Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[TrelayneNYC]

"Winter garden" salad -- sautéed heirloom carrots, caramelized fennel, baby mesclun, fennel greens, Meyer lemon vinaigrette




Cappelletti en brodo (stuffed pasta ("little hats") in chicken broth)

The cappelletti were from Eataly; they're stuffed with mortadella, nutmeg and Grana Padano cheese






Sea scallops, watercress cream

Inspired by this Food52 recipe: http://food52.com/recipes/4080-seared-scallops-with-spring-onion-and-tarragon-cream (although my adaptation has a more streamlined procedure; I skipped making a roux altogether)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 head watercress, trimmed and blanched, then chopped coarsely
2 spring onions, minced
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons heavy cream

Melt unsalted butter in a sauté pan, add the watercress and spring onions. Sauté for 5 minutes, then taste for salt and pepper. Add water; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and pour mixture into a blender. Process until smooth. Return sauce to pan; whisk in heavy cream. Simmer watercress cream for 2-3 minutes; taste for salt and pepper, then use as needed.

[dcandohio]

I am late to the entire "whole roasted cauliflower" craze, but I finally tried it last night. I relied loosely on the yogurt/curry recipe that's been on Pinterist, Facebook, etc. The recipe didn't suggest steaming the whole head first, but other recipes did include that step, so I did steam it. I then slathered it in the yogurt mixture and roasted it at 400 for about 35 minutes. OMG, it was gorgeous. But the flavor and texture rated only OK. First off, I should have steamed it a little longer. Second, the flavors didn't permeate the cauliflower at all, so next time I either boil in aromatics (a la Domenica in New Orleans whose recipe is also widely circulated) or serve with a dressing. Third, I took out too much of the core, and some of my slices didn't hold together, producing less than magazine-worthy plating. But I am going to try it again using other seasonings and methods. It makes for a beautiful presentation.

We also had curried tomato soup and corn muffins, both leftovers that had been frozen.

[ktmoomau]

Last night was leftover ribs and pulled pork for Black Hog, which I need to post about it was great, with spinach with some of the Carolina vinegar sauce and butter, baked potato wedges with olive oil and sea salt and focaccia bread.  

[zoramargolis]

oven roasted miso-crusted black cod

soba noodles

shrimp-soy-dashi-ginger broth

salted caramel gelato

2012 Drylands sauvignon blanc

[Pat]

Monday:

No-knead bread

Salad of frisee, romaine, and arugula, with grape tomatoes, crumbled bacon, cucumbers, radishes, and red bell peppers; white balsamic vinaigrette

Leftover bucatini bolognese

Steamed broccoli

 

Tuesday:

Same salad as Monday but with ranch dressing

Sweet potato cakes (adapted from Plenty)

Orzo with prosciutto, peas, and goat cheese

 

Last night:

Rye toast

Cream of broccoli soup

Asparagus gratin

Chicken andouille sausages 

 

The soup is one of my old favorites, a recipe from the 1961 edition of The New York Times Cookbook.  I hadn't made it in a long time.  It's thickened mostly with a little bit of cooked pasta.  It has a distinctive taste to it, which I recognized as soon as I took the first spoonful. It's meant to be served cold, but I usually serve it hot.

 

The gratin, from the same book, was a recipe I hadn't made before.  For some reason the sauce didn't thicken properly for the gratin. The flavor was there but the consistency was wrong.

[TrelayneNYC]

Roasted fennel, red onion and Meyer lemon salad




Warm crushed potatoes with anchovy




Creamy scrambled eggs, smoked bacon, leeks

[ktmoomau]

Last night was pork tenderloin rubbed with a coastal seasoning blend from Alexandria Spice and Tea.  Caesar salad with homemade dressing, from the Gourmet cookbook, with some roasted potatoes instead of croutons.  I like that dressing recipe, but I put the sardines in with the garlic to make a paste because Hubby doesn't really like eating them whole.  

