Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[rkduggins]

Greek fever seems to be catching. My last night's diner was

keftedes made with fresh mint and parsley

dolmas

tabuleh

kalamata olives

feta

tzatziki

We were too full for dessert. In fact, we both were asleep on the couch by 9:30!

[zoramargolis]

Pork loin purchased from Bev Eggleston at Dupont Market--acorn fed pork he'd been saving for a chef tasting that never happened, with a thick fat cap, which I brined overnight in a lavender-thyme brine and slow roasted. OMG was that delicious.

Rhubarb compote

French lentils with garlic and basil

Baked potato

Braised Russian kale

2003 Llicorella Priorat

[laniloa]

Time for gazpacho.

Despite all the press about Florida ugli tomatos, you just can't find any decent tomatos in the stores. Combination of bad soil and too early in the season despite the heat. The one sort-of, not quite farmers market (I qualify because they sell bananas from Ecuador as well as semi-local stuff) around here won't have decent tomatos for at least another month. Plus, we had a late freeze that is killing the few local growers we do have. The market guy told me he doesn't expect to get any Georgia peaches this year!

[MelGold]

Last night was Tonkatsu with Bulldog sauce & sesame seeds, rice and sauteed zucchini accompanied by a beautiful Steininger Steven Holl Gruner Veltliner. Was going to have ripe strawberries and angel food cake for dessert, but was too full.

Um, Laniloa, clams commit suicide?

[legant]

Dinner last night:

Swordfish with a ginger-shitake cream sauce

Creamed spinach

Avondale Rose

Although I overcooked the swordfish (bad timing), the ginger-shitake cream sauce was fantastic and quite versatile: would be a great accompaniment to pork, chicken or lamb; will pair it with fried trout later this week.

The creamed spinach was another story. The recipe: “strain the béchamel sauce into a bowl.” My béchamel was quite thick, maybe the consistency of rice pudding; as soon as I put the sauce in the strainer, I knew this wasn’t going to work. Instead, I painstakingly picked out the peppercorns and bay leaf and chile.

Even with the final addition of the whipping cream, the sauce was still quite thick. When added to the spinach it didn’t look anything like the picture on the Stouffer’s box. Further: it “clumped” – I could have shaped it, coated in egg and breadcrumbs, and made a pretty tasty spinach fritter; I had expected the spinach to have the consistency of a rather thick tomato sauce. Although the béchamel was quite tasty, it didn’t taste “creamy” at all: added some cream cheese, hoping that the spinach would “melt” the cream cheese.

Two changes: used one box of frozen -- rather than 24 oz. of fresh -- spinach; and, halved the sauce.

What did I do wrong?

[Heather]

It sounds like the bechamel needed less flour, or more milk, or both. What were the proportions of the recipe?

[legant]

It sounds like the bechamel needed less flour, or more milk, or both. What were the proportions of the recipe?

2 Tbs butter: 2 Tbs flour; 1 1/4 C milk. 1/2 C of whipping cream added at the end.

[porcupine]

Caipirhinas

Flank steak marinated in lime, orange, garlic, hot peppers

Spicy black bean, corn, jicama salad

Banana buttermilk ice cream

[Pat]

2 Tbs butter: 2 Tbs flour; 1 1/4 C milk. 1/2 C of whipping cream added at the end.

The recipe you posted says 1/4 cup flour. Isn't that more like 4 Tbsp? With half that, it really shouldn't have been too thick .

The whisking part is all I can think of where something might have gone wrong, possibly in the incorporation of the flour or the milk. Maybe it cooked too long. I sometimes have to add extra milk if I get inattentive making a sauce and am not whisking frequently enough or let it cook longer than it should.

[thegourmetpig]

Brined and roasted chicken with thyme and garlice

pommes rissolees

baskin robbins 31 cents scoop

[laniloa]

Um, Laniloa, clams commit suicide?

According to at least one tv character they do!

[shogun]

If you never hear from me again, I died of complications from Grand Buffet.

[Heather]

I'm in Charlotte caring for my sister, who is recuperating from a bad car accident, and she requested an old family recipe which is sort of a meat loaf roulade with ham and gruyere in the middle. Mr. food snob "pate is superior" Waitman would've turned up his nose, but I thought it turned out pretty good. Steamed asparagus, green salad, and sourdough bread with butter to go with.

Ben & Jerry's peach cobbler ice cream for dessert. Good stuff.

[zoramargolis]

Bad day at the dentist, and I could hardly open my mouth afterward. Soup was the only thing I could think about eating:

Leek and green garlic soup, with potato and creme fraiche, pureed and ladled over sauteed shiitakes, cubed spiced tofu and julienne of jamon serrano.

