What's For Dinner? Part XLIV

[Cherylptw]

Welcome to the new thread..as we near the end of summer, the weather is cooling off in some areas & heating up in others. Has that affected your cooking? Are you still savoring the warm weather meals or are you craving (as I am) something a little more substantial? Please share & inspire us with what you're putting on the plate...tell us, what's for dinner?

[Caroline1]

For lunch today it was bay scallops and mushrooms in a white wine sauce over fettuccine and sliced vine ripened tomatoes dressed with olive oil and balsamic drizzle. Oh, and a scraping or two of pecarino Romano over the pasta. A quick, easy "from scratch" lunch, but next time it's diver's scallops or nothing!

EDIT
Sheesh! I shoulda scrolled down and read the last post before hitting the Post button! Sorry.

[boyzoma]

We are over 200 again, so here is the link to the new thread.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/731242#

[buttertart]

Leftovers from Sunday - I think I really prefer ham cold anyway (sorry, TS Eliot). And the slaw refreshed with the blue cheese crumbles (and maybe raspberries since I don't have blackberries) the recipe calls for and that my husband said I "characteristically forgot" on Sunday. Honestly. Where do they come up with this stuff.

[ChristinaMason]

teeheee. I'm sure that's an endearing characteristic ;)

[linguafood]

It's so unoriginal I'm afraid to post it, but..... here goes anyway:

Grilled Cheeseburgers with happy meat from the farmer's market (let's hope it's nice and fatty, too!), toasted Kaiserrolls, homegrown tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and DUKE's MAYO!

We'll forego the fries this time around, as it seems a half-pound cheeseburger is plenty.

[LindaWhit]

linguafood - it might be "unoriginal" - but it's a CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEZBURGER! Good 'nuf for me (and probably many of us here!)

[linguafood]

I know. I love a good CHEEEEEEEZBURGER. It has to be cheese, I don't "do" hamburgers.

[JungMann]

There's nothing wrong with cheeseburgers; in fact there's everything right with cheeseburgers, though if you're looking for a tweak, I think you'd enjoy the Gehacktball and Muenster cheeseburgers I posted last winter. I'm pretty sure if the dark soy didn't allure, the sambal would win you over.

[linguafood]

You had me till the Münster cheese.... I'm a bit >gasp< conservative when it comes to my cheeburger. It kinda has to be ultra-sharp cheddar, when homemade, or the plastic American.

However, I will look into your post (link?), since your creations ALWAYS sound delish!!

[JungMann]

I can't find my gehaktballen post, but it's little more than taking your ground meat and adding allspice, white pepper, dark soy sauce, chili garlic sauce and Maggi. You can add a bit of nutmeg or crushed zwieback/crumbs for binding if you think there is too much liquid. Cook to your desired doneness, serve on your choice of bun with lettuce, onion, cheese and a generous dollop of frites sauce. You should have a wonderful caramelized crust from the sugars you've introduced to the meat with a kick of spice in the back of your throat that has you pronouncing GEhacktballen like a Dutchman by meal's end.

[linguafood]

GECCCCHHHHHACKKKKKTBallen. Sounds good!

[mariacarmen]

yeah, a burger's always good! we grilled those night before last, with muenster cheese, mexican-deli spicy guac, tomatoes and other fixings. fried potatoes. also some brats. even mom had a minced up cheeseburger, sans bun!

last night was ordered-in pizza. tonight is a pork tenderloin i made last night. seared with just salt, then braising liquid was chicken broth, brown sugar, French's mustard (ahem, it's for the old folks palates, who won't abide dijon), and a medley of raisins. will make mashed taters with that, and some salad-like thing.

[nomadchowwoman]

Last night it was grilled lamb chops, green lentils cooked w/onion and garlic, and a salad of spinach, avocado, red onion, and bacon.

An hour or so after dinner, eyeing the set-aside salted chocolate chip-pistachio cookies I'd baked on Sunday to take to a gathering and thinking about the creole cream cheese ice cream in the freezer, I made ice-cream sandwiches--I ate only one, DH had three (possibly a fourth after I retired; I'm sure I heard him rooting around in the freezer). My, were they good.

This morning, I made marinade for the butter chicken I'm going to make tonight, which I'll serve with leftover lentils. I'll also make some spiced rice and sautee some spinach w/Indian spices. And I'll probably pick up some frozen naan at what Linda Whit has so aptly dubbed the stupidmarket--b/c DH believes no Indian meal is complete w/o naan.

[buttertart]

I'd like one of those ice cream sandwiches right now, please. Talk about hitting all my flavor buttons!

[nomadchowwoman]

As I told DH last night, as one who (like Harters) almost never orders dessert out or eats it as a matter of routine, who has never really had a sweet tooth, indulging in such decadence on a Monday night, without guests--well, I'm on a wet and slippery slope. Help!

[souschef]

Enjoy the ride!
I recently discovered some very nice mild merguez in the grocery store, so I'll probably buy some, take the meat out of the casings, and make meatballs. Should go well with pasta and a simple tomato sauce.

[buttertart]

I get your drift...and there's that chocolate cake calling my name for tonight...oh oh...

[Harters]

Re slippery slopes.....Mrs H has recently taken up baking cakes. Much as I lack a sweet tooth. And much as I despise myself.....one must sample the wares. She has now taken to immediately sending half of every one to other family members, just in cse I feel the urge to just recheck quality one more time. I gather pineapple upside-down cake is next in her book.......I'm not going to enjoy that, am I?

[souschef]

It may be time to break out the stretch pants :)

[nomadchowwoman]

You'll probably hate it (I mean what's to love about the sweet tang of pineapple, caramelized sugar, moist cake?)--but, as a dutiful husband, you must try to choke some down and make appreciative noises, no matter how insincere.

(You may want to order those pants w/traction in the seat . . . )

[Harters]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try to do my best - my acting skills about this weekend's banana cake were worthy of an Oscar. I think the killer line was "Could I possibly have seconds, darling. And could it be a tad larger than the first slice". :-0

[ZenSojourner]

Oooo, I hope she doesn't read this forum! LOL!

[LindaWhit]

