Thread: Dinner - Friday 7/10/09

Lin wrote:

> Anyway, I was feeling inspired and ready to get back into the kitchen.
> Safeway had fresh, wild caught halibut on sale for $8.99/lb., so I snagged
> two thick fillets. With fish as the star, tonight's dinner was of a
> Latin/Cuban/Mexican variety.

It was all very good. The black bean salad/relish was particularly
refreshing, and complemented everything else nicely. Lucky me -- I took the
leftovers to work with me tonight!

Bob

On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:37:36 -0700, "Bob Terwilliger"
<virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz> wrote:

>Lin wrote:
>
>> Anyway, I was feeling inspired and ready to get back into the kitchen.
>> Safeway had fresh, wild caught halibut on sale for $8.99/lb., so I snagged
>> two thick fillets. With fish as the star, tonight's dinner was of a
>> Latin/Cuban/Mexican variety.
>
>It was all very good. The black bean salad/relish was particularly
>refreshing, and complemented everything else nicely. Lucky me -- I took the
>leftovers to work with me tonight!
>
>Bob


I decided to splurge, porter house steaks, asparagus with a white
cheese sauce, scalloped potatoes with bacon, and a raspberry custard
pie for dessert.

Stu wrote:

> I decided to splurge, porter house steaks, asparagus with a white
> cheese sauce, scalloped potatoes with bacon, and a raspberry custard
> pie for dessert.

Porterhouse is one of my favorite cuts. The whole meal sounds like a
worthy splurge!

What is your recipe for the raspberry custard pie?

--Lin

Stu wrote:

> I decided to splurge, porter house steaks, asparagus with a white
> cheese sauce, scalloped potatoes with bacon, and a raspberry custard
> pie for dessert.

Seems a little dairy-heavy: Cheese with the asparagus, milk or cream with
the potatoes, and cream in the pie. Not that there's anything *wrong* with
it, but I think I'd prefer a meal like that when it's about fifty degrees
cooler than it is here.

Bob

On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:25:13 -0700, "Bob Terwilliger"
<virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz> wrote:

>Stu wrote:
>
>> I decided to splurge, porter house steaks, asparagus with a white
>> cheese sauce, scalloped potatoes with bacon, and a raspberry custard
>> pie for dessert.
>
>Seems a little dairy-heavy: Cheese with the asparagus, milk or cream with
>the potatoes, and cream in the pie. Not that there's anything *wrong* with
>it, but I think I'd prefer a meal like that when it's about fifty degrees
>cooler than it is here.
>
>Bob


Bob, we all need to splurge once in awhile.

On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:20:55 -0700, Lin <[email protected]> wrote:

>Stu wrote:
>
>> I decided to splurge, porter house steaks, asparagus with a white
>> cheese sauce, scalloped potatoes with bacon, and a raspberry custard
>> pie for dessert.
>
>Porterhouse is one of my favorite cuts. The whole meal sounds like a
>worthy splurge!
>
>What is your recipe for the raspberry custard pie?
>
>--Lin



* Exported from MasterCook *

Raspberry Custard Pie

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Filling Ingredients
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound (3 1/2 cups) raspberries, plus more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll pate brisee to 1/8-inch thickness on a
lightly floured surface. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish, and trim edges, leaving a
1-inch overhang. Tuck overhang under so edges are flush with rim, and crimp
edges. Prick bottom of dough with a fork. Freeze for 15 minutes. Line dough
with parchment, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges
begin to turn gold, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove weights and parchment. Bake until
crust is light gold and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire
rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Whisk flour and 1/2 cup sugar in a
medium bowl. Add egg and cream, and whisk to combine. Toss raspberries,
remaining cup sugar, and the salt in a medium bowl. Spoon berries into crust,
then pour in cream mixture, filling to just below the rim.

Bake until custard is set but still a bit wobbly in the center, about 45
minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2
hours (or up to 1 day). Garnish with fresh raspberries, and serve cold.

"Source: Martha Stewart"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 184 Calories; 12g Fat (55.5% calories
from fat); 1g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 67mg Cholesterol;
87mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat; 1 1/2 Other
Carbohydrates.

Makes one 9-inch crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Directions

Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined. Add butter,
and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the
machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until mixture just
begins to hold together.
Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 1
hour (or up to 2 days).

