Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[Xochitl10]

Broiled Pacific cod, topped with seasoned miso (dengaku miso)

Pan-fried kamaboko (fish paste) and mountain vegetable patties

Spinach sauteed in sesame oil, tossed with white sesame seeds and a splash of rice vinegar (could've done without the vinegar)

Steamed organic brown rice

[joncephine]

A pizza, with WF organic wheat crust (I was lazy), red pepper pesto, garlic and basil sausage, mozz and parmiagiano-reggiano, and spicy oregano from the SS farmer's market. It was phenomenal, and went well with our Iron Horse Pinot Noir.

[zoramargolis]

Crabcakes

Lemon-caper aioli

Mashed Yukon Golds

Oven roasted purple asparagus

Apricot-pine nut tart

2005 Terroir Les Gras Moutons Muscadet

[monavano]

Catching up here...

A lasagna with Marcla Hazan's bolognese and homemade ricotta.

Rhubarb cobbler

Pasta fagiole made with Rancho Gordo flageolets.

Ham, asparagus and smoked gouda fritatta

salad with watercress, strawberries, gorgonzola dolce and candied pecans with a champagne vinaigrette

strawberry and rhubarb cobbler with whiped cream.

[zoramargolis]

Herb-brined, charcoal roasted Eberly chicken

(Sugar-snap peas, shiitakes and tofu cake in Thai green curry-ginger sauce with fresh mint for Veggie-teen*)

Fresh corn pudding

Charcoal-grilled purple asparagus

Mesclun and lettuce salad with roasted almond oil-muscat vinegar dressing

2006 Dom. du Tariquet Cotes de Gascogne

Haagen-Dasz pineapple-coconut ice cream

*this was an expanded version of leftover sugar snaps in green curry and fresh mint that Jonathan and I had as a side dish with reheated leftover crabcakes, on Wednesday night when V-T wasn't home for dinner.

[zoramargolis]

A friend dropped by for drinks and stayed for dinner.

Manhattans with Maker's Mark, Carpano Antico vermouth, home-cured brandied cherries

Royal Red shrimp with spicy remoulade

Home-made garlic pork sausage with dijon mustard

Crostini with fava bean mousse and Pecorino Romano

Gigante beans in tomato sauce

Chili olives

Charcoal grilled hanger steak

Mashed potatoes

Collard greens

2004 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes Ghislaine Barthod (generously provided by our friend)

Trader Joe's California goat milk brie

Sinplicity Devil de Leche ice cream (dulce de leche, cinnamon and chile)

Amaro Montenegro

Bardouin Pastis

[Xochitl10]

home-cured brandied cherries

Zora, did you use sweet cherries or sour ones? The cocktail cherries that are available here make me weep (and not in a good way), so I've been thinking about making my own using sweet Yamagata cherries.

[zoramargolis]

Zora, did you use sweet cherries or sour ones? The cocktail cherries that are available here make me weep (and not in a good way), so I've been thinking about making my own using sweet Yamagata cherries.

I used sour cherries, and macerated them in brandy, kirsch and maraschino liqueur with some sugar added. I think that any cherries that have a lot of flavor would work.

[zoramargolis]

Last night:

Spinach and mesclun salad with dried cranberries, sliced almonds and homemade lavender chevre, almond oil and moscato vinaigrette

Charcoal-grilled rib eye

Grilled wild salmon for Veggie-teen (I cured most of the filet overnight for gravlax)

Oven roasted fiddleheads with lemon and butter*

Charcoal roasted corn on the cob

Oven roasted apricots with honey and brandy

Haagen Dasz vanilla ice cream

2005 Sebastiani Secolo

*Fiddleheads are de-LICIOUS done this way

[Pat]

Buttermilk potato salad with fennel

Chili cornbread casserole

[zoramargolis]

Hickory smoked spare ribs (Slow-cooked for 6 hours. Would have been better with one hour less.)

