Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[Heather]

This sounds like a fabulous birthday meal. Could you give any details on how you did the scallops?

I took a Food Network recipe that she found and changed it up a little. I made a tapenade with olives, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, and garlic, whizzed in a food processor (leave it a little chunky). A little got smeared on the scallops, then they were wrapped in prosciutto and baked in a hot oven on a sheet pan. Put scallops on a bed of arugula dressed with a little olive oil and salt, and drizzle with a little tapenade.

[giant shrimp]

cauliflower gratin with feta

water (we're going through a dry period and the only ones having a good time around here are the narcissi; they are getting vodka from my wife, who read some cockamamie article in the newspaper that the sprouted bulbs like to root in alcoholic water that stunts their growth but makes the flowers happy.)

from deborah madison, as almost always, steamed cauliflower, sprinkled with feta and lemon, is broiled sitting on a sauce of tomatoes, onion, garlic and dashes of oregano (dried called for, but i used fresh), honey and cinammon and some rinsed capers. our freezer is well-stocked with tomato compote, and i used one of those for the sauce. added sparingly, the honey (from toigo, kind of funky and just right for the recipe) and cinammon lend intriguing notes to the flavor, but they stay in the background. i could taste them, fairly distinctly, because i knew they were there. if you didn't, you would at least have known that you were picking up on something a bit unusual.

[Pat]

I took a Food Network recipe that she found and changed it up a little. I made a tapenade with olives, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, and garlic, whizzed in a food processor (leave it a little chunky). A little got smeared on the scallops, then they were wrapped in prosciutto and baked in a hot oven on a sheet pan. Put scallops on a bed of arugula dressed with a little olive oil and salt, and drizzle with a little tapenade.

Thanks. I'll have to try this.

Tonight's dinner was soft chicken tacos with pinto beans, grated onions, green chilies, and cheddar (plus hot sauce).

[Heather]

I spent most of the afternoon making veal stock, so dinner had to be fast & easy:

Pasta with bay scallops, red and gold cherry tomatoes, garlic, lemon, parsley, butter, & olive oil. Green salad.

[Pat]

Tortilla Soup

more soft chicken tacos

[Heather]

gorgeous, bone-in pork chops, seared, then popped in a hot oven

pan sauce of wild mushrooms, thyme, brandy, & cream

baked sweet potatoes

steamed asparagus

vanilla ice cream with a little salted caramel sauce drizzled on top

[Pat]

gorgeous, bone-in pork chops, seared, then popped in a hot oven

pan sauce of wild mushrooms, thyme, brandy, & cream

baked sweet potatoes

steamed asparagus

vanilla ice cream with a little salted caramel sauce drizzled on top

That wild mushroom sauce has me salivating just from the description.

I was planning to make a mushroom tart/pie tonight but am out of steam. Maybe tomorow. The pot roast finishing in the oven smells heavenly, though. We'll have that with more leftover prune bread and a small green salad.

[Heather]

That wild mushroom sauce has me salivating just from the description.

Thanks! It was prompted by my 4-year-old wanting to buy every mushroom variety at Whole Foods yesterday. I had to find something to do with them.

[plunk]

gorgeous, bone-in pork chops, seared, then popped in a hot oven

pan sauce of wild mushrooms, thyme, brandy, & cream

baked sweet potatoes

steamed asparagus

vanilla ice cream with a little salted caramel sauce drizzled on top

Sounds delicious. I do a similar sauce but use bourbon instead of brandy, and also add a nice spoonful of dijon or whole grain mustard.

