Dinner 2022

[Ann_T]

19 minutes ago, Duvel said:

For presalting do you use a specific amount of salt (say 2%) ? Kosher ?

Based on Judy Rodger's method, the rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon per 5 pounds.    For a steak I just wing it. I don't actually measure.

When I'm doing a turkey or a larger roast, I will measure.   

[Steve Irby]

19 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

@Steve IrbyI'm a big fan of Steen's products, especially the cane syrup. I use it combined with honey when making granola, and use it for a drizzle in southern style greens along with a spritz of the cane vinegar Maple syrup I like on pancakes, but prefer Steen's in many recipes. Also I sub it for corn syrup, which I don't like. And for molasses, which I often find too, well, molassesy. I've been trying to convince my sister-in-law to use Steen's syrup in her pecan pie.

 

I know that the Southerners are very loyal to Camellia but I have to say that compared with Rancho Gordo beans they seem kinda dull. I make red beans and rice often, and swear by RG's Domingo Rojo beans. For a straight ahead red kidney bean I find the organic dark red kidneys from Purcell Mountain Farms very good, although the Domingo Rojo beans are my go-to. When I visit my daughter in Atlanta I now pack some of those in my suitcase since my daughter and my husband are big fans of red beans and rice.

I tried the RG beans a few years ago and thought they were a little too firm for my taste.   I'm certainly willing to re-visit the "world of beans" and Purcell look's like a good place to start.   Camellia has been a long time favorite based on availability and freshness.  They always cook fairly quickly after soaking overnight and I'm not shy on the seasoning so there's always plenty of flavor.  

[gulfporter]

Easy lazy Shrimp over (instant) Grits. 

 

 

[Honkman]

Warm quinoa salad with harissa-grilled chicken thighs (marinated overnight in a olive oil, harissa and lime juice mixture), oven roasted tomatoes (roasted in a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cumin and harissa), avocados, chorizo, baby spinach, scallions and cilantro. Served with sour creme with lime zest

[mgaretz]

Pizza with salami and mushrooms.  Normally I pre-cook the meat and the veggies.  For the meat to make it less greasy on the pizza, for the veggies to reduce the water content so the pizza doesn't get soggy.  Tonight I was feeling lazy so I just put the ingredients on without pre-cooking.  It came out good, but I think I will go back to me old method.

 

 

[Ann_T]

Probably not the smartest idea to make a chicken pot pie on a work night.

From scratch, including an all butter pastry.

But Moe mentioned my chicken pot pie a few times recently so I decided to make him one tonight.

Got home at 5:30 and we were eating at 7:00. I normally aim for something I can put together in less than a hour on a work night. 

 

[weinoo]

Mise...

 

 

Meal...

 

 

Stir-fried chicken thighs and mixed vegetables (the kind you'd get here, from an NYC Chinese restaurant, if one were to order something along the lines of chicken with mixed vegetables; i.e.: onions, carrots, red and green bell peppers, celery). In a somewhat spicy chili/garlic/ginger sauce.  Jasmine rice.

 

Oh - and some fresh shitake, which you wouldn't get here!

Edited October 4, 2022 by weinoo (log)

[Shelby]

@Ann_TOh what I wouldn't give for even just a bite of that chicken pot pie.  That looks incredible.

 

@weinooI love shiitake mushrooms.  The last few times I've been to the big grocery store they haven't had any.

 

I keep thinking that we're going to be out of tomatoes soon, but the struggling garden keeps producing some ....they are tiny like grape tomatoes, but they still taste really good so I'll keep on having patience and peeling those tiny guys lol.

 

BLT's once again.

 

 

My cleaning angel gave me a beautiful bunch of zinnias and mixed in she used her abundance of basil as greenery--I thought that was such a neat idea--anyway, having that and some tomatoes going south I made more sauce.  Salad and Italian sausage to go with.

 

 

 

Last night was @Ann_T's Spicy Honey Garlic chicken with some tomatoes that I sprinkled some onion, salt and Chinese rice vinegar on.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by Shelby (log)

[Captain]

chicken and some cheesy baked in foil potatoes. 🙂

[CookBot]

13 hours ago, Ann_T said:

Probably not the smartest idea to make a chicken pot pie on a work night.

From scratch, including an all butter pastry.

 

Look at those layers!  You made laminated pastry on a weeknight??  Major hat tip to you.

 

11 hours ago, Shelby said:

@Ann_TOh what I wouldn't give for even just a bite of that chicken pot pie.  That looks incredible.

 

Same here.  A truly great chicken pot pie might be my favorite homey comfort food of all time. 

[Katie Meadow]

1 hour ago, CookBot said:

 

Look at those layers!  You made laminated pastry on a weeknight??  Major hat tip to you.

 

 

Same here.  A truly great chicken pot pie might be my favorite homey comfort food of all time. 

Totally agree with that.  Also, the secret to a great turkey pot pie is chicken.@CookBotyou may not know that @Ann_T doesn't actually sleep. It must be one of her super-powers. And that she was baking baguettes at 4 am this morning, which is why she baked the pot pie in the evening instead. Otherwise it would have been Moe's breakfast and her lunch. 

