Dinner 2017 (Part 6)

[Constantin Peters]

braised iberico cheeks with knödel

[David Ross]

Last weekend I ended a 20-year search to find some decent Chinese food in Spokane.  I knew it all along, but finally came to the conclusion I can cook better, authentic, Chinese at home.  I didn't get a photo of the true Kung Pao Chicken, but these are Chinese Barbecue Ribs.  Instead of cutting them into single ribs I cut double ribs.  Photos are blurry, but the ribs were quite good.  Next one of my favorites, (nothing even close on a menu up here), Scallops with Wood Ear Fungus.

 

[ninagluck]

most of the carrots from the fridge were used for tonights dinner: carrots two ways, pork tenderloin. I can almost see the bottom of the veggie drawer 

[Anna N]

 

Simple but oh so good. A friend dropped by this afternoon  carrying gifts of foodstuffs. Too many choices faced me but it seemed only right to attack each one according to its likely longevity.  The green beans won.  I sliced up a shallot and made some crispy shallot rings.  I steamed some of the green beans, crisped up two slices of prosciutto, sauteed some mushrooms in garlic oil  and then tossed everything together and sprinkled the crispy shallots on the top. 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Something may be said for cooking bare out of the shower.  Not only are you clean, but when you slop tomato paste down your front you don't have to change your clothes.

 

Anyhow, last night was Le Bernardin Fish Soup.

 

 

Some of the mise.  Often I wish I had a sous chef.  Particularly when a recipe calls for "2 large heads of garlic, cloves smashed and peeled". 

 

 

 

After a couple hours, cooked soup, Alaskan halibut in this case, ready to be passed though Mouli.

 

 

 

Le Bernardin Fish Soup, finished with white pepper and cayenne.  (Though I cheated and used Piment d'Espelette because I can.)  Served with toasted, garlic rubbed baguette.  Gruyere and Ruhlman spoon.

 

 

Edited October 22, 2017 by JoNorvelleWalker
spelling (log)

[Anna N]

5 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Something may be said for cooking bare out of the shower.  Not only are you clean, but when you slop tomato paste down your front you don't have to change your cloths.

 But it might perhaps be a bit challenging for a sous chef.  

Edited October 22, 2017 by Anna N (log)

[chefmd]

Inspired by Le Bernardin tuna and foie gras dish.  Thin crouton, liver pate, tuna, Maldon salt.

[Dejah]

Roast chicken thighs and legs - stuffed with fresh Kaffir lime leaves and sprinkled with salt. The skin turned out nice and crispy! 

                                              

 

Made up the Chinese Dim Sum style Beef Meatballs yesterday morning. Marinated in the fridge until we got home from the farm house at supper time. Steamed them with a drizzle of oyster sayce in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes. Juicy and light - can bounce off the plate! Wondered why I haven't made them for a long time!
                                             

                                             

                                             

[MelissaH]

17 hours ago, Anna N said:

 But it might perhaps be a bit challenging for a sous chef.  

 

Depends entirely on your sous chef's relationship to you!

[weedy]

1 hour ago, MelissaH said:

Depends entirely on your sous chef's relationship to you!

in any event, I'd probably avoid deep frying

[jvalentino]

Roasted farro with kale and squash. Crispy chicken thigh. 

[Norm Matthews]

Picked up some Oxtails at the Asian Market last week and made stew with them today.

[weedy]

On 10/22/2017 at 7:09 PM, chefmd said:

Inspired by Le Bernardin tuna and foie gras dish.  Thin crouton, liver pate, tuna, Maldon salt.

 

 

how did that work for you, as a crostini like that?

 

It's one of my favorite starters at Le Bernardin, but part of its charm is in its super thin layers and that perfect bread layer (whatever it is... does the cookbook tell you how to bake it???)

I wouldn't want to be responsible for trying to pound tuna that perfectly thin, like they do, either.

 

 

 

[Dejah]

On 10/21/2017 at 6:55 AM, liuzhou said:

A young friend I know from elsewhere was visiting the city today and, purely by chance, I met her. She was lost. I was able to take her where she wanted to go (well-known park in the city and then to a Buddhist temple she had heard of) and then we went for an early meal before she had to catch her train home. I asked her what she wanted to eat and she requested "something I've never eaten before". She is very open in her thinking and attitude for a Chinese girl from the countryside. She likes all sorts of music that 99.99% of Chinese people have never heard, for example. Her favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. I've never met anyone else who even knows it.

