What's for Dinner - Part 93 [old]

[LindaWhit]

We're cooking up a storm - whether it's outside grilling or inside because it's stormy out! (Or cooking inside because you don't *have* a grill!)

So, what's on the menu?

[LindaWhit]

We're maxing out this thread, so I started a new one here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/791881

[shecrab]

Heat index of 100, 85% humidity.My hair looks like Brillo pad exploded. Gazpacho aspic,corn and jalapeno fritters, squash tart and peach dumplings tonight. Well, that's the game plan anyway. We shall see. Gonna go iron my hair now.

[mariacarmen]

ahahaha! enjoy your gazpacho - sounds refreshing - and good luck with your hair!

[inaplasticcup]

Exploded Brillo pad. BAHAHAHAHAAA!

That sounds like a perfect summertime meal, btw...

[Phurstluv]

I'd love to know how you made the squash pie and the fritters!! Thanks, shecrab!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Gazpacho aspic sounds so refreshing and such a nice twist from regular gazpacho! Fritters of any sort sound good to me! Sounds like you are going to have a lovely meal :o)

[Levaeria]

Tonight I made a beautiful cherry pie with my new stone pie plate. I haven't really decided what's for dinner yet, but we do have pie. :)

The only problem is that, upon taking it out of the oven, I realized I don't have a pie server... So, its beautiful until I serve it. Once it's served, it looks more like cherry cobbler.

I was going to take a picture of it, but the fiance snatched a bite while it was cooling. Oh well, its reason to make another I guess!

[buttertart]

Cut 3 pieces (make 4 cuts into the pie) without removing them from the pie plate. Take the middle one out first. For some reason this makes it easier to remove the first piece intact and the pie doesn't suffer as much over all.
I use a cheese plane as my pie server except for company (mine is ca. 1975 but looks very like this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003...

Who needs dinner when you've got cherry pie?

[Levaeria]

Hmm, I'll try that on the next one, thanks for the tip!

Thankfully, it tasted wonderful, so its looks weren't an issue at all. I ended up making a Vietnamese noodle bowl for dinner; cherry pie was an odd dessert for such a thing. :)

[buttertart]

Cherry pie goes with anything, according to the man of the house. Who'd also have been very happy with the noodle bowl!

[inaplasticcup]

Agreed.

[roxlet]

Interesting tip, bt! But, of course, if you use Malgieri's method, the slices come out perfectly...

[buttertart]

Soon as I get my mitts on some cherries.

[L.Nightshade]

Still working on the fridge cleanout

I got rid of a few of the tomatoes by throwing together bruschetta before dinner.

Main course was from Radically Simple, a salmon fillet in a "chemise" of smoked salmon, atop a sauce of tomatillos and herbs, with a pea shoot garnish. I used a few of the pea shoots I had on hand, but I still have a big bouquet of them waiting to be purposed. If you are interested, I wrote a bit more on this dish in the Radically Simple thread here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7860...

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Incredible that this is a fridge clean out! Looks like a gourmet meal!! The colors are so beautiful on your photos too :o)

[L.Nightshade]

Thank you! Truth be told, I had to run out and buy the salmon fillet. Dinner can only get so far with greens things, tomatoes, and smoked salmon.

[Phurstluv]

I agree, Bombay, definitely does not look like leftovers!! Beautiful job, LN.

[L.Nightshade]

Thanks so much!

[mariacarmen]

i'm dying to make a good brushetta, but i don't think tomatoes here are ready yet.

[inaplasticcup]

The pea shoots and tendrils look soo lovely on that salmon...

[Phurstluv]

I recently had a salmon dish at a resto that also garnished w the pea shoots, just lovely, and so springy-fresh!!

[L.Nightshade]

I had never had pea shoots until they arrived in my CSA box. They are indeed lovely. I love the cute little preemie pods, and they have the most delicate pea taste.

[twyst]

Scallops and polenta!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Wow, your scallops are perfectly seared...yum!

[LindaWhit]

VERY nice! Gotta love a good caramelization on scallops. :-) Is that a gremolata on top?

[twyst]

It sure is, I love the stuff!

[Phurstluv]

So here are the pics. My MIL said I cooked it perfectly, I must say, it was juicy and beautifully done. I am not the griller in the family, that's DH's job, but as long as I get tips from him, and be diligent and NEVER walk away from the grill (helps to have someone in the house to shout at : "I NEED FOIL!") and things come out pretty well.

I start by marinating the fish in olive oil and Greek seasoning, a McCormick's blend that includes thyme, oregano, dried garlic & lemon peel. Keep that in the fridge covered, until ready to grill. Then the salsa involves halving or quartering grape tomatoes, salting them and letting them drain for an hour or so. Then I mix them with chopped kalamata olives, fresh herbs (depending on what I have, but I love using basil, parsley and thyme, sometimes fresh oregano if I have it) some vinegar (balsamic or red wine is good, used sherry this time, since it just threw in the last of the black olive relish that is already combined w vinegar & herbs), lemon juice, and crumbled feta cheese and lots of fresh ground black pepper. It's wonderful over the fish, but I've also used it over chicken breasts and cutlets. Very summery and tasty.

Here's start to finish, along w pics of the boys' plates:

[L.Nightshade]

Lovely photos, what great colors!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

I was thinking the same as LN, the colors are beautiful. The swordfish and tomatoes look great, you really put a lot of work into this meal AND you made two different dishes for the boys! Nice that you even took pics of the fish sticks;o)

I figured out a great way to use up the drained water from tomatoes...make Bloody Mary's out of it! Now when I make salsa or whatever I save the tomato water and freeze it...

[inaplasticcup]

Great pics, Pl. And I like how the cobalt blue on the plates ties that whole Greek/Aegean thing together.

[Phurstluv]

Thanks everyone!! I thought the plates looked nice too, and I like to taunt my family & friends on the east coast that never come visit me, so I post them on my FB page too!!

Nice idea for the tomato water, too bad I don't drink Bloody Marys! I was also thinking, as the cucumbers drained for the tsatsiki, that that water I was throwing down the drain was some inventive chef's idea for an amuse-bouche!!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Phurst, no Bloody Mary's for you?? Why not...lol Ooohh, the cucumber water can be mixed with the tomato water!

Since you are posting your food photos on FB, the next step is to start a blog;o)

[Phurstluv]

I know, I know, I've been trying to resist.....and then there's that kid gig I have....LOL!

I am just not a fan of tomato juice, never liked it, can't stomach it. I'll just take the mimosas instead ; )

[Phurstluv]

Still working on requests this week. Tonight, by special request, my signature grilled swordfish dish, with Greek salsa, served over a lightly dressed herb salad, and roasted garlic couscous on the side. Just one piece of fish will serve both the MIL and I, boys are happy w a bowl of tuna salad for one, and crispy fish sticks for the other (which make great tacos, btw). Cocktails were Grey Goose Gimlets, and serving w a crisp NZ sauv blanc. Dessert will be strawberry sorbet for us, ice cream cones for the boys. Pics to follow, I have to get my fish on the grill!

[inaplasticcup]

Can't wait for the pics, Pl. You're a good DIL, too. :)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Phurst, I love how you take all requests! That's a lot of variety for one meal! Love your cocktail hour too, but I do prefer gin over vodka;o)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Phurst, I think we all have hs memories like that...lol Mine is drinking both beer & champagne..lol Of course not mixing it together in one glass... When I picked my tag about 8 years ago I couldn't come up with a creative one about food, so I came up with what I liked to drink with my food;o) Good thing is that I still like that same cocktail and some other ones too!

[MandalayVA]

We had a picnic. For some reason I've accumulated a ginormous amount of hot dogs of various calls, so I thawed a pack of Nathan's and a bag of Martin's potato rolls and did the dogs on the inside grill. The dogs were topped with Dijon mustard and/or homemade ketchup and accompanied by my local market's "summer slaw" (cole slaw with tomatoes and cucumber added). On an hot evening in the capital of the Confederacy it hit the spot even as my fingers grumble and swell a bit over the rolls.

[inaplasticcup]

Like Nightshade, we are in fridge cleanout mode. So I seared a cut up chicken, blended up a small onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 very hot jalapenos, and a bunch and a half of cilantro with some lime juice and chicken broth and braised the chicken in that mixture making what I'll call a Chili Cilantro Lime chicken.

On the side was a potato broccoli cheese mash made with the last of the sour cream and a couple dabs of butter, topped with more cheese and baked off in a 425 oven until the cheese was melted and browned. A nice, mild, creamy foil for those hot, hot jalapenos.

Just a side note to say I am enjoying this thread and discussion immensely. Thanks to all who participate and make CH feel like a real, virtual community. :)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

ina, your pictures are mouthwatering!! Your braising liquid sounds like a delicious combo! I never thought of putting lime juice in a braise.

[L.Nightshade]

Just grand! I bet most people never eat as well as your fridge clean-out meals.

[inaplasticcup]

You guys are so encouraging. Really. Thank you. :)

[inaplasticcup]

I am insane to bake in this weather, but I've also been having insane carb and sweet cravings. So while I have NO idea what's going to happen with that whole chicken in the fridge, I decided to use up some flour, butter, sugar and genmai tea and make genmai snickerdoodle-ish type cookies.

Saving some cookies for you in my mind, il divo... :)

[inaplasticcup]

Wow. The color on those pics is just... anemic. I guess not even a cookie looks pretty in fluorescent light. This one's a little more like life.

[L.Nightshade]

I liked the first pics fine, but this one looks wonderful. Whenever I post a photo to chowhound the color changes from the original.
Did the tea go into the batter, or just atop the cookies? Such a lovely idea!

[inaplasticcup]

Thanks, Nightshade! I noticed the same about the pics in upload.

The tea went into and atop. Good way to use up 10 packets of tea!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

ina, that's so creative using Genmai-Cha. The cookies look great!

[inaplasticcup]

Arigato, Bombay! :)

[Matahari22]

I have pork butt marinating for the grill later. I placed a peeled orange, one small onion, two cloves of garlic, two sprigs of oregano, and a tiny bit of ground cumin and coriander seed in a high speed blender/emulsifier to make a liquid marinade for the pork.

Black beans and then my three grain steamed rice, cooked in my rice cooker. 1 rice up of jasmine rice, 1/2 rice cup of bulgar wheat 1/2 rice cup of quick cooking barley.

[shecrab]

That sounds like a textural mouth party. I never would think to add another grain to rice, much less 2. Thank you for that idea! In my area people can (and do) eat rice 3x a day and frankly, it can get weary. I am cooking the Matahari22 pilaf pronto ; )

[Matahari22]

Lol. I use it just as I would plain rice for everything. Since it make so much, and I am cooking for myself, I end up using it in everything. Under a curry, or to make fried rice, freeze a bit to throw in a soup, mix with beans, and even have it for brunch with a poached egg on top.

I made it up, because white rice has such a bad name. I kept trying to eat brown rice, bu no can do. It's just not going to happen. This makes me feel like it's a bit healthier.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Your marinade for your pork sounds fantastic and I love the combo you use for your rice. I love using my rice cooker too :o)

[Phurstluv]

I agree, very inventive to have the three grains.

