What's For Dinner? part #107 [old]

[roxlet]

With part 106 edging towards 300 posts, it's time to start a new thread!

Fall arrived in the metro NY area, and with that, we will be having a fall meal tonight: A frisse salad with the remainder of last year's duck confit to start (time to make more!), and steak au poivre as the main with some sort of potato. An apple pie is cooling on the counter, and that will be dessert for those who still have room. For everyone else, that will be breakfast tomorrow morning.

This brings me to the question: What are YOU making for dinner tonight?

[iL Divo]

the kid caught blue fin on his fishing jaunt so he brought some up from SD for dad and I. I gotta be careful with the prep of his prize for sure. oven roasted tri color baby potatoes and wilted spinach salad with bacon/red onions/hard boiled eggs/toasted walnuts/mushrooms and typical warm bacon dressing over all. the kid wants corn bread so I'll do 1/2 yellow&1/2 white stone ground corn meal (pour yellow on top of white and swirl) melted honey butter over top, bake. strawberry margies for the guys, me water.

[Harters]

Lingua's started a new thread. See you over at #108

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/808769

[GretchenS]

Last night needed to finish up the cod delivery. Wrapped it in some prosciutto, brushed with olive oil and roasted in a hot oven. Very good and produced yummy juices. I had given a head start to a small Red Norland potato from the organic farm, sliced on the mandoline and arranged in a spiral in a pie plate brushed with a lot of olive oil. This produced essentially flat kettle chips, with a somewhat bitter taste from the olive oil. Tasty but not what I was looking for, guess I need thicker slices and probably grapeseed oil. Also some sauteed chard with garlic and lemon juice. Must remember I prefer chard when it has been lightly blanched. Tonight cooking for the oldster: grilled steak (if the rain holds off, otherwise broiled), COTC, sliced tomatoes, plus green beans for me. He will no doubt pour a Cotes du Rhone, he nearly always does.

[mariacarmen]

i'm jealous your oldster can still chew steak! all mine can manage nowadays is ground meats and chicken. however, we are taking him to a brazilian steakhouse tonight (one of those places with the meat brought to you on swords!) for his 83rd birthday. they have chicken and sausage too, so it'll work for everyone.

that cod sounds lovely.

[inaplasticcup]

LOL. I had to laugh because my dad has a full set of dentures, which he refuses to wear half the time, and yet manages to eat whatever the hell he wants. Some days it makes me laugh, and other days, cry.

[mariacarmen]

he's lucky! my dad wears his and it's just getting worse.

[linguafood]

TIme for a new thread, perhaps? We're well over 300 again, and 250 seems to (generally) be a good cut-off?

[twodales]

So last night we were fortunate enough to enjoy a lovely night sail on a 30 foot Catalina on our inland sea: Lake Michigan. The city put on quite a show for us as the clouds and the water reflected the lights, even if there wasn't any moon. Seeing Chicago from the water gives one a rather unique view. I love going out mid-week instead of living for the weekend.
"Dinner" consisted of lots of bits-and-bobs. Cold chicken, shrimp, peppadews stuffed with goat cheese, feta and olives in seasoned oil, nuts, manchego and serrano ham, and other picky bits. Had a dark and stormy with Bermudan ginger beer which soothed my impending cold nicely. A gorgeous night all in all. As Autumn closes in we have fewer of these opportunites to enjoy "my kind of town" in this way...so we enjoy it while we can.

[Harters]

My kind of dinner, 2D.

I enjoy making tapas/mezze meals (and eating them when someone else has done the prep). The nephew always refers to them as "Uncle John's picky bits".

[twodales]

Me too Harters. I love grazing.

[steve h.]

Life at five knots! It doesn't get much better.

[twodales]

It was pretty darn sweet steve h!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thursday's a late night. Still haven't eaten.

I made the ginger scallion noodles from the Momofuku cookbook, and added grated carrot and sliced cucumber to fill it out a bit. Also an attempt at chicken bao (we didn't have any pork) that are still in the steamer. I'm an inexperienced bao-maker, but they look good so far (although they've puffed up much bigger than I thought they would).

[mariacarmen]

FINALLY did a little cooking! got home from the oldster's at 7:30 a.m. today, which gave me just enough time before work to put 4 pork chops in a marinade of sambal olek, fish sauce, oyster sauce, garlic powder, toasted dried chili flakes, a bit of leftover satay sauce, little sugar, Shaoxing, and sesame oil. they sat in the fridge for 9 hours. also made boiled white rice with a bit of sesame oil, garlic powder, and togarishi. sprinkled with green onions when serving. on arriving home this evening, heated the rice and drained the chops of marinade and grill-pan fried them at high heat. then made a salad of cabbage, green onions, heirloom tomato, diced avocado, cider vinegar and evoo. Have to say, it was all ok, but not great. pork chops were a little tough, rice didn't have enough flavor. salad was the most successful. oh well, at least i'm back in the kitchen again. tomorrow and sat. may be dinner out - oldster's bday was yesterday, and our 9th anniversary is this weekend. I told the BF i wouldn't cook for our anniversary because i hate it when i get all ramped up to make something special and it doesn't turn out as well as I wanted it to. my best results are happenstance and on the fly. so, dinner out at a nice-ish restaurant it will be.

[GretchenS]

Happy anniversary mc!

[mariacarmen]

grazie!

[suburban_mom]

I threw a chuck roast in the crockpot this morning with some bbq sauce. I shredded it and served it on buns. Broccoli slaw on the side.

[iL Divo]

chocolatechip and suburban

your dinners sound very very good indeed

[Chocolatechipkt]

Lyon-style chicken in red wine vinegar, served with herbed rice and zucchini gratin.

[mariacarmen]

ooh recipe for that Lyon-style chicken, please?

[Chocolatechipkt]

Here you go. I used half the garlic, no butter and cream instead of creme fraiche.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/ly...

[mariacarmen]

thanks!

[JungMann]

Very light dinner tonight, nothing more than cervelat roll-ups with kimchi. The garlicky sausages are from Mitteleuropa, but with a kimchi so old it fizzes on the tongue, it sings a very Korean tune.

[steve h.]

You and ina strike a chord. Deb and I need to return again to Seoul and see our old neighborhoods.

[inaplasticcup]

Possibly the quickest dinner I've made all year. I took some left over Korean BBQ from dinner out on Sunday night, two handfuls of fresh shiitakes, half a white onion, and just sauteed everything. No seasoning added, as that meat is chock full of marinade anyway. The more sensitive I get to salt, the less I believe every component of the meal has to be seasoned. I like the way the earthiness of the unsalted shrooms and the sweetness of the sauteed onions offset the soy marinade.

Steamed rice, Napa cabbage and carrot slaw on the side dressed with the rest of a soy sesame dressing I made last week, plus a tiny serving of homemade kimchi.

Lagunitas IPA to wash it down.

[steve h.]

Big fan of the Lagunitas IPA. Deb and I were at the mothership a year ago (Petaluma). Brewers/staff are all pirates. Sammy Hagar ("I Can't Drive 55" and various Van Halen stuff) popped in. Good times.
We'll be back to Northern California in a few weeks.

[inaplasticcup]

So I'm just now reading their label which says:

"Thanks for choosing to spend the next few minutes with this special homicidally hoppy ale. Savor the moment as the raging hop character engages the Imperial Qualities of the Malt in mortal combat on the battlefied of your palate!"

Which is funny because as craft/micro IPAs go, this is an exceptionally mild and balanced one in terms of hops. Some of the IPAs I've had the unpleasure of drinking lately... OY. :/

[steve h.]

The miscreants at Lagunitas are a hard-partying crowd. They brew stuff to please themselves. I like them a lot.

[steve h.]

Veal parm. Deb pounded, breaded, dredged the meat employing all the usual suspects. Pasta will be on the side. Pesto will make the pasta green-tinged and tasty. Basil for the exceptional pesto was from the garden. House red (a modest Sangiovese) to seal the deal. Yanks are AL East champions. Order and harmony has been restored to the universe.

[tzurriz]

Dinner tonight was elbow noodles alfredo with shrimp and roasted red peppers, mixed green salad with more of the peppers, a garden tomato, and vinaigrette. Yummy, but I do think I should probably go grocery shopping soon. I made the alfredo sauce with pecorino instead of parmesan. It was a "what the heck have I got in this fridge?" dinner.

[ChristinaMason]

DH made dinner last night: baked jerk (skinless) chicken thighs, roasted squash (unfortunately, the paprika burned and left an acrid taste), and mixed greens salad with peaches and garden cucumbers. I made buttermilk mashed potatoes with a touch of parm.

Tonight's dinner will be something out.

[buttertart]

I'm thinking the David Tanis baked kibbe from yesterday's NYT just might do the trick, with a salad. Maybe.

[JungMann]

I saw that recipe. As a frequent kibbeh maker/consumer/giver, I thought he did a disservice not including at least a bit of cinnamon and allspice in the recipe.

[buttertart]

I thought it seemed underseasoned but cinnamon and allspice are not my favorite spices (especially allspice, it tastes oddly bloody to me). In any case good intentions have been superseded by sloth - not sure what will be dinner at this point!

[JungMann]

Interesting taste correlation re: allspice. I'm hard pressed to re-imagine my kibbeh spice mix without cinnamon and allspice, but garam masala might be an adequate substitute. Or just drown everything in tarator and hot sauce. That usually works for me.

[buttertart]

What is your spice mix, exactly?
Appetite and spice craving won out over sloth and I made a Madhur Jaffrey keema (from Quick and Easy Indian Cooking) - recipe calls for 1 1/4 lb ground lamb, I had 1 lb, leaned on the spices somewhat.
1 med onion, 2" pc peeled ginger, 7 large garlic cloves - minced in FP, then fried in a little oil until brown. 1 tsp(ish) each cumin and cardamom - she calls for whole, I ground mine - 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp(ish) cayenne), 1 1/2 tsp salt (I used less because I was adding canned chickpeas) - stir into the onion mixture and cook a bit.
Here I diverged from the recipe, which has you cook the lamb in the tomato and yogurt to come - I wanted to get the lamb a bit browner so cooked it until almost done THEN added 2 plum tomatoes minced in the FP (she calls for 1 med tomato, chopped), then 1/4 c yogurt (I was surprised that the Fage 0 didn't separate).
Simmer as long as you can stand it (25 mins recommended), then add 2 tb lemon juice, 6 tb chopped cilantro, 1 minced hot green pepper, and 1 1/2 tsp garam masala (I used the Farsi one I made when cooking from "My Bombay Kitchen"), and 1/2 c frozen peas (I used rinsed canned chickpeas). Simmer through and serve - we had it with assorted poppadums - 1 min in the microwave each - and a salad of local cucumber, red onion, Serrano pepper, cilantro, and a very nice orange plum tomato, with yogurt on the side). I love keemas!

[JungMann]

Usually I season the filling with cinnamon, allspice, cumin and coriander and make the shell with the same, but more cumin. Nowadays, though, I dial back the cumin in the shell and add ground clove or nutmeg, white pepper and ground ginger. It's a little warmer, a little fuller tasting. The filling can be nice with cardamom, too, but I sometimes think it's a bully of a spice so I would be judicious. I

Very nice sounding keema! I need to get a little more experimental with that!

[buttertart]

Thanks, I must make one one of these days.
Mace might be nice in kibbe too, I'd think. It's a little brighter and more citric tasting to me than nutmeg.

[scubadoo97]

You make fried kibbeh like these?
For fried kibbeh I use my standard Mid/East spice mix which does include allspice. Cumin in the shell. We do our shell different from most recipes and there is no meat in the shell. Just bulgur and flour plus a little cumin. Makes for a more delicate crispy shell but it's a lot harder to work with.

