Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[DaveO]

7 hours ago, TrelayneNYC said:

Pollo alla cacciatora ("braised chicken, hunter's style")
Sautéed zucchini
Watermelon and pineapple for dessert

 

The chicken

This version doesn't use tomatoes, onions and red peppers. It begins with a base of olive oil and lard in which you brown the chicken. Then, once the chicken has browned, add some minced garlic and rosemary, and a cup or two of white wine. Let the wine come to a boil, then reduce heat to low and braise for 1 hour, uncovered. The liquid in the pot will slowly reduce. Turn the chicken every so often. When the chicken is tender, transfer to a platter. Add some pitted olives and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Raise heat to high, reduce sauce even more, then ladle olives and sauce over chicken. Serve at once.

 

The zucchini

Begin with a few crushed garlic cloves warmed in 3-4 tbsp. olive oil in a pan. Fry garlic over low heat until soft and golden brown, then remove and discard. Add some sliced zucchini to pan. Toss until zucchini slices glisten with the garlic-flavored oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Add a few tbsp. water to the pan, then raise heat to medium. Sauté for 15-20 minutes or until water has been absorbed and the zucchini becomes "creamy".

Serve immediately.

Beautiful photos.  I've been making chicken cacciatore for 4 decades.  One could say I love it.  I've definitely NEVER made it that way; always with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc; (some other ingredients) possibly 99% of the time served over pasta.  Never with olives.  Never.

But your photos are terrific food porn.  I'll give that version a try.  The zucchini also looks wonderful.  Why not give it a try?   Lets see.  12 months coming up--possibly 6-8 cacciatore's on the horizon- about 40 years of cacciatore history.  I think going with olives sounds about right!!!!    (oh yeah...never skimp on the garlic!!!    )

[Pat]

I decided that, with Thanksgiving on the horizon, we should finish off the last of the Thanksgiving turkey in the freezer from last year.  So, last night was turkey heated in turkey broth [TJ's turkey bone broth] with sautéed mushrooms; green beans with black pepper, red wine vinegar, and toasted walnuts; and, leftover mashed potatoes with sautéed mushrooms.

[DaveO]

37 minutes ago, Pat said:

I decided that, with Thanksgiving on the horizon, we should finish off the last of the Thanksgiving turkey in the freezer from last year.  So, last night was turkey heated in turkey broth [TJ's turkey bone broth] with sautéed mushrooms; green beans with black pepper, red wine vinegar, and toasted walnuts; and, leftover mashed potatoes with sautéed mushrooms.

hmmm.   makes me think its time to use up stuff that has about a one year life span in the freezer.  tx for the heads up

[TrelayneNYC]

2 hours ago, DaveO said:

Beautiful photos.  I've been making chicken cacciatore for 4 decades.  One could say I love it.  I've definitely NEVER made it that way; always with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc; (some other ingredients) possibly 99% of the time served over pasta.  Never with olives.  Never.

But your photos are terrific food porn.  I'll give that version a try.  The zucchini also looks wonderful.  Why not give it a try?   Lets see.  12 months coming up--possibly 6-8 cacciatore's on the horizon- about 40 years of cacciatore history.  I think going with olives sounds about right!!!!    (oh yeah...never skimp on the garlic!!!    )

 

Thanks @DaveO - you can also substitute rabbit for chicken. It's marvelous.

[dcandohio]

A big plate of roasted vegetables: carrots, onion, celery, yellow pepper, zucchini, yellow squash. 

A wedge of Cabra al Vino cheese. 

[Pat]

Marinated stir-fried tofu, red onion, peppers, broccoli, and Napa cabbage, over brown rice, topped with cashews. This would have been a vegetarian (actually, vegan) meal, except that I used the remainder of the turkey broth I'd opened the day before to cook the rice.  I didn't have another use in mind for it, and it has a limited shelf life once it's opened.

[DaveO]

21 hours ago, TrelayneNYC said:

 

Thanks @DaveO - you can also substitute rabbit for chicken. It's marvelous.

