Dinner! 2002

[Adam Balic]

Adam,

Care to divulge your method for green papaya salad?

Sure.

Shred green papaya on mandolin, pace in bowl with lime juiceand pinch of salt. Shred carrot on madolin, make ultra fine slices of red cabbage and red pepper (those long thin pointy ones from Tescos are best, but otherwise bell pepper). Mix papya with other veg. try to get more papya then other ingredients. Use only a tiny amount of red cabbage, as it has a flavour that over powers the papaya, its main role is to colour the papaya pink. Mix in coriander, mint and Holy basil leaves (not to much of the latter). Dress with lime juice/chinese black vinegar, fish sauce and palm sugar to taste (plus salt). Spinkle with crushed roasted peanuts. I don't add oil to this salad, but you could add a few drops of toasted seasame oil I guess.

Papaya should be in lime juice (just enough to coat) for about 15 minutes to wilt/softed slightly. Other veg, added at end to prevent wilting.

[SobaAddict70]

Taking a break from other threads, and while eating:

Tonight (Monday):

Spicy carrot potage: sauteed onions and leeks in unsalted butter, added sliced carrots, and a medium peeled red-skinned potato. Homemade chicken stock. Simmered for a bit, pureed in a blender. Returned to pot, added heavy cream, salt and pepper, garam masala, a T. of orange blossom honey. Simmered for a few minutes. Topped with slices of roasted carrot which had been tossed with a little honey and a splash of orange flower water.

A baguette, a green salad (assorted greens, sliced tomatoes, red onion rings) w/ a white wine viniagrette.

Iced green tea w/ honey and lemon.

Later on: Orange sections macerated in simple syrup and a splash of limoncello.

SA

[Jinmyo]

Beet and tomato bisque.

Wilted beet green and chevre salad.

Leek risotto (carnaroli rice of course of course) topped with young gai lan (Chinese broccoli) chopped and sauteed in butter.

Pork back ribs with a chipotle sauce.

Grated celery root, green cabbage, and onion coleslaw with a Dijon and fresh mayonaisse dressing.

[pnapoli]

carrot-ginger soup & cumin-rubbed steelhead on bed of chorizo-spiked black beans

[FoodMan]

Tonight it was Indian dinner courtesy of Suvir. I tried his Murgh Korma recipe served with some steamed rice (was out of Basmati) and Urud Dahl. It was superb, thick and creamy like some sort of white curry. The combination of the spices ,aromatics and yogurt was fantastic.

Dessert : Julia Child's Tart Tatin

FM

[Liza]

Miso broth with fresh clams, scallops, flounder roe and scallions.

[Jinmyo]

Liza, great.

Chawan-mushi (lobster meat in custard).

Chopped chicken heart and shitake gyoza (fried dumplings) with a dipping sauce of shoyu, ponzu, and sake with a grilled shrimp hanging over the eadge of the dipping bowl.

Grilled sardines with much ginger in the cavity, a shoyu glaze and bits of very coarse sea salt and lemon zest.

Gohan (Japanese white rice) with toasted nori.

Salad of a brunoise of blanched dai gai choy with scallions and chiles in iceburg lettuce cups.

[Belmont3]

Foie Gras and black truffle in a ravioli, cooked in veg stock, plated with a Port/Truffle/Veal Reduction Sauce, finished with a Pinot soaked Morel mushroom and a parsley infused truffle oil

[SobaAddict70]

Jin,

for the sardines, how much ginger in the cavity?

the gohan with nori sounds great. method please?

thanx,

SA

[Suzanne F]

Could not eat dinner Sunday night -- still sated by brunch at Bistro Bis in DC.

But Monday: Tom Yam Shrimp -- first made shrimp stock with shells, then added a couple of Knorr Tom Yam cubes (as already discussed). Added to broth: julienned shiitakes, tiger shrimp, snow peas, celery (a mistake ), mung bean sprouts, scallions, udon noodles. Garnished with fried red onions (bought), fresh mint and cilantro, lemon wedges. At table, added a teeny tiny touch of Lingham's Chilli Sauce.

Mixed green salad with cucumber, creamy garlic/tarragon dressing.

Dr. Konstantin Frank Johannisberg Riesling.

[Jinmyo]

Jin,

for the sardines, how much ginger in the cavity?

the gohan with nori sounds great.  method please?

thanx,

SA

Soba,

Oh, I don't know. About a tablespoon.

Just rice in a white bowl on a square white plate with sheets of toasted nori next to it on the plate.

[SobaAddict70]

grated or sliced ginger? thanks. will probably try to dupe it at home.

SA

[Jinmyo]

Soba, long julliene slices. You're welcome. Mmmm, sardines.

Kikujiro, so sorry.

Edited December 11, 2002 by Jinmyo (log)

[Belmont3]

Liza, Thanks, I will follow that up with a purple sticky rice cake, topped with salmon gravlax in a wasabi creme fraiche, sitting on a bed of julienned cucumber, that has marinaited in rice wine vinegar

[Adam Balic]

Green Papaya and soba noodle salad (other half of fruit from previous menu) with carrot, cucumber and red cabbage. All mandolined except for the red cabbage. Cucumber shredded as slightly thicker setting.

Served with Vietnamese beef grilled in mint leaves.

[torakris]

Dinners in the US haven't been as exciting as I was hoping.

Maybe once I get all of my shopping out of the way I can concentrate on food.

It is also not easy feeding 7 kids and 6 adults, 2 of the adults are just as picky as the kids and my brother doesn't eat beef or pork!