[JungMann]

Good ol' kibbeh krass: my favorite. I typically do make fried torpedoes, but I'm thinking in the interest of good health, it might be a good idea to start trying the baked version.

How do you think your crust would hold up in the oven?

[scubadoo97]

Not familiar with the term "krass". Funny we call them torpedoes too. I'll eat the baked kibbeh (kibbeh seniyeh) the one in the pan, but find it heavier in texture and taste than my fried ones. In all the recipes for the baked kibbeh the shell is the standard bulgur and meat. I don't think the shell that we use for the fried kebbeh would hold up well to baking. Not sure because I've never tried it. Well this calls for an experiment.

[JungMann]

There are other ways of Romanizing it but kibbeh krass is fried kibbeh (as opposed to kibbeh bil saniyeh). I also find baking kibbeh is ironically heavier, which is why I prefer it fried. It's tricky to get a crisp baked shell that is also not leaden.

[linguafood]

After a bunch of protein-heavy dinners, I'm considering making this:

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes...

Obviously cutting WAY down on the butter & parm, as in adjusting it for two people who don't generally OD on parm or butter.

Simple green salad on the side.

[ChristinaMason]

Let me know how that goes. I'm wondering about the texture of the sauce.

[linguafood]

Yah, me too (a bit). I think we'll be just fine with a 1/4 lb. of butter, 1 cup of parm, and a tiny bit of pasta water.

Got some escarole that will be dressed with a lemon oil / lemon juice dressing -- need some acidity on the side to cut thru all that dairy. Yowzah.

[linguafood]

OMG, was that tasty! I could have easily eaten three plates.... next time I make it (oh, and there *will* be a next time, trust me -- so easy and so delicious), I'll cut down on the butter more, as there were a few small pools of it in the mixing plate that didn't get incorporated in the 'sauce.'

Oh my. Heaven on a plate.

[buttertart]

Sounds sublime. That was a cool little feature on the Saveur website.

[chef chicklet]

I make this with angel hair, cause its lighter ; ) Seriously, I do, but less less butter these days, but heavier on the black pepper.

[linguafood]

I think fettuccine or tagliatelle are the perfect pasta for this dish. I'd find angel hair to skimpy, I think.

But yeah, def cut down on the butter, as it doesn't all incorporate into the 'sauce'. Black pepper is a no-brainer :-)

[chef chicklet]

I'll be so glad when this heat is over, come on FALL!
So to show it who's boss, I used my broiler, yeah take that!
Tonight I tried something different. Pulled out a few books, and found one that was allowing me to step away from the stove and not stand so much and also not get over heated. I made chicken thighs, salted and peppered the heck out of them, put them in glass dish and broiled them for 7 mins each side till they were brown and crispy.They actually looked great just like that. That crispy was perfect to get that added crunch when you want to add a glaze and still want a crunchy skin (otherwise you ended overcooking, and drying it out or flabby fat - ick)
Then, the recipe said to brush with butter (I left that step out since I don't need the extra calories) Made a glaze of dijon and red wine vinegar, and then brushed that front and back, skin side got plain extra bread crumbs and garlic powder. Into the oven at 350 for 15 minutes, flipped, the skin side with the crumbs, YUM, nice little crackling to it, and the chicken remained moist. I was very happy with the results and so was dh. Sides; I had some small little ravioli with alfredo sauce (this was for the little guy mainly) and a crunchy salad. But the chicken was delish and had a little bit of heat from the dijon. I'll be making this chicken dish again. Note to self. This chicken using boneless thighs or breasts, would work perfectly laid out on a bed of arugula or mixed baby greens with a little extra dressing on the side. I love hot proteins on crisp cold greens.

[iL Divo]

agree COME ON FALL PLEASE

tonight:
chicken parm, Cooks Illustrated version I watched today
Spaghetti with lemon garlic basil shallots parm salt/pepper/red pepper flakes
tri colors of roasted peppers, green yellow orange
salad with tomatoes and balsamic and olive oil
NYT bread with seeds, it's rising now
plum crisp that I saw on tv last night
he'll have his "bulldog" and I'll have H20

[Rella]

Great food!
What seeds are you adding (and when) to your NYT bread?
I've added carroway (sp?) to white/rye NYT.

[iL Divo]

thanks

poppy flax sesame caraway wheat berry

so good

[inaplasticcup]

What did the broiler say when you asked it *Who's your daddy???*

That cracklin sounds so lovely...

[inaplasticcup]

Inspired by a Bizarre Foods aired this morning on super spicy Szechuan foods, I made a spicy, Korean style braised chicken with some gochoojahng, superhot jalapenos, cayenne, onions, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and a little bit of bohkboonjah (Korean raspberry) mahkguhlli (rice wine).

A simple sweet and sour quick pickle of daikon and cucumber on the side.

I LOVE this braising liquid with rice. :)

[steve h.]

Sounds tasty. Pictures are wonderful.

[inaplasticcup]

Thanks, steve. :)

[L.Nightshade]

I think I need to take a class from you. Not only for the cooking but for the vocabulary!

[inaplasticcup]

LOL. You do the pasta portion, and I'll do the Korean vocab part. BYOW. :)

[L.Nightshade]

You're on!

[chef chicklet]

mmmmm~ that looks good, and I was thinking of doing something similar with the plump chicken thighs I had. Will keep this for another day. I have daikon, cukes etc, everything but just sake. mmmmmm yeah, bet that sauce is killer with rice... nicely done~

[inaplasticcup]

I would totally use the sake, and if it's a dry one, just up the brown sugar.

Thanks. :)

[steve h.]

A good day at the ball park: rains held off, I got a free beer and the Yanks beat the Rays in the first game of a day/night double-header. Mo got save 603. Deb and I hooked up for drinks at Cipriani Dolci in GCT (vodka gimlet-up for me, pinot grigio for her) before training home. Escarol and bean soup (made Sunday) for supper, a baguette on the side. Sparkling wine (J) to wash it down.

I think Red Sox fans maybe owe us a drink or two for beating the Rays two games straight ... just a thought.

[inaplasticcup]

What does the (J) stand for?

[steve h.]

It's a California sparkling wine. They've been around for 20 years. They bottle up in Healdsburg. They make a good sparkling wine and a very good brut rose. "J" is not cheap but it is really good.

[inaplasticcup]

Ahh. Thanks, steve. Learn something new here every day. :)

[mariacarmen]

i'm sure you've seen it Ina, they sell in markets all over so. cal., from what i remember. black bottle, big yellow J across it. it's yum, alright.

[twodales]

OK, I have to share. My college sophmore daughter sent a text saying she had found a terrific fruit & veg market and got 16 items for $12. The she said she had made couscous and a salad made out of lentils, garbanzos and black beans. This is a kid that hesitated to make ramen noodles for herself and called me to find out how to fry an egg. There is HOPE!

[inaplasticcup]

I love that story, twodales. :)

[L.Nightshade]

That is very cool twodales! Congrats on good culinary parenting.

[scubadoo97]

I agree, there is hope. Sounds great

[onceadaylily]

I'm guessing you only had to wait until the absence of a wonderful cook in the kitchen *really* set in. And with that market score, you sent her out ahead of the usual learning curve.

[onceadaylily]

We are supposed to go to the market this evening, so dinner will be after, and a bit rushed, as the boy will be starving by the time we get home. I think I've decided on a lazy woman's pasta tossed with garlic butter, fried eggs (cut up into the pasta so that the yolks coat the strands), and sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs. I might add either parsley to the pasta to wilt under the eggs. There might be salads to go with. Or maybe not. I'm leaning toward the latter. Sometimes the bowl of pasta needs one's undivided attention.

[inaplasticcup]

Gooey egg yolk on pasta strands sounds delightful.

And I think we would have a lot of fun not quite figuring out the other's kitchen contraption. Especially if wine is involved. ^-

[mariacarmen]

oh man that sounds so amazing to me! i'm going to do that very soon. parsley or what? basil?

[onceadaylily]

Ha, when I typed it, I was thinking spinach, but decided mid-thought that would be too much chewing, and failed to edit. ;) I did a scant amount of parsley, and spritzed some lemon over the breadcrumbs. I tossed the breadcrumbs with the pasta before I added the the parsley and eggs.

Yolk. It's the new bacon. (When you don't eat bacon.) Tell me stop putting eggs on everything, just so my pants aren't singing a solo.

[GretchenS]

Today's fish share is cod. I thought it might be. :) I saved out a couple of large chard leaves from the gorgeous bunch I bought at the farmer's market and will make cod wrapped in chard leaves with herb butter along the lines of this recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo... I think a baked tomato and rice will go with it.

[Harters]

Oh, that's such a good idea with the chard.

It's a veg we don't see often enough in the UK (although it was in the supermarket the other day).

[Rella]

Just an aside: I've juiced chard lately and it is sooo salty? Has anyone ever noticed that - I hadn't noticed it in just everyday cooking.

[Harters]

There's a brown gloop stew on the horizon. Only a one-person portion so it's getting enhanced with some chopped mushrooms, a courgette, two of the five runner beans that have formed the total crop we've had from three plants. And another mystery offering from the freezer, labelled only "red wine gravy".

Since she retired, herself has become an enthusiastic baker. And she's pretty good at it - I look forward to the weekly cake (even though I'm only permitted a small slice). There have been the occasional failures - as in the fruit sponge that was simply the wrong texture to be a good cake. Rather than throw it outside for the birds (which was herself's instinct), I froze it reckoning it'd do as a dessert pudding. And there''ll be custard. Of course, there'll be custard. And none of your fancy creme anglaise - this is custard made up from Birds Custrad Powder. Proper custard!

[GretchenS]

Of course, you are entitled to the custard since you are only using two runner beans and leaving the rest.... When I worked in the UK the guy who worked for me hated pudding but he loved custard. So at the company cafeteria he would put the tiniest spoonful of pudding in a bowl and then FILL the bowl with custard. I never understood why he didn't just take custard but I guess that was not the proper thing to do. It killed me every single time.

[JungMann]

I grew up richly on my grandmother's homemade flan. It was probably the dessert she did best (when she didn't burn the sugar). But when I wanted a custard, not a wobbly flan, but a proper belly soft custard, I turned to my father, who reached into his cupboard of subcontinental magic and pulled out a tin of Bird's. One of the best things the Raj left behind, imo.

[LindaWhit]

OK, leftovers are all done in my fridge. Tonight will be a pasta (probably penne or gemelli) and sauteed chicken and vegetables (carrots, onions, green beans, and halved cremini mushrooms) tossed with a garlic-herb cheese sauce (a log of garlic-herb goat cheese blended with 1/2 and 1/2 and some additional freshly minced oregano and thyme and basil thrown in for good measure).

Some crusty rolls alongside a salad and it's dinner. And since it's Hump Day, I do believe a glass of wine while preparing dinner will be in order.

[GretchenS]

... always in order in my book! :)

[iL Divo]

it'll be easy tonight and pretty much a no brainer.
chicken in golden mushroom soup
John Besh's gnocchi
cauliflower mash
green salad with tomatoes and yellow bell pepper and lemon viniagrette
Colorado Bulldog for him, water for me
the last millionaire bar for him

[inaplasticcup]

At first I read John Tesh's gnocchi...

I'm sure John Besh's are much better. :)

[L.Nightshade]

Mmm, soft, out of focus gnocchi with strings in the background. No thanks.

[iL Divo]

I'd prefer Yanni's gnocchi any day over Mr. Tesh's

[iL Divo]

I tape Chef Besh's tv show and the ease of his gnocchi blew my sox off.
Lidia's are harder. John Tesh prolly not so much ;)

[chef chicklet]

oh man, I remember those Colorado Bulldogs! First had one at a restaurant in Albq, NM, top of the Sandia mountains. Had to take a tram up there for dinner. Glad I had a few after dinner! Scary!

