Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[leleboo]

Cheese soufflé with gruyère and cheddar.

Mixed greens salad with classic vinaigrette.

(Thanks to Pat and monavano, I went with the 2-quart soufflé dish ... worked well.)

This thing was so darned good. Soufflés are not that hard! Just confusing when your dish measures too big or too small. Still: soooo tasty.)

[stickmoon]

Pasta with garlic, oil, kalamata olives, flat leaf parsley, pine nuts, lemon juice and parmesan. And some chili flakes.

I call it Linguini a la Pantry.

[LauraB]

Roast pork loin with fennel and rosemary

Roasted vegetables with caraway and garlic

Kale with caramelized shallots

[giant shrimp]

Those oft-time stylish, mellifluous descendants of the noble decliners of Latin over-boil their vegetables.

in a similar recipe to her cauliflower sauce recipe, marcella hazan, for whatever reason, treats broccoli much more kindly, boiling the stems for two minutes after the water returns to a boil and then adding the florets for one minute after boiling resumes. i cut the boiling time just a bit short, and the results were satisfactory after the broccoli was added to a pan of warm anchovy-infused olive oil for three or four minutes at medium heat to finish it off. i realize if you are using them in a pasta sauce it's preferable for your vegetables to be on the softer side, but in this recipe hazan leans only cautiously in that direction. i wonder if it has something to do with turning up the color of the broccoli to their most vibrant green. (although traditional italian cooks aren't afraid of washing out the color of green beans?) actually prefer the broccoli sauce. it could just be the addition of grated romano that does the trick, but the dissolved anchovies do more for the broccoli than cauliflower.

[Pat]

Leftover spare ribs

Chicken salad (mayo, buttermilk, currants, and celery) plated on spring mix, with red pepper batons

More spinach-feta pastries

More walnut-currant rolls

[zoramargolis]

cauliflower with penne and hot pepper in olive oil

the big takeaway in the marcella hazan recipe is dissolving anchovies in the oil, a technique that can be widely applied to vegetable dishes.

On Sunday, I went to Pizzeria Mozza in Hollywood, and was able at long last to have one of Nancy Silverton's legendary pies. It had, among other luscious toppings, "bagna cauda" (garlic/anchovy olive oil) which made each slice simultaneously crusty-crunchy and savory-juicy. The guanciale, escarole, mozzarella and still-runny egg didn't hurt either. Man was that good! But I am definitely making some "bagna cauda" when I get home, to have on hand as a condiment, not just as a formal dish with veg for dipping.

[lperry]

Roasted butternut squash soup spiced with homemade curry powder and garam masala

Oven toasted Pugliese bread (Costco)

The soup is adapted from one I saw Ina Garten make. She always says things are easy and delicious, but this really is.

[Anna Blume]

Leftover pork spare ribs shredded, simmered in ancho-guajillo purée and a little broth over

Oven-baked polenta w Parmesan and mascarpone

Braised Tuscan kale

Cider for dessert

[lperry]

Tomato paella (modified from Mark Bittman)

2006 Bodegas Bilbainas Rioja Viña Zaco

Yum. Excellent wine and food pairing, and perfectly by accident. This wine is delicious with Spanish food, and I doubt would have chosen it had it not been at Costco with the little sign with a description and rating over it. Tasting again, this wine would be great with food in general. I hope it's still there tomorrow so I can get more. (Take THAT wine curmudgeon. )

[Pat]

Chicken-vegetable-pasta soup

Leftover tomato-braised cauliflower

Pan-seared Prime ribeye

Walnut-currant rolls

[legant]

Estrella Sauvignon Blanc 1997*

Pan-fried trout

Spinach sauteed with shiitake mushrooms

Polenta with Gorgonzola

Manhattan

*"I always soothed my spirits beforehand with a glass of [wine], subscribing to the ancient truth that only a relaxed throat can make a swallow." M.F.K. Fisher

[Xochitl10]

Penne with sausage in red sauce

3:1 Tanqueray Martini

Sadly, Azami is making me drink alone tonight.