[zoramargolis]

Frittata with spinach, shiitakes, poblano chile, shallots and roasted garlic, cheddar, Comte and Reggiano

Fennel salad (cucumber salad for the man who hates fennel)

2005 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

Dessert was my version of a "sponge with cranberries" that I saw Nigella Lawson make last night on the Food Channel. I was half-asleep and I didn't write anything down. She was weighing out and giving metric amounts, but I sort of guessed by the visuals, how much flour, sugar and butter she was using. I knew that the cooked cranberries weren't going to be a hit with my family, but I had some Seckel pears in the fridge. I peeled and chunked them and caramelized them in a pan with butter, sugar, a little fresh ginger juice and lemon zest. The sponge was a simple cake batter (AP flour, sugar, salt and baking powder mixed with melted butter and eggs). Nigella used self-rising flour, which I didn't have, and she added extra baking powder, so I just used what I thought would be enough for that amount of flour. I flavored the cake batter with vanilla and cardamom. Half of the batter went in the pan, with the cooked fruit layered on top of that and the remainder of the cake batter spread on top of the fruit. It was in a 350 oven for about 35 minutes and looked done. I am an improvisational savory cook, but I have always followed recipes slavishly when I bake. I was expecting disaster or at best mediocrity, but it turned out to be really delicious. The "sponge" was light and fluffy under a slightly crunchy crust and the pears were tender and intensely flavored. Served warm with some vanilla ice cream. And it took very little time to put together--didn't even have to haul the Kitchen Aid out of its cupboard. Gotta remember what I did and write it down, cause it's a keeper.

[Xochitl10]

Saturday night:

Mixed greens with shallot viniagrette

Rosemary focaccia

Spinach lasagna

Yesterday, we hosted our annual tree decorating and homeland food party. Menu was:

Margaritas

Red chile posole

Flour tortillas

Biscochitos

[Heather]

Spaghetti alla Carbonara, from Molto Italiano. We drained the bacon, contrary to Molto's instructions, and could still feel our arteries hardening. Still considering whether to buy the cookbook.

[Anna Blume]

Spaghetti alla Carbonara, from Molto Italiano. We drained the bacon, contrary to Molto's instructions, and could still feel our arteries hardening. Still considering whether to buy the cookbook.

I bought the cookbook after renewing it a few times at the library. Love the ricotta gnocchi with sausage and fennel and much more. Currently I am in awe of Lynne Rossetto Kasper's The Splendid Table; Jamie Oliver's new book on Italian food looks quite good, too.

Batali's take on carbonara seems luxurious. While I'd rarely pass up an opportunity to consume anything with cream, I recommend the Roman way as described by David Downie: sauté chopped pancetta, guanciale or bacon in olive oil, though not in cast iron or any thick pan that retains heat for very long. Wait three minutes (or longer, depending on the pan). Then, pour in your mixture of beaten egg, 1 extra egg yolk and grated cheese(s). Ideally, the combined oil, fat and egg will all remain liquid with little to no coagulation, if a little warm. Meanwhile, your pasta (penne is traditional) should be almost done. After draining, toss noodles into the pan with the egg mixture, mix with spoon, then put a lid on it and leave for a minute so that the custardy goo penetrates the farinaceous flesh and two become one.

[legant]

Pancetta questions here: when buying pancetta how thickly/thinly do you have it sliced? My first experiment with pancetta produced a lot less oil than I had anticipated and very few edible bits. In recipes that call for pancetta, are they (impicitly) suggesting using the largest slices possible? Can you buy pancetta is a roll/log that you can then cut yourself?

[Xochitl10]

Tanqueray Negronis

Spaghetti with Snider's sausage and tomato sauce

Leftover rosemary focaccia

legant -- I usually buy pancetta in slices around 1/4 - 1/2 inch and chop up the amount that I need at home. Most of the recipes I've used it in have called for it either sliced into strips or diced.

[Anna Blume]

legant: I do the 1/4-inch slice bit, too, freezing slices, wrapped individually. They're easier to dice or cut when partially frozen, anyway. Did you realize all pancetta in this country is domestic?

It's also good sliced thin, depending upon your intentions. It won't cook like bacon, but fried up, it's good to roll in something you plan to cook further, then eat...or to drape raw over meatloaf before putting both in the oven.

Speaking of meatloaf, Heather, you've got to try Mario's in Molto Italiano.

* * *

CJS: Frico? Is that a parmesan crisp or do you have a source for Montasio? None of the DC WF's carry it anymore.

[cjsadler]

CJS: Frico? Is that a parmesan crisp or do you have a source for Montasio? None of the DC WF's carry it anymore.