[zoramargolis]

two dishes from _Ottolenghi_:

grilled cauliflower with spinach, tomatoes, pine nuts, dill, and caper-mustard vinaigrette

roasted chicken (thighs) with sumac, za'atar, and lemon

basmati rice

[TrelayneNYC]

Chicken liver páté with port and thyme




Minestrone

[Pat]

Roasted poblano mac and cheese

Sauteed Swiss chard, arugula, and bell peppers with roasted tomatoes, toasted walnuts, and balsamic vinegar

The chard recipe was adapted from The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook, Volume 2.  I guess newspaper cookbooks will become a thing of the past as more and more newspapers (like the Chronicle) get rid of their standalone food sections...

[ktmoomau]

Last night was pan cooked marinated venison ham steak subs with brie, baby spinach and pesto.  With a side salad with vinaigrette I made with my passionfruit vinaigrette and some cherry tomatoes.

I have lamb shoulder in the slow cooker for tonight that I am hoping turns out well.

[dcandohio]

Homemade chili ladled over baked potatoes and shredded cheddar cheese

Oil and vinegar slaw

Another version of bar food at home, which is turning into a Friday "thing" for us.

[Pat]

Last night's skillet dinner was a result of the ongoing freezer cull, and it worked out pretty well.  Aside from a couple ounces of pancetta I had left from making pasta sauce a week or so ago, everything was from the freezer: Potato and cheese pierogies, sliced chicken andouille sausages, pancetta, collard greens, and black-eyed peas.

[dcandohio]

Sunday gravy (summer tomato puree from freezer, onion, garlic, peppers, herbs) with turkey italian sausage

Salad of cucumbers, peppers, cabbage and tarragon

A 1999 Rockford Moppa Springs GSM purchased from Scheider's in 2004 for $29.99. We thought it might have been in the cellar too long. But no. It was gorgeous. I love Sundays.

[lperry]

Last night, a simple dish of chickpeas, avocado, and palmito in a tarragon, mustard dressing.

Tonight, spaghetti in a roasted red pepper sauce with roasted broccoli topped with pecorino romano.  I usually cook much more simply, if at all, when dining solo, but I wanted to heat up the house before the impending storm.

[Pat]

Last night:

Chicken tacos

Brown rice

Tonight:

Turkey chili over brown rice

Grilled cheese sandwiches (havarti dill on onion dill rye bread)

[zoramargolis]

last night:

pan roasted d'Artagnan moulard duck breast

sour cherry and blood orange pan reduction sauce with homemade demi-glace

pilaf of Next Step koshikihari brown rice, wild rice, mushroom and pine nuts

oven-roasted white turnips and miso-honey butternut squash

2011 Maison Ambroise Bourgogne

tonight:

spinach salad with avocado and caper-meyer lemon vinaigrette

red bell peppers stuffed with eco-friendly ground beef and pork

leftover brown and wild rice pilaf

2013 Alto Sur cabernet

[KMango]

Year #5 of Bonus Thanksgiving

For the past five years, we have hosted our Turkey Day in late February/early March.  It gives everyone something to look forward to in this otherwise grey, holiday-free time period.  Part of the bonus is we do not have to compete for guests who have multiple family obligations during the November edition.  Another bonus is we don't have to elbow our way past every home cook in a ten mile radius to reach the classic Thanksgiving ingredients.

• Brined turkey (17lbs), rubbed beneath the skin with with ginger, garlic, onion paste before roasting
• Fresh cranberry and blood orange relish
• Smooth-as-silk mashed (riced) potatoes flavored with turkey broth and mushroom salt
• Mushroom and garlic gravy
• Brussels sprouts with bacon
• Green vegetables from neighbors
• Granny Smith apple tartlets, from pie filling made yesterday, topped with freshly whipped vanilla cream

The TV networks played along by airing the original Star Wars trilogy.  Nature played along by dumping snow flurries and sleet all over our Dallas landscape.  We enjoyed an idyllic setting for this mood-boosting cooking and eating tradition.