[legant]

Beef back ribs

Polenta w/ gorgonzola (leftover)

Green beans almondine

Reese's peanut butter cups

[Anna Blume]

A nod to Anna Thomas: Green soup w mushrooms

Leftover polenta under the broiler w Parmesan and butter

Pink Lady Apple w spoonful of peanut butter

Scroll down link to find the second soup recipe, but can't say I care for the author's original cooking instructions (modified in this newsletter) which call for boiling the greens for about an hour. I used most of a large basket's worth of Spring Valley's stir-fry mix (young chard, Russian kale, variety of mustard and other Asian greens), some spinach and blanched Tuscan kale. All were added at the very end just until tender. Onions caramelized for a very long time, first; additional changes included cooking mushrooms on high heat without fat before throwing in butter, garlic and some pretty funky, old Marsala. Puréed 3/4 of batch for sake of having a few interesting ribbons and bits to munch while sipping. Pretty and quite good.

[Pat]

Leftover chicken-vegetable-pasta soup

Easy composed salad

Layered in a glass bowl: torn romaine lettuce, tabbouleh, chunks of chicken breast, sliced avocado, and red pepper strips; drizzled with vinaigrette

I had picked up a container of Cava tabbouleh at Whole Foods when I was buying their harissa. It looked gorgeous and tasted pretty good too. I didn't add a whole lot of dressing to the top of the salad, but just enough to pull it all together.

[zoramargolis]

Beef back ribs

How did you prepare them and how did they turn out?

[Pat]

Leftover tabbouleh chicken salad (I am SO making this again)

Leftover pork spare ribs

Custard filled cornbread

[bettyjoan]

Glad to be back in the kitchen!

Last night:

Roasted chicken breasts with a dry spice rub

Balsamic/bell pepper/shallot sauce

Mascarpone mashed potatoes

Roasted asparagus

Angel food cake with fresh strawberries

I also pre-made (for a picnic today) some barley salad with onions, thyme, apples, dried cranberries, and toasted pine nuts (with some white wine vinegar and olive oil to bind everything together). Yum! Would be great with a grilled chicken breast or maybe some fish.

[legant]

How did you prepare them and how did they turn out?

I went with the crock pot route w/ the standard onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, garlic thyme and ginger. Used bourbon and water then, as the liquid cooked away, add soy sauce. As far as I'm concerned, it was a waste of the bourbon. They were still too greasy for my taste -- I don't like/make broth/gravy so that's not a problem/consideration -- so next time I'll go with shaggy's suggestion... crumbled up foil... so they're not cooking in the fat. (But wonder if the foil would adversely affect the crock pot.) I'm also thinking that, at the half way point, I'd put them on the foil or rack and proceed with the cooking.

One thing I hate about cooking beef (vs. pork) ribs: they rarely make it to the table. I'm always "tasting" them... standing over the pot... and before I know it I've eaten the whole damn thing. The one... and only... time they made it to the table: I was expecting guests and only had four ribs.

[zoramargolis]

They were still too greasy for my taste -- I don't like/make broth/gravy so that's not a problem/consideration -- so next time I'll go with shaggy's suggestion... crumbled up foil... so they're not cooking in the fat.

If you can manage to make it a day in advance, chill the ribs and the broth separately. The fat will rise to the top of the broth, solidify, and you can remove it completely.

[legant]

Korean theme; a dry run for this week's lunches...

Chijimi -- savory Korean pancake w/ stir-fry vegetable mix*

Bean sprout salad (tossed in a mixture of garlic, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, sesame seeds and green onions)**

Trapiche Malbec 2007

Minneola

Monterey Jack cheese

* Not bad. Needed more salty. Could have benefited from some type of sauce. I'll play around with this. I started out with the frozen vegetables... which kinda sorta didn't work... in the pancake. I ended up microwaving the vegetables for less than a minute and then chopping them in a food processor and then adding them to the pancake batter. Liked the texture and appearance of the final product much better.

** Not what I expected; I wanted something more tart... vinegary. Yet, this is a keeper. Next time I'll try the dressing with spinach.