Maker's Mark-chipotle bbq sauce

(Veggie-teen had baked tofu cakes with bbq sauce)

Potato and egg salad

Coleslaw

Bbq cannelini beans

Choice of Magic Hat #9, Negro Modelo, Pacifico

Black and blue berry pie

B&J's vanilla ice cream

[Anna Blume]

Black and blue berry pie

Very cute. Were the berries bruised?

[zoramargolis]

Very cute. Were the berries bruised?

Nope, merely shaken up. Got a big box of blackberries at Costco the other day, and had some blueberries from TJ's that needed to be eaten, so I put them together in a shallow tart pan with a lattice-top double crust.

[monavano]

Nope, merely shaken up. Got a big box of blackberries at Costco the other day, and had some blueberries from TJ's that needed to be eaten, so I put them together in a shallow tart pan with a lattice-top double crust.

The blueberry pie with stars and stripes at Quaker Valley (Dupont Market) was really cute.

Yesterday-

slow cooked pork spare ribs with Ina Garten's bbq sauce

baked beans

cheddar corn chowder (also Ina Garten's recipe) with the last of my cryovaced corn from Lancaster PA.

Strawberry shortcake

[Xochitl10]

Lemon-parsley sausage sandwiches with sauteed yellow pepper and Kitakami shiitake

Grilled bamboo shoots dipped in miso

[Pat]

Homemade white corn tortilla chips with homemade salsa and guacamole; sour cream

Leftover chili cornbread casserole

[goodeats]

I was so excited about finding a great pizza dough recipe that I had to share it with you all. Dinner tonight was:

Dinner: Homemade pizza with baby bella mushrooms, panchetta, green peas, mozzarella and goat cheese (ingredients were all from TJs).

Dessert: Peach cobbler from scratch a la mode. Need to work on finding a good cobbler recipe though.

Sorry the pics are bad, but they were taken on my mobile:

[zoramargolis]

Buttemilk-marinated fried chicken

Collard greens with smoked pork

Artisan grits cakes

Fresh organic peaches (from Trader Joe's, grown in California)

Punkt Genau sparkling gruner veltliner--wow, this was great! So good with oily food. Recommended by Joe Riley at Ace.

[monavano]

Tagliatelle with garlic scape pesto.

(good and good for your heart )

[Xochitl10]

Tuesday:

Tofu "steak" topped with simmered shiitake and chives

The "boozy potatoes" from Eric Gower's "The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen", with different proportions of butter, soy sauce, and sake used for simmering

The last of the bamboo shoots, grilled and dipped in miso

Tonight:

Aburaage (deep-fried tofu sheet) split and stuffed with ground pork, spinach, and shiitake, then simmered in a stock of chicken broth, soy sauce and sake.

Miso soup with potatoes and chives

Steamed rice

On a whim, I also put "cottage cheese" in half of the aburaage bags, where it absorbed the flavor of the simmering stock, and became unremarkable. What's called "cottage cheese" here is smooth, somewhat tangy, and rather stiff like a cross between cream cheese and ricotta.

[zoramargolis]

What's called "cottage cheese" here is smooth, somewhat tangy, and rather stiff like a cross between cream cheese and ricotta.

Sounds like quark.

Dinner last night:

Lasagna with La Pasta fresh pasta, crimini 'shrooms and dried porcini, mozz. di bufala and homemade ricotta

Mixed green salad with dried cranberries, avocado and pine nuts

Strawberry and peach tiramisu

2005 Colosi Rosso

[Anna Blume]

Meatloaf

Buttermilk mashed potatoes

Turnip greens braised w spring onions

Meatloaf: ground turkey (not breast meat only) mixed w contents of one chorizo sausage, chipotle in adobo, caramelized Vidalia onion, garlic, lots of Italian parsley, carrot, egg and fresh bread crumbs soaked in buttermilk.

At last minute added halves of grape tomatoes to turnip greens. It was Mrs. B's description of Mac and Cheese that made me do it.

[Xochitl10]

We had a friend over for dinner last night, so Western food was on the menu.

