What's For Dinner?

[Skillet Doux]

Wow! That' looks awesome, Tim! I have that book and I really need to cook more out of it.

Love the hibachi... where'd you get it?

[Tim H]

Yeah, both of David Thompson's books are amazing. The grill is from Korin. Despite no bottom vents (only side vents), it burns pretty hot (as demonstrated by my overly charred moo ping), and a few chunks of standard lump charcoal will go for an hour, even on the cheap stuff rather than binchotan. Nice if you're grilling for just a few people.

http://korin.com/Shop/Table-Top-Cooking

[Skillet Doux]

Leftover chunk of flank steak in the fridge that I needed to cook or pitch?

Kalbi Tacos

Kalbi tacos! Tossed the flank steak in a kalbi marinade for 5-6 hours, grilled and chopped it for the meat, added a little smear of guacamole, made a little bit of quick kimchi, speed aided by vacuum sealing the jar, added some minced onion, slivered scallion, and a drizzle of cho gochujang. Turned out mighty fine!

[azhotdish]

Looks killer. Cheese and charcuterie on the menu tonight.

[Skillet Doux]

Incidentally, this quick kimchi recipe wasn't half bad. Certainly no substitute for the fermented stuff, but pretty good in a pinch.

[Tim H]

Pork pad krapow with a fried egg. My wife had kai jiao with hers, sort of Thai omelet fried in plenty of oil to get fluffy and a little crispy on the edges (not entirely successfully in this little one-egg pan). Not the best picture, but this is my favorite Thai dish because it's so simple and flavorful: lots of basil, garlic, chilies, onion, fish sauce, soy sauce, and a bit of sugar. We used Thai basil since we don't have holy basil.


pad grapow by Timbo_AZ, on Flickr


kai jiao by Timbo_AZ, on Flickr

[phxmacbear]

YUM! That's my favorite make-at-home Thai dish, too!
I substitute with Thai Basil as well. I've heard that Holy Basil is easy to container-grow here, but I'm just not up to it.
I can't even keep aloe vera or rosemary alive.

[Ensuing discussion on growing basil at home spun off here. -Mod]

[ScottofStrand]

A friend brought some Venison steaks back from Utah. Cooked them up last night with some crispy brussels, sweet potatoes and Ramsay's red wine chocolate sauce. Pretty tasty.

Venison

[grrlscout]

Downhome fish fry.

First dredge is yellow mustard and Louisiana hot sauce

Second is cornmeal, seasoned with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper.





I like to use swai -- it doesn't have that muddy flavor our domestic cats have.

[Tim H]

The venison and fish look really tasty. But it's those green beans that have my mouth watering. Did you braise them? My wife stir fries or steams them, but I love them best when cooked long and slow.

[grrlscout]

I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but they are canned. I love fresh greeners, but canned is the only format that GF will accept.

I usually heat them up with a little olive oil, and a ton of garlic (seen in the first pic), onions, or shallots; dash of salt and pepper. Sometimes, a splash of balsamic too.

It's on the regular rotation in our house.

[Tim H]

I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but they are canned.

No shame in that! Canned green beans were one of the few veggies I would eat as a kid. I still love my mom's green beans and green bean casserole (canned cream of mushroom). For thanksgiving one year, I braised green beans with tomatoes, bacon, and rosemary -- and everyone missed my mom's green beans.

[The Cosmic Jester]

I made my first cheese soufflé last night. It was very delicious. And, amazingly easy despite conventional wisdom. It was a level of difficulty right around macaroni and cheese. You make a white sauce, mix in egg yolks and cheese, fold in stiffly beaten egg whites, and bake. Put together a green salad while it's in the oven, and you have a very enjoyable, economical dinner that will impress the living daylights out of any dinner guest you happen to have over. I think it should have risen a skosh higher, but there's always next time for that.

[themis]

That looks delectable -! What kind(s) of cheese went in?

[The Cosmic Jester]

This one was basic supermarket Cheddar since that's what I had around the house.

[phxmacbear]

Your souffle reminds me of a recent addition to our "easy work night dinner" rotation.. I call it Lazy Quiche!
Finely dice onion, red pepper and any other fillings (cooked bacon, mushroom, etc.) Mix in a good portion of that crumbled feta cheese that comes pre-seasoned with tomato/basil. Press into pie pan, then pour over a mixture of milk, eggs, and BISQUICK (i know....i know)....
Bake for 25 minutes....pretty damn tasty. Easy dinner!

[Tim H]

That souffle looks delicious.

Carbonara last night. To make it easy, I just warm a pasta bowl, add an egg yolk, a splash of cream, grated pecorino (it's what I have), several grinds of pepper, half a tablespoon or more of the leftover bacon grease, and then mix in the pasta right from the pot. I put in a clove of smashed garlic toward end of cooking the bacon for the aroma. My wife won't eat carbonara because she feels why not just have dessert.

Too much bacon?


Carbonara by Timbo_AZ, on Flickr

[phxmacbear]

When I find myself at a Carrabba's (gasp! - a chain!), I can hardly bring myself to get anything but the Chicken Bryan - a grilled chicken breast topped with a goat cheese medallion and a lemon butter sauce with bits of sun dried tomato and fresh basil. it occurred to me that it's a very simple dish, so why not make it at home.

I used this supposed "real" recipe from Carrabba's. It turned out exactly like the original. I'll be making it again for SURE. (But with WAY less lemon juice...and I've got to find a substitute for the stick of butter! yikes)

http://www.food.com/recipe/original-car ... cat-361631

[grrlscout]

I just got back from a week in Kentucky, with sidetrips to Tennessee and Virginia. While visiting my grandparents in KY, I was astonished to find their cupboard and fridge devoid of fresh food -- just horrible processed packaged junk!

The grocery store is a 30 minute drive, but there is a country market type place quite closer. I poked around there and found dried pinto beans, turnips, onions, garlic, and local some smoked pork jowl.



My grandma had some overgrown celery in the fridge, and I foraged some sorrel, dandelion greens, and wild onions. Made a nice pot of beans for everyone.



Of course, my grandpa refused to eat it, because of the fat content (even though he is frail and thin).

[grrlscout]

Bachin' it this week, so I decided to clean out the fridge and freezer.

I found some beef hearts in the back of the freezer, so I made beef heart stew.



No pics of the final product, as it's just as ugly as its ingredients - but mighty tasty. I made it with onions, celery, carrots, turnips, parsnips, garlic, red wine, and lots of herbs -- cooked low n slow in the crock.

In the fridge, I had a big bottle of buttermilk, about to expire, and some near rotten pears and apples. For dessert, I made buttermilk-honey sherbet and pear, apple, and walnut compote to go with it.



Came out a little soft. I think I used too much honey, or perhaps it was the splash of Cointreau. I might add some more milk and refreeze... or just eat it fast.