Dinner 2017 (Part 5)

[liuzhou]

39 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

I can't read the brand because it's in Chinese.

 

I knew that, but forgot you don't do photographs. Never mind.

 

There are one or two foods which I dislike for no rational reason, but only one or two, so I emphasise. Friends often comment on all the weird things I eat as a matter of routine, and can't understand why I loathe corn. I don't know why - to me it just tastes like something that was never meant to be eaten.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

9 hours ago, mgaretz said:

 

I have always thought it tasted vaguely like root beer.

 

I love root beer, especially the old-timey kind that seems as elusive as the yeti now. My Chinkiang vinegar tastes nothing like root beer to me.

 

Anyone else think this vinegar tastes even remotely of root beer?

 

I made the second iteration of scallion pancake for dinner tonight, but I think this is a one off dish for me. I'm glad I made it and tasted it for the first time, though. It is just too oily for me, even after being blotted with paper. The oil gets between the layers and kind of stays there. Perhaps I just tried to eat too large portions, and I couldn't finish it tonight. I don't think I need to make this again, though. Although, perhaps if I used a more regular technique with less layers and rolling instead of Kenji's, I might like it better?

[liuzhou]

Chinese liver and onions (with chilli peppers, soy sauce, garlic, ginger. A simple stir fry, spicy, fresh and bloody. Just what I wanted. With rice.

 

[shain]

Home made (flat) udon, with pumpkin and peanuts, soft tofu, anise, miso, sesame oil, scallion.

 

[mgaretz]

Chicken stew with chicken, carrots, peas, mushrooms, celery, onion and parsnips.  Made in the electric pressure cooker.

 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2017 by mgaretz (log)

[TicTac]

18 hours ago, Paul Bacino said:

 Grilled Spot Prawns

Butter and EVOO / Good Garlic/ Lemon zest and Juice/ Murry River Salt

 

The heads made Killer stock!!

 

 

 

Only once you are done sucking them out though

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

 

Poorly plated lamb, focaccia, fennel.  Focaccia and fennel baked/roasted in the CSO.

 

[Captain]

4 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Chinese liver and onions (with chilli peppers, soy sauce, garlic, ginger. A simple stir fry, spicy, fresh and bloody. Just what I wanted. With rice.

 

Who was this that donated?

[Captain]

Toad in a Hole with brown onion gravy.

[robirdstx]

 

Sous Vide Burger, finished on the grill, with Cheese, Tomato, Onion, Mayo and Mustard on a Toasted Ciabatta Bun

[scubadoo97]

After performing the missing soldier table ceremony we dined on burgers and corn off the grill and oven fries

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I fired up the charcoal grill for dinner tonight to kick off summer. A nice, thick rib eye steak starred with a supporting cast of vidalia onion, zucchini planks, a huge and very hot jalapeno pepper, fresh corn and a peach. Everything was done on the grill. I carefully peeled back the husks and removed the silk, washed the corn well and slathered it with soft butter, sprinkled with salt, then replaced the husks, trying to return them to their original positions.  An aluminum foil tie at the end where the silks emerged kept the husks in place pretty well during the grilling. I stole a trick  from @chefmdwhere she was grilling thick onion slices and had them skewered through the middle of the slices horizontally and this kept me from having to chase the separated rings around the grill. I will use this trick again, but oil my onion slices after skewering. It was a challenge to run the skewers through the slippery slices without skewering myself. I lost one of the peach halves down under the food and fire grates and had to give up trying to fish it out for fear I would upset the rest of the food.

 

The very first batch of peaches I bought this year are very good. I ate one out of hand that was very juicy, tasty and ripe last night. The one grilled half I had tonight was good too. A tall glass of fresh-squeezed, icy lemonade topped off the meal. This was a very good way to usher in another summer.

[sartoric]

I made this tart thing. Shortcrust pastry, parmesan, mozzarella, wilted greens (silverbeet, spinach and rocket) with slices of garlic and sultanas, just cooked potato cubes, slivers of olives and more mozzarella.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Now that the power failure excitement has passed:

 

 

Pasta that was supposed to have been the other night.

 

 

 

Fruit course, pears Corrado.

 

[liuzhou]

Tonight (and tomorrow's lunch, I suspect.)

 

 

I prepared diced chicken breast, green chilli, black olives, shallots, black garlic and capers. The roots and stem ends were cut from the coriander leaf, too. All of this was unceremoniously dumped into a wok with S+P and thrown around until the chicken was all nicely browned. Then the whole lot was transferred to a slow cooker and forgotten about till the smell woke me up.

 

Mise 2 was simple. Some rehydrated dried shrimp, a duck egg and leftover rice deposited in the fridge last night.