...and the weather turned chilly which has always been perfect cacciatore time, though mine are usually somewhat saucy using some variations of tomatoes.  Some of the love is connected to the cooking aroma...no?   In my case it always has been.   I see that Harris Teeter has rabbit.  Think I'll take you up on that suggestion.

(I've been reading/scanning cacciatore recipe's for the first time in ages)...and thanks to you for that.

[TrelayneNYC]

Cacciatore embraces a wide variety of styles. The classic Neapolitan version with tomato is the one you're familiar with.

The one I posted is common in Rome as well as in Le Marche.

And this one (recipe in Italian) features carrot, celery, chicken broth and porcini mushrooms:  http://ricette.donnamoderna.com/pollo-alla-cacciatora-italia

[DaveO]

33 minutes ago, TrelayneNYC said:

Cacciatore embraces a wide variety of styles. The classic Neapolitan version with tomato is the one you're familiar with.

The one I posted is common in Rome as well as in Le Marche.

And this one (recipe in Italian) features carrot, celery, chicken broth and porcini mushrooms:  http://ricette.donnamoderna.com/pollo-alla-cacciatora-italia

It may be "Classic Neapolitan" in the literature, but being from the NYC metro area and being old, it was the predominate style for all those old "red sauce" Italian restaurants with which I grew up and was the classic presentation in all the home kitchens operated by all the mothers and grandmothers who had learned their recipes from a an even older relative.

I am enjoying reading and updating.  Cacciatore will be filling my kitchen with its aroma any day now.

[TrelayneNYC]

1 hour ago, DaveO said:

It may be "Classic Neapolitan" in the literature, but being from the NYC metro area and being old, it was the predominate style for all those old "red sauce" Italian restaurants with which I grew up and was the classic presentation in all the home kitchens operated by all the mothers and grandmothers who had learned their recipes from a an even older relative.

I am enjoying reading and updating.  Cacciatore will be filling my kitchen with its aroma any day now.

Italian cooking is regional, which was really my point

The version you're most familiar with evolved out of one style out of a universe of many and once it came over here, developed into its own style. They're all alla cacciatora. There is no one correct version.

If you go 50 km in any direction, it becomes an entirely new thing.

[Pat]

Green leaf lettuce, red bell pepper, cucumber, and toasted walnuts; balsamic-fig vinaigrette
Chicken Parmesan meatball subs 

[Al Dente]

For appetizers: moules marinières, pâté de foie gras, beluga caviar, eggs Benedictine, tart de poireaux, frogs' legs amandine, oeufs de caille Richard Shepherd-- c'est à dire, little quails' eggs on a bed of puréed mushroom. All mixed together and tossed in a bucket with the eggs on top. Double helping of the paté.

 Main course: jugged hare with truffles, anchovies, Grand Marnier, bacon, and cream.

 To drink: six bottles of Château Latour forty-five, a double Jeroboam of champagne and six crates of brown ale.

 Wafer thin mint and a bucket.

[astrid]

How very Pythonesque.  Who cleaned up the aftermath

[Pat]

Baguette slices with seasoned extra virgin olive oil
Pan-seared lamb loin chops
Polenta wedges topped with sautéed shiitakes
Wilted kale

I plated this so the lamb chops were resting on the polenta and it it was all on a bed of kale.

 

[TrelayneNYC]

We went to a birthday party where the birthday boy roasted a pig.

Wish you were there...the skin was worth the price of admission.

[Pat]

Friday night:
Salad of Napa cabbage, baby arugula, radishes, red bell pepper, feta, and toasted walnuts; fig-balsamic vinaigrette
Slow-cooked beef brisket with onions, potato, and carrots

Last night:
Leftover salad
Leftover Chicken Parmesan meatballs
Smoked gouda macaroni and cheese
Roasted butternut squash

 

[TrelayneNYC]

Italian for dinner tonight - big surprise there...