Just parmesan.

[Heather]

Batali's take on carbonara seems luxurious. While I'd rarely pass up an opportunity to consume anything with cream, I recommend the Roman way as described by David Downie: sauté chopped pancetta, guanciale or bacon in olive oil, though not in cast iron or any thick pan that retains heat for very long. Wait three minutes (or longer, depending on the pan). Then, pour in your mixture of beaten egg, 1 extra egg yolk and grated cheese(s). Ideally, the combined oil, fat and egg will all remain liquid with little to no coagulation, if a little warm.

Batali's recipe has no cream. Half pound of bacon, 3T olive oil, four eggs, and 1 1/4 cups of parm for a pound of pasta. It's just too rich, and unbalanced - no top note.

[Anna Blume]

Oops. I was thinking of his original recipe in Simple Italian Food where only 4 oz. of guanciale/pancetta accompany onion, cream, 4 eggs and only 1/2 c of pecorino. That's way too much bacon and too much oil for all that bacon.

Still, Downie's version isn't all that less rich: 3 eggs plus one yolk mixed with 2 T pecorino; 2 T oil, 4 oz bacon (or...) for a pound of spaghetti with a peppermill and bowl of grated cheese (half Pec, half Parm) placed on the table.

[jparrott]

I have a Boston butt and two brined chickens on my new smoker, about ready to come off, and some (lightly sweetened) vinegar/chile sauce ready to dress the pork (not the chicken; pulled chicken is for wankers). Yum.

I love my new smoker. Maybe I'll do a mess of smoked chicken thighs for the next picnic.

[jm chen]

Friday night I cooked myself up some pasta with Chioggia beets, romanesco cauliflower, and goat cheese. I learned that I absolutely adore romanesco but do not care for Chioggia beets, which don't taste like beets to me. Too sweet and missing that key earthiness.

[ManekiNeko]

Chucked some mussels into a pot with some beef stock, most of a bottle of Smuttynose Winter Ale, a chopped onion, 2 bay leaves, and a scant handful of sundried tomato slices. I could have omitted the last ingredient, methinks. Sopped up the juices with good bread.

[jpschust]

Wow, I'm exhausted from this past weekend of cooking. I owed my girlfriend dinner as part of a scrabble bet in which I lost (she challenged me on one of my last moves and I ended up giving up a triple word score for those who are into the game). Sunday night I always host a gathering at my place for friends. I tried to think like a chef and make things that could be served again.

Saturday night menu:

Appetizers:

Steamed artichoke with homemade champagne vinegar mayonaise and clarified butter for dipping

Smoked salmon with Ossetra caviar and avocado

Middle course: Blue cheese potato gratin

Main: Asian style flank steak along with steamed baby carrots

Dessert: neither of us are huge sweet fans, so a cheese plate with robiola, stilton, hudson camembert, and chevre with ash

Sunday night:

Appetizers:

Chips with guacamole & chile con queso & spinach crab dip (ok I cheated here and bought that one prepared)

Smoked salmon with ossetra caviar and avocado (had more salmon and caviar left)

Pita with hummus

Mains:

2.5 lb planked salmon with rosemary, lemon, salt & pepper

Asian style flank steak

Dessert: Charcuterie plate with the same cheeses plus genoa salami and a domestic proscuito.

I'm tired and need to figure out a menu for next Saturday and Sunday That said, I love this game.

[hillvalley]

Saturday night I had the traditional valley family Hanukah meal: latkes, pig in a blankets, and hoagies. Four generations gather together to scarf down as many latkes as we can and then brag that we ate more than the other cousins/siblings/in-laws/parents. This year 7 adults and a two year old ate 82 latkes.

Appetizers this year were a little different. Instead of the usual cheese and crackers we had a special accompaniment. When I arrived my aunt pulled me over and said, "Hill, I don't know how good it is but my boss gave me a caviar sampler he received as a gift from a random client. He hates caviar so it is all ours." What my aunt didn't realize is that along with a jar of French caviar and a jar of American caviar, there were three jars from Iran: two sevruga and one osetra. Needless to say, three of the jars were a gift from somewhere over the rainbow. "It also came with some special kind of cheese." Crème freshe is a special cheese indeed.