Apps: the rest of the J-cottage cheese mixed with grated lemon peel and black pepper, served on sliced cucumber; garlic crostini

Spaghetti with tomato sauce and meatballs

Spinach salad with toasted sliced almonds and candied yuzu peel, tossed with mustard vinaigrette

Strawberries macerated in balsamic vinaigrette over vanilla ice cream

Sparkling wine

[ol_ironstomach]

Spiedies, grilled at a racetrack camping area by a couple of friends who hail from Binghamton.

Components available at Wegman's, natch.

[Anna Blume]

So, Zora, watcha gonna do with that baby lamb?

[youngfood]

So, Zora, watcha gonna do with that baby lamb?

Yes, details please! I have the other one and am trying to figure out what to do with it. Do these little guys require siginificantly different treatment than a regular leg of lamb?

[zoramargolis]

So, Zora, watcha gonna do with that baby lamb?

Yes, details please! I have the other one and am trying to figure out what to do with it. Do these little guys require siginificantly different treatment than a regular leg of lamb?

I subscribe to James Carville's philosophy when I am lucky enough to acquire such very special, very high quality ingredients: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Basically, I am going to quickly pan sear the outside of it and roast it until it is medium rare inside and try very hard not to overcook it. Then I am going to rest it, slice it and put a bit of Maldon salt on it, and savor the flavor. Maybe some new potatoes and roasted asparagus or quick-sauteed sugar snap peas alongside. And a pinot noir to drink--don't want a wine that will overpower the delicate meat.

I have to go someplace tonight, so it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

[zoramargolis]

I have had positive response (primarily from Legant) about vegetarian options that I provide for my daughter, so I thought I would describe a vegetarian entree I created yesterday to send home with one of V-T's friends, whose mother is undergoing chemo and hasn't had the energy to cook. When I asked what kinds of things her mother was able to eat or wanted to eat, the girl said: "Something spicy. Her sense of taste has been affected and she needs strong flavors to perk up her appetite."

I looked in the fridge and pantry and came up with the following, which provided enough for two families--it's a lot, so can be cut down:

Mexican Chile-Cheese Grits Casserole

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

3 stalks green garlic (or 2-3 cloves garlic), chopped

1 roasted red poblano chile, seeded and chopped (roasted red bell pepper would be good, too)

1 jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped

1 canned chipotle chile, seeded and chopped

1 can corn kernels, well drained ( fresh or frozen corn is fine too--I just didn't have anything but canned)

1-2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano

1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)

fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro and chopped scallions (or more)

1/4 cup grated romano or parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

8 cups liquid ( I used 4 cups of water and four cups of milk, but it could be all water)

1 3/4 cups quick-cooking polenta (medium or coarse cornmeal)

1 3/4 cups masa harina

1 1/2 tsp. salt

8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

Oil one large or two medium rectangular casseroles on bottom and sides.

Saute onion, garlic and chiles until soft and any liquid is evaporated. Add corn and spices. Reserve cilantro for later. Keep mixture warm.

Heat liquid to boiling, add salt and turn down to a simmer. Slowly add cornmeal and masa while simultaneously beating with a wire whisk. Masa harina can easily clump together, so vigorous whisking is necessary. You are looking for a very stiff mixture, so add more masa if needed, if it still seems soupy after cooking for 5-6 minutes. Cook for another few minutes while stirring, so that it doesn't stick or burn. Add grated cheddar cheese and stir well to thoroughly combine. Remove from heat and gently fold in the vegetables and cilantro-scallion mixtures so that they are well distributed.

Spread mixture into oiled casserole(s). Top with grated romano or parmesan cheese and run under a broiler until lightly browned.

Allow to cool to room temperature. Can be cut into chunks or wedges and reheated.

Serve with salsa, pico de gallo or hot sauce.

[zoramargolis]

So, Zora, watcha gonna do with that baby lamb?

I subscribe to James Carville's philosophy when I am lucky enough to acquire such very special, very high quality ingredients: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Basically, I am going to quickly pan sear the outside of it and roast it until it is medium rare inside and try very hard not to overcook it. Then I am going to rest it, slice it and put a bit of Maldon salt on it, and savor the flavor. Maybe some new potatoes and roasted asparagus or quick-sauteed sugar snap peas alongside. And a pinot noir to drink--don't want a wine that will overpower the delicate meat.