[iL Divo]

how funny, I can't do those rides either, panic attacks galore, hugging ankles and not 'my' ankles :(

[Berheenia]

Back to last winter when the COTM was the Essential NYT I made the slightly fancy spinach meatloaf so guess what we had for dinner last night? Spinach meatloaf made with plain old hamburg with ketchup instead of tomato sauce and it was so good. I see leftovers for another meal.

[crowmuncher]

salmon, "spanish" rice w/out the fresh onion and garlic (i was too tired to be bothered), spinach salad, and avocado slices

[BananaBirkLarsen]

That sounds so good. Now I have a huge craving for salmon.

I usually eat a ton of fish in the summer, but my boyfriend doesn't like it, so I have spent the last two years settling for the occasional tuna sandwich (which isn't really the same thing).

[mariacarmen]

same here! BF of 9 years (yay, this weekend!!) went away ONCE for 6 weeks and i ate fish tacos and fried catfish. don't want him to leave again, but... miss the fish! although i do get to do sushi, as he can eat bento boxes while i do the raw stuff.

[twodales]

Apple brandy chicken, rice and wild rice pilaf and sauteed napa cabbage on the side. More of the pound cake, berries and cream for pud.

[suburban_mom]

We had Rooz Ma Lahem (rice with meat). Ground lamb, onions, garlic, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, diced red pepper, allspice, cumin, cinnamon, and of course rice. It was a quick meal too. While the rice cooked, I chopped and cooked the rest. When the rice was done, I just mixed it all together. Even the child who holds the current title for "Picky Kid" liked it.

[mariacarmen]

Is that Indian, middle eastern? a mix? I've never heard of the word "Rooz" - but it's funny that it sounds kind of like "Arroz".....

[scubadoo97]

Arabic and sounds delicious. With the allspice I'm thinking Syrian?

[suburban_mom]

Yes, it is Arabic. I think Palestinian. I made it last spring for my middle child's school. They study ancient history in 6th grade and end the year with a feast/festival. His class was assigned food from the Middle East. I liked the fact I could get them to try lamb by having it look like hamburger.

[mariacarmen]

Arabic - makes sense - so many Spanish words are Arabic in origin.
That dish is also so similar to picadillo....

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Most of the potential meals we had in the house tonight relied on a hopelessly frozen whole chicken that I forgot to take out of the freezer. So we had to improvise.

Ended up doing sort of a veggie curry soup, with coconut milk, chicken stock and 2 kinds of Thai curry paste (green and... I'm not sure exactly), cauliflower, bell pepper, canned pineapple chunks and dry roasted peanuts. Rice on the side.

Coffee and fig turnovers for dessert.

[marietinn]

The darling and I were talking about how both our moms used to make canned new potatoes with a ton of butter and parsley and garlic powder in the oven. Some how we went from that to canned new potatoes+ smart balance organic+ half a sliced yellow onion+ garlic powder, salt and pepper. That cooked for about 30 minutes and then we added a can of small green peas and a portion of soyrizo from trader joes that a sauteed prior so it wouldn't be too greasy.The dish came out well, though I wish i had precooked the onions a bit as they still have a crunch to them. Darling said it was wonderful as is, albeit a bit spicy.

[painperdu]

We are calling this the Greek Debt Default dinner...grilled lamb rack with thyme and oregano, grilled tomato and eggplant, tzatziki on the side. Fresh blackberries scavenged from a roadside on this beautiful afternoon.

[twodales]

Love the title

[inaplasticcup]

A black bean, beef and chorizo chili served over jasmine rice with some fresh cilantro, green onion and avocado for garnish... With lots of whole cloves of garlic in it because the Man loves whole, slowcooked cloves of garlic. :)

[Chocolatechipkt]

Shrimp and grits and a lemony endive-avocado salad.

[steve h.]

nice.
shrimp and grits: it's not just for breakfast anymore.

[RUK]

Gumbo! It was my first attempt at making Gumbo and after considerable "homework" I followed this recipe as close as possible.
http://gumbopages.com/food/gumbo.html
I have to say - it was ( and will be) delicious! You just can't make a small portion of this.

[alliegator]

I'm making my first ever stab at Chicken Kiev tonight--wish me luck! Sauteed mushrooms on the side, and I haven't decided if I need a starch or if the heaviness of all that butter will be good enough. There's a method to my madness--the man and I are trying to decide on a winter vacation, and I'm trying to get him to see that Russia in winter is more interesting than plantin' yer bum on a beach somewhere. I know, Ukranian recipe, but you get the idea!

[inaplasticcup]

Udachi, allie! (That's what the worldwide interweb tells me is *good luck* in Russian.)

With the dish and your evil vacation scheming... ^-

[chef chicklet]

is - is that an alligator iapc?

[chef chicklet]

Well tonight it'll be French Dips with Arugula Salad. Simple dressing of lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. I have been really wanting a vegetable soup, so as I sit here, a pot is simmering away. All the veggies that were hanging out in the drawer. I'm debating to either add the small yukons, or make polenta, grilled or soft? I'm thinking to spoon the thick soup over whatever we come up with, any ideas? Trying for a different way to serve it rather than a couple loaves of French Bread and dunking. This will be dinner for tomorrow night since the soup is always thicker and richer in flavor on day 2...

[inaplasticcup]

So the soup is for tomorrow and polenta would go with the soup? My vote's for grilled polenta on the side, save the taters for another day. :)

[chef chicklet]

Yes, I was thinking scooping the thick soup over the grilled polenta. This way they won't miss that there's no meat in it? I've been wanting to use polenta more, I just love it either soft, or grilled. Then....maybe a roast of sorts with the yummy potatoes to go with later next week.
And thanks for collaborating with me, I get stumped sometimes!

[inaplasticcup]

I think we all do, and that's half the reason we keep coming back here! :P

[chef chicklet]

It was great, I ate some for lunch. Making grilled polenta and placing small cubes on the soup. I think I better make something else though, this will never fill my dh.
So chicken thighs and something else will be made. I need to remember to use my camera, I used to me so good about that.

[inaplasticcup]

I hear ya. We usually have one meatless dinner a week, and the Man is pretty cooperative, but the next day it's usually

*What's for dinner, babe?*

*<insert what's for dinner here>*

*Does it have meat in it?*

[chef chicklet]

lol! Exact same script here!

[linguafood]

Hanger steaks were on sale, so we'll be splitting one of those (grilled, after having been marinated). Sides will be sautéed mushrooms, roasted cauli & maybe a green salad.

[inaplasticcup]

Mmmm... How are you going to marinate?

[linguafood]

For hanger steak, I've been using a mix of soy sauce, Worcestershire, a few drops of maggi seasoning, thyme, a dash of garlic powder (I hardly use it for anything beyond that), hot paprika and a sploosh of balsamic. I might cut down a bit on the soy sauce, as those suckers get SALTY.

[inaplasticcup]

Yeah. Is it just me (and my hormones) or is soy sauce just getting saltier all around???

[Harters]

Upcoming - pork strogonoff.

Thin slices of pork fillet to be fried. Ditto onions and mushrooms. Slosh in some gin and set fire to it. Sling in some sour cream. Sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Job done.

A recipe from "Two Fat Ladies" (1996) - Jennifer Paterson & Clarissa Dickson Wright

And, with an air of frugality, the leftovers of last night's pasta/courgette dish get nuked and form tonight's carb. And, there'll be some steamed chard on the side.

[mariacarmen]

love the fat ladies. the gin sounds interesting in that dish - i am a fan.

[twodales]

Ditto to maria carmen

[Harters]

In fact it proved to be very underwhelming as a dish.

And, as we'd not really found much else in the book that we wanted to cook, it's now on the way to the charity shop. Of coruse, this is the whole point of the book culling exercise at Harters Hall.

I did love Jennifer and Clarissa as "characters" although in recent years Clarissa has turned into somewhat of a parody of herself.

[mariacarmen]

What is Clarissa doing? I didn't know she had a show still, but I don't get BBC America (our cable station for Brit programming) at my home.)

[Harters]

No regular programme these days. But she does pop up on things now and again.

Most recently in one of the programmes of a recent BBC series - Great British Food Revival - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zn6jq.

[crowmuncher]

ran out of soup but i'm pretty much over whatever that was...So i broke out the last of the fish stix :)

[inaplasticcup]

Isn't it nice how exhaustion from one dish makes the next taste soooo much better?

[crowmuncher]

yes, the fish sticks were a welcome change :)

[weezieduzzit]

Leftover polenta turned into fried polenta cakes, spagetti squash that had to be cut since it was pulling the vines off the trellis, probably kale since we never tire of it and maybe some quickly pan fried well seasoned shrimp. I've been really uninspired lately, not that our meals haven't been tasty, just not very exciting.

[inaplasticcup]

I get that way too, but sometimes, the best meals come out of that can't be bothered to give a crapness... :)

[twodales]

Spaghetti & Meatballs (SpagBol as it is known around here), Garlic toast. Too lazy to make a salad tonight but I did make a from scratch pound cake and topped it with fresh strawberries. Had some clotted cream leftover so that went on top of the berries. Made scones yesterday so guess I'm transitioning into the baking thing now that the weather has gone a bit Autumnal. Oh and the scones were topped with the clotted cream and Tiptree strawberry jam yesterday afternoon with tea of course. Yum.

[LindaWhit]

The scones AND pound cake both sound wonderful, twodales! Well, so does the SpagBol. :-)

[twodales]

The clotted cream is maybe a twice a year indulgence, although unfortunately a new store that opened seems to be carrying it as an in-stock item. I use to have to hunt for it. 2 years ago we were able to travel to Cornwall in England and the weather was glorious. We went with friends to a little cottagey restaurant off of the beach, sat outside and had a full-cream tea. I love those little tea sandwiches and the scones and clotted cream were divine. What a treat!

[Harters]

A year or so back, for my "birthday treat", Mrs H took me off to one of the posh hotels in the city for a full afternoon tea. Talk about a decadent way to spend a couple of hours! I reckon for a proper afternoon tea, you gotta have sandwiches (crusts off), you gotta have scones and you gotta have cake .

[twodales]

Lucky Boy! I'd keep Mrs. H. if I were you.

[Harters]

I've toyed with the idea of trading her in for a younger model. But then I think she's had the same thought about me.

[L.Nightshade]

Grilled turkey burgers with apple-mint-cilantro-red onion-curry sauce. Roasted beets and hubbard squash. Easy and satisfying.

[linguafood]

That sauce sounds awesome.

[onceadaylily]

I have to echo lingua. Can you give a few specifics for that sauce?

[L.Nightshade]

Thanks both of you!

I just winged it, so everything is approximate: one finely chopped small apple, 1/4 finely chopped red onion, handful of finely chopped mint, same of cilantro, small handful of dried currants, spiced with a generous amount of ground-up coriander seed, cumin seed, fennel seed, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, and Indian cayenne. I stirred in just enough Greek yogurt to make it saucy. I ended up adding a bit of mayonnaise just to compensate for the fact that the turkey seemed a touch dry. That's all I can remember. Mr. Nightshade declared it the star of the evening, which is always nice to hear.

[inaplasticcup]

I like how you rigged the lighting for that pic, Ns. And the colors - the colors always look beautiful on your plates.

[L.Nightshade]

Thanks ina. I put floods in my workbench lamp, so photos are coming out better usually, except when I use yellow bowls. Mr. NS is being very patient, waiting to eat until I snap dinner.
You are the queen of eye-popping color on plates!

