Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[Heather]

New England Boiled Dinner: corned beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes. (Skipped the beets this time) Everyone associates this meal with St. Patrick's Day, but in my family it was a common winter meal.

Root beer floats.

[NolaCaine]

Roasted Lamb Leg with root veg (carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes)

Creamed French lintels

Roasted Green beans with balsamic

My favorite part is that I converted a lamb-hater into a two-serving-eating lamb liker!

[Demetrius]

Sunday Dinner:

Corned Beef with Cabbage, Carrots and Quartered Red Potatoes

Monday Dinner:

Fresh Cod with panko crust

Fresh Veggies

[zoramargolis]

I've used a couple. The first time, the recipe was close to this, but with yuzu juice in place of the lime juice. I liked it a lot. This time, I couldn't find that recipe again so I used a quick, uncooked one of just shoyu and citrus (I used the lemon I had hanging around) with a splash of mirin. It didn't have much depth of flavor, so I'd recommend a cooked one.

With the linked recipe, it seems like they are having you make a dashi, with the fish stock and bonito flakes. Do you think it would be acceptable to substitute dashi made with instant dashi and water? I don't currently have any bonito flakes, though I do have fish stock on hand. I do have some instant dashi, however.

[zoramargolis]

New England Boiled Dinner: corned beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes. (Skipped the beets this time)

Without the beets, you won't be able to make red flannel hash with the leftovers. NEBD was a frequent meal when we lived in Vermont, with people who had grown up there. The best part of the meal was making hash for breakfast with the leftovers.

[DanielK]

Without the beets, you won't be able to make red flannel hash with the leftovers. NEBD was a frequent meal when we lived in Vermont, with people who had grown up there. The best part of the meal was making hash for breakfast with the leftovers.

I don't understand this "leftovers" idea. No matter how big a corned beef I buy, I have to actually set aside a portion before I put the platter on the table, else I will not get my corned-beef-on-rye the next day...

[Anna Blume]

Creamed French lintels

Romanesque, I presume. What did you do with the trumeaux?

[NolaCaine]

Romanesque, I presume. What did you do with the trumeaux?

Oh Dear. On my profile I should "out" myself as the worst speller that I know with my education level. It is embarrassing. I actually was concentrating on "beluga" decided on "French" and didn't even consider that I would misspell the legume itself!

Since you are paying attention...I made a beef stew with prunes the other night and I'm still dreaming about it. It was THAT GOOD! I love Mark Bittman.

[Anna Blume]

^Sounds great! (Sorry. Couldn't resist. Check for subject-verb agreement and repetitive use of a single word my brain focusses on for revenge. Improperly placed prepositions and sentence fragments, too. )

[Heather]

Without the beets, you won't be able to make red flannel hash with the leftovers.

No great loss, since I'm the only one who likes red flannel hash. But thanks for reminding me what to with the leftover corned beef.

[zoramargolis]

meatloaf

mashed potato, celery root and roasted garlic

haricots verts with garlic and lemon

2007 Tormaresca Neprica

[Xochitl10]

With the linked recipe, it seems like they are having you make a dashi, with the fish stock and bonito flakes. Do you think it would be acceptable to substitute dashi made with instant dashi and water? I don't currently have any bonito flakes, though I do have fish stock on hand. I do have some instant dashi, however.

I think that would be completely fine.

[Anna Blume]

mashed potato, celery root and roasted garlic

Only celery root? Do anything w your sunchokes yet?

* * *

Very last of Heinz's organic yellow plum tomatoes (oven-roasted) w spaghetti, oil-packed tuna, capers, garlic & parsley

Broccoli (shhhhh! Harris Teeter!) w tons of black pepper

Since I don't can, the only remnant of last summer: about a pint of unpitted sour cherries in the freezer.

[porcupine]

Chicken and apple sausages (from chacha) braised with trout beans and fennel. Intended to use cannellini but they were too old and shriveled to cook properly.