And I'll probably pick up some frozen naan at what Linda Whit has so aptly dubbed the stupidmarket--b/c DH believes no Indian meal is complete w/o naan.
~~~~~~
LOL! But let us be thankful that the stupidmarket actually carries frozen naan so your DH has his complete meal. ;-)

[Cherylptw]

Alright, Alright, I've never had creole cream cheese ice cream but it sounds so intriguing so please describe the flavor, texture and share a recipe because I just know it sounds homemade! Please and thank you!

[nomadchowwoman]

Flavor is tangy (creole cream cheese is softer, looser, and tangier than Philadelphia-style), but the ice cream has the same texture, especially the store-bought (a local producer though) kind I had in my freezer. I have made CCC ice cream, but it had an unpleasant, grainy texture--my fault, as I overcooked the cream cheese base. Since I've had very limited success making ice cream and since CCC is pricey, I threw in the towel and decided this is a case where purchased is better--and cheaper.

If you want to try a recipe (and no doubt you're a better IC maker than I), here's the one I used, adapted from a John Besh recipe:

2 c. creole cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c heavy cream

Whisk all ingredients in heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Transfer mixture to bowl. Cover and refrigerate until mixture is very cold. When cold, pour mixture into canister of ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Note: you can add 1 cup of fresh fruit/berry puree--as Besh does--to other ingredients in pan for a fruit and CCC ice cream.

[Cherylptw]

I got up this morning thinking about breakfast foods but I'm not a breakfast eater so rarely eat it at breakfast. BUT I think dinner tonight is going to be homemade biscuits with sausage gravy, pan cooked diced red potatoes & onions with a little spinach thrown in for a veg. Maybe a poached egg.

[nomadchowwoman]

Yum.

[Harters]

Some lentils are going to get simmered with garlic & onion. When they're done, lots of rocket will get stirred in to wilt. And a spiral of Cumberland sausage is going under the grill.

And, treat of treats, I've discovered two orange ice lollies lurking in the freezer - so that's dessert sorted (if they last that long).

Simples!

[souschef]

Does everyone here eat dessert everyday? I don't eat dessert on a daily basis, unless there's been a sale on Haagen-Dazs, in which case I indulge.

[buttertart]

Nope, not we two, but my family always did (anything from sliced fruit or Jello, pudding, etc, to pies and cakes - and butter tarts - my mom made every Saturday am).
We have dessert on special occasions and always have sweets in the house for a snack, with coffee, etc. Often with guests we have dessert an hour or so after dinner.

[ZenSojourner]

I don't, but my dad had a sweet tooth that just wouldn't quit. For him it wasn't so much desert as the whole purpose in bothering with the rest of the meal, LOL!

Which, on occasion, he wouldn't, but would skip the meal and go straight to The Grand Finale.

[Cherylptw]

I don't know about everyone else, but I've a huge sweet tooth and I love to bake so most of the time, there is something sweet in this house even if it's fruit. That said, I don't eat it everyday but do confess to indulging more times out of the week than not.

[JungMann]

Like you I enjoy baking, but I don't care much for the end-product. I can easily get by on a just a macaron or a couple Reese's if I am craving something sweet. But if there is something creamy and rich on offer, all bets are off.

[nomadchowwoman]

Not usually, but I always make it if we have guests. But, funny you should ask today, because last night we did indulge (w/out the excuse of guests).

[souschef]

I do to if we have guests (in fact I go out of my way to make something nice), but not usually when we are alone.

[Harters]

Very rarely - I generally don't have a sweet tooth and usually also pass on dessert at restaurants. I'd always prefer a starter if I need another course. If I do need "something" at the end of a meal, it's most usually cheese or some fruit.

[LindaWhit]

No, I don't, unless it's a few Trader Joe's Triple Gingersnaps. :-)

[mariacarmen]

not me, almost never. BF eats donuts and locally bought snack cakes with his coffee, but i usually don't have anything after. maybe fruit in the summer. or some cheese if at a nice resto. sometimes, rarely, i'll share someone's dessert.

[ChristinaMason]

2 slices of wheat toast with butter, then a veggieburger my DH heated up, on a potato roll with ketchup and mayo. We were both swamped with writing projects all day. I barely moved except to make more cups of tea, and play with the cat, who bit me.

Tomorrow is a new day! At least I took some fiber gummies to offset the lack of anything healthy, green, or fibrous.

[nomadchowwoman]

Things are getting bad, CM, when you're resorting to fiber gummies. I hope you get a good meal in you today. Maybe you could take JungMann's roommate's seat at the table.

[ChristinaMason]

Agreed! I've got a chicken brining in the fridge and am just about to head out to the store to see what looks good (knowing this particular neighborhood branch, probably nothing).

I'd love some good sweet corn and tomatoes, though!

[L987]

today i had grav-lax (salmon) & spinach pasta

[JungMann]

A welcome dinner for our new roommate (who didn't make it to dinner!):
First: romaine salad with red peppers, scallions, parsley, mint, olives and feta
Second: chicken cutlets in a white wine reduction with lemon thyme, Aleppo pepper and caramelized grape tomatoes
Side: Fettuccine with mint, parsley, lemon rind and jalapenos
Dessert: Avocado coconut cream

[LindaWhit]

YAY! You found a new roommate - who wasn't swayed by your baking or cooking, I guess, if s/he didn't come for dinner? LOL

And I LOVE your main course of the chicken cutlets - I love anything that uses Aleppo pepper. :-) How did you caramelize the grape tomatoes, JM?

[JungMann]

I just sliced the grape tomatoes in half and seared them in a pan over very high heat. I wanted the sugars on the outside to caramelize but allow the tomatoes to hold their shape. It turned out well, but went soggy in the tupperware overnight.

[nomadchowwoman]

I am intrigued by the avocado coconut cream. Could you please elaborate on that, JM?

(This new roommate had a good excuse, I hope!)

[JungMann]

1 large Florida avocado (about 1.5 lbs)
1 can of coconut cream
sugar (or Splenda in my case) to taste, approximately 4 tbsp.
1 tsp. lime juice
Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Freeze, breaking up crystals with a fork or immersion blender every hour for eight hours and you have a smooth cream that approximates the texture of ice cream. Chill and have you a thick pudding. I added 1/2 tsp. of pandan extract this time, but it was gilding the lily. It's better to keep the ingredient list short and simple.

[mariacarmen]

my mother will love this! is coconut cream the same as coconut milk? i think not... tho i think the cans i buy say cream of coconut. but it looks like the coconut milk. hmmmm...

[linguafood]

Tonight it was a bunch of sea scallops I had cut in quarters, tossed in some flour & smoked paprika, sautéed in some olive oil and sliced garlic, then removed from the pan; added some fresh peeled and chopped up roma tomatoes, white wine, and a few dabs of lemon-dill-butter I still had in the fridge. Tossed the scallops in the sauce, threw in some linguine fini, and called it dinner. It was absolutely delish, which I chalk up to adding the butter. How can ya go wrong?

[eight_inch_pestle]

Certainly sounds "absolutely delish." Well done!

[rHairing]

grilled balsamic/oil marinated pork chops and my baked homemade spicy fries...spray sheet with Pam...slice potatoes thin, coat with Pam...sprinkle liberally with Tony C's and bake. We are in the upteenth heatwave here in DC....Can't wait for cooler weather and stews!

[ChristinaMason]

It's a swamp; so miserable. Hard to convince oneself to leave the confines of the house to go to the grocery store.

[Phurstluv]

Been in a bit of a "cooking funk" of late, and when DH came to bed early Sat night with chills and aches, it was all I needed not to do a big Sunday dinner.

So last night we had leftover meatloaf & green beans, and some carnitas tacos with handmade corn tortillas (so good!), ripe avocado, sliced cabbage with lots of lime juice, shredded pepper jack and some chili beans. It all hit the spot. And best part, is I still have the "butt" of the meatloaf for sammies for me this week!!

Tonight, still not motivated, but I plan to roast some chicken legs that have been marinating since yesterday in Foxy Fairie's balsamic marinade (vinegar, evoo, garlic, juice of whole lemon & dijon). Will throw some baby bella mushrooms in to roast with them. And making a summer bean salad, that consists of fresh steamed green & yellow wax beans, baby spinach, toasted walnuts and freshly grated parm in a walnut oil vinaigrette, out of last month's BonAp. And I suppose I'll shuck some sweet corn and steam those in the microwave, covered in a glass dish, since I'm out of those ziploc steamer bags that are big enough.

[JerryMe]

DS's been sick - Made homemade chicken noodle soup w/ a hot pepper (dried from summer harvest) for flavor.

[boyzoma]

Tonight is a little sweet & sour chicken over jasmine rice. Chicken cubes, dipped in egg and flour, then fried in canola oil. In the other pan, are some sauteed sliced water chestnuts, julienned carrots, red and green bell peppers, onion. Add some pineapple chunks, snap peas, and a few bean sprouts. Will make a sauce with some pineapple juice, sugar, vinegar, lemon, ginger and cornstarch.

[rabaja]

Well, after inquiring about what to do with my leftover Ahi tartare I do believe dinner will be fish tacos.
I am so tempted to fry the fish, but health will prevail and I will quickly saute the little cubed tuna in a hot, oiled pan.
I have corn tortillas from the local tortilla factory and green cabbage, red onion and cilantro. Beans and rice are possible. And tequila.

[Cherylptw]

Tonight's dinner will start with a southwestern chicken tortilla soup with fresh baked cumin tortilla chips. Main will be a salad of romaine, cukes, cherry tomatoes, queso manchego and charred pork seasoned with a chorizo seasoning blend. It'll be served with a roasted onion, garlic & tomatillo sauce. Not sure about dessert but will be something fruity.

[ChristinaMason]

very nice

[eight_inch_pestle]

Got home late from backcountry camping on the Pacific. Showered. Opened a jar of homemade peach jam and a bottle of wine with some brie, someting labeled "Swedish farmers' cheese," and a loaf of bread. Put it all on a cutting board and flopped on the couch with the cats to watch recorded sports we missed over the weekend. Got a little tipsy. Barely qualifies for this board, but my favorite meal in a while.

[rabaja]

That sounds like perfection. Glad you shared it.

[ChristinaMason]

swoon

[mariacarmen]

double that swoon... except for the sports. but with the rest of your offerings, i wouldn't care if they were showing monster truck rallies on t.v.

[buttertart]

Have been out most nights this week because of visitors from France, but last night made them a midwestern American dinner - as suggested by my stealth Iowan husband (rippled chips with French onion dip - a big hit), baked ham, deviled eggs, his mother's potato salad (mayo and yellow mustard as the dressing, lots of the latter, green pepper, onion, celery - didn't have celery salt or seed, must get), a really nice slaw I found in the August BH&G - with thinly-sliced white and yellow peaches added (was supposed to be topped with blackberries and blue cheese crumbles, which would really have set it off - but that fell by the wayside), yeast rolls from an early 60's Good Housekeeping cookbook (my mother-in-law's favorite and her specialty). Other friends brought spectacular tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozz for a Caprese and the best sweet corn we've had this year. The Hershey's choc cake with krissywats' buttercream for dessert along with the fresh peach ice cream our friend made the day before (out of 6 guests, three have August birthdays). Various sparkling with.

[souschef]

Sounds like a wonderful dinner chez 007 and M. Love sparklers this time of year.

I thought you did not like sweet corn; thought you had said that you preferred the older stuff, before they started making it sweet.

[buttertart]

This was both flavorful and sweet. Yes on the whole I'd like to have a less sweet varietal available but this one (a white) was great. It was a fun dinner. Yours sounded awfully good too! (PS the peaches here this year are terrific, but you're not a peach fancier, I think?)

[souschef]

Right, I'm not a peach fancier.

Yup, my dinner was good too. My friend was particularly thrilled with the tapenade as it combined two of his favourite things - olives and anchovies. I am always a bit hesitant to make it as so many people do not like anchovies, but to date no one has disliked it.

BTW if you ever come across an outstanding prosecco please let me know. I like the prices, but so far have not found anything exceptional.

[buttertart]

I don't remember the label of this one (friends brought it) - it seemed to be a bit on the moscato side, is that normal? Haven't drunk very much of it.
For a cheap rosé crémant the Pierre Sparr from Alsace is very good, it's as close to a Champagne as I've found. The white one isn't as interesting.

[souschef]

Moscato for a prosecco is unusual as proseccos are usually dry.

The closest I've come to Champagne is the sparkler from Domaine Carneros in CA, but even that is quite expensive now.......unless you buy it at TJ's instead of LCBO !

Thanks for the Pierre Sparr tip. I think we can get that here.

[LindaWhit]

souschef, have you tried Gruet from New Mexico? I first had it at a restaurant in Richmond, VA, and was amazed at how good it is.

http://www.gruetwinery.com/family.htm

[buttertart]

It (Gruet) is good. May not be available at the LCBO which seems to favor Euro / S African / Oz / NZ wines over US in their buying policies.

[souschef]

LCBO does not carry it. The US wines we get are from the larger, better-known houses. One thing I do like is the range of NZ Sauvignon Blancs we get from the Marlborough Valley; really enjoy those wines.

[LindaWhit]

Had to Google LCBO. :-) The NZ Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays *are* good - I've been more drawn to the unoaked whites in the past few years, just because CA whites were getting way too heavy with the oakiness.

But we're veering off into Wine board threading with the wine talk here. Should probably stop before they cut this out of the thread. :-)

[rabaja]

Gruet is a great suggestion. We used to get it for the holidays and just laugh at the idea of bubbly from New Mexico.
It's usually about $14 and I often see it at at Whole Foods as well.

[LindaWhit]

"...and just laugh at the idea of bubbly from New Mexico."
~~~~~~~~
EXACTLY! When a friend I was visiting told me about it and ordered it, I thought "REALLY? Methode Champenoise from New Mexico?" But I went all Sally Fields on her and her husband - I liked it. I really, really liked it! LOL