[zoramargolis]

Bean sprout salad (tossed in a mixture of garlic, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, sesame seeds and green onions)**

** Not what I expected; I wanted something more tart... vinegary. Yet, this is a keeper. Next time I'll try the dressing with spinach.

Just switching to spinach won't make much difference. If you look at your list of ingredients for the salad dressing, you'll see that there is nothing acidic in it. It is more of a stir-fry sauce. I'd expect to see rice vinegar or citrus in an Asian salad dressing. Next time, add some vinegar or lemon or lime juice, and you'll probably be more satisfied with it, even with bean sprouts.

[Pat]

Spanish chorizo-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon

Chicken salad sandwiches

This was a very satisfying meal, a little bit spicy and smoky but not a lot. Among other things, the dressing for the salad had yogurt and harissa in it. The dates were delicious and smelled great while they were cooking.

[legant]

Roasted salmon, marinated and glazed (garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, chili sauce, sugar)

Green beans Almondine

Creamy Polenta

Mirassou Pinot Noir 2008

B&J Chocolate Fudge Brownie

[sometimes I get downright giddy about the things I produce in the kitchen. Tonight was one of those nights.]

[lperry]

Risotto made with dried porcini and topped with crimini mushrooms in a red wine, balsamic, honey reduction.

Roasted asparagus.

[bettyjoan]

Romaine and butter salad with sauteed shrimp, hearts of palm, sliced avodaco, and grapefruit

Citrus-shallot dressing

Very light and diet-friendly, yet it filled me up more than I was expecting.

[LauraB]

Halibut fillets marinated in fish sauce, sake, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, cilantro, sugar, salt & pepper, then broiled

Stir-fried baby bok choy with ginger, rice wine, chicken stock, soy sauce, kuzu, finished with toasted sesame oil

Green beans dressed with sauce from bok choy

[zoramargolis]

Sunday night:

dinner for my mom, brother and me, after a morning visit to the Mar Vista farmers' market

salad mix with roasted red beets, oranges, avocado and blue cheese dressing

wine braised grass-fed lamb shoulder with carrots, baby white turnips and new Yukon gold potatoes

hamentashen (not home made)

2007 Bogle Petite Syrah

last night:

dinner for me, mom, and her M-F companion/aide, who is going meatless for Lent

spinach fettucine with leek, green garlic, spinach, mushrooms, fresh tomato, capers and parmesan

blueberry crisp topped with sweetened Greek yogurt and sliced strawberries

[leleboo]

Monday night, I had a conference call from 7 to 8 p.m. Wonder of wonder and miracle of miracles, it only lasted until 8:10. So, dinner actually happened!

Seared halibut with lemon-parsley butter

Roasted zucchini and yellow squash with garlic

La Brea French bread

some random Chardonnay hanging out in my fridge

This was the best roasted non-winter squash I've ever made, probably because I stuck it in the oven at 7:15 on the basis of wishful thinking. I usually don't give squash enough time when roasting, but this was browned and tender and delicious.

Tonight (I should probably get to it):

Grilled flank steak marinated in rosemary, garlic, red wine, some steak sauce and Worcestershire

Steamed haricots verts with olive oil and lemon zest

more of the French bread

2006 Domaine de Montpertuis Vin de Pays du Gard "Cuvée Counoise" (<--GennaroE bought this at Cork Market, after Rocks mentioned it, and we drank it while watching what had to be the dullest Oscars telecast in the history of the show. Here's how dull it was: it wasn't even funny enough to keep us interested in drinking, and there's half a bottle left for tonight. That never happens.)

[Pat]

Last night was mostly leftovers, some repurposed:

Custard cornbread

Baked chicken breast

Steamed broccoli

Baked beans

Chickpeas with chorizo

The broccoli was the only completely new item. The baked beans were made from extra white beans that I cooked up for soup over the weekend, plus dregs of various condiment bottles and some bacon from an open package. I baked them for a couple of hours in a small covered Le Creuset casserole, and they came out well. I used the bacon fat from that to fry an onion and some extra Rancho Gordo chickpeas left from the weekend, along with some diced Spanish chorizo. Very simple and flavorful. Between the dates I made the other night and that, the chorizo is nearly gone .