Garlic toast, for those who could chew.

2005 Clos Roche Blanc Touraine Sauvignon Blanc

Popsicle brand sugar-free fudgesicle (heaven help me)

[MelGold]

If you never hear from me again, I died of complications from Grand Buffet.

So how are you feeling today?

[rkduggins]

A delicious Nigella stand-by for one:

Chop three cloves of garlic (or whatever you like) and mix with three pieces of uncooked bacon, sliced into 1/4" strips, with a small olive oil drizzle in a rimmed baking sheet or square Pyrex pan. Put into a 350 degree oven as your pasta water goes on the heat. Use 1/4 to 1/3 package of linguine. When pasta is done, pull out bacon garlic mix from the oven and toss in pasta, combine, decant to a bowl, shred parm over and eat on the couch.

I only move it to the bowl because the Pyrex is too hot to eat from straight. I love this dish. You can move the quantities up or down to feed more than yourself AND, if you put scallops in towards the end of cooking time, it becomes something different but no less fantastic.

[xcanuck]

Caipirhinas

Flank steak marinated in lime, orange, garlic, hot peppers

Spicy black bean, corn, jicama salad

Banana buttermilk ice cream

Oh, my. This sounds delicious. What kind of hot peppers did you use? Fresh or dried and ground? If dried, did you toast them first? Any oil in the marinade?

More detail on the spicy black bean salad, too!

[porcupine]

Oh, my. This sounds delicious. What kind of hot peppers did you use? Fresh or dried and ground? If dried, did you toast them first? Any oil in the marinade?

More detail on the spicy black bean salad, too!

A few coarsely chopped jalapenos, though ancho paste is a staple in my kitchen for just this sort of thing. And a touch of olive oil. I was trying to keep it simple. Following a method in the Gourmet cookbook, I broiled the steak, which was less than ideal as I didn't get a good sear on it. Next time, the cast iron skillet.

Black bean salad - all measurements approximate as this is something I just mix in a bowl until it tastes right:

2 c black beans (rinsed if you're using canned ones)

1 c corn

1 c diced jicama

finely diced onion to taste (1/4c?)

finely diced hot peppers to taste (about 4 jalapenos, say) (actually, I leave some in bigger pieces)

a roasted and peeled red bell pepper, chopped

salt, lots of black pepper, a goodly amount of cumin, a nice amount of coriander

lots of lime juice (2 limes?) and enough olive oil to bring it all together

a good handful or two of chopped cilantro

[Heather]

Bockwurst, weisswurst, and knackwurst with hot mustard

Gundelsheim sauerkraut - comes in a big, barrel shaped jar. My fave sauerkraut of all the canned/jarred varieties. Can be hard to find sometimes.

Steamed broccoli

Sour rye bread and butter

[Pat]

Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

[Al Dente]

The wife's b-day was yesterday, so we had some folks over and I made a sampling of some of her favorites-- seared sea scallops over wilted green chard, heirloom cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil salad, braised short ribs over polenta. I was going to do a pasta course too, but that wouldn't have left room for a surprisingly good cheesecake from the P St Whole Foods with these huge but not so flavorful blueberries that were on sale.

[zoramargolis]

Tacos al carbon with skirt steak

Charcoal-grilled cebollitas

Homemade tortillas--made with homemade masa

Salsa ranchera

Refried beans

guacamole

pico de gallo

[Pat]

Green salad

Beef pot pie (made from leftover pot roast--very tender)

[Scott Johnston]

Two great dinners this weekend:

Saturday

Mint Juleps ala Scott (Bourbon, simple mint syrup, sparking water, lime)

Hot and Sour Soup (http://www.americastestkitchen.com/login.a...e&iSeason=7)

Great Harvest Spinach and Feta Bread with Olive Oil

Wasabi Dumplings

FYI The America's Test Kitchen Hot and Sour soup is really really good. It uses very common ingredients. I substituted dry mushrooms for fresh. The two teaspoons of chili oil make the soup kick ass, use one for tamer palates.

Sunday

Poached Rock fish with fennel, onion, celery, vermouth, and tomato

Fennel Salad

Fresh Corn Salad with cilantro

[Pat]

From Julia:

Swordfish with Eggplant Tomato Sauce (La Barbouille) and pasta shells with butter

Very satisfying. Advertised as taking half an hour, but, uh, no. Still worth it.

