Dinner 2015 (Part 5)

[liuzhou]

I haven't been cooking much recently, and what I have cooked has been old favourites which I have already posted.

 

But tonight, I made this.

 

 

Red snapper fillets with a mushroom (button mushrooms and matsutake), cream sauce (with garlic, shallots, chilli flakes, coriander/cilantro and green lemon zest) and black rice.

 

Followed by fruit.

 

Passion Fruit

 

Passion Fruit

 

Pepino Dulce (in Chinese, Ginseng Fruit 人参果 - rén shēn guǒ)

Edited October 19, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[liamsaunt]

tuna and udon noodles with bok choy

 

[Shelby]

LiamsAunt and Scuba, I've got some really nice tuna steaks in the freezer.  You've inspired me to get them out.  I'm always scared to cook them--I like mine super rare.  Ronnie likes his a lot more done (blasphemy IMO lol).  

 

Liuzhou, I've never seen passion fruit.  I thought I had.  Definitely not after seeing yours.  Do you eat the dark looking seeds or just the lovely looking pulp around them?

 

 

Does anyone else ever peruse the old dinner threads?  I'm in 2009 looking around.  Seems like I was a lot more diverse and creative with dinner back then.  Need to get out of my comfort zone and explore like I used to.

 

 

Last night I did some brined chicken on the rotiss.  Stewed, breaded tomatoes, stuffing, mashed taters and gravy to go with.  Yes, that's StoveTop stuffing. Don't hate.   I get a craving for it.

 

 

 

Shrimp Alfredo the night before

 

[scubadoo97]

Shelby, pull out the tuna and use it. I like mine a bit rarer like you but the CI skillet was just ripping hot when that piece went in that night. Didn't take long to get away from me

[suzilightning]

The leftover mushrooms are going to be a starter for todays dinner with the stems minced and then sautéed and mixed with some Parmesan and basil soft cheese.

Still no idea what the main may be...

 Main was the leftover Italian beef chopped up and mixed with the leftover carrots, some sautéed onions, more carrots, some peas and the leftover jus that I thickened just a bit with a slurry.  Topped with mashed potatoes and finished with olive oil for 30 minutes in the oven.  Happy.

[liamsaunt]

Shelby has Ronnie tried the rare tuna?  My inlaws used to insist that they only liked tuna cooked all the way through until they finally tried it rare.  Now they fight us for the rarest pieces (and we let them win out of respect for our elders haha).

 

Tonight's dinner was fluke with crispy crumbs, glazed carrots, and cauliflower puree.  This dinner screamed for something green, but  the fridge is pretty bare after being on the Cape for so long. I brought the fluke home from the Cape and picked up some more local tuna for tomorrow too.  I will have to go buy green things on my lunch break tomorrow. 

 

[ElainaA]

Today I was at Lombardi's Market in Syracuse and got some pasta (sorry about the somewhat blurry picture - my camera battery died and I couldn't take another:

 

 

A hand written card said "reputed to be the pasta used in the Vatican". How could I resist?

 

So I made pasta with sausage and leeks. One of my favorites.

 

 

[liuzhou]

Liuzhou, I've never seen passion fruit.  I thought I had.  Definitely not after seeing yours.  Do you eat the dark looking seeds or just the lovely looking pulp around them?

 

 

You eat the seeds and surrounding pulp. A teaspoon helps. Here is half of one I just finished.

 

Edited October 20, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[huiray]

Soup. Tender amaranth (see here; scroll down) & unpeeled straw mushrooms (canned) in chicken broth w/ dried shrimp & garlic.

 

Bitter gourd stir-fried w/ garlic, pork & black beans.^¶  White rice.

^¶ Plus some oyster sauce, a dash of sesame oil, some thick black soy sauce + light soy sauce, ground white pepper, some jozo mirin.

 

Ingredients.

