Dinner 2020

[curls]

@Kim Shook the meals look great. Sorry your MIL was in the hospital. Wishing her a speedy recovery.

[weinoo]

Heresy!  But in lieu of a backyard, a grill, or anything else which might make this labor day weekend normal...

 

 

I spent a few hours making meatballs and sauce yesterday. Meatballs are 50/50 pork and beef, with one egg, some soaked bread crumbs, Parmesan (first time user for meatballs), herbs, sweated onion and garlic, blah blah blah.

 

And as @Franci suggested a while ago, the sauce and balls atop the pasta. More cheese at table.  Broccoli raab in garlic and oil alongside. a nice 2015 Chianti.

 

This is good stuff. Screw the grill.

[heidih]

58 minutes ago, weinoo said:

Heresy!  But in lieu of a backyard, a grill, or anything else which might make this labor day weekend normal...

I spent a few hours making meatballs and sauce yesterday. Meatballs are 50/50 pork and beef, with one egg, some soaked bread crumbs, Parmesan (first time user for meatballs), herbs, sweated onion and garlic, blah blah blah.

 

And as @Franci suggested a while ago, the sauce and balls atop the pasta. More cheese at table.  Broccoli raab in garlic and oil alongside. a nice 2015 Chianti.

 

This is good stuff. Screw the grill.

 

Well I do like things grilled. The smell says summer. To me this weekend is Santa Maria tri-tip at  beach house but oh well.

All the kids I fed over the years considered the meatballs an appetizer and came back later for the noodles and sauce.

[gfweb]

Tritip (131F 5 hours finished on charcoal) with chili/coffee sauce

 

 

Roasted carrots and parsnips with a light teriyaki glaze

 

 

Mac and cheese (by request)

 

 

Edited September 7, 2020 by gfweb (log)

[kayb]

@gfweb, how do you make your coffee-ancho sauce? I'm pondering a pork loin for later this week, and I sure think that'd be good on it.

 

 

 

[gfweb]

13 minutes ago, kayb said:

@gfweb, how do you make your coffee-ancho sauce? I'm pondering a pork loin for later this week, and I sure think that'd be good on it.

 

 

 

 

 That does sound good with pork loin.

 

The recipe is inexact. I taste it and adjust accordingly.

 

Sautee garlic (no browning!) add a cup or more of coffee and simmer a while, strain out the garlic bits and add a  varying amount of chili powder to taste.

 

Simmer a bit...add sugar (maybe two tsp? maybe more), a tsp of light soy...salt as needed.  If it tastes a bit lacking I'll add in some powdered chicken bullion (Goya)

 

Thicken with cornstarch

 

I've used maple syrup as sweetener, but as the chili gets stronger t he maple is lost and adds nothing.

 

I've wondered about kicking up the coffee with added freeze dried coffee.

[KennethT]

3 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

 That does sound good with pork loin.

 

The recipe is inexact. I taste it and adjust accordingly.

 

Sautee garlic (no browning!) add a cup or more of coffee and simmer a while, strain out the garlic bits and add a  varying amount of chili powder to taste.

 

Simmer a bit...add sugar (maybe two tsp? maybe more), a tsp of light soy...salt as needed.  If it tastes a bit lacking I'll add in some powdered chicken bullion (Goya)

 

Thicken with cornstarch

 

I've used maple syrup as sweetener, but as the chili gets stronger t he maple is lost and adds nothing.

 

I've wondered about kicking up the coffee with added freeze dried coffee.

I think that rather than using a lot of coffee, I would use instant espresso powder - then you could use some kind of stock as the main liquid which would give it a rounder mouthfeel.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

15 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

The recipe is inexact. I taste it and adjust accordingly.

 

 

That's called cooking.

[gfweb]

19 minutes ago, KennethT said:

I think that rather than using a lot of coffee, I would use instant espresso powder - then you could use some kind of stock as the main liquid which would give it a rounder mouthfeel.

 

Sound thinking.

I pretty much end up there by adding the Goya powdered soup.

[liamsaunt]

Caprese

 

[TicTac]

6 hours ago, CantCookStillTry said:

Steak, Chips & Salad for Monday Tea. 

Oven Fries - slightly over done, I have an air frier but couldn't be bothered fetching it out. Anchovy butter for the rib steak (lemon, wholegrain, anchovies, capers, garlic & onion). Beetroot, Carrot & Onion with Rabbit food for salad. 

 

I tried the constant flip method for the first time for the steak, flipped every minute for 6 minutes total. I have to say, having been firmly camp don't touch, it wasn't bad. Although I probably wouldn't have burnt the chips if I had left it alone! 

 

Burnt fries!?  They look IDEAL!  Send them over my way, you can have the limp/flaccid ones! 😛

 

[heidih]

13 minutes ago, TicTac said:

Burnt fries!?  They look IDEAL!  Send them over my way, you can have the limp/flaccid ones! 😛

 

 

Round here that is Micky D - limp.Never understood how the kids could eat those things.

[TicTac]

16 minutes ago, heidih said:

 

Round here that is Micky D - limp.Never understood how the kids could eat those things.

 Back when MicDicks used to cook their fries in animal fat, they reigned supreme - I would always ask for them extra crispy.

 

 

[kayb]

4 hours ago, gfweb said:

 

 That does sound good with pork loin.

