Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[bubbaque]

Dinner on Tuesday night? Chili Shrimp over jasmine rice with a salad on the side. The recipe is from my favorite Chinese cookbook, "Chinese: The essence of Asian Cooking", by Linda Doeser(?)

The only setback was the use of a couple of Fresno Chiles for the "fresh red chili" it called for - I probably should have used some of my dryed Thai chiles because the heat just wasn't there. It required some garlic-chili sauce to make up the deficiet.

Not the most colorful of dishes, but with a glass of pinot grigio an excellent repast all the same.

[giant shrimp]

tonight we are having pasta with thawed tomato sauce. in the summer, i invariably buy too many tomatoes at the farmers market. basically, collect as many as will fit snugly in a pyrex dish, cored and peeled, bottoms up, salted and peppered, with plenty of good olive oil. they can sit on a bed of basil, or add garlic and herbs, whatever sounds good. then roast in a 350-degree oven for an hour and a half or so, until they are carmelized. i first saw a recipe like this in alice waters, but there are many variations. she calls for the olive oil to come half way up the tomatoes, which is too high for me. also this tomato compote can get a bit soupy for a sauce, but i whisk it up if that happens. serve with some parmesan. you can also serve the sauce on rice, and there are many other ways of going to town with it. this is the best tasting way of cooking tomatoes i know.

Edited August 31, 2005 by giant shrimp

[MelGold]

Tonight was my night to actually cook! Fresh corn cut off the cob sauteed with button mushrooms and yellow onion, tiger shrimp and a white wine butter sauce.

YUM!

[V.H.]

First real meal cooked in the new house. Marinated beef short ribs in korean rib seasoning and cooked in cast iron skillet, eaten with jasmine rice and some panchan picked up at the Grand Mart.

Still in disbelief that I have an electric range and was able to actually cook a meal on it since previous attempts in my youth were spectacular failures.

[Barbara]

After watching 1 1/2 hours of the news out of NOLA, it was my turn to provide dinner. Safeway had crab meat on sale this week, so I made crabcakes, fresh corn, and a tomato and cucumber salad. We had some Folonari Soave to drink. Life is unfair, sometimes.

[Gastro888]

Girl talk over some grub at Chinatown Express last night. On the table:

Snow pea shoots in garlic (eh, they were "ok-lah" - could've been fresher)

Chow lai mein with beef (good!)

House special chicken (fried chicken on the bone, chopped and doused with a garlic, soy & cilantro sauce - YUMMY!)

If you want the house special chicken, point to it on the wall. It's on the red poster board.

Dinner for 3 hungry girls - 11 bucks per person. With leftovers...that I left at home today. @#$!

[hillvalley]

Heirloom tomato salad with parsley and basil.

I hate it when dinner sounds much better than it tastes

[deangold]

At a rare make at home dinner, chopped fresh tomatoes out of te garden on pasta with olive oil, basil and garlic with a bottle of Costanti Rosso di Montalcino 2001 out of the cellar.

[Gastro888]

At Matuba in Bethesda last night: large sushi, miso soup and a few pieces of chicken teriyaki. Gotta love Matuba!

[cjsadler]

Sauteed chicken breast with a skillet corn cake, peaches, basil and a balsamic cream sauce (thanks to Barbara for this idea).

[crackers]

Sauteed chicken breast with a skillet corn cake, peaches, basil and a balsamic cream sauce  (thanks to Barbara for this idea).

We love this recipe - I still use the original, clipped from the Post food section, from back when they had recipes worth clipping. I serve it with brown rice.

my plum cake was all that was left when I finally made it home for dinner tonight. And a few pizza crusts. Thanks kids.

[zoramargolis]

An improvised dessert worked well, using leftovers from last two Sundays at Dupont Market. Bread pudding with peaches and mascarpone, using half a loaf of brioche, three peaches, three eggs and a cup and a 1/4 of milk, some sweet butter, turbinado sugar, vanilla and cinnamon, and half a container of mascarpone. Baked in a waterbath in a 300 degree oven for fifty minutes and left in the oven with the door closed for about a half hour after that. Served warm with whipped cream. Let's put it this way-- "It might have been better with vanilla ice cream" was the only criticism.

[Heather]

Sauteed pork chops with home-canned peach chutney (not as spicy as I would have liked - more habaneros next time).

Big salad with tomatoes from the market.

Bread that Emma baked with some help from Dad.

Ginger ice cream with blueberry compote (AKA my failed batch of jam from earlier this summer) and sliced peaches.

[JPW]

From my new Mario cookbook --

Turkey breast cutlets alla bolognese (breaded and panfried topped with parmesan shavings, a slice of prosciutto and some grated pecorino and finished in a hot oven)

Roasted onion halves with a balsamic glaze

And a caprese salad with slightly underripe plum tomatoes picked up at TP farmers' market.

