eG Foodblog: Anna N - Thirteen Steps to Dinner

[Smithy]

Well breakfast might have been a bit questionable so I made up for it with lunch:

No, it is not a usual lunch for me but I wanted to try out a recipe for tonight's appetizer - shrimp in a spicy sauce.  It needed some beer and it seemed a darn shame to waste the remainder!

I made some ice cream this morning - a new flavour for us - lemon and it is very good.  I am always amazed at how flavours change when you combine them with other things - naive I suppose - but always a surprise to me.

The ice cream maker was one of those appliances that I just HAD TO HAVE.  All the time I lusted after it, I also suspected that I would use it initially and then it would collect dust on the shelf.  Far from it.  It has been mine for close to two years now and is used at least twice a month and often weekly.  We love trying out new ice cream flavours and have quite a collection of favourites now.

That's about it for now - need to get back to work and do some housecleaning before dinner tonight.  It may be just the two of us but I still insist that the house looks as decent as it would if we were having company.

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At last, I have a new excuse for beer at lunch time!

I too love my ice cream maker. I don't use it as often as I'd like because I'm the only ice cream eater in the house (and I shouldn't eat it too often). Still, it's great fun and the results are very rewarding - especially when the stone fruits are available. How did you make the lemon ice cream? I haven't tried that.

[bloviatrix]

Oooo, lemon ice cream. I love lemon ice cream.

[Anna N]

Well breakfast might have been a bit questionable so I made up for it with lunch:

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At last, I have a new excuse for beer at lunch time!

I too love my ice cream maker. I don't use it as often as I'd like because I'm the only ice cream eater in the house (and I shouldn't eat it too often). Still, it's great fun and the results are very rewarding - especially when the stone fruits are available. How did you make the lemon ice cream? I haven't tried that.

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If you need more excuses for beer at lunch, I have a book full of them - it's too hot, it's too cold, I'm too tired, the sun is shining, the sun isn't shining, the sun is over the yardarm - somewhere in the world........................

The lemon ice cream was made quite differently than any I have tried before. You mix lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar together and then heat until the sugar is melted. You add this (once cooled) to a mix of milk and heavy cream and then churn. Miss Jess got to "lick the bowl". Man she was one happy camper. She loves anything that is as much sour as sweet.

[handmc]

I have really enjoyed this week. I dare say I am intimidated by some of the dishes I have seen rolled out on the blogs. This week was comforting and everything looked yummy.

The Friday night plan, I wish I had thought of that! Now if I can only get my "phone junky" wife to unplug the thing

Thanks for bringing us into your home

[Smithy]

If you need more excuses for beer at lunch, I have a book full of them - it's too hot, it's too cold, I'm too tired, the sun is shining, the sun isn't shining, the sun is over the yardarm - somewhere in the world........................

The lemon ice cream was made quite differently than any I have tried before.  You mix lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar together and then heat until the sugar is melted.  You add this (once cooled) to a mix of milk and heavy cream and then churn.  Miss Jess got to "lick the bowl".  Man she was one happy camper.  She loves anything that is as much sour as sweet.

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WowWowWow that ice cream sounds good! No eggs? Any chance of telling the proportions of juice to sugar to dairy, or would that be giving away a recipe?

Has Miss Jess discovered lemon curd yet? I bet she'd love it. How about lemon meringue pie?

Any finally, thank you for even more excuses...yep, it's really wet outside today, and going to be cold tonight. Hauling wood is thirsty work!

[Lexica]

The lemon ice cream was made quite differently than any I have tried before.  You mix lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar together and then heat until the sugar is melted.  You add this (once cooled) to a mix of milk and heavy cream and then churn.  Miss Jess got to "lick the bowl".  Man she was one happy camper.  She loves anything that is as much sour as sweet.

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Ooh, that sounds good. I love sour things (as a child, I would peel lemons and eat them segment by segment). Since we don't have an ice cream freezer, it'll have to be Monkey's sorbet in a sack technique. (Hey now - I just realized that I actually have all these ingredients on hand.)

I'd love to know more about the cauliflower casserole, too.

[Susan in FL]

Anna, I was away for two days and one of the things I looked forward to the most when getting home was catching up on your blog. I am enjoying it so much, and if I posted my comments and compliments each time I thought them, I would be flooding the thread!

I love your presentations and your traditions. You write it well, and the great photos somehow show how good-tasting your food is.

I also loved your comment about doing some housecleaning before your dinner tonight because you insist that the house looks as decent for the two of you as it would if you were having company. I'm the same way, and for the candles and table settings, etc., too. Isn't it a wonderful advantage of an empty nest?! I must say I don't get the house as cleaned up as I would like on the days I work, but my intentions are there.

