Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[zoramargolis]

Last night:

Red and yellow heirloom tomato, mozzarella & basil

Charcoal roasted Eco-Friendly chicken, herb-brined and spice rubbed

Gratin of Yukon Gold potatoes and charcoal-roasted eggplant*

Lacinato kale braised with onion and pancetta, dressed with balsamico

2007 Domaine de Mirail Rosé

*I had roasted eggplants and peppers in the Weber Kettle the night before, while I was grilling pork chops. I had planned to use the eggplant for ratatouille or baba ghanouch, but on impulse I used the roasted eggplant flesh as a layer in a gratin of thin-sliced potatoes and shallot. When it came out of the oven, crisped on top, I garnished it with fresh lemon thyme. Jonathan was VERY skeptical, because he loves potatoes and dislikes eggplant, but we both loved the creamy sweetness of the eggplant with the earthiness of the spuds. An inspired improvisation I plan to repeat.

[Anna Blume]

...on impulse I used the roasted eggplant flesh as a layer in a gratin of thin-sliced potatoes and shallot. When it came out of the oven, crisped on top, I garnished it with fresh lemon thyme... we both loved the creamy sweetness of the eggplant with the earthiness of the spuds.

Sounds great. Description reminds me of one of the reasons I am fond of Suzanne Goin's gratin of heirloom tomatoes, caramelized onions and thinly sliced potatoes, the eggplant, in your case, softening the way her tomatoes do.

While I generally adore eggplants, the one combo I can't take is eggplant and egg as in tortillas, especially.

[zoramargolis]

Panko-crusted skate filets

Thai green curry aioli

Barley-corn salad with lime juice and zest and chopped cilantro

Leftover lacinato kale

Cashel blue cheese and kadota figs from a neighbor's tree

2004 Terre di Orazio Dry Muscat

[Pat]

homemade buttermilk white bread (James Beard recipe)

broiled flounder filets; lemon, s&p

green beans

leftover Israeli couscous salad

[Xochitl10]

Toriniku-dango (chicken meatballs) seasoned with ginger, garlic, and a bit of tobanjan (spicy miso paste)

Satoimo no kurogoma miso ae: boiled taro root, peeled and mixed with a black sesame/brown sugar/miso dressing

Miso soup with shiitake and wakame seaweed

Steamed rice

Wild Turkey Rye Manhattan

[DanCole42]

First Course:

"Glutamate Platter (or: Le Plateau d'Umami)"

-Sliced heirloom tomatoes drizzled with balsamic reduction and thyme

-Parmigiano-Reggiano drizzled with truffle oil and black pepper

Laphroaig QCS

Main Course:

"Veal Marsala"

-Pan seared veal chops

-Golden brown and delicious lobster mushrooms tossed with thyme in marsala and veal demi glace, reduced until sweet and sticky, then mounted with butter

Pint of Guinness

Dessert:

-More Guinness

...

(snicker... "mounted")

[zoramargolis]

Last night:

Steak and pepper sandwiches--

spice-rubbed rib eye, pan seared and sliced

sweet yellow and red Italian peppers and poblanos that had previously been roasted over charcoal, mixed with

slow-cooked, caramelized onions cooked with fennel seed

served together on toasted baguette with Reggiano Parmesan and fresh basil

Ripe peach

2006 Colosi Rosso

[Pat]

Flounder stuffed with crabmeat

Sauteed bay scallops with onion and shallots over wild rice blend

Broccoli

The flounder was leftover and I was unsure how to reheat it without drying it out completely. I made a crab stuffing with claw meat, mayo, bread crumbs, onion, celery, and mushroom and layered the two fillets with the stuffing in a gratin dish. I drizzled a small bit of beurre blanc over the whole thing, covered with foil, and heated in a 350 oven while the rest of dinner cooked. Foil came off near the end so the top could brown a bit. It was pretty good--and moist. Now I have leftover flounder stuffed with crabmeat .

