Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[bilrus]

Can you recommend me your smoker?  I'm in the market, but have no idea what makes for a good/reliable/cost-effective smoker.  Thanks!

It is a Weber Somkey Mountain Cooker, also known as the Weber Bullet. It is a "water smoker" meaning there is a pan of water between the meat and the fuel to help maintain a low temperature.

Lots of information at the Virtual Weber Bullet website.

There are cheaper versions out there (and more expensive ones) of this style, but I bought the Weber because A) I'm a sucker for brand names but, more importantly, it was by far the best reviewed.

There are other styles of smokers that looks like big grills with separate smoke boxes that some people swear by as well.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Bill

No self respecting Missourian would put cole slaw on barbeque.

[bilrus]

Bill

No self respecting Missourian would put cole slaw on barbeque.

I like it on my pork, maybe not so much on the beef. I left it off on my second round of sandwiches last night and liked those better naked.

[JLK]

Thanks for the encouragement. When he and I first met, he said "every woman - and man for that matter - should have at least three go-to dishes." I had moved to DC from NYC only a few months prior and was used to having virtually no kitchen. I also have a mother who hates cooking! The bottom line is that cooking, for me, meant dumping salad dressing on plain skinless chicken breasts and shoving it in the oven, or pasta with spaghetti sauce (made, grudgingly, by my mother).

Now I have a somewhat broader repertoire...and it's growing! I'm about to have my short rib ragu leftovers for lunch. Good times.

To keep this on-topic, I'm contemplating pork scallopine (also from Fine Cooking's March issue) tonight or tomorrow. I also would like to make chicken white bean chili again, however I have to head to Orlando on business Wednesday through Friday, limiting my free time.

Don't question his sincerity, girlfriend. Just keep on cooking. Food is love, and the more you love the process of cooking for the two of you, the more love he will feel for you. Trust me on this.

My boyfriend was mine, totally hooked after I prepared chicken marengo, rice pilaf and asparagus with hollandaise sauce for him on a two-burner electric hotplate. We are still together, 35 years later!  

Edited January 23, 2006 by JLK

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Thanks for the encouragement.  When he and I first met, he said "every woman - and man for that matter - should have at least three go-to dishes."  I had moved to DC from NYC only a few months prior and was used to having virtually no kitchen.  I also have a mother who hates cooking!  The bottom line is that cooking, for me, meant dumping salad dressing on plain skinless chicken breasts and shoving it in the oven, or pasta with spaghetti sauce (made, grudgingly, by my mother). 

Now I have a somewhat broader repertoire...and it's growing!  I'm about to have my short rib ragu leftovers for lunch.  Good times.

Did you ever wind up scoring a Le Creuset braising pot?

[JLK]

Yes! For Christmas 2004. I love it and am always looking for recipes that use it.

[goldenticket]

I also would like to make chicken white bean chili again, however I have to head to Orlando on business Wednesday through Friday, limiting my free time.

Dinner last night was the last of my white bean chicken chili - good stuff! So easy to make. And tasty enough that I didn't mind the leftovers that provided 3+ dinners. Posole is the next adventure, but may have to wait until the weekend.

[amyblues]

Dinner last night was a first for us...monkfish in soy-ginger broth from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, with snow peas and white rice as sides. I would probably increase the soy sauce in the dish since the +1 and I both noticed a lack of salt, but the broth was delicious spooned over the fish and the rice.

[jm chen]

Endive salad with goat cheese and orange sections, made with leftovers from the dinner party. Pork chops with a sprinkling of cajun rub.

[Bean]

We are having a chili cook off for super bowl sunday and I wondered if anyone had a time tested receipe they'd like to share. I have a bunch of ideas, but I need direction. (I'll probably stay away from chicken, given the occassion).

There is also the issue of cupcakes. I'm going to make a batch for each team, and want to do some fun decorating. I'd love any input. Thanks!

[ScotteeM]

OK, so I pan-seared some loin pork chops in olive oil flavored with garlic and sage. Then I made a sauce of heavy cream, mustard, sage and garlic. We ate that with reheated seared potatoes & fennel from the other night, and simmered frozen peas with tarragon.

[JPW]

OK, so I pan-seared some loin pork chops in olive oil flavored with garlic and sage.  Then I made a sauce of heavy cream, mustard, sage and garlic.  We ate that with reheated seared potatoes & fennel from the other night, and simmered frozen peas with tarragon.

LOL. That's almost exactly what I made on Monday. Except for veggies I had sauteed mushrooms, snap peas, scallions with some zapped frozen peas added at the end.

Last night was a small meal of larb and a cucumber salad with a thai-style dressing.

[bilrus]

Pho Ga - Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup - from the linked recipe from Pho 75 that ran in the Washington Post last year:

[ScotteeM]

Last night was the maple-rosemary glazed short ribs (braised in porter), and maple-balsamic glazed golden beets.