[TrelayneNYC]

Dal and rice, with carrot and green mango pickle, raita and mint chutney

This is my "default" dinner when I don't feel like cooking.

[zoramargolis]

This is my "default" dinner when I don't feel like cooking.

When I don't feel like cooking, I usually go out and have someone else cook for me.

[ktmoomau]

Dal and rice, with carrot and green mango pickle, raita and mint chutney

This is my "default" dinner when I don't feel like cooking.

If the dinner I made when I didn't want to cook was this good looking, Hubby would never offer to buy dinner!

[zoramargolis]

last night:

meat loaf made with eco-friendly ground beef and ground pork.

mashed potatoes

creamed spinach

[Pat]

Mushroom ragu and shredded poached chicken over egg noodles

Leftover sauteed Swiss chard, arugula, tomatoes, and peppers, with added ricotta

Leftover sweet potato cakes

[zoramargolis]

I rarely cook Chinese food at home, but I bought three Japanese eggplants the other day. so, last night I made:

eggplant with ground pork in black bean/garlic/chile sauce (pork was shoulder from Whole Foods, ground in my Cuisinart)

savoy cabbage with tofu and ginger

Temaki koshihikari rice

Fat Tire

[Pat]

Last night:

Salad of arugula and romaine, cucumber, feta, bacon, and sun-dried tomatoes; almond-infused olive oil and white balsamic vinaigrette

Baguette with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic for dipping

Mardi Gras Pasta (rigatoni with pork ragu, pecorino, almonds, cinnamon, and black pepper)

(Tonight:  ditto)

[zoramargolis]

panko-crusted, pan-fried sole filets

remoulade sauce

oven-roasted asparagus

roasted potatoes with olive oil and sea salt

TJ's chocolate sea salt almonds

2013 Royal steen (South African dry chenin blanc)

[lperry]

Trying to be health conscious with little time to cook.  Lightly steamed broccoli, chickpeas, dried cranberries, and a little feta in a tarragon, Dijon vinaigrette. 

[Pat]

Chard salad with Pecorino and hazelnuts

Veal chops on a bed of wild rice with sausage, mushrooms, yellow bell pepper and dried cherries

Butternut squash gratin

[TrelayneNYC]

Penne with cauliflower, anchovy, raisins and fennel greens

The raisins were soaked in some boiling water that had been infused with a bit of saffron.

I had a baguette that I forgot about in the fridge. It had gotten somewhat dried and powdery, so I ground it in a mortar and pestle, then fried the crumbs and seasoned it with salt and pepper. That's what you see topping the pasta. Use where you would normally add grated cheese.

[Pat]

Spinach and Havarti dill omelette

Spiced roasted cauliflower

Leftover wild rice (with sausage, mushrooms, pepper, and cherries) mixed with leftover brown rice

[zoramargolis]

Last night: dinner for BIL visiting from Bangladesh, and niece, who lives locally. He is a longtime no-alcohol vegetarian who has recently decided to also become gluten free. Niece is an enthusiastic wine drinker who is cautiously becoming an omnivore after growing up with tee-totaling vegetarian parents, and has tried many "firsts" at my house: eg. squid, shrimp, chorizo. But I decided to do an all-gluten-free veg meal. Afterward, J., the committed carnivore ("isn't there going to be any meat?") had compliments for the meal, and repeated them again this morning. High praise for a meatless meal!

baba ghanoush made with eggplant roasted in the woodstove, goatmilk labneh

hummous made with home-cooked chickpeas (I love my pressure cooker!)

spicy olives, marcona almonds

cubed Prima Donna gouda

tortilla chips for BIL, non-gf multi-grain za'atar crackers for the rest of us

2012 Botani dry muscat

pomegranate mocktail for BIL

grilled golden cauliflower, arugula, grape tomatoes and dill with mustard-caper vinaigrette (adaptation of an Ottolenghi recipe)

slow-cooked, stone ground polenta

pan-roasted mixed mushrooms (crimini, shiitake, king oyster, enoki, dried wild porcini and lobster) with chopped fresh herbs and reggiano

oven roasted asparagus

2009 La Grande Ribe centenaire cdr

spiced wine-poached bosc pears with vanilla creme fraiche

[The Hersch]

Spinach and Havarti dill omelette

What a co-inky-dinky. I had a spinach and swiss cheese omelet for lunch today.