[suburban_mom]

5 spice chicken with fresh plum sauce from June's Clean Eating magazine, quinoa, sugar snap peas, and a baguette from our local French bakery (for the non quinoa eaters).

It was a great meal!

[ChristinaMason]

Your chicken sounds good. I'll have to check it out; I have a bottle of 5-spice powder that's been neglected.

[inaplasticcup]

A simple quick braised pork butt (just salt, onion, and a dash of apple cider vinegar to tenderize) with a sauteed kale, red onion and Gala apple salad dressed with apple cider vinaigrette, and baked yams with a little butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

All washed down with half a bottle of cheap, green grape-y, grassy, green apple-y Torrontes.

First day it's felt like Fall all day. LOVE IT. :)

[onceadaylily]

You welcomed fall with a perfect meal. I love this time of year. And you, and a few others on here, have inspired me to plan to drag out the pasta machine this week. I want to make ravioli!

[inaplasticcup]

Woman, if you figure out the ravioli attachment, share wisdom please. I feel like that thing is going to be my VCR programmer of this decade. As in I'll know it's there, and everybody says it's a cinch to use it, but every time I look at it, I wanna quit before I start.

[onceadaylily]

My teeny little Imperia doesn't have a ravioli attachment. It just has a variable roller and a noodle cutter. It did come with a tray to form ravioli (it looks like a tiny, shallow ice cube tray), but it's so small it puzzles me. I know dough gains in size when it hits the water, but the pockets on the tray are so small that I doubt I could use more than a scant teaspoon of the filling in each ravioli. Maybe you should come over. I'll help you with your pasta maker, and you can help me with the bread machine. We can drink wine *after* we figure out which buttons to push. And if you speak Italian, you can tell me if the instructions for the tray actually say something like, "Isn't this adorable? It doesn't work. But it's so cute!"

And if anyone on here has experience using one of these trays, I'd love to hear about it. It measures 10.5 inches x 4, and with 24 squares (3 squares across, with 3 rows of 8 going down), just to give you an idea of how small this thing is. But so cute!

[Rella]

I bought one of these mold/trays
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...

The first time I put a filler in the holes, the aluminum came off into my dough. It just wasn't worth replacing or trying to use.

You've got it right : But it's soooooooo cute! heheheh

[onceadaylily]

The aluminum came off?! Ugh. I had it in the back of my head that I'd need to either oil or flour the mold so that the raviolis didn't stick. I really thought that my worst problem would be not enough filling to match my greed. The one I have is number sixteen on that page. Only three stars. It came free with the Imperia though, so I won't feel too bad if it's useless.

[Rella]

All you can do is try. I'm like you, I want bigger. I'm not ever going to be tempted to try it again. Let us know how it works out ....

[scubadoo97]

I was feeling like having some Spanish style food. Whipped up a classic gazpacho with a pound of tomatoes, a half a green pepper, half a cucumber, garlic, 3 oz cubed crustless French bread and 2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Seasoned with salt and sherry vinegar. Blended it in the Blendtec and came out a pale orange and creamy. Served it on top of some diced vegetables that were in the gazpacho.

Followed that with a white gazpacho of 2 cups of white seedless grapes, 1 cup of blanched almonds, 3 oz of cubed crustless French bread, 1/3 cup of evoo. Seasoned with salt and a dash of sherry vinegar. This too was blended and came out very smooth and creamy.

I had a bean salad made from kidney and garbanzo bean, a fine dice of shallots and green peppers. Seasoned with fresh lemon and orange juice plus the zest of each and fruity evoo.
I took this mix and added a small amount of thin sliced pork tenderloin and then used it to fill some artichoke hearts that I had sauteed to golden.

A good way to use up leftovers and fresh seasonal vegetables.

[inaplasticcup]

How cool that you made those two different gazpachos on the same night! And so good for you too. :)

[rabaja]

I was lucky enough to bring home a seared duck breast last night (two, actually), that is still quite rare. I am thinking of having that over a salad of arugula, roasted figs and...something else, not sure what though. The second one will get diced and rationed out to the cats. The kitten seems to have an eating disorder, and wants to eat from sunup to sundown. Either that or tapeworm.
I was also given two balls of burrata. I will never be able to get through this much cheese before it goes off, and I feel badly about that. It is so rich, I can't imagine finishing it in the time it takes to spoil, which is a super small window. I wonder how it would freeze...anyone in Sonoma want some fresh burrata? I've got heirlooms and Early Girls up to my elbows too!

[steve h.]

What a classy problem: too much burrata, too many tomatoes.

First order of business: quarter one ball of burrata tonight with a sharp knife, grate some nutmeg over the top, drizzle some quality olive oil on the side. Have some sliced tomato and rustic bread handy. Quality sea salt should be on the table. A good red goes without saying. Think good thoughts.

Figure out the rest later.

[rabaja]

Great, thanks. Now if only someone would tell me what to do with that case of Yquem and all those tins of caviar. So annoying. -eta: the wine and caviar, not you.

[linguafood]

Seared duck breast for your cat? I'd like to be a pet in *your* household.

IAMS for The Dude (our cat), real food for us :-D

[rabaja]

Only because it was given to me, and it's more than I can eat myself. I'm not going out and buying duck for my cats, I haven't completely lost it. Chicken livers yes, duck no way, I rarely even buy that for myself.

[linguafood]

I didn't mean to come of as judgmental. I hope it didn't sound that way.

I've posted a few things today that were meant to be taken light-heartedly, but apparently didn't come across like that at all. As in deletes-ville.

I'd still love to be your cat '-)

[rabaja]

Oh no, I thought you were just teasing in a friendly way. I appreciate the humor you show on here. No offense taken.

[inaplasticcup]

Duck breasts and burrata - I want your problems, rabaja. :)

[linguafood]

After lamb moussaka and rib-eye the last couple nights, I was a bit 'red meated' out. It was going to be either fish (I was thinking oven-roasted whole trout or salmon filets, but my man does not like salmon. pfff), chicken or pork. My man requested chicken piccata, one of our go-to standards. So piccata it is, with a few steamed baby potatoes and fresh green beans with olive oil on the side.

[ChristinaMason]

Tonight it's ham and lentil soup served up with sliced "peasant's rye" from Le Pain Quotidian. There will be butter.

[foodslut]

Seared scallops atop creamed cauliflower puree. (Cauliflower cooked in cream, seasoned to tasted, and spun in a blender).

[ChristinaMason]

...and a salad of mixed greens, heirloom tomato, diced honeycrisp apple, garden cucumber, and homemade blue cheese dressing.

[chef chicklet]

I am craving a thick vegetable soup that my mom used to make-so tasty and full of flavor. She'd ladle that steaming soup out, and hand us a huge hunk of French bread for dunking. Thinking I'll go in this direction this evening.

[onceadaylily]

The boyfriend will be coming in sometime tonight, and despite the fact that he always says he won't be hungry, most of the time he is (and a little wired from too much coffee on the road), so I need to have something on hand. I have a few sweet potatoes left, and thought that a chipotle sweet potato soup, seasoned with cloves, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lime juice, and garnished with roasted sunflower seeds and sour cream, would be a nice late supper for this rather gloomy day. A pilaf on the side (roasted carrots, tomato, garlic, broth, and a mix of brown rice and TJ's chickpea-ish grain blend), that way he can ladle the soup over a bit of that, if a creamy soup doesn't appeal. I have pita leftover, and can either toast them to go with, or make little cheese breads out of them.

The sweet potato soup is basically this one http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/200... with a few tiny modifications. The pecans are a wonderful garnish, but I only have the sunflower seeds, some pistachios, and cashews on hand--and the latter two are going chopped and tossed into a batch of brownies tomorrow.

[Harters]

It's veggie night at Harter Hall.

Thickish slices of courgette get a 10 minute roast to start them off.

Meanwhile, onion and garlic is getting a frying till they soften. Then a couple of grated courgettes go in and cook till they soften. Now some of that tiny pasta that you once bought to go in soup finds its way from the back of the cupboard goes in, along with soem wine, stock, Parmesan and seasoning. This gloop now goes in an overproof serving dish; the now softened slices of courgette go artfully on top and it bakes for 15 minutes. Then some breadcrumbs and more Parmesan gets scattered over the top and it all gets another 10 minutes in the oven.

It'll probably need a little lettuce and tomato salad alongside. And some fruit for "afters" - saw an apple in the supermarket that was new to me - Early Windsor (apparently grown elsewhere than the UK under the name of Alkmene). Apparently, it's bang-on for its season , usually ready for picking early/mid September.

[ChristinaMason]

DH made dinner last night and I did the dishes. A fine deal, as we split a seared ribeye, which was sliced thinly and served over mixed greens dressed with homemade blue cheese dressing. Garden cukes drizzled with syrupy balsamic and heirloom tomatoes simply salted and peppered, along with sauteed asparagus. Very tasty. We were still a little hungry a bit later and had a cup each of the ham-lentil soup I made for tonight's dinner.

[chef chicklet]

blah blah, as you know I'm still dealing with my back and it really keeps me from staying too long in the kitchen. Yes it's depressing, I love to cook, stand there and chop away, stir my pots and scour my cookbooks. But I have to keep things simple.

Not feeling that great I really wanted to say, order us something or make a box something er other. But I didn't. I had some lean pork chops (center cut) made a little spicy breading, and baked them. Mashed potatoes and gravy. I had some fresh corn that needed cooking so I took that off the cob, heated my cast iron skillet added bacon fat and butter, a little sugar, and wow.
A great save for corn that should of been cooked a couple of days ago, but the shucking was putting me off. It worked out, the meal for some reason tasted soooo good. Could it be I'm back? My husband was thrilled.

[inaplasticcup]

That caramelized corn sounds like it might be addicting, chicklet.

[chef chicklet]

It was, I had to stop myself. Love fresh corn, it was sweet enough to eat raw, really didn't need cooking.

[suburban_mom]

I spent the afternoon in 50 degree misty rain watching a softball double header so suburban_dad was in charge of dinner. Burgers on the grill (he did) with either Tillamook chedder or Dubliner Irish cheddar. Toasted buns (he also did). Bacon and carmelized onions (I did in the warmth of our kitchen). Alexa waffle fries (I did, since I was in the kitchen). The beauty of tonight's meal - I didn't have to shop for it or stand outside making part of it.

[roxlet]

Nice!

[sunflwrsdh]

Tossed salad with a mix of lettuce, a local cucumber as well as some carrots, matchsticked, chunks of what will probably be the season's last tomatoes, thin sliced red onion, a handful of manzanilla olives, shaved parmesan on top, also some glazed walnuts for toppers. Garlic bread, made from club rolls, split and brushed with melted butter, three kinds of garlic and shredded Italian cheeses. My own recipe for traditional lasagna, with meat sauce, made with turkey sausage and 93% lean ground beef. Paula Deen's shrimp and scallop lasagna, with crab added to it. Hershey's cocoa cake with a Mascarpone cream icing. Yum!

[steve h.]

Football on the panel (all day). Deb made some ricotta today and used that as the bottom layer of a lovely bruschetta topped by a mix of sliced, home-grown grape tomatoes, garlic slices, olive oil, sea salt. olives and anchovies. Jets won. I squeezed oranges and made Meyer's Rum Sunsets.

Supper will be Steak Diane. Patriots are currently battling the Chargers. This has to be the game of the week. Rivers and Brady are maybe the best in the game right now.

[LindaWhit]

And the right team won that game, steve h. ;-)

[steve h.]

Brady is on top of his game. Maybe the best QB I've ever seen.

Edited to add: Mariano Rivera got his 602 save today. History! Maybe a humble chicken tonight in honor of the best (and most humble) reliever in the history of the game of baseball.

