Dinner 2016 (Part 2)

[liuzhou]

1 minute ago, sartoric said:

 Thanks @liuzhou, you're right, lamb is traditional, but he who must be considered is not fond of lamb. I adapt.

 

 

Quite right, too. I mean in adapting.

 

It is difficult for me to get lamb here and when it is available it is hideously expensive, so I often use beef or donkey instead. There is a kind of middle eastern dish of lamb, chickpeas and yoghurt which I love and I've made it with beef. It isn't so good, but acceptable.

[Ann_T]

Chicken Piccata  using green peppercorns instead of capers. (I don't care for capers).

Simple pan sauce of butter, a little bit of flour, fresh minced garlic, chicken broth with green peppercorns, and the juice of a whole lemon. Finished with minced Italian parsley.
 

 

Sides were roasted potatoes, and whole shallots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and red peppers.

[Katie Meadow]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

 

Quite right, too. I mean in adapting.

 

It is difficult for me to get lamb here and when it is available it is hideously expensive, so I often use beef or donkey instead. There is a kind of middle eastern dish of lamb, chickpeas and yoghurt which I love and I've made it with beef. It isn't so good, but acceptable.

Liuzhou, I realized I didn't know where you are, so I looked it up. Pictures of Guangxi province look amazing, but given the sub-tropical climate it isn't surprising lamb is uncommon. I love that combo of lamb and cumin, but I assume that's part of a northwestern Chinese cuisine. Seems you are eating a lot of donkey these days! I had no idea. 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

We had Taco Bell takeout last night with really good chocolate old-fashioned milkshakes from a mom and pop burger joint in the same shopping center for dinner last night. My dishwasher is broken, so give me break. 

 

Tonight was open-faced hot chicken sandwiches with mashed potatoes, all drenched with Trader Joe's turkey gravy (more details here) that they only sell around  the holidays. We also had half a cob each of butter and sugar corn, which had noticeably aged since we ate the first two ears, and green leaf lettuce with cucumber and Roma tomato salad.

[liuzhou]

10 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

Liuzhou, I realized I didn't know where you are, so I looked it up. Pictures of Guangxi province look amazing, but given the sub-tropical climate it isn't surprising lamb is uncommon. I love that combo of lamb and cumin, but I assume that's part of a northwestern Chinese cuisine. Seems you are eating a lot of donkey these days! I had no idea. 

 

Yes Katie.

 

You are absolutely correct. Lamb/mutton is a feature of north-western Chinese, although there are a lot of lamb/mutton noodle joints in town. I lived in Xi'an twenty years ago and the sheep meat was universal (partly because of a large Muslim community who, of course, shun China's default meat, pork).

Lamb and cumin on sticks (羊肉串 - yáng ròu chuàn) is, however, available all over China. I've bought those stick in Beijing, Shanghai and all points NSEW. I can even buy them in the tiny village (hamlet, really) which is my second home in the countryside, thousands of miles from where it originated.

Guangxi is stunningly beautiful. I am very, very lucky to live here.

My recent donkey obsession is simply because a new shop made it easily available to me. I always liked the meat, but until about two months ago, couldn't find it easily. Again, it isn't really a local speciality. It is more north-eastern or central China. But the locals are lapping it up. As am I. I couldn't even find a seat in the donkey noodle place yesterday noon.

Like everywhere else, people are looking outside their comfort zones for new tastes and experiences.

Edited February 28, 2016 by liuzhou
typo (log)

[liuzhou]

Tonight.

 

 

Simple pan fried duck breast, spinach and rice. Lovely crisp skin and the meat was pinker than the photo shows.

[Shelby]

Cornbread and ham and beans

 

 

[dcarch]

The amazing dishes on this thread are inspiring me to cook more.

 

A few recent ones.

 

dcarch

----------------------------------------------

SV pork chops on Modernist M & Cheese

 

 

SV shell steak, taro balls

 

Kind of chicken Marsala

Edited February 28, 2016 by dcarch (log)

[kayb]

The crab legs which got put off from Friday night made an appearance last night, along with sugar snap peas. I do love a meal that goes together in 20 minutes. The Schwan's crab legs, while pricy, were quite acceptable, though I don't do much of a job clarifying butter.

[sartoric]

Hainanese chicken rice with the usual accompaniments.

 

[Norm Matthews]

Dinner tonight was skin- on chicken breasts, salad: spinach with dried sour cherries, apples and walnuts, and  green beans with mushrooms, tomatoes and pieces of chicken tenders removed from the chicken breasts. 

 

Edited February 29, 2016 by Norm Matthews (log)

[HungryChris]

One of our favorites: Korean BBQ rotisserie chicken with fresh potato salad, Brussels sprouts (I don't know if it is my Irish genes, but I am compelled to serve my sprouts soft, not mushy and with a little bit of butter and cider vinegar). This is a meal we have at least once a month. I look forward to cooking it as much as eating it!

HC

 

 

 

 

 

[sartoric]

11 hours ago, Shelby said:

Cornbread and ham and beans

 

 

 

I'm inspired @Shelby. Looking for cornbread recipes now !

[Shelby]

19 minutes ago, sartoric said:

 

I'm inspired @Shelby. Looking for cornbread recipes now !

I use this recipe a lot.  I have another that you put chunks of cheddar cheese and peppers etc. in but this recipe is a perfect, authentic cornbread.  It's not sweet...so if you like sweet cornbread , this is not for you.

 

http://www.homesicktexan.com/2007/01/iron-pan-perfect-cornbread.html

[sartoric]

39 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I use this recipe a lot.  I have another that you put chunks of cheddar cheese and peppers etc. in but this recipe is a perfect, authentic cornbread.  It's not sweet...so if you like sweet cornbread , this is not for you.