[zoramargolis]

Last night:

Fritatta with pancetta, zucchini and soffrito

Marinated lentil salad

Leftover barley-corn salad

Oil-packed tuna on mache with aioli

Sungold tomatoes

Chile-spiced olives

Ripe peach

2008 Montes Rosé

[Xochitl10]

Sanma no shioyaki -- salt-grilled saury pike

Miso soup with eggplant and myouga ginger

Iburigakko -- smoked pickled daikon radish

Steamed rice

[porcupine]

pain de campagne brushed with garlic olive oil, toasted with cheese (coolea or fontina), topped with applewood smoked bacon, garden tomatoes, Malden sea salt, and parsley or basil

lemon cupcakes with lemon mascarpone icing

[DanCole42]

Pizza!

[mame11]

Sauteed chicken breast seasoned with Penzy's Red & Black spice

Okra Stew with okra, tomato and onion from the 14th & U market

Seared jalapeno (trying to recreate the ones at Hells Burger)

[Anna Blume]

Kibbeh Saniyeh

Cucumber slices

Goat's yogurt

Watermelon

Recipe from Claudia Roden who promotes the dish by noting it takes no time at all, unlike most labor-intensive versions of kibbeh. Process a peeled quartered onion as the oven heats to 375 F. Add a lb. ground lamb, salt, pepper, t cinnamon, allspice (skipped latter), pulse till paste. 2/3 c rinsed, drained FINE bulgur. Pulse. Pat into well-oiled pie plate, cut into wedges and brush top w more olive oil. Bake 30 mins. till golden brown.

Meanwhile, sauté 2 huge onions, sliced, till golden, adding salt to encourage process. Add 1/3 c pinenuts, 1/2 t cinnamon, pepper and T pomegranate molasses. Use this as topping. Can be served cold as mezze, but quite good straight from oven.

Much as I am a fan of just about everything that Paula Wolfert writes, I am finding Arabesque very inspiring since most recipes are similarly parred down and doable. Lots of inviting photos.

[zoramargolis]

Last night:

Tomato-bread soup with fresh dill and chives

Garlic toast

Merguez meatballs (lamb) with minted yogurt sauce

Roasted golden beet and cucumber salad

Leftover marinated lentil salad

Chile-spiked olives

2007 Dom. de Mirail Rosé

[zoramargolis]

Tonight:

Roasted eggplant gazpacho with chopped cucumber and dill garnish

Garlic toast

Charcoal roasted, herb-brined Eco-Friendly chicken

Fresh corn puree

Green beans with roasted garlic and lemon

2005 Dom. des Michelons Moulin-a-Vent

[Pat]

Last night

soft tacos (ground beef and pinto beans; scrambled eggs w/ shallots, cholula sauce, pepper jack)

leftover spare ribs

[Pat]

Tonight

tuna salad with celery, radishes and shallots, on 12-grain bread with romaine and tomato

buttered corn on the cob

[zoramargolis]

Spanish tortilla-style quiche with soffrito, potatoes, eggs and P'tit Basque

Braised chard

2007 Chandon Rosé

[Anna Blume]

Spanish tortilla-style quiche with soffrito, potatoes, eggs and P'tit Basque

Braised chard

2007 Chandon Rosé

Did you read my shopping list this morning?

[zoramargolis]

Did you read my shopping list this morning?

Last week, I got a huge sack full of red and yellow pepper "seconds" from Toigo, for 99 cents a pound. I roasted them on charcoal when I was cooking a chicken. Soffrito is a good thing to make with roasted peppers.

Dinner tonight:

Guacamole and chips

Eco-Friendly pork braised in roasted red chile-tomato salsa

Refried beans (La Costeña) with grated cheddar

Yellow and green zucchini with garlic

pico de gallo

warm tortillas

Hook & Ladder Backdraft Ale

Magic Hat Fat Angel

[goodeats]

Dinner for the week: Roast chicken buttered with tumeric, cinnamon, sea salt, and pepper, with a root of ginger in the cavity, accompanied by carrots, corn on the cob, potatoes, and japanese yam. Love comfort food on a not-so-good day like today.

[monavano]

Football Sundays generally mean something is cooking and making the house smell amazing. Yesterday, I made spaghetti with meatballs and for dessert, gorgonzola blintzes with a concord grape reduction sauce. The grapes were from Papa's Orchard at the West End Alexandria farmers market.

Last week while vacationing in Cape May, NJ, I hit up a few of the many farms and farm stands just outside of town. The tomatoes were amazing, but the corn, not so much. So, instead of eating the corn off the cobb, I mixed it up with bell peppers and fresh lima beans to make succotash.

