Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[zoramargolis]

oven-braised brisket

steamed new potatoes

haricots verts

vanilla ice cream with fresh blackberries, dulce de leche and almond butter cookie crumble

2005 Dom. Grand Veneur cdr les champauvins

[Chocolatechipkt]

Last night:

Roasted butternut squash lasagna

huge salad with greens, red peppers, fresh feta etc

mixed tomato salad

French bread

Apple cake for those who still had room

[Pat]

Salad (green leaf lettuce, cucumber, radish, croutons, chickpeas; vinaigrette)

Olive bread with dipping oil

Carrot, fennel, and ginger soup with shiitakes and green onions

Cheez-it crusted chicken cutlets

Baked potatoes

[Heather]

homemade chicken soup

toast & cheddar cheese

sliced honeycrisp apples

hot tea

[Anna Blume]

Kabocha soup w leek and ginger

Grilled cheese (Keswick Carrock) w slivers of Gold Rush apple on struan

Leftover roasted root vegetables added to pan of sautéed greens from last week's golden beets (fwiw, stems separated from leaves, boiled for 3-4 minutes, leaves added to pot, blanched, a couple of days ago)

Rest of the Gold Rush apple

[lperry]

Roasted asparagus and crimini mushrooms tossed with balsamic and parm, added to a little whole wheat penne. Trying to keep the veg:pasta ratio 3 or 4:1.

Sweet potato and feta drop biscuits. I don't know enough about cheese chemistry to understand what happens to feta when it chars on the bottom of a biscuit, but it is fantastic.

[Xochitl10]

Carne adovada -- New Mexican red chile marinated/braised pork

Homemade tortillas

Pinto beans

Rice

[qwertyy]

Cold Goose Island IPA

Cold Down-the-Hill Pete's Apizza*

*The day I moved in, Shangri-La was found to have a gas leak, so the whole building was shut down--stove, heat, fireplace. But that's okay because I'm still enamored of it like it's a cute boy, and as long as a lady has hot water, internet, beer, and awesome delivery pizza, what else does she need? I do really need to find my toaster oven though...

[zoramargolis]

Cold Down-the-Hill Pete's Apizza*

That one is my favorite variety from Pete's. Although I do prefer it hot.

[monavano]

Whole grain shells and cheese-I used up goat ricotta and made a cheese sauce with Pecorino. Added broccolli rabe and sun dried tomatoes.

[Tweaked]

Socca (chickpea flour crepes)

Chickpea stew kinda thing (in dutch oven - saute onion, red pepper, garlic, carrots. add s&p, ground cumin, spanish paprika, cherry tomatoes. add hefty dose of white wine, can of chickpeas, heat down low, cover and simmer until nice and stewy, finish with a splash of cream)

Garnish crepes with a drizzle of yogurt whipped with ground cumin, s&p

[lperry]

So pretty. There's something about baked pasta that makes the cold weather seem better.

Sweet potato soup spiced with garam masala and a little curry powder, topped with pita chip "croutons" because the old bread was growing stuff.

Reheated sweet potato and feta biscuits.

[Pat]

Leftover carrot fennel ginger soup

Olive bread with dipping oil

Broiled lamb loin chops with chickpea-olive-lemon relish

Leftover cumin carrots

Broccoli with pine nuts and raisins

[Anna Blume]

Spinach spaghetti w ragù ("You put chicken livers in ragù?!" asks Stefano, but he's not from Emilia-Romagna.)

Glass of Côtes du Rhône

Mesclun salad w very last (?) of the local raspberries, toasted walnuts and shallot vinaigrette

********************

Take a look at the first page of this five-year-old topic for a kick.

[zoramargolis]

Take a look at the first page of this five-year-old topic for a kick.

