Dinner 2016 (Part 11)

[Anna N]

56 minutes ago, HungryChris said:

I don't think there is anything special about Shake and Bake (I use one of the many knock-offs) that you could not reproduce with a careful eye on the salt content. Now I am going to have to give that a try. 

HC

There is no reason you can't make your own and be in better control of the salt content. There are any number of recipes on the web. Here's  one. 

I meant to respond to rotuts, sorry.  

Edited December 22, 2016 by Anna N (log)

[Shelby]

My mom and stepdad sent us a gunny sack of oysters for Christmas!!!!  Yay for us   So, for the first day of winter we had oyster chowder and oysters on the half shell. 

 

 

[sartoric]

Sirloin steak with blue cheese butter, baked potato, roasted tomatoes and spinach salad.

 

[David Ross]

From my cherished Time-Life Foods of the World series, this time "The Cooking of Italy," 1968.  Cannelloni, as in savory.  I only make this once a year during our cold days, very rich and comforting.

 

I use large wonton wrappers rather than make pasta sheets.  Then the filling is a mix of ground beef, chicken livers, spinach, onion, garlic, cream and parmesan.  Sometimes I'll add in some Italian pork sausage and sometimes ground veal.  Then wrap the filling with the wrappers and cover with a thick layer of traditional besciamella-flour, butter, cream, milk and seasoned with nutmeg and white pepper.  Then dollops of your best tomato sauce, then skads of grated parmesan and dots of butter.  It bakes about 40 minutes in a 375 oven and then a turn under the broiler.  I love how they used the broiler so often in home cookery back then, but then we seem to have forgotten our broilers.  I use my a lot.

[Anna N]

 

 There is very little logic to dinner tonight. It is just what I wanted and I felt no need to please anyone but myself

 

 The pork belly came out of the oven like this 

 

 

It will end up being the most expensive pork belly I have ever eaten but will ensure my dentist/denturist has a good vacation next year!

 

 And all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. 

Edited December 23, 2016 by Anna N (log)

[Tri2Cook]

4 minutes ago, Anna N said:

It will end up being the most expensive pork belly I have ever eaten but will ensure my dentist/denturist has a good vacation next year!

 

 And all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. 

 

Ouch!

[scubadoo97]

1 hour ago, Tri2Cook said:

Ouch!

No kidding.   Wishing you the best Anna 

[suzilightning]

Trying to use up leftovers before going up to Poughkeepsie for the holidays...

green salad

smidges of chicken breast smeared with Cain's mayo

some leftover General Tso's chicken with jasmine rice and broccoli and added Hoisin and chili garlic sauce

the last bit of split pea soup

[JoNorvelleWalker]

3 hours ago, David Ross said:

From my cherished Time-Life Foods of the World series, this time "The Cooking of Italy," 1968.  Cannelloni, as in savory.

 

One of my favorite books.  Indeed I was reading it last night.  I just acquired a set of Kitchenaid pasta rollers.  Circa 1970 I made cannelloni by hand.  (Tonight I'm reading Marc Vetri Mastering Pasta.)

[Ann_T]

This weeks dinners.

 

Late lunch so just a caprese salad with prosciutto for dinner.

 

Spaghetti with clams.

 

And last night

 

 

Filet with a green peppercorn sauce. 

[scubadoo97]

@Ann_T  wow, just wow

 

 beautiful meals, every one 

[gfweb]

11 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

One of my favorite books.  Indeed I was reading it last night.  I just acquired a set of Kitchenaid pasta rollers.  Circa 1970 I made cannelloni by hand.  (Tonight I'm reading Marc Vetri Mastering Pasta.)

The Vetri book is excellent

[Shelby]

And after Ann's beautiful pictures we get down and dirty with a chili cheese dog last night lol.

 

[sartoric]

Thai red curry with pork, pineapple and peas. Served with jasmine rice, mango chutney and a pappadam.

 

[chefmd]

Tuna poke and mashed avocado.

 

pasta with chanterelles, parsley, garlic, cream

 

 

[robirdstx]

 

Chicken Fajita Salad

[gfweb]

Finger food dinner for tree-decorating

Fish cakes w lime aioli, meatball sliders, stuffed mushrooms, glazed prosciutto shrimp

 

 

 

Boursin- tenderloin- cranberry chutney things

 

Probably ought to put the chutney underneath next time

 

 

[kayb]

On 12/22/2016 at 2:14 PM, sartoric said:

Sirloin steak with blue cheese butter, baked potato, roasted tomatoes and spinach salad.

 

 

That is a lovely, lovely plate.

