Reputation Makers

[Malawry]

Scones. Usually with dried fruit. Probably my most-requested dish. I've made dozens of batches for breakfasts. This past Thanksgiving I made two kinds for the bread basket.

I also make damn good pasta and would probably make it if I wanted to impress a dinner guest.

[CathyL]

Definitely something off the smoker, due to the novelty factor in Manhattan. Probably ribs - which I always do with a wonderful wet rub I found in John Thorne's Serious Pig: the key flavors are garlic, black mustard seeds, juniper berries, brown sugar and chipotle.

B.S. (before smoker) my tried-and-true showstopper was butterflied chicken, stuffed under the skin and roasted, based on a recipe in Richard Olney's Simple French Food. It's dead simple but beautiful and delicious. Non-cooks are always impressed.

[snowangel]

Up at the cabin, it's belgian waffles.

Cabin??? OK, we're all summering at snowangel's place!

You're more than welcome, but keep in mind that we are at the end of a 3 mile jeep trail and there is no running water (i.e., outhouse) nor is there electricity, but we do have LP gas stove and fridge. Lack of amenties keeps the riff-raff out. On the plus side, we have 1000 feet of lakeshore on a pristine lake bordering on Voyageurs National Park and Superior National Forest. We have no neighbors, and the island bars the view of the cabins and tiny resort on the other side of the lake. At times, the silence is deafening.

[La Niña]

I love this thread.

For me, it's definitely something Persian or Indian. I have a handful of particular Persian and Indian dishes that usually blow people away - and the funny thing is, they're among the easiest things for me to execute.

[snowangel]

Potstickers (I've been making them for so many years that I can get 6 pleats per side!) and stirfried greens with charred garlic (the house reeks of garlic for days).  We eat this meal at least twice a month.

Can you give us your recipe?

I finely chop about a 1/2 a pound of bok choy, toss with a little kosher salt, and let sit for a while, then squeeze out the water.

Add about 3/4 pound (a little more or a little less) of chopped pork butt, 1 T. finely minced ginger, 1/4 c. chopped scallions (green and white parts), 1 T soy sauce, 1 T. rice wine (sherry will do), 1 T. sesame oil, and a bunch of finely chopped water chestnuts. Stir with hands in one direction.

I buy wrappers, and buy the round ones (so I don't have to trim them). I look for whatever brand has the most wrappers per pound -- you want them thin. Fill wrappers, pleating tops. I usually need some water to make the pre-packaged wrappers stick together. When done, they should stand up on their own, and be crescent shaped. Put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and they won't stick to the surface. At this point, you could put the cookie sheet in the freezer, and once they are frozen, put in a plastic bag. I usually make twice as many as we'll eat so I have an emergency batch in the freezer. Do not fully thaw before cooking, however.

For cooking: heat a flat-bottomed pan (I use a non-stick 12" Calphalon), add some oil (not too much), and put in the potstickers, starting in the middle and working out in concentric rings. They should be nice and close. I tend to turn the heat down when putting them in and raise the heat when they are all in. When they have browned on the bottom, put in some chicken stock -- it should come about 1/2 way up on the pot stickers, and cover. When most of the stock has been absorbed, check to see if they look done (remember, the wrappers are a form of pasta), remove the lid and let them cook for another minute or two.

For sauce, I tend to prefer a soy/sesame oil/garlic/and maybe ginger sauce.

Enjoy. They are fabulous. They reheat OK, too. Nuke to take the chill off and then recrisp the bottoms in a hot skillet.

[Bond Girl]

I have several all time favorites and all really easy.

Steamed shrimp dumplings for a large crowd.

Gougeres for cocktail parties

Cajun shrimp for football parties

Tart Tatin for afternoon tea

Cioppino or Louisiana Gumbo for small dinner parties

Chocolate Grand Marnier Souffle for dessert.

Here is an interesting coincidence, every boy-girl who ate something that contain tomatoes at my dinner parties usually end up happily married to each other.

