Breakfast/lunch/Dinner, what are you having?

[Scepticalscribe]

Sweet potatoes with butter, salt and pepper, long superfine green beans, pan stuffing w/ multigrain bread, carrot, onion, celery, mushrooms and chicken broth... and pan-seared salmon on the side, almost as afterthought. For me it's about the pan stuffing. I was always the one caught standing in front of the fridge with a fork at midnight making sure the leftover stuffing wouldn't overflow the dish it was stored in overnight.

Stuffing absolutely rocks; love it.

Armed with a spoon, I remember attacking the stuffing (and gravy) - turkey never much appealed - hours and hours after Christmas dinner, when feeling peckish, as nocturnal pangs of hunger struck.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Dinner comprised:

Monkfish fillets (chopped) poached in stock, a dish similar to yesterday's dinner (miso paste, chicken stock cube, - both, obviously, dissolved in boiling water - mirin, Japanese rice wine, and soy sauce, with the addition of a generous quantity of kombu, a treat which arrived with today's fish delivery; the stock was insanely tasty).

Plus, a take on Chinese fried rice; yesterday's left over basmati, with slowly caramalised finely diced carrot, and very finely diced onion, six fat grated cloves of garlic, a half a mug (not the inexplicable American measurement of "a cup") of frozen (well, defrosted) peas, and three small beaten eggs; soy sauce and a little seasame oil, plus a generous quantity of chopped French onions (scallions) all added at the end, the lot cooked in butter, rather than oil.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Dinner comprised:

Originally, I had contemplated something along the lines of potatoes gratin/dauphinoise (potatoes with garlic and cream, a rich, soothing and tasty French dish that goes well with everything), but thought to tweak this further.

Thus, this evening I tried the Swedish version, known as Jansson's Temptation, or Jansson's Potatoes (potatoes, anchovies, onions and cream).

Of course, my version was a kind of hybrid, one that also included elements from the venerable French version: Garlic, in other words.

So, thinly sliced onions were sautéed gently, on a low heat, - in a mix of olive oil, and some of the oil from the jar of anchovies - until soft; several (eight-ten) chopped anchovies were dissolved into the sautéing onions, as were nine grated cloves of garlic.

A dish was buttered, and covered with very thinly sliced potato - seasoned with salt and pepper; the onion mix was layered on top, followed by another layer of very thinly sliced (seasoned) potato; double cream was added, covering the vegetables, and this was then put into a pre-heated oven (180C), or it can also be prepared on a stove top, until all of the vegetables were done (soft to point of knife).

That was when a few fillets of John Dory - seasoned simply with salt and black pepper - were placed on top of the onion-potato-cream-anchovy-garlic mix, - the dish covered and returned to the heat, until the fish was ready (again, white, easily parted, and soft to the point of a knife).

Very tasty.

 

[Renzatic]

Very tasty.

On your recommendation, I bought a half wedge of Goat Gouda while I was at the store today. After a sampling, this is my take on this particular cheese:

It tastes like gouda, though it has more a tart bite to it, followed by that semi-sour milky taste that all goat based products have. As you get closer to the rind, it starts tasting suspiciously like parmesan. Overall, I liked it, and will eat more.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

On your recommendation, I bought a half wedge of Goat Gouda while I was at the store today. After a sampling, this is my take on this particular cheese:

It tastes like gouda, though it has more a tart bite to it, followed by that semi-sour milky taste that all goat based products have. As you get closer to the rind, it starts tasting suspiciously like parmesan. Overall, I liked it, and will eat more.

Excellent; delighted that you enjoyed it.

If you can lay hands on membrillo (quince paste, it is a Spanish delicacy, but good delis should stock it), it goes superbly with any (every and all) goat's cheese; a chutney, - mango, peach, apricot - will also go exceptionally well with Goat Gouda.

Goat's Gouda is milder than most goat cheeses - I like the sweetness that you will find in all Goudas, which is tempered by what you correctly identified as that tart bite and slight semi-sour taste.

In my experience, young Goat Gouda is mild yet both sweet and tart (a terrific breakfast cheese, if your preferences run that way), while the aged versions have a superb depth of flavour.

 

[lizkat]

Dusted off some recipes for scrumptious toppings for latkes, cribbed from the NYT years ago. That's as far as I got in a vicarious celebration with absent friends of the first night of Hanukkah yesterday evening. We'll see how it goes tonight. It's not the same as partying with pals from the city, but that has never stopped me getting out the latkes recipes.

It's also time to start making heartier veggie soups as the weather drops off cold. All summer long my favorite "soup" for the occasional chilly evening is a simple chicken broth with some bok choy or spinach and a few diamonds of tofu. Now that there's a little snow on the ground I'm more interested in soups with some heft to them. Along that line, a nice red cabbage awaits my attentions later in the week.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Dinner tonight will be Waterzooi; a classic Belgian dish, nowadays, usually served with chicken, but, historically, prepared with fish, which is how I shall prepare it this evening.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Tonight's dinner was a Belgian classic: Waterzooi, served with fish (as was the case, historically, rather than the more usual modern interpretation, which is chicken).

