Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[silentbob]

I have cans of imported tomatoes from Arthur Avenue that are collecting dust in the basement, but want to try something other than a marinara or vodka cream sauce.

My plan is to stop by the Italian Store on Friday. Any ideas on what kind of meat-based sauces I can make? TIA.

[shogun]

Monday: Leftover BBQ

Tuesday: Leftover BBQ

Wednesday: Leftover BBQ

Thanks mom!

[bilrus]

I have cans of imported tomatoes from Arthur Avenue that are collecting dust in the basement, but want to try something other than a marinara or vodka cream sauce.

My plan is to stop by the Italian Store on Friday.  Any ideas on what kind of meat-based sauces I can make?  TIA.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana is the one I am anxious to try again. You start by making a bigger batch of plain tomato sauce so you can use the whole can and make something else with it later.

[bioesq]

I have cans of imported tomatoes from Arthur Avenue that are collecting dust in the basement, but want to try something other than a marinara or vodka cream sauce.

My plan is to stop by the Italian Store on Friday. Any ideas on what kind of meat-based sauces I can make? TIA.

If you enjoy a lot of prep work with spectacular results, try this Batali recipe for Timpano. It's absolutely extraordinary.

http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/timpano-batali.html

[Heather]

"Indian burritos" Chicken with potatoes, peas, onions, garlic, ginger, and various spices cooked with chicken stock until very tender and shredded. Rolled up in whole wheat tortillas with some mixed vegetable pickle, drained yogurt, and cilantro. Not bad but a little too soupy.

With the very last of the tomatoes from the garden. Time to pull up the vines.

[JPW]

Classic Italian-American red sauce with sausage meatballs.

Peanut just had some sausage and linguini. Man, watching that kid devour pasta is the definition of shock and awe.

[porcupine]

Comfort food: cabbage and noodles. Cooked it for my mom; she contributed an apple pie. Mmmmmm.

[Heather]

The raclette pan inherited from my grandmother got dusted off. It has 6 pans and wooden paddles for cheese, and a grill up above for meats and vegetables.

Raclette, Pere Joseph, aged cheddar.

Bockwurst, Knockwurst and Weisswurst.

Tiny boiled potatoes & green beans.

Cornichons and hot mustard.

Ayinger Ur-Weisse and Lindemans Gueze for the grown-ups, apple cider for the kids.

[zoramargolis]

My neighbor Michael, the hunter's friend, brought me a wild Canada goose breast on Thursday. I briefly cured it overnight in an herbed brine, and served it to Michael and his mother and daughter and my family on Friday night.

We started with a Kabocha squash and quince soup, made with duck stock and finished with creme fraiche. I pan seared the goose breast and roasted it in a hot oven until medium rare. The meat was juicy, very dark and dense, with a deep, gamy taste. The texture reminded me of ostrich. I served it with choucroute-style oven braised homemade sauerkraut, with onion sauteed in duckfat, white wine, juniper berries, fresh thyme and bayleaf. And new potatoes. And sauteed wild oyster mushrooms that I found in Battery Kemble Park. We drank a dry Austrian Muscadeller with the soup and 1999 Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape with the goose. The CNDP was decanted for almost an hour, which gave the tannins a chance to relax and it was an excellent complement to the meat.

Salad and gorgonzola dolce followed the goose. Dessert was a plum and fig upside down cake. We had some R.L. Buller Fine Muscat with the cake.

Michael promised to bring me some fresh venison later this week. Born to eat wild!

Edited October 23, 2005 by zoramargolis

[Heather]

Pork stew: pork, green chilies (poblano and cubanelle), garlic, onions, pinto beans, thickened with masa harina. Served with chopped tomatoes, crema, queso fresco, lime, cilantro, and corn tortillas.

Molasses cookies for dessert.

[hillvalley]

Mother/Daughter Seafood From the SW Waterfront Fest:

Maryland Crab Soup

1/2 Dozen Oysters on the half shell

Arugala and Parmesan Salad

Little Neck Clams Steamed in a Wine Garlic Broth

Carmel Apple from Toigo Farms

[JPW]

Chicken pot pie. Not bad for my first attempt at the dish.

Yet another disappointing 2003 Cotes du Rhone.

