Dinner 2016 (Part 8)

[dcarch]

Summer has been hectic. A few recent ones, using lots from the garden.

 

dcarch

 

Deep fried squash blossom  tastes like fried dough. I though of using the blossom's "saffron" to make a risotto. More blossom flavor. 

 

Again, squash blossom, on top of eggplant parmigiana 

 

Still more squash blossoms, deep fried. SV pork roast on squash greens (yes, you can eat squash greens)

Edited August 23, 2016 by dcarch (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I fried zucchini planks that were dusted in a little flour, drained, blotted on paper and salted for a first course. We both love zucchini made this way, but like all fried food, it needs to be eaten right away for maximum quality.

 

Then in the same oil and skillet, I dropped a pork butt steak that had been dry rubbed with cayenne, chili powder, seasoned meat tenderizer, and black pepper, given an hour rest in the fridge, then dredged in the same flour in the same recycled produce bag I used for the zukes. The meat was also drained and blotted. I love fried food, but I don't like it greasy. 

 

The meal was completed with a big microwave-baked sweet potato, which we split and finished with butter and salt, sliced garden cukes and cherry tomatoes.

 

Everything we ate was from right here in my home state. Well except for spices, oil and such. The oil is from Tennessee, and who knows where the spices are from.

 

[Wild_Yeast]

Hi y'all, the family was over today to take some kimchi home, it's normally family style anyways. Korean bean paste stew with squash, enoki, potatoes and cabbage. Pan fried Scallion Pancakes, Multi-grain rice, pan fried kurobuta pork belly to wrap in red leaf lettuce and perilla leaf dabbed with a bit of fermented bean paste seasoned with garlic, gochujang, sesame oil, sesame seeds and minced apple. For side dishes, seaweed salad, fresh kimchi, seasoned bean sprout. 

[huiray]

Poached halibut with stuff.

Halibut fillets [Caplinger's Fresh Catch] (skin removed, central blood-line region cut out) poached in chicken stock w/ some oil & generous amounts of fresh parsley, thyme & some oregano (all from my deck).

Ozette fingerlings [Bloomer's Greenhouse] simply boiled in salted water, drained, tossed w/ Charentes Poitou butter.

Yellow & green French filet beans [Full Hand Farm] sautéed in a mixture of butter & EV olive oil, simply salted.

[Tere]

Sunday dinner from last week, poussin roasted in zaatar with peas and broad beans from the garden.

 

 

Dinner from Friday night, organic lamb steaks cooked for 90 mins at 60 degrees in the waterbath, then blowtorched. Served with simple ratatouille and a yogurt / tahini / jack in the hedge / lemon juice dressing I will definitely be making again, as it was so simple and there were no leftovers to fettle. I'd do the steaks at a slightly lower temperature next time, but happy with it as a first attempt.

 

 

This was after a sneaky bottle of interesting natural Prosecco.... We'd just had a case of random natural wines delivered  Actually very nice indeed.

Edited August 23, 2016 by Tere (log)

[sartoric]

Simple comfort food. Pork and fennel snags with spicy fresh tomato sauce and a bit of bacon.

Served with potato, sweet potato & horseradish mash, plus garlic green beans.

 

[Anna N]

@sartoric

 

Well I had to look up "snags". More Australian language I guess.  Must try to throw that into a coversation soon. 

[sartoric]

11 minutes ago, Anna N said:

@sartoric

 

Well I had to look up "snags". More Australian language I guess.  Must try to throw that into a coversation soon. 

Also known as "mystery bags". 

[robirdstx]

 

Pork and Beef Chili with Beans - first meal cooked in my brand new Instant Pot! 

[chefmd]

Roasted chicken with stone ground grits

 

[huiray]

Canto-Hoklo style Bak Kut Teh.

With rice cooked w/ deep-fried shallots & chopped smashed garlic.

 

Plus Yau Char Kwai.

Reheated in the oven then cut up. Pieces dunked in the soup then popped into one's mouth.

 

Plus pickled cucumbers (just felt like it).

 

Another bowl of the BKT later.

Also with shallot-garlic rice.

[Wild_Yeast]

@huiray it's 11:42 pm PST, I saw your post and hunger pangs are kicking my butt. Must make BKT this week. 

[HungryChris]

If I had my way, dinner would be apps most of the time. Last night, I had my way. Garlic and herb Allouette stuffed portabella caps with balsamic drizzle, Korean BBQ chicken wings and herbed tomato slices with olive oil. I was just as happy making it as I was eating it. There were no leftovers, which made me even happier still.

HC

Edited August 24, 2016 by HungryChris (log)

[liamsaunt]

rigatoni with grilled chicken sausage, grilled peppers, and grilled onions in Marcella's tomato-butter sauce with basil

 

[huiray]

6 hours ago, Wild_Yeast said:

@huiray it's 11:42 pm PST, I saw your post and hunger pangs are kicking my butt. Must make BKT this week. 