[Matahari22]

Thank you. I couldn't make rice to save my life before I got my rice cooker. That was one piece of kitchen equipment that was a great investment for me.

[onceadaylily]

Wow, you all have been busy! Lovely meals, all. And isn’t it funny how you can have your menu set, and then see it is already fait accompli in someone else’s kitchen on WFD? I’m taking advantage of this cooler weather, and am making spicy pumpkin and tomato soup. There is coriander in mine as well (but half and half is the milk here), loads of onions, a bit of sambal oelek, ginger, and chopped tomatoes (in addition to the can of whole tomatoes that I squish with my hands: lovely therapy, that), and broth. The broth is a vegetable and mushroom mixture, and not the perfectly gelatinous turkey stock I used last time I made this, so we’ll see how that goes. I also like to add the pumpkin to the base, before I add the liquid, and darken it a bit, in the same way tomato paste is often tempered. It changes the flavor a bit. A ciabatta will be split, rubbed with garlic butter, covered with Swiss, and toasted to go with the soup.

There will also be the pan of sausages, the cooking of which was delayed last night first by a kitchen that was unbearably hot, and then by a tornado warning, accompanied by winds strong enough to pull a picture off of the kitchen wall. The word ‘basement’ was uttered, but that cat was hid good, so we stayed on the second floor, watching the lights flicker until the storm finally moved away. Hope all of my Chicago folks here fared as well as we!

[shecrab]

Mmmm turkey jelly.. That sounds like a crazy storm. Do you get the lake effect weather phenomena? I live on an island and when that sky turns black and wind starts kicking up, I make like your kitty! Losing power is no fun either, I'm glad you didn't have to suffer through that.

[onceadaylily]

I'm sure the lake kicked the storm's intensity, but from what I saw it was coming in a straight path toward us from the south (I'm just north of the city). I could see the lightening coming our way as the temperature plummeted. I am *so* glad we didn't lose power, as so many did. The word out is that it's going to take days to get the lights back on for everyone. The boyfriend works at the airport, which I'm sure is chaos today, so sausage for that boy today, for sure (he'd probably like a little of it crumbled in his soup, maybe, as he gets bored with soups that are a bit one-dimensional in texture).

And, yeah, that was one damn fine stock. My best, actually. And I would *love* to live on an island. Lucky you!

[iL Divo]

told my husband tonight will be light fair.
greens in veg and big salad.
if I get in the mood, I'll do a risotto

[Breadcrumbs]

The relentless rain and forecast for evening thunderstorms served to put plans for a couple of grilled dishes from the COTM on the back burner. Plan B is an old and much-loved standby, Donna Hay's Lemon Chicken Pasta. This will also allow my to use the last of the HUGE bunch of basil I picked up at a farm stand on the weekend. We may need to break the "no wine on a school night" rule for this one though!!!! Happy cooking everyone!

[Phurstluv]

oooo, that pasta sounds nice and summery, I have a basil plant I must start picking off of or I'm going to lose it, and I have a mega jar of pesto in the fridge, so don't want to make pesto. Can you paraphrase it for me, BC? Thanks!

[Breadcrumbs]

Phurstluv this is a wonderful dish I never hesitate to recommend. If you do try it let us know what you think. It comes together in no time. If you're pressed for time, it can also be made w drained, canned tuna w terrific results.

Here's the recipe:

http://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/le...

[ChristinaMason]

That sounds good, and simple.

Edit: saw you answered my question about ww pasta downthread.

[L.Nightshade]

Is that recipe from Off the Shelf? I've got Donna Hay in my Amazon wish list, haven't sprung for her yet. Sounds as if you like her? (You know how I trust your recommendations, you haven't steered me wrong yet!)

[Breadcrumbs]

LN, you're so kind. I adore Donna Hay. She's one of my favourites and this book would be one I'd be hanging on to if I could only keep 10 of my books (perish the thought!!).

I have all of DH's books and I can only recall one occasion where we weren't thrilled w her recipe.. . and I've made a ton of her recipes. She also has the most beautiful magazine which is like a cookbook itself . . . and yes, I have all those too!!

I've pasted a link to her website below where you'll get an excellent sense of her cooking style. I absolutely adore the simplicity of her dishes. Her flavour combinations are brilliant and most of her recipes can be made with minimal prep or, lengthy cooking times. Her "No Time To Cook", "Instant Cook" and "New Food Fast" are simply brilliant when time is tight but you're craving a delicious meal. New Food Fast has chapters for dishes that can be prepared in 10 minutes, 20 Minutes and 30 Minutes.

I also find the photography and styling in her books and magazines to be gorgeous. So simple and appealing.

Here's the link:

http://www.donnahay.com.au/

[L.Nightshade]

Wow! You've sold me. (You're not her PR person are you?)
I like what I see on a quick look at the website. It sounds like she's got some of the same qualities that I'm appreciating in Radically Simple.
I'm placing a book order today anyway, so I'm going to add one of hers to check it out. If you had to recommend just one (or a first one, anyway), which would it be?

[Breadcrumbs]

I wish I was her PR person LN!! I'm confident you'll love Off The Shelf so I'd suggest starting w that one. Lot's of quick and delicious dishes in there.

[shecrab]

The pasta does sound delicious, fast, and healthy. The holy trinity! I am totally smitten with the idea of using the canned tuna in it. I bet it works hot or cold.

[Breadcrumbs]

It really is delicious shecrab. I hope you give it a try and let us know what you think. Tonight we used whole wheat spaghetti.

[L.Nightshade]

BWB had a new copy for $6, shipping included, so it's on its way. Thanks so much!

[Breadcrumbs]

Oh my LN, what a deal! I paid over $40 including tax for mine when it first came out! I'm excited that you got it!!

[shecrab]

Breakfast for dinner! Lump crab hash with 3 pepper hollandaise,( with a couple of poached eggs nestled on top) baked pancake with apple filing and my favorite......The Bloody Mary bar! I set up celery salt, margarita salt, Cajun seasoning and dillweed for the rims.Hot sauces, horseradish, jalepenos and pepper vodka for the body and to garnish, lime wedges,olives,pepperocini,green onions, pickled cherry peppers, pickled mixed vegs, carrot sticks, pickles, cuke spears, and ,of course, celery. That should count for at least a couple of my daily recommended vegetable requirements, no?

[L.Nightshade]

That sounds spectacular! If I saw this menu in a restaurant, I'd be in heaven. I'd love to know what is in the crab hash.

[Phurstluv]

LOL!! Oh yes, most definitely counts!! Love it!!

And yes, that hash sounds divine, I have a lb of lump crab in my fridge, always looking for new ideas instead of just another batch of crab cakes. What did you put in your hash?

[shecrab]

Well, it's adjustable to feed how many you need to. I do 4 servings with 1 large red potato, 1 medium sweet potato, peel cube and boil til almost tender, 4 or 5 minutes.Then1 large chopped purple onion goes in the skillet with a little butter (2 Tbsp) and the drained potatoes til tender ,add 1 large roasted red pepper and 1 large seeded chopped tomato and 1 pound of crab. S&P to taste.Plate it and pop those poached (or crispy fried) eggs right on top. The Hollandaise is straightforward, but I use the green, pink and black peppercorns.

[Phurstluv]

nice, thanks so much!!

[limoen]

In an attempt to eat lots of vegetables and eat cheaply I've been cooking lots of Indian meals. On Sunday there was paneer in tomato gravy, spiced potatoes in a light curry sauce and a spicy peas dish; on Monday there was leftover peas, the paneer dish, aubergine puree (gingery and full of spices but not actually hot) and basmati rice, and last night there was (still more of the!) peas and an aubergine and potato dish 'in pickling spices'. All the recipes were from 'Indian Every Day' by Anjum Anand.

Tonight, for a bit of variation - about as far away from traditional Indian cooking as you can get considering it's beef - my boyfriend will be cooking me spag bol!

[Breadcrumbs]

limoen your veggie based dishes sound so enticing. I was wondering whether you use Indian Every Day on a regular basis? I have several Indian cookbooks and the one I think that would be most similar to yours is a HeartSmart Indian book with some lovely light recipes. I do have Anjum Anand's Indian Food Made Easy but only recently purchased it at a rummage sale and haven't cooked from it as yet.

I'd be interested to hear what you think of her Every Day book.

[limoen]

I only recently opened up Indian Every Day, which is the only one of her books I have. I have to say it really is an easy Indian cookbook. The dishes take about 10 minutes prep max and usually no longer than 20 minutes to cook. The dishes are light and healthy and packed with vegetables. The only potential disadvantage is that most of the dishes tend to serve 1 - 2 so you'd need to double things to make enough for a larger family. There are only two of us so I make 2 - 3 dishes and then supplement every day. Although it sounds like PR and cheesy, it really is Indian food you can cook and eat every day. I work afternoon/evening shifts and have been able to put these dishes together when I arrive home at 9pm!

The flavours are generally very bright. She uses a lot of tomatoes and tomato pastes and obviously many different spices. These are not the creamy, comforting Indian dishes, but then again that's not the book's remit. It's light Indian food - authentic with an eye to modern working hours and acceptance of things like food processors.

[limoen]

I should add that Anjum writes that she developed these recipes while trying to lose weight (75 pounds) and still enjoy Indian food.

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks so much limoen, I'll definitely take a look at this book. All the dishes you made sounded absolutely fantastic and we especially enjoy tomato based sauces/dishes so I can see this having even greater appeal. I must say her weight loss is very impressive too! It's great to know you've been enjoying the meals and, that the recipes work. I really appreciate your taking the time to share this info. Thanks!

[TheHuntress]

Having had a wee break from the WFD board, tonight I have created something that is just too yum not to share (Yes, I'm having a little happy, smug moment). With Winter finally upon us (well, sort of, as wintery as it gets in sunny Perth) I have been on a mad soup kick. The other evening Mr. Huntress cooked a giant vat of pumpkin and ginger soup, which was ok, but a bit lacking in complexity beyond just pumpkin flavour. So craving soup again and not wanting to waste what is essentially a good base for a soup I decided on a bit of a whim to fry up some Thai red curry paste until fragrant and add a stack of coconut cream while I reheated the vat of soup and added some chicken stock concentrate to it. I then added the curry/coconut mixture into the soup and added in some curry powder (yes, I know, all a bit random), seasoned it and let it simmer a bit. I then threw in a bunch of coriander tasted it and went "WOW!". I don't have "wow!" moments very often, so the Culinary Gods have smiled upon me. I just stole a little bowl now before everyone comes home because it's so darn good. If my knee let me I would do a little happy dance, but instead I'm am going to smile inwardly at my lovely soup.

[Breadcrumbs]

Welcome back to WFD TH and what a delicious sounding soup you've doctored up! I can imagine how lovely those flavours would be together. I hope everyone else enjoyed it as well.

It was funny reading of your winter when all we here in these parts can do is hope that we're not having yet another cool, rainy day. Alas, even though it's summer, we've had very few hot, dry days thus far.

[mariacarmen]

that sounds wonderful Huntress. love how randomness becomes inspiration.

