Dinner 2023

[Tropicalsenior]

1 hour ago, lindag said:

Their pasties are the best.

People don't think of Montana as pastie country but because of all the mines in Montana they sure do know how to make them. Were they shaped envelope style or were they round balls?

Edited July 25, 2023 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[lindag]

11 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

People don't think of Montana as pastie country but because of all the mines in Montana they sure do know how to make them. Were they shaped envelope style or were they round balls?

Everywhere around here (as well as in the U.P.) they are always shaped as an empanada.

(Pasties nor pastries as people mistake)

Edited July 25, 2023 by lindag (log)

[Tropicalsenior]

8 minutes ago, lindag said:

Everywhere around here

When I lived in Butte in the early 70s, many places made them in the shape of a round ball, more like a Chinese Bao. and that was how I learned to make them. Probably why I didn't make them very often because they are a pain in the *** to make that way. I'm much prefer making them the Cornish way.

 

Edited July 25, 2023 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[Tropicalsenior]

9 minutes ago, lindag said:

(Pasties nor pastries as people mistake)

Or Pasty which is a Caribbean style empanada. Or something that an exotic dancer uses.

[lindag]

7 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

When I lived in Butte in the early 70s, many places made them in the shape of a round ball, more like a Chinese Bao. and that was how I learned to make them. Probably why I didn't make them very often because they are a pain in the *** to make that way. I'm much prefer making them the Cornish way.

 

Even then I find them somewhat labor intensive.

There's still a company in Butte that makes them for retail grocers all over, they are sold frozen.

A new-ish company in Hamilton makes several different versions and they are the best.

(By the way, since you are quite familiar with both Butte and the PNW, I'd highly recommend the book "The Egg and I"  by Betty McDonald.

It is the funniest book I've ever read.

here.

[Tropicalsenior]

1 minute ago, lindag said:

The Egg and I

I agree. I've probably read it five times and I saw the movie years ago when it came out. It's funnier every time that I read it.

Is John's Pork Chop Sandwich Shop still in Butte? I can't remember the name of the old Diner that had been there for a hundred years. They sold the best pasties that I ever had. Maybe they were just best because I didn't have to make them.

[lindag]

2 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

I agree. I've probably read it five times and I saw the movie years ago when it came out. It's funnier every time that I read it.

Is John's Pork Chop Sandwich Shop still in Butte? I can't remember the name of the old Diner that had been there for a hundred years. They sold the best pasties that I ever had. Maybe they were just best because I didn't have to make them.

Me too!

John's two locations

[Tropicalsenior]

13 minutes ago, lindag said:

John's two locations

They don't quite look the same as they did. The meat was always way bigger than the bun and they never had any lettuce on them. And you had to have Durkees on them. We always went to the one at 8th and Market and many times stood in line halfway around the block. Especially when the movies got out. But, damn, they were worth it.

[KennethT]

 

After the south Indian restaurant in Singapore, time to do some experiments. First crack at chicken curry. It was tasty but not nearly as intense as I'd like. More trials needed.

[heidih]

11 minutes ago, KennethT said:

 

After the south Indian restaurant in Singapore, time to do some experiments. First crack at chicken curry. It was tasty but not nearly as intense as I'd like. More trials needed.

So what do you use as your recreation framework? Cookbooks, websites, taste memory?

[MetsFan5]

8 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

My method is to bring water to a boil, drop corn in, turn off heat, cover and wait 5 minutes.  The reason I break the ears in half is so that they will fit into the smaller saucepan of water being used.

I do the same, unless I’m feeling lazy I will use the microwave in the husk method. I only do that with just picked corn, there’s a farm about .3 miles from me and sometimes I don’t want the heat the stove gives off or I’m impatient. Fresh Jersey corn is one of my favorites 

[KennethT]

9 hours ago, heidih said:

So what do you use as your recreation framework? Cookbooks, websites, taste memory?

I like watching YouTube videos of various Aunties, Grandmas and the occasional Uncle making similar dishes to get an idea of ingredients and technique.  I prefer videos made in the country of the dish I'm looking to make so that it wouldn't be already modified.  Google translate and closed captioning is my friend.

[weinoo]

Made some salmon/hijiki rice in the donabe last night, using dashi I brewed from Okume.  Served alongside some oshinko, avocado, and tomatoes.

 

Also made this to go with...

 

 

Wild gulf shrimp, on the plancha.  Left the shells on, but deveined them and marinated with olive oil, Tabasco, salt, pepper, pimentón, garlic for about 30 minutes before they hit the hot steel. Minute and a half on each side - good stuff. Served with a lemon wedge.

