Dinner 2015 (Part 7)

[huiray]

[Host's note:  To avoid an excessive load on our servers this topic has been split.  The discussion continues from here]

 

 

A sort of Oyster Pad Woon Sen. :-)

 

 

In sequence: hot rice bran oil, chopped smashed garlic, finely sliced green cabbage, some of a mixture of [fish sauce, double-fermented soy sauce, good Shaohsing wine, generous ground white pepper], a well made in the center then pre-beaten eggs poured in & scrambled, about a half pound shucked large oysters followed and was scrambled in with the eggs and other stuff, pre-soaked glass noodles (bundles cut in two w/ kitchen shears) immediately added, then sliced de-seeded hot long green chillies plus the rest of the fish sauce mixture plus the reserved oyster liquor, everything stirred/tossed around, trimmed green scallions went in and a final toss done. Served.

Edited December 28, 2015 by lesliec
Added host's note (log)

[Arey]

Tuna on top of rice mixed with sugar snap peas, and shiitake and maitaki mushrooms.  The tuna was moistened with Lucini Balsamic vinegar a few minutes before being broiled.


Most people would probably say the tuna is overcooked, but there's a limit to how rare I like tuna.  Growing up the only tuna I ever ate came out of a can and was mixed with celery and Miracle Whip, and only appeared on the dinner table when it was too hot to cook.  The only other fish we ever had for dinner was flounder.  We would have salt mackerel for breakfast some mornings in the 40's.  Years later I asked my mother why we no longer had salt mackerel for breakfast any more and she replied "Because we don't have to!"

[sartoric]

1 hour ago, huiray said:

 

Well, I don't know if I can be of much help, but here are some examples of phở that Ive made and posted about here on eG: HERE and HERE for example. The commentary might be of use, perhaps. I don't roast my bones, but I do parboil them ("fei sui" treatment, in Cantonese; SEE HERE too for some comments) and I do make sure my onion and ginger are charred. I also use more star anise and spices than many other people use (do you add black cardamom into your stock?) (DO NOT use green cardamom, the two are NOT INTERCHANGEABLE) At least in my hands, one needs to ADD ENOUGH fish sauce (quite a bit), and don't skip on the rock sugar. I use Red Boat fish sauce nowadays, but used Three Crabs, & etc years ago. I believe in Australia Megachef is supposed to be a highy-praised brand put out by David Thompson.

 

Have you tried Andrea Nguyen's method for phở bò ?  

(As I mentioned above I use far more spices and seasonings than she does but that may not suit many people)

Thanks huiray, the Andrea Ngyuen recipe looks very doable. I'm not giving up on pho !

[BonVivant]

Posting from Miltenberg, Germany where I'm on holiday at the moment.

 

 

Wine is from right here

 

Franken (Franconia) is a region in Bavaria state, which is also my favourite region and I keep returning.

 

 

The view from my lodging's kitchen window. Miltenberg's medieval old town is one of those postcard perfect kind of place.

 

 

And from the other day, my first meal shortly after my arrival.

 

 

Typical furniture in a typical tradional restaurant in southern Germany.

[Anna N]

Simplicity seemed to be my mantra yesterday. Steamed broccoli topped with a few slices of SV'd beef short ribs. 

 

Edited December 22, 2015 by Anna N
Spelling. (log)

[Okanagancook]

I've made the Andrea Nguyen beef pho and thought it was excellent.

Good luck.

[sartoric]

Last night was a Thai style beef curry with baby corn.

 

Served with chickpea and potato salad, cucumber salad, rice, and my homemade paw paw chutney.

 

[David Ross]

Braised Monkfish in Spicy Tomato Sauce-

 

[Anna N]

 

 

Leftover chicken in masala sauce with some frozen corn added served over Chinese wheat noodles. 

 

 

 

 

 

[sartoric]

Cumberland pork sausages with fresh tomato chilli sauce.

Served with potato mozzarella mash, steamed snow peas, and a spinach and Parmesan salad.

 

 

The salad.

[huiray]

Spicy tofu on white rice.

Watercress in chicken broth.

 

Hot rice bran oil, chopped crushed garlic, marinated minced pork, cubed firm tofu, chopped scallions & coriander leaves.

Marinated minced pork: Minced fatty pork, Pixian doubanjiang [Juan Cheng brand] (鵑城牌  四川郫縣豆瓣醬) (this one), chili in oil w/peanuts [Laoganma], Shaohsing wine, hon-mirin [Takara], lots of ground white pepper.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

The husband wanted to go check out Sea Depot, our local fish market, less than a mile from the house for dinner tonight. He got his usual NC catfish, sourced a few miles from our house in Cary's Bond Lake. They fry while you wait, but it's takeout only.

 

I got a half pound of large, headless NC shrimp and a half peck NC oysters. I've been eyeing Shelby's oysters for a while now, and I just had to have some of my own.

 

I boiled the shrimp in the shell very briefly. They were sweet and cooked just right.

 

I opened a few oysters raw, which is becoming very challenging for my hand strength. So then I switched to steaming them in my stainless expandable basket in the same pot I cooked the shrimp in. Since I was just cooking them for myself, I only added three at a time. It only takes a bit over a minute to get them hot enough to open easily, and I think I'll start doing this even when I'm cooking for more people. I might use a larger diameter pot, but still only add them in a single layer. When you pile up cold oysters into a covered steamer pot, I think the lower ones overcook by the time the top ones are ready. They release more easily and the abductor muscles practically separate themselves from the shells instead of clinging for dear life like they do when raw. Cooked just briefly, the shells are scalding, but the interior oyster is only warm, and there's actually more oyster liquor than when raw. You just have to avoid overcooking because the liquor can leak out and the oyster shrink and harden. I really like this new method, and I'll be using it again. Just, don't try to microwave them as my brother suggested. It doesn't work at all except to ruin your oysters. Grilling oysters outdoors can be fun, especially for a large group, but I don't like the way they turn out as well as steaming in a single layer. Still miles better than trying to nuke them.