 

Patate e fagiolini con pesto
Spaghetti alle vongole
Baked pears with Marsala, served with crème fraîche

 

For the contorno

2 cups tightly packed basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsp. grated pecorino cheese
2 tbsp. grated Grana Padano cheese
1/4 trimmed green beans
4 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes

In a food processor bowl, combine basil, garlic, salt and 2 tbsp. olive oil. Pulse until you obtain a coarse paste. Add pine nuts and remaining olive oil. Pulse until nuts are finely ground. Stir in cheeses, then use as desired. If not using right away, transfer to a container and cover with more extra-virgin olive oil (to prevent oxidation of the basil which will cause discoloration).

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add green beans and potatoes. Boil until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Once vegetables are cooked, drain and transfer green beans to a serving bowl. Peel the potatoes (peel should come right off), quarter them and transfer to the bowl.

Dress vegetables with 2 heaping tbsp. pesto, then toss. Grind some black pepper over, then serve at once.

 

For the pasta

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil,. Add approx. 10 oz. dried pasta and prepare according to package directions.

Warm 2 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a crushed garlic clove. Fry garlic until fragrant. Add 2 lbs. clams to pan along with 1/2 cup white wine. Cover pan, then cook, shaking pan every so often until clams open. Uncover, after about 15 minutes or so, then remove clams with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Discard any clams that don't open. Reserve about half of the clams in their shells, and shell the remainder. Chop clam meat finely; set aside. Strain clam broth in pan. Reserve clam broth.

By this time, the spaghetti should be nearly done. Drain pasta, making sure to reserve 1 ladleful pasta cooking water.

In the same skillet you used to cook the clams, warm 2 tbsp. olive oil, then add a crushed garlic clove. A sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes is nice if you like some heat. Fry until garlic colors, then add chopped clams. Sauté clams for 1 minute, then add clam broth. Bring broth to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add spaghetti to the pan along with the reserved clams (the ones still in their shells). Cook spaghetti in pan until al dente, making sure that each strand of pasta glistens with the clam broth. If pasta seems too dry, add reserved pasta cooking water. Once pasta is done, stir in some chopped Italian parsley, then serve immediately.

 

For the pears

Pre-heat oven to 425 F.

Trim four pears by cutting them in half and removing the seeds with the tip of a teaspoon. Arrange in a baking dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup granulated sugar over them, then pour 1 cup Marsala wine over and around the pears.

Bake for 1 hour or until pears are caramelized. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with a dollop of crème fraîche or fromage blanc. Greek yogurt is also nice, if you have it, or a splash of heavy cream.

[dcandohio]

Chicken "chili" with mild and hot Hatch peppers from the freezer, with beans, corn and tomatoes. Delivered to friends having a bad stretch. 

[curiouskitkatt]

On 11/11/2017 at 10:18 PM, TrelayneNYC said:

We went to a birthday party where the birthday boy roasted a pig.

Wish you were there...the skin was worth the price of admission.

You had me at roast piggie. hmmm, good.

[Pat]

Salad of baby arugula, radishes, cucumber, green bell pepper, button mushrooms, avocado, feta, and toasted walnuts; citrus - champagne vinaigrette
Brown rice and millet ramen with kale and button mushrooms
Leftover brisket and vegetables

[ktmoomau]

Last night was chicken breasts, green beans baked in a chunky tomato sauce with vegetables.  I also made these cheese biscuits, which Hubby said were just ok, I thought they were great.  So I took the rest of my "ok" biscuits to my office today... they liked them.

Saturday night I made tuna tetrazzini for my Brother and Mom.  I forgot how easy it is to make.  And it was so good.  We had bread furst baguette with it.

Friday night I made my Brother and Mom, cuban tacos- tortillas with leftover pork loin that was super tender, leftover Cuban black rice, salsa, radish and guacamole. 

Thursday night I made the sous vide pork tenderloin, then seared it off.  I made the Cuban rice from this recipe, except I used dry beans.  And I made roast carrots along with it.