[zoramargolis]

Risotto with fresh wild boletes (porcini) and maitake (hen of the woods) mushrooms, asparagus and favas

MKTye's sourdough bread

Mixed berry crisp

2005 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine (Sauv. blanc)

[giant shrimp]

sourdough bread leavened with wild yeast and oak pollen

tap water served tepid

punishment for being unable to express myself algebraically

[zoramargolis]

Grilled lamb shoulder chops briefly marinated with mint, marjoram and garlic

Grilled portabella 'shroom stuffed with marinated French lentils and mozzarella di bufala (for Veggie-teen)

Cous cous with favas and roasted garlic

Haricots verts

Oakleaf lettuce salad with lemon vinaigrette

2005 Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz

[Pat]

platter of tomatoes and hard boiled eggs, and baguette slices with olive oil for dipping

sauteed zucchini and salami with garlic

au gratin potatoes

NY Strip Steak

[legant]

A “clean out the fridge” meal:

Soba salad w/ roast chicken, carrots, cilantro, scallions; tossed with a rice wine-soy sauce-oil-Sriracha vinaigrette; topped with sesame seeds

Chocolate ice cream soda

Aah… the perfect end to a really lousy week.

[Pat]

skillet fried chicken

corn on the cob with butter, pepper, and Parmesan

baguettes with cheddar, bacon, salami, shallots, garlic, and Parmesan--run under the broiler

[qwertyy]

Spaghetti "carbonara"

Ya know, you live in a Muslim country long enough and you start to crave pork in a way that makes you do crazy things. But I don't know if I'm more embarassed that I attempted to make spaghetti carbonara with Bacos, or that on the first bite I thought, "Not bad."

Help me.

[Pat]

Last night I made French bread pizza from a baguette I had gotten at Marvelous Market earlier in the day. I cut two long sections from the widest part of the loaf, enough to be split and turned into four decent sided boats.

I used a little leftover marinara for sauce. The toppings were garlic, red onion, dry Italian herbs, buffalo mozzarella, alfonso olives, salami, bacon, and hot pepper flakes. I forgot that I had mushrooms, but I guess there were enough toppings without them .

The advantage to using a fairly heavy duty bread like that is that it can hold a lot of toppings and still be manageable and not soggy.

[tripewriter]

Beautiful seared chorizo (thanks Dan) on black beans and white corn with caramelized cocktail onions. And ice-cold Corona Light beer.

[Pat]

Hank's Lemon Beef Salad from today's Post.

Whoa, was this good. I mean, it was really really good. I added a bit of sour cream to the food on the plate to match the slight heat. I also lightly toasted the sesame seeds.

Definitely a keeper.

[Pat]

homemade banana bread with butter

warm potato salad with bacon and green onions

asparagus

corn on the cob w/butter and black pepper

porterhouse steak <--overcooked

The meal was great, except for my getting distracted and letting the steak cook too long. The banana-pecan bread I made earlier today came out really well.

[zoramargolis]

Cioppino with monkfish, scallops, shrimp, mussels and crabmeat

Butter lettuce and mache salad with lemon vinaigrette

Apricot tart

2005 La Pepiere Cuvee Eden Muscadet

[xcanuck]

Ah, dinner tonite is pretty much 100% off the grill.

- Baba Ghannouj with grilled pita points (made with grilled eggplant, natch)

- grilled (homemade) lamb merguez sausage

- grilled hangar steak

- grilled plantains

- grilled corn on the cob

- grilled garlic fingerling potatoes

And lots of Molson Canadian to wash it all down....

[DanCole42]

Ah, dinner tonite is pretty much 100% off the grill.

- Baba Ghannouj with grilled pita points (made with grilled eggplant, natch)

- grilled (homemade) lamb merguez sausage

- grilled hangar steak

- grilled plantains

- grilled corn on the cob

- grilled garlic fingerling potatoes

And lots of Molson Canadian to wash it all down....

But was the Molson brewed on a grill? How about the BG? Your story doesn't hold water!

-Blistered Serrano tacos with tequila-lime flank steak

-Homemade Serrano salsa

-Serrano-Cilantro sour cream

(I bought too many Serranos)

I made the leftovers into a really good "taco pot pie." Layer of meat, onions, and Serranos, then a layer of the salsa, then the cream, then some cheese, then I covered the whole thing with a tortilla and baked. Delish.

I only wish I had some of my award-winning homemade guacamole, but we had a hankering for tacos and the grocery story did not have a hankering for stocking ripe avocados.

[brr]

lettuce is bolting so.....

Arugula Gazpacho, topped w/ diced roasted red pepper (surprisingly good and not as bitter as I would have thought although there was loads of non argugula veggies in there!!)