 

I have 5 already cooked shrimp left for tomorrow and about a dozen and a half or so live oysters left for tomorrow.

 

I ate the shrimp and oysters with only fresh squeezed lemon juice, no salt even needed. They had good slicing tomatoes at the seafood shop, and I had over half a large one of those too for a very satisfying dinner. I also snitched a few (okay 10) of the husband's tater tots (with permission). 

 

The day before, we had split pea soup that turned out really well along with olive oil/rosemary cornbread. I stuck with practically vegetarian on the soup, and really enjoyed the clean flavor. The only meat component was 3 Knorr Caldo de Res bouillon cubes. I added onion, and celery added along with the peas, and then carrot and jalapeno added about an hour or so into the cooking. My "secret" ingredient for split pea soup is a pinch of ground cloves, not enough to identify, and added toward the end. This was insanely good for such a cheap meal.

[liamsaunt]

Here are some photos from my group dinner on Sunday.  The house salad.  I like to make this because my nephew always takes at least two bowls and his vegetable intake is somewhat limited these days

 

 

And a platter of fried chicken

 

 

No photos from the last few days because I got whomped with a stomach bug.  There is something about this time of year, I always seem to get sick with something or another!  So annoying.  I am better now, and have some interesting meals coming up this week since I am off work until January 5.  

 

No cooking today, as I am going to my husband's family for Christmas eve, and they do not do home cooked food at gatherings, it is catering only for them.  This used to annoy me, but now I just make sure to bring along a nice bottle of wine and enjoy the company :-)  I am doing a prime rib roast for my family tomorrow.

[ninagluck]

it's a tradition to eat carp on the 24th evening. tonight I wanted to serve it in a different way. hungarian style carp, called halaszle with tarhonya.

[scamhi]

this was the pre Christmas dinner. Sous Vide duck breast with brussels and rice.

 

[Paul Bacino]

Lovely..  Suz!!!

 

[liuzhou]

Christmas Eve dinner was odd.

 

I cooked lots of starters. Shared with my dear friend over a bottle or two of wine.

 

Carrot soup with coriander

 

Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil Salad

 

Roast Quail on a nest of Alfalfa Sprouts

 

Clams in Oyster Sauce

 

Duck Breast with Red Wine and Sour Cherry Sauce

 

There were also a quail's egg scotch egg each and some shell-on salt and Sichuan pepper fried prawns which somehow weren't photographed by either of us. They probably didn't last long enough.

 

And all that's left is an empty bottle.

 

 

Well, two empty bottles, actually. But two full people.

 

[Okanagancook]

Rack of lamb, yorkshire put made in my new 'popover' tins and parsnip/carrot.   Measured the YP 'cause having a 'whose the best at YP' with a friend

[sartoric]

Posting late, but this was yesterday's Asian style omelette with ham, bean sprouts and spring onions. Saving stomach space for the onslaught of Christmas lunch....

[scamhi]

we stopped at 2 fishes for our feast last night

[huiray]

Braised/stewed pork hock.

Just a few slices and some broth ladled out from the pot of the stuff. :-) 

Pork hock slices braised/stewed with double-fermented soy sauce [LKK], dark soy sauce [Yuet Heung Yuen], some oyster sauce [LKK], a decent Shaohsing cooking wine (generous pour), lots of sliced ginger, some crushed garlic, a small handful of whole star anise, a decent-sized cinnamon (cassia) bark stick, "aged" rice vinegar, rock sugar, water; simmer for an hour or so; correct seasoning, add more Shaohsing wine, vinegar simmer some more; total time about 2-and-a-half hours or so.

 

ETA: Oh, the sliced pork hocks were given a fei sui (飛水) treatment first and cleaned under the running tap before they went into the stew/braise proper.

 

Stir-fried Pull Mustard.

Hot pan, hot oil, chopped smashed garlic, trimmed still-wet "Pull Mustard", 雪裡紅 (a form of relatively narrow-leafed mustard; intact plants look like this).

 

Eaten w/ white rice, spooning the nice gelatinous pork hock broth over the rice.

 

Edited December 25, 2015 by huiray
Added 飛水 note. (log)

[Shelby]

Scamhi, WOW those are some claws!  Everything looks great!

 

Okanagan, My husband would have loved to eat with you guys.  He loves lamb.  I need to get some and make it for him soon.  And your popovers look perfect!  Toying with making some here for tonight with prime rib........

 

We had venison taco night for the first day of winter.  I could have just eaten the guacamole.....

 

So last night I was going to a feast of 4 fishes but I discovered I didn't have any clams like I thought I did....soooooo it became a feast of 3 fishes lol.  It was nice.  I made pasta from scratch.  Why did I ever stop doing that????  So much better than store bought.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Norm Matthews]

We had our Christmas meal at lunch time.  It was a rib roast, salad, scalloped potatoes, shrimp cocktail, popovers, and some sauces and a relish.  Dessert will be later: Cherries Jubilee but without the jubilee. (no brandy).Picture didn't turn out very well. Sorry.

 

Edited December 25, 2015 by Norm Matthews (log)

[Shelby]

OH man, Norm, that looks scrumptious!

[Okanagancook]

Hey Norm, nice puddings!  We have the same pop over pan.  How full do you fill your cups?  I have used my pan just once, up thread, last night and we thought the pudding was too dense towards the bottom.

The roast beef also looks fantastic as do the shrimp.