What is your own personal "signature dish"?

[ruthcooks]

Since my ex worked in broadcasting, we moved a lot and over the years I entertained many starving young single DJs, news reporters and the like. This is the menu I developed for first time guests whose tastes I did not know.

The "little something" before dinner was not standard, but was usually something simple like smoked turkey pate or gougere puffs. Next came a salad course of wilted lettuce with bacon dressing, then chicken in a Dijon-cream-oyster mushroom sauce, rice souffle, green beans, and for dessert a Tart Normandy. The tart consisted of a butter pastry crust, a layer of sauteed apples with rum and apricot jam, covered with an almond-cream custard.

If picking a single recipe which everyone asks for, I'd choose my mashed potato casserole with loads of sour cream, parsley and green onions. It was inspired by a college foods course I took decades ago. Note: most people who love it and ask for the recipe don't make it, once they find out how much sour cream is involved.

[AzRaeL]

my signature dish would probably be Osso Bucco if you were important enough ;)

[TongoRad]

I do a lot of entertaining of family and friends so I actually have quite a few signature dishes. Invariably at gatherings the question will come up :"so, what kind of chili have you been making lately?" or wings, or something like that. It is usually an interesting topic of conversation but, interestingly, when I get requests for something to make it's not along those lines. I guess in reality they don't want me to hurt them

My most requested dish (probably because people consider it exotic-yet-familiar) is a Tajine of Rabbit with Lemons and Olives. I would make this as a featured part of a sort of pan-Mediterranean meal starting with cold antipasti, mezze and bread. The rabbit is served atop couscous and a family style serving of a veggie sauteed with garlic and EVOO (probably escarole). This is a great meal, winter, spring, summer, or fall.

[stephenc]

I make the best Chili in the Eastern United States.

[chef koo]

this is another one from my blog

http://chefkoo.blogspot.com/2004/08/my-cro...chievement.html

[mrsadm]

Tater Tots???

[Gifted Gourmet]

Tater Tots???

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aaaaaggggghhhh! You have stolen my "signature dish"! and on a public forum no less!

[cakewench]

I don't do dinner for other people very often, so I don't have a popular savoury dish. My husband, though, absolutely loves... my marinated salmon (marinade: ginger, garlic, soy sauce, some sort of fruit juice, peanut oil. variations may occur). I like it, too, but I think his zeal for it is explained by the fact that it is a 'new' taste to him. Simple marinades in that style are not popular in Germany.

I did recently discover a fantastic recipe for walnut-crusted turkey medallions, served with a mushroom-wine sauce. It was from a German chef's website. I made it for Christmas, and we both loved it. I would certainly make it again for a special occasion.

The dishes people ask me for regularly are cakes and cookies. I have a great recipe for Australian Anzac cookies, which has been made truly my own by the measuring mistakes I made the first time I baked them. (Anyone else know that Australian cups are about 1/4 c. more than American ones? Similar differences with the spoon sizes. I didn't, at that point. hah.) My version produces a very thin cookie, almost lattice-style. People rave over them, and have claimed that the cookies possess an addictive quality on par with certain illegal drugs. The requests are usually worded in format of "could you bring the Australian Crack cookies?"

[wattacetti]

The "signature" dish has somewhat depended on who walked in the door.

I'd like to say that it's the magret de canard and spiny lobster with pea shoots, squashed sweet potato and a ginger sauce. However, the one that people have consistently gushed over was the fresh pineapple I had cleaned/prepped by cutting diagonal spirals.

I had a university acquaintance who did serve me her signature dish of Shake 'n' Bake (barbecue recipe) chicken legs with Tater Tots.

[Ovenfrenzy]

I think my specialty is pizza. I've been making it for years but now I feel as though I really have a groove going, with my pizza stone. It makes a huge difference in the texture of the crust, giving it the brawny chewiness I want. Instead of mozzerella I use provolone for extra richness. No matter what the toppings are I always brush the cheese with a bit of garlic-infused olive oil.

I have had people stop by my house, who have just eaten their dinner, eat again when my pizza comes out of the oven. That says something to me!

[mrsadm]

Tater Tots???

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aaaaaggggghhhh! You have stolen my "signature dish"! and on a public forum no less!

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Sorry GG, I didn't know you did Tater Tots first!

Let's see. My second best specialty is either frozen pizza or Mrs. Smith's Onion Rings. Must decide.........

[sparrowgrass]

My family asks for slowcooked pork butt (stolen from the Maggie's Butt thread, from a year or so ago.) I use a dry rub--brown sugar, green chile powder, cumin, garlic, salt.