Well, I ended up not being quite so austere about it. After I seared the lamb and put it into the oven in a little casserole, I had some fond in my cast iron skillet, so I made a little pan reduction sauce with some pinot noir, veal stock from the freezer, some finely chopped spring sweet onion, green garlic, fresh mint and thyme and a little butter. The little creamy new potatoes had just some butter and salt, and the sugar snaps were sauteed in butter with a chiffonade of fresh mint. The meat was so amazingly tender, juicy, and very delicate in flavor. The wine we had with it was a 2005 Rene Bouvier Bourgogne Le Chepitre which we both thought was as enjoyable as a $100 2004 Gevrey-Chambertin that a friend brought over not long ago, though it cost far less. This was just about a perfect meal. For Jonathan, the wine was the star, but I'm still humming from the harmony of it all.

[Anna Blume]

The other night:

Rombi w pesto; tiny new potatoes, halved and boiled along w the pasta; split, raw grape tomatoes

(Stoneyman cheese mixed w just a little Romano)

Tonight:

Lemony Moroccan tagine w lamb shoulder, spring onions and cardoons

Grated turnip salad

Couscous

Steamed snap peas

[zoramargolis]

Eco-Friendly Berkshire pork rib chops, pan-seared and braised on top of a sweet-sour rhubarb-onion compote*

Baked home-made ricotta for Veggie-Teen

Braised ruby chard

New potatoes

Peach-blueberry pie with Haagen-Dasz vanilla

2006 Weingut Strauss Gelber Muskateller

*I enjoy fruit with pork, but Jonathan does not. This was my compromise: sauteed sweet onion with sliced rhubarb, then steamed it until tender with agave syrup, dry marsala, balsamic vinegar and golden raisins, lemon zest & juice, bay leaf and thyme. Laid the browned pork chops on top and covered the pan until the pork was cooked through. Chopped Italian parsley and thyme to garnish. This was a very successful improvisation that I will definitely do again during rhubarb season. The Berkshire pork was amazingly flavorful--in the package it was dark as beef, but cooked up somewhat paler. Not "the other white meat" by any measure. I had already started the chard when I came up with the rhubarb compote. The texture of the chard and the compote were similar, and the balance of the plate would have been better with a veg with a little crunch, like green beans or asparagus. But it all tasted really good.

[Pat]

Chicken sandwiches (lettuce, tomato, sliced hard boiled eggs) on mini baguettes

Buttermilk fennel potato salad

[monavano]

Costco rotisserie chicken with homemade gravy

Gorgonzola dolce souffles (leftover from a few days ago, when I paired them with a strawberry and pinot noir sauce-inspired by Top Chefs Stephanie)

corn on the cob that needed a lot of hlep to taste like something

mixed greens with naturtiums

Middleburg Creamery mocha toffee ice cream (from the Kingstowne farmers market)

[legant]

Romaine and bok choy salad with tuna, topped with sesame seeds, red onions, matchstick carrots and (terribly under-riped) tomatoes. Served with a really interesting -- as in, this tastes better than I thought -- vinagrette: rice vinegar, orange juice, dijon mustard, sesame oil, canola oil and Sriracha. (Adapted from May 2008 Cooking Light.)

[Pat]

Cheeseburgers (provolone) with fried onions and mushrooms on mini baguettes

[Xochitl10]

Niku-dofu: cotton tofu, thinly sliced beef, enoki mushrooms and scallions simmered in a dashi/soy sauce/mirin/sake/sugar stock

A suimono (vinegared dish) of wakame seaweed, cucumbers, and myouga

Steamed rice

[DanCole42]

NY Strip basted in oregano butter

"Inside out" ripieno: Swiss chard and ricotta on bruschetta

[Pat]

ground beef tacos on soft white corn tortillas

topped with chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar, sliced green olives stuffed with jalapenos, and sour cream

[Pat]

Chicken enchiladas

Refried black beans

Corn and radish salad

[monavano]

Lamb chops that were marinated in garlic, rosemary, thyme, red wine and olive oil. Grilled (inside since we still haven't replaced our old outdoor gas grill)

pommes dauphinoises (sp?) and baked asparagus with parmesan.