[Banco]

Flatiron steak from Union Meat at Eastern Market. I marinated it in olive oil, garlic, dried orange peel, anchovy paste, ginger and Worcestershire; seared it and then panroasted it with whole champignons. Sauce was a reduction with veal stock and a splash of white wine. Sounds kinda weird, but it was really good--tender and flavorful. It went great with a Rioja.

The flatirons at Union Meat are cheap, tasty, and easy to prepare. I was getting really tired of the costlier strips and filets.

[tanabutler]

Pumpkin soup with roasted garlic and a dollop of creamy white goat cheese, and roasted chicken with roasted carrots/potatoes/shallots.

The pumpkin was an unusual variety that came recommended by the farmer, who grows upwards of twenty different kinds of pumpkins. It's called Marina Di Chioggia, and it has a slate green shell with yellow-orange flesh that was so bright it surprised me.

Delicious.

[Heather]

The pumpkin was an unusual variety that came recommended by the farmer, who grows upwards of twenty different kinds of pumpkins. It's called Marina Di Chioggia, and it has a slate green shell with yellow-orange flesh that was so bright it surprised me.

Delicious.

Is it available on the East coast? We mostly seem to get the small orange variety.

[txaggie]

Dinner on Sunday was seared hangar steak (from Cheesetique) and roasted vegetables (butternut squash, fennel, turnips, parsnips, and brussel sprouts -- cjsadler went crazy at Grand Mart).

[cjsadler]

The rest of the pics I took tonight looked really unappetizing. This was dessert-- pear cream tartlets

[Heather]

The rest of the pics I took tonight looked really unappetizing.  This was dessert--  pear cream tartlets

Recipe? Edit to add did you use a kitchen torch on the top? Nice caramelization.

(and BTW, was that your name I saw in the August issue of Cook's Country? )

Edited October 27, 2005 by Heather

[babka]

cream of crab soup.

with thanks to crackers for the craving and safeway for the crab.

[Heather]

Boeuf a la mode, from a recipe in this month's Gourmet magazine. Not bad.

I also roasted 2 chickens, for chicken & tomatillo enchiladas this weekend.

[JPW]

Boeuf a la mode

Steak and ice cream?

[Heather]

Steak and ice cream? 

No, more like pot roast.

[zoramargolis]

Michael brought me that venison tenderloin yesterday--I have it on very good authority that it was NOT from the yearling buck that was caught in the Ralph Lauren store in Georgetown this week.

I made a cooked wine marinade with juniper berries and gave the meat a soak in it for few hours.

We started with duck leg confit (domestic duck, this time), roasted fennel and fig compote.

The venison was pan-seared and finished in the oven, and served medium rare with a bordelaise sauce, polenta, roasted cipolini onions, braised kale and a saute of fresh chanterelles, porcini and crimini mushrooms. The meat was beautifully tender and delicately game-y. Really delicious.

Pecorino sheepmilk and Mahon cow's milk cheeses with homemade membrillo.

Rustic winter pear tart, made with an orange-ginger pate brisee recipe from Sherry Yard's baking book.

We drank Ropiteau pinot noir with the duck confit and Alterra Sonoma cabernet with the venison. Both were adequate, but nothing to shout about. This was a great meal that deserved better wine. Boo hoo.

Edited October 28, 2005 by zoramargolis

[mdt]

Hearty fall Italian dinner.

Braciole, rapini, and some pasta.

Later this week will be some roasted squash soups from purchases at the market over the weekend.

[porcupine]

Later this week will be some roasted squash soups from purchases at the market over the weekend.

Would you be interested in sharing the recipe? Every squash soup recipe I've followed has come out kinda bland.

[MelGold]

Saturday night I made a hearty yet simple tomato pesto soup topped with parmesan and served with "wedges" of crusty baguette. Wish I had a camera (and some leftovers)!

[cjsadler]

Would you be interested in sharing the recipe?  Every squash soup recipe I've followed has come out kinda bland.

Cook's Illustrated had a nice tip for boosting the flavor of squash soups: take the seeds and fibers, saute them and add them to your stock. Simmer the stock awhile and then strain when ready to use. Works really well to add squash flavor-- in fact, they don't even use any stock, just water and the resulting seed/fiber stock.

Edited October 31, 2005 by cjsadler

[ScotteeM]

I, too, appreciate the tips on squash soup. I made roasted red kuri squash last night that I basted with melted butter, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup.