There were only five of us enjoying the caviar; it was "one of those things I don't eat," according to my cousin. (Her family only gets a home cooked meal when someone else comes over to cook it. The hoagie delivery guy lets himself in.) We enjoyed the caviar on random, bland crackers we found in my cousin's cabinet. Grandma, who celebrates her 90th birthday in two weeks, went first. For the next half hour, four generations sat and enjoyed this random treat. (I made my seven year old cousin taste it and then grossed him out when I told him what he just ate ) It was an unexpected and luxurious way to start celebrating my grandmother's 90th. I thank you, random client, for giving generous gifts that bosses don't like.

*Grandma and I used our fingers to lick each of the jars clean

[Barbara]

You know, I don't particularly like roast turkey. It's OK straight out of the oven, but otherwise: eh. Except for the fried turkey our Chief Building Engineer makes every year for our building's annual Christmas party. I will elbow everybody out of the way for that, as I did this evening. This building has a lot of turnover and the younguns have no clue. I will be very sad when this man retires (he's exactly ONE DAY younger than Dame Edna!), but not just for his cooking skills.

ETA: I get interested in making latkes at this time of year, eventhough I have NO family tradition. Last night, I bought some lovely lamb chops and had some potatoes I thought of turning into latkes, but didn't have the energy. So I just baked them. My bad.

[Pat]

Last night was a basic skillet meal: Toasted Barley and Chicken Pilaf from the January 2007 Good Housekeeping. That's long been my favorite recipe source among the traditional women's magazines, but they don't seem to publish as many recipes as they used to (or maybe that's my imagination).

[synaesthesia]

Instead of going to Eamonn's tonight, I made ketchup shrimp with an Asian flavor twist. Here's a very vague recipe and picture. http://synaesthesia.wordpress.com/2006/12/20/ketchup-shrimp/

[Xochitl10]

Spiced beef cobbler with cornbread topping from the holiday issue of Gourmet, and a green salad. I thought it was a bit salty; Azami disagreed. Ended dinner with vanilla ice cream topped with crushed amaretti.

[Pat]

Last night was gussied up SOS. Thinking back on it, I don't think I've ever made this before. We ate it semi-regularly when I was a kid, and my father would eat it despite having had his fill of it in the military during WWII. I liked it okay but always found it too salty.

A while back, I saw a package of chipped beef in the Safeway and bought it on nostalgic impulse. It sat in the fridge quite a while, and its sell by date came and went. I'm trying to use stuff up before we go away for Christmas, so I dug it out last night.

I crisped up a few slices of turkey bacon in a skillet and crumbled it, then added 1-2 Tbsp. butter to the little bit of drippings in the pan and melted it. I tore up the dried beef (3 oz.) into smaller pieces and frizzled it in the butter, and adding a little flour after a few minutes and mixing through. Then I poured in a 12 oz. can of whole evaporated milk slowly, stirring as I added it so it would thicken. Once I had a nice sauce, I added the crumbled bacon back in and ground in some black pepper. I served it over onion rolls that had been split and toasted in the oven. When it comes to comfort food, there's no accounting for taste, but this was really good! Really

The funny thing is, I only used evaporated milk because we're almost out of fresh milk and I didn't want to buy more before going away, but it adds a nice creaminess to this. The dried beef I bought was low-sodium, so it didn't have the saltiness issue. And I put turkey bacon in because the package was open and I wanted to use it up. The onion rolls (in the freezer for quite a while) added another savory note. I like that over using plain toast.

For a completely unrelated appetizer, we had tortilla chips and homemade guacamole with tomatoes and grated sweet onion (avocados and tomatoes to use up).

[Heather]

The house is a wreck, more guests are arriving tomorrow, we got no sleep last night, and the kids are amped up to eleven. Dinner needed to be a no-brainer.

Burgers, with Borough Market cheddar, thickly sliced bacon, and a smear of Maille Dijon.

Chopped salad.

