Dinner 2016 (Part 1)

[HungryChris]

2 hours ago, Shelby said:

 

Chris, I WANT SNOW LIKE THAT.  Send it over here!

 

I truly wish I could oblige, you would be more than welcome to it!

The first restaurant I ever worked in had frogs legs on the menu and to this day, I regret that I never tried them. There is a local Oriental market that often has large live frogs, but the details of that transaction kind of haunts me. I would like to try frogs legs someday, though.

 

HC

[rotuts]

" tastes just like chicken "

 

but better.

 

maybe you can find some Fz and " Cleaned "

[sartoric]

Skippy steaks with a "not quite ratatouille sauce".
Served with two potato mash, roasted broccoli and sourdough for mopping.

I probably shouldn't use Australian idioms on this forum, but on this occasion I couldn't help myself. To explain, "Skippy, the Bush Kangaroo" was a long running and very popular children's TV series in the 60's and 70's. It featured an amazing kangaroo who saved someone's life in nearly every episode. There were 90 episodes (repeated endlessly for decades) so really quite a feat Now we eat our national emblem, which is not a problem, there's millions of em.

 

[Smithy]

Thanks for explaining 'Skippy', and enriching our culinary and popular education on the other side of the world, @sartoric.  Please continue, it's entertaining!  Then tell us how 'roo meat tastes.  Strong, mild? Are there certain cuts more tender or flavorful than others?  Is this farmed meat or wild game?

[HungryChris]

33 minutes ago, sartoric said:

Skippy steaks with a "not quite ratatouille sauce".
Served with two potato mash, roasted broccoli and sourdough for mopping.

It must taste good if you have it for dinner. Do you cook it like a beef steak on the grill? Inquiring minds want to know.

HC

[Shelby]

3 hours ago, HungryChris said:

I truly wish I could oblige, you would be more than welcome to it!

The first restaurant I ever worked in had frogs legs on the menu and to this day, I regret that I never tried them. There is a local Oriental market that often has large live frogs, but the details of that transaction kind of haunts me. I would like to try frogs legs someday, though.

 

HC

I know you would like them.  They are tender...with a texture like chicken only a bit more fish like...but not flakey.  

 

I've cleaned all sorts of game in my day and I am not a squeamish person.  However, bullfrogs did me in.  I won't do those again.  The smell bothered me to the point that I didn't want to eat them....and getting the skin off....just...no.  I will leave all future frog cleaning to my husband lol.

[Norm Matthews]

Online a few months ago, I noticed a place called Krizman's on a Best of Kansas City list as a meat market that had the best sausages. I also noticed that it was just down the street from where I grew up on Strawberry Hill. They had great reviews, especially for their brats and Polish sausage. I went there today and got some Brats, kraut and Povitica bread. I asked what else was popular and the guy said that if I like to BBQ, they have BBQ rolls. Arthur Bryant's BBQ restaurants get theirs from them. I got some of that too. It was all very good indeed. The BBQ rolls were raw and needed smoking.  The Brats were precooked and shriveled but plumped up when simmered with the kraut in a covered skillet. I also added onion, garlic, paprika and caraway seeds. 

Edited February 5, 2016 by Norm Matthews
correct misspelled name (log)

[suzilightning]

7 hours ago, Shelby said:

Elaina, that potato/ham gratin looks heavenly.  Pure comfort.

 

Chris, I WANT SNOW LIKE THAT.  Send it over here!

 

I ordered from Cajun Grocer the other day (had to stock up for Fat Tuesday) and decided I needed some frog legs, too.  We used to hunt them in July around here, but there just aren't very many any more.  These are farm raised from somewhere in China.  Really tender and good.  Was going to SV them, but decided on frying instead.

 

Fried mushrooms, shrimp, frog legs.  Cheesy broccoli and rice.  Oysters and some shrimp for cocktail too.

 

 

 

 

 Shelby

 

are those frogs' legs fried?  Have you thought about sauteing them in butter then finishing with white wine, fresh flat leaf parsley and capers?  

that's how I was introduced to them.

 

I would have sent you some of the 28" we got last week it I could have.

[huiray]

Beef shin braised w/ bamboo shoots & stuff.