Arugula, Radichio, Feta, Medjoool date salad, w Lemon dressing

no jokes about arugula ice cream!!

[zoramargolis]

First:

Mozzarella di bufala with tomato and basil

Main:

Crab cakes

Remoulade made with homemade mayo

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes

Oven roasted asparagus

2006 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

Dessert:

Homemade strawberry-rhubarb pie

[DLB]

First:

Mozzarella di bufala with tomato and basil

Main:

Crab cakes

Remoulade made with homemade mayo

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes

Oven roasted asparagus

2006 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

Dessert:

Homemade strawberry-rhubarb pie

I would like to move in with you I have to ask how to you have time to cook like this everynight? I admire and envy you. We only get around to doing on really good Sunday Supper, and we eat the leftovers and other quick items during the week.

[Pat]

Potato Skins with jack cheese, bacon, green onions, and sour cream

Soft chicken tacos

Drunken Beans

Indian curd rice

Kind of a mixed meal, mostly of leftovers . I had saved two not completely eaten halves of baked potatoes the night before. They still had some potato left, and I didn't want to throw them out. They made really good potato skins. I can't quite grasp the concept of setting out to make potato skins from whole potatoes, but it's a good use of that kind of leftover.

[zoramargolis]

I have to ask how to you have time to cook like this everynight?

I don't do elaborate meals every night. And this one took just under an hour to prep, cook and serve. I had made the pie on Sunday night, so that was "leftovers." The homemade mayo takes about five minutes to make in the blender. Some of it went into the crabmeat and then I chopped some cornichons, capers, shallot and herbs to make some into remoulade--with a bit of horseradish and some lemon zest. Meanwhile the potatoes were in the microwave. Roasted garlic I always have on hand in my fridge. Peel the cooked potatoes, squeeze in the roasted garlic, mash with hot milk, creme fraiche, butter and salt. Drizzle the asparagus with EVO and pop it in a hot oven. The mozzarella had been in the fridge and was approaching the pull date--that's a slice, plate, chop some fresh basil no-brainer. Shape the crab mix into patties, roll in crumbs, saute.

It's really not that difficult, if you are organized and know technique. I have a well-stocked pantry and lots of condiments in my refrigerator. I make roasted garlic every couple of weeks, so it's always there for seasoning sauces, vinaigrettes and miscellaneous dishes. I always have a variety of fresh herbs (and some growing in my garden now), lemons, limes and a good zester close at hand.

Dinner is an important time for me. It's the one time of the day when we are all together, facing and talking to each other. My daughter and husband would otherwise just snack in front of separate television sets. I can make sure that for at least one meal a day, everyone is eating healthy food and getting some protein and fresh vegetables. And it's an opportunity for me to benefit my family with my cooking skills and creativity-- a way for me to give of myself to people I love. I think that's true for most people who love to cook.

[zoramargolis]

Bone-in, center-cut loin pork chops from Eco-Friendly in a mushroom-Marsala-fresh sage pan reduction sauce

French lentils

Veggie-teen's main was a roasted, spiced portobello stuffed with lentils, sun-dried tomato and mozzarella di bufala

Braised kale

Sauteed potato patties, made from leftover roasted garlic mashed potatoes

The last of the strawberry-rhubarb pie

2005 Domaine Georges Viornery Cote de Brouilly

[Pat]

Last night was penne with bolognese sauce. I had made the basic sauce several days ago and reheated and added to it yesterday. The long cooking (with intermediate sitting time) really added a depth to the flavor.

[porcupine]

Tuna salad. Let me 'splain: the first lettuces of the season from my garden, dressed with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, a coddled egg, some barely crispy bacon, and topped with tuna.

[Pat]

Tonight was faux fajitas, for lack of a better description.

It featured grilled marinated tri tip, mushrooms, onions, garlic, green onions, and bell peppers, topped with cilantro and sour cream.

I was out of tortillas, so thawed some homemade pita rounds. Halved and lightly toasted, they made a nice bread-y base for the fajitas.

We had leftover rice and beans to accompany. It turned out quite well.

[Pat]

Tuna salad. Let me 'splain: the first lettuces of the season from my garden, dressed with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, a coddled egg, some barely crispy bacon, and topped with tuna.

That sounds really good.

[zoramargolis]

Chilled fresh pea soup with mint

Charcoal-roasted, herb-brined Sunnyside Organics chicken

(Charcoal-grilled spiced portobello for Veggie-teen)

Favas and asparagus with Meyer lemon olive oil and roasted garlic

Creamy cheese grits

2006 Turkey Flat Rose