I'm glad we've moved away from posting about eating cold Domino's pizza and take-out Chinese <yawn>. I mean everyone does it once in a while but why do the rest of us need to hear about it?

otoh...I finally got around to looking at the Thai cookbook that I picked up at the Fall picnic. Very complicated recipes, and I didn't have some needed ingredients like kaffir lime leaves and fresh turmeric, although I did find nam pla and palm sugar in my pantry and some tamarind in my spice drawer (no idea how long it's been there, but the package was sealed...) I made grilled chicken that required two separate marinades, one that was an ingredient for the other. This involved toasting and grinding white peppercorns and coriander seeds for one recipe and cumin and caraway seeds for the other, and lots of garlic cloves and ginger root. The chicken marinated for about two hours and then went on the charcoal grill. I also made a recipe in the book for peanut sauce, which did double duty as a sauce for stir-fried rice noodles and dressing for a gado-gado salad (Indonesian, not Thai, but J. is a reluctant salad eater who will eat just about anything if it has a spicy peanut sauce on it). We washed it down with 2009 Anton Bauer gruner veltliner.

The chicken was very tasty, but I think I might know why that cookbook ended up on the give-away table. Lotta work...

[LauraB]

Porcini-crusted beef tenderloin with herb butter (fresh chives, tarragon and garlic)

Potato gratin dauphinois Savoy-style with nutmeg, gruyere and creme fraiche

Baby romaine and arugula with honey vinaigrette and gorgonzola

[qwertyy]

I'm glad we've moved away from posting about eating cold Domino's pizza and take-out Chinese <yawn>. I mean everyone does it once in a while but why do the rest of us need to hear about it?

Cold Pete's Apizza is definitely more high class.

The new apartment is still stove- and heat-free, so I defrosted some broccoli soup made last spring (microwave!) and ate it with some pita chips (found the toaster oven!). It hit the spot, but I'm itching to cook a real meal in my kitchen. This is the first time I've had a gas stove since I moved out of my parents' house, and it is just sitting across the room, in a coma, taunting me...

[weezy]

grass fed/finished eye of round roast rare/medium-rare, herbed rice and sauteed escarole.

[porcupine]

bangers and mash, with onion gravy. Bangers from Stachowski brand. Damn those are good.

[Pat]

Olive bread

Meatballs (beef-pork-veal) in a simple tomato sauce

Linguine with dandelion greens, a little olive oil, and red pepper flakes

[DanCole42]

Chicken confit tacos with chicharrones de pollo, homemade flour tortillas, and tomatillo-avocado salsa

[zoramargolis]

adagio cocktails (Adam Bernbach's creation, made with gruner veltliner, Oregon douglas fir eau de vie and Zirbenz pine liqueur)

red beans with country ham and andouille

basmati rice

B&J's vanilla with dulce de leche and crushed butter almond cookies

2004 Ch. de Gaudou cahors

[Andrew Platou]

Cod with feshly grated ginger and scallions, steamed in vermouth & ponzu, with hot sesame oil drizzled on top

Stir fried sugar snap peas

Citrusy bulgur wheat salad

Coconut ice cream (Giffords)

[weezy]

stachowski merguez

lentils

homemade refrigerator turnip pickles

escarole sauteed with onions in a bit of the rendered fat from the sausage

[Pat]

Poached salmon with roasted red peppers and carrot-fennel-ginger sauce

Roasted new potatoes

Roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar and Parmesan

Bacon

[zoramargolis]

slow oven-roasted organic salmon (BlackSalt)

haricots verts with roasted red pepper, garlic and lemon

chive mashed potatoes

2009 Villa Maria (NZ) sauvignon blanc

[monavano]

Surprise! Beef Stew osso buco style. I got into cleaning my kitchen and when all the surfaces were wiped and sparkling, I headed downstairs to get something out of the fridge. There sat a huge family pack of stewing beef cubes that I bought at Costco several days ago. Doh! Surprise! It was a couple days past the sell-by date, and I didn't want to freeze it, so I rolled up my sleeves and browned the cubes and made my braise. 20 minutes later, oil was splattered everywhere! Everything was made alright as I re-cleaned the kitchen to the heavenly smells wafting from the oven.