[lperry]

Spanish spiced chickpeas and spinach over toasted Pugliese bread. Delicious.

2008 Kirkland Sonoma Chardonnay. Meh.

[cjsadler]

This skillet bread from Art and Soul came out well (I think I ate like 4 pieces of it). With some chili-vanilla butter (sambal oelek + vanilla + honey + butter). I bought this big jar of sambal oelek and have been putting it in everything... stuff is delicious.

Plus asparagus, bacon and rice soup. And Trimbach Riesling to drink.

[monavano]

Dinner last night-trying to be healthy while cleaning out my freezer and fridge:

Apricot chicken breast with caramelized onions over sweet/russet potato puree. The puree was made with baked potatoes, 0% Fage, Hungarian sweet paprika, lime juice and honey. I'd put this on a Turkey Day table, with not a drop of fat added to it.

Rapini.

[Anna Blume]

Last night: Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Brussels sprouts, leeks & carrots, steamed before tossing in butter, apple cider vinegar, freshly grated horseradish and minced fennel fronds

Tarocco orange

Night before: Twice-baked potato, the fatty, potted pork from Red Apron; Nigel Slater always makes simple things sound amazing

Greens w red bell pepper and red onion

(Irish roots?)

[Heather]

Grilled cheeseburgers.

Old school macaroni salad: elbow macaroni, diced celery, diced sweet onion, diced red pepper, minced dill pickles, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, chopped fresh dill, salt and plenty of fresh black pepper. Not "gourmet," but delicious.

High carbon footprint blueberries. Environmentally unsound and unsustainable, but I am damn well sick and tired of apples and pears right now.

[Pat]

Grape leaves stuffed with chickpeas, chorizo, and rice; lemon wedges

Yogurt, hummus, and pita bread

[monavano]

Grilled cheeseburgers.

Old school macaroni salad: elbow macaroni, diced celery, diced sweet onion, diced red pepper, minced dill pickles, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, chopped fresh dill, salt and plenty of fresh black pepper. Not "gourmet," but delicious.

High carbon footprint blueberries. Environmentally unsound and unsustainable, but I am damn well sick and tired of apples and pears right now.

I've been indulging in HCF blueberries (frozen organic) recently as well. I've been eating them with Greek yogurt, lime juice, honey and pecans. I tire of apples quickly, and need berries and oranges all year round. As much as I love our markets and producers, I yearn for some things all year long and will not stand on principle when it comes to foods that are good and good for me.

Campari tomatoes in particular get me through the winter.

[monavano]

Red Curry Thai Shrimp with red bell pepper, carrot, edamame*, basil (regular) and cilantro over Jasmine rice. A Scotch Bonnet gave a bit of pleasant numbing of the mouth.

Thin Mints for dessert. Yum.

*meh...not really a fan, I've decided. Will leave this out...of pretty much all future dishes.

[Pat]

Red leaf lettuce, cucumber, and campari tomatoes

Turkey meatballs with harissa

Slow-cooked beef chuck

Grape leaves stuffed with chickpeas, chorizo, and rice

Pita, hummus, yogurt, and feta

Various combinations of these foods made wonderful pita sandwiches. My husband ate the salad separately, but I enjoyed it mixed in with the other items and stuffed into pita halves.

[Anna Blume]

...but I am damn well sick and tired of apples and pears right now.

That's why there's chocolate!

(I am a citrus freak and my Sicilian oranges traveled almost 700 miles farther than your Chilean blueberries. Preserves, dried fruit and Wyler's frozen blueberries also tide me over during the winter months.)

* * *

Dinner: same as last night, except a pair of tiny, organic Murcott mandarins instead of a blood orange.

[Rhone1998]

Angel hair pasta with a shad-roe sauce (shad roe added to onion, garlic, and kalamata olives in olive oil). The shad roe didn't add nearly as much of a predominant fishy-ness as I was expecting...more just an undercurrent of flavor. But good.

[monavano]

Pizza! Pizza!

The usual red sauce, Blue Ridge fresh mozzarella and lots of basil....we almost ate 2 pies.