Beef shins cut into rounds, tossed in pot w/ lots of garlic & enough oil. Slurry of mutenka shiro miso added, "sauté" a bit, water added, simmered. Sliced pre-treated** fresh bamboo shoots added, simmering continued; fresh wood-ear fungus also went in, simmer some more. Seasoning adjusted. Left it cooking for longer than intended, about 3+ hours. The shin rounds were disintegrating and some care was needed to extract partially-intact rounds. Plated w/ the bamboo slices, some of the fungus, blanched kai choy hearts (large-leaved mustard) and egg noodles^¶¶ with the sauce/braising liquid drizzled over everything.

** Fresh bamboo shoots cut into halves, bracts and other harder/unwanted stuff peeled off/cut off, sliced up, simmered in salted water for about 3/4 hr then drained and rinsed w/ fresh water. The heat treatment removes cyanogenic glycosides.

^¶¶I used Cipriani tagliarelle cooked per the instructions.

 

On the way there:

 

Beef shins (plus peeled lightly crushed garlic), whole and cut into rounds.

 

Shin rounds in pot w/ garlic & oil.

 

Bamboo shoots whole and one of them halved.

 

[Shelby]

1 minute ago, suzilightning said:

 Shelby

 

are those frogs' legs fried?  Have you thought about sauteing them in butter then finishing with white wine, fresh flat leaf parsley and capers?  

that's how I was introduced to them.

 

I would have sent you some of the 28" we got last week it I could have.

I would GLADLY take any and all snow.  I just want one huge one before spring.  Sigh.  

 

Yes, they are fried.  Oh yeah, your way sounds SO good.  I actually wanted to sous vide some last night too, but Ronnie wanted fried.  Will try with butter and capers soon.  Thank you!

[suzilightning]

14 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I would GLADLY take any and all snow.  I just want one huge one before spring.  Sigh.  

 

Yes, they are fried.  Oh yeah, your way sounds SO good.  I actually wanted to sous vide some last night too, but Ronnie wanted fried.  Will try with butter and capers soon.  Thank you!

 

Merci beaucoups....

 

Imagine a 9 year old Suzi having her birthday dinner with her Pop(grandfather) in East Hampton, NY at La Grenouille and having it's namesake.

 

Edited to add just made Johnnybird two quesadillas with some of the chicken white meat, salsa and quac to hold him over to dinner....

Edited February 6, 2016 by suzilightning (log)

[scubadoo97]

A very quick dinner. Scallops, cooks in minutes, cubed mango and slaw.  Punched my buttons!

 

[sartoric]

2 hours ago, Smithy said:

Thanks for explaining 'Skippy', and enriching our culinary and popular education on the other side of the world, @sartoric.  Please continue, it's entertaining!  Then tell us how 'roo meat tastes.  Strong, mild? Are there certain cuts more tender or flavorful than others?  Is this farmed meat or wild game?

 

@Smithy I sort of wished I hadn't explained Skippy, now I can't get the annoying theme song out of my head ...

 

The flavour is great, reminiscent of young venison (according to my cooking God Stephanie Alexander) although I can't compare the two, not having tried venison. It is very lean and has the lowest cholesterol of any meat. The cut in the picture was just labelled "steak" - I suspect rump. Next time I would buy fillet. After I took the photo, I sliced it across the grain into thin rounds, it was still a bit chewy, but great taste made up for that.

This as my first attempt at cooking kangaroo, although I've eaten it in restaurants before. I'll keep trying.

 

The meat is sourced from the open range, so wild. Not sure how you could farm them, you'd need really high fences !

 

[sartoric]

3 hours ago, HungryChris said:

It must taste good if you have it for dinner. Do you cook it like a beef steak on the grill? Inquiring minds want to know.

HC

 

@HungryChris

 

This was cooked briefly in a really hot cast iron pan, about 3 minutes per side, then into the oven for 5 minutes.

You could cook it on a grill (that's what we call a barbecue I think). I reckon it be would great sous vide, but I don't have one.

A good thing about the meat is that it is very sustainable, and they do a lot less damage to the environment than beef cattle.

Edited February 6, 2016 by sartoric
Add the bit about sous vide. (log)

[Captain]

I love Roo meat. My favourite is on a bed of mashed potatoes & some port wine sauce.   I cook it Hot & fast or verrrrry slowly.  The taste!  Kind of a cross between Dolphin and Koala.  lol.