Served over cheddar polenta and accompanied by a tossed salad of local butter lettuce, arugula and tomatoes. Costco feta and a sun dried tomato Good Seasons vinaigrette.

[Pat]

Surprise! Beef Stew osso buco style. I got into cleaning my kitchen and when all the surfaces were wiped and sparkling, I headed downstairs to get something out of the fridge. There sat a huge family pack of stewing beef cubes that I bought at Costco several days ago. Doh! Surprise! It was a couple days past the sell-by date, and I didn't want to freeze it, so I rolled up my sleeves and browned the cubes and made my braise. 20 minutes later, oil was splattered everywhere! Everything was made alright as I re-cleaned the kitchen to the heavenly smells wafting from the oven.

Served over cheddar polenta and accompanied by a tossed salad of local butter lettuce, arugula and tomatoes. Costco feta and a sun dried tomato Good Seasonings vinaigrette.

Gorgeous photo! I love the lighting. I"m glad you were able to rescue the stewing beef in time. I hate it when that happens .

[monavano]

Gorgeous photo! I love the lighting. I"m glad you were able to rescue the stewing beef in time. I hate it when that happens .

Thanks, Pat. The beef passed the sniff test, so I went ahead. Now we've got leftovers to nibble on and freeze for a rainy (or maybe snowy) day. I've been getting better at not wasting food, and thank goodness for our freezer.

I also wanted to mention that my copper All-Clad dutch oven did a kick-ass job on browning and maintaining a deep fond without burning. I had to brown in 4-5 batches and had to add very little oil in between. Once I browned my veggies, I deglazed with red wine and the fond released. I think it performed better then my enamel dutch oven.

[Andrew Platou]

Winter veggies minestrone (including Kale and butternut squash).....still amazed at the boost that parmesan rinds can give a soup

White cheddar corn muffins

Shaved fennel and apple salad with orange segments and orange vinaigrette

Dessert: the last of the leftover halloween candy bars :-) .....mmmm Baby Ruth

[monavano]

Winter veggies minestrone (including Kale and butternut squash).....still amazed at the boost that parmesan rinds can give a soup

White cheddar corn muffins

Shaved fennel and apple salad with orange segments and orange vinaigrette

Dessert: the last of the leftover halloween candy bars :-) .....mmmm Baby Ruth

Rinds are wonderful. I find that I pull back on the salt a bit as the rinds gradually leach their salt into the soup or stew. I have to get to Balducci's to pick up a bag.....

[LauraB]

Chicken breasts in spiced chipotle honey sauce, roasted

Sweet potatoes roasted along with the chicken breasts

Kale sauteed with garlic

[Pat]

Salad (red butter lettuce, cucumber, radicchio, craisins, toasted pumpkin seeds, string cheese; vinaigrette)

Toasted everything bagels

Cream cheese

Leftover poached salmon

Sliced red onion

Prosciutto

Pimento stuffed green olives; roasted red peppers; Armenian string cheese

[lperry]

An inventive quiche, designed to use up what desperately needed culling in the garden. Mixed greens (Tuscan kale, arugula, turnips) sautéed with onion and garlic, chopped sun dried tomatoes for sweetness, chêvre to cut back the turnip bite, dijon, hot sauce, and a smidge of nutmeg in the custard. I considered having the leftovers for breakfast.

Salad of Rouge D'hiver romaine with Fuyu persimmon in a balsamic vinaigrette.

[monavano]

Pizza Pizza!

Smoked mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, fresh tomato sauce and basil (still kicking on the deck out back). Finished with a good dosing of evoo and pecorino.

[zoramargolis]

Salad of Rouge D'hiver romaine with Fuyu persimmon in a balsamic vinaigrette.

Have you tried Fuyu persimmon wedges with a lime juice&zest vinaigrette and chopped cilantro?

I got turned onto that flavor combo by a Russ Parsons recipe a few years ago. It's fantastic.

