Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[Pat]

Farmhouse wheat bread and butter

Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese

Garlic-infused broccoli soup with ditalini

Baked chicken breasts

Leftover butternut squash gratin

Steamed green beans with butter and pepper

 

Bread from The Silver Spork née Marvelous Market, soon to be Radice (I think).  This is one of my favorites of their breads, a light pumpernickel with a slight hint of sweetness, maybe from honey.  The employee I talked to yesterday said the breads will be the same after the changeover, coming from the same vendor.  That made me happy.  He said that the biggest change in the store will be in the layout and the stocking of more/different wines and preserves.

 

The last of the bacon I found in the freezer and had par-cooked was delicious wrapped around dates stuffed with goat cheese that had been idling in the cheese drawer for some time.  This bacon is thinner than the kind I had more recently been buying and is better for this application than the thick stuff.  It had been precooked just enough that it could be wrapped around the dates without reheating and finished perfectly in a couple minutes under the broiler.

 

Didn't love the soup.  It was a Washington Post "Nourish" recipe.  The amount of time it said to cook the broccoli overcooked it, in my opinion.  Ditto on the vegetables, and some of the garlic burned. It ended up with a bit too cabbage-y taste for my liking and an unpleasant off-olive color, so I added a squeeze of honey and finished with a couple tablespoons of heavy cream. (The cream goes against the "heathy" idea behind the recipe, but I needed to salvage the flavor and appearance from the overcooking.)  It didn't really need the pasta in it either.  As salvaged, very good with the bread.

 

Baked chicken breasts í  la  Mom.  She always made chicken this way:  skin-on, bone-in breast halves (I picked these up at Market Poultry), with several good squeezes of lemon juice, dotted with butter and sprinkled with salt and pepper.  375F oven for about an hour.  These were big and went more like an hour and a quarter.  The skin comes out wonderfully crispy this way, and the chicken is super moist.  Although I've mostly given up eating chicken skin, I couldn't resist a few nibbles on this.

 

Still eating the butternut squash gratin...I don't know how well it will freeze, but the last of it is going into the freezer today, since we are tired of it.  It might be okay pureed into a soup down the road.

 

Green beans also the way Mom made them, except she usually boiled instead of steaming.  I bought those outside at Eastern Market last weekend.   I wanted something green on the table besides the soup, and these fit the bill.

[lperry]

Still eating the butternut squash gratin...I don't know how well it will freeze, but the last of it is going into the freezer today, since we are tired of it.  It might be okay pureed into a soup down the road.

Do you think you could stir it into a risotto?  Butternut squash is really nice in that dish.

[Pat]

Do you think you could stir it into a risotto?  Butternut squash is really nice in that dish.

That's an idea, but I'm not sure what shape it will be in after it's frozen and then thawed.  I was figuring soup, since pureeing would take care of any texture issues.  This also is sliced rather than cubed squash and has onions mixed in.  When I've added squash to risotto, it's been cubed.

Of course, the recipe I made called for so much squash that I had to buy more than I needed to get enough.  I've still got a pound of squash pieces that need to be cooked, so I could try them in a risotto.

[The Hersch]

oven-braised pork cheeks

Where can I get pork cheeks?

[zoramargolis]

Where can I get pork cheeks?

Organic Butcher of McLean. I found pork, beef and veal cheeks in their freezer case. The veal cheeks were too pricey for me, but I bought 2 packs each of beef and pork. This was about 6 weeks ago--I thawed and cooked the beef cheeks right away and just stashed the others in my freezer until I was ready to cook them.

[The Hersch]

Organic Butcher of McLean. I found pork, beef and veal cheeks in their freezer case. The veal cheeks were too pricey for me, but I bought 2 packs each of beef and pork. This was about 6 weeks ago--I thawed and cooked the beef cheeks right away and just stashed the others in my freezer until I was ready to cook them.

Thanks. McLean is pretty far out of my orbit, but I might just have to go check them out.

[Smita Nordwall]

squid curry

[lperry]

Leek and roasted tomato risotto, finished with goat's cheese and a little butter.

Steamed green beans in a tarragon, Dijon vinaigrette.

Cháteau du Moulin Entre deux Mers Blanc 2012 (Last Bottle) (I wish I had bought much, much more.)