[zoramargolis]

I bought fresh limas at the Dupont market on Sunday, so succotash is in the offing--probably tonight.

Last night:

Sharlyn melon with prosciutto

Heirloom tomato with mozzarella di bufala

Olives

Gigante beans in tomato sauce

New potatoes with aioli

Leftover spanish tortilla

Mesclun with mache and cucumbers

Carr Valley Creamery Mobay (sheep and goat with a seam of ash in the center)

Toasted baguette

2006 Dom. Manoir du Carra Beaujolais-Villages

[zoramargolis]

Tonight:

Buttermilk-marinated pan-fried Eco-Friendly chicken

Fresh lima bean succotash with pancetta

Cheese grits

2007 Tittarelli Torrontes

[Xochitl10]

An atsuaage (deep-fried block of tofu), rinsed of oil, cut into triangles, and simmered in a stock of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin

Shiitake, nameko, shimeji, and enoki mushrooms, steamed in sake and a bit of soy sauce. Served with grated sudachi peel.

Hourenso no kurogoma yogoshi -- parboiled spinach, cooled and mixed with a black sesame/soy sauce/sugar/sesame oil dressing

Steamed brown rice

[zoramargolis]

A night that called for soup:

Ribolitta

Peach and Nectarine in red wine

2006 Castello Monaci Piluna Primitivo

[Xochitl10]

Simmered minced chicken and kabocha

Miso soup with enoki mushrooms and wakame seaweed

Steamed rice

The first batch of cucumber pickles out of the new bed

[zoramargolis]

Petit Delice triple cream bloomy rind

Baguette toast

Charcoal grilled garlic/herb marinated rack of lamb

Orzo with roasted eggplant and red pepper, haricots verts, capers, olives and feta

2005 René Bouvier Gevrey-Chambertin Le Chepitre

[DanCole42]

Petit Delice triple cream bloomy rind

Geez. I don't even know what that IS.

Beef tenderloin roasted in a salt and herb crust

Fingerling potatoes boiled in a saturated salt solution with scallions and butter

With thanks to Alton Brown. This was amazing.

[zoramargolis]

Petit Delice triple cream bloomy rind

Geez. I don't even know what that IS.

Cheese.

[rkduggins]

Rosh Hahshanah dinner last night:

Raisin challa

Fuji apples

Honey

Smoked whitefish gefilte fish with lemon horseradish aoli

Lemon grass consommé with shitake, leeks and matzoh balls

Nach Waxman's beef brisket

Pumpernickel, chestnut and wild mushroom stuffing

Oil roasted potatoes and fennel

Cinnamon glazed carrots with dried apricots and toasted almonds

Apple cake

[edenman]

Seared shrimp in a lime juice, cilantro, and shrimp butter sauce. Tomato, avocado garnish. Too summery for the weather, but I made some shrimp butter last week and needed to use it for something. WF's season-defying produce availability means I could pick up tomatoes and avocado, but neither were terribly good. Shrimp and sauce were great, though.

[Xochitl10]

Curry rice using organic brown rice

Spinach salad with dried cranberries and sliced almonds

Homemade rice-bran pickles

[zoramargolis]

Seafood stew: squid, shrimp, mussels, clams, halibut and some tiny new potatoes in a rich tomato base with pernod and orange peel. Got all the goodies at BlackSalt, and picked up a container of their own clam broth rather than take the extra time to make fish stock.

Haricots verts with roasted garlic and lemon

2008 Montes Rosé

Sshlllurrpp!

[porcupine]

faux Afgan:

spice crusted rack of lamb (cardamom, coriander, clove, cumin)

kadu (pumpkin stewed in sweet tomato sauce with mint yogurt)

rice with carrot, raisin, pistachio, saffron

house bitter cocktail

There aren't many recipes for Afgan food on the internet. Can anyone suggest a resource?

[zoramargolis]

There aren't many recipes for Afgan food on the internet. Can anyone suggest a resource?

There doesn't seem to be much available via Amazon, either, but here's a link to the three books they do list:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=se...p;x=17&y=21

There is also the possibility of finding Afghani recipes in more generalized Middle Eastern Cookbooks. I like Paula Wolfert's books and also Claudia Roden's. I have an old one of Claudia Roden's *A Book of Middle Eastern Food* that has good recipes, and she discusses the different ways the same dishes are cooked in different countries. Wolfert does that as well in her *The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean.* Ana Sortun's book *Spices* is primarily Turkish, but hey, it's just next door to Afghanistan.