 

Heh. 

D'you have a preference for one of the BKT types, or do you enjoy all of them?

Edited August 24, 2016 by huiray (log)

[Wild_Yeast]

3 hours ago, huiray said:

 

Heh. 

D'you have a preference for one of the BKT types, or do you enjoy all of them?

 

@huiray Honestly I didn't know there were other types? I just know the one I grew up with, I assume it's Hokkien coz that's what my moms side. Rich, semi dark broth with the deep Chinese herbs flavor, button mushrooms, tender riblets, tofu pok, lots of garlic and pan wilted lettuce leaves. Then eat with rice drizzled with oil where the shallots were fried and topped with more fried shallots. Pretty much looks like your picture. Heh

[huiray]

1 hour ago, Wild_Yeast said:

@huiray Honestly I didn't know there were other types? I just know the one I grew up with, I assume it's Hokkien coz that's what my moms side. Rich, semi dark broth with the deep Chinese herbs flavor, button mushrooms, tender riblets, tofu pok, lots of garlic and pan wilted lettuce leaves. Then eat with rice drizzled with oil where the shallots were fried and topped with more fried shallots. Pretty much looks like your picture. Heh

 

Ah. 

 

Well, for myself I recognize four main types as it relates to Malaysia and Singapore – Hokkien (herbal, dark soy sauce added), Canto-Hoklo (even more herbal w/ more stuff than the "just Hokkien" version, and with oyster sauce etc added in), Klang (somewhat like Canto-Hoklo/Hokkien but with greatly reduced liquid, almost a sauce rather than soup)**, and Teochew (very lightly herbal or not at all but with vast amounts of pepper (usually white)). In Singapore the two main categories would amount to Teochew vs Hokkien. In M'sia the main versions would be Klang vs Canto-Hoklo, in my recollections, at least at the time I grew up in SE Asia, but all four types were found and it depended on which stall or shop you went to. I believe the BKT in Thailand and Java/Indonesia would also be slightly different but I am not sure of how they differ. (Although the Thai-Chinese in Thailand would largely be Teochew; whilst the Indonesian-Chinese often would be of Hakka extraction...(closer to Hokkien?))

 

** and which I associate with including luo han guo (Momordica grosvenorii/Siraitia grosvenorii) in the panoply of stuff added in - or at least the shops in Klang that I would be brought to by my father when visiting Klang and we had BKT there...)

 

If you are interested a simple google search for this dish will return more than a million results for one to browse through. The Wikipedia article isn't a bad one to look at too.

 

There are old threads on BKT even here on eG – here is an old one, where the OP THREW AWAY THE SOUP!!!!! (I lost my eyebrows when I first read about that a couple years ago)

 

I have posted several times here on different iterations of the dish, both "stripped-down"/basic spiced ones, Teochew ones, full-on Canto-Hoklo ones, and more subdued Hokkien-like ones. As examples, see here, here, here, here, here (scroll down), here (scroll down), here (scroll down), here. There are others. The simple-spiced one (just star anise, cinnamon/cassia, cloves, garlic) might be the most approachable one for folks not used to herbal soups but who wish for a bit more complexity. Mind you, cinnamon/cassia in savory dishes is still, to this day, frowned on by many folks who cook in the Western idiom. 

 

I haven't used the commercially available BKT packages (from Chinese groceries) for years. I assemble my desired mixture of herbs and spices and what-not myself (yes, I keep and replenish supplies of the herbs/spices used) and vary them according to my mood.

 

FWIW, what I added in for the BKT I posted about above included: Angelica sinensis, Codonopsis pilosula, Polygonatum odoratum, black cardamom, whole cloves, cassia sticks, whole star anise, double-fermented soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, rock sugar (I was out of dried longan flesh), dried tangerine peel; as well as the pork baby-back ribs, tau pok, Music garlic.

Edited August 24, 2016 by huiray (log)

[Wild_Yeast]

39 minutes ago, huiray said:

 

Ah. 

 

Well, for myself I recognize four main types as it relates to Malaysia and Singapore – Hokkien (herbal, dark soy sauce added), Canto-Hoklo (even more herbal w/ more stuff than the "just Hokkien" version, and with oyster sauce etc added in), Klang (somewhat like Canto-Hoklo/Hokkien but with greatly reduced liquid, almost a sauce rather than soup)**, and Teochew (very lightly herbal or not al all but with vast amounts of pepper (usually white)). In Singapore the two main categories would amount to Teochew vs Hokkien. In M'sia the main versions would be Klang vs Canto-Hoklo, in my recollections, at least at the time I grew up in SE Asia, but all four types were found and it depended on which stall or shop you went to. I believe the BKT in Thailand and Java/Indonesia would also be slightly different but I am not sure of how they differ. (Although the Thai-Chinese in Thailand would largely be Teochew; whilst the Indonesian-Chinese often would be of Hakka extraction...(closer to Hokkien?))

