|
Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2010 22:30:12 GMT
Buffet style dinner here at home tonight to entertain the revelers participating in the neighborhood MidSummer Mardi Gras celebration.(which may be rained out... ) On hand,several salads,potato,green bean,mixed greens,fresh avocado slices. Black beans for the vegetarians with various selected garnishes and salsas to choose from. A pot of jambalaya,with andouille sausage and smoked chicken. Fruit salad,of melon,peaches and black cherries. French bread Lots of beer and wine
|
|
|
Post by Don Cuevas on Aug 29, 2010 8:58:34 GMT
Yesterday, a cookout, with about 14 guests. The theme was Texas style BBQ. This, if I recall correctly, was what we had: Texas BBQ Brisket Menu August 28, 2010 Jícama with homemade Salsa Chamoy Guacamole con tostadas- brought by a guest Ensalada de Nopalitos- ditto Twelve-Hour Smoked Brisket BBQ Sauces in three octanes Smokey Longaniza Sausages cooked on the grill. Frijoles Charros con Queso Assorted breads; teleras, baguettes. Potato Salad Health Salad Home made Kosher Dill Pickles spears Escabeche de Verduras y Chiles Chiles Jalapeños Encurtidos (canned) Sliced Onions Brought by GuestsHam Salad Potato Salad Pasta Salad with Clams Lasaña Mexicana a la Bandera Fruit Cobbler, Ice Cream (brought by guests) Limonada Agua de Jamaica Cerveza (some brought by guests) Cokes Coffee and Tea Photos just uploaded to picasaweb.google.com/doncuevas/TexasBBQPhotos?feat=directlinkGuests started arriving a little after 1:00 p.m., the last couple left about 7:00, and we had the cleanup done a little after 8:00. We were tired when it was over, but considering how well it went, we were happy.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2010 18:20:27 GMT
Please say that you did not eat every single item. Tonight, I unexpectedly made crab cakes using two cans of crab meat, chopped chives and flat parsley (the cilantro was dreadful at the store), 2 eggs, bread crumbs, Old Bay spice, white pepper, mustard, a dash of soy sauce and some mayonnaise. They tasted excellent (better than the last time I made them), but were just a tiny bit too crumbly. I was wondering what element would make them stick together better. Another egg? More mayonnaise? Corn starch? Something else?
|
|
|
Post by cristina on Aug 30, 2010 0:53:04 GMT
I was always told to chill the formed crab cakes for an hour or so before cooking, and this seems to work. Casimira and Don C, your entertainment menus both sound marvelous. I ran errands all day and am too pooped to cook. I'm hoping one of my children will find some inspiration and make something pleasant for dinner.
|
|
|
Post by Don Cuevas on Aug 30, 2010 7:07:53 GMT
K2, I limited myself to some guac, nopalitos, ham salad and a couple of beers. Then after our guests had helped themselves, I had some brisket and sausage, health salad and chiles. I made sure to eat only half a roll.
Today I had an early bkfst of 2 small brisket sandwiches on rolls, and much, much later, a nice sized sandwich on challah. A little bbq sauce, some horseradish sauce, mmmMMM!!
It's better the second day.
|
|
|
Post by lagatta on Aug 30, 2010 23:51:37 GMT
I presume you make your challah, though who knows, there could be a similar egg bread in Mexico.
Like the Mexican Lasaña. Is it at all similar to Italian lasagna? Same flag colours, except for the critters in the middle of the Mexican version.
|
|
|
Post by mickthecactus on Aug 31, 2010 8:38:41 GMT
Saturday night I cooked chicken biriani with a separate tomato and potato curry. Mrs Cactus rated it as one of the best Indian meals that I've cooked.
Yesterday was her turn and we had a very English roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with roast potatoes, carrots, dwarf beans and chard followed by plum crumble. All the veg came from my garden.
|
|
|
Post by Don Cuevas on Aug 31, 2010 15:59:16 GMT
I presume you make your challah, though who knows, there could be a similar egg bread in Mexico. Like the Mexican Lasaña. Is it at all similar to Italian lasagna? Same flag colours, except for the critters in the middle of the Mexican version. Lagatta, I do make my own challah. I like keeping my baking skills in practice. There are egg breads in Mexico, and Oaxaca is most famous for pan de yema. But it's much sweeter, lighter and usually flavored with aniseseed than challah. I didn't try the Lasaña Mexican, but my wife said it was very good. The meat was ground beef. Oh, yes: the critters on the Mexican flag! An eagle holding a serpent. What an imposing and emotional concept!
|
|
|
Post by joanne28 on Aug 31, 2010 19:47:42 GMT
I made chicken stock last night so I could make Avgolemono soup today. I've never made it before (actually, I rarely make soup) but I had some a few weeks ago and the idea of making it has been scratching at the back of my head ever since.
