Lunch! What'd ya have? (2017)

[sartoric]

Yesterday I made samosas. These are baked not fried, so not as brown as I'd like. Next time I'll be more liberal with the oil brush and turn the oven up a bit. Served with coriander and mint chutney.

 

[Okanagancook]

@sartoricIf you want a nice brown finish like these Jamaican Patties, brush the samosa with egg yolk mixed sparingly with a  little water.

[shain]

Cauliflower, fried onion, garlic, anise seeds, sesame, fennel seeds, tahini, parsley, chili.

[blue_dolphin]

Turkish Pasta with feta, yogurt and dill from Diana Henry's Simple. 

I found the sweetness of the caramelized onions a little challenging to balance in this dish. If I try again, I'll add some nice fresh green beans and a few grilled shrimp to make it a more balanced one dish meal.

[robirdstx]

 

Flat Iron Steak on Honey Wheat with Mayo and Chips

[Anna N]

[liamsaunt]

Staff meeting catered lunch. Boring...

 

[Anna N]

 

6 minutes ago, liamsaunt said:

Staff meeting catered lunch. Boring...

 

Refuse to hit "like" in case it is misinterpreted. My "like" would be for your judgement of the meal given how beautiful your own meals are.

Edited May 3, 2017 by Anna N (log)

[HungryChris]

Each year I like to celebrate many firsts. For example, there's first tomato day (FTD), first corn day (FCD) and so on. Well, today I celebrated one of my absolute favorites, first soft shell crab day (I'm sure you can guess the letters). The pictures aren't great, but the sandwich sure was! I had it with a spicy lemon garlic aioli with chopped capers on a roll that I crisped in the oven just as the crab was done. The beer was a DIPA, Too Many Cooks, a new favorite from the local  Beer'd Brewery. When I get my growlers filled with it I like to say "I'll have 4 Too Many", oh well, TMI. 

HC

 

 

[scubadoo97]

No breakfast today since I had an appointment for blood work but lunch was sliced SV chicken sandwich with baby romaine 

 

 

i did a 1.5% equalibeum brine to several chicken breast, SV'd  them, chilled and bagged individually.  That little bit of salt really makes them taste better 

[Shelby]

24 minutes ago, scubadoo97 said:

No breakfast today since I had an appointment for blood work but lunch was sliced SV chicken sandwich with baby romaine 

 

 

i did a 1.5% equalibeum brine to several chicken breast, SV'd  them, chilled and bagged individually.  That little bit of salt really makes them taste better 

I concur.  We brine most all of our chicken.  But ours is probably a lot saltier...we like a lot of salt ( I know, I know ).

[HungryChris]

The soft shell crab I had yesterday was sold already cleaned. Today, after a few phone calls, I was at the fish market when they unloaded the live crabs, took it home in a cooler, cleaned it and shook it up in a mixture of Old Bay and flour. I dipped it into an egg wash, then back into the flour mixture. I shook it off again and into hot butter in the fry pan it went. Served it with spicy lemon aioli. Best soft shell crab sandwich ever!

HC

Edited May 4, 2017 by HungryChris (log)

[Anna N]

 

 Nothing in the least non-Western in the salad but I do find that chopsticks are more efficient than knives and forks for many salads.

[Okanagancook]

@HungryChris I find soft shell crabs intriguing.  We don't get them up here in the Great White North.  Are they quite "meaty"?  Sweet meat no doubt.  They look delicious!  Nice job and thanks for the cooking description.  Are they pricey?

[chromedome]

7 hours ago, Anna N said:

 

 Nothing in the least non-Western in the salad but I do find that chopsticks are more efficient than knives and forks for many salads.

I quite agree.

I ate a salad with chopsticks in front of my mother, years ago, to her bemusement. When she served the ice cream for dessert she said "I suppose you're going to eat that with chopsticks as well?" 

...so I did. 

[HungryChris]

12 hours ago, Okanagancook said:

@HungryChris I find soft shell crabs intriguing.  We don't get them up here in the Great White North.  Are they quite "meaty"?  Sweet meat no doubt.  They look delicious!  Nice job and thanks for the cooking description.  Are they pricey?

@Okanagancook, They have size names that range from smallest to largest:  "mediums, hotels, primes and jumbos". The size, from point to point ranges from 3 1/2" to 5 1/2". In the past, I liked the smaller ones because they are easiest to get crispy, but yesterday, I changed my tune because the jumbo I bought for $7 was so sweet and meaty. I think we are pretty much on the fringe around here, as they are shipped live from MD and are so delicate that many places simply will not order them due to the risks of dead loss. That is why knowing when they are expected to arrive and being there when they do is so important. When you are lucky enough to be there at the right time and work expeditiously, the payoff is a one of a kind experience that I wish everyone could share! I don't care what they say at any restaurant that serves them, they simple can't be at their prime for every diner. They are either frozen, or cleaned and tucked away in the walk-in for some undetermined period of time.

HC

Edited May 5, 2017 by HungryChris (log)

[Anna N]

[HungryChris]

Grilled Reuben sandwich with watermelon sticks.

HC

[robirdstx]

 

Tuna and Egg Salad on Sourdough

 

[rarerollingobject]

A good lunch; fromager des Clarines, top sliced off and a layer of homemade cherry preserves and confit garlic slathered in; top replaced, studded with rosemary, drizzled with Riesling and baked till gooey. Salad of greens and edible flowers, baguette and a glass of ice cold Riesling.

 

[rotuts]

@rarerollingobject  

 

Ive never thought of tart preservers  on melted gooey cheese

 

even sweet  maybe ?

 

Ive got the gooey cheese down 

 

thanks for the idea !

[TicTac]

Cherry preserves typically wouldn't be tart (unless sour cherries) - though ultimately they would work just as well if not better than 'regular' Cherry preserves.  Contrast to cut through the richness of the cheese.  Looks awesome.

 

 

[Anna N]

v

 

Chinese take-out. Eggroll, wings, beef with broccoli and dried fried grren beans with pork. 

[rarerollingobject]

4 hours ago, TicTac said:

Cherry preserves typically wouldn't be tart (unless sour cherries) - though ultimately they would work just as well if not better than 'regular' Cherry preserves.  Contrast to cut through the richness of the cheese.  Looks awesome.

 

 

 

@TicTac, @rotuts; hmmm, I don't really have any reference point of what cherry preserves are 'supposed' to taste like on the tart-sweet continuum, but these are definitely sweet, with a savoury under tang.

 

I made them to go with a roast ham, and they have dark cherries, muscovado sugar, Pedro Ximenez sherry vinegar, but also mustard seeds and star anise and black pepper and the like.

 

Anyway, I love sweet things with cheese in general; like membrillo with manchego or honey and pear with Stilton. So the cherry worked beautifully, to my palate, especially with the dry Riesling.

 

If only you were both closer, we could've compared cherry preserve notes while eating!

[TicTac]

Preserves by definition are foods made with fruit preserved in sugar.  So unless you have a tart component (like the aforementioned sour cherries) typically preserves will be predominantly sweet in nature.

 

I too love contrasting tastes with cheese, whether a truffle honey with a Pecorino, or as you said, pear and Stilton (a classic) - it helps to elevate and bring different dimensions of the cheese out.

 

What a kind thought!  I would have happily brought along another bottle of some luscious white to compliment your lovely offering, because we dare not go thirsty with all that glorious cheese and bread about!