Hot cocoa with marshmallows.

[legant]

Lentilles du Puy with garlic and onions

Baked herb-crusted cod

(The lentils were over-salted; the cod, under-salted. Oh well. Should've had the wine with the meal.)

Green beans almondine

[silentbob]

One of my staple meals in recent weeks has been risotto with bacon. Recipe is fairly standard -- butter, bacon, onions, arborio, wine, stock, parmesan, heavy cream. I feel like adding something veggie-oriented that would mesh well with the bacon, but can't figure out what it should be.

Peas? Carrots? Mushrooms? Something else?

[Heather]

One of my staple meals in recent weeks has been risotto with bacon. Recipe is fairly standard -- butter, bacon, onions, arborio, wine, stock, parmesan, heavy cream. I feel like adding something veggie-oriented that would mesh well with the bacon, but can't figure out what it should be.

Peas?

Definitely. Peas and bacon is a good combination.

[legant]

A souffle w/ smoked gouda, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic and shallots.

I was slightly disappointed with this effort. The inside wasn't as set as I would like -- too moist. However, after sitting for a while, it did firm up. Wonder if it was too much cheese. Or, the ratio of yolks to whites (1:1). Or, too much filling. However, it was wonderful today for breakfast.

[The Hersch]

One of my staple meals in recent weeks has been risotto with bacon. Recipe is fairly standard -- butter, bacon, onions, arborio, wine, stock, parmesan, heavy cream. I feel like adding something veggie-oriented that would mesh well with the bacon, but can't figure out what it should be.

Peas? Carrots? Mushrooms? Something else?

How about diced celeriac? I did a celeriac risotto a few weeks ago that was excellent, but it would almost certainly be even better with bacon (what wouldn't?). Or perhaps guanciale.

[cjsadler]

One of my staple meals in recent weeks has been risotto with bacon. Recipe is fairly standard -- butter, bacon, onions, arborio, wine, stock, parmesan, heavy cream. I feel like adding something veggie-oriented that would mesh well with the bacon, but can't figure out what it should be.

Peas? Carrots? Mushrooms? Something else?

Forget the vegetables. Put a poached egg yolk on top for a bacon, egg and cheese risotto.

[Heather]

A souffle w/ smoked gouda, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic and shallots.

I was slightly disappointed with this effort. The inside wasn't as set as I would like -- too moist. However, after sitting for a while, it did firm up. Wonder if it was too much cheese. Or, the ratio of yolks to whites (1:1). Or, too much filling. However, it was wonderful today for breakfast.

Sounds like a delicious combination.

I did a quick check through a few of my cookbooks, and the 1:1 yolk to white is pretty standard. Did you squeeze all the water out of the spinach? That could contribute to the moisture problem.

[JLK]

My first attempt at making chili. Turned out great! I'm not usually great at improvisation where food is concerned, however tonight, no problem. Meat (chopped, not ground) and beans. Moderate heat via chiles in adobo and some dried red pepper flakes. Topped with chopped avocado and a light sprinkle of extra sharp cheddar cheese, but no sour cream because I forgot to buy it. Lunch tomorrow will be terrific.

[Xochitl10]

Azami made tsukimi soba -- soba noodles, fish paste, scallions, and a raw egg in broth, sprinkled with seven-spice powder. It was gorgeous, in addition to being really, really good.

[bioesq]

To celebrate our good fortune in getting the last flight to Dulles out of Denver last night we made Gordon Hamersley's roast chicken with potatoes and onions, an exceptional dish that is comforting as well as elegant, and produces a chicken that's beautifully moist with delicate pan juices.

http://www.sjl.us/scotts_kitchen/2005/11/h...sleys_roas.html

It went nicely with a 2005 St. Aubin Remilly.

And it was wonderful to enjoy it here.

