Vittorio's is/was an Italian restaurant in Toronto dating back to the mid 1970's. Over the years he opened and closed and changed locations a number of times. But the salad was always on the menu at each new restaurant.

It is a family favourite.

 

[gfweb]

Ann T...So eggs, spinach, mushrooms, artichokes and grapes (or olives?). Whats the dressing?

[Ann_T]

Ann T...So eggs, spinach, mushrooms, artichokes and grapes (or olives?). Whats the dressing?

 

Gfweb, no grapes, but olives and tomatoes and green onions.  The dressing is mayo based with garlic and tarragon.

 

You can find the recipe here.  

 

~Ann

[Dejah]

First greens from an auntie's "Chinese garden": goji greens soup - the spring tonic next to rhubarb pie...

This variety of goji is grown for its leaves. The stalks are cut when in leave, strip off the leaves then they can be replanted to multiply just by sticking it back in the garden! I don't have a sunny spot for vegetables ( only for flowers), but I get bundles from the "aunties". 

 

Soup is made by simmering pork bones. The leaves are added just for a quick boil, and a couple of salted duck eggs are swirled in. This is the way my maternal grandma and mom used to make it for me, and I'm sticking to it!

 

Had a store-bought rotisserie to use up. Made a quick curry with Glico curry cubes, lots of onions, and added the mojos that came with the chicken. Added the fresh green peppercorns for more bite.

[liuzhou]

This variety of goji s grown for its leaves.

 

One of my favourite species of greenery.

 

[rotuts]

""   goji  """

 

looks very interesting to me

 

how can you compare the taste ?

 

would I be able to find it in a decent NE Chinese Market 

 

I go here on Sunday mornings   ( excellent parking etc )

 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/hong-kong-supermarket-boston

 

the food court is different.

 

its what Ive got .