[Harters]

Wellllllll, you may also say "WHAAAT, Methode Champenoise from England. No waaaaay"

Mais oui, mes amis. C'est vrai:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/may...

[LindaWhit]

Tells ya what, Harters...I come to visit, you pour the English Method Champenoise. I'll be happy. ;-)

And I laughed at the last paragraph in that article. I totally understand the person saying it, but I still laughed. :-)

[souschef]

The article brought back memories an episode of the British sitcom Chef! (starring Lenny Henry, husband of Dawn French), where Henry is taking part in a cooking competition in France, and goes looking for English wine in a French wine store. The French call it "le vin rosbif". He is laughed out of the store. Great series; I bought the whole set.

There is an English shop (name starts with the letter "B") that has Champagne made for them under their own label. I wonder if they will keep their business at home now.

[Harters]

Ah, we've done some good wine (mainly whites) for quite a while - long enough back it was still in my drinking days. The, ahem, "fizzy stuff" is newish.

[souschef]

I remember the name clearly - I actually bought a bottle in California a few years ago, but somehow ended up not drinking it.

[LindaWhit]

That is a brilliant Midwestern American dinner, buttertart! (I love that your French visitors loved the French onion dip with potato chips <g>).

[buttertart]

Thank you! t was 100% inspired by my dear MIL's cooking. Except for the onion dip, that was just for fun. And the Caprese was an echt New Jersey addition.

[Cherylptw]

Tonight I did jerk seasoning rubbed bone in chicken breasts. topped with oven dried thinly sliced garlic and fresh ginger slices all wrapped in foil and into the oven. Sweet potato hash and sauteed broccoli with lemon for sides.

[JerryMe]

Aah - There are summer colds running around here - chicken soup. Chicken from the freezer along w/ leftover BBQ chicken, celery, onion, carrots, celery seed and a dried chili. Using a 'new' pasta called dumpling. Good reports, so far, that it is indeed tasty. Not too hot here - only hit 95.

Determined not to get sick - camping at the Canyon for Labor Day. I'll add Vitamin C to dinner.

[boyzoma]

Tonight is going to be baked potato on the grill (then topped with butter, sour cream, chives, bacon bits and a little S&P), bone-in rib-eye and grilled corn on the cob with a smoked paprika infused butter, then add some fresh shrimp salad for the side.

[Perilagu Khan]

Tonight is podzharka, a Russian beef-and-potato stew. Rye bread and a pickle-and-relish plate will accompany.

[LindaWhit]

Last night's dinner was "out" - I took Mom out for a belated 80th birthday dinner at a place near her. A very nice beet and frisee salad we shared, grilled swordfish for her, lobster and shiitake mushroom risotto for me (with diver scallops on top) for me. Creme brulee for dessert. And lots of good conversation.

Tonight will be pork chops of some sort...I haven't quite figured it out yet, nor have I taken them out of the freezer. But I know they're in there. :-)

[nomadchowwoman]

Lobster and shitake mushroom risotto wasn't enough? You had to have diver scallops too?
I am green w/envy, LW. Sounds like your mom had a nice b-day (and obviously has a very good daughter).

