Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[monavano]

Sweet and spicy chicken-marinated split breasts in a mix of pineapples with juice, garlic, balsamic, soy sauce, brown sugar and chili powder. I saved half the marinade and thickened/reduced it and spooned it on the chicken at the end of baking to get the skin good and brown, and also used it for dipping.

For the sides I had a calcium-rich theme with braised kale (lots of chili flakes) and sweet potatoes which had various spices, more pineapple, fresh squeeze of oj/pulp and fage.

[Pat]

Leftover cream of tomato soup

Cheesesteaks with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and provolone; Amoroso rolls

[Heather]

Room service, while watching Ponyo on pay-per-view. Because mom is tired.

[Anna Blume]

Zora, I should have invited you over!

Legant: lots of black pepper is what I do w olive oil vs. butter--peppercorns inside folded waxed paper, crushed w rolling pin were I pretending Rome inspired me vs. fatigue. You are a brave soul to confess familiarity w such a menu.

Heather: So, what did you order?

Still reckoning w leftovers, but more energized, last night:

Blanched spinach from the farmers market, chopped fine and sautéed forever w a diced sweet onion, adding cumin, cayenne and a handful of minced mushrooms.

Then borrowing from a Jaffrey dish I used to make all the time w basmati rice or onions, once the mixture darkened and started to dry out (i.e., I didn't go all the way since I loves loves loves the fresh, thick, curly-leafed spinach I've been picking up this past month or so), I stirred in a large batch of short-grain brown rice.

Plated on top: strips of a red bell pepper fried w Mexican chorizo and one of the two sausages

[Heather]

Heather: So, what did you order?

Cobb salad with grilled tuna. I requested that they leave off the blue cheese. Chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese, and carrot/celery sticks for the kids.

[zoramargolis]

last night:

mussels* with Eco-Friendly Spanish-style chorizo, roasted red pepper, fennel, onion, garlic and lemon

toasted home made bread

B&J's vanilla with warm dulce de leche and almonds

last 1/3 of a bottle of 2006 Ben Marco malbec that we'd had with a steak the night before

*bought the mussels yesterday at Costco Pentagon City--harvest date on the bag was 3/25, just 6 days out of the water and $1.99 a pound. amazingly fresh and clean--all were vigorously alive and only one had cracked shell. they cooked up plump, juicy, tender. only challenge is I had to buy a 5 pound bag, which was way too much for two people. I took the rest of the mussels out of their shells and I'll use them in a pasta or a salad.

[lperry]

Sweet potato soup with crumbled crackers on top. SImple, quick, and not bad for something cobbled together from the fridge.

[Pat]

Baguette with butter

Yogurt with berries

Braised escarole with beans, tasso, and red rice

[bettyjoan]

Glazed (with a mixture of ketchup, honey, and chili powder) pork loin, browned and then roasted

Pineapple slaw (with jicama, red bell pepper, cilantro, lime juice, and olive oil)

I've also been indulging in new B&J flavors this week (Boston Cream Pie is GOOD, though it doesn't have enough chocolate, and I haven't yet come to a verdict about Milk and Cookies). Small portions are the key, apparently.

[giant shrimp]

a recent new york times recipe by martha rose shulman for warm chickpeas and chard with vinaigrette, billed as healthy sustenance for the frugal farmers of provence, turned out about as unexciting as i might have expected had i read what i was getting into before rounding up the ingredients.

this is really a simple recipe, with some overelaboration on the author's part. boil chard greens for a minute or two and then plunge them into an ice bath. i have never had a problem with overcooking chard, or spinach, this way, and with a minimum of counter space, an extra bowl is something i try to avoid, but i guess this approach is something that a finnish sauna lover with a frosty pond out back would readily understand.

you are then instructed to allow the pot of water to cool for 15 minutes before adding the chickpeas and bringing it back up to a boil. does anyone know what the interlude is for? i suppose there might be the possibility of an adverse reaction from chickpeas heated up too suddenly, but i have never encountered this problem, and with the prospect of an additional hour or more of simmering time, i chose to ignore this instruction. maybe i was just foolishly lucky. the chickpeas are prepared in their chard water along with a bouquet garni comprised of a bay leaf, a few sprigs of parsley and thyme and parmesan rind. this provides a fairly thin infusion of flavor and not much of it rubs off on the chickpeas, but it does help make the water worth saving for starting a soup. the recipe provides the option of serving this as a soup, instead of a salad, and maybe it's good, but the thought of vinaigrette in water just didn't seem right.