Edited January 17, 2003 by Bond Girl (log)

[mamster]

As I told him recently, "Honey, I love your smoked turkey, I love your brisket, but I'm marrying you for your pork."

I can understand your enthusiasm, but I have to say I'm marrying him for his brisket.

[Jinmyo]

Most of us who cook have one dish that towers over all the others in terms of its ability to impress guests, our comfort level with the process, and consistency of results.

Thanks, Soba.

Steve, sorry to be a party-pooper but I'm dead set against this kind of thing. I think people can take off from their "best" dish and go much further and deeper instead of falling back on something reliable. I believe in consistency but not comfort, interesting and exciting guests but not impressing them. But much more than any of that I try to learn with every foraging expedition, each order received, each meal, each dish, each slice of the knife.

me/grinch. Sorry.

[Marlene]

For me, it's Prime Rib. Simple yes, but I get asked for it everytime. And for dessert, it's the Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake.

[Jinmyo]

Marlene, simple is often excellent.

[CathyL]

Steve, sorry to be a party-pooper but I'm dead set against this kind of thing. I think people can take off from their "best" dish and go much further and deeper instead of falling back on something reliable. I believe in consistency but not comfort, interesting and exciting guests but not impressing them. But much more than any of that I try to learn with every foraging expedition, each order received, each meal, each dish, each slice of the knife.

me/grinch. Sorry.

Aw Jin, you're not a grinch. I respect your point, but sometimes an old reliable is what's needed. When I want to make friends and myself happy, and I'm too otherwise occupied to be adventurous, it's comforting to have a few unassailables up my sleeve.

Besides, as an intermittent cook, I learn each time I do, even if it's a dish I've made many times before. One thing or another is always different.

[Jinmyo]

Cathy, luxury!

Oopies. Wrong thread.

[jaybee]

I think people can take off from their "best" dish and go much further and deeper instead of falling back on something reliable. I believe in consistency but not comfort, interesting and exciting guests but not impressing them. But much more than any of that I try to learn with every foraging expedition, each order received, each meal, each dish, each slice of the knife.

Jinmyo, when you say "go further and deeper" do you mean variations on the original dish, or something totally new and different?

I make a pretty good cioppino. I really nailed a recipe, after being inspired by Tadich's Grill in San Francisco. Now I am trying different levels of heat, adding steamed red potatos, using some wine and it has changed the dish quite a bit, though the basic tastes are still there.

There is little excitement in making something tried and true, even though it will be a crowd pleaser. I like to add one new and challenging dish to the list of things I try every few months. It's a little scary the first time, even with a practice run.

When I am serving the same people in my "crew" and I offer a variation on something they like, they sometimes complain.

I changed the Thanksgiving stuffing one year and there was hell to pay.

[Bond Girl]

I make a pretty good cioppino. I really nailed a recipe, after being inspired by Tadich's Grill in San Francisco. Now I am trying different levels of heat, adding steamed red potatos, using some wine and it has changed the dish quite a bit, though the basic tastes are still there.

Hey Jaybee,

Wanna trade cioppino receipes? I have several cioppino receipes, which evolved over the years. It's one of my favorite things to make for small dinner parties.

[La Niña]

Are they post-able?

[jaybee]

Hey Jaybee,

Wanna trade cioppino receipes? I have several cioppino receipes, which evolved over the years. It's one of my favorite things to make for small dinner parties.

Great! My recipes are in the country so I'll retrieve them this weekend. We should start a cioppino thread. Have you ever had the one from Tadish's Grill? That was my first taste of this dish and it really knocked me for a loop.

[stefanyb]

Great!  My recipes are in the country so I'll retrieve them this weekend.  We should start a cioppino thread.  Have you ever had the one from Tadish's Grill?  That was my first taste of this dish and it really knocked me for a loop.