Edited October 20, 2015 by huiray (log)

[liuzhou]

Tonight I was obliged to have dinner with some colleagues before an important evening meeting. Six of us gathered in what was the city's top hotel, until surpassed by western arrivals in recent years. This hotel is government owned and has bedded every Chinese leader since Mao, but not Mao himself. It was a key meeting place between China and Vietnam in the latter's wars, both with  the French and the Americans. Ho Chi Minh and Zhou Enlai held regular meetings in the hotel.

 

I have stayed there, too.

 

This restaurant (one of a number in the hotel) was the first place I ate in what, to my surprise, was to become my home town for so many years. But I didn't stay because of the restaurant. Hotel restaurants are not my thing. What's more this one serves mainly Cantonese food - far from my favourite Chinese regional style.

 

Like many places, the hotel is suffering badly from President Xi Jinping's crackdown on extravagant banquets and general junketing at public expense. The place used to be heaving with customers. Today there were very few. One of the hotel's answers is to downgrade their menu to attract those poor souls who are paying their own way. The government was paying for our meal, though. The policy has exceptions - including me. It seems if they put it down to entertaining foreign guests they get away with it.

 

(They also seem only to use students on 'internships' as wait staff. Our main server was charming and efficient but she looked about 12. She seemed fascinated that the conversation was being conducted in three different languages - Chinese, English and Vietnamese.)

 

Anyway, six of us shared eight dishes, plus rice. First there was a simple chicken soup then

 

White Cut Chicken

 

Roast Duck

 

Assorted Cured Meats

 

Sandpot Baked Rice with Egg and Seafood

 

Stewed Lamb with Shiitake Mushrooms, Water Chestnuts, Dried Tofu Skin and Green Onions

 

Braised Beef with Fruit Salad!

 

The beef was delicious, but with fruit salad in Kewpie sweet mayo? No thanks.

 

There was also a serving of simple stir-fried water spinach.

 

The meal was OK, but not particularly memorable. The meeting was boring.

 

P.S. While this poor British lad was being fed at Chinese govt. expense, Xi Jinping is shacked up in the Queen's house in London where, I bet, his dinner is better!

Edited October 20, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[Morkai]

The beer batter couldn't be simpler. What I usually do is take a random amount of all purpose flour and a bit of salt and add beer until the batter is still quite thick, almost as thick as store bought vanilla custard. I coat the fish in seasoned flour, batter and then roll the fish trough panko breadcrumbs and really pack/pat the breadcrumbs on the fish. If you want I can write down measurements next time . And the nice thing is, that batter will work with anything. I've tried chicken, courgette, prawns and even banana.

 

Well, if it's not a crazy amount of trouble (don't want to put you through excess work), I would love if it you managed to jot down the amounts. My vision of custard, well, who knows what that will turn out like! Looks remarkable. Thanks for the advice!

[ElainaA]

Comfort food tonight. It snowed here this week. I need comfort. I'm not ready for this yet.

 

 

Chicken with potatoes, carrots, shallots and snap peas stewed in cider and white wine.

 

 

And a salad of lettuce, pears, pecans, red onion and cucumbers.

 

Edited to apologize for poor photography. 

Edited October 21, 2015 by ElainaA (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Like ElainaA, I also stewed a chicken tonight. It was a humongous one over 6 pounds, and I hauled out my seldom used Club cast aluminum Dutch oven. I put garlic, white onion, carrot, celery, potatoes, turmeric, parsley and thyme in it, and it was very satisfying. I served it with very good olive oil/rosemary bread sliced from a boule (purchased). It hasn't snowed here, but we're having very unseasonably cold weather, especially the nights. Brr...!

 

I have a ton of meat left after I deboned the carcass, so I think chicken enchiladas tomorrow with homemade tortillas from maseca.