[LindaWhit]

LOL! Hey, they CAME with the lobster & shiitake mushroom risotto! It was a bonus-bonus dish! Although they did have duck two-ways on the specials menu, and I almost went that way, but the pic at the restaurant's website had me at scallops on top of risotto. ;-)

I do have to say that the risotto wouldn't have passed Chef Gordon Ramsay's "glueyness" test, however...it could have used a tad more liquid for a slightly looser risotto, IMO. But it still tasted good. :-)

[LindaWhit]

OK, finally figured out what dinner will be....a pork chop rubbed with olive oil and Penzey's Northwoods seasoning and grilled in the grill pan. The sides will be leftover basmati rice and a fresh corn relish that consists of freshly cooked corn cut off the cob, finely chopped nectarine, red bell pepper, and scallions, to be tossed with a bit of champagne vinegar, lime juice, Aleppo pepper, and a pinch of brown sugar.

[Harters]

Like the sound of the relish - I wouldnt have thought to put the fruit in but I bet it's going to go well with the piggy.

[LindaWhit]

We shall see! I did one of those "these nectarines look great!" and bought too many of them. My dad used to call that "your eyes are bigger than your stomach" when we kids served ourselves too much dinner and then couldn't finish it. The rule was in our house "take all you want, but eat all you take." So I'm trying to use them up. :-)

I thought the sweet nectarines could offset the sour/tang of the champagne vinegar and lime juice. As I said - we'll see! LOL

[Cherylptw]

The relish does sound really good Linda; do post back and tell how it came out...I need to go fruit shopping in the next day or so and may have to bite your recipe...

[LindaWhit]

It was very good - although I think there was too much acidity in the vinaigrette. I'd want to tone that WAY back - maybe less of the vinegar. But I liked it as a different type of side dish!

[Cherylptw]

Sounds good, I'll have to give it a try..thanks!

[Harters]

Lamb meatballs (a Valentine Warner recipe from "What to eat now. More please") with pasta. Probably a leaf salad to start with scattering of prawns leftover from yesterday's not entirely successful summer rolls.

[rabaja]

Standing up, over the counter and range, it was a half can of tuna mixed with Dijonaise and a few triscuits.
Not what I had planned, but this catering job doesn't seem to want to end...and the kitten is no help.
Time for a glass of wine while I wait for fruit crisps to come out of the oven.

[nomadchowwoman]

Tonight we had a grilled porterhouse, DH's favorite, w/garlic-parsley butter. Sides were spinach, avocado, and red onion salad and baked, stuffed (goat cheese-parmesan-corn-onion-thyme puree mixed w/diced mushrooms sauteed w/garlic ) poblanos . Wine.

[Cherylptw]

Went to the store for onions this afternoon and browsed the meat section, where they had turkey legs for .88 lb. Not one to pass up a sale, I bought a couple and braised them in the oven. Served with leftover mushroom brown rice risotto from earlier in the week...didn't have a veg tonight; didn't feel like making one but tomorrow is another day.

[Phurstluv]

We were fortunate enough to have our last two dinners out, meeting friends for those long awaited cheeseburgers on Malibu pier with some friends, and then last night, my DH & I were able to go on a last minute date, and although I would've been happy staying in with leftovers, he said, "let's go out" and I am not one to argue!!

So today, the weather has cooled off dramatically from the past week, and they are even talking about drizzle in the morning tomorrow. I was really undecided as to what to make for dinner, but at least had the forethought yesterday to take out some chicken thighs and a pound of hamburger to thaw. Chicken is still not all the way thawed, so when I asked the boys what I should make tonight, my oldest replied "Meatloaf". I usually make it with ground pork & veal as well as beef, and after inventorying the freezer, realized I didn't have any. So I micro-thawed another pound of ground beef, so now it's happily baking in the oven. We have some leftover roasted potatoes, plus one baked, and some leftover linguine, so I will reheat those gently. May even go ahead and make them some tater tots. And steam some green beans, since I have about two pounds fresh in the fridge. Dinner's done - love it when it works out like that, with very little prep involved, but a nice home cooked dinner will be ready in an hour.

[LindaWhit]

And it's MEATLOAF. Can't beat that. :-)

[bon oeuf]

I used the jfood short rib recipe to make a pot roast. Garlic mashed potatoes, peas, crusty bread with warm, freshly roasted garlic to spread on. A nice salad with fresh viniagrette would have been great but I got tired of the kitchen.

[linguafood]

It's a porterhouse steak from the farmer's market (some Amish farm) that we'll share, corn on the cob, and baked potato with RAW sour cream (some other Amish farm). I'm psyched to try this, and hope it'll somehow taste different.

Maybe some tomato salad on the side, but nothing too involved -- first gig tonight after summer break. do re mi etc.

[souschef]

Had guests to dinner last night. Hors d'oeuvres consisted of small squares of puff pastry topped with goat cheese and tomato and baked, then topped with tapenade. Washed down with prosecco.

Starter was leak and potato cappuccino (l&p soup served in a cap cup).

Main was rack of lamb in a mustard/herb crust. Served with mashed potato and green beans. Nice Shiraz/Cab to go with it.

Then to finish the wine some cheddar and pecorino with grapes and crackers. Had to open more wine to finish the cheese.

Dessert was creme caramel, followed by some canelés, which turned out great.

[ChristinaMason]

sounds fab!

[L987]

tonight i had a chantarelle toast, simple and delicious!

[ChristinaMason]

I have to serve the late shift tonight, so I won't have the chance to make dinner. My main meal today will be breakfast/brunch instead, put together from odds and ends in the fridge and freezer.

I settled on breakfast burritos. Sauteed some shallot and jalapeno in olive oil in a non-stick pan, then added 4 eggs, left whole, which I tried to group together in twos. Swirled the shallot and onion into the whites and covered to set the whites. Two eggs each went into warmed flour tortillas, topped with a little sour cream and chopped cilantro, rolled up and topped with spicy salsa and some cilantro garnish. Lime wedge on the side.

I served the burritos with curly fries, sliced peaches drizzled with yogurt and maple syrup, and coffee.

[Harters]

Tonight at Chateau Harters, I am well away from my usual North European comfort zone. We're off to south east Asia.

A starter of Vietnamese summer rolls - stuffed with noodles, beansprouts, a few prawns, basil and homegrown mint. A chilli dipping sauce goes with.

A lump of belly pork is getting slathered with char siu sauce (from a jar) - except for the skin which needs to crisp up. It's get roasted. A stir-fry of sprouting brocolli, more of the beansprouts, garlic and nam pla (loosely based on a Rick Stein recipe from Far Eastern Odyssey). And some plain boiled rice.

It's all very homey today. I've made bread again (a packet mix for ciabatta that's been lurking in the cupboard). And herself continues with her new retirement hobby of cake baking - a banana one cools as we speak.

[ChristinaMason]

that sounds fantastic. I've been craving summer rolls lately.

[Harters]

I can now tell you that I am absolute crap at preparing them. There's something about my fingers that just won't roll them properly. Hopefully, they're going to taste better than they look (that is, if they don't simply fall apart when we pick them up).

Slinks away, dejected...................

[ChristinaMason]

My vegetarian friend shared an excellent trick for keeping them intact and nicely-rolled. Place a dried sheet on a small plate, run under the faucet until just barely soft ("al dente" rice wrapper?), then add your filling while the wrap is still on the plate, and roll up. It's foolproof, I daresay.

[TheHuntress]

Feeling a little fragile and unwell at the moment, soup was the go to. I wanted to play with the chicken I am now getting delivered from a local produce company and made a really delicious, simple chicken and corn chowder. I've just finished my second bowl and am feeling better already :)

[ChristinaMason]

heal up!

[Cherylptw]

After spending a good part of the day tilling the garden & weed eating, I didn't feel like putting in much time cooking so tonight, it's chicken breast, cut into nuggets, rolled in panko and baked. Leftover orange glazed carrots and pan cooked diced potatoes from a couple of days ago.

