Dinner 2023

[OlyveOyl]

Wild rice and duck leg, duck leg braised stove top and then run under the broiler,

Swiss chard gratin, bechamel, Gruyère and panko crumbs.

Plum and raspberry galette for two.

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

Yesterday's dinner: home made dumplings (pork, boletes, garlic chives and habanero) with a sweet chili sauce. Long beans stir fried with mixed greens, ginger and garlic. Tomato. Unoaked chardonnay.

 

[liamsaunt]

Slow roasted halibut with cherry tomatoes and garlic with spinach and fregola

 

[rotuts]

@OlyveOyl 

 

I haven't had a béchamel gratin in a long time.

 

an outstanding dish .

 

yours looks fantastic.

[OlyveOyl]

@rotuts Thank you  rotus, I haven’t made one in a long time either and then decided I need more of these!  I had a very large bunch of chard and made a thick bechamel adding the Gruyère at the finish and added additional Gruyère slices prior to the panko.  It was delicious! 

[rotuts]

@OlyveOyl 

 

browned bechamel has a unique and delicious taste.

[OlyveOyl]

@rotus I actually had a single layer of potatoes underneath that I was just trying to use up, now I wouldn’t make it without! The potatoes browned up nicely.

[rotuts]

@OlyveOyl 

 

what were your baking parameters ?

 

were the potatoes previously cooked ?

 

?they look nicely browned

 

P.S.:  try just a little freshly grated nutmeg in the béchamel,

 

or for that matter anything ' white ' ie mashed potatoes 

 

if you already haven't tried this.   just a little .  not enough to notice ' nutmeg '

 

I always try to remember this w potatoes , and béchamel back in the day.

 

Edited September 12, 2023 by rotuts (log)

[OlyveOyl]

@rotus  The potatoes were cooked, I had them on gentle heat while I steamed the chard. And I usually do use nutmeg but I cooked a couple of cloves of garlic with the chard and grated that into the bechamel and on top of the potatoes.  I convection baked 375*ish until the sides were bubbling a bit and the top was browned.

Edited September 12, 2023 by OlyveOyl (log)

[mgaretz]

Stir fry with chicken, yu choy, onion, mushrooms, red pepper, carrots and snap peas.  Served with rice.

 

 

[Ann_T]

Day off today.

We skipped lunch so early dinner tonight.

Eating while watching our Blue Jays game.

 

 

Penne Alla Vodka with grilled chicken.

[btbyrd]

Pho ga.

 

 

 

[heidih]

So chicken pho but I am lost on the second image - incredibly beautful but ? thin sliced vegetables? Adorable child a given thumbs up.

[btbyrd]

Red onions and cilantro quick pickled in a vacuum bag.

[Honkman]

Variation on Tom Kha Gai with homemade coconut milk (shredded coconut mixed with hot water and strained), coconut water, coconut cream, lemon grass, ginger, shallots, turmeric, fish sauce, light brown sugar, Thai chili paste, oyster mushrooms, chicken breast, jalapeno, cilantro

[KennethT]

6 hours ago, Honkman said:

Variation on Tom Kha Gai with homemade coconut milk (shredded coconut mixed with hot water and strained), coconut water, coconut cream, lemon grass, ginger, shallots, turmeric, fish sauce, light brown sugar, Thai chili paste, oyster mushrooms, chicken breast, jalapeno, cilantro

Looks great.  Do you have access to palm sugar in Boston?  Compared with light brown sugar, it's flavor is really different (to me it tastes kind of like maple syrup).  I find it makes a big difference in the Thai and other SE Asian food I make.  Plus, it's got a lower glycemic index than sugar, which is just a bonus.

[liamsaunt]

Tomato tart and a salad with arugula, fennel, pecorino, olives, and citrus zest.

 

[heidih]

3 hours ago, KennethT said:

Looks great.  Do you have access to palm sugar in Boston?  Compared with light brown sugar, it's flavor is really different (to me it tastes kind of like maple syrup).  I find it makes a big difference in the Thai and other SE Asian food I make.  Plus, it's got a lower glycemic index than sugar, which is just a bonus.

And if you really want to have fun (at least once) make your own coconut milk from a whole one. Crack open, pry/pop meat out with a round tip knife, and blend with hot water. Pour off and rpeat maybe 2 or 3 times. Just pour liquid off leaving solids. on round 2 or 3 do hand squeeze the solids. Yes a little of the brown "skin" stays in the flesh but no biggie.

[KennethT]

36 minutes ago, heidih said:

And if you really want to have fun (at least once) make your own coconut milk from a whole one. Crack open, pry/pop meat out with a round tip knife, and blend with hot water. Pour off and rpeat maybe 2 or 3 times. Just pour liquid off leaving solids. on round 2 or 3 do hand squeeze the solids. Yes a little of the brown "skin" stays in the flesh but no biggie.

I'm all for going to lengths to get results, but this is too far!  Plus, most of the coconuts I can get here are already partially desiccated so it could never get me coconut milk like I could get in SE Asia.  The UHT cartons of coconut milk that I use now are remarkably similar to fresh.

[heidih]

1 minute ago, KennethT said:

I'm all for going to lengths to get results, but this is too far!  Plus, most of the coconuts I can get here are already partially desiccated so it could never get me coconut milk like I could get in SE Asia.  The UHT cartons of coconut milk that I use now are remarkably similar to fresh.

I understtand. I was doing this in the late 70's when coconut milk was a specialty item. But it was kinda fun- became 2nd nature.

[Smithy]

1 hour ago, KennethT said:

I'm all for going to lengths to get results, but this is too far!  Plus, most of the coconuts I can get here are already partially desiccated so it could never get me coconut milk like I could get in SE Asia.  The UHT cartons of coconut milk that I use now are remarkably similar to fresh.

 

I never thought to look in the refrigerated section for this; I've always gone for canned coconut milk. Do you have a favorite brand? Anything I should especially look for, or avoid?

[heidih]

35 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

I never thought to look in the refrigerated section for this; I've always gone for canned coconut milk. Do you have a favorite brand? Anything I should especially look for, or avoid?

UHT = ultra high temp = shelf stable

[Smithy]

Just now, heidih said:

UHT = ultra high temp = shelf stable

 

Thanks. So am I looking for a can or a carton? Where?

[heidih]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

 

Thanks. So am I looking for a can or a carton? Where?

Carton - my big Asian market 99 Ranch also sells frozen in a bag

[Paul Bacino]

4 hours ago, heidih said:

And if you really want to have fun (at least once) make your own coconut milk from a whole one. Crack open, pry/pop meat out with a round tip knife, and blend with hot water. Pour off and rpeat maybe 2 or 3 times. Just pour liquid off leaving solids. on round 2 or 3 do hand squeeze the solids. Yes a little of the brown "skin" stays in the flesh but no biggie.

might be time to make--  Poisson Cru