[Ericandblueboy]

3 minutes ago, ktmoomau said:

I also made these cheese biscuits, which Hubby said were just ok, I thought they were great.  So I took the rest of my "ok" biscuits to my office today... they liked them.

Ruh roh.  I don't think my mom ever appreciated it when I told her that her food is just okay.  She tells me other people like the fpod (especially after she spent the whole day prepping and cooking instead of dishing up dinner in 30 minutes).

[ktmoomau]

3 minutes ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Ruh roh.  I don't think my mom ever appreciated it when I told her that her food is just okay.  She tells me other people like the fpod (especially after she spent the whole day prepping and cooking instead of dishing up dinner in 30 minutes).

My poor Mom had to compete with my Amish Nanny which wasn't fair, so at least I don't have that.  It's ok if he doesn't like stuff.  Saying it's ok, it REALLY annoys me, but I don't take it as a knock against my baking, but a knock against his palate (I am a terrible person, I admit this.).  They weren't a particularly challenging dish, so I wanted him to like them as they were easy and quick to make.  And he did keep two for dinner tomorrow night.  The real test for me is actually my Mom and Brother and to a point my Aunt and Uncle- they are all good cooks, so I pay more attention to their opinion.  Hubby is really a picky eater, and I care about what he likes, because I don't want to make stuff for dinner that he doesn't like, within reason he is super picky, BUT when he doesn't like something it doesn't mean it isn't good, IMHO.  But people at my work appreciated them and that makes up for it.    

[TrelayneNYC]

8 hours ago, kitkatpaddywak said:

You had me at roast piggie. hmmm, good.

It was awesome if a bit rich. I could only manage one serving.

Great birthday party too.

[curiouskitkatt]

19 hours ago, TrelayneNYC said:

It was awesome if a bit rich. I could only manage one serving.

Great birthday party too.

In our household, roast pig is served with spicy papaya. The richness of the meat pairs well with the funky flavors of the papaya salad. All good,in moderation. 

[porcupine]

Needing to use a kabocha squash but lacking inspiration, I turned to Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty. The book fell open to the recipe for saffron tagliatelle with spiced butter, so I looked no further. Peeled, cubed and roasted the squash, cooked some farfalle, made the spiced butter (and added the saffron there, since I wasn't making the tagliatelle), combined everything and added a good amount of chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts. I think I'll be using that spiced butter on a lot of dishes this winter.

[Pat]

Leftover pork sausage balls with sriracha
Turkey - sweet potato chili with cilantro, sour cream, lime, and lime tortilla chips

[Simul Parikh]

Needed good ol' American comfort food after 8 days in Morocco... 

Tomato soup and gooey bacon and jalapeno mac and cheese from "Food Lab". Turned out fantastic and everything I needed after a week of tagine. 

 

[dcs]

On 1/24/2010 at 7:27 PM, hillvalley said:

Pioneer Woman's spicy shrimp. I cut the recipe into a single serving. It was delish but I needed a smaller pan and the shrimp cooked in about 3 minutes, not 10.

Congrats to the Pioneer Woman for Being the 23rd Largest Landowner in America, by Bobby Finger, November 14, 2017, 9:40am, on jezebel.com.

[Pat]

Tuesday:
Trader Joe's cheese and green chile tamales (from the fresh case; not as good as when I've had them in the past)
Refried beans
Taco-spiced rice
Steamed broccoli

Last night:
Chicken salad sandwiches on oat bran bread from Spring Mill Breads
Leftover smoked gouda and green chile mac and cheese

I sort of threw together the components for the sandwiches from what I had on hand, and they turned out really well.  The chicken salad had a yogurt-mayo dressing base with grainy Dijon, orange marmalade, raisins, celery, shallot, s+p, and toasted slivered almonds. There was also lettuce, which made the sandwiches just a tad too bulky.
I've never really liked orange marmalade, but I made a beef roast recipe recently that called for it as an optional ingredient, so I picked up a jar last-minute at Eastern Market of McCutcheon's juice-sweetened orange marmalade to use.  It was expensive getting it there, so I'm determined it's not going to get pushed to the back of the refrigerator and languish there.  This has to be the best orange marmalade I've tried. At least it's the only one I've liked, though I'd really given up on it, so I don't know the last time before now that I've tried it.

