I want that!

ScotteeM

Horseradish crusted salmon with dilled cucumbers and grain mustard sauce.



From a Gary Danko recipe here

Chris, if you ever decide to open your own restaurant, I'm first in line!

Enchiladas Suisas--chicken enchiladas with a tomatillo-poblano chile sauce, jack cheese and crema
Chayote-poblano flan
Frijoles refritos
Sopa seca de arroz
Pico de gallo
Cerveza

Dry-aged rib eye steaks on a charcoal grill
Risotto with fresh porcini mushrooms
Steamed white asparagus
Bernaise sauce

ScotteeM

Did you use a condom?

Old enough to know better, still too young to care...

Marinated, grilled duck breast, grilled bi-color corn on the cob, and sauteed sliced baby artichokes, king mushrooms (from the Grand Mart), and pine nuts.

ScotteeM

Turkey, sliced pears and aged cheddar on rustic bread, brushed with olive oil & grilled. Served with homemade peach-habanero chutney and a big green salad.

I'm impressed that you prepared such a hearty meal after the monster repast at the picnic... My family ate nachos, made with the leftover chips and guacamole that I'd brought home from Belle Haven Park, enhanced with some refried beans I made a few days ago, grated cheese, pico de gallo salsa and sour cream. I ate enough this afternoon to tide me over until tomorrow. It was great meeting you.

That was last night's dinner! It's 8 pm and I'm still not hungry after eating all that good stuff at the picnic.

Pasta with 'Basil is SO over in pesto", topped with grated cheese from the 'Functional garnish texture counterpoints made of cheese" I would have made for the picnic if I didn't run out of time.

Edited to remark: It's like there's a party in my mouth, and everybody is wearing trucker hats and drinking poorly-made gimlets.

I'm trying to perfect my pilaf skills. Didn't do such a bad job with some basmati, turmeric, cardamom, bay leaves, etc. etc.

Gotta get that seasoning right.

Also made some spaghetti squash with roasted garlic. Delicious. Didn't think of it, but dinner was all yellow

We had chili last night- not at all fancy- but my boyfriend made it (and shopped for the ingredients) by himself. He asked me to write out a basic recipe and shopping list for him. This probably doesn't sound like a big deal to most people, but it's the first time he's expressed an interest in learning how to cook. When he placed the bowls on the table he said "look- I did everything that you usually do!" I have high hopes for this. He'd like to tackle roast chicken next.

We just devoured the most delicious chicken I have ever made/eaten in my life. And that is a LOT of chickens! It was a very small bird from Polyface at the Dupont Market. I brined it for a few hours in an herbed brine made with thyme, tarragon, lavender, bay leaf and aromatic veg. This evening I decided to make a stir fry for Veggie-Teen, and the chicken-for-dinner plan took an Asian turn. In the Vita-Mix blender, I made a sauce with tamari-rice vinegar-mirin-ginger-onion-lime juice and peel-plum sauce-Chinese barbaque sauce-roasted sesame oil-Sriracha hot sauce. This became a basting sauce for the chicken and the liquid for the stir fry of red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, soy nuggets, green beans, scallions and cauliflower. I split the brined chicken and grilled it for twenty-five minutes over Cowboy hardwood charcoal, turning and mopping frequently with the basting sauce. We-ell, my dears, the baby bird came directly off the grill onto our plates. The skin was crispy with areas of char, savory from the salty-sweet-sour-spicy sauce and smoky from the grill. The meat was meltingly juicy and tender, and redolent of herbs and salt all the way to the bone. The stir-fry was good, too. But oh, baby--that chicken was unbelievable! Veggie-teen ate in front of the tv so she could watch CSI. Good thing, because I was moaning in a very un-motherly way while I ate that chicken.

I have cans of imported tomatoes from Arthur Avenue that are collecting dust in the basement, but want to try something other than a marinara or vodka cream sauce.

My plan is to stop by the Italian Store on Friday. Any ideas on what kind of meat-based sauces I can make? TIA.

Monday: Leftover BBQ
Tuesday: Leftover BBQ
Wednesday: Leftover BBQ

Thanks mom!

Bucatini all'Amatriciana is the one I am anxious to try again. You start by making a bigger batch of plain tomato sauce so you can use the whole can and make something else with it later.