The past 2 nights have been request nights,

Monday (at my sister's 4 year old's request)

sweet and sour chicken

salad

Tuesday (at my sister's 9 year old's request)

bourbon chicken (just like at the mall!)

tortillas, shredded romaine lettuce and julienned scallions for rolling

jasmine rice

cucumber and red pepper salad

boiled corn with butter (had to get some veggies in the kids somehow!)

Tonite we are all going out to Chuck E Cheese (sp?)

Yum,Yum can't wait!!!

[SobaAddict70]

Tuesday: broiled chicken breasts (marinated in garlic, yogurt, zaatar and a little garam masala). lemon rice. plum chatni. cauliflower, tomato and paneer with spiced yogurt sauce. Cinnamon lassi.

SA

[Suzanne F]

Oh, Kristin, talk about culture shock. You have my deepest sympathy!!

But if it makes you feel any better, last night we ate:

Tuna salad sandwiches (with grated carrot and a touch of curry powder) with romaine on whole wheat (me) or 7-grain (Paul)

Canned pasta è fagiole, doctored with roasted garlic purée and freshly grated parmesan and romano.

[Jinmyo]

Yukon gold roasties (duck fat, butter) with fresh mayonaisse.

Spinach sauteed in butter with just-cracked walnuts and dried red chile.

Thick grilled pork chops with a chipotle paste.

Tuiles topped with warm chevre with crushed toasted fennel seeds and snipped chives.

Wild mushroom consomme with strands of enoki mushrooms atop.

[Priscilla]

Last evening prepared Simon Majumdar's Bengali Fish Soup, which started with his mentioning in this Dungeness crab discussion a soup based on reserved crab shells, simmered with tomato and seasonings and strained. Which I did. What a heavenly smell during, too. (It also came up a little later in the tomato chutney discussion over in India.)

As per Simon, I used mackeral, and loads of fresh chopped cilantro at the end, as he indicates. Sizzled tadka/tarka garnish, chopped shallot, cloves, cardamom, red chili, stirred in right before serving. I added a timbale-shaped cone of cooked basmati in the middle of the soup plates, in the way Paul Prudhomme serves gumbo.

Just an incredible incredible dish, one of the best ever. Subtle seeming, but with ongoing, unfolding, neverending flavors. Without making too many too facile connections, this also puts me in mind of the best Louisianan cookery...every bite tastes different, and better, making one want to go on and on. Flavor layering, ingredients and seasonings added at different points along the way in the dish's preparation, is also a Paul Prudhommeism.

Can't wait to have another cracked crab dinner here during the season and start all over again.

[Toby]

Last evening prepared Simon Majumdar's Bengali Fish Soup....  Just an incredible incredible dish, one of the best ever.  Subtle seeming, but with ongoing, unfolding, neverending flavors.  Without making too many too facile connections, this also puts me in mind of the best Louisianan cookery...every bite tastes different, and better, making one want to go on and on.  Flavor layering, ingredients and seasonings added at different points along the way in the dish's preparation, is also a Paul Prudhommeism.

Priscilla, that's so interesting. I'd never thought of how Indian and Louisiana seasonings work in similar ways, but it's true. When I tasted Suvir's tomato chutney, there was the same sense of the flavors "dancing" on my palate. We cooked Prudhomme's barbequed shrimp over the weekend; the flavors are so alive that you never get bored with the taste as you eat. Thanks for giving the links to Simon's recipe. The dungeness crab don't taste the same on the east coast though. I guess I could use blue crab.

[Dana]

Speaking of Paul P., we went to New Orleans fora quick get-away this past weekend. Husband got the jambalya and it's so good, I could eat it for dessert!!! I got a Blackened LA Drum, and it was also delish. His mashed potatoes are so rich and yet so light. Acme Oyster house was also on tap for sluuuurrrppping down some fresh LA oysters. Our last meal was at Redfish Grill (Ralph Brennans'). Very disappionting for a Brennans. Fish overcooked and dry. Potatoes tasted reheated and the peas were VERY tired.

[GordonCooks]

Last night, the refrigerator declared "end of shelf-life" potluck.

4 oz of steak became Korean BBQ with spicy peanut sauce.

6 scallops became Sesame crusted Scallops in Ginger butter over pickled cucumber

1 piece of Salmon became Salmon Spring Rolls with Peas and Napa cabbage with Red Wine Gastrique

1 piece of Tuna became Tuna Steak with Citrus/Mirin Glaze

[bushey]

Steak frites, haricot verts and '99 Beaulieu Vineyards Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon.

[Basildog]

Todays lunch menu

LUNCH MENU

Feta Cheese,Cherry Tomato and Roast Aubergine Salad £4.15

Grilled Goats Cheese With Roasted Peppers £4.25

Seared Scallops with Bacon and Pesto £5.95

Fish Soup £4.95

Shredded Duck with Noodles and Hoisin Sauce £5.25

—————————————

Grilled Sea Bass with Gratinated Leek and Potatoes with Chive Butter Sauce £15.20

Red Mullet with Kale, Ginger and Soy with New Potatoes £13.50

Cod Baked with Sun Blush Tomatoes,Anchovies with Herb Mash £10.95

Corn Fed Chicken Breast wrapped in Parma Ham with Sauté Potatoes and Mustard Cream Sauce £10.95

Rack Of Lamb with Herb Crust and Rosemary Jus and Spring Onion Mash £12.75

———————

Walnut Ice Cream in a Brandy Snap Basket £3.95

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce £3.95

Choc Chip Bread and Butter Pudding £3.95

Carmelised Lemon Tart £3.95

Selection Of British Cheeses £4.95

———————————

Coffee or Tea with Petit Fours £1.95