[Pat]

Farmhouse wheat bread with soy spread

Romaine salad with cucumber, carrots, radishes, and sun-dried tomatoes; ranch dressing

Reheated baked chicken breasts

Balsamic and tarragon roasted asparagus

Quinoa with dried cherries, roasted pistachios, and cilantro

[ktmoomau]

Pasta (gf and regular) with bacon, peas and parmasean cheese and a squeeze of lemon.

Spiced nuts.

[TrelayneNYC]

Baby mesclun and Bordeaux spinach salad

Bordeaux spinach is an heirloom variety of spinach -- more tender leaves with a slightly sweet taste.

The vinaigrette is my standard recipe of 1/2 large shallot (minced), 2 tablespoons red wine, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. That makes more than enough vinaigrette for this salad; I just save the remainder for future use.

I know it doesn't look like much, but sometimes a simple green salad is what you need.




Saag paneer, rice, lime chutney

The paneer is from Tonjes Farm Dairy, the spinach was frozen (since it'll be at least 2 more months before regular spinach appears at USGM).

I skipped frying the paneer in ghee; I'll do that next time. Recipe is from Saveur, here: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Spinach-with-Fresh-Indian-Cheese-

I also subbed the last of my chipotle peppers instead of the serrano. Going to have to buy some more dried peppers from Kalustyan's soon.

[zoramargolis]

Where can I get pork cheeks?

Yesterday, I saw both pork and beef cheeks at Harvey's Meats in Union Market.

dinner last night:

shad roe-- from District Fishwife-- pan sauteed with shallots, bacon, white wine and aromatic herbs, meyer lemon on Lyon Bakery baguette

shad filet-- "       "          " -- en papillote with butter, white wine, meyer lemon, aromatic herbs

fabulouly fresh shad. too bad they are so far from my house. the filets had nary a bone and were only $10 a pound. delicious!

[TrelayneNYC]

Heirloom carrots, with hazelnuts and parsley

Squid, with roasted heirloom potatoes, capers and Meyer lemon

[Pat]

Toasted farmhouse wheat bread and butter

Stewed chicken and carrots

Baked macaroni and peas with cauliflower puree

The macaroni recipe is from a low-sodium cookbook.  A roux thickened with lite coconut milk and cauliflower puree substitutes for cheese sauce.  It turned out fairly well, but I found the way the recipe was written to be frustrating.  The author is a home cook and describes things in a kind of "this is how I do it in my kitchen" way.  Aside from that, I guess I'd make it again...but I really prefer the cheese .

[zoramargolis]

Baked macaroni and peas with cauliflower puree

The macaroni recipe is from a low-sodium cookbook... I really prefer the cheese .

soapbox warning. "low fat" "low carb" and "low salt" recipes that purport to be simply healthier versions of traditional comfort foods are almost always disappointing when compared to the originals. in many cases they are downright awful. better to find recipes by creative cooks who have thought deeply about ingredients and how to combine them in delicious ways rather than faux versions of familiar dishes.

[Pat]

soapbox warning. "low fat" "low carb" and "low salt" recipes that purport to be simply healthier versions of traditional comfort foods are almost always disappointing when compared to the originals. in many cases they are downright awful. better to find recipes by creative cooks who have thought deeply about ingredients and how to combine them in delicious ways rather than faux versions of familiar dishes.

It's not so much "healthier," just that it's low in sodium.  It was basically baked pasta and peas in a cream sauce.  I haven't given up making macaroni and cheese altogether.  The time I gave up cheese entirely to cut down fat and sodium, I almost lost my mind.

There are a lot of interesting recipes in the book, not all of them faux versions of standard dishes.  Her driving interest is in finding ways to combine ingredients she can eat rather than focusing on what she can't.  (She has a kidney disease that requires an extremely low-sodium diet, more restrictive than the 1500 mg. a day diet I'm targeting.)

