Help me with a dinner menu?

[guajolote]

After the success of MatthewB's thread last week, I thought we'd try this again.

Next weekend I'm visiting my parents in Grand Rapids, MI. Matthew and I thought it would be fun to make dinner together. We'd like some help with the menu.

We need ideas for:

-A nice refreshing summer cocktail

-First Course is going to be tuna tartar. I'm going to try to get some Wasabi Caviar to serve with this.

-shellfish course

-salad

-A meat dish. I was thinking of getting a boneless pork rack, which is the meat from baby back ribs cut into a roast. If you have other suggestions that's great.

-Vegetable

-Starch

-Dessert

Wine pairings would also be great. My Dad is in charge of drinks so price is no object

Matthew is going to get the fruit and vegetables from the Farmer's Market. Things currently in season here in the Midwest are tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, corn , new potatoes, beets, greens (not lettuces really), summer squashes, eggplant, peppers, peaches, plums, blueberries, and probably lots of other things.

Thanks.

[MatthewB]

:pssssttttt:

G, ya gotta sound more confused & helpless. Like me.

[tanabutler]

We need ideas for:

-A nice refreshing summer cocktail

Introduce them to the most refreshing cocktail I've ever had: the mojito.

Rum, lime, simple syrup (or you can use Splenda—it dissolves so nicely), and a splash of soda water (I use the lime soda water, myself, I sometimes add Rose's lime juice).

They're the best.

[guajolote]

Mojitos are great, but an egullet original cocktail would be nice. Beans?

I also have to say that I prefer Pisco Sours and Caiparinhas to a mojito.

Matthew, I'm attributing the lack of responses to the power outage.

[MatthewB]

Matthew, I'm attributing the lack of responses to the power outage.

I just realized that with Aurora's post.

I'm sorry if I sold you short. Never again! (Einmal ist keinmal.)

[tanabutler]

Green beans with basil and lemon.

Corn on the cob.

Paula Dean's Peach Cobbler: five ingredients. Melt butter in deep dish pan, add batter to butter, add cooked peaches to batter. Poof, cobbler!

Otherwise, Peach-Plum Clafouti: foolproof. Butter pan, add chop uncooked fruit, top with batter, ground almonds and brown sugar.

[MatthewB]

Unoriginal drinks: Negronis, Bellinis.

(Good idea. I'm going home soon & I'll mix up a Negroni! )

[vengroff]

A nice refreshing summer cocktail

Vodka Collins

First Course is going to be tuna tartar. I'm going to try to get some Wasabi Caviar to serve with this.

Yum.

shellfish course

Chilled dungeness crab with aioli. A crab cocktail is another option, but probably not after the wasabi in the previous course.

salad

Composed salad of diced veggies, featuring e.g. corn kernels, tomato, green beans and others you listed.

A meat dish. I was thinking of getting a boneless pork rack, which is the meat from baby back ribs cut into a roast.

Sounds good to me.

vegetable

Whatever looks good at the market and doesn't end up in the salad.

Starch

Soft polenta, with slices of your pork roast piled on top.

Dessert

Blueberry cobbler and/or homemade peach ice cream.

[maggiethecat]

-A nice refreshing summer cocktail

Three ounces Scotch, three ice cubes, splash of soda. I want one now.

[guajolote]

Unoriginal drinks:  Negronis, Bellinis.

(Good idea.  I'm going home soon & I'll mix up a Negroni!  )

NO GIN

[MatthewB]

Unoriginal drinks:  Negronis, Bellinis.

(Good idea.  I'm going home soon & I'll mix up a Negroni! )

NO GIN

No gin?

[guajolote]

-A nice refreshing summer cocktail

Three ounces Scotch, three ice cubes, splash of soda. I want one now.

3 oz.

I like that

[tanabutler]

NO GIN 

Heeheeheeheeheeheehee.

I agree. It's like drinking a bottle of perfume.

[guajolote]

Unoriginal drinks:  Negronis, Bellinis.

(Good idea.  I'm going home soon & I'll mix up a Negroni! )

NO GIN

No gin?

Too many Singapore Slings in college. At Dominicks in Ann Arbor. I can still smell a juniper bush from 50 yds.

[MatthewB]

Bombay & Beefeater's & Plymouth are out even?

[guajolote]

Bombay & Beefeater's & Plymouth are out even? 