 

Anyway, I took her for something she had never eaten. In a Chinese restaurant.  As I've mentioned here on eG before, Chinese cuisine is incredibly regional so she had never eaten food from Shaanxi province far to the north of here. The capital is Xi'an, home to the Terracotta Warriors and it has one of my favourite Chinese cuisines. Luckily, there are a couple of Xi'an restaurants in town, so that is where she found herself. She looked at the menu, didn't recognise anything and left the ordering to  me. I always find that amusing. Chinese people asking this foreigner from the other side of the planet to help them with their food!

 

Anyway, I ordered some of my old favourites.

 

 

手工凉皮 (shǒu gōng liáng pí - literally 'hand made cold skin') are rice noodles served cold in a sauce. More on them here.

 

 

 

肉夹馍 (ròu jiá mò - Chinese Hamburger). There is an eG topic here.  The picture above shows two; one on top of the other.

 

 

 

These two dishes...

 

[scubadoo97]

Dinner was mahi and amblerjack  fish sandwiches 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 hours ago, weedy said:

 

 

how did that work for you, as a crostini like that?

 

It's one of my favorite starters at Le Bernardin, but part of its charm is in its super thin layers and that perfect bread layer (whatever it is... does the cookbook tell you how to bake it???)

I wouldn't want to be responsible for trying to pound tuna that perfectly thin, like they do, either.

 

 

 

 

I cannot speak for @chefmd but I could not find the recipe in the book.

 

Edited October 24, 2017 by JoNorvelleWalker (log)

[HungryChris]

I had lunch today with a visiting friend from childhood. He, and his wife, and I, ate at  the restaurant I spent years managing and learned so many skills at. Nostalgia in the extreme! His fish and chips looked so good, and the fact that not a single scrap escaped his fork, made me crave fish and chips, so my next stop was the fish market, where I found some extremely fresh cod.  The rest is history.

HC

 

[CantCookStillTry]

Tonight we had Jerk rubbed steak and Slaw-lad. Started out as Coleslaw then I found things I needed to use that I would never usually put in my Coleslaw. 

 

 

(Holy sheetpan did I just dare post a picture of actual cut meat on a forum filled with the darlings of home sous-vide and meat masters?! Panic) 

I am afraid the close up is not because I am proud of my steak, or because I am trying to improve my food photography (I am but its an uphill battle with this old phone). Tonight's close up is due to the fact that if I were to pan out just a little, you'd all see the kid covered in spaghetti sauce, the table covered in spaghetti sauce and the rest of my clutter! 

[Duvel]

Right now I am on diet (at least during non-travelling days). Which does not contribute to my general well-being. Luckily though, tonight I tried "cauliflower pizza"; and while clearly not a pizza it does hit a couple of spots and loaded with tons of chicken breast gyros and some garlic yoghurt was actually quite yummy. My son got salami and bacon and was happy, too ...

 

(Typical crumb shots included, though actually there was no such thing)

 

[kayb]

@CantCookStillTry -- "Slaw-lad." I love it. I suspect you are a cook after my own heart.

 

Step 1: "This ought to be good in there...."

 

Step 2: "Hush, and eat it."

 

[chefmd]

12 hours ago, weedy said:

 

 

how did that work for you, as a crostini like that?

 

It's one of my favorite starters at Le Bernardin, but part of its charm is in its super thin layers and that perfect bread layer (whatever it is... does the cookbook tell you how to bake it???)

I wouldn't want to be responsible for trying to pound tuna that perfectly thin, like they do, either.

 

 

 

It is one of my favorite dishes of all time!  I used it as inspiration.  The pieces that I made are small, 1-2 bites.  Bread was cut very thin and toasted in CSO.  Crunchy bread, luxurious pate, very fresh tuna make an amazing explosion of flavor and texture in your mouth.  Of course it is not as refined as Le Bernardin version. 

 

@JoNorvelleWalker I did not use the book for this one (although I bought Kindle version for 1.99).  Sorry to hear that recipe is not in the book but it is more of a genius combination of the fine ingredients than an actual recipe.

[weedy]

I know I saw a video once of it being made. But I can't seem to find it again. 

 

I think they must bake that perfect baguette underneath theirs. 

[weedy]

Instant Pot broth ... beef Faux Pho

 

 

[Norm Matthews]

Tacos

[chefmd]

Strong home made stock, noodles, left over steak sliced thinly.