[zoramargolis]

a suggestion, Pat: make ricotta without adding any salt. it's easy! one quart milk+ one cup cream. bring to a boil. when big bubbles are evident across the whole pot,  turn off the flame and add 3-4 T. white vinegar. let sit for one full minute, then stir slowly with a wooden spoon for one minute. you should see the milk separating into curds and clear yellowish whey. line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth or a muslin towel rinsed in warm water and squeezed out. set the colander into a deep bowl. pour the curds and whey into the cloth lined colander. make sure that the bottom of the colander is above the level of the drained whey in the bowl. (or gather the edges of the cloth together with a rubberband and hang the cloth sack over a bowl, which is what I do.) takes about 30 minutes to drain. sometimes, if the ricotta is a little bit dry, I mix in a spoonful of creme fraiche.

dinner last night:

eco-friendly stew beef braised with tomatoes, red wine, aromatic veg and herbs, carrots, fennel, celery root and mushrooms

basmati rice

stove-top grilled asparagus

avocado chocolate mousse

2010  Ch. Thebot

[Pat]

a suggestion, Pat: make ricotta without adding any salt. it's easy! one quart milk+ one cup cream. bring to a boil. when big bubbles are evident across the whole pot,  turn off the flame and add 3-4 T. white vinegar. let sit for one full minute, then stir slowly with a wooden spoon for one minute. you should see the milk separating into curds and clear yellowish whey. line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth or a muslin towel rinsed in warm water and squeezed out. set the colander into a deep bowl. pour the curds and whey into the cloth lined colander. make sure that the bottom of the colander is above the level of the drained whey in the bowl. (or gather the edges of the cloth together with a rubberband and hang the cloth sack over a bowl, which is what I do.) takes about 30 minutes to drain. sometimes, if the ricotta is a little bit dry, I mix in a spoonful of creme fraiche.

I haven't made ricotta in a long time.  Thanks for the idea.  I use it so infrequently that I don't even think about making it.  Maybe I can use it as a substitute for the cottage cheese I shouldn't eat .

[Rhone1998]

a suggestion, Pat: make ricotta without adding any salt. it's easy! one quart milk+ one cup cream. bring to a boil. when big bubbles are evident across the whole pot,  turn off the flame and add 3-4 T. white vinegar. let sit for one full minute, then stir slowly with a wooden spoon for one minute. you should see the milk separating into curds and clear yellowish whey. line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth or a muslin towel rinsed in warm water and squeezed out. set the colander into a deep bowl. pour the curds and whey into the cloth lined colander. make sure that the bottom of the colander is above the level of the drained whey in the bowl. (or gather the edges of the cloth together with a rubberband and hang the cloth sack over a bowl, which is what I do.) takes about 30 minutes to drain. sometimes, if the ricotta is a little bit dry, I mix in a spoonful of creme fraiche.

Zora, does the quality of the vinegar matter much?  Does it affect the flavor of the cheese you get?

[bettyjoan]

Back in the kitchen after waaaaaay too much business travel (I get this week off before heading out again - I have a newfound respect for salespeople).

Braised chicken with honey lemon leeks

Spinach salad with tomatoes, cukes, and Greek dressing

[porcupine]

a suggestion, Pat: make ricotta without adding any salt. it's easy! one quart milk+ one cup cream. bring to a boil. when big bubbles are evident across the whole pot,  turn off the flame and add 3-4 T. white vinegar. let sit for one full minute, then stir slowly with a wooden spoon for one minute. you should see the milk separating into curds and clear yellowish whey. line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth or a muslin towel rinsed in warm water and squeezed out. set the colander into a deep bowl. pour the curds and whey into the cloth lined colander. make sure that the bottom of the colander is above the level of the drained whey in the bowl. (or gather the edges of the cloth together with a rubberband and hang the cloth sack over a bowl, which is what I do.) takes about 30 minutes to drain. sometimes, if the ricotta is a little bit dry, I mix in a spoonful of creme fraiche.

Or don't drain it as long.  Or, once it's drained, place a heavy weight on it for awhile, cut the resulting mass into cubes, and call it paneer.  Which is on the menu for later this week.  (I use lemon juice instead of vinegar.)

Last night:

fish in coconut gravy (no Indian language name given in the cookbook)

a rather complicated moong dal with balti masala

carrots and peas with sambar masala

rice

It's been awhile since I've cooked Indian food. I kept running out of things (coriander), or finding I was missing them altogether (white poppy seeds), or finding that things were old and not very flavorful anymore (balti masala), or finding the right ingredient in the wrong form (tamarind concentrate instead of pulp).  I was even out of ghee (easy enough to make more, though).  Then after roasting and/or grinding all the spices and prepping all the veg, I discovered that there was only about a quarter cup of basmati rice left, though there was some jasmine rice...  oh well, it all tasted good, if not strictly authentic.