NO GIN

[maggiethecat]

Bombay & Beefeater's & Plymouth are out even? 

I keep telling you peeps: Seagrams. Six ounces, six ice cubes, 2 oz. tonic water.

Now.

[MatthewB]

:zips lips:

Edited August 15, 2003 by MatthewB (log)

[Jaymes]

The best refreshing summer drinks:

Peach Sangria (recipe in archives)

Lemonade with Amaretto

"Red & White," - 1 part red vermouth; 1 part white vermouth, shaken with ice, strained into martini glass, one slice of lemon dropped in.

Bourbon Slush - 5 regular-size teabags; 1 12-oz can frozen lemonade; 2 C boiling water, 1 6-oz can frozen OJ; 1 C sugar; 2 C bourbon; 5 C water. Let tea steep in boiling water until good and strong. Add all remaining ingredients and freeze for at least 24 hours, stirring as often as is practical. To serve, fill glasses half-full with slush and top off with Squirt. (You can use 7Up or Sprite or ginger ale, but Squirt is best.)

Mint Juleps. Served in frosted silver julep cups.

[Varmint]

Bourbon Slush - 5 regular-size teabags; 1 12-oz can frozen lemonade; 2 C boiling water, 1 6-oz can frozen OJ; 1 C sugar; 2 C bourbon; 5 C water.  Let tea steep in boiling water until good and strong.  Add all remaining ingredients and freeze for at least 24 hours, stirring as often as is practical.  To serve, fill glasses half-full with slush and top off with Squirt.  (You can use 7Up or Sprite or ginger ale, but Squirt is best.)

Jaymes, I'll buy the ingredients if you make this for the pig pickin'. Mmmmmm. Tea .......... bourbon ............ citrus .............. pig.

[Jaymes]

Varmint - I'd love to - and it'd be a smash hit, I'll tell you - it always is!

Except that I'm gonna be on the road, so it'd be difficult for me to tote frozen ingredients.

I'm bringing beans and salsa and an egg dish, but I've got that worked out.

I'm just not sure how to manage the frozen slush.

Why don't you give it a try now and see if you like it. Which you will of course. That slush keeps in your freezer for a long time, so you can have a little drink each evening for a while after you make it. It's nice and handy!

And -

Since you're in Bourbon country - here are two more for you to try:

Bourbon Fog: 1 qt strong coffee, chilled; 1 qt Bourbon, chilled; 1 qt vanilla ice cream. Combine all and serve.

And then there's my grandmothers punch recipe:

Sugar's Bourbon Punch: 1 "Fifth" of good-quality Bourbon; 1 12-oz can frozen lemonade concentrate; 2 qts club soda, chilled. Put the bourbon in the freezer to get it really cold. Then combine all ingredients in punchbowl. Serve over ice cubes.

This is pretty strong - Grammy never DID like a lot of fruit in her punch.

[Toliver]

NO GIN 

Heeheeheeheeheeheehee.

I agree. It's like drinking a bottle of perfume.

Girl, you are drinking the wrong kind of gin!

Yes, there is the perfumey gin (Tanqueray) which is good with tonics.

Then there's the King of Gins, Bombay Sapphire, which has no perfume whatsoever and makes the best martinis. Smoooooooooooooooth, it is! Call it a "Stealth" gin, it's so subtle.

If you're ever in San Diego's Gaslamp district, go to the bar in Croce's and ask for a Sapphire martini with their garlic-marinated jumbo-sized olives. It's not just a martini, it's a meal!

As for guajolote's shindig,

Shellfish course: Shrimp Scampi but with lime instead of lemon and cilantro instead of parsley. Could also add diced hot chiles depending on whether the guests are chileheads or not. Perhaps adding a shot of tequila, too. Sliced baguette on the side to help sop up the buttery garlic-chile sauce.

[MatthewB]

Opening drinks: Fish House Punch?

[guajolote]

All right, let's forget the drinks and focus on the food. I do like Jaymes' drinks which are measured by the quart though

[tanabutler]

I did suggest some food upthread, FWIW.

Right after I posted that, I went into our garden and came in with a fistful of perfect green beans. They're going to be dinner tonight, along with marinated chicken breasts and, hmmmmmm, not sure what else. My hubbie is at the 49ers/Oakland game with his offspring, so I'm batching it.