[LindaWhit]

I've got 4 chicken thighs seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence sitting on the back of the stove waiting to be roasted in a hot convection oven. Alongside will be basmati rice, a salad, and grilled nectarines (grilled on the grill pan).

[Harters]

Nectarines and peaches have been useless with us this year. Obviously we can't grow them on this small island off the coast of northern Europe but imports have been so underripe as to be not worth buying.

They usually form one of my easy-peasy summer desserts. Cut in two and destoned, into a heatproof dish, a knob of butter goes into each cavity, drizzle of honey and under the grill (broiler) for a few minutes to they've gone soft and start to char a little and the honey./butter have melted to a sauce. Fab with the best quality vanilla ice-cream you can find.

[boyzoma]

Since DH is at his annual Fantasy Football League draft - and I am not a big fan, I will have to come up with something I want for dinner.

Think it will be some linguine with a sun dried tomato sauce, fresh julienned carrots and zucchini, peas and sliced cremini mushrooms. I also have a few fresh cherry tomatoes on my plants that look like they need to be picked. Sounds good with the pasta. Oh - I also have some left-over chicken - think I'll stir some of it in as well. Oh well, his loss, my gain! :-)

[mariacarmen]

sounds very fresh and light!

[rabaja]

Fish, fish, fish! Heading to SF for the day and I'm getting myself a nice piece of whatever looks best. I miss it here in the North Bay. It's around in the local markets but doesn't look as good as what I'm used to. I know, I'm spoiled.
The thing is, it's pricey so I have no interest in getting sub-par stuff.
I should have ponied up for the wild salmon at the farmers market yesterday, but I was having a total cheap moment. Stupid of me, I'm sure I'll pay more today at Bryan's.
I plan on stocking up on some clams and/or mussels, which will be tomorrows dinner.
It's cool enough, I may make a tian to go with. Not so afraid of the oven lately.
Eggplant, summer squash, Early Girls and basil. Al fresco with a nice rose, lovely summer so far.

[mariacarmen]

Maybe you should also stop in the East Bay and head to Spanish Table and pick up some wonderful $7.99/bottle Portuguese rose - i can't remember what it's called, but it's very popular at the store so they usually have some chilling and some near the register. Stock up!

Where is Bryan's, please?
It's nice and cool here today, not too, and sun is shining. you're probably already here! enjoy!

[rabaja]

Thanks for the tip! There's a Spanish Table in Mill Valley that I go by everytime I go into the city. Will be sure to stop and get some of that rose next time I go. Good price!
Bryan's is in the Laurel Village shopping center. It's one of the grocery stores in the middle with a really pristine fish counter. It's not as sustainable-minded as Monterey Fish is Berkeley but the fish is always very fresh.
It was quite cool, and boy did the wind pick-up! Nice to see my old hood and doubly nice to return back over the bridge and head home.

[mariacarmen]

just realized i had a bottle in the fridge! casalgarcia rose wine - vinho verde. pink and white label. It has a very slight effervescense, which I love. perfect for summer.

and thanks for the Bryan's info...

[Caroline1]

"Maybe you should also stop in the East Bay and head to Spanish Table and pick up some wonderful $7.99/bottle Portuguese rose - i can't remember what it's called, but it's very popular at the store so they usually have some chilling and some near the register. Stock up!" ..................................................................................mariacarmen

Sounds like Mateus rose, a semi-sparkling (frizzante) moderately sweet Portuguese wine that hasn't gone up that much in price in the last thirty years! Not a bad wine. Not a great vintage wine, but you can't beat the quality at that price. By all means, stock up. Or not. It does seem to be inflation proof.

[Harters]

In the UK, Mateus has been the butt of many remarks over many years - none of them good. Say, I wanted to disparage someone, questioning their dining/wine habits - I'd describe them as a Mateus drinker.

Not that I would ever do such a snobbish thing, of course. ;-)

[mariacarmen]

It's not Mateus, I actually know that one. This is not sweet, it's very light and refreshing. I identified the name above, realizing after the fact that I still had part of a bottle. Casalgarcia Rose Wine. It is a Vihno Verde, which i'm not sure but to me those always seem to be very slightly fizzy, tho they aren't listed that way. I'm going to stock up shortly for a pending russian river weekend!

[Caroline1]

I don't know if all Portuguese roses are frizzante, but many of them are. But I do enjoy those almost-sparkly wines. Lambrusco rules!

Hey, don't laugh! I can be a wine snob when I want to! '-)

[mariacarmen]

too funny!
i've even had the portuguese whites fizzle.... i love them too!

[mariacarmen]

deleted by mc.(repeat of the above post.)

[Harters]

I'm going to prune the fennel.

The trimmings are going to stuff a sea bass, along with some lemon slices. Quick drizzle of olive oil and whacked into the oven for 15 minutes. There's also going to be some spuds cooked with garlic and a splash of white wine, also done in the oven "en papillote" (sp?). And some green beans.

Possibly corn on the cob as a starter; possibly not. Cheese for "afters".

[ChristinaMason]

Everything sounds delicious.

[Caroline1]

I'm tardy getting to my computer, and it wasn't dinner so much as lunch. My son's in town working on a contract (he's an electrical contractor) and won't be here for my birthday in a couple of weeks, so he did it early. LIVE LOBSTERS...!!!

So for lunch yesterday (it's now 8:30am) I steamed them. Living this far away from an ocean, fresh seaweed is a little difficult to come by, but I do like the flavor that steaming lobsters in kelp provides. Improvise! I took some large pieces of (dashi kombu) dried kelp as well as a few strands of the smaller dried "bubble" kelp and put them in the water, along with a handful of salt, under the steamer basket. The lobsters were fair sized critters for having hiked this far inland, just under 2 pounds each, so I steamed them for eleven minutes (probably more like twelve by the time I got the timer set and all that), then scented the drawn butter with lemon zest. Served them with baked potatoes (with butter) and a panzanilla. Excellent lunch!

And Miss Piggy saved herself one big clawed beastie for supper last night... I've never had lobster rolls before so I thought, why not? The critter is already cold. Googled at least a dozen lobster roll recipes. Anything beyond mayonnaise, lemon juice, chopped celery and optional chopped onions is getting a bit froofy, so for a first experience, I kept it that basic. Buttered and toasted hot dog buns , which was unanimous in all recipes consulted. Nice! A bit short of great. But I've always like cold lobster with a mayonnaise dip, so what's not to like? However warm to hot lobster and drawn butter is pretty much unbeatable in my book, and I don't know of any classic ways I haven't had lobster. It was a fun, light cooking day!

[onceadaylily]

Lobster two meals running, lucky you. I've always been curious about lobster rolls as well, but I always find up ordering something else.

[LindaWhit]

Googled at least a dozen lobster roll recipes. Anything beyond mayonnaise, lemon juice, chopped celery and optional chopped onions is getting a bit froofy, so for a first experience, I kept it that basic.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Anything beyond lobster meat, a smidge of mayo to bind it all together, and waving the lemon juice over the top is not a lobster roll. :-) You're allowed a bit of salt and pepper too. :-)

Glad you had a wonderful early birthday lunch AND dinner!

[Caroline1]

So how come you didn't tell me this BEFORE I added the finely diced celery? The housekeeper had never seen anyone steam live lobsters before, so it turned into Caroline's Cooking Class. Not that I think she'll ever cook some at home. She mentioned how much less messy it is to just go to a restaurant. Silly woman!

[LindaWhit]

Now Caroline, you've been on CH long enough to know to ask BEFORE you go and do something. ;-)

I'm not a native New Englander, but I did learn very quickly after moving here 21 years ago that a lobster roll is just lobster and a little mayo piledto in the top-split toasted buns. And yes, the celery is usually not added in lobster shacks up and down the New England coastline, but I can certainly understand adding it (finely chopped) for a bit of crunch.