[Honkman]

Vegetable curry with potatoes, cauliflower, chickpeas, peas and a sauce made from diced tomatoes, curry powder, garam masala, ginger, chili, garlic and little bit of coconut milk. Served over rice

[Anna N]

8 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

Also, the secret to a great turkey pot pie is chicken.

This will go into my list of essential food quotes. 

[liamsaunt]

Chicken, bok choy, summer squash, red onion, and pea shoot stir fry with scallions.

 

[Norm Matthews]

Crab legs were on sale again at Hen House for almost half price. 

[KennethT]

1 hour ago, Norm Matthews said:

Crab legs were on sale again at Hen House for almost half price. 

Looks great - what do you use for a boil?

[Dejah]

Been away to the big city for our daughter's wedding celebration. She and Scott got married during Covid shut down (4 previously planned dates including the first - destination wedding in Mexico) on the boulevard in front of their house which was under exterior renos. Their contractor was the witness and her Great Pyr Lily was her bridesmaid. LOL!
Pretty much had room service at the hotel as we were being very cautious with people not wearing masks.
The wedding food was Marche food stations, but I was too busy to take pictures! I was disappointed I didn't have a record of all that was available, but all delicious and beautifully presented.
Took the family, minus newlyweds out for dim sum next morning, and  I did remember to take a couple of pictures. Granddaughters favourite: sticky rice, baos, and Cantonese noodles
                                                                                
                                                                                  

Was happy to be cooking back in my kitchen. Son in the above photo and family moved to St. John's NFLD in July, but were able to fly home for his little sister's wedding. He is staying here with us for an extra week. So I made lots for supper: Cream Cheese stuffed chicken breasts, baked taters ( in Ninja Air fryer oven) and steam green beans.

 

 

                                                                                 

                                                                                

[Ann_T]

16 hours ago, CookBot said:

 

Look at those layers!  You made laminated pastry on a weeknight??  Major hat tip to you.

Thanks  @CookBot But is is a very quick "puff style pastry".  With just a few folds and turns.   I basically just increase the butter to one cup

from 2/3rds  (2 cups of flour). 

[Ann_T]

14 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

Totally agree with that.  Also, the secret to a great turkey pot pie is chicken.@CookBotyou may not know that @Ann_T doesn't actually sleep. It must be one of her super-powers. And that she was baking baguettes at 4 am this morning, which is why she baked the pot pie in the evening instead. Otherwise it would have been Moe's breakfast and her lunch. 

I do sleep, but unfortunately  I just can't seem to sleep past 3 am so I might as well bake. 😀

 

[CookBot]

1 hour ago, Ann_T said:

Thanks  @CookBot But is is a very quick "puff style pastry".  With just a few folds and turns.   I basically just increase the butter to one cup from 2/3rds  (2 cups of flour). 

 

Well, you still deserve the hat tip.  You got more puff out of a "mock puff" pastry than I ever do.

[gfweb]

Marcella Hazan's lasagna with basil bechamel and boglonese.  I used Barilla no boil pasta which is thinner than the big ripple edge dry sheets. I think the lasagna holds together better.

[Tropicalsenior]

41 minutes ago, gfweb said:

I think the lasagna holds together better.

It holds together better because the lasagna sheets absorb more of the excess liquid. I much prefer them now to the curly edge. I like to make it the day before with just a little extra moisture in the sauce so that the noodles absorb the moisture and get a little more flavor.

Edited October 5, 2022 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[gfweb]

2 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

It holds together better because the lasagna sheets absorb more of the excess liquid. I'm much prefer them now to the curly Edge. I like to make it the day before with just a little extra moisture in the sauce so that the noodles absorb the moisture and get a little more flavor.

 

I soak the no boil noodles for 10 minutes before assembly.

[Tropicalsenior]

1 minute ago, gfweb said:

 

I soak the no boil noodles for 10 minutes before assembly.

Me, too. Otherwise they are impossible to cut and fit into the dish.

[CookBot]

I really gotta get a better camera.

 

Last Sunday I made a mostly-traditional Southern ham buffet "for company".

Marmalade glazed ham flanked by two pans of green bean casserole (both overloaded with caramelized shallots), and one pan of sweet potato spoonbread.

 

The three salads in front are (L to R):

Shaved Brussels sprouts with prosciutto, pecorino, and pine nuts

Classic ambrosia salad

And I'm kicking myself for not getting a closeup of the third salad, in the silver bowl.

It's a stunning shaved and salted carrot salad that's not only delish but is so colorful it's almost psychedelic. 

 

Here's what it looked like on Epicurious and a link to the recipe.  Tip:  charring the dates did absolutely nothing for their flavor and I advise skipping that step altogether.  The carrots really do need to be mandolined to be thin enough, though.  Would be great on a Thanksgiving table.

 

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/shaved-carrots-with-charred-dates