Lin wrote:
> I'm finally settling back into "home mode" and getting my routine back
> on track since all the traveling in June and this first week of July.
> Took my beloved almost six-year-old granddaughter back to Oklahoma on
> Wednesday, and then flew back to California the same day. Not something
> I'd like to do often for sure. Wore me out.
>
> Anyway, I was feeling inspired and ready to get back into the kitchen.
> Safeway had fresh, wild caught halibut on sale for $8.99/lb., so I
> snagged two thick fillets. With fish as the star, tonight's dinner was
> of a Latin/Cuban/Mexican variety.

Dinner sounds yummy.

I took some beef out last night so we could have beef stew today. Only
it was pork. Oops. Pork stew is good, though, as it turns out. :-)
(Potatoes, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, mushrooms, Maggi seasoning,
salt, pepper, thickened a bit with cornstarch.)

Serene

Hi Serene, you wrote:

> I took some beef out last night so we could have beef stew today. Only
> it was pork. Oops. Pork stew is good, though, as it turns out. :-)
> (Potatoes, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, mushrooms, Maggi seasoning,
> salt, pepper, thickened a bit with cornstarch.)

That does sound good! I know we have Maggi seasoning in the pantry, but
I've never used it before. I'll keep it in mind for the next stew.

It's cooled off enough during the day (90 degrees!) that I considered
putting on a good chicken stock tonight, as well as a bacon stock with
some pork rinds and bits from a pork belly we have. As late as it is,
the stock will have to wait. But, I do see a white chicken chili in my
future!

Also on the agenda: I picked up a London Broil that I'm going to brown
and then slow cook in the oven with a red chile sauce I picked up in New
Mexico while dining with Christine D at "El Pinto." Not sure if/what I
should add to it. The dish they served at the restaurant appeared to be
beef that was simmered forever in the brilliant red stuff. No other
additions besides being served on a bread-like tortilla. I think they
called it a flat beef taco, but Christine would probably know better
what it was.

Speaking of London Broil ... I've considered buying more and grinding it
for ground round. These cuts I've been getting are very, very lean. Good
or bad idea? At $1.99/lb I don't think I could go wrong, but you never
know. I usually choose a good chuck or sirloin for grinding.

--Lin

Quoting myself, I wrote:

> The dish they served at the restaurant appeared to be
> beef that was simmered forever in the brilliant red stuff. No other
> additions besides being served on a bread-like tortilla. I think they
> called it a flat beef taco, but Christine would probably know better
> what it was.

I just looked at the menu online and it's called a "Rolled Taco." Funny
that ... it was flat and open on my plate.

--Lin

On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:27:36 -0700, Lin <[email protected]>
wrote:

>That does sound good! I know we have Maggi seasoning in the pantry, but
>I've never used it before. I'll keep it in mind for the next stew.

Maggi is used a lot by Scandinavians. I bought some because a Danish
friend swore by it, but I barely dented my bottle... couldn't stand
the flavor. I prefer L & P Worcestershire sauce.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:02:56 -0700, Lin wrote:
>
> I made Rick Bayless' "Salsa Verde: Green Tomatillo Salsa." I used
> serranos instead of jalapenos and roasted the tomatillos in the broiler
> rather than doing the raw/fresh version. Rick provides instructions on
> both ways. Owcheewawa it was spicy! Bob loved it, of course.
>
> http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/m...ipe/index.html
>
> I also had some fresh corn, so I made a black bean, corn, and red bell
> pepper relish/salad. This was made on the fly, using a little red chili
> pepper flakes, a bit of three different vinegars till I got the flavor
> and brightness I wanted. I did add a little chopped torpedo onion as well.

o.k., you made me google 'torpedo onion.' i don't think i've seen one
before. is it kinda regional?

your pal,
blake

"sf" wrote:
>
> Maggi is used a lot by Scandinavians. I bought some because a Danish
> friend swore by it, but I barely dented my bottle... couldn't stand
> the flavor. I prefer L & P Worcestershire sauce.
>
>
They're really not comparable products. The Maggi bottled product is
essentially a meat extract concentrate, a bouillion cube in liquid form and
is also a darkening colorant, contains caramelized sugar (burnt surgar).
Other ethan a small amount of anchovy worcestershire is primarilly a
vegetable product used as a sauce/condiment.