[Xochitl10]

Gyuu-niku no sansho ni: thinly sliced beef and mountain ash leaves, simmered in sake, soy sauce, and mirin

Ichijiku no gomadare sarada: figs on watercress with sesame dressing

Kinpira ninjin: julienned carrots stir-fried with dried red pepper, then simmered in sake, soy sauce, sugar, and mirin

Miso soup with fresh wakame seaweed and fu (wheat gluten)

Homemade rice-bran pickles

Steamed rice

Wild Turkey rye Manhattans

[DanCole42]

Freezer and Pantry Raid

My basement flooded due to an overactive washing machine this morning. I had to stick around to wait for the emergency cleanup crew. My wife had to take the car so I was on my own and, despite her offers of getting me some food, I figured it was a perfect time to clean out long-term food storage.

Shrimp and Bacon Sandwich with Tabasco-Tomato-Lime Mayo

Sautéed shrimp marinated in lime juice, garlic, fresh sage, clam juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, cascbobel, anaheim, and chipotle chiles

Smoked tomato confit, milled, then mixed with mayo, lime juice, salt, pepper, and plenty of Tabasco

Oven roasted, crispy bacon

Buttered and toasted hot dog buns

Pumpkin ale

Necessity is the mother of invention, and this one is going into the rotation. Holy sherpa was this an amazingly good sandwich. Intensely aromatic and flavorful with different interpretations of "spiciness" racing through my mouth, a gentle reminder of ocean, a waft of herbage, and the interplay of acid and cream throughout with smoke coming off the bacon and tomatoes in a delightful flirtation. I should open a roadside stand...

[laniloa]

Pork chops from Stillman's Farm with a pan sauce with apple cider, a touch of maple syrup, mustard, and tarragon. Served over polenta with a side of green beans almondine.

[edenman]

Pan-fried trout, shaved brussels sprouts, topped with spicy blended mixture of capers and the scraps from shaving the sprouts.

[zoramargolis]

Pan-cooked Eco-Friendly pork rib chops with pan-reduction sauce

Savory quince compote

Golden cauliflower puree

Fresh lima beans with bacon

2005 Dom. Nicolas Rossignol Bourgogne

[Anna Blume]

Roasted tomato soup w rice

Salad of pea shoots, avocado and wasabi mustard greens

Half a Grimes Golden Apple

Half a cocoa-dusted brownie

Apple Cinnamon tea

The soup is a fairly new annual tradition: a way to acknowledge the waning days of produce that lingers after the end of summer.

I picked up several pounds of seconds on bright orange tomatoes from Tree & Leaf, cut them in half and roasted them w slivers of garlic slipped in among the seeds before seasoning them and brushing the tops w olive oil last night.

In the morning, I roasted and skinned a couple of red peppers to sauté w a chopped onions, more garlic, fresh thyme, pimenton and a pinch of saffron. Slipped the tomato skins off, but was casual about removing all the seeds since I didn't want a smooth purée. Poured all the juice into the pot along w the flesh and let it all simmer w chicken broth.

When I got home, I cooked a couple of spoonfuls of rice in additional broth before ladling in soup.

[bettyjoan]

Haven't been cooking as much as I would like lately, but I did throw together some enchiladas and lasagna.

The former had lots of cheese and even more cilantro, which I really enjoyed. I just wish I liked corn tortillas more--maybe it's because I've never had them homemade?

The lasagna was really good--the sauce had ground beef, Italian sausage (sweet--next time, I'll use spicy), onions, carrots, garlic, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, and crushed tomatoes. Very tasty. I just layered it with noodles, a ricotta/parm/spinach filling, and some shredded mozzarella. As with most tomato-based pasta dishes, I thought it tasted better leftover, when the flavors had a little more time to mingle.

[zoramargolis]

I just wish I liked corn tortillas more--maybe it's because I've never had them homemade?