[sartoric]

12 minutes ago, Captain said:

I love Roo meat. My favourite is on a bed of mashed potatoes & some port wine sauce.   I cook it Hot & fast or verrrrry slowly.  The taste!  Kind of a cross between Dolphin and Koala.  lol.

 

@Captain you are a stirrer !

 

People, we don't eat koalas or dolphins

[dcarch]

31 minutes ago, sartoric said:

 

@Captain you are a stirrer !

 

People, we don't eat koalas or dolphins

 

Your version of Surf & Turf? LOL!

 

dcarch

[lesliec]

The trick, when ordering kangaroo at a restaurant in Oz, is to get the roadkill joke in before the waiter does.

[liuzhou]

Another Skippy fan here. The meat and the TV show. The show was also popular in the UK; I've now got the theme tune as an ear worm. And the meat was available in some specialist shops. Probably still is.

 

I've never seen it here in China, though. The locals' exotic meat preference heads in a different direction.

[sartoric]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

Another Skippy fan here. The meat and the TV show. The show was also popular in the UK; I've now got the theme tune as an ear worm. And the meat was available in some specialist shops. Probably still is.

 

I've never seen it here in China, though. The locals' exotic meat preference heads in a different direction.

Welcome to my ear worm !

[rarerollingobject]

Pork belly and pork mince patties, marinated in lemongrass, fish sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic and ginger. Grilled in a copper mesh grill thingy, and eaten with rice vermicelli, rice paper spring rolls, mint, perilla/shiso and carrot quick pickles, and a fish sauce/sugar/garlic/rice vinegar sauce.

 

Which makes the lot a pretty close approximation to the good old Hanoian dish, bun cha.

[dcarch]

4 hours ago, rarerollingobject said:

Pork belly and pork mince patties, marinated in lemongrass, fish sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic and ginger. Grilled in a copper mesh grill thingy, and eaten with rice vermicelli, rice paper spring rolls, mint, perilla/shiso and carrot quick pickles, and a fish sauce/sugar/garlic/rice vinegar sauce.

 

Which makes the lot a pretty close approximation to the good old Hanoian dish, bun cha.

 

Missed your great cooking!!! Welcome back! 

 

dcarch

Edited February 6, 2016 by dcarch (log)

[shain]

Home made Thai red curry paste (not perfectly authentic, as there is no galangal to be heard of around here).

Sweet potato, butternut squash, soft tofu, giant chickpeas (those are huge), red chili, onion, coconut milk.

Jasmine rice, spiced with seeds.

 

Lemon grass and coriander (cilantro) from the garden. The lemon grass is sad during the cold weather, but the coriander is having the time of it's life. It has such a potent flavor, almost strong enough to be used for riot control!

Edited February 6, 2016 by shain (log)

[robie]

4 hours ago, dcarch said:

 

Missed your great cooking!!! Welcome back! 

 

dcarch

 

+1...Welcome back RRO

Edited February 6, 2016 by robie (log)

[kayb]

14 hours ago, Shelby said:

I know you would like them.  They are tender...with a texture like chicken only a bit more fish like...but not flakey.  

 

I've cleaned all sorts of game in my day and I am not a squeamish person.  However, bullfrogs did me in.  I won't do those again.  The smell bothered me to the point that I didn't want to eat them....and getting the skin off....just...no.  I will leave all future frog cleaning to my husband lol.

Thing about cleaning/cooking frog legs, you have to be sure and cut the tendon, else it'll contract as it cooks and they'll "jump" out of the pan. I've had that happen. It's disconcerting.

 

I love 'em cooked in lemon butter.

 

Just back from an early Mardi Gras visit to New Orleans. Dinners at Desire Oyster Bar (Seafood Louie salad was excellent) and Antoine's (soft-shell crab made my eyes roll back in my head). Wanted to stop at Middendorf's in Manchac on the way back for the paper thin catfish, about which I've heard much, but we just hit the road and sped north.

 

Conference I attended featured John Besh as one of the speakers. Very nice guy, good speaker -- talked more about supporting the local economy/local restaurants and farmers, and his charitable work -- he started a foundation that sends underprivileged NOLA kids to culinary school. High on my list of places to eat next trip is his newest restaurant, Luke. He says he plans to open eight more in the next two years.