[DanielK]

Chicken and apple sausages (from chacha)

I should have bought more - my kids inhaled the first pack - I barely got a bite!

[monavano]

Oven-roasted split chicken breast rubbed with fresh oregano, thyme and rosemary, evoo, s&p

sauteed mushrooms and thyme

brussel sprouts caramelized in a pan, deglazed with chicken stock and allowed to cook, then finished with balsamic and a small sprinkle of bacon

Store bought cheesecake with homemade blood orange syrup

[rkduggins]

Corned beef boiled with onions and carrots

Sauteed Brussels sprouts with bacon and Marsala

Potatoes mashed with Fuji apple, butter and cream

Homemade Irish soda bread with caraway seeds

[Pat]

Corned beef with potatoes, onions, carrots and cabbage (crockpot)

Whole wheat soda bread (James Beard)

Irish cheeses (Daru and Gubeen)

[lperry]

Mr. lperry wants to lose 20 pounds, so I am lightening up dinner more than usual. Night before last:

Mixed green salad

Roasted fingerling potatoes with chipotle sauce

Last night:

Waldorf salad with dried cranberries in a cinnamon and nutmeg spiced dressing

Beer/soda bread with walnuts and dried cranberries (made with 1/2 whole wheat flour)

For me, about 1/3 of a cookie that fell in a timely manner from Mr. lperry's jacket (we do what we can )

[Xochitl10]

Grilled namaage (deep-fried raw tofu), served with light soy sauce and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice)

Shredded cabbage and yellow pepper with salt/onion dressing

Miso soup with shiitake and wakame seaweed (I'm so unimaginative with miso soup; I think I make this variation 90% of the time)

Steamed brown rice

[zoramargolis]

last night:

pureed soup of corn, fennel and white sweet potato, served cold --for my brother who is recuperating from throat surgery

butter lettuce salad with balsamic vinaigrette

slow roasted black cod with chervil butter

risotto with English peas

roasted asparagus

baked vanilla custard with strawberries

we drank a Spanish white whose name I can't recall, made 75% with a grape I'd never heard of and 25% muscat, finished very dry. Recommended by Roberto Rogness, proprietor of Wine Expo in Santa Monica which sells fabulous wines you've never heard of before (mostly from Italy, Portugal and Spain) at amazingly low prices.

[zoramargolis]

last night:

vichyssoise for my brother, AKA Mr. Coughy

ground turkey and spinach roulade*

potato and leek mash, strained out of the vichyssoise (Mr. Coughy can swallow only thin, very smooth, cold purees--he's been subsisting on vanilla Ensure.)

zucchini sauteed with garlic and meyer lemon.

sliced strawberries with vanilla ice cream

another Spanish wine whose name I can't recall--a light-bodied red this time--from Wine Expo

*It's been years since I made one of these, and I was very pleased with how it came out. I took my folks to Costco yesterday, and my mom bought a 4-pack of ground turkey, and I was thinking about how I was going to use it all, and dredged this up out of the mental archives. The turkey forcemeat was mixed with sauteed, finely chopped fennel, leek, onion and young garlic, and diced roasted red pepper. I used matzo meal and milk for the panade. The spinach in the puree was mixed with garlic greens and fresh basil. Luckily, my mom had lots of cheesecloth to wrap it in. I poached it in homemade chicken stock and white wine. The roll was thick, and took almost 2 hours until the internal temp came up. But it sliced beautifully, the pale meat studded with red peppers and a pinwheel of bright green spinach. And it tasted delicious. My folks and I ate only about 1/3 of it. I'll slice and wrap the leftovers for their freezer. One of the things I do to keep busy and be helpful when I visit them is to cook things they like to eat and stock their freezer. My mom (she's 92) still cooks a bit, but they eat a lot of Trader Joe's frozen prepared food. After I leave, they can eat frozen prepared food that I've made, for a while. They particularly enjoy Middle Eastern flavors, and their favorite is chicken tagine. I brought along some preserved meyer lemons that I made, because I knew they would ask me to make that. We got a big package of boneless chicken thighs at Costco.