And your housekeeper has a point. I'm not a fan of cracking those suckers open. I'll let someone else do the work. :-)

[Harters]

Oh, stop it please. The lobster rolls sound just fantastic with or without celery.

We'd been thinking about a New England trip in 2011 but have demoted it, I'm afraid, in favour of South Africa. Lobster rolls in 2012, then.

[Caroline1]

Not to despair. South Africa has some pretty decent lobster, despite what I wrote above. Just tell 'em you want yours chopped with a little mayonnaise and served on a hot dog bun. Or a baguette. Voila! Lobster roll! Bon voyage!

[eight_inch_pestle]

White-pepper and bay-leaf roasted salmon fillets on a bed of thinly-sliced roasted zucchini rounds. Topped with a schmear of roughly chopped basil and smashed almonds in olive oil. A side of roasted German butterball potatoes, quartered and sauteed with chopped green beans in an anchovy, garlic, and crushed red pepper olive oil.

On a side note, didn't realize "purple" green beans blanch all their color into the parboiling water. Live and learn, I guess. Or, you know, hop on the internet or open a book before cooking with a new ingredient.

[ChristinaMason]

I wonder if you could "steam" those beans in the microwave to avoid so much color loss?

[eight_inch_pestle]

As the color bleached out I read somewhere online that I should have tried sauteing in butter without the blanch or---per Mr. McGee---added a pinch of baking soda to the water. And, yeah, I wonder if that all that purple would have dissolved into the air if nuked.

Anyhow, not a big deal, gf just never knew what a pretty side I had in mind....

[ChristinaMason]

We had friends over for dinner tonight. I was picking up the last of the supplies at the store when I remembered that one of the friends doesn't eat seafood...so much for our crabcake plans! So three of us had massive crabcakes (Old Bay recipe, broiled) on potato buns, while the one had grilled boneless country-style pork ribs with hickory bbq sauce. I made tartar sauce with mayo, sour cream, parsley, dijon, shallots, dill pickle, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, s&p, and diced jalapeno. Yummy.

On the side: curly fries, green salad with grape tomatoes, feta, sunflower seeds and rasp. vinaigrette. Black grapes, spinach dip, bread, and pickles to start. Beers to drink.

Me = tired. And DH did most of the food prep, bless him.

[mariacarmen]

i'm full of pork, yet your dinner made me drool... do you make your own curly fries?

[ChristinaMason]

Aw, thanks. Your meals always sound so great, too.

Definitely did NOT make our own fries...this week has been hectic with new restaurant shifts (serving) and other odd jobs. The from-frozen were good, though, so I can't complain. This was our first real success with crabcakes. I found 2 lbs. on ridiculous sale (special + clearance price for last day of sell-by date) and knew exactly what to do with them!

[boyzoma]

Thankfully it cooled down a little today. I had to have a scope procedure this morning, and the throat is a little rough around the edges. So I think some tomato soup for me (with creamed cheese blended in) and add a sandwich for the DH. Maybe a little of the Dreamcicle ice cream for dessert.

[Phurstluv]

Glad you got some cooler weather, it's still hot in LA, but they're promising a cool down by the weekend. Feel better, BZ!

[mariacarmen]

We got it here - cold, foggy, overcast, misty! bye bye summer!

[ChristinaMason]

ouch. I've been there. hope all is well. have something soothing and get some rest.

[Cherylptw]

Tonight, pan seared chunks of pork with summer vegetable medley (corn, lima beans, yellow squash, green beans, etc) and some of last night's smoked gouda & bacon mac & cheese. Canteloupe for dessert.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Sounds nice. Partially because you used the word "medley." What cut of pork?

[Cherylptw]

The dish was so good....I used pork tenderloin because it was what I had on hand. Cut into 1/2 to 1 inch chunks; no worries about it being under cooked souschef (below), I don't eat meat unless it's at least medium well for beef. In this case, for the pork, chunks were caramelized.

[JungMann]

Were there any other seasonings? It seems like a great simple dish to add to my end of summer rotation.

[souschef]

How big/small were the chunks of pork? I am always concerned about just searing pork, unless it is sliced thin. I do know that trichnosis is no lover a concern, and usually eat pork tenderloin slightly pink in the centre, but was concerned about seared chunks; I would usually braise them.

[mariacarmen]

Cut some pork butt into chunks, salted, and seared 'til nice and crusty, sauteed chopped onions and whole head of garlic, roasted a big pasila pepper over open flame, then blended onions/garlic/pepper with toasted/ground cumin and coriander, juice from 3 oranges and a lime, toasted chili pepper flakes, salt, onion powder and a little more ground cumin, little chicken stock. Whole thing is in the crock pot for tonight's dinner. With that i want to serve black beans (canned, sorry!) with goat cheese and thyme - someone posted it here and it intrigued - perilagu? eight-inch? jungmann? one of you, i believe. i'm envisioning dollops of creamy goat cheese in black beans with fresh minced thyme. am i close? and a simple salad of some sort....

[Phurstluv]

Boy, making my mouth water over here, mc!

It wasn't me, but I would just crumble the cheese on top of the beans. I usually just put them in the oven for a while, like mexican baked beans I guess, and then the last 15 mins or so put on crumbled cotija if I have it, or just cheddar and jack and let it melt in for a little bit. Don't know how long you would want the goat cheese on top while baking, but it might be delicious!

[mariacarmen]

Ended up skipping the beans because the pork was a tad salty and spicy, so I thought i'd do something bland - plain white rice - to sop up the juices rather than introducing another set of savory flavors. Made a salad with FM corn, cherry tomatoes, pickling cukes, cilantro, and shallots. about to eat now! And a beautifully sweet ripe Galia melon from the FM, for afters, as Harters would say.

[ChristinaMason]

mmm, yes. and no apologies for canned black beans. sometimes I even buy them pre-seasoned...when I'm feeling really lazy!

[eight_inch_pestle]

Black beans with goat cheese and thyme was probably me, altho I suppose that doesn't mean it wasn't someone else as well. And, yes, you're right on target. I usually heat the thyme with the beans for a couple of minutes so the flavor blossoms. Sure it's best with homemade beans, but don't think for a second I haven't let Sous Chef Goya handle things now and again. With canned product I do sometimes give the beans a very gentle mash so they open up more to my ingredrients/treatments.

That pork sounds ridiculous.

[mariacarmen]

oh good! it's still on my list to try.
the pork WAS ridiculous. we'll be indulging in ridiculous pork tacos tonight.

[ChristinaMason]

Sous Chef Goya...love it. Some of their products really aren't bad.

[Cherylptw]

I like Goya products, especially their Spanish style tomato sauce

[ChristinaMason]

That makes great Spanish rice.

[relizabeth]

It is cold and awful and rainy here in London. It is also my birthday. We finally managed to wrangle our beloved semi feral cat into the trap and then into the cage and to the vet to be fixed. I've postponed our dinner reservation for a week because I am concerned about her recovery. So, my husband is making me his sublime vegetarian lasagna with lentils, mushrooms and bechamel. And then we will drink champagne and eat cold plums.

[mariacarmen]

Happy Birthday! Sounds like a fantastic evening, despite recovering kitty. Cheers!

[Cherylptw]

Happy Birthday and good luck with the cat.

[LindaWhit]

Happy birthday, and I hope your kitty recovers quickly!

[Phurstluv]

Nice, happy Birthday, and take care of your kitty. (We had one like that, actually would go feral the minute he hit the vets! Not fun!)

[onceadaylily]

Happy belated birthday! Champagne and plums . . . I like that. And good luck with the kitty.

[nomadchowwoman]

Yes, happy birthday. Except for the kitty, it sounds lovely.