Shopping today, though.

[lperry]

Mesclun in a tarragon vinaigrete, topped with Fuji apple and manchego.

Carrot, grapefruit, ginger juice, the anti-winter cocktail.

The mesclun was one of those boxes of Earth-something Farms that a neighbor gave me before she headed out on vacation.  That stuff goes bad approximately three seconds after you take it out of the store.

[Pat]

Last night:

Carnitas with flour tortillas, hot salsa verde, and guacamole

Field cress (aka "creasy greens") cooked with a smoked turkey wing

Pinto beans

 

The carnitas came from a hunk of pork shoulder I'd gotten in a South Mountain Creamery delivery last fall and had stashed in the freezer.  It took a long time to thaw.  Originally, I'd thought I'd make it on Saturday, but the meat was still frozen like a rock. I haven't made carnitas in a long time and was just kind of winging it, looking over a few different recipes/techniques.  I started the pork on the stove, then switched to the oven and finished the chopped/shredded meat under the broiler.  I cooked the meat in a mixture of orange juice and water, seasoned with a cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and strips of red and green hot peppers.  Faint notes of cinnamon and orange came through in the finished meat.  

 

I bought the greens from Sunnyside Farms outside at Eastern Market over the weekend.  They sometimes pop up with produce I haven't encountered before or can't find elsewhere, often Southern delicacies.  This week it was field cress.  I bought 1/2 lb. bag of it, then came home and googled.  Recipes ranged from using them raw to lightly cooked to long-cooked with smoked meat. They were extremely peppery and bitter, from the sample I got at the market, so I decided to go with something longer cooking.  I had a smoked turkey wing in the freezer and cooked them up with that for an hour or so in some homemade chicken broth.  Mixed pinto beans in with them at the end.

 

During my online searching, I learned that these are frequently called "creasy greens" and are considered the first harbinger of spring. So, I cooked them up for dinner at the end of the St. Patrick's Day snowstorm, and spring is right around the corner

[zoramargolis]

Zora, does the quality of the vinegar matter much?  Does it affect the flavor of the cheese you get?

  (I use lemon juice instead of vinegar.)

Well, the most important thing is the acidity, which is why I don't use lemon juice. White vinegar is 5% always, reliably. The level of acidity in lemon juice isn't as predictable. Since most all of the liquid is drained off, the particular type of vinegar is not as important, as long as it is 5%. Rice vinegar is somewhat less acidic, so I don't use that. And I don't use a vinegar that has color (ie. cider or red wine) because it might stain the curd and leave the cheese looking yucky.

dinner last night:

dried and soaked gigante beans cooked with sofrito and aromatic herbs and then stewed with eco-friendly chorizo and roasted tiny cubes of rutabaga and celery root.

roasted brussels sprouts

Lyon baguette garlic toast

2006 Glorioso rioja reserva especial

[bettyjoan]

Saffron rice with shrimp and tilapia

Mixed green salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and Greek dressing

This rice dish was form Cooking Light and was kind of a cross between risotto and paella - you didn't get the crusty bottom layer like you would with a true paella, but you did get that lovely saffron flavor and color.  It was also a lot less labor-intensive than either classic dish - kind of a shortcut version that would satisfy the craving without all of the time and work!

[TrelayneNYC]

Zora, does the quality of the vinegar matter much?  Does it affect the flavor of the cheese you get?

 

You can achieve much the same effect with lemon juice.  About 2-3 tablespoons should do it.

I see Z answered already.

=============

Very quick late night dinner (which is what happens when one is in the office until 11 pm):

Pasta with escarole, fennel and sausage

Like too many Americans, I used to think that garlic was what defined Italian cooking. Then I woke up.

Oh, it's an important ingredient to be sure, but it's not as central as many people seem to think.

This began with 1 1/2 onions cooked slowly in olive oil with a little salt and pepper, to which was added some sweet Italian sausage, fennel seed, escarole (that had been previously simmered in lightly salted water, then drained) and a little marsala wine.