Oh yeah, and speaking of the Scandanavians and potatoes, do you ever make Hasselback potatoes?

[snowangel]

Could you elaborate more on the spicy shrimp?

[Smithy]

Here we all are, peppering Anna with questions, and she has the telephone unplugged for the evening! Imagine the flood of questions she'll have by morning!

Edited to add: but I too think the Friday evening tradition is an excellent idea.

Edited October 22, 2004 by Smithy (log)

[Fritz Brenner]

it *is* a great blog, AnnaN. i love reading about the danish food, i'm of swedish origin, and ithe scandinavian flavors remind me of my grandmother.

two totally off-topic things: did i notice an IKEA Poang chair in the background of one of your photos? we've got one too, and i love it.

more importantly: i've always loved your avatar. you may have shared its origin elsewhere, but if you felt like sharing again, i'd love it.

thanks for blogging.

[Dian]

Does the Dane just hate lunch, or is he a small eater? Does he eat breakfast? I can't imagine not taking much breakfast or lunch!

ooh, and I second the request for the background on the avatar.

Edited October 23, 2004 by Dian (log)

[BettyK]

Anna, I'm really enjoying your blog. Thanks for sharing your week with us.

Miss Jessica looks a lot like her grandma.

[Anna N]

Good morning! First, let me say that I WILL answer all of your questions in due time but I have to get my priorities straight this morning. There is a garage sale starting at 7:00 AM and I intend to be there.

Dinner last night was very simple: a shrimp appetizer, steak with a Caesar salad and home made lemon ice cream.

This oven-cooked bacon for the salad looked so good that I just had to show you. I love cooking bacon this way because it needs so little attention, the splatters are confined to my self-cleaning oven and it always cooks more evenly than on the stove top.

We had a pre-dinner drink. This stuff is more precious than gold because we can only get it when someone is willing to bring it back from Denmark. My brother-in-law used to send us a bottle occasionally but he died a year or so ago. It is truly an aquired taste. The first time I took a sip I cursed and called it "swamp water" and spit it out! It has a somewhat medicinal taste that I think brackish swamp water would taste like if I were to try it. Unfortunately, I have acquired the taste.

The Gammeldansk was followed by an appetizer of spicy shrimp washed down with a cold beer. We usually eat our appetizer and dessert at the coffee table.

Then we move to the dining table for the main course. The Dane's contribution to dinner? The candles, the candlesticks and the Caesar. The "steak" was a joint affair. It was really a tiny prime-rib roast about 3 inches thick. We usually go for one that is closer to 2 inches thick so we consulted on how to cook this baby. We settled on putting it on the BBQ, searing both sides for 3 mins each and then moving it over to other side of the BBQ with the heat off and letting it bake until it reached 120F. Not bad for a couple of novices I think.

We are heretics to wine lovers. We don't really know the first thing about "good" wine and we are not fans of red wine. This is a home-made white - the Dane and my daughter make all our wine and it suits our palate and most of all, our budget!

Here's a closeup. There was plenty leftover and it will make some yummy lunches. Bloggers must surely be allowed a bit of bragging and I want to point out the only expensive table ware we own - the black-handled cutlery is by Georg Jensen and we purchased it on a trip to Denmark. Nothing too remarkable about that BUT when we came to pay for it, our charge card was refused. We were so embarrassed! But Christian, my much mourned BIL, paid for it and we were able later to sort out the mess and repay him.

Back to the coffee table for dessert - the lemon ice cream. This was amazingly creamy considering that it did not have a custard base.

After the sale I will start answering all your questions.

[Anna N]

WowWowWow that ice cream sounds good!  No eggs?  Any chance of telling the proportions of juice to sugar to dairy, or would that be giving away a recipe?

Has Miss Jess discovered lemon curd yet?  I bet she'd love it.  How about lemon meringue pie? 

Any finally, thank you for even more excuses...yep, it's really wet outside today, and going to be cold tonight.  Hauling wood is thirsty work! 

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Hey we share here! The proportions for the ice cream are as follows:

(I halved the proportions for my batch as I only have a 1 quart ice cream maker and these proportions will make 1.5 quarts)

1/4 cup very finely grated lemon zest

2/3 cup lemon juice - freshly squeezed is best

2 cups superfine sugar (I used ordinary table sugar)

3 cups well-chilled heavy cream (I used 35% whipping cream)

1 cup whole milk

1/4 t salt

Whisk the first 3 ingredients together in a saucepan and cook over mod. heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves - takes about 10 mins depending on how high you have the burner. Let cool completely. Whisk together the remaining ingredients and keep them chilled. Add the cooled sugar/lemon syrup to the milk mixture stir well. Put into ice cream maker and churn away.