[linguafood]

A big fat rib-eye to be brushed with olive oil and rubbed with a mix of sea salt & rosemary will go on the grill later. Side of sautéed leaf spinach & button 'shrooms.

[shecrab]

AHH perfection in it's simplicity.A beautiful, flavorful cut, no doubt grilled to perfection, and the 2 veggies that most wonderfully compliment it! (besides potatoes, of course, with butter, and sour cream, chives and bacon) RAWR

[linguafood]

It was tasty indeed. Rib-eye is one of my favorite cuts, and my man made it just perfect = med-rare. The shrooms shrank incredibly, as they generally do, but we had plenty of spinach, to which I just added s&p, sour cream & garlic. Yowzah. Stuffed now, and happy.

[rabaja]

A friend brought me a rather large bag of pheasant (chukar, they are small) yesterday evening, so that I could pass them onto my Father, who will smoke them. He shot these this summer, they are dressed, but full of shot, he says. Should be interesting.

Anyway, by the time he left, I'd had most of two beers and was famished. I shredded up a pork cheek that was in my Mother's doggie bag from Thursday evening (she mistakingly got my grouper, bet she was bummed about that!), fried it up in it's own fat, crushed some corn chips over the meat, added a bit of water to soften things and then put a fried egg over the whole deal. It hit the spot. I will try to get my vegetables in today.

[Harters]

I luuurrrve pheasant - usually pot-roasted, with root vegetables and apple. Sauce enhanced at the end with cream & grain mustard. Shooting season starts on 1 October so not too long until the farmers market is full of them at really cheap prices. Can't wait!

[L.Nightshade]

Wow, you are both so lucky! I have some pheasant recipes similar to yours, roasted with roots, but I've NEVER been able to find a pheasant! I've done them with chicken, but I know it's not remotely the same.

[Harters]

In full season, I can pick up one for about £3.50 ($5.50 or thereabouts) from the farmers market. Supermarkets tend to be a bit dearer.

Can you get guinea fowl easily where you are? Not as good as the pheasant but they'll give a bit gamier flavour than chicken.

[L.Nightshade]

Now I'm really jealous!
I could probably buy some things like that in Vancouver, but there is the whole meat across the border issue. I can't even get duck here! Well I occasionally see a frozen duck in the supermarket, trucked in from god knows where.
There are trade-offs of course. I'm very happy where I'm living, and we get lovely produce from local farms!

[rabaja]

I'm going to have to pick your brain on the pheasant later, then. Maybe we'll smoke half and enjoy the rest other ways.
Is it in anyway like squab? I've enjoyed guinea hen quite a bit. If these are better, (more meat perhaps?) I will be happy to have them crowd my freezer all fall.

[Harters]

I think squab is what we call pigeon in the UK. If so, then pheasant is a bit like it. Certainly a bit gamey but, to my taste, not as gamey as pigeon.

Now, in the UK, pigeon is regarded as a pest, so there is no legal "off season" for shooting. Means that it's always available at the farmers market. I buy packs of six breasts which is, really, the only usable meat and keep them in the freezer. I reckon two make a decent starter (but , then I'm a fat greedy man. I rub a little oil on them and some thyme leaves and briefly fry them. Splash of wine vinegar or cider vinegar and they're ready to be dumped on a handful of salad leaves (I like lamb's lettuce - or mache as the French call it).

Definitely smoke some of the pheasant. I've never had that but reckon it would be absolutely fab.

[Harters]

Rib-eye, sauted spuds, runners beans, bearnaise sauce (bottle).

[LindaWhit]

It's really good roast chicken weather, but I needed to rid my chest freezer of chicken carcasses *before* I put more in there for stock, so I started up my crockpot last night. Diced celery, carrots, and onions along with pink and white peppercorns, a few thyme sprigs, and a bay leaf are simmering away with 1 carcass and several (4 or 5) bone-in chicken breasts.

Tonight's dinner will also make lunches for me at work - an easy Cashew Chicken, using 2 Frankenchicken breasts. I'll probably make a small side salad, and will serve the cashew chicken over basmati rice.

1 pound boneless chicken, cut into 1-inch strips
3/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 green onions, cut-up
3 large carrots, cleaned and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup cashews
Hot cooked rice

Combine juice, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch and seasonings. Heat 1 tablespoon oil until it begins to smoke. Stir-fry vegetables for several minutes until the onions become fragrant. Set aside.

Remove from skillet, heat another tablespoon of oil until smoking and stir-fry chicken strips until browned and tender. Add cooked vegetables, cashews and sauce mix. Continue cooking until sauce bubbles and thickens. Serve over hot rice.

[inaplasticcup]

Sounds super easy and tasty, LW. :)

[buttertart]

Re chicken in the freezer - we have a New Rule - no chicken or other poultry on the bone in there. I simmered and consolidated 7 or more freezer bags full of roast chicken legs and thighs, a few bits of turkey that joined the party along with a half duck plus parts into 3 bags of about 1 lb of pure meat each (the duck was kept separate). The bones and oogly sodden skin were simmered longer in the broth I had used as cooking medium. That broth was strained and is now simmering with the odds and ends from tonight's (ex) quacker. I often make multi-poultry broths this way and they are great as sauce bases.

[LindaWhit]

I was rather bereft tossing the cooked carrots and whatever chicken came off the bones last night.....I know a certain Scooter-kitty who would have been underfoot waiting for bits to have been dropped for her. :-(

One more room to paint, and then it's kitty-bitty time in the LindaWhit household. :-)

[buttertart]

I know the feeling, whole turkeys and arugula (the kind in bunches with roots) are no-goes at our place because of associations with dear departed kitties who were fond of them. Oh boy, can't wait to hear about the kitty-bitties-to-be!

[crowmuncher]

just had leftover soup (made a couple of pots of white rice more to go with), but i feel pretty crappy again since i woke up at 4 am with throat/ear ache; i'm hoping i can type the discomfort away :)

[LindaWhit]

Ugh - sorry to hear you're still dealing with the icky-sickies! I've been around a couple of people who have caught a cold; I'm hoping I am able to ward it off!

[crowmuncher]

thanks Linda and Ina! i do feel a lot better since i've been up; i guess it's when i'm sleeping that i feel worse; must be a gravity thing- i'm still eating the good soup though :)

[inaplasticcup]

Hope you feel better soon, cm.

[L.Nightshade]

Our supper club had a Persian dinner tonight, and I made appetizers. I baked two kukus, one with fresh herbs (Kuku-ye Sabzi) and a one with pistachios (Kuku-ye Pesteh). I also made a cucumber-yogurt side dish. The recipes were (slightly adapted) from "Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies." In case anyone is unfamiliar with kukus, they are egg dishes, kind of like the Persian version of a Spanish tortilla, or an Italian frittata.

The kuku sabzi had parsley, cilantro, dill, romaine, fenugreek leaves, garlic, onions, and walnuts. I also ground the spices to make up advieh: a mixture of rose petals, dried Persian lemons, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, and black pepper. Once cooked it is supposed to be topped with cooked barberries, which I could not find. I simmered a mix of dried cranberries and currants in a little pomegranate molasses as a substitute.

The second kuku was simpler. In addition to the eggs, it had a blend of pistachios ground with brown sugar, and saffron dissolved in rosewater. This one puffed up like a basketball while cooking, but fell flat once out. It was topped with a few pistachios, a dusting of powdered sugar, and some dried roses.

As an accompaniment, I made a yogurt dish with cucumbers, walnuts, raisins, mint, dill, garlic, and rose petals.

There was a wide array of fantastic Persian dishes, which my crummy old camera failed to capture.

[Klary]

I love kuku sabzi! such an interesting combination of flavors isn't it? And advieh is really something out of a fairytale. I also use it in Persian rice dishes. Lovely pictures.

[L.Nightshade]

"advieh is really something out of a fairytale."

What a perfect description! I agree. Thank you for your kind comment.

[crowmuncher]

looks unbelievable!

[L.Nightshade]

Thank you crowmuncher. I wish my photos of the entire spread had come out. It was the best meal I've eaten in a long time.

[inaplasticcup]

The flavor of roses in food is not something I've acquired yet. I'll eat it, but I never seek it. But all of this food looks and sounds beautiful and luxurious. I think that yogurt dish is my favorite pic. It's lovely.

[L.Nightshade]

Thank you ina!
I know the flavor of rose doesn't hit home with some people. Someone asked me "did I just eat a rose?" For me the aroma of rose (or orange blossom) in food is so enticing. I feel transported to some romantic, exotic location. I think I'll start wearing my rose perfume every day, see if that transports me too!

[crowmuncher]

i love it in desserts; like in gulab jamun or "rose balls" as i call them ;)

[JungMann]

What have you eaten with roses? I grew up with the flavor, though the flavor was always so well-blended that I never believed my father when he told us we were eating the same flowers that had stuck me in the front yard. Nowadays I like my rose more assertive, though I tone it back for people not used to the flavor.

[inaplasticcup]

I've had it mostly in teas, sweets, and cocktails, and I think the non-food associations are so strong that it's a challenge for me to reframe the scent.

[mariacarmen]

those look and sound absolutely wonderful LN. i'd forgotten about kuku sabzi.

[L.Nightshade]

Thanks MC. I'd forgotten about it also, so it was nice to be pressed into making Persian food. It's so easy, and pretty quick. Well, quick once I had culled and chopped about half of my herb garden!

[scubadoo97]

Beautiful food LNs

[chef chicklet]

I too can't imagine eating roses,wish I could, but the floral part is a mystery to me.
The dishes all look so wonderful. And I agree, "something out of a fairy tale" is fitting for your photos. Sounds like a fun evening!

[crowmuncher]

remember that scene in "Like Water for Chocolate" where Tita is forced to throw out the roses that Pedro gave her, but puts them to use in her codornices en petalos de rosas dish? :)

[LindaWhit]

I need to see that movie again and will have to check to see if it's on my OnDemand. LOVE how all of the lovely food scenes are portrayed!

[chef chicklet]

no, but I like that he did that. I forgot much about that movie, I need to watch it again!

[inaplasticcup]

Lasagna with homemade pasta, ongoing inspiration care of Nightshade. :)

Fresh cantaloupe on the side.

[L.Nightshade]

Me? I'm honored! That looks wonderful.

[crowmuncher]

see i'm not the only one who's honored when we inspire u :) HOMEMADE pasta huh? wow that must take lasagna to the max! and that cheese crust- it seems from the pics as though u took it out of the oven at the precise moment...

[inaplasticcup]

You're right, cm. I got lucky that I decided to check on it about 3 minutes before the timer went off. This is about how I like the cheese crust, but had I left it in for the remainder, my kids would have given it one look and decided hey, that's not what's for dinner.

And thanks to you both! :)

[crowmuncher]

:)

[sunflwrsdh]

looks great!

[chef chicklet]

You kill me. That looks wonderful. Working with fresh pasta doesn't get too soft? Do you mind sharing your pasta recipe, and how you rolled it, how long to dry etc . What was your filling? I have the atlas hand roller, but nothing to hang the pasta on, oh and a great dane. He'll be my biggest hurdle...I so want to make this! I also want to an add that the melon, cantaloupe Looks so refreshing and what a perfect ending. My husband would go nuts for this.

[inaplasticcup]

LOL. You should talk to Nightshade who got me started with the fresh pasta. If you're listening, Ns, please chime in.

Here is the pasta recipe Nightshade gave me with my slight mod of added salt:

- 1.5 cups of flour,
- my addition of 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to add a little depth to the flavor, and
- 2 large eggs, all whipped up in a food processor, with
- just enough water poured in gradually to form a ball (roughly 2 Tablespoons+)

So, I've learned that you can't be shy about the bench flour, and that while I don't want to overwork the gluten, it really is a good idea to give the dough a good kneading. Makes the rollout much easier. I also have a handcrank pasta maker, and I use my IKEA laundry rack to dry the pasta.

