Dinner 2018

liuzhou · December 12, 2018

Saag gosht. Goat curry with spinach.

Cubed goat leg meat marinated for four hours in a paste of home-made yoghurt with garlic, ginger and green chillies. Onions, curry paste, more ginger and red chilli fried until fragrant. Added the goat with marinade and some goat bone stock and slow cooked for two hours. Spinach and mint leaves added for last few minutes until wilted. Served with rice and a mint and shallot raita (not shown).

Edited December 12, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

KennethT · December 12, 2018

Last night's salmon variant - green papaya som tum... Salmon cooked sv in 115F bath to core 102F in fish sauce, soy and sweet soy sauces, then torched.

The green papaya was good, but I'd kill for green mango (which doesn't exist here). I'm still trying to figure how to get my dried shrimp light and crispy like I've had in Thailand. Most instructions I read are to rinse the dried shrimp, then dry fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes... it comes out ok, but the shrimp are still a little dense for my taste. I've also tried soaking for 10-15 minutes then the medium heat dry fry.... I wonder if it would be better to soak then do a high heat dry fry?

Edited December 12, 2018 by KennethT (log)

liuzhou · December 12, 2018

25 minutes ago, KennethT said:

I'm still trying to figure how to get my dried shrimp light and crispy... ... I wonder if it would be better to soak then do a high heat dry fry?

That's what I usually do.

KennethT · December 12, 2018

25 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

That's what I usually do.

Thanks - I'll try that

kayb · December 12, 2018

Some days you're the windshield; last night, I was the bug. I've always loved Chicken Eden Isle, a regional favorite that pairs chicken breasts with bacon and dried beef in a sauce of cream of chicken soup, sour cream and cream cheese. I decided I'd riff on that and make chicken noodle casserole.

Rather than use cream of chicken soup, I poached a couple of chicken breasts and made a white sauce, using the broth. Added cream cheese and sour cream, shredded up the chicken, cut the dried beef and bacon into small bits, and stirred that all in. Added a package of frozen green peas for good measure. Cooked egg noodles. Combined everything.

It was tremendously bland. I'd used onion powder and garlic powder when I poached the chicken. Added black pepper and a bit of nutmeg to the sauce.

It made a ton, which I did not keep. Sigh.

**David Ross** · December 12, 2018

On ‎12‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 4:29 AM, liamsaunt said:

Sunday, scallop rolls and fries while watching the football game

Monday I tried a recipe that I got in an email from the New York Times for slow roasted spicy salmon in olive oil with a cucumber feta salad. The spices were crushed fennel and coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. The recipe yielded very moist and tender salmon. I was less enthusiastic about the plating suggestion, which was to break the salmon up into big chunks and surround it with the cucumbers and feta. It would have looked nicer as one big piece. I'll probably use the oil poaching technique again though.

Last night, Thai-flavored fish cakes (made with the dreaded pollock that my fish share sticks me with occasionally) with spicy cucumber salad and rice

Beautiful and delicious. What type of camera and lens do you use for your food photography?

liamsaunt · December 12, 2018

11 minutes ago, David Ross said:

Beautiful and delicious. What type of camera and lens do you use for your food photography?

I have a Canon 60D. It's pretty old--I think my husband gave it to me around 10 years ago. That's just the kit lens that came with it. I have a couple of other lenses but feel that this one is just fine for most things since I am just taking photos for fun. The camera is pretty heavy--to me, anyway-- and the specialized lenses just make it heavier. I store it on a tripod and usually leave it there for taking food photos.

HungryChris · December 13, 2018

Sausage, Cubanelle peppers, garlic and thin spaghetti with little salads made dinner last night.

HC

**Shelby** · December 13, 2018

Got all of our venison ground up into burger --so that always calls for meatloaf night

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After a very long day of baking yesterday, Ronnie grilled venison tenderloins last night. I could barely lift my fork to eat lol.

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liamsaunt · December 13, 2018

mushroom miso ramen soup with a poached egg

liuzhou · December 13, 2018

I did have plans for dinner, but didn't have what I needed. The weather today was utterly miserable. Freezing rain, so I really didn't want to go out.

So here is my emergency dinner, thanks to the store cupboard. Penne rigata with "Italian" sausage, mushrooms, collapsed cherry tomatoes, onion, chilli and probably the last of my balcony basil given the weather.

I actually enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, although I would prefer it in better weather. Back to the original plan tomorrow if things improve.

Edited December 13, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

scubadoo97 · December 14, 2018

Late night at work so leftovers tonight. Kale soup aka caldo verde from a few days back hit the spot . I just love it. More so than a big steak

gfweb · December 14, 2018

Appetizers for a tree trimming dinner. Served with lots of bread for sopping sauce

Peppadew stuffed with boursin

deviled eggs with candied bacon

butter "braised" shrimp (SV 135 x 20 min) with sherry vinegar and pimenton

Red wine braised chorizo

Patatas bravas

Maple/dijon glazed SV (137F 30 min) lamb chops

Edited December 14, 2018 by gfweb (log)

HungryChris · December 14, 2018

Cheeseburgers, with fries made the table last night.

HC

heidih · December 14, 2018

@HungryChris I have most likely asked this before and do not recall your response. You fry alot based on your posts and it appears you do it well. What is your method regarding equipment, oil, and oil storage/disposal? I know that proper frying is actually not greasy but I hesitate. Do you remember Florence Henderson as the Wesson oil spokes person showing non greasy frying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtR1Y2I__PM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za8k3Et_roY I know the oil was not the true factor but I have had great fried foods that did not even leave an imprint on the napkin - so almost "greaseless"

JoNorvelleWalker · December 14, 2018

From time to time my thoughts return to pizza:

Aluminum block preheated a couple hours to 550F. Oven switched to broil. I've learned (the hard way) that if I don't leave the door open doing this that everything shuts down with an overtemperature error code.