On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:02:56 -0700, Lin wrote:

> I made Rick Bayless' "Salsa Verde: Green Tomatillo Salsa." I
> used serranos instead of jalapenos and roasted the tomatillos
> in the broiler rather than doing the raw/fresh version. Rick
> provides instructions on both ways. Owcheewawa it was spicy! Bob
> loved it, of course.

Serranos are the standard choice for Salsa Verde; I wonder
why Bayless specified jalapenos.

It's great to roast everything, but if it's ultimately going
into a pork chile verde where it braises for several hours,
it's okay to not pre-cook the tomatillos. (It's non-intuitive
as they are not very appetizing just raw and diced up.)

Steve

blake murphy wrote:

> o.k., you made me google 'torpedo onion.' i don't think i've seen one
> before. is it kinda regional?

I suppose it is. I'd never heard of them before moving to California --
though I don't know why they wouldn't grow anywhere that regular onions
can grow.

The are very sweet and mild. They are great on sandwiches. I especially
like them in tuna salad. The tops are too large and thick to do anything
with though.

--Lin

Steve Pope wrote:

> Serranos are the standard choice for Salsa Verde; I wonder
> why Bayless specified jalapenos.

I'm not sure if you looked at the recipe, but the choice was using two
serranos or one jalapeno. Maybe the serranos aren't as easy to come by
across the country, or maybe they are seasonal in areas. Jalapenos seem
to be everywhere year round.

> It's great to roast everything, but if it's ultimately going
> into a pork chile verde where it braises for several hours,
> it's okay to not pre-cook the tomatillos. (It's non-intuitive
> as they are not very appetizing just raw and diced up.)

It was my first time using tomatillos. I might have to try them raw at
some point, but the roasting sure brought out a lot of flavor.

BTW: We've been watching "Top Chef Masters" and I especially enjoyed the
episode with Rick Bayless. I didn't know he was from my old stomping
grounds of Oklahoma City! His family owned a very famous BBQ joint there
for 30 years.

--Lin

Lin <[email protected]> wrote:

>Steve Pope wrote:

>> Serranos are the standard choice for Salsa Verde; I wonder
>> why Bayless specified jalapenos.

>I'm not sure if you looked at the recipe, but the choice was using two
>serranos or one jalapeno. Maybe the serranos aren't as easy to come by
>across the country, or maybe they are seasonal in areas. Jalapenos seem
>to be everywhere year round.

Yes, it's a bit of an issue because tomatillos appear earlier
in the season than various kinds of peppers. In fact, the
tomatillos are already there now. But there is some overlap, in
the autumn months.

>> It's great to roast everything, but if it's ultimately going
>> into a pork chile verde where it braises for several hours,
>> it's okay to not pre-cook the tomatillos. (It's non-intuitive
>> as they are not very appetizing just raw and diced up.)

>It was my first time using tomatillos. I might have to try them raw at
>some point, but the roasting sure brought out a lot of flavor.

If you're a meat-eater and have not made a classic tomatillo/serrano/
pork shoulder based chili verde, I strongly encourage it. It's
really straightforward, pretty much a can't-miss dish. Prepping
all the tomatillos is probably the only tedious part of it.

Steve

blake wrote:

> o.k., you made me google 'torpedo onion.' i don't think i've seen one
> before. is it kinda regional?

I'd never seen it before I joined the CSA. The variety is apparently from
Italy, but it ought to grow in latitudes close to Sacramento's.

Bob

On Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:25:24 -0700, "Bob Terwilliger"
<virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz> wrote:

>blake wrote:
>
>> o.k., you made me google 'torpedo onion.' i don't think i've seen one
>> before. is it kinda regional?
>
>I'd never seen it before I joined the CSA. The variety is apparently from
>Italy, but it ought to grow in latitudes close to Sacramento's.
>
>Bob

I think they grow near Stockton. I used to see them in Berkeley Bowl
all summer. I love them.

Can't get them here...darnit.

Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com

Christine wrote about torpedo onions:

> I think they grow near Stockton. I used to see them in Berkeley Bowl
> all summer. I love them.
>
> Can't get them here...darnit.

It's a function of how long the days are (which in turn is a function of
latitude). We're pretty far north of you. I don't think you ever get the 15
1/2 hours of sunlight that we get during our "long day" season, and that's
what determines viability for torpedo onions.

Bob