It's a bit of a challenge, though, working in their tiny, cluttered kitchen with an electric stove and poor ventilation and without my batterie of pots and saute pans.

[monavano]

last night:

vichyssoise for my brother, AKA Mr. Coughy

ground turkey and spinach roulade*

potato and leek mash, strained out of the vichyssoise (Mr. Coughy can swallow only thin, very smooth, cold purees--he's been subsisting on vanilla Ensure.)

zucchini sauteed with garlic and meyer lemon.

sliced strawberries with vanilla ice cream

another Spanish wine whose name I can't recall--a light-bodied red this time--from Wine Expo

*It's been years since I made one of these, and I was very pleased with how it came out. I took my folks to Costco yesterday, and my mom bought a 4-pack of ground turkey, and I was thinking about how I was going to use it all, and dredged this up out of the mental archives. The turkey forcemeat was mixed with sauteed, finely chopped fennel, leek, onion and young garlic, and diced roasted red pepper. I used matzo meal and milk for the panade. The spinach in the puree was mixed with garlic greens and fresh basil. Luckily, my mom had lots of cheesecloth to wrap it in. I poached it in homemade chicken stock and white wine. The roll was thick, and took almost 2 hours until the internal temp came up. But it sliced beautifully, the pale meat studded with red peppers and a pinwheel of bright green spinach. And it tasted delicious. My folks and I ate only about 1/3 of it. I'll slice and wrap the leftovers for their freezer. One of the things I do to keep busy and be helpful when I visit them is to cook things they like to eat and stock their freezer. My mom (she's 92) still cooks a bit, but they eat a lot of Trader Joe's frozen prepared food. After I leave, they can eat frozen prepared food that I've made, for a while. They particularly enjoy Middle Eastern flavors, and their favorite is chicken tagine. I brought along some preserved meyer lemons that I made, because I knew they would ask me to make that. We got a big package of boneless chicken thighs at Costco.

It's a bit of a challenge, though, working in their tiny, cluttered kitchen with an electric stove and poor ventilation and without my batterie of pots and saute pans.

I've made roulade with ground meat (usually stuff with provolone and spinach, top with marinara and bake in the oven), but have never poached it. I just bought the Costco 4-pack of turkey and going to try this method. It sounds like you can be creative with the stuffing. Thanks for posting about your method of preparation.

[lperry]

Tonight:

Korean soybean sprout salad

Edamame and whole wheat penne in a peanut/lime/soy dressing

[zoramargolis]

last night--

chilled avocado-coconut soup for Mr. Coughy

salad with caesar dressing

chicken tagine (lots left over that went into the freezer)

cous-cous

tonight:

another green soup, chilled cream of asparagus for Mr. C

roasted golden beet and goat cheese salad

parmesan chicken made with bone-in chicken thighs and home made marinara

asparagus with meyer lemon

polenta

also, in the past two days, have made oven braised brisket and a pot of turkey bolognese sauce that got portioned up and put in the freezer.

[Pat]

Thursday night:

Greek yogurt with berries (fresh strawberries and dried blueberries)

Tuna melts on pumpernickel with provolone

Twice baked potatoes (bacon, scallions, cheddar)

Friday night:

Chicken, egg noodles, and gravy with hard boiled eggs

Baked eggplant

Last night:

Buttermilk coleslaw

Beef vegetable soup

Greek potato pie

[Pat]

Chili*

BBQ beans**

Cornbread

Meyer lemonade

*This drew on a recipe from a cookbook I bought in NM last year called The Aficionado's Southwestern Cooking. I had some chuck short ribs from Costco and was looking to use more of the frozen Hatch chiles I roasted last fall. The recipe is titled "Pedernales River Chili" and is a variation on what is said to be LBJ's favorite chili. I also used some red hatch chili powder I bought at the same time as the chiles. I used Stone Smoked Porter for the beer.