[Phurstluv]

Excellent! Love when that happens, hope you wrote down what you threw in to remember for next time!! So interesting, too, to hear you say "winter is finally upon us) and lots of us have just welcomed summer!!

[inaplasticcup]

That soup sounds right up my alley. Especially with the fresh cilantro (coriander) thrown in. Enjoy your winter, Huntress. It's hella hot where I am... (But not for long. YAYYYY!!!)

[GretchenS]

Don't you just love those little happy, smug moments??? And well-deserved, that soup sounds amazing, glad you came back to share!

[abijah]

My goal tonight was to use up oranges. Thanks for all your suggestions of what to do with them. I considered a beefy orangey stew of some sort, but I wasn't going to be home during the hours it would have to simmer, so I let go of that.

Instead, I made an Orange-Ginger Chicken Stirfry of sorts.
Chicken stirfried with onions and jalepenos, and stirfried broccoli -- all tossed in a briefly simmered sauce of orange juice, ginger, garlic, more jalepeno, some reconstituted dried pineapple pieces ((score one for the back of the cupboard!)), a few splashes of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Final additions = chopped almonds, half a bag of spinach, and orange segments.
Obviously doesn't taste exactly like Chinese takeout, but I was happy that it kind of hit the right notes that are satisfying in good takeout Orange-Ginger Chicken. The pineapple pieces helped! I can't even remember what I had them leftover from, but am sure glad I thought to throw them in.

Also made an experimental salad. Had a nice spicy mesclun mix and good tomatoes from the farmers market, but my partner doesn't recognize a salad as edible unless it has some kind of crouton, cheese, or preserved meat added to it. I was at a loss for all three until I remembered there was still a brick of paneer in the wayback of fridge. I dug it out, cut up some small cubes, and fried them in olive oil with Bengali five-spice. Let the cubes drain, and used the leftover oil from the pan in a garlicky red wine vinaigrette. Tossed the cheese and vinaigrette with the salad. Not sure the 5-spice salad will become a regular, but interesting for sure.

Beverage: sliced strawberries floating in cheap Sauv Blanc with a splash of spritzer. Happy Summer!

[Phurstluv]

YUM. Great idea for the oranges. And love the sound of your summery beverage.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

I love how you fried the paneer THEN used the oil for the dressing. What a great idea!!

[inaplasticcup]

Love that you used the oil from the paneer to make your vinaigrette. And the drink sounds like fun, too.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

The other night I made Japanese Hamburg Steak. I made it with the meat blend that I used for the Green Chile Cheeseburgers. It's basically a meatloaf hamburger that's popular in Japan as comfort food. I also added tofu to it to lighten it up and topped with a mushroom sauce. The sauce is very traditional with this meal and is made w/soy sauce, ketchup, Japanese Worchestershire Sauce, & other seasonings.

[abijah]

Tofu mixed into ground meat is something interesting I hadn't heard of before. You use silken, I assume? Any other tips for making it work?

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

abijah, no you would need to use med firm - extra firm tofu. The silken one would disintegrate too much.

I wrote a little more of how I made it on my blog. Let me know if you have more questions :o)

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com...

[L.Nightshade]

Your sequential photos are very nice, like a narrative.
Also I love your fluid white dish. It reminds me of my mom's Eva Zeisel china set from the 50's.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Thanks, LN! I found that if I wanted my blog photos published on Tastespotter or Foodgawker, they really like white plates, so I ended up buying a whole bunch of new ones;o) Your mother's china sounds lovely, do you have some pieces too?

[L.Nightshade]

Sadly, they all went in a big house sale. I regret it frequently. But unfortunate decisions are often made in difficult times! Wish I had them now!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Sorry to hear about you mom, but at least you still have some nice memories of her! Yes, sometimes we regret not keeping certain stuff :o)

[L.Nightshade]

So sweet of you to say. And you are right. The nice memories have it all over the "things."

[Breadcrumbs]

I love Eva Zeisel's designs LN. I first encountered her work at the MOMA in NYC. I understand that Crate & Barrel carries her dinnerware to this day. No doubt the vintage pieces are ridiculously pricey.

Now we know where you got your great sense of style, did your Mom also have a love for cooking or entertaining?

[L.Nightshade]

Thank you Breadcrumbs, you are so kind, my mom would have been overjoyed to hear that sentiment. She was funny, she had a massive collection of cookbooks and recipes, dinnerware for every occasion, but did mostly meatloaf or frozen dinners, and the table was always set with yellow plastic plates! But her books and her dreams inspired me.

[Breadcrumbs]

How lovely LN, you're clearly honouring her in all you do. I'm sure she'd be proud!

[inaplasticcup]

I've had all my kitchen stuff in storage and have been using the Man's multicolored plates, but I prefer pics on white plates too. Contrast and detail are so much easier to bring out on white. Colors get so tricky because you have to deal with how the ambient lighting affects the color.

But we're moving at the end of the month, and I'm getting my favorite square white plates out of storage. YAYYY!!!

BTW, your pics are fab anyway.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Thanks, ina, I'm slowly learning about food photos:-). Have you been a photographer for long?

[inaplasticcup]

I'm such an amateur, really. It's only since January that I've been taking food pics on a regular basis to share with my facebook friends (I think I remember you saying the same on your blog :) ) and on a point and shoot to boot.

But I cook at my mom's from time to time, and she has the same white plates I do, and I find it's just much easier to see the detail in the food on a white plate. Black plates are also good for the same reason, and I'm thinking about getting one or two just for picture taking purposes.

What I'm finding most challenging is the angling for composed plates. Single subjects are much easier, but a plate with several elements is tricky for me.

Your food pics are great, and the resolution really pops out, especially when viewed on your blog.

[LindaWhit]

Don't bash the point and shoot digital cameras, inapc - they can take some damn fine pictures - yours are evidence. :-)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

ina, It seems like many of us bloggers started on FB w/a point and shoot;o) I can't believe that you have only been doing this since Jan, I guess some people just have a good eye;o)

Angling and composing...I know what you are talking about! I get rejected from TS for composition alot!

[L.Nightshade]

I've been inspired by entries on these boards (Breadcrumbs and Ina PC, to name two) to learn a bit more about food photography also. I've learned that all my plates are much too busy, white ones are in my future for sure. I'm using an OLD point and shoot, but plan to upgrade somewhat, at least before my fall vacation anyway. I've thought about starting a "learning about food photography" thread here, as I haven't found one yet.

[inaplasticcup]

What a great idea! I'm thinking that would be a great addition to the Food Media board. I'd participate for sure. :)

[Breadcrumbs]

LN that's very kind of you to say, thank-you. As you know, I love your photos and you have such a gift for styling your plates as well. I feel as though I'm getting a little peek in your kitchen each time you share your lovely meal w us!

I love the idea of a photography post. As I've mentioned, recently mr bc has been busy on the grill or doing yardwork so I've had to take my own pictures and I truly have no idea what I'm doing so I'd love to get some help! Great idea!

[inaplasticcup]

Awesome. Looking forward to the replies and working on my own. :)

[Phurstluv]

Good job, but does this mean now I have to go on that thread to post my pics of my WFD? It may not happen for me, just sayin'. Guess I'll keep my photos (which aren't very good anyway, taken w my iPhone, not some nice SLR) on FB and FoodBuzz.

And PS - if the mods didn't want us "cluttering" the threads w photos, why did they put that attach photo link on each post anyway?!

[The Chowhound Team]

Not at all. If you want to post pictures of your home cooking adventures, home cooking is the place to do it. If you want to discuss taking pictures of food (cameras, settings, set dressing, etc, etc), then that's not Home Cooking but Not About Food.

[L.Nightshade]

My intention wasn't just to post photos (although that is included), but more to discuss aspects of (amateur) food photography; techniques, equipment, plating, successes and failures.
I, for one, still want to see everyone's dinner pics in this thread!

[inaplasticcup]

I think we've just been cleared to keep doing it. YAY! :)

[L.Nightshade]

Change of plans. Mods deemed it better on "Not About Food" instead of Food Media.
So here is the new link:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/792079

[Phurstluv]

Even they can't decide what to do!! We sure are keeping them busy this morning, aren't we?? Can't help but chuckle about it!! I will paste the link in my favorites so I can continue to drool over all of your photos!!

[Breadcrumbs]

BUWAT I'd never seed Tastespotting and Foodgawker before but what fabulous sites! In the process of checking them out I found a fabulous recipe for a Japanese-Chinese fusion dish . . . . Mapo Dofu Ramen! It sounds amazing and I'll have to give it a try. In case others are tempted too, here's the link to the recipe on the Appetite for China blog:

http://appetiteforchina.com/recipes/m...

[buttertart]

Thanks, Bc, that's a heckuva blog - I hadn't seen it before!

[Breadcrumbs]

Nor I bt, but I'm excited to know about it. Looks like a place I could easily settle into on a rainy day!! A bookmark was created for just such an occasion...if I can wait that long!!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

BC, yes, there are so many beautiful food photos on both TS & FG. Plus you can learn how to make everything too! It's amazing to see what people are cooking at home!

Here is an entertaining read about TS if you are interested...

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/...

I love Mabo Ramen, but I never thought of making it at home. I will have to next time I have leftover Mabo Dofu, thanks for finding it!

[Breadcrumbs]

A very interesting article BUWAT, thank-you for sharing it. I had no idea food blogging was so competitive and was so involved. There's even a "boot-camp" or blog-camp I think it said!! Who knew?!!

I wonder at what point it becomes more like "work" and less about sharing a passion for cooking. . . or, what number of truly great cooks would be deterred from starting a blog because they don't have a talent for or interest in photography? Very interesting context, thank-you so much!

[inaplasticcup]

I wonder the same. The blogosphere is a whole 'nother thing that's very much about marketing and networking as it is anything else. I try to keep my head down and do what I love because it's really easy to get your intent and perspective skewed when you try to play on that field.

Not that I don't think many of those blogs are just amazing, though...

[Breadcrumbs]

Oh, no question and, I think both you and BUWAT do an exceptional job with your blogs. In both cases, your passion comes through. I definitely admire your commitment.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

BC, yes, there are some hardcore "food bloggers" out there. It is work, but it's still fun for me, but then I've only been doing for a couple of months...lol Thanks for the compliment too :o) ina takes amazing photos!!

[Phurstluv]

That sounds delicious too, BUWaT, with the same mix as the burgers?! YUM. Japanese Worcestershire sauce is something I've never heard of and sounds like something I need to have in my pantry!! Can I find it at an Asian grocery store?

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Phurst, I think Japanese W Sauce is a little sweeter than the normal one. I think most Asian stores have it, but f you can wait, I can get you one when we meet again for lunch:o)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

The Japanese Worchestershire Sauce & Tonkatsu Sauce

[Phurstluv]

Thanks, Sweetie!! I will look for it when I go to Mitsuwa again, but if we meet before then, I'll let you know, and pay you back. Thanks!! We'll have lunch again when you get back from NOLA.

[inaplasticcup]

Those are so yummy in the weirdest way. Kinda like kewpie mayo. :)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Def, not gourmet, but I love them including Kewpie;-)

[L.Nightshade]

Wow, I came home from work today and I couldn't believe how many posts had been added here. This is a wildly active board!