I used my usual method of finding a recipe - googling and printing off several likely candidates. I usually amalgamate a couple of recipes and make a few adjustments for things like soups, salads etc. Sometimes I make the recipe as stated the first time, then start tweaking it.
|
|
|
Post by lagatta on Aug 31, 2010 23:27:36 GMT
I don't usually put meat in lasagne. This is not to be vegetarian, nor kosher; I simply find it too heavy.
Tonight, very light supper - some tomatoes and cucumbers as a salad, leftover Kefta (tiny lamb meatballs with savoury spices, with couscous or bulghur as the binder). It is 34c here - record summer heat, though not as harsh as in Russia. We just had a taste of that stuff in the springtime, with extremely early forest fires in mid-northern Québec.
I have made challah, though of course it is easy to find here. Finding GOOD challah is another matter. It is almost Rosh Hashanah, and there will be special challahs. The best challah, and the best Rosh Hashanah feast, I've ever had were in Paris, in Ménilmontant. There were Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews present (most not very religious, though a couple do keep kosher) as well as nominal Christians and nominal Muslims. (Everyone drank wine).
|
|
|
Post by joanne28 on Sept 1, 2010 14:31:25 GMT
I made the Avgolemono soup. It wasn't bad - next time a little less lemon & a little more rice.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2010 19:07:47 GMT
Yes,Lagatta,Rosh Hashanna is next week, September 9th,and what better place to be than New York City for excellent Challah and other fine kosher foods!!! Tonight,OYSTERS!!! My company wants them,I want them,the oyster bar is open,and the month has an R in it so....off we will go.........
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2010 20:01:44 GMT
All I had tonight was a cucumber and sour cream salad with red onion, Italian parsley and dill. (salt and pepper and olive oil -- and dammit I was out of limes so no lime juice)
|
|
|
Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 2, 2010 8:46:58 GMT
This was actually lunch, after we got our FM3 visas for Mexico renewed yesterday, September 1: Mariscos La Jaiba, in Morelia. I had a large Vuelve a La Vida coctel (“Return to Life”, and it certainly did the job for me.), a melange of nearly every form of sea creature available at the restaurant, (except,at my request, no raw oysters), served in a large balloon glass condimented in typical Mexican style. It was very good, and the accompanying tostadas (flat corn crisps) were excellent, tasting of having been fried in lard. (That's good!) This example was consumed on a previous occasion. Yesterday's did not have the shrimp hanging over the edge, but it was very good. Cost; $90 MXN or about $7 USB (bucks)
|
|
|
Post by hwinpp on Sept 2, 2010 9:17:51 GMT
W had boeuf stroganoff with roesti and escalope chasseur with mashed potatoes last night. We went out because there was no electricity until 9pm!
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Sept 2, 2010 15:40:52 GMT
Did you go all the way to Europe to eat, HW?! ;D That's a good looking vuelve a la vida, DonC. Is that an exceptionally cargada michelada there on the left?
|
|
|
Post by lagatta on Sept 2, 2010 22:05:57 GMT
I'm having a very nice pita (whole wheat, no artificial ingredients, rather thicker and softer than the most common kind) stuffed with some chicken I slowly braised yesterday, some slaw made with chou de savoie (that pale green, slightly curly cabbage) and a bit of rice vinegar and lime juice. A dash of picante, and some mayonnaise I succeeded in making. This cabbage would be great on tacos too. Drinking a bit of white vin ordinaire mixed with Perrier-citron.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Sept 3, 2010 3:13:15 GMT
That sounds completely lovely, LaGatta! If I can get my hands on some savoy cabbage, I'd love to fix it that way.
I had slaw, too, though not such an elegant version. Mine was shredded regular green cabbage with just a light dressing. Had that with chili (it's cool & rainy here) and some of my fake cornbread which was really delicious.
Fake Corn Bread @ a cup of masa harina @ a cup of whole wheat flour @ 4 tablespoons of dried milk @ 1 teaspoon of sugar @ 1/2 teaspoon salt " baking powder " baking soda Stir all of the above together until well mixed. Put a tablespoon or so of oil into the middle, then break an egg into that. Lightly beat those two things together, then splash in a little water and keep stirring and adding water until you have a thick batter. Oil an appropriate baking vessel(s), then splash in a bit of balsamic vinegar (because it's sort of sweet) into the batter, stir again, then pour into pan(s). Bake in a 375° oven until done.
|
|
|
Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 3, 2010 9:01:20 GMT
Could have been a michelada; but it's been over a year since I took the photo, and I don't know.