We were a little crunched for time, so I put the pasta in front of a fan for about 20-25 minutes to dry it, and I also brushed it lightly on both sides with olive oil to protect it from sogging.

And the rack would definitely not be Great Dane safe! :P

[linguafood]

I found that a TBS of olive oil makes ALL the difference in getting the right texture for the dough.

Oh, and don't get me started on the whole "make a pile of flour on the table, an indentation on top for the eggs, then start working in the flour from the edges". I did that the first time I ever made fresh pasta, and the eggs just started running all over the flour edge, the table, etc. I went postal on that mess.

Next time, I mixed it up in a bowl and it was much, *much* less aggravating.

[inaplasticcup]

Oh. I'm going to try the olive oil next time. I can totally see how that would improve the texture. Thanks, lingua!

[L.Nightshade]

Mr NS has been making pasta longer than either of us care to admit. I occasionally read a pasta recipe that calls for salt, or olive oil, or yolks only. He's pretty firm on not wanting to veer from his tried and true (originally from Marcella Hazan) recipe (old dog new tricks etc), and I have to say, I'm pretty darn happy with it. We use ice cold water to make if form a ball, and ina is right about plenty of flour on the board.
We had a lot of fun making ravioli, plan to do that again when time permits. I really want to move on to some other additions to the pasta (I'd like to make some saffron pasta to go with... mussels maybe?), hoping he will budge at least that far!

[inaplasticcup]

Can i just say that the ravioli attachment vexes me to no end?

[L.Nightshade]

? I don't know what a ravioli attachment is! We just roll out sheets (like your lasagne sheets), stuff them, and hand-cut shapes. I know you can do that!
Old photos...

[Rella]

When you use a hand cranked roller to do your sheets, can you tell me how you contain the flour to the table. Doesn't the flour fall off the table onto the floor? The clean-up seems awful? I've used the KA electric mixer, but it cracked, and I gave away the KA mixer. So I will have to use my cranker roller; lucky I've kept it for 35 years :-))

Thanks for all of your photos.

[L.Nightshade]

I haven't found it to be that much of a problem. Even with Mr. NS rolling, who is a bit of a flinger. We mix the dough in an FP, cut it into smaller balls on a floury board, and run them through the roller until they are thin enough. The little bit of flour that falls on the floor next to the countertop gets picked up with a hand vacuum or even a broom.

[Rella]

It's a swiffer for me. I'm glad to see that you are satisfied with your cleanup.

Do you make pizza? It seems I'm always cleaning up flour.
But it's worth it.

[chef chicklet]

NS, You have me so anxious to make pasta (again). I know my back will pay, but I'll work around it! Just so I understand, rather than paint the pasta with oo, you added it to the mix? Would that be all in at the same time? If so, that's how I make my pizza dough and yes the texture is like one's earlobe. Actually that's how I check that it's been kneaded enough. I have two HUGE bushes of basil I need to harvest them today or tomorrow for a basil oil or pesto.

[L.Nightshade]

You talkin' to me? We don't use olive oil. Just the bare bones of unbleached flour, eggs, a bit of cold water. You'll have to address your question to someone else for olive oil advice.

[linguafood]

yep, flour, eggs, water, and a tbs of oo. works like a charm.

[L.Nightshade]

You mentioned above that the olive oil improves the texture. Are you referring to the texture for working with the dough, such as cutting the noodles, or the texture as in mouth feel? And do you add olive oil for all types of pasta, for example if you are making ravioli?
We're completely happy with our present technique, but I won't preclude the possibility of improvement!

[linguafood]

Hmmm. Good question. I have to admit it's been a loooong time since I made pasta myself (mainly because it's such a hassle, especially "just" for the two of us -- I'd be more inclined to go all out that way if it were for a dinner party), but when I've made pasta, it was *always* ravioli.

I think mainly it felt like the dough was coming together easier with the help of a sploosh of olive oil. Whether the mouthfeel or taste was much different, I can't recall.

But you seem to have worked out the technique with the 'original' ingredients -- eggs, flour, water, so you may not need that crutch '-)

[chef chicklet]

That recipe sounds more to my liking, some of them have too many eggs. I like the food processor too, I can't bear the thought of kneading that by hand for 15 minutes. I gotta get one of those racks, and the pony can go outside for the day. It's so hot, I keep him in the house in the kitchen (baby gates) til he stops chewing on everything and anything. He literally can rest his head on the counter, and he tries to sniff what I'm making. But he'd for sure eat the pasta if my back was turned!
thanks, I'm tackling this as soon as the heat wave for Sept is OVER!

[inaplasticcup]

You know, I was thinking you could probably use clothes hangers as a pasta rack...

[chef chicklet]

Clothes hangers I got. Great Idea! Also the idea of lightly brushing olive oil at first made me think it would get soggy, but I trust you!

[L.Nightshade]

I was kind of wishing I had a place to install one of those swinging dish towel racks so I could have a permanently available pasta drier.

[inaplasticcup]

That's ingenious. I love it! Can't that go just about anywhere on a kitchen wall?

[L.Nightshade]

Yeah, walls being the operative word. I have an open kitchen, pretty much no walls.

[inaplasticcup]

Ah. Problem. :|

[chef chicklet]

hey that's a good idea too!

I've only seen them in metal though, hmmm.

[chef chicklet]

oops :-)

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Last night we took the dog for a 3 hour walk and I didn't particularly feel like cooking when we got home. Ended up having hot dogs grilled on the broiler and a bean-rice-pepper salad that I threw together from leftovers and veggies in the fridge.

Tonight I made mac and cheese. Smokey gouda, sharp muenster and parmigian for the sauce, along with a ton of paprika and garlic and a good squirt of sriracha. Added thinly sliced Hawaiian sausage and cauliflower, then baked it all with a layer of sliced tomatoes and panko crumbs on top (the tomato-crumb-baking step was mentioned by someone here one time and I've been meaning to try it ever since I saw it). Very cheesy and satisfying, especially with a glass of merlot.

[roxlet]

Due to my son's tournament, we never got to the store today, so the DH is constructing a gumbo from the freezer -- chicken wings, shrimp and chorizo, which will be in only some of the gumbo and added later due to our two Egyptians. We just picked up a third one today, and he is our first Copt. He eats pork and has a tattoo on the inside of his forearm (in English) that says "I belong to Jesus"! That seems kind of brave to walk around with in a Moslem country, although ostensibly the ones who can read English tend to be of the more enlightened variety. He will have the gumbo with the chorizo, and he had a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich earlier. Oh, happy day. Our other two Egyptians leave on the 26th and then we will have a full-time pork-eating and spicy food-loving Egyptian. That will make the cooking more interesting and more fun!

[LindaWhit]