**Santa Maria pinquito beans (from Rancho Gordo), bacon, onion and garlic, ground beef, tomato juice, and other seasonings.

[zoramargolis]

chilled beet soup with cream for him who can't deal with solid food

return of the roasted beet and goat cheese salad

oven braised beef with fresh and dried mushrooms

braised chard and beet greens

roasted Yukon Gold new potatoes

bosc pear and dried mission fig upside down cake

2 different cotes du Rhones, both cheap and both good--don't have the bottles here so can't recall the names

also made 2 dozen merguez-style meatballs with ground turkey, roasted them and then combined them with a stock-based sauce made with preserved lemons, olives, ras al hanout and yogurt* which went directly into the freezer.

fabulous tip from Paula Wolfert via Judith Jones' memoir: YOGURT WON'T CURDLE IN A SIMMERING SAUCE IF YOU MIX IT WITH CORNSTARCH BEFORE ADDING IT. YOU CAN EVEN BOIL IT AND IT WON'T CURDLE. (I used a scant tablespoon of cornstarch in about a cup of non-fat Greek yogurt. I've done this twice now, and IT REALLY WORKS!!!) Perhaps some of you already knew this, but for me, this is a life-changing piece of info.

[Xochitl10]

Butaniku no misozuke: miso-marinated pork, using this recipe from Just Bento

Hourenso no ohitashi: parboiled spinach, chilled and served with katsuobushi and light soy sauce

Steamed organic brown rice

Miso soup with potatoes

[lperry]

I had some chuck short ribs from Costco and was looking to use more of the frozen Hatch chiles I roasted last fall.

This idea may sound odd, but when I was a grad student, some of the students from New Mexico used roasted chiles to top pizza. I don't know if this invention was theirs or not, but I do remember that it tasted pretty good.

fabulous tip from Paula Wolfert via Judith Jones' memoir: YOGURT WON'T CURDLE IN A SIMMERING SAUCE IF YOU MIX IT WITH CORNSTARCH BEFORE ADDING IT. YOU CAN EVEN BOIL IT AND IT WON'T CURDLE. (I used a scant tablespoon of cornstarch in about a cup of non-fat Greek yogurt. I've done this twice now, and IT REALLY WORKS!!!) Perhaps some of you already knew this, but for me, this is a life-changing piece of info.

I am amazed as well. I'm going to spend way too much time trying to figure out why that works.

Last night:

Soba noodles and julienned carrots in a peanut sauce

Shanghai cabbage spiced with Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning. This worked really well for some inexplicable reason.

[Pat]

This idea may sound odd, but when I was a grad student, some of the students from New Mexico used roasted chiles to top pizza. I don't know if this invention was theirs or not, but I do remember that it tasted pretty good.

I'll have to try this. Thanks!

[monavano]

Recently...

Inspired by a pork ragu over rigatoni at Rustico, I attempted to recreate the meal with input from the manager (herbs, rub, braise) and sourcing the pork from Babes in the Wood, as Rustico does. Basically, I rubbed just over 4 lbs. of pork shank (I would have bought shouder, but he only had an 8 lb. piece) with rosemary, oregano, thyme, garlic and evoo-all whipped up in the food processor. Let it sit overnight, covered with plastic wrap. The next day, I seared it in evoo and transferred to a crock pot. I then browned a sofritto of onion, carrot and celery, added tomato paste and deglazed with white wine. Added crushed tomatoes, chicken stock and enough water to cover 3/4 (oh, and a bay leaf too) and let it cook on low for about 7 hours. It was succulent. Rustico's sauce was lighter (he used tomato broth), but the end result was so worth the two day wait consisting of rub, cook, chill, skim fat, then.....eat! I strongly urge those of you near Alexandria to visit Eric at Babes in the Wood on Sat. mornings at the Alexandria farmers market. The pork that he brings from Dillwyn, VA is raised on many acres of wood, were the pigs can graze (on acorns and such)--and you can taste it!!!