Any possibility of getting that lasagna recipe?

[relizabeth]

Emily DIckinson, our cat, is recovering swimmingly. She was fit enough to bat the champagne cork around and is making her great leaps and has forgiven us entirely.

Basically, my husband makes 3 things:
1. bechamel
2. tomato sauce made with lots of mushrooms and brown lentils.
3. cooked greens (i think it was chard for this lasagne) with bit of nutmeg

Then he assembles using uncooked lasagna noodles and greens and tomato sauce. He tops it with bechamel and grated cheese (cheddar, mozzerella, and parmesan were what we had in the fridge). He bakes it covered and then uncovers it until it is all nice and blistery on top.

[nomadchowwoman]

Thanks, relizabeth! (And glad ED doing well. My cats would sulk much longer.)

[eight_inch_pestle]

Gotta love semi-feral cats. Ours once got so terrified of being put in a carrier that he plowed straight through a tiny plumbing access door and nestled himself between the bathtub frame and a wall. This was at 4:30 am, three hours before a cross-country relocation flight and with nothing left in the house besides two cats and a broom. Used the broom to hack through the wall on the other side of the bathroom to no avail. Called every imaginable governmental agency and private service to no avail. Best response was (this was in North Carolina), "I'd like to come out and charge you for the visit, but cat or 'coon, that sumb*tch coming out when he d*mn well pleases." We tried winning hearts and minds and we tried shock and awe----nothing. Flights were rescheduled for the next day, bosses were _not_ happy, overnight traps were set, a cat drenched himself in tuna oil before receiving his first and last bath, two long United flights smelled faintly of Chicken of the Sea, and everyone lived happily ever after. Anyhow, happy birthday and good luck with kitty. Your ad hoc plans sound better than dinner out.

[LindaWhit]

OK, now THAT is one helluva story, eip! LOL

[Harters]

Place we go in Spain (Pollensa, Mallorca) has a major problem with feral cats. The local council has embarked on a programme to deal with it by preventing future generations by neutering. They do this by feeding them a drug contained in food they leave. So the cats do eat the baited food, they ask folk not to feed them and post adverts to this effect in Castillian, Catalan and English (we Brits form most of the tourist population in the resort).

The English version refers to "wild cats" but I always think the Castillian has a certain chutzpah. If I was a wild cat, I'd also want to be included amongst the
"gatos vagabondos".

[LindaWhit]

Vagabond kitties! Sounds very rakish, like the strays in "The Aristocats". ;-)

[mariacarmen]

that is hilarious!

[krisrishere]

Tonight I'm making this recipe of Stuffed Eggplant from Saveur - http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes...

It's only me so I'm going to wing it because I only have 2 baby graffiti eggplants. I'm going to use ground sirloin and I'm not going to put the egg yolks in the bechamel sauce. It should be yummy.

[ZenSojourner]

French onion soup. Onions are carmelizing - in the oven - as we speak

[mamachef]

The weather here in the Bay Area has been completely bi-polar. Two days ago I had ice in my sportsbra; this morning had to break out long sleeves and footie sox.
People around here drive like Muppets when it's hot. I realized that on my way to Fruitvale yesterday, where I stopped and got a pound of carnitas. It was off-hours at tacotruckapalooza; otherwise they won't give up a pound. Tonight, with some hot tortillas, lime, and salsa (gotta do something with the tomatoes in my urban guerilla garden) and a side of cilantro rice, that's dinner.

[eight_inch_pestle]

mamachef, your posts always make me smile.

[mamachef]

Love this thread. Love making people smile. And, tonight's dinner is bbq'd chuck steak in teriyaki marinade. Sliced thinly, cooked mid-rare. Good stufffff. Good timesssss.Add beer!

[junescook]

I have some really tender lambshanks leftover so it is either going to be couscous or a curry.

[nomadchowwoman]

Guests tonight, so I will have to brave the kitchen heat, but I'm starting earlier, and it is overcast at least, and it's going to be a minimal indoor heat dinner, w/a little help from my friends.

We're starting w/summer rolls (purchased from a nearby Vietnamese rest.). And as I have a large patch of lemongrass languishing outside, I've decided to use some of it in a marinade and make grilled lemongrass beef. Accompaniments will be (Robert Lauriston's wife's) cilantro rice, from these very boards, and (Smitten Kitchen's) mango slaw. For dessert, I'm making spiced peaches (subbing the butter w/ginger butter--re Cherylptw's tip) and serving that w/vanilla ice cream and pistachio shortbread (Ottolenghi recipe).

I know peaches seem odd after the mango slaw, but I have a ton of them (peaches and mangoes), and they're very good, so peaches it will be.

[Phurstluv]

Sounds very nice, ncw. Have a nice time with your guests.

[mebby]

Love that mango slaw! Whole menu sounds great. Can you point me to the recipe for the cilantro rice?

[nomadchowwoman]

It was summery and refreshing.

I love the flavors of the slaw, but I used very ripe mango--too ripe, imo, which made the salad sweeter than I like (though still good). Next time, I'm going to use a slightly underripe mango.

Here's the link for the rice. I think it needs a little more salt than is called for. I add some to the onion-cilantro mixture.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/3287...

[L987]

here its cold and its raining.. tonight im having roasted lamb with redwine sauce and probably rice or potatoes and maybe some butter poached carrots

[LindaWhit]

Mmmm....roasted lamb. Yum.

[nomadchowwoman]

Here, too, it is hot. Predictably, miserably, soul-sappingly, appetite-killingly hot. Barely managed to reheat the crawfish etouffee from a few nights ago. But we finished that off w/brown rice, and a side salad of spinach, avocado, red onion, and bacon w/orange vinaigrette. That was dinner.

[ChristinaMason]

Simple supper of grilled chicken legs, boxed white cheddar mac, and a salad with creamy feta-herb dressing. Skinned and rubbed the chicken legs with s&p, paprika, and creole seasoning, and DH basted them with a little butter during grilling. They were succulent. The salad dressing was a refreshing combo of feta, fresh parsley, dill, mayo, sour cream, a splash of milk, and wine vinegar. Not shabby.

To drink: a much-needed Sierra Nevada brown ale.

[eight_inch_pestle]

I have never added milk to a salad dressing. An interesting idea, given we usually have some we need to use up, and given the need to keep an eye on certain things after 30. Do you do this often, or was it an emergency stand-in?

[ChristinaMason]

I think it's a standard ingredient (or at least cream may be?) in cole slaw dressing, so I'll sometimes add it without thinking twice to thick, creamy dressings, particularly ones with cheese. Wouldn't blue cheese dressing also usually be made with a little milk to bind/thin it?

[eight_inch_pestle]

Hmmm...I haven't made it in years (too long, now that you mention it), but I think blue cheese dressing usually draws on buttermilk. And don't get me wrong, I add a dash or three of cream to a vinaigrette on a pretty regular basis, just never thought to add milk. Neither of us drink it, so there's usually some sitting around after a bechamel or whatever. The more I write, the more I think I have an absurd blind spot about this.

[ZenSojourner]

I don't know if it's usual or not, but my bleu cheese dressing recipe calls for sour cream, mayo, and bleu cheese. It's from a WWII era cookbook.

[Caroline1]

That's pretty much the norm for that era, and I think it still is. But you can also make a pretty good bleu cheese dressing using all sour cream. Don't tell anyone I told you! '-)

[ZenSojourner]

I'll have to try that sometime. That dressing is the one and only thing I ever use mayo for. Would be nice to be able to just dispense with it.

Actually I think it calls for a bit of dry mustard, salt, and maybe a dash of pepper as well. Easy enough to add in.