You know I have not had lemon curd since I left England and I used to just love it. Have never made it but lemon curd tarts are beginning to sound like a must-do!

Used to make lemon meringue pie frequently but have been a very poor pastry maker and always suffered from weepy meringue - guess I lost my confidence - recently have turned to lime pie in a graham cracker crust instead.

[Anna N]

I'd love to know more about the cauliflower casserole, too.

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I have posted the ice cream recipe in another reply. The cauliflower casserole is really easy.

Steam bite-sized florets from a head of cauliflower for 10 minutes. Put them in an oven-proof casserole. Make a cheese sauce by sauteeing some chopped onion in butter until just softened, add flour and cook briefly but don't let it colour very much, add hot milk and make a white sauce which will coat a spoon, add some old cheddar cheese, some mustard powder, salt and pepper and cook until the cheese melts then pour over the cauliflower. Mix together some bread crumbs (fresh is best but dry will work) some grated parmesan and some chopped parsley, and sprinkle over the top. Bake at 400F until bubbly and the top is golden brown - about 15-20 mins. I find I have to put some foil on top at the halfway point else it browns too much before it is good and hot all through.

(If you need more than this then PM me and I will try to help.)

[Anna N]

Could you elaborate more on the spicy shrimp?

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I am betting that any of our New Orleans crew can do better but here's mine:

Make up a seasoning mixture of 1 tsp cayenne, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp each of salt, crushed red pepper, dried thyme and dried rosemary and 1/8 tsp of dried oregano.

For 2 as a main or 4 as an appetizer you need 24 large shrimp with shells. (I used quite small shrimp because they are less expensive!)

Melt 4 ozs of butter in a large saute pan and add about 1 1/2 tsp of minced garlic, a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, and the seasoning mix. Add the shrimp (in their shells) and cook for about 2 mins. (The original recipe suggested that you shake the pan back and forth rather than doing any stirring to keep the oil in the butter from separating - didn't work well for me!) Add another 5 TBS butter, 1/2 cup fish stock (I used chicken stock) and 1/4 cup beer and cook for another couple of minutes until the shrimp are just cooked. Serve with thick slices of fresh bread or you can also serve it over rice. This is VERY spicy but good. Make sure you have lots of napkins or even better, damp face cloths for each person as this is a messy dish to eat.

[Anna N]

Anna, I was away for two days and one of the things I looked forward to the most when getting home was catching up on your blog.  I am enjoying it so much, and if I posted my comments and compliments each time I thought them, I would be flooding the thread!

I love your presentations and your traditions.  You write it well, and the great photos somehow show how good-tasting your food is.

I also loved your comment about doing some housecleaning before your dinner tonight because you insist that the house looks as decent for the two of you as it would if you were having company.  I'm the same way, and for the candles and table settings, etc., too.  Isn't it a wonderful advantage of an empty nest?!    I must say I don't get the house as cleaned up as I would like on the days I work, but my intentions are there. 

Oh yeah, and speaking of the Scandanavians and potatoes, do you ever make Hasselback potatoes?

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Thank you, Susan in FL (and I realize that I called you Suzanne in a previous post - sorry) I have made Hasselback potatoes with various results none of which ever seemed quite right. But I am willing to learn! I recall being impressed by one technique for cutting the potatoes using a chopstick on either side so you did not cut all the way through - as you can tell, I am easily impressed!

[Anna N]

Breakfast this morning, Saturday, was a cheese croissant from Tim Horton's when we stopped racing between garage sales.

Lunch was leftover steak on toast with a side of pickled beets and a cold beer:

Still trying to answer all your questions and acknowledge all your kindnesses in between trying to organize dinner for tonight which I must cook at my daughter's home and dinner for tomorrow which I will start here but will be finished at her home and doing the usual things that Saturday inevitably involves AND feeling guilty because I should also be editing - guess it will be a very early rising tomorrow.

Edited October 24, 2004 by Anna N (log)

[little ms foodie]

I also really like the cool shaped dishes! Nice work Anna.

I make hasselback potatoes by putting each potatoe in the bowl of a wooden spoon and slicing so that the cut doesn't go all the way through. I like the idea of the two chopsticks too!

Mmmm, I love those potatoes!