With the cherry blossoms around the corner, I'm dipping into my big bag of frozen local sour cherries (Allenberg Orchards). Dessert with a nod to good old fruit and cheese- Cherry compote (brown sugar, balsamic) over chevre.

A lenten Friday dinner of "clean the fridge fritatta"-bell pepper, onion, zucchini, rabe, herbs and all sorts of cheese, along with hash browned potatoes and a quick marinara sauce for dipping.

[cjsadler]

I am amazed as well. I'm going to spend way too much time trying to figure out why that works.

You can read some discussion of this trick here. He applies it to creme anglaise and uses a pinch of flour instead of cornstarch (he's right-- I've tried it and it does work. You can bring it to a boil and it won't curdle. Amazing.).

[monavano]

Zora, I'm assuming that the corn starch tip works with sour cream too? Anyone? I've spent many days finishing off a stroganoff dish, staring as the finished product become a tasty, yet clumpy creamy dish.

[lperry]

You can read some discussion of this trick here. He applies it to creme anglaise and uses a pinch of flour instead of cornstarch (he's right-- I've tried it and it does work. You can bring it to a boil and it won't curdle. Amazing.).

This is fascinating.

Zora, I'm assuming that the corn starch tip works with sour cream too? Anyone? I've spent many days finishing off a stroganoff dish, staring as the finished product become a tasty, yet clumpy creamy dish.

If the hypothesis in the link is correct, any starch (corn, potato, wheat, water chestnut etc.) should have the same effect on any protein that might clump. Or for that matter, even if the hypothesis is incorrect, it will still probably work for reasons unknown. What an excellent tip! And a good way to use up all those weird flours I've got in the cabinet. Thank you, Zora!

[zoramargolis]

You can read some discussion of this trick here. He applies it to creme anglaise and uses a pinch of flour instead of cornstarch (he's right-- I've tried it and it does work. You can bring it to a boil and it won't curdle. Amazing.).

Zora, I'm assuming that the corn starch tip works with sour cream too? Anyone? I've spent many days finishing off a stroganoff dish, staring as the finished product become a tasty, yet clumpy creamy dish.

I curse all of those macroscopic protein aggregates that have ruined many a dish over the years. I'm guessing it will work with sour cream, too. but I now use creme fraiche in situations that require both sour cream and boiling. It is that I can do this with non-fat yogurt that is the revelation to me.

[lperry]

I curse all of those macroscopic protein aggregates that have ruined many a dish over the years.

I'm there with you. Especially now that it is all starting to make perfect sense. Why does the creamiest macaroni and cheese start with a bechamel? Why is there a pinch of cornstarch in cheese fondue? Why doesn't yogurt curdle when you cook it in Indian dishes that contain potatoes? I'll now file this information away with all the other things I wish I had figured out a really long time ago.

[monavano]

Tonight was easy-going, no fuss with-

salad of green leaf lettuce, campari tomatoes, bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots, celery, Keswick feta and sliced blood orange with an Asian vinaigrette.

Meat canelloni (Italian Store) with a quickie marinara sauce.

Sweetle ginger snaps ($1 at the Dollar Store) with chai tea, honey, milk.

[Anna Blume]

Veal medallions w sautéed mushrooms

Roasted potato

Sauce made w demi-glace, shallots, white wine, lemon and mushrooms

Minced parsley

Escarole bed didn't quite go as suspected; ate most of leaves undressed while cooking anyway

Caramelized pear ice cream w pecans

[KMango]

-Honey and sea-salt brined, then stovetop grilled, Niman Ranch pork loin chops*

-Cremini mushrooms sauteed with sliced, whole kumquats and a touch of blue agave sweetener

-Kale "ceviche" with pumpkin seeds, a raw salad made from Lacinato kale leaves individually rubbed with Laudemio olive oil, left to "cook" in lemon juice and salt

*a side dose of guilt courtesy of the recently published red meat/mortality study

Easy, quick (after brining), and leftovers will make a fantastic lunch.