If you enjoy a lot of prep work with spectacular results, try this Batali recipe for Timpano. It's absolutely extraordinary.

http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/timpano-batali.html

"Indian burritos" Chicken with potatoes, peas, onions, garlic, ginger, and various spices cooked with chicken stock until very tender and shredded. Rolled up in whole wheat tortillas with some mixed vegetable pickle, drained yogurt, and cilantro. Not bad but a little too soupy.

With the very last of the tomatoes from the garden. Time to pull up the vines.

Classic Italian-American red sauce with sausage meatballs.
Peanut just had some sausage and linguini. Man, watching that kid devour pasta is the definition of shock and awe.

Comfort food: cabbage and noodles. Cooked it for my mom; she contributed an apple pie. Mmmmmm.

The raclette pan inherited from my grandmother got dusted off. It has 6 pans and wooden paddles for cheese, and a grill up above for meats and vegetables.

Raclette, Pere Joseph, aged cheddar.
Bockwurst, Knockwurst and Weisswurst.
Tiny boiled potatoes & green beans.
Cornichons and hot mustard.
Ayinger Ur-Weisse and Lindemans Gueze for the grown-ups, apple cider for the kids.

My neighbor Michael, the hunter's friend, brought me a wild Canada goose breast on Thursday. I briefly cured it overnight in an herbed brine, and served it to Michael and his mother and daughter and my family on Friday night.

We started with a Kabocha squash and quince soup, made with duck stock and finished with creme fraiche. I pan seared the goose breast and roasted it in a hot oven until medium rare. The meat was juicy, very dark and dense, with a deep, gamy taste. The texture reminded me of ostrich. I served it with choucroute-style oven braised homemade sauerkraut, with onion sauteed in duckfat, white wine, juniper berries, fresh thyme and bayleaf. And new potatoes. And sauteed wild oyster mushrooms that I found in Battery Kemble Park. We drank a dry Austrian Muscadeller with the soup and 1999 Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape with the goose. The CNDP was decanted for almost an hour, which gave the tannins a chance to relax and it was an excellent complement to the meat.

Salad and gorgonzola dolce followed the goose. Dessert was a plum and fig upside down cake. We had some R.L. Buller Fine Muscat with the cake.

Michael promised to bring me some fresh venison later this week. Born to eat wild!

Pork stew: pork, green chilies (poblano and cubanelle), garlic, onions, pinto beans, thickened with masa harina. Served with chopped tomatoes, crema, queso fresco, lime, cilantro, and corn tortillas.

Molasses cookies for dessert.

Mother/Daughter Seafood From the SW Waterfront Fest:

Maryland Crab Soup
1/2 Dozen Oysters on the half shell
Arugala and Parmesan Salad
Little Neck Clams Steamed in a Wine Garlic Broth
Carmel Apple from Toigo Farms

Chicken pot pie. Not bad for my first attempt at the dish.
Yet another disappointing 2003 Cotes du Rhone.

Flatiron steak from Union Meat at Eastern Market. I marinated it in olive oil, garlic, dried orange peel, anchovy paste, ginger and Worcestershire; seared it and then panroasted it with whole champignons. Sauce was a reduction with veal stock and a splash of white wine. Sounds kinda weird, but it was really good--tender and flavorful. It went great with a Rioja.

The flatirons at Union Meat are cheap, tasty, and easy to prepare. I was getting really tired of the costlier strips and filets.

Pumpkin soup with roasted garlic and a dollop of creamy white goat cheese, and roasted chicken with roasted carrots/potatoes/shallots.

The pumpkin was an unusual variety that came recommended by the farmer, who grows upwards of twenty different kinds of pumpkins. It's called Marina Di Chioggia, and it has a slate green shell with yellow-orange flesh that was so bright it surprised me.

Delicious.

Is it available on the East coast? We mostly seem to get the small orange variety.

Dinner on Sunday was seared hangar steak (from Cheesetique) and roasted vegetables (butternut squash, fennel, turnips, parsnips, and brussel sprouts -- cjsadler went crazy at Grand Mart).

The rest of the pics I took tonight looked really unappetizing. This was dessert-- pear cream tartlets

Recipe? Edit to add did you use a kitchen torch on the top? Nice caramelization.