Our other two Egyptians leave on the 26th and then we will have a full-time pork-eating and spicy food-loving Egyptian. That will make the cooking more interesting and more fun!
~~~~~~~~~~

Can't wait to see the places you'll go and the plates you'll meet, roxlet! :-)

[buttertart]

Excellent! I don't care what they say I won't stay in a world without pork. Pace Peter and Gordon.

[Harters]

LOL, ma'am.

[Rella]

Very early dinner today about 3pm, homemade meat balls, marinara, broccoli rabe, roasted beets, fennel, parsnips. Later tonight will be french onion soup; the onions are now carmelizing; will use up some of my homemade chicken stock and homemade beef broth. Sure hope it's good.

[LindaWhit]

Hit up a farmers market this morning, then up to a friend's house to pick up her and her 3 teenaged kids to go apple picking at Russell Orchards in Ipswich. I usually just go to the barn store at the orchard and buy, but it was fun taking the hayride out to the orchard and picking out just the apples you want. I got Honeycrisp, Cortland, Empire, and a few renegade Macoun (the orchard claimed they weren't ripe yet - baloney - they looked, picked and TASTED ripe! - so I grabbed a few from trees I could reach in the roped off area). We also stopped in the barn and got some cider donuts (oh Lord help me these things are *so* addictively wonderful!), and I also got some unpasteurized cider.

Tonight's dinner will be grilled sirloin tips in a sweet Asian chili marinade (purchased from my local butcher), baked potato with sour cream, and steamed green beans. I doubt I'll want dessert, but *if* I do, I'll have another cider donut. :-)

[twodales]

I was really pleased with the roasted salmon last night and the roasted veggies on the side. I used a handful of fresh tarragon with the veggies instead of my usual basil and it turned out very well. Some friends stopped in as I was cleaning up and one of them finished the leftovers. So easy, so healthy and really satisfying. Tonight cajun chicken breasts (marinated from the store) sweet corn and baked spuds. Trying to keep it simple and kinda light.

[onceadaylily]

A day full of projects, and going out for a bit this evening, so dinner will be late--well, I always eat late, but this time there will be darts involved, hopefully. I've decided on a simple hash that I can prep ahead of time, and fry when I get home. Sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, and sunny-up-and-easy eggs eaten with corn tortillas. Doable no matter how many martinis I've had, eh? To the hash, I'm thinking of either adding saffron, or the ground bell pepper and shallot mix. Maybe both.

I almost started to feel guilty about using one of my saffron threads for a solo meal . . . but the boyfriend has spent the entire afternoon at a chili cook-off. And he's having buttery steak for dinner (his steaks are *perfect*). And he's already been to our favorite Mexican place. So, less guilty.

[twodales]

I give you dispensation on the saffron thread darling.

[Chocolatechipkt]

I second that ... use the saffron. You're worth it, and you know you'll appreciate it.

[JungMann]

When I was a kid, whenever I had trouble sleeping, my father would prescribe a warm glass of milk steeped with saffron. My family from the Middle East always brought us saffron on their visits, so there was always plenty to pinch into a little boy's milk when insomnia struck. That is until I got old enough to reach the spice rack during one of my young bouts of restless sleep and made myself saffron milk, not knowing any better, with a cup of microwaved of milk and an entire envelope of saffron. If a 6-year old boy who couldn't fall asleep is worth a half buck of saffron, you certainly earned your pinch.

[chef chicklet]

I must try that. In fact I could use some right now, love warm milk but the saffron addition sounds even better. Love your story, sweet :)

[onceadaylily]

Aw, thanks everyone. My martyrdom didn't stop me from eating the Ben & Jerry's (the Red Velvet Cake, which, if anyone's curious, just tastes like a mellow strawberry ice cream, but the cake pieces give it an interesting--weird, but not unpleasant--texture that coats the tongue).

I love your story, JM. And you've just given me an idea. The boyfriend has been pestering me for another pineapple cayenne cream pie. If I use saffron, and a different type of heat, I think it would be much improved.

[chef chicklet]

ears just perked up.... "pineapple cayenne cream pie" what? that sounds pretty wonderful!

[onceadaylily]

It's the man's favorite, but I've always thought that the pie was missing something. I think next time, I might make a batch of chili oil and use a few drops of that instead of cayenne. But I'm definitely adding saffron to the next one. I can't mess with the pie too much, since he likes it as is . . . but I don't want to leave it alone either. ;)

You know, I find the older I get, the more I appreciate a savory element in a dessert. I'm actually thinking about doing a pineapple upside-down cake with something like hatch green chiles added to the pineapple layer. I know how weird that sounds, but I think it might be pretty good, especially served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream dusted with a tiny bit of cinnamon.

[JungMann]

Pineapple cayenne cream pie? I barely won a pie contest this summer with my pina colada pie -- I'm sure it would've crashed and burned with competition from your recipe. Do you spice and roast the pineapples or do you just mix everything into the custard?

[onceadaylily]

Oh, I doubt that, JM. ;) I've roasted it (without seasonings--though I really did want to use some balsamic vinegar, the boy vetoed that idea), used it plain, and even mashed it up and cooked it on the stove-top just to cook the sugar a little. And, honestly, I use canned pineapple, and I doubt you would, so you've already improved the recipe. I add the cayenne to the custard mixture before the pineapple.

And I can't take credit for the pie. During my cream pie craze, it was my boyfriend who requested a pineapple cream, and then became fixated on the idea of adding cayenne to it.

I've been thinking a cayenne chocolate cream pie might be nice, maybe with mint.

[chef chicklet]

Bet it was good, I make a pineapple cheesecake and the combo is to me, wonderful.

[chef chicklet]

There's a few things I make that I just can't bear to change, and my pineapple upside upside down cake is one of them. The bravest I've gotten was adding brown sugar (like a swirl of crunch over the top not in the batter) into my green chile cornbread. Actually come to think about it, your pineapple upside down cake might be pretty good.

As I get older, I'm enjoying for sweet/fruity things in my savory foods.

[ChristinaMason]

I made slow-cooker Indian red beans, a recipe I think was recommended somewhere on CH first. Chop an onion, a dozen cloves of garlic, add a bag of rinsed kidney beans and several chopped (seeded) hot peppers, a bit of tomato paste, spices, salt, and a few tbsps. of butter, cover with lots of water, and cook on high all day. The pure simplicity was appealing---and it was quite delicious.

Here's the recipe called "Dad's Rajmah" (scroll up slightly): http://books.google.com/books?id=7OJP...

The resulting stew is quite soupy, so if you prefer it thicker, cut back on the water. I added half a bag of chopped fresh spinach and a splash of soy sauce at the end. We also varied the peppers (a jalapeno, a habanero, and an unidentified lighter green hot pepper).

We served the beans over cardamom yellow rice and peas with a dollop of raita.

[Klary]

very tired and drained today. Went shopping for a Japanese dinner I'm cooking for friends tomorrow (in honour of the month-long trip to Japan my husband and I took this spring, I want to introduce our friends to some more unusual (for here, at least) Japanese flavors like matcha ice cream, konyaku, steamed egg custards, miso broiled eggplant.

so tonight will be a VERY simple dinner of pasta with tomato sauce, some beef crumbled in, and at the last minute I'll add some roasted broccoli - because that's true comfort food to me.

Am sipping a Dutch jenever while I wait for the broccoli to be done roasting. A drink always helps!

[crowmuncher]

fell asleep like at 6 pm on Thursday after having only an avocado with chips; i was feeling really bad- i have a cold or sinus infection; so last night so we had my Man's soup which is basically tons of serranos, tons of garlic, tons of ginger, veggie cubes, lime, curry powder, s&p, eggs, shrimp, veggies and served with rice and fresh basil and cilantro to tear into the broth; didn't have any noodle left though so we had to settle for the rice; if that doesn't cure a cold, nothing will :)

[mariacarmen]

sorry you're not feeling well, hope the soup helped. that sounds great. i'd recreate it for the bf without the shrimp, tho, since he's not much of a seafood eater (drat him.) chicken would work. sounds so flavorful.

[crowmuncher]

Thx maria. I do feel better and cant wait to have more for lunch and dinner :)

[vafarmwife]

Had a slight frost yesterday morning in southwest VA so I am trying to use up the last of the summer 'maters. Making a pot of chili and a pot of spahetti sauce to have for the week. Also making a pan of cornbread to go with the chili and an apple spice cake with bourbon nutmeg frosting.

[ChristinaMason]

please share that frosting recipe! it sounds killer.

[vafarmwife]

I got it from the Southern Lady Cooks blog.

http://thesouthernladycooks.com/2010/...

[sunflwrsdh]

That cake is on my short list to make...have been wanting a new apple cake recipe and will make it next weekend, if not sooner. I got a whole sirloin this week, for a decent price, and will be making Oven Beef Stew, and this cake will be the perfect dessert with it! Thanks for sharing it!

[ChristinaMason]

Please report back! I'm esp. curious about the nutmeg in the icing.

[sunflwrsdh]

I will. Nutmeg and bourbon sound like a good combination to me!

[vafarmwife]

We loved the frosting, but what's not to love- cream cheese, nutmeg, and bourbon plus I bought too much bourbon so I have to get rid of it before it goes bad. LOL

[buttertart]

That's the spirit!

[chef chicklet]

that cakes sounds wonderful. I've been looking at about 8 apples (all different) that I want to make something out of. I had my heart set on something my sister told me about, apple uglies. I can't really find much about them on the internet, just fritters, and from what she described these are huge with hunks of apple, cinnamon, etc... you know how it is when you get your head wrapped around something.

[L.Nightshade]

Today is Mr. Nightshade's birthday. We had planned dinner out, but his daytime obligations began to run too late, so we cancelled, and I volunteered to come up with an alternative plan. I had scallops, which I tarted up with two sauces. One was roasted red peppers and tomatoes with cilantro, the other a mix of several green garden herbs, capers, and vermouth. I roasted two vegetables (separately) for the side dishes: green beans with garlic, lemon zest, and Serrano ham; and butternut squash with sage and balsamic vinegar. A candle in a bakery brownie cake with Karamel Sutra. If you can't indulge on a birthday, then when?

Tomorrow, a dinner party with all Persian food. Looking forward to that.

[crowmuncher]

Happy B'day Mr. Nightshade! I have never been to a dinner party with all Persion Food; sounds like you will be doing some really good eating this weekend- have fun :)

[mariacarmen]

yum, i love Persian food - used to date a Persian, and then worked in a Persian restaurant for awhile. What are you making? i don't remember the names of things, but i used to love the rice with the crispy, buttery bottom, with a whole grilled tomato smooshed into it as you ate. and the dilled lima bean and lamb shanks (the ONLY time i like limas), and of course, the kebabs - barg, koubideh.... and i used to know how to make a beef stew in a tomato sauce with celery that was really good. with that buttery rice. YUM, i'm making myself hungry!

and very happy bday to Mr. Nightshade!

[L.Nightshade]

I think that crispy rice is called tadiq, but I've never had it with a grilled tomato, that really sounds good.
I'm just in charge of appetizers tonight, so I don't know what the entire menu will be. I'll be reporting back, I'm sure. I cook a lot of Middle Eastern style food, but I've had to be careful in my choice of dish to make sure it is authentically Persian/Iranian, not veering toward the Levant, or even as far as North Africa!

[JungMann]

Do you remember how to make the Persian lamb shanks you've had? I have made our family host countless major events at our local Persian spot specifically for their lamb shanks, even though that side of my family doesn't eat lamb. I've tried to make it on my own, but given my predilections, I always have a heavy hand with seasonings and end up with a delicious stew far removed from my original Persian fantasy.

[ChristinaMason]

JM, I have a great lamb shank recipe from a local Lebanese joint, in case you would be interested...not sure how wildly it varies from the Persian version, but it doesn't include dill.

[JungMann]

My unscripted riffs on lamb shanks always end up tasting the same, I guess my palate has a homing beacon centered somewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean, so I'm always eager to try out new recipes that might give me more direction. Please feel free to share yours.

[Harters]

JM - lamb shanks are a very regular feature on British bistro menus - we usually call them Lamb Henry (although that can also mean an on-the-bone shoulder cut). Google should, therefore, find you a goodly number of north European riffs on the theme.

[ChristinaMason]

Here you go, JM. My husband made these once following the recipe, and they were great. As I said, it's paraphrased from a recipe by a local Lebanese eatery.

Lamb:

INGREDIENTS
6 Lamb Shank
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 piece celery
1 medium onion
3 pieces bay leaf
2 cinnamon sticks
8 pieces cardamom
8 pieces clove
3 cups water
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 tomato, sliced


PREPARATION
1. Put the meat on top of the vegetables in a large roasting pan.
2. Cover the meat and vegetables with the red wine vinegar.
3. Sprinkle with the spices.
4. Roast in a 450F oven for about 15 minutes until brown.
5. Cover with foil and bake for another 2 1/2 hours.

Sauce:

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion, chopped
10 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 cup mint, chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
Remaining juice from the roasting pan
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup ghee (or vegetable shortening)
salt and pepper, to taste
6 cups tomato sauce

PREPARATION
1. In a sauce pan heat ghee, then add the onion to saute for 2 minutes.
2. Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes.
3. Add chopped mint and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add all the spices and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the roasting juices and cook for 2 minutes.
6. In a separate saucepan, heat the water to a boil then add the cornstarch and dissolve.
7. Pour the cornstarch over the sauce and stir until thick.

[JungMann]

Thank you both for these leads! I usually dine on Middle Eastern flavors, so Northern European lamb shanks would be quite a change of pace.

[mariacarmen]

I never actually made that dish - have had it made for me in ex-boyfriend's and in restaurants. here's a link i found (tho I'm assuming you already looked?) - don't know if this recipe is authentic or not, but it looks absolutely right, and made me immediately drooly. http://turmericsaffron.blogspot.com/2...