[dcandohio]

Grill out!

Salmon on a cedar plank plated with a sauce of lemon, vermouth, chicken stock, tarragon, capers, dijon

Sauteed mixed greens with garlic and wheat berries

Grilled asparagus

[Pat]

Got home kind of late after a meeting so put together something quick:

Guacamole and tortilla chips

Asparagus topped with fried eggs and grated Romano cheese

Pappardelle with lamb ragu

The lamb pasta had been in the freezer from a December meal.  I put it in the refrigerator earlier in the day to get started on defrosting.  I figured my husband could just heat that up if I was too late getting back.  He had all three "courses."  I just had some asparagus and an egg.

[bettyjoan]

Lemon chicken

Brown rice

Steamed broccoli

All that healthy eating just so I could feel less guilty about scarfing down half a pint of B&J's "Americone Dream" - my favorite flavor!

[Pat]

Spinach salad with bacon, mushrooms, and feta

Garlic bread

Spaghetti with lime and arugula

The spaghetti recipe is an old one from the Australian magazine Marie Claire that I got from a cooking listserv sometime around the turn-of-the-century.  (Sounds weird to write it that way, but that's when it was.)  It's always a winner of a dish, but I hadn't made it in quite some time.

I couldn't find the marinated feta that goes on top so bought some marinated goat cheese pieces at Eastern Market, seasoned and packed the same way as the feta I usually buy is.  Then I cut some cubes of feta from a block I had at home and added them to the mix, using some of each type of cheese in the dish.  Well, mostly my husband got the cheese, and the prosciutto, and the capers...This is not a low-sodium recipe.  I basically had spaghetti and arugula with lime, hot pepper, and residual flavor from the other ingredients.  It was still enjoyable, though.

ETA:  I thought I remembered that this was a Donna Hay recipe, and it is, from her cookbook Flavours.  Recipe here.

[zoramargolis]

puerco asada "“ marinated* eco-friendly pork tenderloin, wood-grilled in the cast iron stove

salsa cruda

guacamole

rajas de poblanos

frijoles refritos

corn tortillas

Bell's amber ale

*marinade was lime juice, olive oil, garlic, onion, ancho chile powder, cumin, ground Mexican oregano, cilantro

[porcupine]

Managed to re-stock the larder with coriander and white poppy seed and fresh curry leaves and basmati rice, but ended up riffing on the recipes, so a not-quite-traditional Indian meal:

paneer in sambal masala and coconut (the recipe was for ivy gourd, I think, but I made paneer with a mix of cow and goat milk; I've never seen a recipe for paneer that uses goat milk, but it sure tastes good)

broccolini with cumin, ginger, sambal masala, coconut (the recipe was for broccoli, which isn't traditional to begin with, but I had broccolini on hand; decided to add more cumin and ginger than called for along with a handful of tiny hot chillies, just to change the flavor profile a little from the paneer dish)

steamed basmati rice

Feeling comfortable enough with Indian techniques and ingredients that I can improvise and end up with something that doesn't taste like generic "curry".

[Pat]

Avocado tomatillo salsa verde

Tortilla chips

Pork carnitas tacos

Pickled red cabbage

Serrano ginger hot sauce

Shredded Monetery Jack and cheddar cheeses

Rancho Gordo pinto beans 

White rice

 

I had a few small flour tortillas left and also corn tortillas, so we used both for the tacos, mix and match.  The hot sauce is one of the ones sold by the Wisteria Gardens people outside at Eastern Market on the weekends.  It's got a good level of heat to it.  I haven't tried any Uncle Brutha's green hot sauce in a while, so it's hard to make a direct comparison, but that's what I would think to compare it to.  Unfortunately, the sauce is chunky enough that it's hard to get the last of it out of the bottle.  That could use a little refining.

 

The avocado tomatillo salsa is an Austin restaurant recipe that was published in the newspaper.  A friend who lives there pointed it out to me years ago now, and it's a nice change from tomato-based salsa and just different enough from guacamole.  I forgot that the recipe makes a lot, though...