Tonight will be a boneless beef rib roast done on indirect coals in my trusty Weber, with charcoal-roasted Brussels sprouts and a savory wild mushroom and pancetta bread pudding.

Happy Halloween!

[Gastro888]

Last night's dinner was at Kotobuki. Stellar!

I had:

Mackerel sashimi (starter)

Seaweed salad

Main course:

Lobster

Uni (YUM!)

White tuna

Toro

Spicy scallop roll

Yellow tail roll

Salmon skin roll

Dessert:

Green tea mochi ice cream (DELISH!)

So that was 28 pieces of sushi consumed by lil' ole me last night.

OH YEAH!

[JPW]

Saturday night --

Lamb Vindaloo

Raita

Some flat bread

Basmati rice

Accompanied by a nice Vouvray.

[vengroff]

Saturday Night - Washington Wine Dinner for 20

2004 Amavi Columbia Valley Semillon

Market Salad

Adapted from Blue Ribbon Bakery

2003 Three Rivers Pepperbridge Vineyard Sangiovese

Tuscan Roast Cauliflower Penne with Red Onion, Red Pepper and Basil

Adapted from M. Batali's Babbo Cookbook

1995 Apex Cabernet

Braised Short Rib of Beef

T. Keller's Bouchon Recipe

More of Both Reds (Port was aborted based on the first mangy whiff to emerge from the bottle)

Cheese tray: delice de bourgogne, humbolt fog, boucherondin, basque blue

2003 L'ecole 41 Late Harvest Semillon

Key lime, lemon, and mixed berry pies.

Edited November 7, 2005 by vengroff

[Heather]

Pictures, vengroff?

Joe, did you make the vindaloo? We have been looking for a good recipe.

[JPW]

Pictures, vengroff?

Joe, did you make the vindaloo?  We have been looking for a good recipe.

yep.

Look at this book from our own Monica -- here

[vengroff]

Pictures, vengroff?

I wish, but alas there is no photographic evidence.

[babka]

osso bucco. R and I sucked our bones dry and then looked at the plate of our dinner guest, where the bone rested undisturbed. "Do you not like marrow?" R asked.

"Marrow--like dogs eat?" said the guest.

"Yeah," said R, nodding agreeably as she whisked the offending remnant off the guest's plane and onto her own. "Like dogs eat."

Edited November 8, 2005 by babka

[vengroff]

I wish, but alas there is no photographic evidence.

OK, leftovers warming.

[jm chen]

Ooh, pretty.

Made steak sandwiches for dinner last night with half a leftover steak from Buck's. Served on onion rolls with caramelized red onion, wasabi mayonnaise, and silly supermarket cheese that was supposed to be horseradish cheddar, but tasted more like a blend of American and Havarti, but creamy worked better than sharp with the flavors already there, so it all worked out fine.

[bilrus]

Tuscan Roast Cauliflower Penne with Red Onion, Red Pepper and Basil

Adapted from M. Batali's Babbo Cookbook

I love that recipe.

[Sthitch]

Tonight was seared bacon wrapped halibut filet served on a bed of orange and bay scented Burmese forbidden rice with an orange butter sauce. The orange sauce was a made by deglazing the sautè pan, with freshly squeezed orange juice, and chicken broth, while reducing fresh orange peel was tossed into the liquid which was then blend butter into the reduced liquid. The orange in the sauce and the rice had a much different level of flavor. The orange in the rice was more subtle, while the sauce was fresher and slightly sweet.

[porcupine]

An early dinner of butternut squash soup, with grateful thanks to zoramargolis.

I cut the peeled squash into largish chunks and roasted it until tender and lightly browned. Meanwhile slowly cooked thinly sliced leeks in butter until beginning to caramelize. All into the blender with homemade chicken stock. Back to the pot with salt, pepper, a pinch of thyme, and the teensiest bit of cinnamon and ginger. Let it barely simmer awhile, added half-and-half, finely chopped apple, finely chopped chestnut, and a touch of dry sherry. Served it with a spoonful of Fage sheep/goat milk yogurt and a sprinkling of chives. Also toasted baguette with Gruyere.

Yes, it had a good depth of flavor.

[zoramargolis]

An early dinner of butternut squash soup, with grateful thanks to zoramargolis.