If you came in the spring, I would run out to the garden for some sparrowgrass (asparagus) and some eggs from the henhouse, and make a quiche. Could be some new potatoes ready to dig, and peas, too.

Summertime--to the garden again, for fresh 'maters and cukes. Maybe a salad dinner, with deviled eggs. Or maybe southern style green beans, cooked for an hour, with onions and garlic and some kinda smoked pig.

My dad always loved my chicken noodle soup--his mother taught me how to make egg noodles. If you needed some comfort, that's what I would make. My dad always sprinkled some nutmeg on his soup--I love it that way. (Cold and freezing here today--I think I just put chicken soup on the menu.)

No gourmet stuff here, just plain cooking.

[ghostrider]

A conversation with an old friend last night reminded me that I am still trailed by my signature dish from 20-30 years ago, a simple cold bean sprout salad.

In those years I was doing a lot of Chinese cooking & frequently hosted dinners for groups of friends. Amidst a changing mix of entrees, I always served the bean sprout salad - it was quick & simple to make and refreshing to eat. Decades later, folks have forgotten the various chow mai funs & twice-cooked porks & whatnot, but the bean sprout salad lives on in their memories, ever fresh & crunchy.

[markovitch]

for me, it depends which employer/friend is being demanding...

i have some friends who want the same thing, over and over....

shiso-risotto: japanese risotto made with sushi rice, a complex dashi with sake shiso herbs and as much kombu i can find; japanese eggplant, mushrooms, tofu and kabocha.

right before the finish, a healthy dose of akamiso with the last of the dashi and 2 oz. of organic Natto.

chiff some shiso leaf for garnish.

it's amazingly good. but be warned, if i see this on a menu anywhere, i'm coming into yer kitchen with guns blazing :)

[bleachboy]

I'm with some of the other n00bs. My "signature dishes" really don't qualify as "gourmet" but I have mastered and perfected them. So.

Roast chicken

Gumbo

Etouffee

Pot roast

Chili

Spaghetti sauce

Poached fish

Yeah, I'm not that great. But, hey, it's a start! One day I'll have mad skillz.

[andiesenji]

I don't do dinner for other people very often, so I don't have a popular savoury dish.  My husband, though, absolutely loves... my marinated salmon (marinade: ginger, garlic, soy sauce, some sort of fruit juice, peanut oil.  variations may occur).  I like it, too, but I think his zeal for it is explained by the fact that it is a 'new' taste to him.  Simple marinades in that style are not popular in Germany.

I did recently discover a fantastic recipe for walnut-crusted turkey medallions, served with a mushroom-wine sauce.  It was from a German chef's website.  I made it for Christmas, and we both loved it.  I would certainly make it again for a special occasion.

The dishes people ask me for regularly are cakes and cookies.  I have a great recipe for Australian Anzac cookies, which has been made truly my own by the measuring mistakes I made the first time I baked them.  (Anyone else know that Australian cups are about 1/4 c. more than American ones?  Similar differences with the spoon sizes.  I didn't, at that point.  hah.)  My version produces a very thin cookie, almost lattice-style.  People rave over them, and have claimed that the cookies possess an addictive quality on par with certain illegal drugs.  The requests are usually worded in format of "could you bring the Australian Crack cookies?"  

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I was fortunate in that my first experience with recipes from Australia were from the cookbooks published by the Australian Woman's Weekly and the inside back cover included all the conversion factors for U.K., America and OZ. 

However many of the recipes were by weight so I tended to avoid the ones measured by volume. 

Have you posted your recipe?

Edited January 15, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

[spaghetttti]

Actually, Gifted Gourmet, if you ever find yourself in Indonesia, it would be my honor and pleasure to welcome you to my home for a meal. My signature dish is probably soto ambon, chicken broth flavored and colored with turmeric, ginger, galangal, garlic, (the three g's), lemongrass and loads of spices. Served with rice, the add-ins and toppings were blanched bean sprouts, shredded chicken, glass noodles, quartered hard boiled eggs, chopped celery leaves, golden fried shallots, fried potato sticks, kecap manis and sambal, and tiny potato croquettes. A healthy squeeze of lemon cina , a really fragrant citrus, really brightens up the soup.

Since we are blessed with two seasons (rainy & dry), we have a wealth of frightfully freaky fresh fruits, so I'd invite you to try the wonderful mangoes & jambu air (rose apples) in a salad that I make often called rujak buah.

[cakewench]

I don't do dinner for other people very often, so I don't have a popular savoury dish.  My husband, though, absolutely loves... my marinated salmon (marinade: ginger, garlic, soy sauce, some sort of fruit juice, peanut oil.  variations may occur).  I like it, too, but I think his zeal for it is explained by the fact that it is a 'new' taste to him.  Simple marinades in that style are not popular in Germany.