[goodeats]

*a side dose of guilt courtesy of the recently published red meat/mortality study

Put your guilt away - those studies come out every few years. Maybe if you could balance/counterbalance with Cheerios or Oats for a better guilt-free experience.

[Anna Blume]

-Honey and sea-salt brined, then stovetop grilled, Niman Ranch pork loin chops*...

-*a side dose of guilt courtesy of the recently published red meat/mortality study...

Are you referring to this?

While I am a little skeptical of findings that single out one food and wonder what other factors influenced the earlier mortality of the carnivores in the study group (i.e, what about exercise levels, stress, genetics, Miracle Whip, PCBs...), do note that scientists warn against DAILY consumption of 4 or more ounces of red meat.

Nothing wrong with enjoying A wonderful pork chop yesterday, then consuming a different source of protein tonight.

BTW, walking home the other night, I noticed narrow, bumpy leaves of Tuscan kale growing among the flowers in a planter close to the curb!

[lperry]

A single bowl dinner:

Whole wheat penne with broccoli raab (sautéed in EVOO and garlic), feta cheese and pine nuts with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar

I'm still working with pasta as recommended by Bittman in a Minimalist column - at least twice as much veg as pasta. So for this dish, it was a big bunch of broccolini, maybe a pound and a half before cooking, and a cup of dried pasta for the both of us. It worked out perfectly for two people.

[squidsdc]

Are you referring to this?

While I am a little skeptical of findings that single out one food and wonder what other factors influenced the earlier mortality of the carnivores in the study group (i.e, what about exercise levels, stress, genetics, Miracle Whip, PCBs...), do note that scientists warn against DAILY consumption of 4 or more ounces of red meat.

Nothing wrong with enjoying A wonderful pork chop yesterday, then consuming a different source of protein tonight.

BTW, walking home the other night, I noticed narrow, bumpy leaves of Tuscan kale growing among the flowers in a planter close to the curb!

There was also an article on the front page of the WaPo today...and anyway, if you listen to the marketing, Pork is the "other white meat"

[Pat]

What's a shepherd's/cottage pie called when made with chicken? That's essentially what we had last night. I layered cooked chicken on the bottom of a casserole, topped with leftover potato pie (essentailly mashed potatoes) and carrots. I drizzled chicken broth (from cooking said chicken) over top to moisten. Reheated, it was a fine main course. We also had more of Sunday's cornbread and the last of the buttermilk cole slaw.

[monavano]

What's a shepherd's/cottage pie called when made with chicken? That's essentially what we had last night. I layered cooked chicken on the bottom of a casserole, topped with leftover potato pie (essentailly mashed potatoes) and carrots. I drizzled chicken broth (from cooking said chicken) over top to moisten. Reheated, it was a fine main course. We also had more of Sunday's cornbread and the last of the buttermilk cole slaw.

What to call that? Damn good!

I have leftover flank steak for tonight that I'm going to transform into something. What? I don't know yet. Perhaps make a wrap with seasoned and sauteed onions, some tomatoes...maybe more sweet potato oven fries.

[Pat]

What to call that? Damn good!

I have leftover flank steak for tonight that I'm going to transform into something. What? I don't know yet. Perhaps make a wrap with seasoned and sauteed onions, some tomatoes...maybe more sweet potato oven fries.

That sounds like a good combination. How would it be with some of the sweet potato fries in the wrap?

[monavano]

That sounds like a good combination. How would it be with some of the sweet potato fries in the wrap?

Very Primanti Bros., I like it!

[Pat]

Very Primanti Bros., I like it!

How did it go?

Last night's menu was a bit eclectic, but everything was good:

Tomato-cucumber-onion salad

Bay scallops with meyer lemon relish over baby arugula

Sloppy Joes on toasted English muffins

[lperry]

Another - I have a half hour to cook - dinner last night.

Whole wheat penne with pan roasted asparagus, locatelli cheese, and balsamic vinegar to top

Yali pear for dessert