 

 

The rest of the coriander was chopped and added to the chicken, then the rice fried by my usual method. First I fry the egg until it thinks it might solidify but would actually prefer to remain liquid. Some sort of lurid poultry erotica, no doubt.

 

The shrimp were fried just enough for colour then the rice was added. Clumps were broken up. Most people do this by using the wok scoop to 'cut' into the rice and all they get are smaller clumps ad infinitum.

 

No! No! No! Whatever are you thinking of? Use the back of the scoop to press the clumps of rice down onto the base of the wok. They split into separate grains easily.

 

Salt and shichimi togarishi added. Like everyone in China, I don't usually salt rice other than in fried rice and not always then.

Here are the plated results.

 

 

 

 

That'll do nicely.

 

Edited May 30, 2017 by liuzhou
to put things in the right order. it helps (log)

[Shelby]

Our kick off the summer meal:

 

The usual deviled eggs

 

 

Cheesy potatoes--new recipe for me.  I par-boiled the potatoes which I will always do from now on to avoid crunchy taters (which happened to me a lot).

 

 

Ronnie smoked ribs which I finished in the IP and then the broiler.  Baked beans and collards from the garden.

 

 

 

[rotuts]

Ill just say this :

 

@Shelby

 

clearly understands Deviled Eggs.

 

those would have been enough for me

 

so I wonder what others were having ?

[rotuts]

PS  do the potatoes in the IP w pressure steam.   

 

more potato flavor in the potato and none in the water !

 

PS 2 :   cool the potato    ( some how )

 

they keep covered in the refirg for a bit for

 

Potato Salad ( mixed fresh is best )

 

and the eggs IP's steam-pressure  also keep in the refirg.

 

deliciousness in only a Few Minutes !

[chileheadmike]

16 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 I will use this trick again, but oil my onion slices after skewering. It was a challenge to run the skewers through the slippery slices without skewering myself.

 

This made me laugh. Everything sounds delicious. 

[Kim Shook]

@ninagluck – I had to look up ‘Langos’.  It sounds amazing.  Almost like a Navaho taco.  I saw that you could have it filled with Liptauer, which is a favorite at our house.  Wish I could find a Hungarian festival around here!

 

@Shelby – I feel your ‘crunchy taters’ pain.  One of the few potato gratins that I’ve had success with is Tony Bourdain’s – because you first simmer the potato slices in cream.  I now use either that method or judicious microwaving when making potato casseroles of any kind.  I remember for years having to delay dinner while trying to microwave the ‘finished’ potato dish. 

 

We had dinner the other night with some friends and our daughter.  The Richmond VA area is very lucky – we are a growing restaurant/grocery area.  We are having friends come to stay for 4 days in July and my before-winnowing-down restaurant list includes 16 places!  One of the best things to happen in our area is the arrival of Peter Chang, the amazing and elusive Chinese chef.  I haven’t the slightest idea what drew Chang to the Richmond area, but I’m so glad that he came.  We have 3 restaurant here – two (Peter Chang and Noodles and Dumplings) in a suburban Walmart shopping center.  The other is along a stretch of main road in the city that is transitioning, but still pretty seedy.  There is no way I’ll be able to identify everything that we ordered.  But I’ll do what I can!

 

Kung Pao Buns:

 

 

Shredded Duck w/ onion and scallion:

 

Hot & Numbing Beef:

 

Scallion Bubble Pancake:

This is a little deflated – the thing is only slightly smaller than a soccer ball!

 

Smoked Duck Roll:

 

Jing-jiang Duck Buns:

 

Pork Dumplings:

 

Shrimp dumplings:

 

Big Soup Bun (with a straw to sip the liquid portion):

 

There were numerous other dishes between the six of us that I didn’t manage to get pictures of.  Everything was delicious. 

 

Dinner last night – salad and sandwiches:

 

Sorta French dips made with leftover prime rib roast, caramelized onions, provolone cheese, horseradish sauce and some rich beef stock for dipping.

[rotuts]

@Kim Shook  

 

very nice

 

very very nice !

[Constantin Peters]

Lukewarm asparagus and cabbage salad with some porkslices warmed in butter and chinkiang vinegar, which is also part of the miso, mustard and honey dressing.

[chefmd]

Seared tuna (I swear it was rare inside) with roasted purple potatoes.

[sartoric]

Another guest = another Indian feast.

Rice in the blue dish, Keralan chicken curry, dal trevini, whole eggplant in tomato gravy, potato masala, tomato chutney, mint & coriander chutney, radish raita, kachumber, lime pickle and home style dosa.

Our guest (a man with Chinese parents) found a new appreciation for Indian food.

 

[scubadoo97]

@Kim Shook  well damn!    What a delicious array of foods.  I want to taste them all.