Interesting. I don't recall knowing anyone who disliked corn tortillas. Do you also dislike tortilla chips? I ask because the very distinctive flavor of lime-treated corn is the same in both, even though the chips have been fried after being baked as tortillas. If you like chips but not tortillas, I am guessing that perhaps you have never had really fresh tortillas. The ones sold in packages in grocery stores are often stale and/or slightly sour, which happens to tortillas that are over the hill.

A suggestion: if you are willing to put this to a test, go out to a Latin market and buy a bag of Maseca or Quaker Masa Harina. It's fairly cheap. Make sure that it hasn't been sitting on the shelf for a year--that's why I suggest buying it in a Latin market, or a market in an area where there is a high concentration of Latinos, where there will be a regular turnover of product. Take a cup of masa harina and add just enough water to make a fairly soft dough that doesn't crumble. Roll a ball of dough about the size of a golf ball between your hands. Sandwich the golf ball between two layers of thick plastic--like a freezer bag that you have cut open. Then roll it into a thin disc with a rolling pin. Heat a very lightly oiled or non-stick cast iron skillet or griddle until it is hot. Peel the top layer of plastic off of the disc, plop it onto the skillet dough side down and then peel the remaining layer of plastic off. Cook on one side until the edges start looking dry, then turn it with a spatula and let it cook for a few minutes on the other side until it no longer has any rawness. Don't let it get brown--a few brown specks are okay, but adjust the heat down if it seems too hot to cook without burning. Wrap the tortilla in a clean tea towel for a few moments to allow it to steam. Spread a little bit of butter on it, roll it up and eat it. Then you will know whether you dislike corn tortillas or not.

[zoramargolis]

Last night we had our first fire of the season in the wood-stove, and I responded to a request: "Let's just have some soup for dinner."

Italian-style beans and greens soup with roasted tomatoes and eggplants. This was a true "whatever I've got in the house" kind of dish. I used vacuum-packed cooked favas that I'd gotten at Trader Joe's. Roasted and pureed some soft "seconds" tomatoes from Toigo, and the pulp from some roasted little pale purple eggplants that I hadn't done anything with from the week before. A couple of shredded collard leaves, some Parmesan cheese rinds. Typical aromatics--carrot, celery, leek, onion, garlic both raw and roasted. Fresh herbs. Red pepper. Fennel pollen. Porcini powder. A can of chicken broth (gotta make some chicken stock soon!), water and some dry vermouth. Cooked for about an hour. During the last twenty minutes I added a little bit of orzo and paper thin slices of yellow and green zucchini. Served with grated Reggiano and garlic toast.

Dessert: Italian plum crisp with creme fraiche

2006 Colosi Rosso

[Anna Blume]

Funny, I've been thinking about Italian prune plums all week, ever since I chose two pints of raspberries and some rhubarb instead.

* * *

Baked macaroni and cheese (Dan, take note)

Salad of baby mustard greens, sorrel, mint leaves, raspberries and toasted pine nuts

Recipes in The New Spanish Table caught my eye (vinaigrette made w cinnamon). Sautéed last week's cache of honey mushrooms and Royal Trumpets, then threw in minced garlic, dousing all w white wine before tossing the lot into a bowl of ham from a smoked hock and thick shreds of bacon.

Caramelized a small, chopped onion before adding yet more garlic and a handful of Sun Gold tomatoes. Then, lots of heavy cream w a bit of chicken broth (no stock either, here). Cooked down.

Into the bowl all went w penne and various cheeses in house before transferring contents to pan. Topped mostly w Parm, but also some aged Gouda. Very hot oven for not very long. Perfect for Project Runway.

[zoramargolis]

Buttermilk marinated fried Eco-Friendly chicken

Mixed greens (collard and turnip) with ham hock

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes

2006 Dom. du Tariquet Cotes de Gascogne

[cjsadler]

Comfort food:

Bacon wrapped meatloaf

Bourbon mashed sweet potatoes

[Xochitl10]

Chikuzenni: bamboo shoot, carrot, pork thigh meat, shiitake, gobou (burdock root), and konnyaku (devil's tongue jelly), simmered with dashi, soy sauce, and a bit of sugar, topped with blanched pea pods at serving time. Chikuzenni is usually made with chicken, but I used pork because Azami has chicken issues.

Leftover miso soup with fresh seaweed and shiitake

Homemade carrot and cucumber rice-bran pickles

Steamed rice