preparing the vinaigrette is the most interesting part of the recipe. judicious amounts of lemon juice and red wine or sherry vinegar are combined with one-third cup of olive oil and minced garlic. briefly whisking results in a thick emulsion, close to aioli. the cooked chickpeas and chopped greens are combined with the vinaigrette, which, unfortunately, gets thinned out a bit by residual water in the chard, even when you've squeezed out just about as much as seems possible.

the warm chickpeas cool down fast in this salad, and they tasted plain to me. i was missing maybe tomatoes, or added zest from someplace that was not to be found in this recipe.

the night before, a lasagne recipe from deborah madison's "local flavors: cooking and eating from america's farmers markets" scored far greater success even in the absence of tomatoes. the filling is a whip of the same boiled chard used in the recipe above, but two big bunches of it, along with generous amounts of ricotta and mozzarella and some parmesan. the chard is finished by sauteeing it with garlic, developing good flavor, and chopping it up finely. roasted english walnuts -- the last of my stash from the farmers market last autumn and still far superior months later to the nuts you can gather these days at the grocery store -- are also sprinkled over each layer of the pasta. the top layer is finished off with a final sprinkling of nuts and mozzarella. cheeses were from blue ridge. milk is the sauce and unhomogenized works best. mine was from the market, but whole foods has been moving this product into its dairy case lately. cooking time is roughly half an hour covered in a 400-degree oven and 10 minutes uncovered until golden. then you are supposed to allow an additional 10 minutes of cooling down time.

[zoramargolis]

a recent new york times recipe by martha rose shulman for warm chickpeas and chard with vinaigrette, billed as healthy sustenance for the frugal farmers of provence, turned out about as unexciting as i might have expected had i read what i was getting into before rounding up the ingredients.

this is really a simple recipe, with some overelaboration on the author's part. boil chard greens for a minute or two and then plunge them into an ice bath. i have never had a problem with overcooking chard, or spinach, this way, and with a minimum of counter space, an extra bowl is something i try to avoid, but i guess this approach is something that a finnish sauna lover with a frosty pond out back would readily understand.

you are then instructed to allow the pot of water to cool for 15 minutes before adding the chickpeas and bringing it back up to a boil. does anyone know what the interlude is for? i suppose there might be the possibility of an adverse reaction from chickpeas heated up too suddenly, but i have never encountered this problem, and with the prospect of an additional hour or more of simmering time, i chose to ignore this instruction. maybe i was just foolishly lucky. the chickpeas are prepared in their chard water along with a bouquet garni comprised of a bay leaf, a few sprigs of parsley and thyme and parmesan rind. this provides a fairly thin infusion of flavor and not much of it rubs off on the chickpeas, but it does help make the water worth saving for starting a soup. the recipe provides the option of serving this as a soup, instead of a salad, and maybe it's good, but the thought of vinaigrette in water just didn't seem right.

preparing the vinaigrette is the most interesting part of the recipe. judicious amounts of lemon juice and red wine or sherry vinegar are combined with one-third cup of olive oil and minced garlic. briefly whisking results in a thick emulsion, close to aioli. the cooked chickpeas and chopped greens are combined with the vinaigrette, which, unfortunately, gets thinned out a bit by residual water in the chard, even when you've squeezed out just about as much as seems possible.

the warm chickpeas cool down fast in this salad, and they tasted plain to me. i was missing maybe tomatoes, or added zest from someplace that was not to be found in this recipe.

GS: as you are an experienced home cook, my recommendation to you would be to take inspiration from the basic concept of a recipe that you read, and then set it aside and follow your own instincts. There seems to be a fetish these days with publishing simple recipes with few ingredients, as if simple is always a virtue and less is always better. A salad of cooked chard and chickpeas? To my mind this would need a lot of aromatics and intense flavor elements to be interesting, unless one were on some sort of self-abnegation regimen and wanted to experience poverty on a plate. Cook the chard and chickpeas in a smaller quantity of a court bouillon, if it must be strictly vegetarian. Then reduce the bouillion to a few spoonfuls and add it to the vinaigrette. Add dijon mustard, roasted as well as raw garlic, shallots, lemon zest, a little bit of honey or agave syrup to the dressing. Tomato, by all means. If it doesn't need to be vegan, a hard boiled egg, some anchovy, some cubes of sheepmilk cheese. By all means, a shower of fresh, chopped herbs--parsley, basil, chive, thyme. Let your own palate guide you, rather than recipe writers.