Vegetables have been prepped: That is, a stick of celery, an onion, (normally, I am greedy with onions, and would double the quantity, but this recipe also includes leeks), a carrot, and two nice, fat, leeks.

All of these are (were) finely diced, and I started with a classic soffritto (or mirepoix) - finely diced celery, carrot and onion - sautéed in butter, until soft. This will easily take half an hour (forget those lying recipes that casually advise "five minutes" for this stage).

Then, the finely chopped leeks were added, and sautéed until soft.

Stock (some recipes also call for a little wine) is prepared; I used chicken stock - it tends to be less stridently salty than vegetable stock, and much more subtly flavoursome.

And some recipes also call for potatoes - cooked separately, in boiling water, already chopped into small diced pieces, then added to the other vegetables, but, this evening, I have decided to forego that option.

Once the leeks were softened, I added the stock, and let that bubble away, at a gentle simmer, the sort that lets out an occasional burp, for around ten to 15 minutes.

Two egg yolks - whisked with double cream (some recipes suggest 100ml, others 200ml, I am inclined towards something that allows for me to pour an exceedingly generous amount) stand by, in a small bowl.

Parsley and French onions are finely chopped, in a small dish.

The fish - chopped into large pieces - awaits its fate in its bowl.

When the vegetables had simmered away in the stock for sufficient time, - ten, fifteen minutes - the fish was added, to be poached with the softened, sautéed, vegetables.

When the fish was done, - eight to ten minutes - lower the heat, (which should already have been reduced to a slow simmer).

At this stage, a little of the stock is stirred into - whisked - into the already blended egg yolk and cream - which is then added - slowly - to the fish dish, taking care not to boil (as the egg mix will curdle) and stirred through.

Next, and finally, the chopped chives/French onions and parsley were added and stirred through; serve in nice bowls.

Very tasty, though I say so myself.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Homemade chowder this evening.

Will post the recipe later.

 

[lizkat]

One of the simplest of soups is on the back burner at the moment, just lentils with onions, carrot, celery, some leftover tomato paste for color, a bit of cumin and salt after 20 minutes, usually add some black pepper just before serving. Most of it's destined for the fridge and some into the freezer, I like to have it around in winter for a quick lunch, along with a side salad plus some crusty bread toasted and rubbed w/ garlic.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

One of the simplest of soups is on the back burner at the moment, just lentils with onions, carrot, celery, some leftover tomato paste for color, a bit of cumin and salt after 20 minutes, usually add some black pepper just before serving. Most of it's destined for the fridge and some into the freezer, I like to have it around in winter for a quick lunch, along with a side salad plus some crusty bread toasted and rubbed w/ garlic.

Sounds delicious, warming and soothing, perfect for a winter's day.

My fish chowder started with a classic soffritto: Finely diced carrots, celery and onions, sautéed in butter.

Once these were softened (30-40 minutes on a low heat), grated garlic (six nice fat cloves) and choped anchovies (around six, chopped), were added to the pan, and sautéed, where the anchovies were dissolved into the base of the chowder, lending a lovely umami flavour to the dish.

Next in, chopped leeks, sautéed until soft.

Then, chicken stock, was added, and the lot allowed to simmer gently for 10-15 minutes.

That was when the fish mix - which comprised of white fish, (something akin to haddock, or coley), red fish - salmon, and smoked fish (usually haddock) - chopped, was added to the stock, and let slowly simmer for around ten minutes.

Double cream, with an egg yolk already whisked through, was then added, and stirred through; finally, the dish was garnished with chopped parsley and some chopped French onions.

 

[lizkat]

Sounds so good for a chilly night! I don't usually have more than two kinds of fresh fish to hand, so while a chowder is doable (assuming I've set aside enough of both kinds to make it with) , it's still not of quite that same richness that more variety lends to the outcome.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sounds so good for a chilly night! I don't usually have more than two kinds of fresh fish to hand, so while a chowder is doable (assuming I've set aside enough of both kinds to make it with) , it's still not of quite that same richness that more variety lends to the outcome.

Perfect for a chilly night.

The fishmonger sells a fish mix (which I use to prepare chowder); it was on this week's shopping list (just as sushi appears to be dropping off, I didn't order sashimi grade fish this week) for my fish delivery.

This is the time of year for those warming, rich, tasty soups.

 

[Hrafn]

First run with sous-vide steak at 130 for an hour, then char on a smoking skillet to bark. 20 minutes and they were devoured.

 

[lizkat]

Pinto beans on the back of the stove today... cooked along with just some marjoram, bay leaf, salt and five peeled cloves of garlic, and let to simmer for so long that the garlic simply dissolves completely into the broth, which eventually becomes thick as gravy. Great with a rice pilaf and a side salad plus some artisan bread run under the broiler. I add a little heat to the beans with red pepper sauce at serving time.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Pinto beans on the back of the stove today... cooked along with just some marjoram, bay leaf, salt and five peeled cloves of garlic, and let to simmer for so long that the garlic simply dissolves completely into the broth, which eventually becomes thick as gravy. Great with a rice pilaf and a side salad plus some artisan bread run under the broiler. I add a little heat to the beans with red pepper sauce at serving time.