[TrelayneNYC]

Mushroom and mesclun salad, with Meyer lemon vinaigrette




Roasted beets, with cow's milk ricotta cheese, shaved fennel and scallion




Cabbage and fennel soup, with leeks, Maine crab and fennel greens

[TrelayneNYC]

Beets, black cumin vinaigrette, melted leeks

Black cumin vinaigrette: toast 1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds, then grind to a coarse powder in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Place in a bowl, then whisk in 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Melted leeks: Melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add thinly sliced leeks and 2 tablespoons water. Cook leeks for 10 minutes or until leeks are soft and tender. If the liquid in the pan seems too dry, add another tablespoon of water; repeat as necessary. Taste for salt and pepper, stir in some chopped tarragon, then use as needed.

Finished the crab soup from this weekend.

[Pat]

A mix of old and new last night:

Leftover chard, pecorino, and hazelnut salad

Fingerling potato salad with bacon, scallions, tarragon, and fennel fronds

Oven "BBQ'd" pork spare ribs

Soft flour tortillas for filling with leftover Anasazi beans; leftover wild and brown rice mix with sausage, etc.; cilantro; radishes; grated cheddar and jack cheeses; and, sour cream

 

I got the potatoes and fennel outside at Eastern Market over the weekend.  I liked the licorice flavor from the tarragon and fennel with the potatoes.  For the dressing, I combined a white balsamic vinaigrette with a dollop of Hellman's light mayo.  The mayo pretty much disappears into the mix that way. I've gotten away from mayonnaise-based dressings for salads like this.  

 

The ribs (which I got in a recent South Mountain Creamery delivery) were coated with more of the mysterious dry rub I made for some kind of pork quite a long time ago now.  It made a lot and I didn't write down what was in it.  It's definitely got brown sugar, cayenne, and dry mustard, but the rest is a mystery.  My husband really likes this every time I use it on something, so he's going to be disappointed when it finally runs out .  I uncovered the ribs for the last half hour and brushed  with some commercial (Bullseye) bbq sauce.  Did them at 250F for about 4 1/4 hours, which was a bit too long.  The bones all completely detached.  I would have preferred them almost falling off the bone.

[lperry]

Thai green curry with eggplant and zucchini, served over jasmine rice. 

[ktmoomau]

Last night was spaghetti in meat sauce.

Tonight will be leftover kabobs, and hommos with pine nuts and ground lamb in a pita with pickled vegetables.  The kitchen is getting really empty at this point, but we are so busy this week we will definitely be ok until the weekend. I could maybe even go two weeks if I had to but it is slim pickings.  I have seen parts of the fridge, cabinets and freezer that I usually don't.  

[TrelayneNYC]

Chicken liver crostini, mesclun salad

Recipe for the chicken liver páté: http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1015975/chicken-liver-pate.html?action=click&contentCollection=Magazine&module=RelatedCoverage&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article

Roasted cauliflower, Spanish chorizo, preserved lemon

Spicy Spanish mussels, with almond picada

Recipe for the mussels: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/health/nutrition/spicy-spanish-mussels.html?action=click&module=Search&region=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%23%2Fspanish%2Bmussels%2F (as written, except that I omitted the hazelnuts because I felt it didn't need it, and I also halved the amount of garlic since I was using rocambole garlic)

[Pat]

Guacamole and tortilla chips

Butternut squash and ricotta crostini

The last of the chard and hazelnut salad

Leftover Mardi Gras Pasta

I've still got lots of butternut squash gratin left from the other night.  It's fantastic as a crostini topping, on top of a spreading of ricotta.  Unfortunately, the squash gets used up verrry slowly that way.