 

The recipe is inexact. I taste it and adjust accordingly.

 

Sautee garlic (no browning!) add a cup or more of coffee and simmer a while, strain out the garlic bits and add a  varying amount of chili powder to taste.

 

Simmer a bit...add sugar (maybe two tsp? maybe more), a tsp of light soy...salt as needed.  If it tastes a bit lacking I'll add in some powdered chicken bullion (Goya)

 

Thicken with cornstarch

 

I've used maple syrup as sweetener, but as the chili gets stronger t he maple is lost and adds nothing.

 

I've wondered about kicking up the coffee with added freeze dried coffee.

 

Thanks!

[Shelby]

I can't seem to stop making this squash carpaccio.  Ronnie wanted fried chicken...some pieces look odd--he loves to eat the back.

 

 

 

[KennethT]

Looking for opinions - caveat, I need them in the next hour or so!!!

 

I was planning a striped bass with Thai tom kha flavors - I've been debating making the full tom kha soup and then simmering the fish in it for the last few minutes, or reducing the soup into a kind of brothy sauce - sort of like a curry consistency.  Any opinions on which you'd prefer?  Also, and I guess this depends on the sauce/soup question, but serve with rice noodles (like as a noodle soup with fish chunks) or with rice on the side that you can spoon some soup/sauce over?  What I worry about with the rice noodles is having the fish pieces break up too much when eating the noodles sitting in the bowl below them.  Striped bass isn't that firm of a fish....

[pastameshugana]

26 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Looking for opinions - caveat, I need them in the next hour or so!!!

 

I was planning a striped bass with Thai tom kha flavors - I've been debating making the full tom kha soup and then simmering the fish in it for the last few minutes, or reducing the soup into a kind of brothy sauce - sort of like a curry consistency.  Any opinions on which you'd prefer?  Also, and I guess this depends on the sauce/soup question, but serve with rice noodles (like as a noodle soup with fish chunks) or with rice on the side that you can spoon some soup/sauce over?  What I worry about with the rice noodles is having the fish pieces break up too much when eating the noodles sitting in the bowl below them.  Striped bass isn't that firm of a fish....

 

I would personally prefer door #2) the thicker / curry-like consistency. That'll give you a little more adhesion to your meat.

[BeeZee]

Chicken enchilada casserole (not pretty), included black beans and lots if veggies. Avocado that had seen better days, and a beer that was living in the back of the fridge for a long time, the “best before” date was literally today...*phew* crisis averted.😉

 

[heidih]

Probab

43 minutes ago, pastameshugana said:

 

I would personally prefer door #2) the thicker / curry-like consistency. That'll give you a little more adhesion to your meat.

Probably too late but I would prefer reduced a bit and noodle. I do not mind if the fish breaks up. Flavor is the key. Let us know how you go.

Edited September 7, 2020 by heidih (log)

[mgaretz]

Made my usual red sauce but this time I used up the leftover chicken Italian-style sausage.  Really good.  Served over yellow squash "noodles" (yoodles?).

 

 

 

[robirdstx]

 

Turkey and Bean Chili with Shredded Cheese, Avocado and Red Onion

 

[KennethT]

Tom kha pla... Rice on the side. I think if I was making this with shrimp or fish cake I would have gone with soup and noodles. But with the flakey fish I agreed with @pastameshugana and went with a brothy sauce.

 

Kaffir lime leaves from my garden. I can't wait until I have some lemongrass to harvest - the store bought stuff near me is like sawdust. I doubled up on it and I could still only barely perceive it. I used the frozen galangal and I was disappointed with that too... Oh well, once we move I'll just have to try to grow some of that too.

Edited September 8, 2020 by KennethT (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

 

CSO chicken thigh, buttered egg noodles (thank you KitchenAid), mushrooms in cream sauce.  Sort of a deconstructed chicken Tetrazzini.  Not by far the worst thing I have eaten but no chicken Tetrazzini either.  Guess that is why I am not a chef.

 

[weinoo]

Hey - it's scattered...

 

 

Working the chirashi game. Using my favorite short-grain Kagayaki Koshihikari brown rice, grown in Cali and cooked in the donabe.  Then I tossed the rice with...

 

\

 

This stuff. But...as noted by other smart and oft misunderstood people (myself and @rotuts, for example), the amount of sodium in some of these products is not exactly what I'd call healthy. Or pronounceable, for that matter.

 

 

So, I used a slotted spoon and dragged the solids out, leaving most of the liquid in the bag, and tossed that stuff with the rice. Look closely - I have never seen shreds of stuff so small, but it made the rice tasty.

 

And then I topped with some lightly cooked Alaskan halibut and ikura and scallions. You know what? It hit the spot.

 

P.S. - the pickled ginger at lower right? Also a purchased product, from some hipster Chinese company - too sweet. But until I can find some nice, young, juicy ginger to make my own...

 

Edited September 8, 2020 by weinoo (log)

[ambra]

My eleven year old and his cousin wanted to make dinner for us this week so this is what we ended up with! Deviled eggs and Carbonara. We did gently try to explain eggs after eggs was perhaps not very balanced so instead of changing the menu they served us an Amaro  after dinner!😂😂

 

They did a great job with the Carbonara. It wasn't very sauced, but still very good. 

 

Fresh figs for dessert.