[jm chen]

After too many rich meals, an attempt at a quasi-healthy food experiment. Reasonably successful.

Crush up some saltines and wet them with milk. Throw in ground turkey. Hit it with pesto, extra olive oil, dried basil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, one egg. Make a face and thrust your hands into the mess to blend it. Scoop and squish lightly to form very loosely packed meatballs.

Brown 'em up on all sides in olive oil while you boil mini-penne in another pot. (Note: do not attempt to turn the meatballs with tongs.)

When the meatballs are brown, soak the excess oil out of the pot with a paper towel, pour in red sauce of your choice to heat through. Serve over mini-penne to a grateful household.

(Okay, it wasn't that healthy, but it was delicious.)

Jael

[zoramargolis]

After too many rich meals, an attempt at a quasi-healthy food experiment. Reasonably successful.

Crush up some saltines and wet them with milk. Throw in ground turkey. Hit it with pesto, extra olive oil, dried basil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, one egg....

My "house special" thirty-minute meal--usually minus the pesto/herbs! What I discovered after doing this often enough, is that it is almost as good, and is much quicker, to skip the browning step and just poach the meatballs in the sauce. This works well for pasta and also to make Indian kofta curry, by poaching the meatballs in Patak's curry sauce, or one of Trader Joe's curry sauces, and then serve over basmati rice. I usually have cracker meal or matzo meal on hand, so the step of crushing saltines can also be skipped.

[Meaghan]

After too many rich meals, an attempt at a quasi-healthy food experiment. Reasonably successful.

My clean up was big crunch watercress salad with the best olive oil I could find and a splash of balsamic...then I got hungry and drank some riesling for dessert.

Happy Monday!

[hillvalley]

I'm following the reasonably successful trend for the evening......I had a bunch of produce and herbs to use up so they all got tossed in together.

I sauteed some squash and chopped heirloom tomatoes until the tomatoes broke down and became saucy. I added some red wine vinegar, oregano, basil and parsley and let the whole thing simmer until I got rid of some of the liquid. I then poured the whole thing over some tubetti.

Turned out better than I thought and I have lunch tomorrow

[Heather]

Meatballs made with soft bread crumbs, milk, allspice, garlic, s&p, stuffed into warm pitas.

Yogurt with chopped mint, minced garlic, s&p for drizzling on meatballs.

Salad of halved cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumber, chopped sweet onion, fresh mint & oregano, olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Ginger ice cream with fresh peaches for dessert.

[JPW]

Spaghetti with bacon and onion in a red sauce.

2003 Ch Mas Neuf -- Costieres de Nimes.

[Gastro888]

At Maria's Bakery & Cafe last night (heaven help me, I will start a new thread on this place...one day soon):

HK style milk tea (extra milk on the side)

Jam and sweetened condensed milk on toast (comfort food...)

Chinese broc w/ oyster sauce (fresh veg and oyster sauce, perfect!)

Portguese Chicken baked with rice (HEAVEN!)

I was tempted by the mooncakes there but am patiently waiting on some special ones my friend is bringing over from NYC. It's the imperial kind or some thing like that...

[mktye]

No time to post earlier since my father and nephew were in town, but on the occasion of their visit, we had a week of "real" dinners...

Tuesday: Warm Spinach/Artichoke Dip & Chips upon our return from the airport. Chili con Carne, Coleslaw, and Cornbread (hmm, an alliteration theme?) with Boston Cream Pie (my father's favorite) for dessert.

Wednesday: Potstickers, Lemon Chicken, Braised Garlic Eggplant, Marinated Celery, Marinated Cucumbers, and Coconut Rice. Leftover Boston Cream Pie (which was even better the second night).

Thursday: A delicious-as-always dinner at Corduroy.

Friday: Mortadella Mousse with Pan de Mie toasts to start. Then my nephew's favorite Squash Ravioli with Sage/Butter and Tomato (mdt: butter-based! ) Sauces. Followed by my father's favorite Pork Scaloppine with Balsamic/Basil Sauce, Parmesan Asparagus, and Rosemary/Proscuitto Roasted Potatoes. Finished with "Kit Kat" Bars (in the style of Chef Power a la Chef Richard) for dessert.

Saturday: The last of the Boston Cream Pie (we'd done the Dim Sum Tasting Brunch at Cafe Atlantico and were all still stuffed).

Sunday: Margaritas, Guacamole and Salsa with Chips, Pork Tacos, Tomatoes with Cilantro/Mint/Lime Dressing, Refried Beans, and Mexican-Style Rice. I had planned on a Lemon Meringue Pie for dessert, but a deficit of eggs resulted in the last-minute substitution of Lemon Bars.

