eG Foodblog Tag Team: slkinsey and Marlene - A tale of two kitchens..

[ludja]

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Does one serve whipped cream with bread pudding? 

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Usually a good addition to me; else just heavy cream (not whipped), but then an earlier sigline for me was "immer mit schlag"...

Depending on the recipe I might just like heavy cream, no added sugar. The contrast of warm pudding and cold cream is very good.

[daniellewiley]

I LOVE asparagus, but $8 US for a bunch!?!!  Yikes!

It's not cheap, but keep in mind that each one of those bunches weighs around 2.5 pounds. So that's around $3.20 US per pound. Still not cheap, of course, but it's worth it to me when I can A) get very high quality and peak freshness, and B) support local farmers.

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Our local asparagus in Toledo has been going for $1.99/pound. But, I'd probably pay more to get the yummy fresh local stuff versus the flaccid version at Kroger.

[rjwong]

Sunday, 29 May: Dinner party along the lines of cocktails followed by a big steak dinner with various accoutrements and bread pudding for dessert. Any cut of steak, but not a roast (although the steak can be roasted).

You've talked about the steaks and the bread pudding. Marlene is also making the three-cheese cheese balls.

How about the other "various accoutrements", and of course, the cocktails?? I figure big steaks need big martinis, ehh??

No salads? No vegetables? Just the meat? I can handle that.

[slkinsey]

So far this is what I have on the menu for this evening:

Cocktail: An as-yet unnamed variation on the Tombstone -- 2 ounces of Laird's bonded (100 proof) applejack, 1 teaspoon 2:1 demerara simple syrup, 2 big dashes of Fee Brothers aromatic bitters, stir with cracked ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish with fat lemon twist. Fat Guy may bring something to munch on.

Then a salad: Cucumber, red onion, mint, and a touch of white anchovy.

Then the steak: um. . . this will be steak

And the sides: I'm going old-school -- creamed spinach, German potatoes and roasted mushrooms.

Dessert: chocolate caramel bread pudding.

[Marlene]

For cocktails we asked everyone for their favourite. So far, we've got a Champagne Cocktail, a Strawberry Daquiri, a Rolling Estonian, a Ward 8 and a Singapore sling. I'm not sure yet about the rest of them.

For nibbles before dinner, I'll have the cheeseball, chilled shrimp with cocktail sauce and veggies and dip.

Dinner will include the spit roasted chateaubriand, potatoes madelaines, roasted garlic, crusty bread with various dippers.

Dessert is Caramel Rum Bread Pudding.

I think my first guests have arrived.

[johnnyd]

Allez Cuisine...

[Susan in FL]

This is awesome. The suspense is killing me.

Do all the guests know that y'all are doing this blog? I hope you take lots of pictures.

[Genny]

Sam and Marlene,

I do recall Sam saying that he has an open kitchen and can see the rest of the apartment while cooking but for entertaining, do you prefer to have guests hang around the kitchen while you do the last minute prep and plating or do you prefer them to be mingling with each other instead?

Everything looks yummy. I'm off to cook my flank steak now!

[Pan]

Marlene and Sam (ladies first ):

I'm sure you and your guests had a wonderful time!

Sam, I'm looking forward to an explanation of what German potatoes are.

[Marlene]

Fat Guy may bring something to munch on.

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How's a girl supposed to compete when you have the boss over for dinner?

This is awesome.  The suspense is killing me.

Do all the guests know that y'all are doing this blog?  I hope you take lots of pictures. 

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My guests certainly did, and they got into the spirit of the whole thing as the night went on.

Sam and Marlene,

I do recall Sam saying that he has an open kitchen and can see the rest of the apartment while cooking but for entertaining, do you prefer to have guests hang around the kitchen while you do the last minute prep and plating or do you prefer them to be mingling with each other instead?

Everything looks yummy.  I'm off to cook my flank steak now!

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My kitchen's pretty big and everyone pretty much hangs out there when we entertain.

Ok, I'm readly First the various cocktails. I'm going to admit up front that I am not a cocktail specialist, but we had fun anyway. Well I did. Don was making most of the cocktails.

This is (or was) my cocktail blender. It's an old Black and Decker Kitchen Tools blender. We were supposed to make strawberry daquiris in this. Well we would have, except the blender leaked like a sieve when we turned it on, so we turned to other things. There is definately a new blender in my future.

My drink for the evening. A variation of a champagne cocktail. This one with grand marnier and cognac.

Gin gimlet. This instead of the strawberry daquiri.