 

http://www.homesicktexan.com/2007/01/iron-pan-perfect-cornbread.html

Thanks for the link, an interesting read about cast iron pans (which incidentally is what attracted me to your cornbread).

We have one that has been in the family for many years. 

 

I'm not sure if I've ever tried cornbread, it's not that common here in Oz. I am sure I'd prefer the non-sweet one, and some cheddar cheese wouldn't go astray. I'll report the result in due course !

 

[ElainaA]

Barney (my husband) cooked tonight so I take no credit (except for the bread).

Pasta with a soffritto of celery, onions and carrots, tomato, salami and ricotta. A salad with micro greens and bread baked today.

 

 

 

[Norm Matthews]

42 minutes ago, sartoric said:

Thanks for the link, an interesting read about cast iron pans (which incidentally is what attracted me to your cornbread).

We have one that has been in the family for many years. 

 

I'm not sure if I've ever tried cornbread, it's not that common here in Oz. I am sure I'd prefer the non-sweet one, and some cheddar cheese wouldn't go astray. I'll report the result in due course !

 

 

Cornbread with sugar or brown sugar isn't sweet like cake.  It is rather like French bread made with sugar instead of without. but  Southwestern style cornbread is often made with  cheddar and jalapenos and has it's fans.

[gfweb]

Big debate about the sweetness of cornbread as well as its cakeiness.

 

The better recipes, in my view minimize flour and sugar.

 

One needs a little of both of course, but the end product should be a little crumbly and definitely not springy like a cake...and not very sweet.

 

Rather than cheese my favorite addition is diced pickled jalapeno. Maybe cheese on top.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I made eggplant parm like I usually do with broiled instead of fried eggplant. Eggplant soaks up oil faster than anything else I have ever seen. I've never come up with a batter or coating that prevents this oil absorption or stays crispy in the tomato sauce anyway, and I don't drown it. I like the flavor of the broiled brushed with a little olive oil. It also dehydrates it and concentrates the flavor of the eggplant.

 

This was served with a side of al dente spaghetti with the same homemade marinara sauce used for the eggplant, a salad and garlic bread. It made pretty plates garnished with a little finely chopped flatleaf Italian parsley. It was so good, the husband didn't even make his customary "No meat?" comment. 

[Anna N]

• 

 

Butter chicken made in the Instant Pot and basmati rice made in rice cooker. 

Edited February 29, 2016 by Anna N
Hit "post" too soon! (log)

[Vlcatko]

As dcarch said, this thread is very inspiring! Thanks everyone for sharing and making me more adventurous!

 

Saturday - I didn't have many of the "proper" ingredients for authentic one but I have to use up the cabbage somehow and I was lusting after it for some time now - so improvised okonomiyaki

 

Yesterday - romaine lettuce with Caesar style dressing, bacon bits and roasted seeds, croutons and the absolutely overcooked and absolutely lovely turkey confit

Edited February 29, 2016 by Vlcatko (log)

[rarerollingobject]

Beautiful as usual, @dcarch. 

 

Here, I'm still on the New Zealand storm clams..so big, can barely hold them in my hands. Clams in general are a bit unfamiliar to me - we don't get that many in Australia, our waters are too warm. Which meant that I spent a fair bit of time chopping them open and then Googling 'clam anatomy'...not recommended.

 

Made something vaguely European (or at least Italian-American) for a change, which was minced clams sauteed in butter, garlic and panko breadcrumbs, mixed with chopped parsley and stuffed back into the shells and baked with parmesan.

I think they're called..Stuffed Clams. 

 

 

[sartoric]

40 minutes ago, rarerollingobject said:

Beautiful as usual, @dcarch. 

 

Here, I'm still on the New Zealand storm clams..so big, can barely hold them in my hands. Clams in general are a bit unfamiliar to me - we don't get that many in Australia, our waters are too warm. Which meant that I spent a fair bit of time chopping them open and then Googling 'clam anatomy'...not recommended.

 

Made something vaguely European (or at least Italian-American) for a change, which was minced clams sauteed in butter, garlic and panko breadcrumbs, mixed with chopped parsley and stuffed back into the shells and baked with parmesan.

I think they're called..Stuffed Clams. 

 

 

 

Wow, I've never seen a clam that big !

Like your treatment, they look delish.

[dcarch]

3 hours ago, rarerollingobject said:

Beautiful as usual, @dcarch. 

 

Here, I'm still on the New Zealand storm clams..so big, can barely hold them in my hands. Clams in general are a bit unfamiliar to me - we don't get that many in Australia, our waters are too warm. Which meant that I spent a fair bit of time chopping them open and then Googling 'clam anatomy'...not recommended.

 

Made something vaguely European (or at least Italian-American) for a change, which was minced clams sauteed in butter, garlic and panko breadcrumbs, mixed with chopped parsley and stuffed back into the shells and baked with parmesan.

I think they're called..Stuffed Clams. 

 

 

 

Thanks RRO.

I am still in shock of your monster giant shrimps. Now the giant clams! What next?

They look like they are packed with big flavor.

 

dcarch

[Shelby]

Venison sloppy joes a couple days ago

 

 

Last night while watching the Oscars (not sure I want to admit to that lol) we had pork ribs that were smoked for a bit in the electric smoker and then popped into the Instant Pot.  Finished in the oven.  

 

Just out of the smoker  ( am freezing a couple racks for later meals )

 

 

 

Bit of cornbread, mac and cheese and brussels sprouts to go with

 

 

Please excuse the buttery/cornbready fork at the left. 

Edited February 29, 2016 by Shelby (log)