Plus, the above food was supplemented with Pecan Sticky Buns, Vanilla/Honey Granola w/fresh Peaches, and Yeast-Raised Donuts for breakfasts and some fantastic Cheesetique cheeses (Rochetta, Piave Vecchio, Smuggler's Blue, Manchego, and Beemster), Artichoke/Olive Tapenade, and Sicilian-style White Bean Spread served with Sourdough and Pecan Raisin Rye Bread for a couple of lunches.

(I do not plan on cooking another thing for at least a week! )

(Edited to slightly clarify that it was my nephew and father who arrived from the airport and it was not the Spinach/Artichoke dip that flew into Dulles that afternoon!)

Edited September 13, 2005 by mktye

[txaggie]

Dinner last night was a white bean soup and squid salad. Both recipes were quick, easy, tasty, and from Cooking Light.

Dessert was inspired from the Eve dinner last Thursday. It was sliced figs with a strawberry-basil puree and almond brittle. Awesome!

[JPW]

Emmy snacking food --

Red Wine marinated pork kebobs

Tangy carrot yogurt dip

Sauteed eggplant with melted feta

Pan fried kalamata olives with fennel seed

Tabouli

Pita

[Gastro888]

While on the Chinatown Bus from NY's CT (never, never, never again will I take a CT bus):

Baked cha siu bao from Mei Lai Wah coffehouse on Mott

"Chung yao gook gai"- Scallion oil baked chicken from a BBQ meat joint on Elizabeth (the big one that spans one block)

Iced honey lemon tea

Yes, it was completely and utterly worth the bus ride. Gooood eats.

[Heather]

Fettucine Alfredo, with steamed asparagus.

Scott made the pasta with the kids yesterday afternoon. They were so excited you would have thought we had taken them to Disneyworld - Ian especially loved turning the handle and watching the fettucine come out. Both ate enormous quantities.

[zoramargolis]

While on the Chinatown Bus from NY's CT (never, never, never again will I take a CT bus):

...Yes, it was completely and utterly worth the bus ride.  Gooood eats.

I am mystefied. Please explain these seemingly contradictory statements... I have on occasion considered taking that bus, or having my fifteen year-old daughter ride it to NYC to visit her aunt. Why will you never again take the bus?

[shogun]

Grilled brie and prosciutto sandwich. Yes, it was pretty drippy.

[JPW]

Beef fajitas

Leavings from a previously opened bottle of Protocolo

[mktye]

Ricotta-Basil-Semolina Gnocchi with the very last (I think, bags of it keep surfacing in my freezer) of the composite tomato-butter sauce from the canned tomato tasting.

[giant shrimp]

a salad nicoise with heirloom tomatoes, haricot vert and small potatoes from the farmers market. the oritz tuna works well, but i mix in the oil rather than draining it off, otherwise it is too dry.

with a good dressing buried in a recipe from deborah madison: crush two garlic cloves with two anchovies and half a teaspoon of salt with a mortar and pestel, whisk in a teaspoon of dijon mustard, and then two to three tablespoons of aged red vinegar and one-third cup of olive oil.

[Gastro888]

I am mystefied. Please explain these seemingly contradictory statements... I have on occasion considered taking that bus, or having my fifteen year-old daughter ride it to NYC to visit her aunt. Why will you never again take the bus?

Don't be mystified. The CT food is so good that I can endure sitting on a bus for about 10 hours. When I bit into my fresh cha siu bao from Mei Lai Wah, it was worth it.

Dinner last night:

From huge prepared foods market on 79 Elizabeth Street in NYC:

-Scallion oil chicken

-Braised beef tendon (YUMMY)

-Zoong (sticky rice "tamale" - sticky rice with peanuts, lean pork, ham and a questionable salty egg yolk [it was questionable b/c I think it was a regular chicken egg yolk instead of the more expensive duck yolk. Grr])

Dessert - Japanese style cheesecake and silvers of mooncake (white lotus with double yolk and "gum tui" [nuts and Chinese sasusage])

(I will never do the Chinatown bus again for minor reason such as the driver drove like a maniac, the passengers drove me nuts and they were running behind schedule. Also, I'm a bit type-A so having someone else drive makes me a bit bonkers. PM me if you have questions.)

Edited September 20, 2005 by Gastro888

[jm chen]

After a first-time-in-a-decade trip to Olive Garden, I had leftovers of capellini with Roma tomatoes. Fairly bland. But when doctored with feta, capers, and a glug of good olive oil, it made a very tasty meal for one.