[ScotteeM]

Tonight: Oyster-stuffed Porobello mushrooms (from the new WF), "Barbecued" sockeye salmon, and butternut squash creamy polenta.

[zoramargolis]

SCORE!!!! Visiting cousins from Santa Cruz came to dinner last night and brought me a large shopping bag full of Meyer lemons from their tree. No carnauba wax! No pesticides! Really fresh!!

I added zest and juice to almost every dish I served...

Hors d'euvres: guacamole and chips (cousin's daughter's boyfriend from Oaxaca was along-- he heartily approved--which she reported has never before happened in a gringo's home--he really liked my roasted chile adobo salsa, too.)

Medjool dates stuffed with homemade lavender chevre, sprinkled with Maldon salt

Petit Basque sheepmilk cheese with homemade membrillo

Alfonso olives, roasted red peppers, Genoa pepper salami

First course: roasted squash, celeriac and quince bisque, 2005 Yalumba Y Viognier

Main: Charcoal roasted chicken, herb-brined and rubbed with garlic and smoked paprika

Mushroom-barley pilaf

Roasted fennel and fig slaw

2003 Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz

Salad: Mixed greens with EVOO, Meyer lemon juice and a splash of sherry vinegar

Dessert: Forelle pear upside-down cake with fresh blackberries, B&J's vanilla i.c. and whipped cream

I don't think they were just being polite when they said it was the best chicken they'd ever eaten-- the thirteen year-old said she usually didn't like chicken, because it was always dry, but she loved this. They didn't know about brining, obviously, though now they do. And they've never eaten chicken at Palena Cafe... Luckily, I made three large chickens, and I've got leftovers--it's really good cold.

[porcupine]

SCORE!!!! Visiting cousins from Santa Cruz came to dinner last night and brought me a large shopping bag full of Meyer lemons from their tree.

nice. The rest of your menu sounds really good, too.

BTW, I love to stuff dates with blue cheese, like Stilton or gorgonzola dolce. The contrast is surprising and really nice. Have you had the mascarpone-stuffed dates at Komi?

[zoramargolis]

Have you had the mascarpone-stuffed dates at Komi?

Nope. But reading about them provided the inspiration for doing what I did. The visiting cousin was the one who got me turned on to the idea of making my own chevre--she makes chevre with fresh raw goat milk she gets from a neighbor in Aptos. She and her daughters all loved the added lavender flowers.

Edited January 29, 2006 by zoramargolis

[AlliK]

Tuscan-style white beans doused with olive oil brought back from Montepulciano, argula salad with lemon/olive oil, bread, and the last of the pecorino semi-stagionato stashed in the freezer that we had brought back from Pienza a few months ago. Tastes like Italy even if the scenery isn't quite as picturesque outside the window! Dessert = wine-poached pears.

[Heather]

Orrichiette (sp?) with ricotta, parmesan, peas & mint. Scott and I loved it. My children, who gobbled this the last THREE times I made it, turned up their noses. Kids and their perverse appetites....

Edited January 30, 2006 by Heather

[zoramargolis]

    Kids and their perverse appetites....

I'm always having to figure out how to create two versions of dinner to satisfy my kid's vegetarian thing. Although, from the sound of it, she would love the oricchiete with ricotta, peas, parmesan and mint that you made. Can I send her to you the next time you make it? That way, you will have a kid who appreciates your culinary effort, and Jonathan and I can eat meat and I won't have to make a second main dish for her.

[goldenticket]

I had posole - inspired by the discussion of it around here - nice and spicy and filling! Lots of hominy, roasted poblanos, tomatillos, etc. Washed down with a cold beer and accompanied by some warm tortillas to wipe out the bowl

[thanks to zoramargolis for sharing the basics of the recipe!]

Next, I'm going to make a foray into the world of Meyer lemons (sorbet perhaps) - again, inspired by you guys - you're such great motivators!

[jm chen]

Finally got the chance to make something from All About Braising -- Whole Chicken Braised With Pears and Rosemary.

It was fantastic.

I did cut a few corners -- I'm not at the point yet where I'm comfortable with opening up the giblet bag and browning the neck, heart, etc., and I didn't strain the sauce or make the carmelized pear garnish. It was much more rustic. I also made a 7-pound chicken instead of a 4-pound, and for the side, I just boiled some chunks of carrot in the vermouth/stock/leek liquid the chicken had braised in.

Praise for the braise: "I think this is the best chicken you've ever made."

[JLK]

I tried to make Waitman's Pork Stephanie again, but using a pork loin roast (bone in) this time due to a lack of available tenderloins in un-marinated form at the Giant on 9th Street NW.