I haven't read everything, but what I have read has been very impressive. Great meals and great photos too.

My mission this week is to cook up everything in the refrigerator. We will be away next week, so I've got a CSA box and various other things to finish off before we leave. So tonight's dinner started with roasted beets and turnips (actually done on the grill as it was too warm for the oven) with garlic, thyme and horseradish. Dinner continued with orecchiette con every green in the house (turnip greens, beet greens, arugula, kale, raab, etc), sauteed with garlic, anchovies and chile flakes, topped with toasted breadcrumbs (and a little parm reg). Had a nice glass of chianti classico to accompany. (Mr. Nightshade stuck with an IPA.) Not a bad dinner for a clean out the fridge night.

[inaplasticcup]

Gorgeous pics, Nightshade. And nice work making do. :)

[LindaWhit]

SERIOUSLY not bad for a CORN (Clean Out Refrigerator Night)!

[roxlet]

Love the acronym!

[The Chowhound Team]

We moved an interesting sub-thread about how to use your refrigerator space over to our Cookware board: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/791891

[L.Nightshade]

Thank you both! More CORNs to come the rest of this week (very useful acronym indeed).

[Phurstluv]

Your grilled beets look delicious. Seriously, not too shabby at all!! My DH loves IPA too!

[banjoman2375]

Risotto!

Brown Rice, Shrimp, green + yellow zuchini, parm, fresh parsley and basil, pine nuts. Pretty off the hook, and now I have lunch for the next two days!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

I've never had brown rice risotto. Your's sounds really good!

[Phurstluv]

Does the brown rice get as creamy as the arborio rice?

[maplesugar]

Dinner tonight was a potluck at an Annual General Meeting for a board I sit on. My contribution was a platter of spanakopita. I have some filling left over and a box of thawed pastry-but not enough filling to use the whole box of filo/phylo. Ideas? Need something savory or sweet & freezer friendly.

[Breadcrumbs]

Lucky BoD members maplesugar!!

For a dessert, I saw these Chocolate Phyllo Logs in Alice Medrich's new book and thought they sounded simple and yummy:

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/ild...

For savoury, what about a pizza-like tart w a phyllo crust? With pesto or maybe some thinly sliced tomatoes and topped w some seasonal veggies and cheese?

[Phurstluv]

you can make mini samosas in a mini muffin tin.

other fillings I have used w phyllo are goat cheese, bacon & dates; salmon, spinach & boursin; or like a baklava, with roasted nuts, butter and honey.

[maplesugar]

Thanks Phurstluv & Breadcrumbs. Both ideas sound fantastic. Elizabeth S also suggested http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo... on another thread. With all these ideas I just may need more phyllo :)

[twyst]

Went with comfort food tonight, sweet potato and andouille hash with a really fresh 64 degree egg.

[inaplasticcup]

That oozy yolk looks so very lovely, twyst. <drools...>

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Gooey eggs are just the best!

[Rubee]

Agree. Already had dinner but that made me hungry!

[L.Nightshade]

I'm reading downthread up, and this is the second intriguing sounding hash I've run into. This looks great! I love the idea of breakfast for dinner, unfortunately Mr Nightshade is an eggs-in-the-AM-man. But you've inspired me for a weekend brunch.

[Phurstluv]

Looks great, intrigued by the s.p. & andouille hash, LOVE andouille. What a great idea.

[Phurstluv]

Upon special request from my MIL, I made carne asada tacos for dinner tonight, must be a taco kind of night for us CHers!

After an afternoon at the Tar Pits, Original Farmer's market, a nice lunch and buying silly hot sauces for my DH, we got home through all the west LA traffic pretty easily, and dinner was ready in a 1/2 hour. Served with Ranch beans (that's the brand name, they are large pintos in a spicy sauce), lots of shredded mexican cheeses (according to Mr. Sargento!) dressed romaine, limes, olives, tomatoes, avocados that were perfectly ripe, flour tortillas and fresh local corn on the cob. Satisfied the MIL's cravings, since she cannot get good Mexican in FLA where she lives. Happy First Day of Summer Everyone!!

[inaplasticcup]

Looks like hubs got his Mex fix after all! Sounds like you had a lovely, lovely day, Pl. :)

And seriously - what is it with the tacos???

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Sounds like you had a full and happy day! Your dinner sounds like the perfect ending for a perfect day! I love having perfectly ripe avocados too :o)

[banjoman2375]

that's so funny! I just decided to make tacos for myself tomorrow night!

[Phurstluv]

Yes, seems we are all on a taco kick this week!! Just can't have too many tacos, I guess!!

Ina, (now you realize that's going to stick!!) the poor hubs is so incredibly busy, he's only home for dinners now on weekends!! But it's nice to cook for my MIL, who enjoys food and doesn't cook much since she lives alone. And one of my boys has a cold, and hasn't wanted to eat much of anything for 3 days now. At least he'll come around eventually, but my poor DH will be literally out of pocket for most of the summer. So, my posts this summer will probably get less frequent and more pedestrian, ((sigh)). Oh well, I'll make up for it eventually!

[inaplasticcup]

Awww. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder... :)

- The Flip-Flopped Contessa. :P

[inaplasticcup]

It's Let's See How Many Tacos We Can Eat In A Week Before We Hate Them Tuesday at our place. Tonight was a Vietnamese variation inspired by ipsedixit's comments on the fish taco thread.

Caramelized/Braised pork, quick picked carrots and onions, habanero/cilantro/lime crema, fresh cilantro and the usual cabbage, and a little squeeze of sriracha, all wrapped in the corn tortillas we're trying to polish off before we move.

(Only 4 more to go! Sounds like the Man's lunch tomorrow.)

[LindaWhit]

Totally beautious pictures, iapc!

[inaplasticcup]

Thank ya, dahlink! :)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Looks really good! Did you grill the tortillas? I like how they are charred:o)

[inaplasticcup]

Hey, Bombay! Great Hamburg Steak on the blog. :)

Heated the tortillas directly on the gas burner, about 12 seconds a side.

[mariacarmen]

at least you are branching out, Ina! i had regular old sole tacos tonight, as the Boy shoveled mush. since he doesn't like fish, i didn't feel bad about eating solid food in front of him. Plus they were delish.

[LindaWhit]

Took me a second to realize you weren't calling her "Ina" like Ina Garten. ;-)

[inaplasticcup]

LOL. Me too!

[mariacarmen]

haha - someone else here called her Ina, so i just copied.

[inaplasticcup]

Well I kinda like it!

[mariacarmen]

Then "Ina" you shall be, at least to me!

[inaplasticcup]

:)

[inaplasticcup]

Get down witcha bad fish tacos, girl... ;)

[L.Nightshade]

Such gorgeous photos, InaPC! The colors just pop off the screen. Very inspiring.

[inaplasticcup]

Really nice of you to say, Nightshade. Thank you. :)

[Breadcrumbs]

Well I'd been craving my Jicama salad all day but arrived home to find that my apples were mealy and I hate that so the salad will have to wait. Tonight I made Rice & Peas from the COTM and to go alongside, I decided on a pork tenderloin that marinated all day in a Caribbean-style wet marinade . . . a bit of a cross between jerk and Bajan seasoning. The combination was nice but we prefer the more traditional Jamaican rice & peas to the COTM version.

Hoping everyone has a delicious dinner.

[inaplasticcup]

Is that currants in the rice, Bc?

[Breadcrumbs]

No, not currants iapc, they are red kidney beans. In Jamaica, red kidney beans are the "Peas" in this dish. The "pea" varies throughout the Caribbean. In the Bahamas for instance, they use pigeon peas.

[inaplasticcup]

Thanks, Bc. I think I heard that somewhere before, but wasn't framing your dish in the proper context. Looks delicious all the same!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

What a beautfiul combo BC! The pork looks great and Caribbean marinade sounds really good!

[LindaWhit]

A steak salad of sorts - lettuce from my CEO's garden (he said the lettuce bed exploded with all of the sun we had this weekend and brought in about 8 ziploc bags of great lettuce for coworkers to take). Thin slices of sirloin tips, carrot shavings, sliced mushrooms, red bell pepper, and a sprinkling of goat cheese and maybe some cashews. An Asian vinaigrette of sorts to drizzle on top - rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and some ginger. I think. We'll see when I get downstairs. :-)

[Breadcrumbs]

That sounds absolutely delicious Linda, the Asian vinaigrette will be lovely on top...one of my favourites. Enjoy!

[Matahari22]

Tonight's dinner was awesome. Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb Chops on top of Vegetable Orzo. (tri color bell pepper, carrot, onion, black olives, garlic, fresh oregano, organic Orzo, and home made chicken stock)

I am pretty sure I'm going to explode. Was the best lamb chops I have ever made though.

[Phurstluv]

Care to share the recipe for those wonderful sounding lamb chops??

[Matahari22]

Phurstluv, sure. They were kept super simple, I like the taste of lamb, and I wanted that to shine. Cooking just for me so I took two lamb chops, cut from a rack of lamb, and dusted them in a couple tablespoons of flour (season with salt and pepper if you like) then dipped them in one beaten egg. I then dipped them in the crumbs made from 1/4 cup of lightly salted and roasted pistachio nuts that I pulsed in the mini chopper and mixed with plain panko breadcrumbs. I browned them in a bit of olive oil, until the pefect golden brown and put them in a 375 degree oven for just a few minutes so they would be medium doneness.

[Phurstluv]

That sounds like a wonderful way to do them, I like the flavor of lamb too, and coating them w pistachios sounds so good! Thanks for the inspiration.

[Matahari22]

You are most welcome phurstluv. I am looking at your lamb tacos and thinking about how to tweak them so that they work for me. :) Lots of inspiration here!

[LindaWhit]

Well, couldn't find the sesame oil, so it was champagne vinegar, a bit of teriyaki sauce, canola oil, freshly grated ginger, and turbinado sugar. And it came out pretty darn well! :-)

[inaplasticcup]

Sounds healthy and delicious, Linda. What kind(s) of lettuce did you get?

[LindaWhit]

My CEO had both red and green leaf lettuces; mine was just green leaf. Not sure what else he has but this is what he brought in. I hope he continues to do so throughout the summer - he's got tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and I can't recall what else growing. :-)

[inaplasticcup]

Ohhh. I hope he shares the tomatoes with you. Homegrown tomatoes are such a treat!

[roxlet]

Tonight I'm using up the rest of the sack of red peppers my DH brought home by making peppers and onions to serve with grilled (or sauteed if the weather doesn't hold) cheese sausage. Simple, but oh-so good!

[onceadaylily]

You're making it harder to resist those sausages, woman. I love onions and peppers on sausage. *Love* it.

[roxlet]

So have some!