Singapore Sling

Rolling Estonian.

Cosmopolitan

Black Russian

Rob Roy

Don's Ward 8. The drink is a little dark in the picture and my girlfriend decided to get fancy with the flowers.

[Genny]

Wow, was anyone able to walk after that beautiful assortment of cocktails? How wonderful! The champagne cocktail looked like one to try for sure.

What is in the Rolling Estonian? I've never heard of it.

So far I think you are providing a great 'smackdown' Marlene! Keep it up, I'm rooting for you

[Smithy]

What gorgeous cocktails, Marlene! We don't hang out in a cocktail crowd, as the gang sticks pretty much to wine and beer and after-dinner liqueurs. I'd forgotten how pretty cocktails can be.

This blog is great fun.

Mystery basket: I propose

pheasant

ramps

tamarind

If pheasant isn't available, then what about duck?

[Marlene]

On to the food.

First the nibbles for the evening:

Raw veggies and Roqufert dip.

Walnut encrusted three cheese Cheese Ball

Shrimp with Gin Cocktail Sauce

the big Steak. Chateaubriand ready to go on the spit.

This was dusted with a light spice rub and basted with a butter garlic sauce

On to the BBQ it goes.

Rare Chateaubriand anyone?

Potatoes Madelaine

Roasted whole garlic

Dinner. That's a Bernaise sauce on the steak.

The wine with dinner:

The table:

Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce:

And for the final touch, as if we hadn't had enough, special coffees

Excuse me. I need to go slip into a food induced coma.

[Marlene]

Wow, was anyone able to walk after that beautiful assortment of cocktails?  How wonderful!  The champagne cocktail looked like one to try for sure.

What is in the Rolling Estonian?  I've never heard of it.

So far I think you are providing a great 'smackdown' Marlene!  Keep it up, I'm rooting for you 

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I'd never heard of it either. There are a couple of variations but this one was made with a mix of cranberry, orange and lemonade juice with a splash of soda and vodka.

[Pan]

Marlene, the food looks great and so does the table! There was a lot of butter in that bread pudding, right?

[Genny]

OMG Marlene, a perfect meal. How beautiful and tasty looking. The table setting was lovely. Is your china Noritake, Sterling Cove? It looks so similar to my china.

I'll have to give the Rolling Estonian a try!

[ruthcooks]

Marlene has won my heart with Bearnaise Sauce and Bread Pudding

[emmapeel]

Brava Marlene, everything looks spectacular. How was the bread pudding?

[SobaAddict70]

ok, so far we have the following suggestions for the mystery basket on Sunday:

A. Seafood/fish dish

How novel!

eG Foodblogs move to the next level.

For Sunday 6/5 Mystery ingredient, I nominate some sort of Seafood.  Since Marlene is in Ontario, maybe a nice trout dish? What say the masses?

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If you vote for this suggestion, please keep in mind the caveats in this post.

B.

Mystery Ingredient basket:

Asparagus & Crab

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Genny also suggested lamb as a protein selection in a later post.

C.

This time of year has to be Asparagus; salmon; strawberries

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D. Same as C but with the addition of rhubarb:

This time of year has to be Asparagus; salmon; strawberries

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and/or rhubarb. Could be an interesting ingredient which might be used as savory or sweet.

Some interesting recent discussions here and here.

Hope that a seasonal (to both places) ingredient is picked.

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E.

I'll have to give my vote to the most creative use of ice cream and Nutella (within the confines of the foodblog, mind you)

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(continued in next post due to quote tag limit)

[SobaAddict70]

F.

I vote w/ johnnyd and others who suggest fish of some sort as the mystery ingredient. I see lots of meat but no fish in the line-up. Or would a vegetarian meal be heretical? Or too much of a challenge?

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If you vote for this suggestion, please keep in mind the caveats in this post.

G.

Vegetarian?  Hmmmm............

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Yes! The perfect challenge!

Some suggestions have been raised as to vegetables in season: Fiddleheads, English peas, fava beans, asparagus, early tomatoes. . .

Why not a vegetable plate for mystery basket night? Some artisinal grits perhaps? Really good vegetable plates can be a great way to express creativity.

I'm just sayin.'

Looking forward to it.

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If you vote for this suggestion, please keep in mind the caveats in this post.

H.

The mystery basket should include a baking component (i.e., chocolate). Also a whole chicken, as well as some rice and some beans. Basic, universal ingredients that will give slkinsey & Marlene a great opportunity to be creative.