[TrelayneNYC]

Arugula and mesclun salad, with ricotta salata, mandarin orange and hazelnuts

Shallot vinaigrette -- 1 shallot, finely minced, sea salt, black pepper, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons red wine, 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Place shallots in a bowl, sprinkle salt and pepper over them. Add red wine vinegar and red wine. Mix well. Whisk in extra-virgin olive oil in a thin stream. Taste for salt and pepper if necessary, then use as needed.

This vinaigrette is wonderful for all sorts of salads, not just this one. Another variation consists of 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon red wine and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar in addition to the shallots, salt, pepper and oil.

I thought that Fairway had kumquats on sale, but that proved to be a wash, so I decided to get the next best thing instead.

Today was 65 F (!!!) in NYC, but it'll be 27 F on Thursday. Crazy weather. The reason I bring this up is because I was hoping to get to USGM this week. I might go tomorrow morning before I go into the office and pick up a few things. I'm getting tired of being cooped up indoors and relying on supermarket produce; just wish the weather was warmer. It's hard to do the seasonal thing when the next aisle over, I'm looking at sweet peppers trucked in from overseas. The oranges were from California but at least it's not like a tomato from Chile or something.

The second course was leftover mussels. Whenever I cook mussels in this manner (with a tomato sauce), the leftover sauce combined with the mussel juices becomes a broth that's its own sort of reward. Tonight was no exception.

[zoramargolis]

last night:

green salad

lasagna bolognese with homemade ricotta blended with basil

vanilla ice cream with kahlua

2012 Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc

[Pat]

Today was 65 F (!!!) in NYC, but it'll be 27 F on Thursday. Crazy weather. The reason I bring this up is because I was hoping to get to USGM this week. I might go tomorrow morning before I go into the office and pick up a few things. I'm getting tired of being cooped up indoors and relying on supermarket produce; just wish the weather was warmer. It's hard to do the seasonal thing when the next aisle over, I'm looking at sweet peppers trucked in from overseas. The oranges were from California but at least it's not like a tomato from Chile or something.

We've got the same nuttiness here with the weather.  I've mostly been getting farmers' market broccoli and cauliflower, which I'm getting sick of, despite liking both of them.  I can't wait for spring vegetables!

Last night I used up the last of some arugula I got at the market a week ago Saturday from a farm out in Maryland.  Amazingly, it was still holding up.  I also cooked some fennel I bought at the market this weekend, ostensibly Amish-grown, but I'm not sure.  They went into a recipe I found that was adapted from River Cottage Veg:  pasta with arugula, fennel, and lemon.  I used linguine for the pasta and subbed sour cream for the creme fraiche called for in the recipe.

The appetizer was not particularly compatible but quite good:  a small platter of nachos with shredded pork (the last of the spare ribs), Anasazi beans, radishes, and cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.  So, not a meat-free meal but heavier on vegetables than meat.

[LauraB]

Last night, as a starter course, I made Frank Ruta's Kabocha and Shiitake Soup: http://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/kabocha-squash-and-shiitake-soup/11718/.%C2'> It was AWESOME!  If it weren't for the high sodium count, I would eat this every day.  Instead, it'll have to remain an occasional treat.  From my experience, I would recommend not adding the 1 TBS of salt until the soup is finished -- you may discover you don't need it -- the ham hock contributes a lot of salt.  Also, it calls for 2 cups of water.  I used chicken stock and found that the soup was very thick -- I needed to add 2 additional cups of stock. 

The main course was sautéed bay scallops with rosemary, capers, and Israeli couscous.

(I tried to put a link to the recipe on the WaPo site, but for some reason, it just wouldn't work, neither doing a link or just pasting the url.  Anyway, if you go to the WaPo Food page and their Recipe Finder, just type in the name of the recipe and it'll come up.  It's more than worth it!)