[giant shrimp]

GS: as you are an experienced home cook, my recommendation to you would be to take inspiration from the basic concept of a recipe that you read, and then set it aside and follow your own instincts. There seems to be a fetish these days with publishing simple recipes with few ingredients, as if simple is always a virtue and less is always better. A salad of cooked chard and chickpeas? To my mind this would need a lot of aromatics and intense flavor elements to be interesting, unless one were on some sort of self-abnegation regimen and wanted to experience poverty on a plate. Cook the chard and chickpeas in a smaller quantity of a court bouillon, if it must be strictly vegetarian. Then reduce the bouillion to a few spoonfuls and add it to the vinaigrette. Add dijon mustard, roasted as well as raw garlic, shallots, lemon zest, a little bit of honey or agave syrup to the dressing. Tomato, by all means. If it doesn't need to be vegan, a hard boiled egg, some anchovy, some cubes of sheepmilk cheese. By all means, a shower of fresh, chopped herbs--parsley, basil, chive, thyme. Let your own palate guide you, rather than recipe writers.

actually, some chopped parsley and red onion were added, but even so, as you point out, the ingredients were just too simple to amount to anything interesting.

[zoramargolis]

actually, some chopped parsley and red onion were added, but even so, as you point out, the ingredients were just too simple to amount to anything interesting.

The concept sounds like a close cousin to the popular Spanish dish, garbanzos con espinacas, chick peas with spinach, that is served all over Spain. According to someone I met in Seville, it is one of the few vegetarian dishes that is readily available in restaurants and tapas bars, other than olives and cheese. She was sick of it. But looking at a recipe in my Spanish cookbook, it has LOTS of flavor elements: sauteed onions and garlic, tomato, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, clove, saffron and black pepper, then cooked spinach, chickpeas and some reserved cooking water are added. I had the dish a couple of times while we were in Spain, and I found it delicious. Chard could easily be substituted for spinach.

dinner last night:

pan cooked eco-friendly loin pork chops with pan reduction sauce

artisan grits with cheddar cheese

haricots verts

2006 Dom. Maniere bourgogne

[Pat]

Red bell pepper and shiitake frittata

Tuna melt*

*I'd really call this a tuna grinder: Tuna salad on a hoagie roll topped with provolone and run under the broiler.

[lperry]

The concept sounds like a close cousin to the popular Spanish dish, garbanzos con espinacas, chick peas with spinach, that is served all over Spain. According to someone I met in Seville, it is one of the few vegetarian dishes that is readily available in restaurants and tapas bars, other than olives and cheese. She was sick of it. But looking at a recipe in my Spanish cookbook, it has LOTS of flavor elements: sauteed onions and garlic, tomato, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, clove, saffron and black pepper, then cooked spinach, chickpeas and some reserved cooking water are added. I had the dish a couple of times while we were in Spain, and I found it delicious. Chard could easily be substituted for spinach.

I'll second this suggestion. I've been making the recipe from one of Madhur Jaffrey's books, and it is delicious and really flavorful.

Last night was broccoli, crimini mushrooms, and whole wheat penne sauced with pasta water, white wine and herbed chevre.

[zoramargolis]

last night:

salade niçoise with spinach and mache, oil-packed tuna, marinated mussels, new potatoes, roasted red pepper, haricots verts, olives, but without hardboiled egg (we had eggs for breakfast)

homemade bread

Moorenko's coconut-almond ice cream

2006 Feudi di San Gregorio falanghina

[Heather]

Grilled pork chops brushed with barbecue sauce

Baked beans from a can. I probably could have made a decent home version w/ a pressure cooker, but I had company all afternoon & just didn't feel like it.

Cole slaw, with buttermilk-dill dressing, leftover from company lunch.

Bread & butter*

Scoops of vanilla ice cream and blueberry sorbet

*My mother always had bread and butter on the table. Not "French Bread" (we didn't know what a baguette was) but plain sliced bread: white, wheat or rye. I've started doing the same.