[Pat]

Bean, chile, and cheese burritos
Leftover taco-spiced rice with ground chuck added

The original rice didn't have any meat in it and I found the spicing a bit too strong. It was better with an extra shallot and 1/2 lb. of browned ground chuck added. 

[Pat]

That taco rice is sure getting a workout...and there's still some left.  Last night it was the stuffing for cabbage rolls in sweet and sour tomato sauce.  I also made a very simple salad of kale and avocado with the last of some citrus-champagne vinaigrette I'd made days before.  

[Pat]

Last night I made the Pork Tenderloin Agrodolce with Squash Rings from Smitten Kitchen Every Day, plus a baked potato with sour cream.  It was good, but I ended up with not enough of the agrodolce sauce. It called for a small red onion and I only had a very large one, so I used what I thought would be the equivalent of a small one, and it wasn't enough.  I went a little light on the other ingredients to compensate but that meant there was too little for the rest of the recipe. Overall good, though. I'll make sure I use an actual small onion next time!

[porcupine]

Lots of rice left in the bowl from a recent dinner at Bob's, so I got it to go along with an order of Taiwanese sausage, and a few nights later made fried rice with it, adding egg, peas, garlic, hot peppers, a kick-ass soy sauce some friends gave us, and sesame oil. Is fried rice déclassé? I don't care. It was delicious.

[DaveO]

1 hour ago, porcupine said:

Lots of rice left in the bowl from a recent dinner at Bob's, so I got it to go along with an order of Taiwanese sausage, and a few nights later made fried rice with it, adding egg, peas, garlic, hot peppers, a kick-ass soy sauce some friends gave us, and sesame oil. Is fried rice déclassé? I don't care. It was delicious.

Ha.  Is it déclassé??   Oh my I wouldn’t know but I enjoy making meals as the one above with fried rice.  But damn I never take the rice from a restaurant to go.  Thanks for the reference.  I ALWAYS have left over white rice.  Thanks for the heads up

[Pat]

Braised chicken thighs with whole wheat orzo, kale, and spinach
Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon

 

[Pat]

Last night was spinach tortellini in brodo made with homemade chicken broth, and leftover chicken, orzo and greens. Trying to use up leftovers before Thanksgiving makes more. 

[DaveO]

On 11/8/2017 at 12:40 PM, TrelayneNYC said:

Cacciatore embraces a wide variety of styles. The classic Neapolitan version with tomato is the one you're familiar with.

The one I posted is common in Rome as well as in Le Marche.

And this one (recipe in Italian) features carrot, celery, chicken broth and porcini mushrooms:  http://ricette.donnamoderna.com/pollo-alla-cacciatora-italia

By the way did a Neapolitan version the other week with ample leftovers.  2nd day was tastier as is often the case.  I think Dec will see a version w/olives sans the tomatoes and other veggies.  Might go w/ rabbit.  Sounds good

tx for the inspiration.

[TrelayneNYC]

Minestra maritata ("wedding soup").

B remarked, "This is rich." I replied, "That's the idea; it's a rather thin soup without all of the olive oil, pecorino and pork meatballs." Sometimes I'll add pastina or other soup pasta (e.g., orzo, tubetti, ditalini). But it's just as good without.

[dcandohio]

I topped broiled tilapia filets with a "Greek"  sauce of artichokes, grape tomatoes, lemon juice, chicken stock, garlic, dill and lots of oregano.  I then added feta right before I served it on couscous. I also made green beans sautéed with a bit of bacon and onion.  