[inaplasticcup]

+1

[mariacarmen]

dinners chez nous will be .... interesting - or rather, NOT - for the foreseeable future. the BF has chewing issues that won't be resolved any time soon. So, it's mush, mush, mush! Last night was a soft scramble of eggs and soyrizo (yum), with a sprinkling of very finely chopped cilantro & spring onions, and a dollop of sour cream. i made tacos out of the same for me. then he takes a bowl of bouillon and soaks pieces of bread in that to fill himself up. it's like he's an inmate at San Quentin, so pathetic. for tonight's dinner, in an effort to keep vegetables in him (which he actually loves) i whipped up a batch of steamed cauliflower/fennel/onion mash made with chicken broth, parmesan and butter, and also a soup which i'll serve him chilled since it looks like we're having a real summer here in San Francisco, at least for a day or two, of chicken broth, roasted carrots and orange bell peppers, with a bit of ginger thrown in, and a swirl of heavy cream. Maybe I'll saute up some loose spicy italian sausage too on the side so he doesn't starve. Good thing I was already used to doing all this for my dad.

As for me - fish tacos! just to be part of the in-crowd.

[rabaja]

I bought some new-to-me corn tortillas at whole foods yesterday and thought of you, MC.
They come in at two points each, but they are pretty substantial as corn tortillas go.
Totally inauthentic, they have wheat gluten and baking powder in them, which I suppose gives them the chew I am digging. I had one crisped up on my gas burner last night after the gym and it was carb-fantastic.
Mi Abuelita Bonita WF signature recipe tortillas, they satisfy my flour tortilla craving more than my corn one, strangely.

[onceadaylily]

That cauliflower dish made me regret my giardiniera plans.

Not being able to chew sucks. But you are hilarious!

[inaplasticcup]

San Quentin. You are too funny. Still chuckling.

[mariacarmen]

thanks ladies! the caulflower dish was quite yummy, tho he slathered so much sausage meat over it he probably couldn't even see the cauliflower mush under it. The soup, in case i was unclear, was a puree - i read over my post and it sounds quite unappetizing unless you know it's a puree.

Rabaja - thanks for the tip on carbtastic tortillas! i haven't been really WW-ing it since i got back (well, so-so) but i'm about to start up again.

[onceadaylily]

The man and I wound up running out to the market last night, and he was staring at the Italian sausages so longingly that I offhandedly reminded him of The Rule: his diet is his own, but any meat must be from a restaurant *or* cooked by himself. He then spent the next ten minutes waffling about whether he would ever have the energy to cook. I convinced him to get the sausages, and let his side of the pantry have that option.

So, guess who's cooking meat tonight for the first time in over six months? Geez, I'm such a sucker. :) So, he will have Italian sausages on poppy seed rolls, sauteed green beans with garlic, and a spicy coleslaw. I have a little of the crema left in the fridge, and more cilantro and limes and such to supplement the batch, and thought that, with a little heat, and some diced peppers and rice vinegar, it might make for a terrific coleslaw.

My own meal will certainly have some of that coleslaw, most likely in the form of a sandwich, along with one of those boring hummus bowls that I like (hummus and diced tomatoes mixed up together with hot sauce), and some green beans. In the main, the separate meal plan is working: I've lost weight! I don't know how much, because I have an old pre-digital scale and terrible eyesight, and I gain at least five pounds every time I bend over, squinting, to try to read the thing. But my clothing confirms my happy suspicions. Yay! That is just the kind of inspiration I need to avoid devouring that pan of lovely, glistening sausage.

The rest of the time in the kitchen will be spent making up a batch of giardiniera to use in something later this week.

[GretchenS]

I'd love to know how to make giardiniera, care to share? And congrats on sticking to your resolution (well, at least the eating part if not the cooking part!) and the side benefit of looser jeans...

[onceadaylily]

Thanks! And giardiniera is so easy, Gretchen, if you don't mind the chopping, and have the patience to wait to eat it! I use this recipe, with modifications for what I have on hand: http://thepauperedchef.com/2009/03/gi...

I'm going with a mix of cauliflower, carrots, green bells, cubanelles, jalapenos, and celery for the base, but will use vegetable oil, instead of the canola or olive, but will keep the spice mixture roughly the same. If I can find a jar of green olives that don't have pits (which I suspect I have), then I'll dice them and toss those in as well. I'm just making a half-batch, though, and sticking it in tupperware, and planning a meal that will use the bulk of it quickly. I hate boiling jars. But if you're into canning, you can make a big batch and preserve it for later use.

The jar the boyfriend picked up a week ago was so meager. Most of the jar was taken up by three large cauliflower florets, with a few random pieces of stuff floating around in there. He'll be pleased to have some on hand.

[GretchenS]

The chopping part is easy, I like to chop, it's very soothing. Now the waiting part, not so much. But I'll give it a whirl, this looks great. Many years ago when I was a starving grad student my wonderful great-aunt and great-uncle who lived in the town where school was used to make a mix of chopped giardiniera, chopped pimento olives, chopped artichoke hearts and Italian canned tuna in olive oil, and served it in a bowl on their fabulous cheese tray at their nightly happy hour from 5 to 7, all welcome. Can I tell you how many nights that cheese tray and the tuna-giardiniera mix saved me from going to bed hungry? (To say nothing of the Gs and Ts they dispensed with a liberal hand.) They are long gone now to that great happy hour in the sky but I will think of them lovingly as I chop. Thanks so much for this.

[onceadaylily]

Oh, you're welcome. And what a lovely memory. Thanks for sharing that (and the additions of tuna and artichoke for a simple menu idea later this week). I hope you like it.

[GretchenS]

Tough couple of weeks (family health issues) have had me away from Chowhound and mostly from my kitchen too. I resettled last night by reading through the last 2 WFD threads. You all have made some amazing meals and posted some inspiring photos and it was very comforting to read it all so thanks for that!

Inspired by this Jamie Oliver recipe http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/la... , last night I made a salad of shredded romaine hearts, fresh mint and parsley leaves and lemon-pickled red onions, topped it with a grilled lamb kofta kebab (forgot the pistachios though) and some grilled tomatoes, and added some sheep's milk yogurt tzatziki. It was an excellent comfort food meal that did not derail my pre-vacation diet. Gotta remember this one! Tonight will be whatever I reap from the Farmers Market this afternonon.

Onceadaylily, maybe I missed it, but what did the daughter think of the avocado "gift" you offered her?

[onceadaylily]

She wouldn't eat it. She didn't like the color, and said it smelled funny. Those are her two standard lines of refusal, and she threw them both at us, in order to avoid the 'try one bite' rule her dad gently tries to enforce. Maybe her taste buds are just *too* sharp? That's what I tell myself, anyway, that she's just an lovely but overwhelmed little super-taster who will grow into her palate someday. ;)

Welcome back, Gretchen. And your meal sounds fantastic. Maybe I'll try something like that for the man soon.

[rabaja]

Shrimp tacos with green cabbage, cilantro and a chipotle crema. I was very influenced by the fish taco thread and am looking forward to this dinner. It seems like a perfect meal to beat the heat. Supposed to hit 96F today, I am kicking myself for telling my landlord I have no interest in an air conditioner.
I have a nice jicama to turn into a side salad, with lime and cumin and chile. Not sure what else to add, but maybe I'll pickle some carrots too.
Thanks for the inspiration, IAPC!

[Breadcrumbs]

Hi rabaja, I'm doing a jicama slaw tonight as well w similar ingredients to yours and I'm adding julienned apple and green onions as well. Not sure if that helps. Enjoy your meal, it sounds lovely!

[inaplasticcup]

Glad to be of occasional use, rabaja! :P That slaw sounds great for this weather. Buen provecho!

[onceadaylily]

There is something so perfect about the cabbage and cilantro crema, so bright and refreshing. I've become a little addicted to it.

[shecrab]

Tonight is seared scallop and orzo "risotto". This means any lingering odds and ends veggies get to have a meet and greet in the saucepan. I have roasted red peppers, a few haricots, mushrooms, shallots, and those friggin cute grape tomatoes. It's a pretty rich dish so we'll have a simple salad (no warm bacon dressing tonight) and some sea salt and olive foccacia. Oh, and a double crust peach and blueberry pie. I try to take shortcuts in warm weather and use a single cookie crumb crust but KingCrab notices and has a fondness for pastry crusts.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Scallops and orzo sound wonderful. I love your term "meet and greet in the saucepan"...lol. I always do that too which usually turns into "fridge soup", but I like your phrase better;-)

[onceadaylily]

You made a risotto style dish with orzo? I *love* orzo. Thanks for the idea, shecrab.

[shecrab]

I can never bring myself to cook it in water then drain it. I always cook it in stock and I tried a different brand and kept having to add more and more liquid and somehow it ended up creamy and rich and delicious. It wasn't what I intended starting out, but that's what it wanted to become so I let it do it's thang and it was delicious.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

I'll have to try making your "Orzo Risotto", sounds great!

[L.Nightshade]

My glasses don't do the job they used to do. I thought this said OUZO risotto.
Hmm, maybe I'll try that.

[TheHuntress]

I love making orzo "risotto". I do a great mushroom one, it tastes so good, but I always feel ike a fraud when I make it ;)

[shecrab]

Pffft. I put it on the table, offer no apologies, and accept the accolades.

[abijah]

Thanks for your welcomes, everybody!

I was inspired by the talk of Chicken Piccatta on yesterday's thread, and I did my weekly shopping today, so that's what we had. I used a recipe from epicurious, and served steamed broccoli and asparagus along side, also doused in sauce of course. And some leftover sourdough bread. Delicious, and so quick, as promised!

Now here's the Challenge: Tomorrow I want to use up some of the many ORANGES in my fridge. My in-laws have a tree in their backyard, so sometimes we are inundated with extras. We just got back from a two-week vacation, so the ones currently in the fridge are starting to get a little old, and I'd like to use up a bunch at once. Yes, we use them for cocktails and straight eating, but does anybody have any ideas for a main dish?
For proteins, I have chicken breast, beef stew meat, or cod.
For produce, I have tomatoes, salad greens, spinach, broccoli, parsley, jalepenos, fresh oregano, an avocado, lemons/limes

Any ideas?!

[mamachef]

Abijah, I just saw a beautiful recipe for a miso/orange poached cod in broth with rice noodles. It looked delicious, and I'm sure it would work with chicken breast subbed in. If you'd like, I'll post it.

Chicken Marengo uses orange juice and stock with tomatoes and olives....just delicious with a parmigiano risotto with a handful of peas thrown in for color...

A citrusy beef stew would be wonderful and simple, with little pearl onions and maybe mini squash thrown in at the last 'til tender, served with buttered egg noodles and poppyseeds and a dab of sour cream....

Dessert? Make an orange curd and alternate with a barely sweet vanilla custard for parfait, or a beautiful orange pound cake with sweet butter and juice and rind....
Oh, and you could make a mojo and marinate a pork roast in it, and serve shredded with tortillas and a cilantro slaw...

[LindaWhit]

I like the idea of a slow-cooked tagine with the beef and oranges, maybe with dried apricots and Moroccan-style spices? Something like these recipes?

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lamb-orange-tagine-10000001134108/

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Moroccan...

[Breadcrumbs]

Hi abijah, you've rec'd some terrific suggestions for your dinner. The first thing that came to mind when I thought of your oranges was this recipe for an Orange Sesame Spinach Salad. It's been a favourite of ours for years now. I've pasted a link to the Canadian Living website below. One of the great things about this site is you can adjust the recipes for the number of portions you need. Here you go:

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/or...

When weather permits, we grill the chicken vs baking.

