Dinner 2015 (Part 7)

[HungryChris]

Yes on both counts, Okanagancook, the heat was maintained at 350 with the middle burner off.

[Ann_T]

We didn't have turkey for Christmas so I bought one on Sunday, presalted it, and roasted it last night.

 

As Moe said though, a roast turkey dinner is all about the sides.

[gfweb]

48 minutes ago, Ann_T said:

 

As Moe said though, a roast turkey dinner is all about the sides.

 

Beautiful bird!

I found out about the sides issue on Christmas when I failed to make smoked sweet potatoes for the first time in years. Big trouble!

[Shelby]

Made some buns

 

 

Used them for prime rib sandwiches

 

 

A bit of dipping broth

 

[sartoric]

Fresh crab with lime and Kampot pepper dipping sauce.

Served with stir fried beans, lettuce and mango salad and rice.

 

The salad.

 

The crab (blue swimmer).

The meal.

 

 

 

More details here https://www.facebook.com/Whats-for-dinner--1427021760943871/

[BonVivant]

(Sorry for the slow loading of photos)

 

Have moved on to another town (still in Franconia). The lodging's kitchen is almost worthless.

 

Last 2 meals I made in previous town:

 

Garlicky smoked sausages

 

Wine is from the wine maker's "shop" in the basement where the business is run. 10-15 min walk from my lodging.

 

 

Now in Forchheim with a worthless kitchen. First meal was at a traditional restaurant which has their own beer.

 

 

 

Simple food after returning from the pub. Pasta with squid.

 

Nice Riesling.

 

Today: used up the second half of the pasta in this soup.

 

[David Ross]

I love rack of lamb, but rarely take the loin off the bone.  But an elegant holiday dinner called for a lamb loin, red wine sauce and roasted potatoes.  The lamb couldn't have been simpler--just seasoned and sautéed in a hot pan to sear all sides then into a hot oven for about 10 minutes to medium-rare.  The red wine sauce is an old standby-a reduction of 2 cups red wine, 2 tbsp. honey, rosemary, thyme, garlic, juniper berries and 1/2 cup beef stock. Reduced to 1/2 cup then a pat of butter whisked in along with a few shakes of Wondra flour to thicken. The potatoes were sliced russets cut with a decorative cookie cutter then blanched for about 5 minutes.  Then tossed with my best ingredient find of 2015 and roasted in a hot oven until golden and crisp.  The best ingredient find of 2015?  Pure Beef Tallow!

 

Roast Lamb Loin, Red Wine Sauce and Fried Potato-

 

[lesliec]

That really does look like an elegant dinner, Dave - very nicely done.

 

I can't remember if you're among the sous vide fraternity.  SV is the kindest way possible of cooking lamb, and one of my frequent presentations is lamb rack cooked for a couple of hours at around 60 C then seared.  It's phenomenally good.

 

I'm pretty sure I can find beef tallow here (I suspect we call it dripping).  Is it that good?  Better than, say, duck fat?

[huiray]

Earlier...

Kai-lan blanched in oiled water, drizzled w/ a mixture of oyster sauce, Bulldog sauce & ponzu sauce. Dressed w/ white pepper.

 

Later...

Linguine w/ tuna & capers.

Medium-hot pan, white tuna in olive oil [Ortiz] (El Velero Bonito del Norte en Aceite de Oliva), sliced garlic, stir gently till garlic is picking up some color, gently breaking up tuna into large clumps. Add capers (Salina salted capers) [Il Mongetto] (rinsed, soaked, drained; soaking water reserved) & hot red chilli flakes, toss briefly. Add just-cooked linguine [Rustichella d'Abruzzo] (with most of the caper soaking water added to the salted cooking water), straight from the pot, dripping wet; fold/stir in, adding the rest of the caper soaking water plus some of the pasta cooking water. Fold gently till the sauce thickens and is largely absorbed, add in chopped Italian parsley, grated zest of half a ripening large lime, a squeeze of the lime, a pour of Arbequina EV olive oil [California Olive Ranch], toss/fold everything together.  Serve w/ fresh parsley garnish.

Darn, forgot a grind or two of back pepper, But I didn't miss it. :-) 

 

Nearly demolished.

 

And, for munchies before and after...Ghirardelli Squares: Twilight Delight Intense Dark, Dark & Raspberry, Dark & Sea Salt Caramel, Dark & Mint. :-) 

 

ETA: If you do not have good quality canned tuna or good quality salted capers on hand, it would be better NOT to attempt this dish.

Edited December 30, 2015 by huiray
Corrected Arbosana to Arbequina and fixed some typos. Also added an ETA note. (log)

[HungryChris]

My attempt to replicate the char-grilled oysters that we enjoyed so much at Superior Seafood on St Charles Ave in New Orleans. Served with hot bread slices to sop up the garlic and cheese infused oyster liquor.

[liuzhou]

 

Spaghetti with a (very) slow cooked beef ragu. Onion, garlic, chilli pepper, Italian canned cherry tomatoes, Italian red wine, olive oil, sugar and salt. Cooked for about four hours. Finished with basil and grated Grana Padano.