 

We had the big family Christmas dinner tonight. Ham, smoked turkey breast, ribs. Potato salad, sweet potato casserole, asparagus, cranberry salad, mac and cheese. White chocolate cherry cheesecake. Pecan pie. A veritable snowstorm of wrapping paper shredded across my den floor. Two completely spazzed-out dogs. One mom who became a prime target for children's brand new Nerf guns.

 

Plus a roasted turkey and gravy I delivered to a local group shelter as part of a holiday dinner project this afternoon. I was in such a dither cooking and finishing things I took absolutely NO food pictures (and those were some PRETTY ribs, too!).

 

But we have this picture, which I think is much more important than the food:

 

Hoping for all of y'all as Merry a Christmas as I've already had!

Edited December 24, 2016 by kayb
delete extra photo (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

14 hours ago, gfweb said:

The Vetri book is excellent

 

Indeed.  I have it from the library but am considering a purchase.  I was struck that Vetri occupies the space of Le Bec Fin:  as I recall a half a dozen tables in the living room of a Philadelphia row home.  Reminded of my father's mistress who lived in a Philadelphia row home.  Beautiful stained glass.  And she had a cat.  Anyhow I only dined at Le Bec Fin once, around 1980.  I've been though Paris a couple times, but not for fine dining.  For many people Le Bec Fin represents the finest restaurant in the US, French or otherwise.

 

Though I must say am a slow eater and I recall feeling slightly rushed by Le Bec Fin having two seatings.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I made a huge caesar salad for dinner tonight. I actually made it for the first time with an egg, which I usually don't because of the fear of salmonella. I used Betty Crocker's advice to coddle the egg first and took the risk. It was good. I may not do it again, but it was good.

 

I prepared some garlic bread with butter, garlic and parsley in a skillet instead of the traditional hard croutons. This was phenomenal with the artisanal boule I'm trying to use up. I much preferred it to croutons.

 

Then I pan-broiled a ground chuck patty and had it nekid. It cooked to juicy med-rare with salt and pepper in a hot skillet in about four minutes. This was one of the best dinners I've had lately.

 

I also watched a stemmed bing cherry float and sink, float and sink in a stem glass of seltzer spiked with vodka. These cherries won't float in still water, but the bubbles from the seltzer clinging to them periodically bring them to the surface. Yes, I realize my amusement threshold is extremely low at this point. 

[Anna N]

F

 

Magret (Moulard) duck breast with roasted brussels sprouts and pearl onions and a slice of home-made British Bloomer. And the bonus....almost 250 ml of pure gold (duck fat). We rarely see anything but Pekin breasts in the supermarket so I am guessing this is a seasonal treat. 

 

 I exaggerated just a little on the duck fat. It measured 125 mL but that's still not bad. 

Edited December 24, 2016 by Anna N
Edited to adjust for exaggeration of the amount of duck fat (log)

[Steve Irby]

Santa came early with a Smokai smoke generator. The main use will be for a homemade smoke house but I installed it on my Weber gas grill.  I cooked two slabs of ribs for about 5 hours and they came out really nice.  I used a bbq rub from Butcher & Packer.  The pellets for the smoker are a blend of apple, cherry, hickory and hard maple.

 

 

 

 

[Shelby]

After a day of cleaning out closets and purging (yes, yes I do pick weird times to get stuff like this done lol) I needed something fast and easy.  Tomato soup made from one of my hoarded jars of juice and roast beef sandwiches on sourdough bread...lots of gooey cheese and caramelized onions on there too.  Oh and some homemade pickled beets.  

 

 

 

 

[gfweb]

9 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Indeed.  I have it from the library but am considering a purchase.  I was struck that Vetri occupies the space of Le Bec Fin:  as I recall a half a dozen tables in the living room of a Philadelphia row home.  Reminded of my father's mistress who lived in a Philadelphia row home.  Beautiful stained glass.  And she had a cat.  Anyhow I only dined at Le Bec Fin once, around 1980.  I've been though Paris a couple times, but not for fine dining.  For many people Le Bec Fin represents the finest restaurant in the US, French or otherwise.

 

Though I must say am a slow eater and I recall feeling slightly rushed by Le Bec Fin having two seatings.

 

 

That's right. Vetri's space is where Le Bec started. When it moved, Chanterelle followed....then one other IIRC...then Vetri.  All great.

 

I miss Le Bec. It was a special place.  Georges Perrier is still around Phila. and does occasional dinners in the restaurants of his ex Staff. I gotta go to one.

 

There are still old houses hidden on back streets in South Phila with the stained glass and even still-working gas chandeliers.

[ninagluck]

here in Austria we celebrate Christmas tonight. the traditional food for dinner is fish. most people serve carp. this year I went for mackerel two ways, I served it with beetroot, and a white chocolate/horseradish crumble. sounds weird but tastes delicious