[KMango]

Chicken in a Cilantro, Spinach, and Mustard Sauce

Indian Mashed Potatoes (crazy simple; included garam masala and fresh green chile)

Fresh Green Chutney (actually more like a raita, but sticking with the recipe name)

Simply Grilled Tomatoes (yes, scandalously out of season, but broiled to hell and back with spices, worth the color splash)

All inspired by Quick & Easy Indian Cooking from Madhur Jaffrey, an excellent resource.

[Heather]

All inspired by Quick & Easy Indian Cooking from Madhur Jaffrey, an excellent resource.

I bought that book about 14 years ago and love it. I've made everything, and can't think of single recipe that doesn't taste good.

[Pat]

Saturday dinner:

Cheddar Parmesan crackers

Salad of red leaf lettuce, tomato, and mushrooms; buttermilk ranch

Baby back ribs

Whipped potatoes

Easter dinner

To start:

Asparagus Alla Milanese (Mario Batali recipe)

plated with a small side salad of red leaf lettuce, tomato, and mushroom, with a light vinaigrette

served with Cheddar-Parmesan crackers

Main course

Roast Leg of Lamb (Jamie Oliver recipe)*

Rice Pilaf

*Just the lamb; not the vegetables

[zoramargolis]

last night:

charcoal-grilled burgers*

baby red potato salad, mayo-yogurt-mustard dressing

coleslaw

three-berry pie (blue, black, rasp) with B&J's vanilla

2006 Murphy-Goode cabernet

*to officially inaugurate the 2010 grilling season, I undertook the burger challenge that I hear too often from J: "Why can't we make good burgers at home?" Of course, by "we" he means me, because he does no cooking, though he often makes "helpful" suggestions about how I should do things differently. This time, however, I have come closer. I got a 4-pound pack of boneless shortribs at Costco. I ground the meat with my Kitchenaid meat grinder. Mixed in ketchup and worcestershire sauce and formed patties somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 pound each. I saved out two and froze the rest. I recalled hearing that the secret of Citronelle's luscious burgers (and maybe Palena's, too) is butter mixed in with the meat. I mixed a tablespoon of sweet butter into J's patty. I couldn't bring myself to add it to mine--still have the fantasy that I am going to keep off the 12 pounds I lost in Spain. Really hot charcoal, slices of pepper jack melted on top after I turned the meat. Managed not to overcook them. Lightly grilled whole wheat buns. Mustard, mayo, ketchup, sliced tomato, iceberg lettuce. I actually got a thumbs up. This is a major milestone in a very long relationship with a man who loves hamburgers.

[Pat]

I recalled hearing that the secret of Citronelle's luscious burgers (and maybe Palena's, too) is butter mixed in with the meat. I mixed a tablespoon of sweet butter into J's patty. I couldn't bring myself to add it to mine--still have the fantasy that I am going to keep off the 12 pounds I lost in Spain. Really hot charcoal, slices of pepper jack melted on top after I turned the meat. Managed not to overcook them. Lightly grilled whole wheat buns. Mustard, mayo, ketchup, sliced tomato, iceberg lettuce. I actually got a thumbs up. This is a major milestone in a very long relationship with a man who loves hamburgers.

Congratulations! I'm convinced the reason the sloppy joe recipe I got from my mom years ago is so good is the butter added to the meat mixture. Adding that butter was hard at first. It seems like overkill. I do it, though, and it makes a difference.

[monavano]

For Easter, Mr. MV and I had a spiral ham, peirogies, sweet potatoes and parm roasted asparagus. Pineapple clafoutis with ginger whipped cream for dessert.

Tonight, I made a favorite Thai app- larb. To make it into an entree portion, I served it over jasmine rice, vs lettuce. I was happy with the outcome, although I had to substitute lemon zest and ginger for lemongrass, and didn't have chili paste which was called for. A Jamaican pepper gave the perfect level of heat. Topped it off with lots of cilantro and mint.

We also had spring rolls (Safeway brand).

More clafoutis for dessert.

[Heather]

Grilled cornish game hens Afghan style (from Raichlen's BBQ Bible) The hens were cut in half, then marinated in yogurt, lemon juice olive oil, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, sliced onion, garlic, and lemons. Very tasty.

