Dinner 2016 (Part 8)

[huiray]

Phở chez huiray.

 

Assembled deep dish w/ broth & a spoonful of the fat.

The rice noodles were Fawm Xieng Khuang Bánh Phở [Dragonfly]. The fat was from the stock-making, separated off by the filtration of the finished stock through paper towels. Sliced Vidalia onions, scallions & coriander leaves also scattered on top. Components included tripe, oxtail meat, tendon, and shaved ribeye besides the noodles & etc.

 

Plate of the herbs and add-ons.

Lime, sliced SE Asian style; sawtooth coriander leaves (culantro); Thai basil; coriander leaves (cilantro); mung bean sprouts.

 

Deep dish with assembled components before adding the broth &etc.

 

More than any other component, the tendons were the star of the show this time round. These were the best ones I've had (and cooked) for a while. 

 

The journey there.

(Not every stage is pictured. I've omitted pics of the finished stock and separated fat, and other stuff like the recovered fatty marrow, cartilage bits, shredded oxtail meat, sliced tripe etc.)

The tripe was cooked separately from the rest of the stuff – in salted water w/ a good pour of fish sauce plus a few ladles of the stock and a dash of Shaohsing wine.

The beef bones were given a "fei shui" (飛水) treatment (blanched in salted boiling water, then rinsed and washed under the tap).

Scorched ginger & onions were essential components added to the stock, of course. Rock sugar, too. ETA: Oh, generous fish sauce too [Red Boat], duh.

The tendons and oxtails went in with the stock and both were retrieved before the fire was switched off.

The stock was held at a bare simmer for maybe 8-9 hours.

After filtering through paper towels the stock was simmered a little while w/ more star anise and another dose of fish sauce (Red Boat stuff used throughout).

Edited September 4, 2016 by huiray (log)

[Ashen]

5 hours ago, ProfessionalHobbit said:

 

Caesar's salad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polpette al sugo.

 

 

Just spot on , on those meatballs 

 

 beef , veal and pork or just beef and pork?   

 

 if you don't mind my asking , what kind of tomato did you use in that?   I am in a perpetual search for good passata. 

Edited September 4, 2016 by Ashen (log)

[shain]

Freekeh (green wheat berries, smoked over open fire), cooked risotto style (though the texture is quite different), with chickpeas, flavored with scallions, parsley, cilantro, chili, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic and some sharp olive oil.

Grilled tofu with cumin rub, charred cherry tomatoes and onions.

Not pictured is a generous (but photogenic) drizzle of lemony tahini sauce with more smoked paprika and plenty of sumac.

 

 

Sapodilla fruit for dessert (a gift from a neighbor). Tastes just like a juicy date, with gentle acidity and hints of cinnamon, delicious!

 

[ninagluck]

I am not  happy with my plating today, the taste was good, but I did not have enough time to think about how to arrange the components. fig-leaf pasta, fresh figs, feta, crispy prosciutto, fig vincotto.

Edited September 4, 2016 by ninagluck (log)

[sartoric]

Seafood chowder with grilled sourdough.

 

[ProfessionalHobbit]

Ashen -- it's 14 oz. ground beef and 7 oz. ground pork.

 

The tomatoes were a can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes, 1 garlic clove and some basil.  Salt, pepper.  

[Anna N]

 

 

Flatbread with 2 toppings: leek pate and spicy tomato jam.  Both heavily adapted from the book "Crossroads"  Cheese added for a minute or two after about 15 minutes in the oven. 

[Captain]

Satay Chicken.  Used leftover tenders from a previous dish.

[HungryChris]

Baked stuffed shrimp. An old classic and one of Deb's favorites. We could each only eat three.

HC

[chefmd]

Pork roast with flageolet beans that were cooked in instant pot.

[robirdstx]

Pan-fried Panko Crusted Chicken Breast, Fettuccine Alfredo (with homemade pasta & sauce) and Broccoli Casserole

 

[kayb]

2 hours ago, HungryChris said:

Baked stuffed shrimp. An old classic and one of Deb's favorites. We could each only eat three.