[zoramargolis]

last night:

lamb meatballs topped with feta and mint in spiced tomato sauce* -- from Suzanne Goin's _A.O.C. Cookbook_ which just won a James Beard Award

* per her suggestions for seasonal additions to the sauce, I included roasted red pepper and wood-roasted smoky eggplant, which I had in the fridge

oven roasted broccolini

labneh with cucumbers, mint and za'atar

basmati rice

2006 Glorioso rioja

[Smita Nordwall]

Managed to re-stock the larder with coriander and white poppy seed and fresh curry leaves and basmati rice, but ended up riffing on the recipes, so a not-quite-traditional Indian meal:

paneer in sambal masala and coconut (the recipe was for ivy gourd, I think, but I made paneer with a mix of cow and goat milk; I've never seen a recipe for paneer that uses goat milk, but it sure tastes good)

broccolini with cumin, ginger, sambal masala, coconut (the recipe was for broccoli, which isn't traditional to begin with, but I had broccolini on hand; decided to add more cumin and ginger than called for along with a handful of tiny hot chillies, just to change the flavor profile a little from the paneer dish)

steamed basmati rice

Feeling comfortable enough with Indian techniques and ingredients that I can improvise and end up with something that doesn't taste like generic "curry".

Did you make the sambal masala? What's in it?

[TrelayneNYC]

Spring lettuce salad, with French breakfast radishes and hard-cooked farm egg

Pea and ricotta ravioli, with sage, brown butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

The green herbs atop the ravioli are bits of stonecrop, an herb with a slightly astringent taste reminiscent of edible nasturtium flowers.

Wild cod, with Jerusalem artichoke velouté, samphire, oyster mushrooms and cremini mushrooms

[porcupine]

Did you make the sambal masala? What's in it? 

I did.  The recipe is in 660 Curries: fresh curry leaves, dried Thai chilies, chana dal, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, black mustard seeds, white poppy seeds, cinnamon sticks; toss with a little oil and roast in a pan until the curry leaves are dry and brittle, then cool and grind.

Last night:

three-fennel quiche (with Red Apron bacon, sauteed fennel, fennel seed, and Purple Haze, a fennel and lavender scented goat cheese)

Found leaf lard at Red Apron, so of course I've started playing with pastry again.  Made the quiche crust with my standard pate brisee formula, using half butter and half lard.  The dough came together easily but was a pain to roll out.  Nonetheless, worthwhile because it shrank a lot less than an all-butter dough does, yet still had good flavor.

Another round of dough is in the fridge, and there are blueberries in the freezer, and some half and half leftover...  Don't know what's for dinner tonight, but dessert is probably a blueberry tart with creme anglais.

[Pat]

Avocado-tomatillo salsa verde

Tortilla chips

Hot baguette sandwiches:  Bela sardines in tomato sauce with string cheese; garlic bread with Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses

Potato gratin with havarti dill cheese, fennel and chard stems, and romano cheese

 

I wrapped the sandwiches in foil and heated them in the oven for the last 25 minutes with the gratin.  The one was really more garlic-cheese bread than a sandwich.  There's some of that leftover for today.

 

The gratin was kind of a "use up the scraps" dish.  I'd been holding on to the chard stems and  thin stalks attached to the fennel fronds for a while and couldn't figure out what to do with them, so I blanched them and layered them with the potato slices and cheese, and poured milk into the bottom of the pan from the corners before it went in the oven. 

[LauraB]

I did.  The recipe is in 660 Curries: fresh curry leaves, dried Thai chilies, chana dal, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, black mustard seeds, white poppy seeds, cinnamon sticks; toss with a little oil and roast in a pan until the curry leaves are dry and brittle, then cool and grind.

Elizabeth, where did you buy the whole fenugreek seeds, the black mustard seeds and the curry leaves?

[porcupine]

I found fresh curry leaves at the MOM in Rockville.  They often have them at Dana Bazaar across the street, which is where I usually go for things like fenugreek seeds and leaves (dried).

I'd buy fenugreek at Penzey's if they sold whole seeds, but they only sell it ground.  That's where I buy most of my spices (including black mustard seeds).  Yes, I know you can buy a larger quantity for less money at places like Dana Bazaar, but I don't use them quickly enough to justify it.

I'm actually not as enamored of Penzey's as most people are.  Does anyone have a source they prefer for spices?