I cut the peeled squash into largish chunks and roasted it until tender and lightly browned.  Meanwhile slowly cooked thinly sliced leeks in butter until beginning to caramelize.  All into the blender with homemade chicken stock.  Back to the pot with salt, pepper, a pinch of thyme, and the teensiest bit of cinnamon and ginger.  Let it barely simmer awhile, added half-and-half, finely chopped apple, finely chopped chestnut, and a touch of dry sherry.  Served it with a spoonful of Fage sheep/goat milk yogurt and a sprinkling of chives.  Also toasted baguette with Gruyere.

Yes, it had a good depth of flavor.

Aw, shucks, you're welcome! Sounds like you've gotten the concept of building depth of flavor and taken off with it in an original direction.

My cooking schedule was a bit off this week, due to a very bad reaction to a dental procedure. So the Polyface chicken spent two days in the lavender-spiced brine and the Sunnyside short ribs were three days in the cooked wine marinade.

We at the chicken last night--simply roasted on a bed of aromatic veg. It was kind of salty, but I have to admit I like it that way.

The short ribs were my dinner project today. I browned the ribs and nestled them in a bed of brunoised aromatics--onion, leek, carrot, parsnip, celery and garlic--which had been sweated in olive oil. I deglaised with balsamic vinegar and some of the cooked wine marinade, and added homemade stock, brandy, soy sauce (one of Michel Richard's secret ingredients), and tomato concentrate. Threw in a couple of bay leaves and some fresh thyme, parsley and rosemary on top. The covered pot went into the oven at 275 and stayed there for almost three hours. I removed the ribs, strained the cooking liquid, degreased it, reduced it and thickened with a little tapioca starch. Served with braised kale and Parmesan-cheddar grits. The meat was succulent, and the sauce was rich and slightly sweet-and-sour from the Balsamico. A lot of pots to wash, but it was a great meal. Accompanied by 2003 Capcanes Mas Donis, which was a bit of a disappointment to me after all the excitement about it here and 92 points from Parker. I was expecting it to be more mouth-filling and full-bodied than it was. It was good, mind you. But I'm not running out to buy a case of it.

[JPW]

One of my favorite quick Mario pasta recipes -- sausage and kale.

[deangold]

Last night I had some bean soup and grilled shrimp. After I had some Torte Mascarpone con Fichi by Peck. If Don thinks La Tur is decadent (I recall something about "tasting like a virgins thighs", this cheese puts the La Tur to shame. Think former Virgin who hgas grown up and gained some experience.

[Barbara]

Since we were already at the corner of 15th & U Streets, eating really not worth it cupcakes, Craig and I wandered down to Whole Paycheck to see what was available. I found some really fresh boned trout (which I always insist on smelling) AND found that they had Alamos Malbec on sale for $7.99--it's usually $2 more. They also always have our favorite Sauvignon Blanc ($6.99).

Then, we walked up 17th St. to the Safeway which had crabmeat on sale ($9.99 lb.). So, dinner tonight was boned trout stuffed with crabmeat, a bag of sugar snap peas and a salad of romaine, apples, gorgonzola and spiced pecans. All washed down by the white wine.

It all made up for the icky baked goods.

[Jonathan]

One of my favorite quick Mario pasta recipes -- sausage and kale.

i was just thinking about making pasta with crushed tomato, spicy sausage and broccoli rabe.

[ScotteeM]

Late night at Whole Foods. I did pan-seared sea scallops and fresh large shrimp over creamy polenta with steamed broccolini draped in browned butter with pine nuts. Oh, I deglazed the shellfish pan with white wine and then added WF garlic herb butter--OK, I went shopping at 8:30 pm, and we were tired!

[JLK]

Zora, if you are willing to post or PM either recipe (short ribs or squash soup), I'd be very grateful. As a novice, I do better with a roadmap. Thanks for sharing, either way!

[babka]

yesterday's onion panade, panfried, with sincere & extended thanks to judy rogers, with a salad of greens, pancetta, and poached egg.

if I'd had time to cook the squash, it would have been the perfect fall dinner.

[JPW]

Chicken pot pie Round 2. Much better. Reduced the sauce enough this time and some cremini mushrooms gave it that added bit of savoryness that really helped.

[RaisaB]

Salad of roasted beet, goat cheese, candied walnuts and navel oranges with a citrus vinaigrette. A butternut squash soup with roasted garlic, garnished with garlic croutons, parmesan cheese and flleur de sel.