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Help me with a dinner menu?


MatthewB

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Gimme a recipe, even if it's only shorthand style a la Elizabeth David.

i don't have a recipe, but i just chop the tuna to a pleasing texture, same with scallion (green parts), mix them together and add some ponzu for salt/sweetness. put it in a round mold and plop it on top of sliced japanese cucumbers. i top it with roe, as i like the "snap, crackle and pop". i also mix sriracha with mayo, and serve on the side or drizzled over. if i want a spicier richer dish, i mix a bit with the tuna.

tommy--

what are those thingies sticking up out of the top?

Noise is music. All else is food.

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(what's wrong with flank steak???? Makes a great Barciol  :biggrin: )

Braised flank steak is fine. I really like it in Ropa Viaja too. I don't think there's enough fat in it for grilling, though. As my butcher says, "I can't see why anybody would want to eat that stuff."

It's what I use for my bulgogi. Of course I heavily score it, and then slice it across the grain into strips about 3/4 inch wide, and then marinate it before throwing it on the barbie.

It's great that way.

My former husband lived in Korea for a year, and this recipe is one he brought back from his favorite restaurant.

Darn tasty.

Edited by Jaymes (log)

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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Gazpacho recipe tomorrow, I promise. I've had it at least seven times in the last two weeks.

The tomatoes don't freeze because of the alcohol in them. They are amazing. Serve them right out of the freezer (let them sit in the freezer at least a half hour).

Instead of the tuna tartar, make ceviche. It's really good if you make a mini tostada by spooning the ceviche onto tortilla chips (ask Maggie, Aurora, or LadyT).

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Hmmmmm. Decisions decisions. But that's why I asked you folks! :biggrin:

I tend to do as bilrus noted & generally stick to one regional cuisine. But I don't have to & I don't feel like it! :raz:

The ceviche currently holds a slight lead over the tuna tartar. I have a solid guacamole recipe I could do, too. With tortilla chips that would probably be enough.

As far as dessert, I think I can find peaches appropriate for this. I've done "The Thrill of Grill" recipe before & it's easy.

As you can probably tell, I'm trying to keep the overall menu "easy," so I'm being less ambitious than I normally would be.

Comments on the above choices?

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Actually, a nice way to do this is to cut the cucumber into one inch pieces and hollow out the core, leaving about an 1/8th of an inch bottom and filling it with tuna (or salmon) tartare, topping with some roe and few snips of chives.

Hollwed out cucumber also makes nice cups for chilled sake.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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But he's already using cucumber in a salad alongside the steak, no? Sounds great, Jinmyo, but perhaps too much of a muchness?

MatthewB: what's fresh and enticing at the vegetable market? Sugar snap peas? Tomatoes? Beets? Most people don't eat enough vegetables anyway, so go with what's fresh. Besides, veg apps are usually pretty easy and not all that time-consuming or labor-intensive(at least, not the ones I like).

We've been getting fabulous peaches from New Jersey, so I love the idea of grilled peaches, maybe with a little homemade ice cream, or even good-quality bought? :wub:

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Here's how I think it will go down . . .

The entrees as first described.

Dessert will be the grilled balsamic peaches w/ ice cream.

Starters will depend on what I can pick up at the farmer's market tomorrow morning, per Suzanne F. Either Mr. G's cerviche with guacamole & chips (& possibly the vodka tomatoes) or gazpacho with Spanish tortilla. Perhaps something different as the farmer's market produce leads.

(I'm going to take a shot at tommy & Jin's tuna tartare suggestions but I'll wait until next week. The thinly-sliced steak over the cucumber/onion salad is a must & I don't want to do many--if any--cucumbers in the starters.)

Thanks all! (And there's still time for additional suggestions. :smile: )

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(I'm going to take a shot at tommy & Jin's tuna tartare suggestions but I'll wait until next week.

Wait 2 weeks and we'll do it together. I've been getting the best tuna lately.

Please give us some info on the wine/drinks.

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But he's already using cucumber in a salad alongside the steak, no?  Sounds great, Jinmyo, but perhaps too much of a muchness?

Oh yes. I was just talking about the tuna tartare, not making a recommendation for the menu.

Sorry for any confusion.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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But he's already using cucumber in a salad alongside the steak, no?  Sounds great, Jinmyo, but perhaps too much of a muchness?