 

The other day I made pepper steak, which was also a hit. The Asian store has shaved raw rib eye for a couple bucks more a pound than ground chuck at the mainstream grocery. I used that, green bell peppers, white onion, nice Roma tomatoes, and I have always like to throw some celery into the mix. I also like to shake in a little crushed red pepper, not enough to make it hot, but it adds and interesting note. I sent servings out to the neighbor who is nice enough to let us borrow his vehicle to go to the grocery sometimes and to my brother. They liked it too. It's a very hearty-seeming dish to be so vegetable-heavy and healthy. I serve it over white rice, as is usual. It was crisp-tender on the veggies this time like I always shoot for, and sometimes overcook a bit.

 

I picked up a tote of McIntosh apples the other day (my favorite), and we've been munching on these as dessert, and really enjoying their crisp, tart sweetness. I'm so glad McIntosh are more widely available now.

[liuzhou]

It is still hot here. Hovering around the low 30s C. But I know it won't last. So maybe the last time to do this summer favourite - but this time with a twist.

 

Pork cubes marinated in lemon, olive oil, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper for about three hours, then stir fried. Usually I serve with rice, but tonight I went for couscous. I'll do that again. Next summer. 

 

Served with a simple tomato and red onion salad merely dressed with lemon juice and sea salt. Enough oil in the meat.

 

 

 

I should have garnished the top of the couscous with a leaf or two of basil or coriander, but forgot. 

[Paul Bacino]

Made

 

Jerk Chicken Ramen

 

 

I used this Rub for my grilled chicken.

 

 

I used the chicken for the soup and the left over bones went into stock along with a bit more ginger ,Gong Boa, Molassas, green onion  for the broth

[toolprincess]

Happy Sunday, everyone!

 

I think a hint of fall is in the air.  It's still hot--90's all this week, but the mornings are cool and the humidity is less.  I'm sad...I enjoyed gardening so much this summer.  Soon I'll be stuck inside cleaning out the basement or something ICK.  The upside:  football has started  AND if it's gonna be winter, we better get a TON of snow.  

 

This coming week my husband's hunting buddy is coming to stay (which equals a huge amount of fall cleaning for Shelby--I guess it's good motivation) , so there should be a lot of game coming in.  Doves and teal (ducks).  

 

Liuzhou, I really like squid.  Your dish looks so fresh.  Nice idea using the olives.

 

Hummingbird, I wish I could use the grill as well as you!  Baking bread on there is quite a talent and yours looks very good!

 

Kerry, I spy something that Anna made with her IP in your bowl  Your eggs look perfect.

 

 

Last night I fried up some catfish.  Okra and mac and cheese to go with.

 

P9120722.JPG

 

Shelby I need your okra recipe.  It looks perfect!

Please

Edited October 21, 2015 by toolprincess (log)

[huiray]

Fedelini with andouille sausage & stuff.

EV olive oil, sliced-up andouille sausage, chopped smashed garlic, sliced shallots, hot red chile flakes, trimmed brussels sprouts, de-skinned sliced Pink Beauty tomatoes, dried thyme & oregano, sea salt, chopped de-stringed celery, just-cooked fedelini, chopped parsley, toss in pan on heat.

Edited October 22, 2015 by huiray (log)

[toolprincess]

Like ElainaA, I also stewed a chicken tonight. It was a humongous one over 6 pounds, and I hauled out my seldom used Club cast aluminum Dutch oven. I put garlic, white onion, carrot, celery, potatoes, turmeric, parsley and thyme in it, and it was very satisfying. I served it with very good olive oil/rosemary bread sliced from a boule (purchased). It hasn't snowed here, but we're having very unseasonably cold weather, especially the nights. Brr...!

I have a ton of meat left after I deboned the carcass, so I think chicken enchiladas tomorrow with homemade tortillas from maseca.

The other day I made pepper steak, which was also a hit. The Asian store has shaved raw rib eye for a couple bucks more a pound than ground chuck at the mainstream grocery. I used that, green

now.

Grand Asia Market?

[Thanks for the Crepes]

toolprincess,

 

Not Grand Asia, though that is a nice, huge market. The last time I got lobsters at GA, though, they were muddy tasting, like they came from a dirty tank or something. I have NEVER not loved a lobster besides those.