Jael

[cjsadler]

Rock shrimp and clams with cannellini beans

[Al Dente]

Rock shrimp and clams with cannellini beans

Man, that looks excellent!

[ScotteeM]

Rock shrimp and clams with cannellini beans

I want that!

ScotteeM

[cjsadler]

Horseradish crusted salmon with dilled cucumbers and grain mustard sauce.

From a Gary Danko recipe here

[MelGold]

Horseradish crusted salmon with dilled cucumbers and grain mustard sauce. 

From a Gary Danko recipe here

Chris, if you ever decide to open your own restaurant, I'm first in line!

[zoramargolis]

Enchiladas Suisas--chicken enchiladas with a tomatillo-poblano chile sauce, jack cheese and crema

Chayote-poblano flan

Frijoles refritos

Sopa seca de arroz

Pico de gallo

Cerveza

[ScotteeM]

Dry-aged rib eye steaks on a charcoal grill

Risotto with fresh porcini mushrooms

Steamed white asparagus

Bernaise sauce

ScotteeM

[DonRocks]

Enchiladas Suisas--chicken enchiladas with a tomatillo-poblano chile sauce, jack cheese and crema

Did you use a condom?

[zoramargolis]

Did you use a condom? 

Old enough to know better, still too young to care...

[ScotteeM]

Marinated, grilled duck breast, grilled bi-color corn on the cob, and sauteed sliced baby artichokes, king mushrooms (from the Grand Mart), and pine nuts.

ScotteeM

[Heather]

Turkey, sliced pears and aged cheddar on rustic bread, brushed with olive oil & grilled. Served with homemade peach-habanero chutney and a big green salad.

[zoramargolis]

Turkey, sliced pears and aged cheddar on rustic bread, brushed with olive oil & grilled.  Served with homemade peach-habanero chutney and a big green salad.

I'm impressed that you prepared such a hearty meal after the monster repast at the picnic... My family ate nachos, made with the leftover chips and guacamole that I'd brought home from Belle Haven Park, enhanced with some refried beans I made a few days ago, grated cheese, pico de gallo salsa and sour cream. I ate enough this afternoon to tide me over until tomorrow. It was great meeting you.

[Heather]

That was last night's dinner! It's 8 pm and I'm still not hungry after eating all that good stuff at the picnic.

[shogun]

Pasta with 'Basil is SO over in pesto", topped with grated cheese from the 'Functional garnish texture counterpoints made of cheese" I would have made for the picnic if I didn't run out of time.

Edited to remark: It's like there's a party in my mouth, and everybody is wearing trucker hats and drinking poorly-made gimlets.

Edited October 5, 2005 by shogun

[Al Dente]

I'm trying to perfect my pilaf skills. Didn't do such a bad job with some basmati, turmeric, cardamom, bay leaves, etc. etc.

Gotta get that seasoning right.

Also made some spaghetti squash with roasted garlic. Delicious. Didn't think of it, but dinner was all yellow

[nyani]

We had chili last night- not at all fancy- but my boyfriend made it (and shopped for the ingredients) by himself. He asked me to write out a basic recipe and shopping list for him. This probably doesn't sound like a big deal to most people, but it's the first time he's expressed an interest in learning how to cook. When he placed the bowls on the table he said "look- I did everything that you usually do!" I have high hopes for this. He'd like to tackle roast chicken next.

[zoramargolis]

We just devoured the most delicious chicken I have ever made/eaten in my life. And that is a LOT of chickens! It was a very small bird from Polyface at the Dupont Market. I brined it for a few hours in an herbed brine made with thyme, tarragon, lavender, bay leaf and aromatic veg. This evening I decided to make a stir fry for Veggie-Teen, and the chicken-for-dinner plan took an Asian turn. In the Vita-Mix blender, I made a sauce with tamari-rice vinegar-mirin-ginger-onion-lime juice and peel-plum sauce-Chinese barbaque sauce-roasted sesame oil-Sriracha hot sauce. This became a basting sauce for the chicken and the liquid for the stir fry of red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, soy nuggets, green beans, scallions and cauliflower. I split the brined chicken and grilled it for twenty-five minutes over Cowboy hardwood charcoal, turning and mopping frequently with the basting sauce. We-ell, my dears, the baby bird came directly off the grill onto our plates. The skin was crispy with areas of char, savory from the salty-sweet-sour-spicy sauce and smoky from the grill. The meat was meltingly juicy and tender, and redolent of herbs and salt all the way to the bone. The stir-fry was good, too. But oh, baby--that chicken was unbelievable! Veggie-teen ate in front of the tv so she could watch CSI. Good thing, because I was moaning in a very un-motherly way while I ate that chicken.

Edited October 19, 2005 by zoramargolis