[Pat]

We had swordfish steak, cooked stovetop in a Le Creuset skillet, seasoned with some soy sauce and a little hot pepper sesame oil. Alongside we had a fabulous (if I do say so myself) vinaigrette-dressed salad of romaine, parsley, toasted walnuts, sliced radishes and cucumbers, warm slices of golden beets, and Nevat soft-ripened Catalonian goat cheese that I picked up at Cheesetique earlier in the day. I wanted a goat cheese but didn't know which, so tried a few and loved the Nevat. When it was still chilled a bit, it sliced like an aged cheddar. Once it softened up more, it crumbled a bit like a feta. I love this cheese.

[silentbob]

Definitely. Peas and bacon is a good combination.

Indeed. Works for carbonara, why not risotto? It turned out well.

Will definitely try egg yolk or celeriac at some point too.

For some reason, I avoid rice with Chinese food (much to my mom's dismay) but love risotto.

[Anna Blume]

Cappelletti en brodo

Green salad with roasted beets and shallot dressing

Monkey's panettone bread pudding.

[zoramargolis]

Grilled, head-on prawns and day-boat scallops and

Stone-ground grits (totally different than Quaker long-cooking!)

with saffron-Meyer lemon broth (based on shrimp stock)

Haricots verts

Sauteed shiitake and crimini mushrooms

2005 Drylands Sauvignon Blanc

Guiness stout ginger cake and vanilla ice cream

[Heather]

Anything we eat today will suffer compared to our fine, fine early breakfast, so we're going for a super easy, healthy dinner - a big chopped salad with cucumbers, grape tomatoes, leftover blanched haricots vert, celery, yellow peppers, olive oil-packed tuna, butter lettuce, and scallions. Champagne/walnut oil vinaigrette. Baguette with butter & sea salt, and a bottle of French rose alongside.

[cjsadler]

For New Year's Eve, I finally broke out the fondue pot I got as a birthday present (all the way back in February).

Classic emmenthaler and gruyere fondue

Sorta cassoulet of black eyed peas and andouille

Chocolate and Cointreau fondue

[Heather]

Tonight, The Best Recipe's Supermarket chili, served on rice with sour cream, cheddar, scallions, cilantro and the usual garnishes.

We were supposed to have Onion Soup (the Bouchon recipe) but someone chucked a hunk of play dough into the pot while the onions were cooking down. I had to throw 8 lbs. of onions into the garbage.

[sshorter]

Tonight, The Best Recipe's Supermarket chili, served on rice with sour cream, cheddar, scallions, cilantro and the usual garnishes.

It was good. I ate four scoops and kind of regret it now, though. I need to learn to calibrate on our new soup plates - they are bigger than I thought.

We were supposed to have Onion Soup (the Bouchon recipe) but someone chucked a hunk of play dough into the pot while the onions were cooking down. I had to throw 8 lbs. of onions into the garbage.

If I may disclose our IM conversation from this afternoon:

[16:06] shorter.rm: what was that shouting about?

[16:15] Heather Shorter: there was a chunk of play dough in the dutch oven

[16:15] Heather Shorter: it's all over the onions

[16:15] Heather Shorter: x(

[16:16] shorter.rm: ARGH

[16:17] Heather Shorter: indeed

[16:18] Heather Shorter: there goes 8 onions in the trash

[zoramargolis]

We were supposed to have Onion Soup (the Bouchon recipe) but someone chucked a hunk of play dough into the pot while the onions were cooking down. I had to throw 8 lbs. of onions into the garbage.

Now, if this had been homemade play dough, you might have gotten away with it...

Chalk it up as one of those "kids do the darndest things" experiences that will make a great funny story to tell in future years, that Ian will get sick of hearing as he gets older. I assume it was the 4 year-old, helping you to cook...

Our dinner tonight:

Lavender and thyme-brined, charcoal roasted chicken (roasted cheese-stuffed portabella for Veggie-teen)

Roasted Kabocha squash risotto

Haricots verts

2005 Shoofly grenache-shiraz-viognier blend

Brioche bread pudding

[Heather]

Now, if this had been homemade play dough, you might have gotten away with it...

Ha! No unfortunately this was store bought, and turquoise.

Tomorrow's menu is our favorite kaprow recipe, with duck instead of chicken, but I am wondering if duck breast will get too dry. I bought three ducks for confit and have to use up the breasts.