[herby]

Thank you posting the link, BC! I had no idea that Cnd Living site scales down recipes - I will use it often now. The orange salad looks delicious.

[Breadcrumbs]

My pleasure herby, isn't that scaling feature terrific? It's great when you're entertaining too and want to scale up hors d'oeuvres or main dishes to suit the number of guests. They have such great recipes too. Enjoy!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Dinner the other night was Green Chile Cheeseburgers made with meat that I ground myself. The blend was Beef Chuck, Beef Short Rib, Bacon & Pork Butt. I had bought roasted Hatch Green Chiles back in Aug and had them in my freezer. I made a Green Chile mix w/onion & garlic and used Aged White Cheddar to top off the burger. I served it with my fav Tater Tots :o)

[Rubee]

Now I"m craving a green chile cheeseburger! And I love tater tots.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Thanks, Rubee and who doesn't like Tater Tots, right;-)

[inaplasticcup]

Gorgeous pics, Bombay. I don't do it often, but grinding your own meat does make a huge difference, doesn't it?

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Thanks, ina, yes, if you have the time to grind, it's so worth it! It's kinda fun to watch the meat come through and you can mix up your own blend.

[Breadcrumbs]

What a summery-looking plate BUWT. There's nothing like a good burger and yours looks outstanding!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Thanks, BC:-)

[LindaWhit]

DaYAM! And this is when I *really* miss cooking for more than just myself. Seriously GREAT looking burgers, Bombay! And Tots. My brother LOVES Tots. :-)

I think I'm going to have to spring for a grinder for my KA. I could then freeze the burgers, right? (I do that anyway with regular ground beef patties I make.) I *love* the mixture of meat you chose.

[Phurstluv]

Me too, Linda, I think I may have to get one, I love that mixture too, I bet they were just fantastic!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Phurst, I know you would have fun grinding and Rory could make a video of that;-)

[Phurstluv]

True!! The kids would probably love it, I will have to go get one so we can make burgers this summer, thanks for the inspiration!!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Linda, I usually just cook for me and my husband, so we always have tons of leftovers! Thanks for the sweet compliment. It's great that you can get an attachment for the KA, so you wouldn't have to get a separate grinder...well worth grinding your own meat. And freezing? I freeze everything! I did like the blend I used this time, I loved the bacon in the grind instead of on top of the burger. I think next time I'd add more short rib and maybe some brisket;-)

[LindaWhit]

Duly noted on adding more short rib. The fat will make for better burgers. :-)

I now have a wicked craving for burgers on the grill!

[Phurstluv]

Me too, that's it. I'm buying one and going back to the butchershop!!

[c oliver]

We've been grinding our meat for a couple of years now and will almost never eat a burger in a restaurant. That looks great. Re freezing, we grind up to 10# at a time, make into patties, wrap each tightly in plasic wrap, into zipping bag and then the freezer. We'd always made 6oz but honestly they're just awfully big so the last batch was 5oz. Still is the best $50 purchase I've ever made.
PS: TJs sells great tater tots!

[roxlet]

My husband will buy a huge prime chuck -- maybe 25 lbs. --, seam it out, and then do his custom blend. He forms the meat into patties with a press, and then freezes them on a sheet pan before vacuum sealing them. We always have chopped meat in the house for any preparation.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Yum, Prime Chuck!!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Thanks, C O:-) It really is nice to make your own hamburgers, wish I had a freezer big enough to hold 10 lbs worth of patties! I must be a pig because I thought 6 oz was perfect...lol

[c oliver]

Well, I must confess that a year or more ago, we bought a really small upright freezer (about 4' tall). Bob measured wrong as it was supposed to go in a closet. So it's sitting in a bedroom, next to the TV. I keep meaning to hang a poster on it :)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

That's too funny that you have a freezer next to your TV!

[GretchenS]

I just got drool on my keyboard -- gorgeous burgers, BUWaT, and so very glad you are back in WFD!!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Thanks for the welcome back Gretchen:-).

[Phurstluv]

Beautiful pics, BUWaT!! You should have entered that in the LA Times contest, that would have gotten my votes!!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

I had thought of entering, but it seemed that the first round was more of a popularity contest and I already have a hard enough time begging people to read my blog;-). Americas Test Kitchen is having a series of contests this summer. I may try that one. I'm not sure if you have to have a blog for that one. If you don't need one, you should look into it Phurst, you are an amazing cook!!

[Phurstluv]

Will do, and I think you're right re the Times' contest. Sucks too that half of the winners aren't even from California!! I asked the Times on their FB page who was paying for the airline tickets for those winners! Didn't get an answer!! I know, I'm a rabblerouser!!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Too funny that you contacted LA Times about it! I didn't notice that they were from out of LA!

[Phurstluv]

Well, you know me, can't keep my big mouth shut!!

[Levaeria]

Life's been pretty busy lately, so meals have been quick and easy around here. We had stir fry for lunch yesterday and I made a huge batch of rice so we would have some leftover to work with. I used half of it to make fried rice for dinner yesterday.

Today, I used up the other half making calas. I know calas aren't exactly a dinner thing, but the fiance had never tried them and I was craving something sweet and unhealthy. Tomorrow we're making a huge trip to Whole Foods, so I'll have all sorts of fun and fresh ingredients to work with. I can't wait!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Love fried rice...I could eat it everyday :o)

[Levaeria]

So could I... There's just so much you can do with it! It's a staple around our house, my favorite type is spicy basil fried rice with chicken.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

I never thought of adding Basil, what a great idea! I always only thought of Asian flavors;-)

[Breadcrumbs]

Levaeria I'm not familiar w calas. Could you talk a little bit about the dish?

[Levaeria]

Calas are a sweet, rice fritter from New Orleans. They're wonderful served with a dusting of powdered sugar, dipped in honey, or both!

Here's my recipe. They're quick to make and very tasty.

2 cups cooked white rice
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup flour

Blend the rice, eggs and vanilla in one bowl and the sugar, baking powder and flour in another. Combine the two and stir to form a batter.

Heat up 1 inch of oil for frying and drop tablespoons of the batter into it. Fry until golden brown and serve.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Yum, the Calas sounds so good, I'd never heard of them either until you posted. I'm going to New Orleans next month, maybe I can try for the first time when I'm out there :o)

[Phurstluv]

Wicked jealous. Can you pack me in your suitcase, pretty please??!! ;P)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

I know, I love NOLA :o)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

OK, I just looked up photos of Calas and now I def have to get it when I'm in NOLA. I love rice and I love fried stuff, so this is the perfect dish for me. I already found one place that serves them and they serve it with grits...seems like an odd combo, but I love grits too:o) Sounds better than beignets to me.

I guess the easiest would be if I actually just made the calas myself...lol But I'm just not good at "baking/dessert" stuff.

[Levaeria]

I bet they'll be tasty! I love making my own, but I've been doing it for quite awhile and have the process memorized. I'm glad I could help make your trip an enjoyable one! :)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Levaeria, are you from the NOLA area? This seems to be such a regional dish and even over there, there aren't many places that serve it. I could only find one place...The Old Coffee Pot in the French Quarter.

Thanks for posting that you made this!!

[Levaeria]

No, I am not. I'm actually born and raised in Colorado, but my Grandfather is from NOLA. He taught the recipe to my Grandmother, who then passed it down to me. From what my Grandfather had told me, it was very common in the French Quarter during the WWII era as a street food.

I hope you like them when you try them! And if you don't get a chance to try them at The Old Coffee Pot, give making them a shot. I promise it's not that difficult. :)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Lev, thanks for sharing the story of how you learned how to make calas, very sweet:-). I'm def going to Coffee Pot THEN I will try to make at home;-)

[Breadcrumbs]

Levaeria, thank-you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe and, the additional context of your recipe's origin down thread. These sound really scrumptious and I will most definitely try them. Ironically, I recently purchased my first rice cooker so I seem to have rice in abundance these days!!

Thanks for the inspiration and, for teaching me a new dish!!

[Levaeria]

It's no problem at all :) I'm so happy that I've inspired others to try them! My fiance was skeptical, but now he's hinting that he'd really like them for breakfast. And dessert. :)

My Grandfather always insisted that using cold rice makes the calas taste better. I'll be honest, I usually just use warm rice. But, if you have plain, leftover white rice in the fridge, try making them with that instead of freshly cooked.

[Breadcrumbs]

I'll absolutely do that Levaeria. I'd been throwing the leftovers in the freezer because I didn't have an immediate use for them but now I'm looking forward to having some!! Thanks again!

[inaplasticcup]

deep fried + rice pudding = *WINNING*

[Rubee]

E was thrilled to finally have just meat and potatoes ; ) - NY strip with gratin dauphinoise. For me, Dunlop's Fisherman's Shrimp with Chinese Chives. And tonight's pre-dinner cocktail was a Gin Buck. I love anything with ginger beer, tonight I used Goya.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Your gratin looks delicious!!

[Rubee]

Thank you! It's from the updated "French Classics Made Easy" And it was easy. Layer sliced Yukon Golds with garlic and s&p, pour hot milk and cream (I added a litle boursin), and bake for half an hour. I actually think it's less work than mashed; I don't know why I don't make this more often.

http://www.amazon.com/French-Classics...

[Phurstluv]

That sounds wonderful, esp with some boursin in it!!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Wow, that really does sound easy:-)

[Breadcrumbs]

So appetizing as always Rubee! I'll have to check out Dunlop's shrimp recipe, that dish looks incredible.

[mariacarmen]

damn Rubee, that steak and Dauphinoise look AMAZING. good god.

[Barbara76137]

I made a salmon burger. Simple and very tasty

[inaplasticcup]

Looks tasty indeed, Barbara. What's in the sauce?

[Barbara76137]

Just tartar sauce, but a remoulade would be good too. The tomato was from a farm stand on my way back from South Texas, and it was really good.

[Breadcrumbs]

Mmmm, it's been far too long since we've had salmon burgers Barbara. Thanks for the reminder of just how lovely they can be. Beautiful dinner.

[ChristinaMason]

We made grilled rosemary shrimp skewers using Wolfgang Puck's recipe (but skipping the lemon wedges, because I didn't read the recipe closely enough; I also added some hot pepper and paprika to the marinade). On the side: grilled pita bread with cannelini bean hummus and grilled corn with jalapeno honey butter. The flavored butter was a random idea but turned out great; definitely a repeat side dish. We also had some leftover wasabi sweet potato mash, which didn't fit the theme at all. Shrug.

[Breadcrumbs]

CM, your meal sounds delicious as always! I'm curious about your jalapeno honey butter. Did you saute the peppers before incorporating them?

[ChristinaMason]

nope, nothing that involved! just a seeded jalapeno blended with about 3 tbsp. butter, a bit of salt, pepper, 2 tbsp. or so honey, and a little bit of olive oil to help the whole thing whiz in the blender. it made a nice baste for the grilled corn.

[Breadcrumbs]

That sounds so amazing CM. I'd love to try your method w my Thai Bird Chilis too! Thanks for the inspiration!!

[buttertart]

I'd say buy a small pack, Bc, I get that with Truvia too. A root beery undertone. Just sayin'.