[Anna N]

it *is* a great blog, AnnaN.  i love reading about the danish food, i'm of swedish origin, and ithe scandinavian flavors remind me of my grandmother. 

two totally off-topic things:  did i notice an IKEA Poang chair in the background of one of your photos?  we've got one too, and i love it. 

more importantly: i've always loved your avatar.  you may have shared its origin elsewhere, but if you felt like sharing again, i'd love it. 

thanks for blogging. 

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Thanks! Yes that is a Poang chair and is one of two we own and love. There is just something about modern Scandinavian design that we have always loved. Its simplicity and attention to form and function. Most of our furniture is teak and modern Scandinavian in design. Imagine my surprise, therefore, when we visited relatives in Denmark and were confronted with much more traditional, almost antique, furniture! I was expecting to walk into an Ikea home - not so. Nor did we find much traditional Danish food being served except to please us. It seems the Danes make much healthier choices than the ex-pats.

The avatar - now that really was a secret but what the heck - you all share so well... No way I can keep this on topic so I will try to make it brief. I was waiting outside the R.C.A.F. recruiting office on my 18th birthday to enlist. That photo is my graduation photo from R.C.A.F. Station Clinton - had graduated at the top of my class as a Fighter Control Operator. I thought I was looking proud and patriotic but everyone says I look mad as hell.

[Jinmyo]

Lunch was leftover steak on toast with a side of pickled beets and a cold beer:

Nice.

Wait... What's that tingling?

I sense skinless/boneless chicken breasts somewhere on this thread.

Still, a nice lunch and a good blog, Anna.

[Fritz Brenner]

The avatar - now that really was a secret but what the heck - you all share so well...  No way I can keep this on topic so I will try to make it brief.  I was waiting outside the R.C.A.F. recruiting office on my 18th birthday to enlist.  That photo is my graduation photo from R.C.A.F. Station Clinton - had graduated at the top of my class as a Fighter Control Operator.  I thought I was looking proud and patriotic but everyone says I look mad as hell.

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thanks for sharing your secret!! and it's a cool background story too.

[Anna N]

Preparing even the simplest meal in someone else's kitchen is always a challenge. Even though I know my daughter's kitchen almost as well as my own, it still manages to make me feel as though I am working with one hand tied behind my back! Saturday night's dinner was a simple as they get - roasted pepper and sausage salad. It required no more than roasting some peppers on the BBQ, grilling some sausages, making a simple dressing and assembling the dish. BUT, she owns two cats and has a new puppy. The cats are house cats but one is a major escape artist and the dog is still being civilized and can't be trusted not to wolf down your dinner if given the slightest opportunity. So, it is a matter of keeping the dog out, the cats in and Miss Jess amused while getting dinner organized.

The only thing I added to complete the meal was some garlic bread toasted on the BBQ and the leftover apple cake for dessert for The Dane and me and lemon ice cream for Miss Jess.

I asked The Dane to take the photo of the salad. It looks as though it is just one serving on account of the knife and fork but really it served three of us with leftovers!

It is hard to find veggies that The Dane will eat but roasted peppers are one of his favourites so this dish is always a hit with him.

Edited October 24, 2004 by Anna N (log)

[Susan in FL]

Mmmm, roasted red pepper and sausage salad... Sounds delicious and I wouldn't have thought of that. Did you make a basic oil and vinegar type dressing? That is now on my list of things to make, thanks.

P.S. No problem on calling me Suzanne. I am called many things, and answer to most of them. It was nice of you to attend to that, though.

[Anna N]

Bear with me, please. It has been a rough Sunday. At about 11:30 this morning Miss Jess was rushed to emerg. She had swallowed a very large heart pendant that had stuck partway down her throat. By the time they reached the hospital it had worked its way down and her breathing returned to normal but it is now lodged in the stomach. The xrays show that it is at the exit of the stomach - one doctor says that it cannot make its way into the small bowel but specialists at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto made some measurements and believe it could pass through - so it's a watch and wait now to see what happens. She is home and seems OK but it will be very worriesome until she either passes it or they have to go in and take it out. This is not a charm but a large and very heavy silver coloured heart - three dimensional - just like a small heart but about one inch high and one inch wide - VERY BIG. It is smooth - that's the good thing. I am very concerned because no one knows its composition so it could release toxins, I would think.

Today was the day to celebrate Miss Jess's 5th birthday and Crystal's 6th birthday and we somehow managed to resume the celebrations after Miss Jess returned from the hospital. To assure you she is in good spirits, she burst into the house and announced, "Nana! My heart in my stomach!" Mine is still in my mouth.