Buttered basmati rice

Cucumber raita

Mango chutney

Lime pickle

Steamed asparagus

Homemade molasses cookies for dessert

[Pat]

Cheddar-Parmesan crackers topped with prosciutto (heated)

Spinach salad (white and shiitake mushrooms, hard boiled eggs, bacon; vinaigrette)

Last of the beans, tasso, and red rice

[flygirl]

Saturday I cooked:

http://52mealsinoneyear.blogspot.com/2010/04/southern-comfort-food.html

and I had almost the last leftover tonight.

[goodeats]

Goat stew - goat neck from Ecofriendly at the Arlington Market

with Jerusalem artichokes (I think from Twin Springs), pineapple ($2.99 from WF) and potatoes.

[zoramargolis]

last night:

1st G&T of the season for him: Boodles gin and Fever Tree tonic

apricot sour for me (a little too much Canton ginger this time, it overwhelmed the apricot flavor)

cedar-planked salmon

charcoal-roasted asparagus

artisan grits cake

strawberry shortcakes made with Trader Joe's biscuits baked in the residual heat of the bbq (I smashed two together for each "shortcake" and brushed them with cream and demerara sugar before baking )

last 1/2 of the bottle of falanghina that was in the fridge

[Anna Blume]

charcoal-grilled burgers*

Congrats on both the winning formula and weight loss from all that walking, I presume. If you ever get a chance to go to the U St. market on Saturdays, pick up the olive-oil hamburger buns to go with. They're wonderful.

* * *

Dinner last night was this season's first spaghetti w pesto which I shouldn't have done because basil wasn't nearly as good as the stuff that comes out of the ground, but it was so damn hot!!!

Champagne mango for dessert; nothing more since I had a huge salad as a late lunch at 4 PM.

[legant]

After five days on vacation... where one night's dinner consisted of nothing but fois gras, crackers and prosecco... I was anxious for a home cooked meal. Started with an Aperol Sunset, my new go-to cocktail; followed by a cabbage slaw, mixed with apple, raisins, walnuts and a blue cheese dressing; oven-baked tilapia coated with mayo and Dijon mustard, then coated with panko, dill and celery salt; and, finished off the evening with a Carrot Cake Curbside Cupcake. There's no place like home.

[lperry]

It's just too hot to eat anything heavy. Mesclun salad with herbed chevre, dried cranberries and toasted pecans in a walnut oil, sherry vinaigrette.

[Pat]

Leftover spinach salad

Chili mac casserole with crushed Fritos on top

[Tweaked]

with the 90 degree weather, I experimented with some summer time dishes last night...quick, simple, and low on cooking heat.

Braised Red Peppers with Anchovy Dressing - Fantastic, did involve a little cooking, but at a very low heat and only for about 20 minutes, so the BTU output into the kitchen wasn't bad.

Panzanella - Can't wait for the summer tomatoes to come in!

(both of these were from Lidia Bastianich's Lidia's Italian Table)

White Bean and Tuna Salad - also a winner

(from Saveur: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/White-Bean-and-Tuna-Salad-Fagioli-e-tonno

[zoramargolis]

last night the charcoal grill got another workout:

marinated mussels, chile olives and Spanish sheepmilk cheese

hanger steak (from Union Meats)

creamed spinach

baked potatoes

last of the Moorenko's coconut-almond ice cream

2004 Edmunds St. John Rocks and Gravel (my last bottle <sigh>)

[leleboo]

Pan-seared (pan-fried?) crab cakes, over arugula

Lemon-dill-shallot sauce, made with mayo

Roasted artichoke hearts

Incredibly cheap rosé

My crab cakes sort of fell apart (only, let's say, a quarter of the way, which is an improvement over the past). For the starchy binder element, I used panko instead of bread or Saltines, but I was following a recipe, so I don't think that was it. Regardless, they were more like cracked crab cakes instead of "hot pieces of crab on a plate with no integral coherence," so that's ok. And also?

Damn frakkin' delicious.

[Pat]

Leftover lamb

Leftover mashed potatoes

Roasted asparagus and endive

[legant]

I'm in the process of expanding my Aperol repetoire. Tonight was an Aperol Sour. Entree was a Thai red curry with shrimp and roasted tilapia for the protein and broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, shiitakes, and water chestnuts, served over Jasmine rice. Dessert was B&J Chocolate Fudge Brownie.