This morning, the potatoes, along with more fresh chopped rosemary, went into a delicious frittata.

[Xochitl10]

Hiyayakko tofu with toppings of sliced green onion and myouga

Tamogidake (smallish, shallow yellow irregularly-edged caps on cream-colored stems) mushrooms pan-fried in butter, salt, and pepper

Shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) rice

Sliced angelica, simmered in soy sauce and sake

[monavano]

As I thought, tonight I put together entree salads with mixed herbs and greens, leftover lamb chops, sauteed fresh peas, roasted golden beets, blue cheese, spring onions and a simple red wine vinaigrette.

[bettyjoan]

Since moving to Atlanta, I've been reeeeeally enjoying my dad's grill (it's not charcoal, but it's nicer than I've ever had)--citrus-marinated halibut with vegetable kebabs turned out wonderfully, and last night's arugula salad with grilled peaches, prosciutto, goat cheese, and balsamic reduction was a lovely, light summer treat. Back to apartment living this weekend...but not before a few more grilled dinners!

[Pat]

Spaghetti and meat sauce with mushrooms, made with half whole wheat and half regular pasta. Topped with Parmigiano.

Onion rolls with butter.

[Xochitl10]

Broiled swordfish topped with seasoned miso

Sauteed spinach, garlic, and tofu

Steamed organic genmai (brown rice)

More of the simmered angelica

[zoramargolis]

Thursday night dinner for visiting relatives:

Hors d'euvres served with a sparkling white Saumur, methode champenoise:

Smoked trout mousse on mini-toasts

Royal Red shrimp poached in shrimp shell court bouillion, homemade cocktail sauce

Fresh black mission figs, stuffed with homemade lavender chevre, wrapped with La Quercia prosciutto and baked

First course:

Chilled fresh pea soup with mint

2006 Las Perdices Viognier

Main:

Charcoal roasted, maple-planked Scottish salmon

Baby new potatoes

Oven roasted asparagus, baby summer squash, zucchini and golden beets

Fresh favas

Salsa verde (Italian-style)

2006 Strauss Gelber Muskateller

Dessert:

Lattice-crust Georgia peach pie with vanilla ice cream

Yalumba botrytised viognier

Friday lunch after graduation:

Maro (fava mousse) crostini with Everona Stony Man sheepmilk cheese

Watermelon and feta salad with mint and lime juice

Poached Royal Red shrimp, cocktail sauce

Baby new potato and cucumber salad with salsa verde vinaigrette

Gigante beans cooked with garlic and thyme, served cold

Mache and frisee salad with local hothouse tomato

Smoked trout mousse on baguette toast

Roederer Champagne

[synaesthesia]

Mussels with bacon-leek cream sauce and baguette

Rib-eye steaks with S&P

Potato salad with cucumber tzatziki sauce and a touch of mayo

Roasted squash and zucchini

Fruit tart from Wegman's

[hillvalley]

Homemade salsa and chips

Fava beans with a bit of parmesan

Grilled squashblossoms stuffed with goat cheese flavored with herbs and garlic scapes

Sauteed squashblossoms

Grilled lamb chops

Organic cherries

[porcupine]

Spinach salad with warm bacon dressing and blue cheese (spinach from my garden)

Ricotta gnocchi with morels in brown butter sauce

Strawberry shortcakes

[Pat]

Cantaloupe wrapped in proscuitto

Chicken andouille sausage "hot dogs" with fried peppers and onions plus edam cheese, on toasted potato rolls

I was pleased to find that Costco has Sausages by Amy chicken andouille sausage again. They're the best chicken sausages I've ever found but are prohibitively expensive to order online. The brand name has changed to Sausages by Amylu, but it's the same company and product.