HC

 

 

Leftover shrimp? I can hardly wait to see your breakfast post!

[chileheadmike]

Pizza. Somehow, I always manage to get my foot in these pics.

 

 

[Shelby]

Mike and I called each other and decided it was pizza night 

 

Hatch chile and pepperoni

 

[chileheadmike]

Hatch chile pizza. Yum.

[ProfessionalHobbit]

We had leftovers last night, plus there was also this:

 

Homemade tonno sott'olio (marinated tuna in olive oil).

 

 

2 lbs. ahi tuna, 1 cup white vinegar, 6 fresh bay leaves, 2 tsp. kosher salt, and enough water to cover.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat so that the liquid is a gentle simmer. Partly cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the fish goes through to the other side with little or no resistance.

 

 

Discard poaching liquid.

Lay tuna on a rack and air-dry for 2+ hours. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. salt on tuna. Blot the bay leaves dry and air-dry as well.

Turn over the tuna after one hour.

 

 

Immerse the tuna in a bowl of olive oil, making sure that the tuna is well-coated. Pack the tuna in sterilized jars along with the bay leaves and 1 tsp. black peppercorns. Cover with olive oil, then remove air bubbles by (1) letting the jars sit undisturbed for at least 15 minutes, and (2) tapping the sides of the jar with a knife or spoon so that any air bubbles rise to the surface.

Refrigerate for at least two days, after which time the tuna is ready to eat.

From "Lidia's Family Table" by Lidia Bastianich, pages 10-11.

 

We'll be having this later in the week, but I wanted to show you the process first.

[kayb]

1 hour ago, ProfessionalHobbit said:

We had leftovers last night, plus there was also this:

 

Homemade tonno sott'olio (marinated tuna in olive oil).

 

 

2 lbs. ahi tuna, 1 cup white vinegar, 6 fresh bay leaves, 2 tsp. kosher salt, and enough water to cover.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat so that the liquid is a gentle simmer. Partly cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the fish goes through to the other side with little or no resistance.

 

 

Discard poaching liquid.

Lay tuna on a rack and air-dry for 2+ hours. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. salt on tuna. Blot the bay leaves dry and air-dry as well.

Turn over the tuna after one hour.

 

 

Immerse the tuna in a bowl of olive oil, making sure that the tuna is well-coated. Pack the tuna in sterilized jars along with the bay leaves and 1 tsp. black peppercorns. Cover with olive oil, then remove air bubbles by (1) letting the jars sit undisturbed for at least 15 minutes, and (2) tapping the sides of the jar with a knife or spoon so that any air bubbles rise to the surface.

Refrigerate for at least two days, after which time the tuna is ready to eat.

From "Lidia's Family Table" by Lidia Bastianich, pages 10-11.

 

We'll be having this later in the week, but I wanted to show you the process first.

Absolutely fascinating; I never thought of doing my own tuna in olive oil, but as it's hard to get any here, it's surely worth a try.

 

What kind of tuna? I'm limited to tuna from the grocery, which does have a "custom" seafood counter that offers tuna; I would be willing to wager it's been frozen, but I don't know. Can one use frozen tuna that has been thawed? Should/could one use ahi tuna? Lastly, I believe I will be limited to dried bay leaves (I had a bay tree once, had to move off and leave it); should that work?

 

I notice you cook a lot of (VERY tasty-looking) Italian dishes, which is not what I tend to expect from a vegan/vegetarian, which I remember you were for a while. Is Italian a long-standing culinary interest for you? Those meatballs and sauce the other day were things of beauty.

[sartoric]

Paella with chicken, prawns and mussels.

 

[Spork]

 

 

A New England corn, Martha likes it kilt, and kilt again. 

 

 

 

Warmed over at 170 F, as I said, kilt and kilt again.

 

A loaded potato. Collard and mustard greens wilted with onion, garlic, and radish. Vinegar to finish. 