I did recently discover a fantastic recipe for walnut-crusted turkey medallions, served with a mushroom-wine sauce.  It was from a German chef's website.  I made it for Christmas, and we both loved it.  I would certainly make it again for a special occasion.

The dishes people ask me for regularly are cakes and cookies.  I have a great recipe for Australian Anzac cookies, which has been made truly my own by the measuring mistakes I made the first time I baked them.  (Anyone else know that Australian cups are about 1/4 c. more than American ones?  Similar differences with the spoon sizes.  I didn't, at that point.  hah.)  My version produces a very thin cookie, almost lattice-style.  People rave over them, and have claimed that the cookies possess an addictive quality on par with certain illegal drugs.  The requests are usually worded in format of "could you bring the Australian Crack cookies?" 

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I was fortunate in that my first experience with recipes from Australia were from the cookbooks published by the Australian Woman's Weekly and the inside back cover included all the conversion factors for U.K., America and OZ.

However many of the recipes were by weight so I tended to avoid the ones measured by volume.

Have you posted your recipe?

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andi-

I have not posted the recipe. I will find it and do so, if you are interested. I can say, though, that if you happen to already have an Anzac biscuit recipe, you pretty much just need to reduce all of the main dry ingredients by approx. 1/4 cup. Butter stays the same. Cooking time also needs to be reduced. (yeah, okay, I'll try to make it up into a proper recipe!)

When I first made them, I hadn't yet been to Australia, and had never had the things. I had never even seen them. They were a flop with the then-boyfriend (an Aussie), but when I tried again and inflicted them upon my American friends, they thought they were the best things ever. I think the Aussie was just hung up on the way the cookies 'should have' looked. Because the taste was certainly excellent. Says the woman who made them.

That was a few years ago. I now prefer my recipe instructions to give the weights of the ingredients. I also have some Australian Women's Weekly booklets, btw! They have some nice bar cookies ('slices').

[Ling]

I still get the most requests for a coffee-flavoured chiffon cake that I've been baking since I was 11 or 12. It's light and airy, and the coffee flavour is very mild. It's very simple and not very sweet.

I also get cheesecake requests quite often. I made a plain cheesecake with a chocolate crust, topped with homemade caramel sauce and chocolate shavings that went over well for Christmas.

[Mooshmouse]

During the colder months, I often get requests for simple comfort food. Mediterranean Beef Stew with tomatoes, carrots, and kalamata and garlic-stuffed olives. And apple crumble with dried apricots/blueberries/cranberries thrown in for good measure.

[Really Nice!]

I was fortunate in that my first experience with recipes from Australia were from the cookbooks published by the Australian Woman's Weekly...

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These books are the best! The recipes are so simple and they always work. I have about ten of them ranging from baking to barbecue. This is one of the reasons why I always brought an empty suitcase when I visited.

[jscarbor]

My carnitas seems to be a big hit. Its so easy and I love making them. I usually have carnitas one day and have some salsa verde going and make carnita enchiladas verde the next day.

For dessert its creme brule.

[Teppy]

Roast Goose. I've done this dozens of times, always tweeking the amount of skin-pricking, water, oven temperature, salt and pepper. Perfection is as follows: Pull as much fat from the neck as you can: fat, not skin. Prick the goose all over with a fork. Rub what seems like too much salt and pepper into the goose from the inside and outside. Let it sit in the refrigerator in this state for at least a few hours, sort of a dry brine.

Render the neck fat and eat the salted cracklins. Fantasize about buying several dozen geese and making a meal out of nothing but goose-neck-fat cracklins.

Add 24 oz. water to the pan and cook uncovered at 300F for about 4 hours. When the skin is crispy it's done.

You'll have almost a quart of goose fat between the rendered neck-fat and what drained from the goose during cooking. Shred a bunch of potatoes and fry them in the goose fat. Thinly slice a bunch of red cabbage and cook that in goose fat until it's beyond soft, but not quite burned/crispy. Cook mushrooms in the goose fat (hen-of-the-woods!) Enjoy with Burgundy or other Pinot Noir wine.

[reverendtmac]

It'd be chicken, sausage and shrimp gumbo, fresh baked bread, and a two-four of Keith's. If there's a lot of folks, I'd probably put together five or ten pounds of moules marinieres (or my riff thereupon), too - or maybe the Thai mussles my buddy Newell always asks/bribes/forces me to make (from the Ray's Boathouse cookbook; they're outstanding).

Good single-malt and a Romeo Y Julieta Primera #2 for pudding.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Sounds truly divine, reverendtmac! Positively heavenly!!