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks bt, much appreciated. I'll see if a Starbucks or other coffee place has it and try it in a coffee then I can minimize my investment in the experiment!

Given the choice, I'd always have sugar but I figure if I can cut it out on some of my "daily" indulgences then I'm saving calories for a splurge w a lovely sugary dessert or chocolate!! So far, I find Splenda to be the most palatable in my non-fat extra hot no foam latte!!! ; - )

[buttertart]

Either aspartame or sucralose for me - and mainly in diet soda (actually, would prefer cyclamates there, you lucky Canadians). I participated in a diet cola taste test and I'm sure I nailed the one with stevia in it.

[tracylee]

Thank goodness I've never liked sweetened coffee, or my inability to digest sugar and dislike of most sweeteners would be more of a problem. I'd stopped drinking sodas years ago, but now I can't do carbonation, so nothing for me to fret about there.

[inaplasticcup]

That grilled corn with the jalapeno honey butter sounds fabulous, Christina. Actually, all your assorted starches sound fabulous, sweet potato mash included.

I'm in that assorted starches kinda mood. Now if a double crust apple pie would just materialize somehow...

[Phurstluv]

As I was wiping olive oil that dribbled down my arm, here is a pic:

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

What a great way to use up your leftover lamb, looks delicious! I can't believe you made your own flat bread too!! I think my favorite part may be your empty bottle of wine;o)

[Phurstluv]

Hi BUWaT!! Glad you're back! Yes, I used the June issue of Bon App, it's on page 50, I think. They were pretty simple, as you know, I'm not a baker, but they came out really well.

[inaplasticcup]

NICE, Pl. Will definitely hit you up to break bread and shoot sh*t when I'm in your neck of the woods. :)

[Phurstluv]

I hope so!! Good luck with the move, btw.

[inaplasticcup]

Thanks - for the invite and for all the good juju you infuse into this thread.

[Phurstluv]

LOL!! I love spreading the good juju.....and the love of food!!! You're sweet, iapc!

[roxlet]

That looks delicious. It's a combination of flavors that I love.

[shecrab]

They look fantastic. What a creative use of leftovers.

[Breadcrumbs]

Oh YUM Phurstluv, what a drool-inducing plate!!

[Phurstluv]

Thank you all. They were really tasty, and now I'm a bit bummed I froze the other half of the lamb, and the two whole flatbreads that were left, but we're on to other meals now for the week, and I knew we wouldn't get back to eating them before it's too late. So they will have to wait a bit until we revive them again!

[Phurstluv]

Tonight we are using up the leftovers from Father's Day dinner to make GREEK TACOS!!

Using the grilled flatbread, smearing it with lemon hummus, adding the sliced lamb, some black olive relish and a drizzle of tsatsiki, a little salad on the side, and a glass of Albarino, and we are set!! They are delicious!! Now if I only had the money to buy a catering truck, I could sell these puppies for $5 a piece!! But I think homework and school activities may get in the way, shoot!!

[Rubee]

I wish I was there - that sounds perfect! I'd buy a bunch : )

[inaplasticcup]

I'll take 2. :)

[Phurstluv]

LOL!! Whenever you girls come down or west to LA, I'm here for ya, and I'd treat!! Seriously, if you ever come my way, I better hear from y'all!! ;))

[mariacarmen]

YUM LAMB TACOS!!

[tracylee]

Tonight was homemade pepperoni pizza - a small one. Later, I'll put some fresh balsamic strawberry compote on peanut butter muffins that I made the other night and still feel fresh. I need to get the rest in the freezer if I have room.

[Breadcrumbs]

I love the sound of your wonderful compote tracylee, I can imagine it would be delicious w the peanut butter muffins!

[tracylee]

I didn't get to it last night, but I will tonight for sure!

[tracylee]

OK, this was a yummy dessert! When I started the compote with just strawberries, water and Truvia, I was thinking of acid to brighten it and "duh"!!!! remembered the balsamic slices I'd made earlier in the week. TJs balsamic, not the absolute best, but it really brought out the flavor.

[Breadcrumbs]

Sounds good tracylee. Is Truvia a sweetner?

[ChristinaMason]

It's a brand-name for stevia in the U.S. market.

[Breadcrumbs]

Ahh, the light goes on! Thanks CM!

[tracylee]

Yes, I find the larger container of it easier to work with and has a better taste than the one stevia product I'd purchased some time ago. Maybe I should have experimented more with stevia, but cost of sweeteners is a bit prohibitive, and Truvia was a hit from the start.

[Breadcrumbs]

Good to know tracylee, thank-you! I tried stevia in a coffee and on my oatmeal and I had to throw both out due to the strong bitter aftertaste (even "during taste")!!

I'll give Truvia a try next time we head State-side.

[inaplasticcup]

10 days from a move so we're trying to keep the shopping to a minimum. A somewhat repeat of last night's fish taco dinner, only with grilled chicken breast seasoned with salt, lime, garlic and cumin.

Made some quick pickled jalapenos, carrots, onions and garlic (distilled white vinegar, salt, a little bit of sugar and a little bit of dried Mexican oregano fried in oil) earlier in the day to eat with dinner. Love hot chilies on a hot day. :)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Your pickles are beautiful! I like how your fry the oregano for it to bloom! I love pickled jalapenos!

[inaplasticcup]

Thank you, Bombay! Phurstluv was talkin' you up, so I checked out your blog. Fun read and great pics! Looking forward to your WFD posts. :)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Thanks for checking out my blog:-). Phurst is such a sweetheart!! Your photos are beautiful too!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

I just saw your blog, I love your style of writing, I signed up for emails:-)

[Breadcrumbs]

Wow, I'm way behind in my WFD reading...will have to come back and catch up. Yesterday mr bc wanted beer can chicken for Father's Day so we had that along w an apple jicama slaw, potato salad and a roasted beets w grilled onions.

Tonight I need to use up some turkey drumsticks that have lingered in the freezer longer than I care to think about. So, given it's 7pm we'll be going w a simple prep and grilling them then finishing them "Buffalo-style" w some of my roast baby new potato poutine. Happy dining everyone!

[Rubee]

Do you have a favorite beer can recipe? I bought one of those racks for the grill and it's about time I use it.

My husband's daughter bought him some big fat juicy steaks for Father's Day so he's cooking one up on the grill, and I'll be making potatoes (gratin dauphinois) and corn for him. I have some Chinese chives I really want to use up and don't feel like a big meal so for me I'm trying Fuschia Dunlop's "Fisherman's Shrimp". Tomorrow night will be the ribs I planned for Sunday.

Lunch today was bánh xèo using Pham's batter recipe from "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table". I stuffed it with ground seasoned pork, shrimp, onion and bean sprouts and served with red leaf lettuce, Thai basil, mint, cilantro, chili and nuoc cham.

[inaplasticcup]

Gorgeous pic, Rubee. Love that stuff.

[Phurstluv]

Your chicken looks wonderful, BC! But I NEED to know what that roast baby new potato poutine w buffalo style turkey legs is all about!!! Sounds so intriguing and right up my alley.

[linguafood]

OMG. That looks positively incredible. Can I dig in now, please? Look at that SKINNNNNN.

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks so much everyone, we love chicken prepared this way as the beer keeps the chicken so moist)

Rubee, no, I don't actually have a recipe at all. I vary the rub and even the liquid in the can depending on what we're craving. On Sunday I made up a brown sugar rub w paprika, a little smoked hot paprika, garlic and onion powder, a little chili powder and some thyme. Honey lager was the beer of choice and I placed a couple of garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme in the can as well.

Linguafood, we love that skin . . . . it's the best part isn't it?!!

Phurstluv I've added a couple of photos of the turkey drumsticks and poutine. I made up a rub for the drumsticks by combining kosher salt, garlic powder, sweet smoked paprika, a little cayenne, and some black pepper. They were left in the rub all day then grilled before tossing in a traditional Buffalo chx wing sauce (I mix Frank's Hot sauce w butter and a little kosher salt). Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo after I'd tossed in the sauce. . . .we were pretty hungry!

The poutine I made last night by roasting some baby new potatoes which I topped w an onion gravy (sauteed onions, shallots, garlic in butter....added some potato flour to thicken then stirred in some veggie broth and simmer until mixture thickens) Last night I used both white and orange cheese curds and I sprinkled some double smoked bacon over top.

[inaplasticcup]

Comfort fooooood... Lovely, BC. :)

[Phurstluv]

Sounds absolutely drool-worthy, thanks, BC!

[mcel215]

yum. :)

[mamachef]

Just got the sweetest call from FratLand. News travels fast on the magickal blackboard.
A few of my fellas up there are rooming in this Summer - the house population goes waaaay down, and they don't have a cook in these months (it's why I spent a LOT of Summer vacays cooking for various wilderness camps in the Desolation Wilderness near the CalNeva Border.)
Anyway, they are utilizing various skills and recipes to put on a cookout tonight, and Paulo and Chris are coming by with "dinner for at least four, but remember that's four of US we're talking about here" which means more like dinner for eight. Bless their hearts, they even asked about the appropriateness of the menu as regards kashrut (which we don't observe, so easy-peasy) and whether any expected or unexpected guests have particular food sensitivities. Sounds like steak for dinner, and I'd put money on potato salad and probably some green salad or slaw. I did teach them to balance their meals!! Their sweet hearts, they developed all by they ownselves. :) Love 'em so much.

[DPGood]

The best dinner yet!

[Phurstluv]

Awww, so sweet, you can tell how much they appreciate you, mamachef!!

[LindaWhit]

One good turn deserves another, mamachef, and these boys definitely learned from the best! :-)

[onceadaylily]

What good guys, that lot, and clearly they love you as well.

[L.Nightshade]

Does someone have time to tell me about the WFD thread? I look at it sometimes for ideas, and love looking at the great photos. I post on a bit COTM, but never here. Is it all supposed to be original recipes? Do you welcome a new, occasional poster?

[onceadaylily]

Welcome to WFD! You can post either original recipes, or those created by others. In the latter case, if you're ever asked to post a recipe created by someone else, you can either provide a link to the recipe, or type it a *paraphrased* version of the recipe here, with credit given to the originator (using the words adapted from is a popular expression). You can post one meal, or a hundred. Everyone is welcome.

[roxlet]

Oh, absolutely! Please post occasionally or everyday whatever you are making for dinner -- whether it's just something you like to make, something you've seen a recipe of, or anything else. This is about cooking, and does not include things you eat out or take out -- unless you are somehow repurposing leftovers! Welcome L Nightshade!

[L.Nightshade]

Sounds great! Thank you both for your warm welcomes. You will be hearing from me!

[inaplasticcup]

Looking forward to it, Nightshade. :)

[Phurstluv]

Oh please do, L.Nightshade, we love hearing about ALL meals, we don't discriminate anymore against resto meals, just include something home cooked along with it!!

Welcome!!

[c oliver]

Newbie here and still feeling my way. But what has turned me off in the past is people talking about restaurant meals. Yeah, I guess technically it's WFD but seems like it properly belongs on a regional (or chain) board. I don't see how something one eats in a restaurant has a thing to do with Home Cooking. IMneverHO :)

[nvcook]

c oliver, I have found this to be the most helpful and , dare I say, inspiring thread on CH. I post infrequently, but always come away with really good ideas. Bonus - everyone here seems genuinely kind!