 

Plenty of of sammich meat to come. 

 

 

 

 

[ProfessionalHobbit]

4 hours ago, kayb said:

Absolutely fascinating; I never thought of doing my own tuna in olive oil, but as it's hard to get any here, it's surely worth a try.

 

What kind of tuna? I'm limited to tuna from the grocery, which does have a "custom" seafood counter that offers tuna; I would be willing to wager it's been frozen, but I don't know. Can one use frozen tuna that has been thawed? Should/could one use ahi tuna? Lastly, I believe I will be limited to dried bay leaves (I had a bay tree once, had to move off and leave it); should that work?

 

I notice you cook a lot of (VERY tasty-looking) Italian dishes, which is not what I tend to expect from a vegan/vegetarian, which I remember you were for a while. Is Italian a long-standing culinary interest for you? Those meatballs and sauce the other day were things of beauty.

 

Hi kayb --

 

Any kind of fresh tuna should work.  I imagine it could also work with frozen tuna but I don't know whether the flavor would be impacted. She doesn't specify ahi tuna in her recipe, but I'm sure it will be fine.

 

Dried bay leaves should also work. We have access to an abundance of fresh bay leaves so that's what I used.

 

Italian food has always been an interest of mine, as well as Italian culture and the language.  It's interesting that you thought I was a vegan or vegetarian --- I've never been one even though I ate a mostly meatless diet for several years.  La cucina Italiana lends itself very well to someone who may be a vegan or vegetarian, or someone who is "vegetable-focused" as I was for a time.

Edited September 6, 2016 by ProfessionalHobbit (log)

[kayb]

18 minutes ago, ProfessionalHobbit said:

 

Hi kayb --

 

Any kind of fresh tuna should work.  I imagine it could also work with frozen tuna but I don't know whether the flavor would be impacted. She doesn't specify ahi tuna in her recipe, but I'm sure it will be fine.

 

Dried bay leaves should also work. We have access to an abundance of fresh bay leaves so that's what I used.

 

Italian food has always been an interest of mine, as well as Italian culture and the language.  It's interesting that you thought I was a vegan or vegetarian --- I've never been one even though I ate a mostly meatless diet for several years.  La cucina Italiana lends itself very well to someone who may be a vegan or vegetarian, or someone who is "vegetable-focused" as I was for a time.

 

 

Maybe the "vegetable-focused" was what I was thinking of. I thought you made a reference to it about the time you came back to eG with the new name. Perhaps I hallucinated it (I do that on a fairly regular basis...sounds better than blaming dementia....)

 

[chefmd]

Arugula, roasted cauliflower, kalamata olives, hazelnuts.  Dressed with olive oil. Lyme juice, and salt.

 

roasted chicken

 

[ProfessionalHobbit]

I became vegetable-focused as a reaction to the financial crisis of 2008.  My income took a direct hit, so it was a challenge to make meals interesting since animal protein was also quite expensive at the time.

 

That's when my interest in Italian food exploded.

[robirdstx]

Our Traditional Labor Day Meal:

 

Burgers on the grill - cooked on the steel.

 

 

 

Served on toasted buns with choice of condiments, potato salad, deviled egg and beans.

 

 

 

 

[FauxPas]

Last night was a BLT with a side salad of marinated yellow wax beans + beets with feta cheese and chives. Blueberry bars for dessert. Veggies and berries from the CSA box. Am I the only one who can't be bothered to get my spiralizer out of the cupboard? I just used my Kuhn Rikon julienne peeler for the beets. 

 

 

 

 

Previous meals (again, making use of produce from the CSA box - I am loving this farm's program) included a type of piperade with summer squash, served with rice. 

 

 

I'm probably the last person on eGullet to make this famous plum torte from the NYT! I've been meaning to do it for ages and it was really good, although not a great pic. 

 

 

And we had a couple of comfort food nights, partly because we suddenly had cool rainy weather. Meatloaf and beef short ribs. CSA produce or from another local farm.