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I.

In that case, the mystery basket should include:

Apricots, Peaches and Pistachios

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Pan added rhubarb to this suggestion in a later post. Swisskaese added ras el hanout in a later post.

J.

Tofu

Cheese & Wine (for cooking)

Chile peppers

Chocolate (for a savory dish)

and here's something different: choosing a mystery recipe or cookbook. Perhaps the focus should be on mystery INGREDIENTS. Just an idea.

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K.

I have another thought of a mystery ingredient or whatever: Hibiscus. Right now I'm heating up the tea kettle for some hibiscus tea, but I mean using it in something cooked. Perhaps a red-themed meal featuring rhubarb, hibiscus and some other red things (I don't know, red grapefruits? blood oranges? cherries?).

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L.

Squab

Quinoa

Zucchini

Leeks

Rhubarb

Radishes

Mascarpone

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(continued)

[msfurious1]

Marlene, the cocktails, the table, the food! It all looks wonderful.

Rest up and recover from your food induced coma and leg injury.

You deserve it. For tomorrow~~~Monday, 30 May: Hot soup featuring garlic.

That's next, right?

[SobaAddict70]

Keep in mind the following caveats:

WRT the "mystery ingredients" -- we'll have to take into account the different locations in which Marlene and I live and the extent to which that will effect the ingredients we can use.  Fish and other foods from the sea may be a tough one for us to match up, unless we go in a very general direction (e.g., "whole fish").  It's not clear, for example, that we'd both be able to get high quality fresh crab.

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This thread is hilarious and exciting. I love a throwdown, esp. among friends.

I vote w/ johnnyd and others who suggest fish of some sort as the mystery ingredient. I see lots of meat but no fish in the line-up. Or would a vegetarian meal be heretical? Or too much of a challenge?

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yes, well that's because I'm a carnivore at heart. We just don't eat fish. I don't mind making it if that's what the members decide, but I can almost guarantee that no one in the house will eat it, which sort of seems like a waste. Vegetarian? Hmmmm............

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and

When is the deadline for suggestions to the mystery basket?  When will Sam & Marlene be told the contents of the mystery basket?

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We'd like to have a consensus by Thursday so as to give Marlene and Sam time to procure the ingredients as well as coming up with a meal that uses them.

Ideally, the basket should contain five or six ingredients that the meal focuses on. Staples such as oil, salt/pepper, onions and garlic don't count.

I will be keeping track of the suggestions as they appear on this thread and will post a list in the next three or four days. PM me as to which batch of suggestions gets your vote. The batch with the most replies will become the mystery basket.

Soba

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Also suzilightning suggested Inniskillin ice wine and celeriac. Ice wine has been ruled out due to prohibitive expenses. Ingredients should be fairly accessible for both Sam and Marlene and be reasonable in terms of budget.

This list will be updated as necessary. Deadline for voting is Thursday evening at 6 pm EST.

Have at it.

Soba

[Marlene]

Good morning all. I'm having my coffee while I contemplate the disaster that is my kitchen this morning. This should take a while to clean up.

Marlene, the food looks great and so does the table! There was a lot of butter in that bread pudding, right?

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Pan, the top was dotted with butter and the baking dish itself was greased but otherwise, no, there wasn't a ton of butter in it.

OMG Marlene, a perfect meal.  How beautiful and tasty looking.  The table setting was lovely.  Is your china Noritake, Sterling Cove?  It looks so similar to my china.

I'll have to give the Rolling Estonian a try!

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The china pattern is Erica Gold by Lennox. It was discontinued the day after we bought it I think.

Marlene, the cocktails, the table, the food!  It all looks wonderful.

Rest up and recover from your food induced coma and leg injury. 

You deserve it.  For tomorrow~~~Monday, 30 May: Hot soup featuring garlic.

That's next, right?

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Hot soup featuring garlic indeed. Today's feature will include a roasted garlic soup and I haven't yet decided what to serve with it.

I'm supposed to be at the hospital most of the day today, but it sort of feels like I'm getting a cold which would mean I couldn't go. I'll see as the morning progresses.

[Susan in FL]

All that, and Amarone to drink! Wow! Nicely done, Marlene.

[Marlene]

I am very partial to Amarone's and Barolos. We keep several downstairs in our cellar and they are usually reserved for dinner parties like the one we had last night.

Any suggestions on what to make to go with my soup? I've got a pot roast that I need to braise soon and I've some pork chops out as well. I'm open to suggestion this morning.