 

"My" pan-Asian market is S-Mart at 1000 Ryan Rd. in Cary.

 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/s-mart-cary-2

 

I can and do walk there frequently. It's Korean owned, so if you're looking for Korean ingredients, it might be worth your trip, but don't expect anything on the scale of Grand Asia.

 

I have found some really interesting stuff at S-Mart, and I love looking around and learning about the exotic ingredients. It's always an adventure for me. I found muscadine grapes there, which I've never seen in another commercial setting, and wonderful fresh water chestnuts, which are a pain to peel, but have ruined me for the canned variety for life. Also Korean melon, which I tried for the first time in my life and did not care for (too flat-note sweet), but you can't have a food adventure without taking a few risks, can you? 

Edited October 22, 2015 by Thanks for the Crepes (log)

[Shelby]

Shelby I need your okra recipe.  It looks perfect!

Please

Hi!  Good to see you!

 

I make it just like KayB does.  Slice the okra into rounds and throw 'em in a ziplock bag.  Let them sit for a bit so that some of the juice (lol some would call slime) comes out.  Toss some cornmeal in (I like to use self-rising cornmeal).  Just enough to coat them.  Sometimes I add some diced onion in the okra ziplock, too.  A glug or two of oil in a skillet, turn heat to med or med-high and fry 'em up.  It takes a bit to get them to crunchy stage, but it's worth the wait  Oh and salt and pepper as soon as they start getting crunchy.

 

Last of the doves the other night

 

 

 

I had a strange craving for Catalina dressing on a salad.  First time making that kind of dressing.  Hit my spot.  I actually wanted a wedge salad but I didn't have any iceberg lettuce so I used leaf.

 

 

I made crepes last night (Kim Shook's have been stuck in my head )

 

See here for the super easy crepe method.  I highly recommend it (unless you are a master at making crepes the regular way )

 

Ham, mushroom and spinach filled with a béchamel sauce.

 

 

[toolprincess]

Thank you! I love Catalina dressing.

[ElainaA]

Shelby - Those crepes look perfect!

[suzilightning]

Thank you! I love Catalina dressing.

 

even better with crumbled blue cheese and tomatoes.....

[Thanks for the Crepes]

The chicken enchiladas with homemade tortillas turned out really, really well. I put a few of the carrots from the stew, grated muenster cheese, scallions from the deck planter, chili powder, Goya Adobo con pimienta and some of the gelled broth from the stew into the filling with the pulled chicken. I like to first grill and then lightly fry and blot the tortillas for enchiladas. Doused the rolls with canned Las Palmas enchilada sauce, baked and added more shredded muenster on top for the last five minutes, and served with shredded lettuce salad with avocado, grape tomato and Pancho's "Mexican" copycat dressing.

 

Tonight I cooked a thick ribeye over charcoal along with zucchini, white onion, and some thick sirloins my brother brought over and wanted me to cook for him. I nuked some big Russets, served them with butter and sour cream, and this amounted to a very tasty meal. Who ever heard of tough ribeye? The past two times I sprang for it was.  I was so thankful the ribeye was tender as well as full of flavor this time, and pleased that my brother said his sirloin was cooked perfectly. We roasted marshmallows after dinner.

 

Tomorrow I think we'll polish off the last of the chicken enchiladas with the rest of the steak sliced up for tacos and maybe some refried beans with cheese.

[huiray]

Beef short ribs** browned (rice bran oil) then braised (stovetop) w/ garlic, red onion, shallots, cracked black peppercorns, fresh bay leaves, sea salt, bulb fennel, water.  Eaten w/ white rice.

** with membranes/connective layers left on; simmered till everything was tender.

 

Some of the stuff.

 

 

Earlier: Sautéed broccoli & cauliflower. Carrot cake.

Edited October 23, 2015 by huiray (log)