[Caroline1]

I'm something of a purist about some things. For my bleu cheese and sour cream dressing, that's about it, except for fresh ground tellecherry pepper and a bit of kosher salt for the sour cream. Depending on the sour cream brand (a few brands don't loosen up much with stirring) I may have to dilute a bit with milk. But I also have to make it a day or two ahead of time so the bleu cheese has plenty of time for its flavor to permeate the sour cream. It sort of ends up like chunks of bleu cheese in a very thick bleu cheese cream soup. GREAT on ice berg lettuce wedges as an accompaniment to steak or bison or mahi mahi or swordfish... or.... or just about any rich firm protein with lots of flavor.

[Phurstluv]

I can't tolerate sour cream very well, so I often use non fat plain yogurt. Can never tell the difference.

I think you need the mayo in it to add some oil, and mouthfeel to the dressing, or it would just be a flavored sour cream.

My recipe uses grated shallot & garlic for the flavorings. Very easy & tasty.

[Caroline1]

Regular sour cream has no shortage of fat, but the mayonnaise was added for a touch of flavor and to increase the liquidity. Sour cream tends to "re-solidify" when left unstirred for a while. But if you don't like or can't tolerate sour cream, then whatever works! Yogurt, fat free or not, has a lot more "tang" than sour cream, but it can work nicely with bleu cheese.

[mariacarmen]

Carne asada tacos. made a little pico de gallo with minced habaneros on the side, since not everyone appreciates that they are THE BOMB, shredded some jack cheese, and made some "spanish" rice. have to figure out a way to make the tortillas soft enough for old people to chew... maybe steam them...

[Phurstluv]

Oh that's one of my faves......sounds good, mc!!

Sorry to hear of the coolish weather from our east coast and across the pond friends. Here on the west coast in LA LA land, we have hot sun, humidity, thunderstorms & lightening fires in the desert. Normal for us this time of year.

So, we're still feasting on the leftovers from the weekend. One child will have crispy fish tacos, since he ate his lamb yesterday. The other wants grilled cheese & vegetable soup, since he's been playing with the hose and is cold now that he's in the a/c. I'm making myself a chef's salad of sorts, using up the salad fixins and the pork tenderloin at the same time.

[mamachef]

kale and onion, sauteed and topped with poached eggs and some sriracha, pain rustique toast and good jam on the side. late tonight, tuna salad on the same bread. it's hot, we'll undoubtedly be up late and require further sustenance!

[ZenSojourner]

Leftovers. But it's leftover Murgh Makhani!

[ZenSojourner]

Actually I ended up eating a french baguette. It was a surprise to me - it was from Kroger so I didn't expect much from it. I bought it for French Onion Soup tomorrow. Broke an end off just to snack while I waited for the rice to cook and ended up finishing it off.

They must have at least one good baker over there.

[krisrishere]

Oops! Didn't see this one. Here's my post for today:

This morning I put a chuck roast in the crockpot with some beef stock, Italian Seasoning, hot banana peppers (with the juice) and a touch of tomato paste. It's going to be a cross between an Italian Beef Sandwich and a Beef on a Weck from the Buffalo/Rochester NY area. I'll serve the beef on a homemade kummelweck roll; a kaiser roll brushed with a cornstarch mixture and sprinkled with coarse salt and whole caraway seed. I'm also going to make some horseradish mayo for the top. YUM

[LindaWhit]

kris, I've heard SO much about kummelweck rolls; would love to try a Beef on Weck sandwich. Enjoy!

[JungMann]

How'd the beef turn out? If all it takes to make Italian beef is the recipe above, I will be a very happy Chicago expat.

[krisrishere]

It was fantastic! I love the banana peppers because it adds that nice little twang - cuts through the rich beef perfectly. And yes, that's basically the recipe. I had a 4lb chuck roast and I think I used about 2 cups of beef stock, about 2 tbsp of Italian Seasoning, maybe 1/2 cup banana peppers and 1/4 cup juice. After it was done I took the beef out and shredded it, strained the leftover jus and that's it!

[krisrishere]

Oh and I dipped half of my kummelweck roll in the jus :)

[Harters]

Which thread are we using - this one or the other one?

[LindaWhit]

I think it should be this one - perhaps the Mods can move the other thread over here? Or if not, those that posted there can repost here. I just suggested that those posters re-post over here and asked the Mods to lock mariacarmen's thread.

As for what I'm having for dinner? Leftover beef stew, potatoes and carrots. :-)

[boyzoma]

This one! Ignore the other one. LindaWhit posted a notice there as well.

[LindaWhit]

Unfortunately, the Mods haven't locked the other one yet. Hopefully they'll do so soon so there's no continued duplication.

[mariacarmen]

I just edited the original post on the one i started to direct people here.

[Cherylptw]

Tonight, it's baked macaroni with smoked gouda & bacon. Orange glazed carrots with balsamic on the side. Last night's caesar salad was just delicious so I'll make another of those. I didn't eat dessert last night so I'll have my meringue with lime curd & berries tonight.

[Harters]

HAH!

I weep at Cherylptw's introduction and, specifically, the mention of "warm weather". What is this "warm" of which people speak? I have vague recollections from some years back but, here in the UK, there has been nothing that might resemble anyone's normal thought of summer. Again! Last night, we seriously considered putting the heating on. So, in spite of a year where compulsory restrictions on water use have been in place for most of the recent months, cooking continues to be on the "need to warm you up" style.

Tonight.......keema & peas; basmati rice; pappads, home made mango chutney and the killer tomato/lime/chilli chutney (both still 2008 vintage).

[boyzoma]

Warm weather is that thing that happens when the heat gets over 70 degrees out, such as today which is supposed to be 91 here. Great for growing your own veggies. I had my first tomato from my garden last night and it was the sweetest thing ever. (My tomato plant's are over 6 feet tall!) I feel for you though.

Tonight will be much like Perilagu Khan's but with some slaw on the side instead of the tot's. Gotta love that BBQ grill on days like this!

[Harters]

Ah, yes - I recall hot weather and the last time I grew tomatoes. It was 1976.

This year, I decided to grow them again. HAH!

The plan was to grow just a couple of plants in pots - the tumbling cherry tomato sort. They were going to look great, with a couple of pots of red flowering plants. But the garden centre had mislabelled them and they were the tall plants. So they are growing in big pots in amogst my herbs and not looking at all pretty.

But we have had two ripe ones over the last two weeks. Deliciously sweet. And there looks like 3 more may ripen in the next few days. The crop hasnt been at all prolific - but I think I'm going to need a recipe fo rusing a couple of pounds of green ones. Can't see many more ripening now.

[boyzoma]

Last year, when the season was over, we pulled the plants and hung them upside down in the garage. The green ones continued to ripen and we still got red tomatoes until about December! Imagine that! Good luck with yours!

[linguafood]

Wow. Sounds like the island got spared by the heat wave in June and July, swamping the mainland. It was HOT!

[Perilagu Khan]

Chili cheese dawgs and tater tots.

[JungMann]

It is cold. I want casserole. I want gravy. I want roasts. I woke up early this morning to go to the gym so I'd have time after work to make a nice roast lamb dinner, or perhaps stuffed zucchini. But mornings have a funny way of foiling the best laid plans and I spent most of the sunrise under the covers telling myself, "15 more minutes." So the gym will have to wait for tonight. And dinner had to be made in the morning. But with sleep still half stuck in my eyes, I needed to make something simple. I heated up the wok with chili oil and stir fried some cumin until its popping and nutty aroma suggested it was time to add minced garlic. Just as the garlic started to color, I added thinly sliced lamb that was already defrosted and some soy sauce. I wanted to add a splash of Shaoxing wine but in the morning darkness I added a splash or rice wine vinegar instead. I finished the dish with some chopped garlic chives and a generous helping of Szechuan peppercorns and white pepper. Even with the vinegar, it wasn't too shabby for 20 minutes of work before 8am.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Salad nicoise, with canned Loki salmon.