Sounds delicious.

I love the idea of garlic dissolving into a sauce; yum.

Today, - it's horrid out, and the fridge and vegetable storage areas are full of goodness just begging to be heeded.

Anyway, dinner was basmati rice, steamed spinach (steamed in butter), sautéed fillets of red mullet (sautéed in butter) - a theme is emerging here - and chopped tomatoes (all the vegetables hail from the farmers' market), yes, sautéed in butter.

For the fish, I prepared a sweet chilli sauce; the recipe came from Gordon Ramsay, the ingredients from the farmers' market (spices, chilli peppers, garlic and herbs) or from my well stocked store cupboard.

Very finely chopped chilli pepper and finely chopped garlic (next time, I'll grate or mince it, but Gordon suggested finely sliced garlic) along with salt and a decent teaspoon of sugar (brown, as I don't have white) all found their way into a pestle and mortar where they were pounded into a glorious paste.

The paste was placed in - poured, scraped out into - a bowl: Then, I added rice wine vinegar (1tbsp), fish sauce (two tablespoons) and olive oil (three tablespoons); chopped French onions, and finely chopped coriander. Gordon also recommended that the juice of a squeezed lime be added; I forgot to buy limes on Saturday (though they had made an appearance on my list) and so - as I always, but always, always have several lemons to hand, half a lemon was juiced instead.

Very tasty, though I do say so, myself.

 

[fooferdoggie]

cauliflower fried rice. I cook some bacon and then add onion and celery and a little bit of green pepper and then the cauliflower and some grated carrot and whatever veggies I can eat with some ginger then mix in eggs and the meat I have in this case the Chinese bbq pork and soy sauce. I forgot some toasted sesame oil. Not a huge amount of calories but pretty filling. But the amount gets bigger and bigger the more veggies you use so it can get out of control in volume.

 

[lizkat]

For the fish, I prepared a sweet chilli sauce; the recipe came from Gordon Ramsay, the ingredients from the farmers' market (spices, chilli peppers, garlic and herbs) or from my well stocked store cupboard.

Very finely chopped chilli pepper and finely chopped garlic (next time, I'll grate or mince it, but Gordon suggested finely sliced garlic) along with salt and a decent teaspoon of sugar (brown, as I don't have white) all found their way into a pestle and mortar where they were pounded into a glorious paste.

That sounds like a great sweet chili sauce. I confess to scarfing up a few quart bottles at a time of the stuff sold in the condiments aisle of Asian markets, and stashing it in the fridge. It's the the kind comes in plain glass bottles like the ones we used when I was a kid to put up home made root beer. Maybe it's time to grow up and try an actual recipe for the stuff. Thanks for the nudge.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

That sounds like a great sweet chili sauce. I confess to scarfing up a few quart bottles at a time of the stuff sold in the condiments aisle of Asian markets, and stashing it in the fridge. It's the the kind comes in plain glass bottles like the ones we used when I was a kid to put up home made root beer. Maybe it's time to grow up and try an actual recipe for the stuff. Thanks for the nudge.

Actually, it was both exceedingly tasty (and also superb the following day - ergo, it keeps well for a day or so - when used with crushed, or mashed, avocados, which had found their way onto toasted rye bread) and surprisingly easy to prepare.

While I do like (sometimes, even love) cooking and the act of preparation of a meal, I deeply dislike those over-complicated recipes, or the ones that almost require a professional chef's qualification to master.

When reading a recipe (and early Nigel Slater passed these tests with flying colours, and, in addition to his addictive chilli sauce, I will also point out that Gordon's nasi goreng was also both very doable and utterly delicious), I have two questions:

1: Am I able to to do this without erupting (quietly) in enraged frustration? Will I enjoy mastering this dish?

And, of at least equal importance:

2: Will I like the finished product? Is it a dish that I will like to eat, or want to eat?

In other words, a recipe must meet two tests: Is it doable, (and that includes accessible ingredients) and is it tasty?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

That sounds like a great sweet chili sauce. I confess to scarfing up a few quart bottles at a time of the stuff sold in the condiments aisle of Asian markets, and stashing it in the fridge. It's the the kind comes in plain glass bottles like the ones we used when I was a kid to put up home made root beer. Maybe it's time to grow up and try an actual recipe for the stuff. Thanks for the nudge.

Another condiment that I have come to love - and it is not confined to sushi - is (are) pickled ginger, a Japanese treat.

Occasionally, that goes straight from the jar - via a spoon or fork, though I have, on occasion, been tempted to use fingers - into my mouth.

You will find it in Asian shops; these days, I add it (along with sliced lemons) whenever I treat myself to smoked fish, or preserved fish - such as gravadlax - on rye bread.