Sadly it did not go well. No fault of that delicious recipt though. Just the chef being utterly flummoxed by this cut of pork.

[ScotteeM]

Last night I braised some loin pork chops with apple slices and fresh sage. With that I had some (frozen) porcini mushroom ravioli in brown butter w/sage and pine nuts.

[mdt]

Here are a couple of things I made in the last few days.

Whole red snapper baked in salt. This is easy and delicious that I am always kicking myself for not making it more often. Anyone can make this dish.

All the talk of the roasted fish at TemptAsian got me to thinking about making a version of it at home. So I bought some cod fillets, seasoned them with salt, pepper, and a liberal covering of fresh ground cumin and cayenne. Then I dusted each with Wondra before putting in a saute pan with melted butter.

[jm chen]

Simple supper: Turkey cutlets pounded flat, cut in half, and wrapped in turkey bacon. Frickin' awesome.

[DCMark]

Sunday night I made whole Red Snapper in the Basque style from Anthony Bourdain's cookbook. I went to both the Safeway and Whole Foods in Georgetown looking for whole Red Snapper with no luck. Since I already had the other ingredients I ended up at the waterfront. Only one of the stalls had a red snapper.

Tuesday was aged ribeye with shallot and 'trumpet de mort' sauce with braised leeks.

[jm chen]

Sunday night supper: another recipe from All About Braising: Soy-Glazed Chicken Thighs With Star Anise and Orange Peel.

Incredibly tasty, with a sweet sauce we licked off our fingers. Ginger, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, and scallions, with cornstarch at the end to thicken. And only about an hour from start to finish, with half an hour oven time.

Served up with stir-fried broccoli, water chestnuts, and straw mushrooms.

[grover]

My dinner was fresh salad with vinaigrette, roasted chicken and baked blue potatoes with rosemary and EVOO. Wine was Two buck chuck sauvignon blanc.

[Al Dente]

I thoroughly enjoyed a couple of bratwursts from Whole Foods boiled in beer then seared off in a pan to give it a deep tan. I then caramelized some onions and stirred in a little horseradish when they were done. Took a baguette, cut it to size, and then ripped out some of the superfluous interior. A generous heap of onions was applied to the bread along with a slathering of good Dijon. Washed them down with some Czech beer. Just perfect.

[porcupine]

Chicken kabobs (marinated in honey, soy sauce, and lemon juice) on brown rice, with a warm salad of portobello mushroom, grape tomato [surprisingly good for this time of year], sweet onion, and red bell pepper, drizzled with pomegranate molasses and sprinkled with little bits of fresh sheep milk cheese. With a glass of Ommegang Witte.

Dessert: sweetened mascarpone flavored with blood orange juice and mixed with fresh strawberries [also surprisingly good], tucked into crepes. And a heart-shaped chocolate from Kingsbury.

[zoramargolis]

Merguez meatballs with minted yogurt sauce

Vegetable tagine (roasted eggplant, tomato, roasted red pepper, fennel, chickpeas and dried apricots, spiced with ras al hanout, spicy paprika, cumin, dried lemon and fenugreek)

Cous-cous

Roasted asparagus

2003 Altos de Luzon Jumilla

Dessert: the last of a Meyer lemon bundt cake I made a few days ago

[jm chen]

My first meatloaf. Half turkey, half beef, and cooked freeform on a foil-covered baking sheet. Ugliest food EVER. About half a cup of fat drained off during baking. Basted and served with my +1's family's Piquant Sauce: ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, and a touch of nutmeg. Baked sweet potatoes on the side.

[Escoffier]

My first meatloaf. Half turkey, half beef, and cooked freeform on a foil-covered baking sheet. Ugliest food EVER. About half a cup of fat drained off during baking. Basted and served with my +1's family's Piquant Sauce: ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, and a touch of nutmeg. Baked sweet potatoes on the side.

Sounds like the meatloaf recipe in the American Test Kitchen cookbook. Their's is similar. If you use a raised edge cookie sheet it works much better (that and ground beef that's 98% fat free). We generally add a bit of ground veal and ground pork. Makes a fine meatloaf.

Edited to remove stupid misspelling.

Edited February 7, 2006 by Escoffier

[grover]

My first meatloaf. Half turkey, half beef, and cooked freeform on a foil-covered baking sheet. Ugliest food EVER. About half a cup of fat drained off during baking. Basted and served with my +1's family's Piquant Sauce: ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, and a touch of nutmeg. Baked sweet potatoes on the side.

It sounds like you are making healthy version of meatloaf.

May I ask where you got the recipe?

[jm chen]

As Escoffier suspected, it was based on the recipe in the America's Test Kitchen cookbook (The New Best Recipe). Although their recommended meat mix is 50% beef, 25% pork, and 25% veal. I doubled the onion and the thyme, and where the recipe gives options for binders and moisture, I used crackers and yogurt. It was not at all dry.