[lperry]

Have you tried Fuyu persimmon wedges with a lime juice&zest vinaigrette and chopped cilantro?

I got turned onto that flavor combo by a Russ Parsons recipe a few years ago. It's fantastic.

That sounds amazing. I've got a flat of 25 persimmons, limes in the fridge, and cilantro in the garden. We have plans for tonight, but I will make this tomorrow.

[Xochitl10]

Bit of a diversion from the butternut squash soup, salad, and focaccia I had planned for tonight:

London broil and provolone on fresh-from-the-oven sage focaccia

Spinach salad with dried cranberries, Gorgonzola, and walnuts, dressed with Newman's Own Orange Ginger Vinaigrette (regular old olive oil and vinegar for Azami)

Wild Turkey rye Manhattan with orange bitters

[grover]

Salad with red wine vinaigrette

Cassoulet

Jindalee Shiraz 2003

[Pat]

Salad (red butter lettuce, cucumber, radicchio, pear, craisins, toasted pumpkin seeds, string cheese; vinaigrette)

Hummus and pita bread

Chicken thighs braised with mushrooms and pearl barley

Baked sweet potatoes

[zoramargolis]

last night:

ahi tuna burgers with ginger wasabi mayo

asian cucumber salad

hot fudge sundaes

[Anna Blume]

Lentil soup w roasted chestnuts

Toasted Struan

Salad w Gardener Gourmet's beautiful, spicy Asian mix of tiny purple and green leaves

Apple baked using David Tanis's recommendations (Cognac vs. Calvados)--with toasted walnuts, fresh ginger and golden raisins. Dab of Greek-style yogurt

[bettyjoan]

Last night - goat cheese and leek tart. Yum! We ate it as a main course, but it would make a great appetizer for a dinner party.

[LauraB]

Last night:

Grilled lamb loin chops from Wagon Wheel Farm in Howard County, MD

Grilled red peppers and portabello mushrooms

Sauteed red kale with garlic

[Pat]

Last night:

Baguette

Cheese fondue

Veal stew

[zoramargolis]

I went way out of my comfort zone last night. After a trip to H Mart for needed ingredients (garlic chives, dried shrimp, fresh rice noodles, Thai fish sauce) I made pad thai noodles using the essay at Chez Pim and the recipe by Kasma Loha-unchit.

I had previously prepared some tamarind puree from a block of paste, so that saved one step, but there was still quite a bit of prep work involved. The instructions on Kasma's recipe were much easier to follow while I was actually cooking. Chez Pim's essay was a good instructional primer, but the essay form made it hard to follow an unfamiliar step-by-step process in the heat of stir frying. Both called for essentially the same ingredients.

It was quite delicious and very authentic tasting. J was a bit apprehensive when he came into the kitchen while I was preparing the mise en place, because of the powerful aroma of nam plah in the sauce, with tamarind and palm sugar. Strange--it smelled bad but tasted really good.

The stovetop was a total mess to clean up afterward, and I'm not sure it was worth all of the work, but I was pleased that for a total beginner at Thai cooking, the flavor was as good or better than pad thai noodles I've had in restaurants over the years.

[Andrew Platou]

Chipotle sloppy joe's

Red cabbage carrot and jicama slaw

hand cut baked sweet potatoe fries (good...but I still like my deep fryer version better).

Question: Has anyone made Beef Wellington before? I saw a recipe in this past Saturday's Wall Street Journal that got me thinking about it. The recipe is an adaptation from Tyler Florence. Having never made it before, I'm wondering if anyone has a favorite recipe source recommendation?

[Sthitch]

Seared duck breast with a mélange of root vegetables braised in butter, apple cider, and ginger snaps (bonus is that the cooking liquid thickened on its own and made a great sauce.

[LauraB]

Brined, grilled pork tenderloin with dry herb rub (ground thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, bay leaves, salt)

Steamed broccoli

Sauteed kale with garlic

[bettyjoan]

Braised chicken with shallots - very yum. I love chicken thighs so much.

Homemade baguette