Oh yes. I was just talking about the tuna tartare, not making a recommendation for the menu.

Sorry for any confusion.

Has there been an "Asian-style" tuna tartare thread?

If not, shall I start one? (I'm very interested.)

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(I'm going to take a shot at tommy & Jin's tuna tartare suggestions but I'll wait until next week.  The thinly-sliced steak over the cucumber/onion salad is a must & I don't want to do many--if any--cucumbers in the starters.)

and for future reference, the tuna in the hollowed-out cucumber would most likely be eaten with chopsticks, whereas the tuna on a cucumber slice could be passed as hors d'oeurve.

can you take pics? this is exciting.

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(I'm going to take a shot at tommy & Jin's tuna tartare suggestions but I'll wait until next week.

Wait 2 weeks and we'll do it together. I've been getting the best tuna lately.

Please give us some info on the wine/drinks.

Two weeks & tuna tartare sounds like a great idea. :smile:

As far as wine . . .

I'm thinking Cava, Riesling, Gewurtz, Gruner, Beaujalois, Rose as possibilities. (Edit: And port for dessert.)

Suggestions?

Edited by MatthewB (log)
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Slightly OT, as in not thematic for this meal, but if Thrill of the Grill is the one with the green cover, the grilled zucchini with honey-jalepeno dressing is very tasty.

You're being much too modest. This is spot on since I'm going to the farmer's market tomorrow. :biggrin:

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Peach panna cotta.

Peach and buttermilk ice cream.

Sliced poundcake, topped with caramelized peaches, spiced simple syrup (simple syrup, star anise, white pepper) and shaved white chocolate

Caramelized peaches tossed with fresh berries, served over mascarpone, splash of light cream or cassis.

Peach, kumquat and Champagne fruit soup.

Want me to continue? :laugh:

Soba

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As far as wine . . .

I'm thinking Cava, Riesling, Gewurtz, Gruner, Beaujalois, Rose as possibilities.  (Edit:  And port for dessert.)

Suggestions?

The Alsatian Gewurz I had last night matched surprisingly well with the oxtails, I think it would go well with the skirt/flank steak. I've been having some Cab. Sauv. roses from Bordeaux which would also go well (serve it cool, around 55 degrees, not cold. Beaujalois (chilled slightly) was my original idea. I think Gruner goes better with seafood.

Mmmmm, port.

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But he's already using cucumber in a salad alongside the steak, no?  Sounds great, Jinmyo, but perhaps too much of a muchness?

Oh yes. I was just talking about the tuna tartare, not making a recommendation for the menu.

Sorry for any confusion.

Has there been an "Asian-style" tuna tartare thread?

If not, shall I start one? (I'm very interested.)

By all means, do.

I've started thinking about my menus for Rosh Hashanna (after all, it's in 7 weeks) and I was toying with the idea of gravlax as a starter. After this thread, I leaning towards a tuna tartare. I want suggestions as well. :smile:

"Some people see a sheet of seaweed and want to be wrapped in it. I want to see it around a piece of fish."-- William Grimes

"People are bastard-coated bastards, with bastard filling." - Dr. Cox on Scrubs

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Farmer's market dictated gazpacho. The "hippie" CSA has tomatoes now & they're lovely.

Starters: Guajolote's gazpacho & Jayme's tortilla de papata with a reserva fino sherry & Cava (in case the guests don't like the fino)

Main: As above with Alsatian Gewurztraminer

Dessert: As above with port

Most of the early prep is finished. I'll report more later or tomorrow. (There's enough wine that I think I'll post tomorrow. :biggrin: )

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Just pour lots of wine and your guests will have a hazy recollection that you are one helluva cook.

That's what I do.

Noise is music. All else is food.

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Thanks again everyone for all the help & suggestions.

I've more recipes to try than last night's dinner would allow. (Guajolote & I will be making tuna tartare in two weeks. :biggrin: )

The dinner went quite well. Actually, very well as we had great guests!

I was disappointed that I didn't think better about serving that stir-fried rice recipe with the beef & cucumber salad. The stir-fried rice recipe is much too savoury to accompany the other dish. :sad: Brain-fart.

My mistake was make up for slightly as my SO noted that the tortilla de patata was, "Just like I used to eat in Spain." (And that was before the mismatched entree horror.)

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