[DCMark]

Did some cooking this weekend. Friday night was my old standby (ie, date dinner when I was a youngin'): Spagetti Carbonara with enough bacon to kill a horse.

Saturday I got up early made braised short ribs with ancho chilli sauce and a chocolate mousse. Dinner was the ribs, polenta with gorgonzola, and the mousse.

[mdt]

For Superbowl Sunday I cooked up a batch of chili based on a recipe (DING DONG EIGHT-ALARM CHILI) that I found on epicurious.com. I used a habanero pepper instead of the serrano listed and thought it still needed a little more spice. I made it on Friday and let the flavors develop in the fridge until Sunday. Decent recipe, but I would add a bit more garlic and another 1/2 T (at least) of chili powder.

Served it on top of cheddar cheese polenta and then homemade toasted almond ice cream for dessert.

[Sthitch]

Last night I made a cold shrimp and noodle dish. The dish contained finally julienned carrots (that were crisped in ice water), thinly sliced scallions, cubed avocado, marinated and sautéed day boat shrimp (marinated for five minutes in a soy, and sake). Since I did not have vermicelli, I went with fresh angel hair pasta. This was all combined with a simple vinaigrette of lemon juice, honey, ginger, tamari, and vegetable oil. It was topped with toasted sesame seeds.

[cjsadler]

We had some chili (made with poblano and New Mexican chilis) I had made on Sunday, with some jalapeno-cheddar biscuits that txaggie made.

And then some steamed meyer lemon puddings with blackberry sauce (from some frozen ones that we had picked this past summer) for dessert.

Edited February 8, 2006 by cjsadler

[Sthitch]

Last night I did a true meat and potatoes dinner. Pan seared steak topped with wine hinted sautéed mushrooms, with a baked potato. I rarely eat baked potatoes, mostly because I have found them to be rather boring. Last night I followed the method laid out by Mark Bittman in How to Cook Everything. Bake at 350 for 75 minutes. But I rubbed the skin in oil, and gave sprinkled it with some sea salt. What came out was what a baked potato should taste like. The interior was light, and tasted delightfully earthy. The skin had a crisp exterior and became wonderfully chewy on the inside. I only ate half of my steak, but did not leave a bit of my potato on the plate.

[Xochitl10]

cjsadler, your dinner photos are fabulous! Where did you get your NM chiles (red, I presume)?

[Heather]

Mom was too busy to cook today:

Turkey sandwich with tomato and guacamole, or roast beef with red onion and Maytag blue cheese mayo.

Homemade chicken broth with noodles.

Assorted crudite.

Chocolate pudding (not homemade, alas)

[porcupine]

cjsadler, your dinner photos are fabulous!  Where did you get your NM chiles (red, I presume)?

heck, I want the recipe for the steamed puddings!

[Barbara]

heck, I want the recipe for the steamed puddings!

Me, Too!

[Escoffier]

trying to get over a cold that both Grover and I are sharing, I decided I'd do the way easy way out tonight. Stopped at Safeway and bought both the prepared Steakhouse Chili with Beans and the Crab and Corn Chowder and a freshly baked baguette. Heated up the soups, put them in nice china, cut the baguette into nice size pieces, put out some chevre, a bit of Stilton, some well-aged English cheddar and went for it. Dinner in 10 minutes and Grover appreciated it. Hubby brownie points for being thoughtful...what more could you ask for.

[cjsadler]

heck, I want the recipe for the steamed puddings!

It's this recipe here. It's very simple and good. A favorite of mine, really, as they split into a thin layer of almost lemon curd like stuff at the top and then a souffle at the bottom (with the meyer lemons, this wasn't as pronounced for some reason). I think you'll really like these. Just don't wait too long to serve them like I did this time, as they tend to shrink/deflate a bit and aren't as good. The time in the recipe is off, too. They'll probably need to steam for about 40 minutes. Forget the golden on top instruction, too, just pull when they seem nice and set after you take the foil off (by the time they're golden on top, they'll usually be overcooked).

Edited February 9, 2006 by cjsadler

[cjsadler]

cjsadler, your dinner photos are fabulous!  Where did you get your NM chiles (red, I presume)?

Thanks. The NM chiles (red) were from Grand Mart (MD suburbs), where you can get bags of them cheap.

[amyblues]

Sauteed crimini mushrooms with balsamic vinegar and madeira wine with rosemary and thyme, served over reconstituted prepared polenta, gussied up with more rosemary, thyme, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. I usually buy those tubes of polenta, slice them up and fry them but this was much better. Supplemented the polenta with a mish-mosh of items from Wheatberry Deli up the street from my home. I love that place.