[c oliver]

hey, nvcook. You and I differ. I don't really need" kind." I'm interested in the mechanics of the recipe. I love Home Cooking, less so WFD. But I'm putting my toes in a little :)

[LindaWhit]

Well, I don't care if you don't need "kind". I'm gonna be nice to you and wubs you no matter what, c oliver! ;-)

[The Chowhound Team]

We really do prefer that you keep the focus of this thread on things you've cooked, rather than throwing a little 'obligatory home cooking information' in order to be allowed to post about your restaurant meals. There are regional boards out there that would love to hear about the great stuff you're eating in restaurant -- let's keep Home Cooking focused on home cooking.

[LindaWhit]

Lord no - original recipes? Nigh on impossible, L.N. :-) Often we'll link recipes we've found elsewhere, or open the fridge and just throw something together, OR, as I often do - just look at the list of what is in my chest freezer in the garage and pull something out of there and I'll just say "I had spaghetti and meat sauce...oh - and a salad." :-) And every once in awhile, we'll sneak in a post about a dinner out (although the Mods don't like too much of that on what is a "Home Cooking" board).

As for new posters? We LOVE new blood! So please - post away!

[mariacarmen]

To both LN and Abijah, welcome, as others have said, and yes, we do love and NEED new blood. I'm boring myself silly with my own reports (tho not bored with everyone else's!) And you can post whatever you want, and as often as you want, or as little. and (sorry to disagree, C Oliver) if a non-home cooked meal description slips in now and again, please don't fret. True, it's about cooking here, not eating out, BUT, I've gotten inspiration to cook, from this very thread, when someone has posted something from a meal they had on a night that they didn't happen to cook (corn silk soup leaps to mind, tho i'm sorry, i can't remember original poster.) I feel it's a little bit "looser" on this thread, which is why it's one of the more welcoming places on the site.

[Phurstluv]

Here, here, well said, MC and most definitely true!

[L.Nightshade]

Thanks again for all the welcomes. I can tell already that this is a fun, funny, and talented group!

[c oliver]

No problem, maria. IIRC, The Chowhound Team didn't even want this thread to exist at all :) But due to overwhelming demand, they bowed to the masses and, yes, give it a little looser rein. And, honestly, IMO, it's much more about cooking now than in the beginning. And I've been lectured more than once about better developing my "avert the eyes" technique :)

[inaplasticcup]

Really? Hard to imagine what issue they would have had with people sharing their meals...

[LindaWhit]

The entire Home Cooking board didn't exist just a few years back, IIRC, much less this thread. But once announced, I think it became one of the busier boards.

[buttertart]

That's true, people were always cluttering up General Topics with home cooking refs. I've been on here practically since the beginning and remember it well...

[Breadcrumbs]

Hi LN, it will be great to have you posting here as well! Welcome . . . . and btw, what's for dinner? ; - )

[roxlet]

Tonight's dinner will be veal milanese with a side of linguini and haricotes verts with pesto. We decided to go out for Father's Day, and this had been the proposed meal, now a day late.

[abijah]

Hello, WFD folks.

The Home Cooking board and the WFD thread has been a valuable resource for me for a long time now. Thanks for all your posts over the years that have kept my food brain humming.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to challenge myself to make weeknight dinners that are both a) pretty quick, and b) use up ingredients sitting in the cupboard and fridge, and NOT make extra trips to the grocery store. I love making elaborate meals, and taking a lot of time researching recipes, hunting ingredients, etc. But right now, I'm without a full-time job, and have found that I'm spending way more time on nightly dinners that I actually want to, at the expense of getting other things done. (You know how tasks expand, when given the time!) So it's time to tighten up my game, and still put delicious stuff on the table, just in less time, and with less waste, and also while building up by improvisation skills.

In order to keep myself motivated, I'm going to post my results to the WFD thread. I hope my reports are useful to someone else!

So here's Dispatch #1, from last night:

On Sunday night, the pickings in the kitchen were slim.
My one protein option: Frozen Dover Sole filets
Fresh Vegetables: A half-dozen small tomatoes, some spinach, half of a small purple cabbage
Plus: Whatever I could find in the cupboard/freezer.

Here's what I made:
- Quickly Pan-fried Fish (dredged in cornmeal only, no egg or other batter.)
- Tomato Okra Corn Stew (I found half a package of frozen corn in the freezer, along with an unopened jar of commercial pickled okra that was passed down to us by my in-laws. This dish is one of my favorite easy Southern-ish vegetable dishes. I toss the three main ingredients with garlic and/or onions, cumin, and coriander. Usually I use fresh or frozen okra, but the pickled ones were just sitting there, so I thought, why not? )
- Cole Slaw with Mayo
- Brown Rice

Outcome:
Success! Quick, delicious, and a complete meal. (My partner didn't think the slaw went well with everything else, but I think it's just because he isn't a cabbage fan.)

The pickled okra worked just fine in the dish. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the rest of the jar! (Of course just eating those tart little beauties as-is is always an option.)

Bonus:
I also made a big pot of dal with some Tuver Dal that's been in the freezer forever. Used the spinach, some dried coconut, and spices (tumeric, cumin, and mustard). Will be good for lunches during the week.

[onceadaylily]

That was very sweet of you to say. Reading your post is like looking back in time (albeit, only a year or so). I started posting here when I became without employment, and wanted company in the kitchen. Your meal sounds lovely, abijah. I love it when people 'make-do' and come up with something satisfying.

[LindaWhit]

"Make-do" meals are often the most satisfying, because it's always a surprise as to how it will turn out - so when it turns out well, BONUS! :-)

Welcome, abijah. If you ever need help with fashioning a meal, you know you can just toss out the ingredients in your cupboards, freezer and fridge into this thread and I'm sure lots of people will come up with something great!

[inaplasticcup]

Looking forward to your installments, abijah. I try to do the same - weekly grocery trip of whatever's seasonal and/or inexpensive - and just see what happens. It sure forces you to ratchet up the resourcefulness.

That first meal sounds fabulous!

[Phurstluv]

Well, I just want to extend a big Welcome, to you abijah, and we are so glad that you decided to post, and feel honored that we have inspired you for awhile now.

Your dinner sounds great, and inspiring as well!

[Breadcrumbs]

Welcome abijah, looking forward to many meals together! Your Tuver Dal sounds like it will make wonderful lunches!

[mcel215]

Here at work, for now. Tonight's dinner is pan seared (dipped in a mayo/dijon mixture), panko crusted tilapia, roasted green beans, corn on the cob and a little pasta salad I made yesterday.
I also cook up all the corn I buy on the weekends, eat it cold from the fridge most times as my appetizer. ;)

[Breadcrumbs]

mcel I love the idea of roasting green beans. I'll have to give that a try, thanks!

[onceadaylily]

Thanks for clearing and resetting the table, Linda! :)

Who knew yesterday was fish taco appreciation day? I must have felt something in the wind, because I made a batch. I knew the boyfriend would be made a little sad by the distance between he and his daughter yesterday, so I thought one of his favorite meals would be nice. There was a spicy potato salad to go with, and cream cheese brownies for dessert.

Tonight, we are having two different, but similar, meals. He loves pasta, so I thought I'd just make a simple tomato sauce, with artichoke hearts, black olives, that crook-necked little yellow squash that always on sale at my market, with spinach and basil tossed in at the end. Parmesan shaved over the bowl by command.

I'll have something similar: a portion of the sauce will be added to lightly sauteed chopped tomato, and all of the above vegetables, except for the olives, but with extra squash, spinach and basil, ladled over toasted and cubed whole grain bread for a warm panzanella-style dish.

Either dish will suit this damp chilly day very well. And if his job has made the boyfriend's mood as gray as the day, as it has of late, I might toss a few of the cubes into the FP, and lightly brown the crumbs in butter for his pasta dish (he loves the texture of buttery breadcrumbs paired with pasta).

[ChristinaMason]

You are sweet to take care of him so. Everything sounds yummy.

[onceadaylily]

Thanks, Christina. I'm wrangling my helplessness into something that looks suspiciously like nurturing. ;)

[mariacarmen]

you did a good job of it!!

[inaplasticcup]

Awww. Sweet of you to cheer up your dude on Father's Day, lily. And he got brownies too. I want some brownies. :P

[onceadaylily]

Oh, please come get them out of my house. Please. ;)

[Breadcrumbs]

oadl that sauce sounds especially delicious!!

[onceadaylily]

It really was very good, BC, and so healthy that I feel a little smug about it.

[iL Divo]

marinating pork ribs, in zipper bags freezer.
braised cabbage
butter poached new red potatoes
garlic bread
water for me, iced tea for the boys

[c oliver]

I've heard of butter poached lobster. How do you poach potatoes please?

[linguafood]

whoa - i'd like to hear about that, too. i'll eat butter-poached anything, frankly!

[iL Divo]

there are 3 BTU's on my stove.
for butter poaching potatoes I use the one with the least amount of output.
washed & peeled 3 medium new red potatoes
sliced 1/8". placed in iced water with a few lemon slices until I get
butter ready in pot melted
5qt. Le Creuset oval French oven on lowest heat,
2 sticks of butter 1 sweet cream 1 salted.
potatoes out of ice water, onto paper towels, in 3 steps,
pat so they're very dry.
butter melted, 3 leaves cracked/bruised sage, 1" rosemary sprig, 1 inch mint
thin potato layers into pot, butter just covers potatoes.
fire barely on put herbs submerged in butter cook 3 hours checking occasionally.
move around the potatoes with gentle hand so as not to break the slices but make sure they all have been submerged
pull out the mint/sage/rosemary, toss away… present on plate.
diner salts and peppers as desired, I use none of either.
save butter in ball jar in frig or freeze for anything like sautéed vegs to twice baked potatoes etc.
or whatever else it makes sense to use it for.
Adding to stock, adding to soups casseroles drizzled over grilled meats

[rabaja]

that sounds pretty decadent!

[iL Divo]

they are really decadent. melt in your mouth.
I only do them once or twice a year.
they're not figure friendly, never said they were though, and sometimes it's nice to have something special.
did them for son and husband and I and as long as my men like how I make food, that's all that's important to me. no apologies.
it's like me and poutine, I eat it twice a year

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Wow, those look delicious!!

[iL Divo]

well thank you BBUWAT, very kind, and they are, just ask the boys :) oh and myself of course.......
I'd call them
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/wo...
never made 'em for my favorite girl, she'd adore them though, loves butter as much as I do

[c oliver]

So is it three pounds or three potatoes? Also would cooking it at a slightly higher temp for less time give the same result? Thanks.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

I like that link ;o)

[linguafood]

is your daughter not a fan?

[c oliver]

Only THREE new potatoes???

What do you think the advantage of this is to simply cooking the slices in butter? I had been envisioning whole potatoes. I'm curious why half salted and half unsalted butter. Thanks.

[ChristinaMason]

I think she meant 3 lbs...

[c oliver]

Cool. That makes sense. thank, CM