 

Probably, the last of my basil for this year. The plants aren't happy with the weather.

Edited December 30, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[David Ross]

6 hours ago, lesliec said:

That really does look like an elegant dinner, Dave - very nicely done.

 

I can't remember if you're among the sous vide fraternity.  SV is the kindest way possible of cooking lamb, and one of my frequent presentations is lamb rack cooked for a couple of hours at around 60 C then seared.  It's phenomenally good.

 

I'm pretty sure I can find beef tallow here (I suspect we call it dripping).  Is it that good?  Better than, say, duck fat?

I do prefer the flavor of beef tallow over duck fat and it's far cheaper than the small bottles of duck fat I can find locally.  Duck fat is quite delicious but I prefer the beef "drippings."

[kayb]

Lovely lamb loin, Dave. I wish I liked lamb. I feel rather sheepish (yes, bad pun intended) admitting I do not.

 

 

[Shelby]

@liuzhou  I love a good ragu.  My favorite meal and yours looks perfect.

 

@kayb Oh me too....me too.  Ronnie loves lamb.  I try and try but I just don't care for it.  I know I will try again, though.  It seems like I should love it.

 

Wait for it.....wait for it.......

 

 

Yes!  More oysters lol.

 

 

We wanted a light meal.  So oysters, a few shrimp and a bacon spinach salad.  Why I don't make that salad more often is beyond me.  We love the hot bacon dressing.

 

[rotuts]

Shelby

 

wow   still eating those oysters, eh ?

 

nice

 

they would not have lasted long at my place.

[liamsaunt]

Last night I cooked a heritage turkey that my husband ordered from D'Artagnan.  It was my first time cooking a heritage bird.  The flavor is much stronger than a typical bird, and there is much less meat too.  There were five of us dining, and there is only a very small ziplock of meat left.  Typically I would get at least three meals from a turkey.  We all liked the heritage bird very much.  Well, except for my niece who

complained that there was not enough meat on the legs haha.  I am going to make some sort of soup out of the carcass and leftover gravy this afternoon.

 

 

Served with mashed potatoes, green beans, and these maple roasted acorn squash wedges

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2015 by liamsaunt (log)

[Shelby]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

Shelby

 

wow   still eating those oysters, eh ?

 

nice

 

they would not have lasted long at my place.

   

 

I ordered a second bag that got here on Christmas Eve.  We gobbled up the others so fast and I was sad, so Santa brought us more lol.

[rotuts]

well, that sounds a bit more like it.

 

BTW Shelby, where did they come from?

 

hee hee

Edited December 30, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[Shelby]

3 minutes ago, rotuts said:

well, that sounds a bit more like it.

 

BTW Shelby, where did they come from?

 

hee hee

 

They come from Cajun Grocer  and I can't say enough about how good they are.  Full of oyster liquor.

 

I haven't found any pearls yet, though.

[sartoric]

Spicy prawn salad.

The prawns were marinated in our homegrown chilli paste, peanut oil, salt and pepper. 

The salad is baby cos, sesame seaweed, baby beetroot and spring onions. 

 

[gfweb]

Madiera pork medallions with cauliflower gratin

 

 

Sun dried tomato/basil stuffed chicken breast with roasted fingerlings and sprouts

 

 

Adobo marinated pork tenderloin with a warm smoked grape and roasted fingerling salad

Edited December 30, 2015 by gfweb (log)

[robie]

6 hours ago, Shelby said:

 

Hi Shelby,

 

The link I have indicates that these are shipped frozen.  Are they safe to eat raw since you don't know which ones were alive when they were frozen?  Or (food safety experts), is this an irrational concern?

 

Thanks!

 

Robie

6 hours ago, Shelby said:

They come from Cajun Grocer  and I can't say enough about how good they are.  Full of oyster liquor.

 

I haven't found any pearls yet, though.

 

[Shelby]

11 minutes ago, robie said:

Hi Shelby,

 

The link I have indicates that these are shipped frozen.  Are they safe to eat raw since you don't know which ones were alive when they were frozen?  Or (food safety experts), is this an irrational concern?

 

Thanks!

 

Robie

 

Yes, they are shipped frozen and we keep them frozen.  The shipping ticket tells what day they were harvested and they are harvested and then quickly shipped.  I've eaten most of them raw and I'm still standing lol so......it's not a concern for me  

[liamsaunt]

Dinner tonight.  I attempted homemade sushi for the first time for my 14 year old niece.  I got the tuna from the sushi counter at our local Wegmans.  It was a bit tricky at first (the saddest aka first roll is in the back somewhat blurred by my camera haha)

 

 

She ate the whole plate other than the two she graciously allowed my sister and husband to sample.  And then asked what was for dinner!  She is going to be an expensive date someday.

 

Adults had salmon burgers with ginger-lime aioli and soy glaze.  Apparently this recipe won some burger contest a while back.  It was good but I prefer my usual salmon burger with lemon-dill aioli.

 

[scubadoo97]

A requested meal from my daughter before she heads back to Austin tomorrow.  A tuna stack paired with a nice cold sake