(and BTW, was that your name I saw in the August issue of Cook's Country? )

cream of crab soup.

with thanks to crackers for the craving and safeway for the crab.

Boeuf a la mode, from a recipe in this month's Gourmet magazine. Not bad.

I also roasted 2 chickens, for chicken & tomatillo enchiladas this weekend.

Steak and ice cream?

No, more like pot roast.

Michael brought me that venison tenderloin yesterday--I have it on very good authority that it was NOT from the yearling buck that was caught in the Ralph Lauren store in Georgetown this week.
I made a cooked wine marinade with juniper berries and gave the meat a soak in it for few hours.

We started with duck leg confit (domestic duck, this time), roasted fennel and fig compote.

The venison was pan-seared and finished in the oven, and served medium rare with a bordelaise sauce, polenta, roasted cipolini onions, braised kale and a saute of fresh chanterelles, porcini and crimini mushrooms. The meat was beautifully tender and delicately game-y. Really delicious.

Pecorino sheepmilk and Mahon cow's milk cheeses with homemade membrillo.

Rustic winter pear tart, made with an orange-ginger pate brisee recipe from Sherry Yard's baking book.

We drank Ropiteau pinot noir with the duck confit and Alterra Sonoma cabernet with the venison. Both were adequate, but nothing to shout about. This was a great meal that deserved better wine. Boo hoo.

Hearty fall Italian dinner.

Braciole, rapini, and some pasta.

Later this week will be some roasted squash soups from purchases at the market over the weekend.

Would you be interested in sharing the recipe? Every squash soup recipe I've followed has come out kinda bland.

Saturday night I made a hearty yet simple tomato pesto soup topped with parmesan and served with "wedges" of crusty baguette. Wish I had a camera (and some leftovers)!

Cook's Illustrated had a nice tip for boosting the flavor of squash soups: take the seeds and fibers, saute them and add them to your stock. Simmer the stock awhile and then strain when ready to use. Works really well to add squash flavor-- in fact, they don't even use any stock, just water and the resulting seed/fiber stock.

I, too, appreciate the tips on squash soup. I made roasted red kuri squash last night that I basted with melted butter, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup.

Tonight will be a boneless beef rib roast done on indirect coals in my trusty Weber, with charcoal-roasted Brussels sprouts and a savory wild mushroom and pancetta bread pudding.

Happy Halloween!

Last night's dinner was at Kotobuki. Stellar!

I had:
Mackerel sashimi (starter)
Seaweed salad

Main course:
Lobster
Uni (YUM!)
White tuna
Toro
Spicy scallop roll
Yellow tail roll
Salmon skin roll

Dessert:
Green tea mochi ice cream (DELISH!)

So that was 28 pieces of sushi consumed by lil' ole me last night.

OH YEAH!

Saturday night --
Lamb Vindaloo
Raita
Some flat bread
Basmati rice

Accompanied by a nice Vouvray.

Saturday Night - Washington Wine Dinner for 20

2004 Amavi Columbia Valley Semillon
Market Salad
Adapted from Blue Ribbon Bakery

2003 Three Rivers Pepperbridge Vineyard Sangiovese
Tuscan Roast Cauliflower Penne with Red Onion, Red Pepper and Basil
Adapted from M. Batali's Babbo Cookbook

1995 Apex Cabernet
Braised Short Rib of Beef
T. Keller's Bouchon Recipe

More of Both Reds (Port was aborted based on the first mangy whiff to emerge from the bottle)
Cheese tray: delice de bourgogne, humbolt fog, boucherondin, basque blue

2003 L'ecole 41 Late Harvest Semillon
Key lime, lemon, and mixed berry pies.

Pictures, vengroff?

Joe, did you make the vindaloo? We have been looking for a good recipe.

yep.

Look at this book from our own Monica -- here

I wish, but alas there is no photographic evidence.

osso bucco. R and I sucked our bones dry and then looked at the plate of our dinner guest, where the bone rested undisturbed. "Do you not like marrow?" R asked.
"Marrow--like dogs eat?" said the guest.
"Yeah," said R, nodding agreeably as she whisked the offending remnant off the guest's plane and onto her own. "Like dogs eat."