Frankly, I did not think it was my best effort, but my friends devoured every morsel.

[Pat]

Arugula salad with vinaigrette
Turkey pot pie

[porcupine]

21 hours ago, Pat said:

Arugula salad with vinaigrette
Turkey pot pie

Ha! we had turkey pot pie, too. Pastry makes just about anything taste better.

[Pat]

On November 29, 2017 at 7:30 AM, porcupine said:

Ha! we had turkey pot pie, too. Pastry makes just about anything taste better.

Yes, it does!  I had some extra filling left from the pot pie, and that got thinned out a little with a bit of milk and went into a casserole with penne, broccoli, and smoked gouda (topped with bread crumbs) and heated up for 1/2 an hour.  The casserole provided a few more meals.  I also made a turkey soup that we've been making our way through.

[MsDiPesto]

Tonight is Arugula Pesto over DeCicco gnocchi with a salad of baby lettuce and Campari tomatos. The wine is something called Crimson Thread, a red blend. I told my cat it was named after him. 

[TrelayneNYC]

Wild boar slab bacon from Golden Gate Meat Company

Manhattan clam chowder
Mesclun salad with purslane and sorrel; shallot vinaigrette
Torta di pere ("pear cake")

[Pat]

Last night:
Salad of frisee, baby arugula, goat brie, artichoke hearts, radishes, and bacon; fig-balsamic vinaigrette
Roasted chicken legs
Roasted delicata squash stuffed with brown and wild rice mix with sauteed red bell pepper, shallot, celery and chopped cashews

Saturday night:
Salad of frisee, baby arugula, goat brie, artichoke hearts, radishes, and bacon; fig-balsamic vinaigrette
Beef stew with tomatoes, onions, turnip, rutabaga, carrots, and mushrooms

[DaveO]

On 11/19/2017 at 11:54 AM, porcupine said:

Lots of rice left in the bowl from a recent dinner at Bob's, so I got it to go along with an order of Taiwanese sausage, and a few nights later made fried rice with it, adding egg, peas, garlic, hot peppers, a kick-ass soy sauce some friends gave us, and sesame oil. Is fried rice déclassé? I don't care. It was delicious.

Thanks to this post I made friend rice for the first time in ages.  I had left over white rice and chicken and a sweet fish sauce from Nam Viet.  Added frozen peas and carrots, a little scrambled egg, onions, a little garlic, added a little soy to the fish sauce and sauteed in sesame oil. 

Enjoyed it.  I have a thing for fried rice.  I'll probably start cooking up rice saving it for a day or two and make fried rice dishes.  Thanks for the above post.

 

[dcandohio]

 A strong cold front is coming through South Florida today, and so we are actually going to have cool temps.  I am making a curry pumpkin soup with mini corn muffins.  This will be taken to a friend's house along with a cheese plate which we will enjoy while watching the annual Winterfest boat parade. 

[Pat]

Menus from a bit of an eclectic week, M - F:

Pain campagne
Pan-roasted wild king salmon
Braised cabbage with pancetta, onion, and fennel fronds
Leftover brown and wild rice mix with sauteed red bell pepper, shallot, celery and chopped cashews

Meatloaf barded with bacon
Cauliflower and cheese sauce

Nachos
Guacamole
Sour cream

Breaded butterflied pork chops
Leftover cranberry sauce
Wild rice with roasted chestnuts and cranberries
Leftover cauliflower and cheese sauce

Rogan Josh
White rice
Green beans
Butternut squash roasted with warm spices (including nutmeg, hot smoked paprika, cayenne)

 

[TrelayneNYC]

On Saturday, we had 

Chicken with triple mushroom (button mushrooms, Chinese black mushroom and straw mushrooms)
Wok-fried fillet of beef with snow peas

at our favorite cheapie Chinese restaurant in the Castro.

Earlier that morning, I started on

the prep for Sunday night's dinner.

What you're looking at are the ingredients for spiced yogurt which was subsequently added to 2 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.