wait, i just noticed that there's no recipe for the actual lamb shank there, or anywhere on that website. sorry..... but it looks like a pretty good site for Persian recipes.

[Rella]

Instead of having a meal out at a chain restaurant after a day's shopping, we came home with a small box of organic strawberries. I've not bought strawberries for years as none look or taste as good as the strawberries of yore.

We ate half the strawberries, the ones that were almost too ripe to chance it until breakfast tomorrow, and use them with the keep-until-appropriate-time aged balsamic vinegar. You know how teensy fruit flies hover over very ripe fruit. I didn't want to cover with plastic wrap or towels, or paper towels because it wouldn't keep the flies out. DH came up with this great idea. This is a brand new 15" splatter-proof screen, heavy and lays flat over the strawberries. !!

I had to include the mailing box of the vinegar. I still get a laugh about the day I received this 3.38 oz. bottle, nothing else in this big box but the small bottle .

[inaplasticcup]

Ha! Love the ginormous box.

[inaplasticcup]

Best effort made to clean out the fridge before I start the 100 dollars a week for groceries project, I used the last piece of ribeye, the last bell pepper, 2 and a half wilted serranos, half an onion, the last of the canned tomatoes, and a packet of Goya sazon to make this ribeye stew.

Spanish rice inspired by crowmuncher's meal earlier in the week using up the last of the chicken stock and a lemon garlic pan-roasted zucchini salad on the side using two mutant zucchini I bought last weekend.

Still have some carrots, onions and jalapenos laying around. Oh, and 3 eggs, too.

[rabaja]

I want that rice.

[inaplasticcup]

I made extra and would gladly share, rabaja. :)

[L.Nightshade]

Your stew looks great. Well, it all looks great.
I've been looking at our food expenses because of a related thread that recently got bumped up. I'd be hard pressed to do it on $100 per week. Myself alone, I've done on $25 a week! But cooking for others is harder, it seems, to keep it interesting. If anyone has the creativity to do it well, it's you!

[inaplasticcup]

Thanks, Nightshade! We're also lucky that we're in So Cal. I have a feeling we're pretty spoiled as far as raw materials cost goes compared to some other parts of the country.

I love the new retro profile pic, btw. :)

[L.Nightshade]

Thanks ina. Sorting through my baking supplies I found my vintage miniature cookie cutters with the kerchiefed girl on the box. Decided it was time to change my image.

[crowmuncher]

i feel so special Ina- I've inspired you...It's usually the other way around ;) I've gotta make that rice again sometime this week and take it somewhere else as Chef Chicklet suggested

[inaplasticcup]

I'm always inspired by how you work within your budget, cm. And I love how you share it with us!

[scubadoo97]

Love your food creations and photos inaplasticcup. They always look delicious.

[inaplasticcup]

Gracias, scuba. :)

[shecrab]

i would pay good $$ for that meal any day. Fantastic! Ribeye is a beautiful,flavorful cut and you have such a way with the veggies! I will have no problem shamelessly accepting accolades for your meal ideas!

[inaplasticcup]

What a compliment coming from you, shecrab! Thank you, thank you. :)))

[chef chicklet]

This all looks soooo good ip. I want that rice as well. Secret to your success with that is.....? I'm going to do something tomorrow with all my extra stuff. Got some bean sprouts (love them guys) so I'll go Asian more than likely. Seriously.. your food always looks so wonderful.

[inaplasticcup]

Wow. Thank you, chicklet! Rough week for me on a personal front - if y'all only knew how you brighten my day with your support and encouragement... :)

So the Spanish rice:

- 2 cups of Jasmine rice (our default rice in the house, but even if it weren't I think I'd use it for this recipe anyway bc it works so well)
- 1/2 a medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 a green bell, finely chopped
- 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 whole canned Romas, diced
- 1/2 cup of liquid from canned tomatoes
- 1 packet of Goya sazon con azafran (for cheap and easy color and a little cheat on the flavor :P )
- 3 cups diluted unsalted chicken stock (I think I had 2 cups left for the week and added a cup of water)

1) Sweat onion/pepper/garlic over medium heat with 1.5 TB. oil & 1 TB butter until onion is soft, translucent and sweet.

2) Add tomatoes, sazon and rice and stir rice to coat. Let rice toast, stirring often, for about a minute and a half or so.

3) Add tomato liquid and stock and stir to distribute evenly. Salt to taste. I wanna say I added a little more than 1/2 a teaspoon of kosher salt this time. (?)

4) Pot uncovered, bring heat up to medium high until the rice begins to boil, at which point, cover the pot and lower the heat to low-med low and let it finish steaming until all the liquid has been absorbed for 2 or 3 minutes.

5) Uncover and fluff so the rice won't stick.

Here's a link to the sequential pics if it helps any:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?se...

I really hope that back gets to feeling good soon, chicklet. Sending healing juju your way!!! <3

[chef chicklet]

ooh that sounds good, you know Mexican rice is another one of those dishes I've done many many different recipes searching for the right one. This looks great, and jasmine rice is my standby too! I've not thought to use the goyza, you know it's in the Mexican markets for a reason, because the families use it - doh. mmmmm. This with red chicken breasts, is on my list. I never get the fluffy Mexican rice, that's my problem...

And, so many thanks for the good thoughts, I'll take them! Gets so frustrating at times and I'm not the most patient person (haha!) as they say, just takes time. And how lame of me, I know we all have our own personal stuff, life can really take a dive at times. Don't give up the battle, especially you. You are talented beyond beyond, focus on the good things, let the junk go where it belongs.

[sunflwrsdh]

Although my version of "Spanish" rice is more Americanized ( I think I got it from a 1950s Good Housekeeping cookbook!) I agree that it is total comfort food, and your version looks great! Mine also involves browning hamburger and ading the onions/peppers/garlic to that, and mine is also a baked recipe, where you put the whole thing in a 13x9x2 pan and then cover it with foil (the rice is not cooked before) and bake for like an hour, then top with cheese. Not necessarily authentic, but not too bad either!

[chef chicklet]

My boys grandma was Portugese, she made something very similar. I don't know if it went in the oven but she had ground beef etc. in it and served it with what Ithough was parmesean cheese. She used to call it risotto, and I asked her so many times for the recipe. She would just rattle, brown the ground beef, add some tomato sauce, onion, garlic powder,etc. She said there was nothing to it. But try as I may, mine never tasted like hers. I would eat the whole casserole if i was alone. I'm interested to hear more about your recipe too?

[inaplasticcup]

Goya really is a staple in a lot of Hispanic/Latino (I'm not sure which is the proper term du jour anymore) households. I'm not crazy about the MSG content, but if I keep it down to one packet, it's not noticeable.

And thanks always for your words of support and encouragement. They are a most welcome inspiration to keep at what I'm doing. :)

[chef chicklet]

Yes, wouldn't be eating it enough to cause alarm, for me anyway. You keep it up, you're doing great! I'm still amazed that you cooked those little crabs most people just look at and pass by.

[sunflwrsdh]

Homemade pizza, with husband made home made whole wheat crust, and jarred sauce, some shredded italian cheeses, and roasted red peppers. Tossed salad left over from last night, A couple of glasses of wine, Great, easy Friday night after work dinner. I will start doing some more autumnal cooking this weekend:)

[weezieduzzit]

Either shrimp and polenta with kale cooked in the bacon grease leftover from making the crumbles or this weeks pizza on the grill experiment which is date, gorgonzola and smoked bacon pizza with a big spinach salad on the side. Whichever one we don't have tonight will be tomorrow night. He gets to choose.

[Chocolatechipkt]

Despite my initial plans to do something with the BIG shrimp I picked up on sale at WF today, I ended up grilling skirt steak (garlic, smoked paprika, s&p, olive oil), quartering and roasting some little potatoes, and serving that all on top of a huge mound of baby spinach. Yum.

[rabaja]

I've been eating so much chicken I'm about to lay and egg, and I think I've had enough tofu for the week as well. I snatched up two lamb shoulder arm chops at WF today, mostly because they were on sale for $4.99/lb., and because I haven't had lamb in too long.

What would you do with them?

I was thinking I would sear and braise, like the lamb shoulder I've enjoyed at work gigs this summer, but now I'm wondering if this cut is better grilled. Any suggestions?

I have lots of nice tomato product, herbs and stock, so a braise would be easy to throw together...but so is the grill. This may need to be tomorows dinner, as it's after 3pm here in California...a piece of fish may need to be sought out for tonight.

[LindaWhit]

A marinade and quick grill is the way to go with the lamb arm chops, rabaja. Anything else will toughen them up too much.

[rabaja]

Thank you! Herbs, garlic and olive oil and on the grill it is.

[twodales]

@rabaja How's the egg laying going?

[rabaja]

Just dandy, thanks. Makes me strut and push my chest out, though.

[mariacarmen]

you all are making me SMILE big time, in my cooking-less state. soooo enjoy you all, even when not able to post.

[LindaWhit]

I had all good intentions to make sirloin steak tips in a sweet chili Asian marinade that I had in the freezer from my local butcher. But what a surprise - a friend twisted my arm to go see another friend of hers play in a band at an Irish pub in Somerville. While I'd love to get beef stew there, I think it'll be too late by the time everyone gets there - so I'm just going to have a sandwich at home (probably a grilled cheese) and then head down there for a few hours.

The steak tips are now WFD on *Saturday*. :-)

[twodales]

Tonight will be roasted salmon with roasted veggies on the side.

[buttertart]

Tonight is scallops, somehow. Any ideas? I'm coming up dry on the inspiration department.
A couple of them will be microwaved for Liam (and Fuchsia, if he lets her near them - they're his favorite thing on earth).

[Harters]

A modern classic of Brit restaurant cooking would see a starter of them cooked in a fiercely hot pan, then sat on a disc of fried black pudding. Pea puree to provide a sort of "almost sauce". Handful of rocket on the side for some crunch and bitterness. And, oh yes, it does work so well.

I suspect Brit style black pudding might be a trial for you. How's the supply line for a Spanish morcilla?

[buttertart]

Not easily attainable here, but you made me think of the cauliflower languishing in the fridge. Purée, cream, scallops? Sounds good. And rocket we have always with us (a favorite of himself's).

[L.Nightshade]

Our dining out plans just got shelved, and I've got scallops. I'm thinking of bedding them on some kind of purée also. Probably a bunch of green things.

ETA: I think I tried every alt key I have to make that é in purée, without success. I finally just copied and pasted from your post!

[buttertart]

é: alt+0233 on a PC, not sure what on a Mac. There's an é in my last name so the letter trips lightly off my keyboard!

[JungMann]

The next time you're in the City you must stop by Myers of Keswick and Despana for black pudding and morcilla. I know I'm certainly headed to Myers in the near future to try scallops and pudding.

[buttertart]

I love that store, I just don't think of it that often. We were in the Village yesterday too. Dang!
Sloth won out over innovation in the end - small Yukon Golds nuked in water then browned in butter, scallops seared ditto, pan deglazed with water and a slosh of Alsatian pinot blanc, then a few drops of Sherry vinegar. Arugula salad. Watermelon after.
Last night was exceptionally good honeydew melon with prosciutto and homemade melba toast (we had stuffed ourselves for lunch at Pam's Real Thai 47th St - the food was remarkably good yesterday - and weren't hungry until 10-ish).
Tonight is 150 Best American Recipes 4-hour duck - reduced from 5 hours on recommendation of JoanN and roxlet), farmers' market fingerling taters (which were labeled "fingerlink", cute), broccoli from the market too, and ? salad. I made a walnut version of the hazelnut cake from Malgieri's "Perfect Cakes" with walnut meal from Apricot King - remains to be seen how good it will be, the batter was quite tannic.

[Harters]

I have it mind that scallops with cauliflower puree is a Gordon Ramsay "invention". It's another thing hard to avoid these days on menus in the UK

[linguafood]

Temps have dropped in Happy Valley as well, so an oven dish is the plan: sliced eggplant will go in an olive oil coated baking vessel (yet to be bought, as I brain-farted at the store and forgot to buy one, the pyrex dish I have is WAY too large for two), topped with crushed San Marzano 'mators & ground lamb, onions, garlic & mint, and maybe another layer of eggplant slices, some kasseri grated on top, and then we'll see what things look like an hour later @375˚F. Might make a bit of yogurt sauce to go with it.

[roxlet]

Sounds delicious -- like a riff on moussaka.

[L.Nightshade]

It's suddenly fallish weather here, and your dish sounds so appealing! I especially like the addition of mint. Hope you were pleased with it.
Do you do anything to prep the eggplant before baking? Similar recipes I've used require sautéing it first, adding more time (and oil) to the dishes. I haven't tried them with just raw sliced eggplant.

[linguafood]

i sliced the eggplant fairly thin and salted/drained it for about a half hour. I put some olive oil in the baking dish, and then layered the slices on top of that. Of course, the slices proceeded to suck up the oil like a sponge, but I am not sure what can be done about that.... it sure makes 'em taste good '-)

The onion, garlic & lamb were sautéed in a sauce pan in olive oil as well, and before I put in the tomato sauce, I probably should've skimmed some of the oil/lamb fat. Aí. I was worried about an overly oily dish, as I don't deal well with lots of fat....

I ended up having to skim some oil off the top of the dish, but after that, it was fine. Very hearty, very satisfying -- but in the end, a bit too meat heavy. I was really in the mood for velvety eggplant, and felt like the eggplant took a bit of a backseat.

The yogurt sauce (added sumac, cayenne, hot paprika & salt) added a nice touch.

Oh well, leftovers tonight, along with some green salad.

[L.Nightshade]

Thanks for your detailed description. I'll have to try this some time. I like that you added those spices to the yogurt, sounds like you have a way with seasonings.

[crowmuncher]

sounds awesome my MAN (sounds so much better that "boyfriend" right?) has an intolerance for eggplant (his only one, food-wise anyhow) so i don't make it- but I love it!

[ChristinaMason]

I like the sound of that! No so far off from the Turkish moussaka I made last week, except we browned the eggplant slices first.

[linguafood]

It came out really well, but next time it'll be more eggplant-y. As in big fat chunks of eggplant roasting in the oven, and then combining them with a bit of tomato sauce. Soon....