[Pat]

Red leaf lettuce, cucumber, and campari tomatoes (reprise)

Beef goulash with angel hair pasta and parsley

[Pat]

Tonight:

Roasted Cornish game hens (butter, apple cider vinegar, s+p)

Roasted potatoes with butter

Roasted carrots and parsnips with maple syrup and thyme

[lperry]

Lentil and spinach soup spiced with garam masala and sprinkled with feta cheese.

Pugliese bread from Costco. A multicultural adventure.

[Heather]

My ten year old made dinner tonight with minimal assistance: baked pasta with tomato sauce and fontina, served with steamed broccoli and cauliflower. I am very proud of her.

[legant]

Roasted salmon

Spinach

Both seasoned/marinated/glazed with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, chili sauce

B&J Chocolate Fudge Brownie

[zoramargolis]

A friend in North Carolina who is undergoing chemo has low blood counts as a result. She was advised to eat beef liver to help improve her red blood cell count. She hates liver and reached out to friends for suggestions about how to make it palatable. As it happened, I was driving my daughter back to UNC after spring break, so I offered to make Sunday dinner for my friend to show her how liver can be delicious. She had some grass fed beef liver from her local farmers' market in her freezer, so I asked her b.f. to defrost it in a bowl of milk, as the first step in making it yummy versus yucky. I pan-cooked some good bacon crispy, and set it aside. Then soaked some porcini, chopped them when they were soft. Sauteed onion, garlic, sliced crimini mushrooms and the porcini, added stock, dry marsala and some of the porcini soaking liquid. The liver was sliced thin, unfortunately. It was just about impossible to sear it on both sides and keep it medium rare in the center. I deglazed the pan that I sauteed the liver with balsamic vinegar and the rest of the porcini soaking liquid, and reduced. At the last minute, the deglazing liquid was added to the mushroom sauce, and the crispy bacon tossed in with the liver and fresh chopped parsley, thyme and chives. Served over basmati rice ( I usually do mashed potatoes with this dish, but my friend preferred rice). She was very hesitant-- almost phobic about tasting the liver. But when she did she actually liked it. And her b.f. and I really relished it. He provided a 2007 Dolcetto that was a perfect accompaniment. Liver, bacon, onions and mushrooms are a terrific combination, especially with balsamic reduction. Really delicious. Now her b.f. who is a very good cook can make the dish again for her.

[Dave Pressley]

A friend in North Carolina who is undergoing chemo has low blood counts as a result. She was advised to eat beef liver to help improve her red blood cell count. She hates liver and reached out to friends for suggestions about how to make it palatable. As it happened, I was driving my daughter back to UNC after spring break, so I offered to make Sunday dinner for my friend to show her how liver can be delicious. She had some grass fed beef liver from her local farmers' market in her freezer, so I asked her b.f. to defrost it in a bowl of milk, as the first step in making it yummy versus yucky. I pan-cooked some good bacon crispy, and set it aside. Then soaked some porcini, chopped them when they were soft. Sauteed onion, garlic, sliced crimini mushrooms and the porcini, added stock, dry marsala and some of the porcini soaking liquid. The liver was sliced thin, unfortunately. It was just about impossible to sear it on both sides and keep it medium rare in the center. I deglazed the pan that I sauteed the liver with balsamic vinegar and the rest of the porcini soaking liquid, and reduced. At the last minute, the deglazing liquid was added to the mushroom sauce, and the crispy bacon tossed in with the liver and fresh chopped parsley, thyme and chives. Served over basmati rice ( I usually do mashed potatoes with this dish, but my friend preferred rice). She was very hesitant-- almost phobic about tasting the liver. But when she did she actually liked it. And her b.f. and I really relished it. He provided a 2007 Dolcetto that was a perfect accompaniment. Liver, bacon, onions and mushrooms are a terrific combination, especially with balsamic reduction. Really delicious.

Cheers to you. Everybody needs a great friend who doubles as a hell of a cook. That really sounds like a great dinner!

[DanielK]

ooooooh, i feeel sick. i think zora needs to come over and cook for me....