[zoramargolis]

chicken chile verde

corn tortillas

refried pinto beans

guacamole and chips

fat tire

[TrelayneNYC]

About 1 tablespoon each of coriander and black cumin seeds, toasted until aromatic.

Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind till powdery.





Clockwise from top left: 1 clove rocambole garlic, minced; enough chopped Italian parsley and cilantro leaves and stems to equal 1/3 cup; 2 scallions, thinly sliced.



I added 1 chipotle chile, crumbled (I'm a wimp), a large pinch of sea salt and some leftover homemade preserved lemon pulp. Pulse until you have a rough-textured purée, then add 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and stir in the coriander/cumin powder.



Chermoula.

This keeps about a week in the fridge and is best the day you make it; its potency declines over time.

It rarely lasts that long because I'm addicted to it. Making chermoula is just an excuse to buy more parsley and cilantro. :wink: I use it in just about everything that's not a dessert, including as an accompaniment to roast beef sandwiches, banh mi, stirred into scrambled eggs or over roasted vegetables. It's fabulous.





Roasted heirloom carrots, with green lentils and chermoula



Fettucine with Meyer lemon, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fried sage leaves

[Pat]

Crostini

Turkey quinoa meatballs in tomato sauce

Polenta with mushrooms and spinach

I filled two individual Le Creuset oval gratin dishes with the polenta mixture, topped with the meatballs and sauce, sprinkled Romano cheese on top, and heated it all together before serving.  Those pans really hold in the heat!

[Fishinnards]

I find myself switching back and forth between Thai and Sri Lankan food for convenience and economy. I have a large collection of spices for South Asian cooking and Sri Lankan food uses lemongrass and coconut milk as does (central) Thai. Since the lemongrass and coconut milk are perishable (UHT coconut milk comes in big cartons) it's easy to use them up making Sri Lankan food. Any vegetables I have for Thai food can easily be made in a Sri Lankan dish as well.

Sunday and Monday we had Thai food. Sunday I made red curry with pumpkin and eggplant (à¹à¸à¸‡à¹€à¸œà¹‡à¸”), fish cakes (ทอดมันปลา) with cucumber "pickle"(อาจาด), cucumber salad (ตำà¹à¸•à¸‡), raw vegetables and rice (brown jasmine rice and Thai red rice mixture). Monday, we had more red curry, an omelet (ไข่เจียว) with Sriracha, ground chicken salad (ลาบไà¸à¹ˆ) and more vegetables and rice.

Yesterday I made more Sri Lankan roasted curry powder (Mom's organic market had fresh curry leaves!)

Lamb curry (Elu Mas), cabbage and carrots (Karat Gova Curry), radish and tomato sambal (Raabu Thakkali Sambola) and rice.

[zoramargolis]

creamy asparagus soup

oven-braised pork cheeks, 3 days in cooked wine marinade prior to cooking

Savannah gold rice

haricots verts

vanilla ice cream with dulce de leche

2011 Zerran monsant

[dcandohio]

Wednesday I bought a whole pollo asado from the Mexican grocery store. After we enjoyed some of it as roasted chicken, i picked the rest of the meat off the bones and simmered the bones in salt-free stock with garlic and the onions from the chicken platter. After the stock was strained I added diced and roasted tomatoes, poblanos and jalapeno. Into soup bowls went the reserved chopped chicken meat, diced avocado and the leftover mexican rice from the Chicken platter. Bubbling soup poured over. Served with crisped tortillas (made fresh at the grocery store) and mango doused with lime and chili powder.

[lperry]

Pasta with caponata.  The past few days we have been taking advantage of the 2013 garden explosion and my subsequent canning of everything.  I have to remember and make an effort to make "pantry" meals, especially because I like grocery shopping.  I think I'm going to resolve to make two meals a week from home-canned or frozen foods.