I've had the cioppino at Tadich Grill. Simply the best including the toast they serve it with. I love that place. I'll even consent to wait for a seat.

[Blue Heron]

Hey Jaybee,

Wanna trade cioppino receipes? I have several cioppino receipes, which evolved over the years. It's one of my favorite things to make for small dinner parties.

Great! My recipes are in the country so I'll retrieve them this weekend. We should start a cioppino thread. Have you ever had the one from Tadish's Grill? That was my first taste of this dish and it really knocked me for a loop.

I also love cioppino! jaybee, would you start a cioppino thread?

Do you ever add chopped Swiss Chard? My recipe includes it, and I think it really adds to it.

(note: I love Tadich Grill, too).

[JAZ]

Great!  My recipes are in the country so I'll retrieve them this weekend.  We should start a cioppino thread.  Have you ever had the one from Tadish's Grill?  That was my first taste of this dish and it really knocked me for a loop.

I've had the cioppino at Tadich Grill. Simply the best including the toast they serve it with. I love that place. I'll even consent to wait for a seat.

You know, Tadich's has come out with a cookbook...not sure if it has a cioppino recipe, though.

[jaybee]

You know, Tadich's has come out with a cookbook...not sure if it has a cioppino recipe, though.

They also sell their cioppino sauce bottled by mail order. It is a very good base to use if you don't want to make it from scratch. I keep about six quarts of it on hand at all times.

[CooksQuest]

I've found that another very impressive sleight-of-hand is when I release the valve on my Magefesa pressure cooker (usually just before serving my red lentil soup (homemade stock) with crumbled sausage and chives (both added for garnish)). Since it's a second-generation pressure cooker, it is virtually silent until I release the pressure. A great surprise.

There's nothing like loud, hissing steam to impress the guests...

Edited January 17, 2003 by CooksQuest (log)

[Bond Girl]

Never been to the Tadich Grill but I heard all about the it though.

[torakris]

Here is an interesting coincidence, every boy-girl who ate something that contain tomatoes at my dinner parties usually end up happily married to each other.

I used to make these really great pumpkin cookies, but now no one will eat them because they think they will become pregnant!?

It only happened 3 times!!

[Bond Girl]

Here is an interesting coincidence, every boy-girl who ate something that contain tomatoes at my dinner parties usually end up happily married to each other.  

I used to make these really great pumpkin cookies, but now no one will eat them because they think they will become pregnant!?

It only happened 3 times!!

Wow, may be it's the same three couples that had the tomatoe soup in my house.

[Wimpy]

Lately, it's been pears poached in red wine. It's a really easy dish but is elegant, tastes great and can range from light (if served just on its own) or sinful (if paired with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream).

My recipe:

6-8 d'Anjou pears

1 bottle beaujolais or other red fruity young wine

3-6 whole peppercorns

1 vanilla bean

2 star anise whole

lemon zest

1 cup sugar

ruby port

To prepare:

1) get ample zest from one lemon

2) fill large bowl with water, squeeze entire lemon, and

throw them into water as well

3) peel the pears, leave stem intact, put them in the lemon

water as you finish peeling each one so they don't

oxidize

4) once peeled, cut a flat section off ea. pear so that they

will stand upright in pan (and later, in serving plate)

To cook:

1) throw in pears, wine, sugar, zest, star anise, peppercorn

and vanilla bean (sliced open in middle) into heavy pot

such as french enamelled one whose name escapes me.

2) heat until boiling, then simmer for 30 minutes

3) if pears not completely submerged, spon over

occaisonally with wine sauce

4) after half hour, transfer to tupperware in the wine

"soup", let it reach room temp, then cool overnight in

fridge

5) the next day, separate out the wine "soup" and reduce

further until syrupy, finish off with ruby port

To serve:

1) stand pear on plate, spoon over reduced wine sauce

2) you can servie with one scoop vanilla ice cream with choc

sauce

Edited January 20, 2003 by Wimpy (log)