 

** and which I associate with including luo han guo (Momordica grosvenorii/Siraitia grosvenorii) in the panoply of stuff added in - or at least the shops in Klang that I would be brought to by my father when visiting Klang and we had BKT there...)

 

If you are interested a simple google search for this dish will return more than a million results for one to browse through. The Wikipedia article isn't a bad one to look at too.

 

There are old threads on BKT even here on eG – here is an old one, where the OP THREW AWAY THE SOUP!!!!! (I lost my eyebrows when I first read about that a couple years ago)

 

I have posted several times here on different iterations of the dish, both "stripped-down"/basic spiced ones, Teochew ones, full-on Canto-Hoklo ones, and more subdued Hokkien-like ones. As examples, see here, here, here, here, here (scroll down), here (scroll down), here (scroll down), here. There are others. The simple-spiced one (just star anise, cinnamon/cassia, cloves, garlic) might be the most approachable one for folks not used to herbal soups but who wish for a bit more complexity. Mind you, cinnamon/cassia in savory dishes is still, to this day, frowned on by many folks who cook in the Western idiom. 

 

I haven't used the commercially available BKT packages (from Chinese groceries) for years. I assemble my desired mixture of herbs and spices and what-not myself (yes, I keep and replenish supplies of the herbs/spices used) and vary them according to my mood.

 

Quite interestingly we do not use store bought herb blends ourselves. My mom says "who knows how long they've had that prepackaged and what's really in it!" I have my own stash of Chinese herbs for the herbal soups, honestly it's the same herbs that pop up for most of the other herbal soups just different quantities. Your herb blend is pretty much similar, except the quantity of the cloves and star anise, we only put no more than a dozen cloves and 3 star anise. Cinnamon, black cardamom and mandarin peel is the same. The only difference with ours as far as spice blend is we have coriander and cumin. My mother's side is of Hokkien descent that settled in the Philippines. BKT was limited in the Chinatown area and specialty restaurants. So most Filipino Chinese families normally have to make their own. You guys are so lucky in SG or Malaysia, get hungry at 11pm, just go outside and hit a hawker stall on the street. Lol 

 

I remember that post where Ah Leung threw away the soup. I was a member back then(I left and just recently came back after 7 yrs), everyone lost it "YOU THREW AWAY THE SOUP!!!" Heh

Edited August 24, 2016 by Wild_Yeast (log)

[Paul Bacino]

Had some Ayocote Beans from RG's XOXOC project left.

Soaked the in water with garlic and Bay for about 4 hrs.  After that I added them to a pressure cooker with fresh garden Tomato puree, and fresh herbs for garden.

Also add Shisito and Cubano peppers.  Cooked 15 min @ 15 PSI AND CHECKED THEM.  These beans are a little more hardy and needed ( at least ) 15 more mins.. still a bit el-dente.  but holding shape.  Another 10 would have brought out the creaminess. but I was OK.

 

In my freezer was either ( Reindeer, moose or caribou sausage )--  one of my patient's.  lives there and brother is a camp pilot.

 

Turned out  pretty decent

 

 

  

[Okanagancook]

This wasn't very good.  Kung Pao shrimp from Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin Fei Lo.  Too much spice.  Over powered the shrimp and too many peanuts.  Didn't finish it.

[sartoric]

Veal tortellini wth boscaiola sauce (onion, garlic, bacon, mushrooms, white wine, cream, parsley and parmesan). 

Served with rocket salad with parmesan and toasted sourdough.

 

[Steve Irby]

dcarch, pretty hectic here too.   Sunday nights dinner party turned out to be scheduled for next weekend.  I sure enjoyed the non-leftovers.  Spinach and mushroom fritatta  and roasted eggplant pockets with tomato, feta and mint. 

 

 

I grilled some ribs that afternoon for lunch during the week.

 

Monday after work I went through the fridge and prepped a few more items.

 

 

And although not pictured I sweated down a 2# bag of spinach with butter and garlic.  The spinach was cooked al dente and the pan juices became a nice little shooter - it would be a great amuse bouche.  I've got to work on keeping my toasted breadcrumbs from sinking.

 

 

 

Last but not least a little chicken and rice.

 

 

[chefmd]

Rare steak seared in cast iron skillet. Green tomato and cucumber salad.  

 

[liamsaunt]

flounder from my fish share in a crunchy crust with Major Grey's mango chutney, coconut rice, sugar snap peas in sesame oil, and a new to me summer squash I found at the farmer's market that I disliked but the teens enjoyed.  Pretty basic as my niece and nephew are living with me this week and I would rather cook things they will eat to avoid "dinner drama"

 

[HungryChris]

 

 

French bread pizza with leftover kielbasa, mushrooms, cubanelles from the garden, garden sauce, herbed garden tomatoes with olive oil.

HC