Anyhow this is a 2:45 minute pizza. Bottom was properly leopardized. Note the edge of the pizza closer to the back of the oven is nicely charred but the front part not so much.

I'm wondering if people turn their pies half way through baking? The thought seem slightly dangerous.

But as I said that was last night. I spent most of this evening preparing black bean cassoulet:

Picture from 2017. Sorry, ran out of time. Tonight's repast will most probably be leftover strip steak, CSO baked potato, and thirty second green beans. Meanwhile I am finishing up tonight's well deserved mai tai.

Cassoulet needs another five more hours cooking. Now I remember why I assay this only about once a year.

JoNorvelleWalker · December 14, 2018

14 minutes ago, heidih said:

@HungryChris I have most likely asked this before and do not recall your response. You fry alot based on your posts and it appears you do it well. What is your method regarding equipment, oil, and oil storage/disposal? I know that proper frying is actually not greasy but I hesitate. Do you remember Florence Henderson as the Wesson oil spokes person showing non greasy frying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtR1Y2I__PM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za8k3Et_roY I know the oil was not the true factor but I have had great fried foods that did not even leave an imprint on the napkin - so almost "greaseless"

I read it as "fries made at the table" and I thought that was really butch.

mgaretz · December 14, 2018

Carnitas, made in the IP then broiled, served with Spanish rice and refried beans.

liamsaunt · December 14, 2018

black bean and roasted corn tostadas with cabbage slaw and lime crema

HungryChris · December 14, 2018

6 hours ago, heidih said:

@HungryChris I have most likely asked this before and do not recall your response. You fry alot based on your posts and it appears you do it well. What is your method regarding equipment, oil, and oil storage/disposal? I know that proper frying is actually not greasy but I hesitate. Do you remember Florence Henderson as the Wesson oil spokes person showing non greasy frying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtR1Y2I__PM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za8k3Et_roY I know the oil was not the true factor but I have had great fried foods that did not even leave an imprint on the napkin - so almost "greaseless"

The 2 biggest issues I had with frying were the thermometer and what to do with the oil. I tried all kinds of thermometers that clipped on to the side of the pan, but sometimes I used a wok, and they wouldn't work. And they would sometimes suddenly shift and be in danger of falling into the hot oil. Once I got the hand held IR thermometer, that issue went away. I like to use peanut oil. I have 2 jars, I keep the used oil in. A 2 quart jar for frying fish and a 1 quart jar for frying vegetables. Once the oil is cool, I filter it through a wire sieve and it goes back in the jar. I top each jar off with fresh peanut oil, before I use it again. I like to heat the oil up to 375 F and try to only add enough of whatever is being fried such that the temp does not fall below 350 F.

One of my favorite things is fried zucchini. I think those would be an instant hit as a bar food just about anywhere. So easy to make, but yet so very good and crisp. Add a little salsa or a bit of spicy ranch dressing dip or lemon and garlic aioli and they would please just about any crowd. I think they also go very well with breakfast.

The French fries are a different method, I learned from @Shelby. Starting off with cool oil and gradually raising the temp until they acquire a golden brown color.

I do remember the Florence Henderson bit. I hardly ever fry chicken though.

**Shelby** · December 14, 2018

Ronnie got a few quail the other day so I roasted them in the CSO last night.

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kayb · December 14, 2018

Some days, you get hit with an urge. This morning, I'm craving meatballs, not in a marinara sauce, but plain old cocktail meatballs I can put in a sweet/sour sauce. Ground beef is thawing, and that will be the name of dinner tonight, probably with fried rice and maybe some sauteed sugar snaps.

ProfessionalHobbit · December 14, 2018

1 kg beef
1.5 kg onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
100 g pancetta, diced
pinot grigio

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. lard

Melt lard, warm olive oil, sauté vegetables in fats over medium-low heat. Season with salt and black pepper. Then add wine and beef.

Ordinarily la genovese is made with a single cut of beef but you can use stew meat as pictured here. It will still taste good.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover. Braise for three hours. Stir every so often and add more liquid - either water or wine as you prefer - if needed. I didn't have to but your experience may be different.

After three hours, you'll end up with something like this.

If you used a single cut of beef, you can take out the beef and serve that as a separate course. Or shred it and add back to the pot.

The onion sauce is served with pasta...

...and since I didn't feel like extra work, elected to toss that with some cooked ziti and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

ProfessionalHobbit · December 14, 2018

1/2 kg ground pork
1/4 kg ground beef*
30 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
60 g dried breadcrumbs
120 ml milk
1 large egg
1 heaping tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley
salt
black pepper

*I used ground chuck as opposed to sirloin.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. You might have to use your hands.

Shape mixture into meatballs using a teaspoon. Place meatballs on a foil- and parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake meatballs for 30 minutes at 175 C. Don't forget to turn them over with a fork at least once during this time to ensure even browning.

For the sauce:

1 heaping tbsp. lard
2 crushed garlic cloves
800 g crushed tomatoes
salt
black pepper
a couple of sprigs of Italian parsley

Melt lard over medium heat. Add garlic cloves. Brown garlic until it smells aromatic, then lift out with a slotted spoon and discard. Add tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Add parsley. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add meatballs. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Partly cover, then braise for 45 minutes.