[liuzhou]

蚝汁花甲螺 (háo zhī huā jiǎ luó); oyster sauce clams.

 

 

 

Here is what I watched as it came to me.

 

Here the courier has just collected my food and started towards me. 2.3 km and 10 minutes away. My home is on the other side of the river, marked by that yellow dog or is it a kangaroo?

 

Here the rider has just entered my residential compound.

 

Finally , outside my apartment building. He was at the door 2 minutes later.

 

[KennethT]

17 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

蚝汁花甲螺 (háo zhī huā jiǎ luó); oyster sauce clams.

 

 

 

Here is what I watched as it came to me.

 

Here the courier has just collected my food and started towards me. 2.3 km and 10 minutes away. My home is on the other side of the river, marked by that yellow dog or is it a kangaroo?

 

Here the rider has just entered my residential compound.

 

Finally , outside my apartment building. He was at the door 2 minutes later.

 

We have similar tracking with our delivery services.  My question about the crispy shrimp shells was more due to the fact that I find the shells start to get a little leathery maybe 10 minutes after cooking them as the hot meat steams the shells from the inside, and if they're in a pile (like in a serving bowl), the ones in the middle steam even faster.  I was curious how the crispiness survived being in a sealed plastic container (our common delivery packaging) which traps in the steam.

[liuzhou]

4 minutes ago, KennethT said:

I was curious how the crispiness survived being in a sealed plastic container (our common delivery packaging) which traps in the steam.

 

I don't know but they were perfectly crisp on arrival. There were two I didn't eat immediately (someone called) and when I got back to that final two, they were turning leathery although the internal flesh was still OK.

 

[btbyrd]

Bo ssam with smoked pork shoulder, grilled shoulder, and honey glazed pork belly. Donabe rice on the side,along with grilled carrots and bok choy, freshly pickled cucumbers, kimchi, and ginger scallion sauce.

 

 

 

 

[KennethT]

9 minutes ago, btbyrd said:

 

Is this your stovetop smoker?  Can you provide more info about it?  What type of wood do you put in the bottom?  Does it get covered during cooking?

[btbyrd]

It’s a Japanese ceramic stovetop smoker called Ibushi Gin. It is expensive and mine is very underutilized. It uses small wood chips like the ones that Polyscience / Breville use for the Smoking Gun. It only takes a small amount. Once they start smoking, you add the lid and seal it by pouring water around the rim. The radiant heat from the donabe roasts its contents while the smoke flavors it.
 

You can get good results on raw fish, shrimp, and poultry, but for things like pork shoulder, you definitely want to sous vide it first.

[weinoo]

11 minutes ago, btbyrd said:

It’s a Japanese ceramic stovetop smoker called Ibushi Gin. It is expensive and mine is very underutilized. It uses small wood chips like the ones that Polyscience / Breville use for the Smoking Gun. It only takes a small amount. Once they start smoking, you add the lid and seal it by pouring water around the rim. The radiant heat from the donabe roasts its contents while the smoke flavors it.
 

You can get good results on raw fish, shrimp, and poultry, but for things like pork shoulder, you definitely want to sous vide it first.

 

I have the less expensive Donabe gin...is yours from Toiro Kitchen (in which case, I know how expensive it is)?

[btbyrd]

18 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

I have the less expensive Donabe gin...is yours from Toiro Kitchen (in which case, I know how expensive it is)?

Yup. I really should use it more often…

[liamsaunt]

Tuna with noodles, bok choy, and spinach 

 

[Ann_T]

Last night's dinner.

 

This is a bastardized version of Chicken Curry with Aloo Gobi.

I've made this a couple of times now.

The basic idea came from Andy's East Coast Kitchen.

He uses a Tikka Masala curry paste.

I make my own paste with different curry spices, ginger and garlic and a little olive oil.

Chicken legs, cauliflower and potatoes are coated well with the paste and tossed into a shallow roasting pan and roasted until everything is cooked and browned. Half way through, I tossed everything for even browning, and added a chopped tomato and a little chicken broth. Finished with chopped cilantro and served with basmati rice and homemade Chapati.

You will have to take my word for it that it tastes better than it looks.

[KennethT]

32 minutes ago, Ann_T said:

You will have to take my word for it that it tastes better than it looks.

I find that a lot of traditional curries always taste better than they look!  BTW - I think yours looks great!

[mgaretz]

Two mini pizzas, both the same, with spinach and pineapple-bacon sausage.