[dcandohio]

Bone-in chicken breasts, grilled with just sweet paprika, chipotle salt, olive oil, lemon

Grilled summer corn (freezer bounty)

Salad of spinach and blueberries with a buttermilk/blue cheese dressing

[lperry]

I'm actually not as enamored of Penzey's as most people are.  Does anyone have a source they prefer for spices?

I like the Indian market in the shopping center across Little RIver Turnpike from Home Depot at Braddock road.  I can't remember the name, but it is clean, organized, and the spices are very fresh.

Last night, roasted butternut squash risotto and roasted broccoli.

[Pat]

Carnitas nachos with avocado tomatillo salsa verde

Escarole soup with pinto beans and rice

Cornbread

Roasted broccoli with roasted pine nuts

Roasted butternut squash with sage

[Fishinnards]

Managed to re-stock the larder with coriander and white poppy seed and fresh curry leaves and basmati rice, but ended up riffing on the recipes, so a not-quite-traditional Indian meal:

paneer in sambal masala and coconut (the recipe was for ivy gourd, I think, but I made paneer with a mix of cow and goat milk; I've never seen a recipe for paneer that uses goat milk, but it sure tastes good)

broccolini with cumin, ginger, sambal masala, coconut (the recipe was for broccoli, which isn't traditional to begin with, but I had broccolini on hand; decided to add more cumin and ginger than called for along with a handful of tiny hot chillies, just to change the flavor profile a little from the paneer dish)

steamed basmati rice

Feeling comfortable enough with Indian techniques and ingredients that I can improvise and end up with something that doesn't taste like generic "curry".

Sambar Masala? (Sambal is Indonesian)

[porcupine]

Sambar Masala? (Sambal is Indonesian)

Indeed.  That was sloppy of me.

[TrelayneNYC]

Mesclun and radish salad, with buttermilk dressing

Spaghetti con vongole e pancetta

porcupine: you can order from Kalustyan's if you don't mind mail order.

[porcupine]

^Actually I'm going to be in NYC in a few weeks, so maybe I'll do a little shopping.

Last night, a warm salad: cooked farro piccolo in fennel broth, then tossed with arbequina olive oil, lemon juice, fresh dill, salt and pepper while still hot, then added chopped arbequina olives and upland cress, and crumbled Purple Haze on top.

[Pat]

Olive flatbread and extra virgin olive oil

Avocado-tomatillo salsa and tortilla chips

Leftover escarole soup

Leftover spaghetti with lime and arugula

[TrelayneNYC]

When I was at Eataly this weekend, I decided that I wanted to make some Bolognese sauce since I had a tub of fettucine in the fridge that needed to be used up.

So I decided to get a few things, you might say. :wink:

You're looking at a pot of Bolognese sauce in the making, using Marcella Hazan's recipe from "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking", pages 203-205.

This version is mostly her recipe except for a few deviations. I also used about 1/2 lb. chopped pork and mixed it in with the chopped beef and the battutina (finely chopped celery, celery leaves, carrot and onion cooked in a mixture of olive oil and unsalted butter). The beef is grass-fed beef from Eataly.

this pic was shot shortly after I added 1 cup whole milk.

Let the milk mixture simmer gently on medium-low heat, then once it has nearly boiled off, add 1 cup dry white wine. Simmer until the wine has evaporated, then add your plum tomatoes. (I subbed a can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes.)

There are a couple of additional steps after this -- basically simmering the sauce over low heat while making sure it doesn't dry out too much. At the end, the sauce is done when all of the water has evaporated and the fat has separated from the sauce.

Fettucine with Bolognese sauce

[porcupine]

red butter lettuce, upland cress, and spinach salad dressed with tarragon vinegar and Meyer lemon olive oil

boneless chicken breast strips brined in pickle juice and aleppo pepper, breaded and fried, with sesame seeds and honey

pickles

Inspired by the dish at Rose's luxury.  I didn't have benne seeds, but sesame seeds worked well.  The dish at the restaurant was too sweet for me (otherwise fabulous), so I used only a tiny bit of honey after discovering that it really is needed for balance.  I tried both panko and matzo meal for the breading, because I had both on hand; preferred the panko, but wouldn't hesitate to use matzo if I had to.  The chicken turned out well but would have been a lot better with some sort of kiss-ass sauce on the side.