Although you can't go wrong with coconut milk, I could have doubled the about of red curry and would have been more than content.

[lperry]

Ever have one of those days when you just want to eat something that makes you feel better? Potato salad like my Grandmother made it with mayo, pickle relish, and hard boiled eggs. And a glass of sauvignon blanc.

[zoramargolis]

tandoori chicken

cilantro-mint chutney

basmati rice

charcoal roasted asparagus

coconut popsicles

Bell's lager

[bettyjoan]

Tuesday night was a crisp-skinned Bourbon chicken (from America's Test Kitchen), served with roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli/cauliflower. Yum! Also very good leftover for the next day's lunch.

[monavano]

"Spring" pasta casserole/bake with lots of leftovers from Easter. Pasta bakes, like fritattas, is a terrific vehicle to clean the fridge. I used whole wheat penne to toss with onion, garlic, ham, roasted asparagus, cremini 'shrooms and roasted tomatoes. I made a cheese sauce with feta and pecorino and baked it all up. I topped it with buffalo mozzarella and some more pecorino, and ran it under the broiler.

Served with a tossed salad with roasted tomato vinaigrette and a sprinkle of....more pecorino

[zoramargolis]

last night:

Niman Ranch bratwurst

wine-braised sauerkraut with juniper berries

pan-crisped baby yukon gold potatoes

rhubarb compote (flavored with vanilla bean and orange peel)

Magic Hat Vinyl

Bell's lager

[marketfan]

Pei mussels from Black Salt -- plump and sweet in abarino, shallot, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, garlic and coconut milk

The liquid then served over alight chowder of shredded sauteed fennel, celery with leftover mackerel and broccoli.

[Pat]

Pumpernickel canapés with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and dill

Shepherd’s pie

[legant]

I have been hoping for one more cool weather day to braise the monster beef back ribs I had purchased from Fresh Fields. Well, today was the day.* Did all the normal stuff but then modified shaggy's suggestion: braised for the first two hours then continued for another hour on the foil rack. Not bad: the ribs were still greasy** but it wasn't as pronounced as previous efforts. The ribs still needed a piquant follow-up: a blue cheese, apple, walnut slaw provided just the right amount of tanginess. A 2007 Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon accompanied the meal and Thin Mints -- I just got my GS cookie order -- rounded out dinner.

* I know: low 60s isn't that cool; compared to the mid-80s days we have been experiencing the past week, today is downright cold

** I understand the steam and indirect heat theories, but I'm reluctant to totally remove the ribs from the braising liquid.

.

[The Hersch]

* I know: low 60s isn't that cool; compared to the mid-80s days we have been experiencing the past week, today is downright cold

Yeah, I made soup last night. (Beef stock, cabbage, celery, carrots, leek, Muir Glen diced tomato, the meat from the short ribs I made the stock from, grated Parmigiano Reggiano added to the bowl.)

[laniloa]

Gallbladder friendly food -- baked potato w/o butter, poached chicken, wilted spinach. This is getting old real fast.

[zoramargolis]

pan-seared Eco-Friendly boneless pork chops (Bruce told me they were from an Iberico pig)

stewed collard greens with Eco-Friendly bacon

spiced fried new potatoes

strawberry-rhubarb crostata with HD vanilla ice cream

last 1/2 of the last bottle of 2004 ESJ Rocks and Gravel

[Pat]

Salad of Belgian endive, romaine, Campari tomatoes, cucumber, pea shoots, radishes, parsley, and mozzarella; vinaigrette

Homemade Cheddar-Parmesan crackers, which doubled as salad croutons

Spaghetti with steamed dandelion greens and pea shoots, feta, evoo, lime juice, crushed hot pepper flakes, and s+p

[zoramargolis]

last night:

charcoal-grilled Eco-Friendly boneless goat leg--marinated in yogurt, mint and aromatics for 5 days

citrus basmati rice (Andrew Carmellini's recipe* from Amanda Hesser's article in yesterday's NY Times magazine)

haricots verts with lemon and garlic

HD vanilla ice cream with warm dulce de leche

2007 Cantina Zaccagnini montepulciano

*scroll down to 2010: Lamb Tagine with Green Olives--the rice recipe is included in there. I't GOOD.