Today: September 2, 2010, lunch ws an improvised panzanella salad. Tuscan bread salad, but this consists of a few elements thrown together in an individual salad bowl. Tomatoes, garlic croutons (homemade, of course) and riasted sweet and hot anchovy peppers, cured black olives.
Too tired to prepare food, but nevertheless, I'm starting a batch of bread 'n butter pickles.
After a nap: I ended up with 11 1/2 pints of bread 'n butter pickles.
(Please don't ask for a recipe. It's irreproducible.)
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2010 11:03:23 GMT
I forgot to take the shark out of the freezer, but it shouldn't take too long to defrost... hmmm, what to do with it, though? I'm thinking lemon grass, coconut milk, ginger.... probably some other stuff, too.
|
|
|
Post by mickthecactus on Sept 3, 2010 13:30:54 GMT
Not tonight but tomorrow...
My daughters birthday so I'm treating the family to an Indian meal that will take me much of tomorrow. Probably Chicken Biriani, Rogan Josh, some prawn curry and veg curry that I haven't worked out and potato and tomato curry. Plus various bought breads (haven't conquered indian bread making yet).
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2010 16:54:16 GMT
I was actually not too bad at making chapatis at one time.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Sept 3, 2010 17:46:51 GMT
Have you cooked shark much before, Kerouac? It overcooks very easily. Those seasonings should be delightful with it. I'd like to know how it comes out, as I almost always cook it the same couple of ways & would like to branch out.
Mick, that meal sounds fabulous! Hope you'll eventually start a thread or at least post some recipes in The Galley. Even though everyone here professes a love for East Indian cooking, many people (me) know little about it.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2010 2:22:53 GMT
I have only had two types of shark,Mako,and Lemon shark....both, I had grilled,and one had been in a marinade for a bit before. They definitely had a tendency to be on the dry side if even slightly overcooked,not too unlike swordfish.
|
|
|
Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 4, 2010 8:16:43 GMT
I made a serious panzanella today for our comida. Besides the obligatory olive oil toasted croutons and cut ripe tomatoes, it had sliced red onion, soaked to lessen the bite; cucumber, red radish slices (photo of radish coming); roasted sweet and hot peppers, cured black olives, anchovies, olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar, s&p. It was so luscious that we passed on having the hearty Soupe au Pistou with sausage I'd prepared.
Later in the day, I reorganized and consolidated the contents of the fridge to improve the environmental conditions therein.
Later, for supper, I made scrambled eggs in butter, no additions! We had homemade caraway rye toast with them. I had a few slices of bread and butter pickles, even though only 24 hours had passed; not the recommended 30 days.
I might later post a recipe in The Galley for scrambled eggs, if I'm feeling energetic.
|
|
|
Post by imec on Sept 4, 2010 17:51:39 GMT
A friend gave me some spring salmon which he caught in BC. I made a salmon tartare with the trimmings, seared the fillets and finished them in the oven and served them with baby summer squash, sea asparagus and wild chanterelles. To precede we had some heirloom tomatoes with burrata, basil and olive oil. [
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2010 21:33:01 GMT
I would have asked for double the tartare and none of it cooked, but that's just me.
|
|
|
Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 5, 2010 15:22:33 GMT
Later today, September 5, 2010: Ht and Sour Soup, made with chcken instead of pork, and served with corundas (Purépechan tamales wrppped in fresh corn leaves.) International fusion fare again.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2010 17:14:50 GMT
Some friends of ours went alligator hunting yesterday and caught a ten foot long alligator,which has been butchered,cut up into different sized pieces. The belly is the most tender in my experience. Most commonly seen in restaurants is the tail,which has a tendency to be dry unless marinated for quite a while. So,in a marinade (beer,oil,garlic,ginger,dry mustard,soy..)it sits for later this afternoon when we will grill it. I think some of it we will fry as well. The paws/feet on this thing were the exact same size as my hands.... (I am going to see if I can talk him out of the paw skin and get another friend of mine to make me some gloves!! ).
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Sept 5, 2010 18:00:56 GMT
Eek ~~ shades of O.J.! ;D The Aztecs dressed in the skins of their sacrificed victims. What whimsical folk they were! Luckily, thanks to a lifetime of gardening, washing dishes, etc. without gloves, my hands already look like alligator paws.
|
|