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What are you making for dinner tonite?

What are you making for dinner tonite?
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  • Post #2341 - January 29th, 2023, 8:32 pm
    Post #2341 - January 29th, 2023, 8:32 pm Post #2341 - January 29th, 2023, 8:32 pm
    JoelF wrote:Cold day, decided I wanted to braise, so I stopped at Fresh Farms Wheeling for chuck roast, carrots, and an orange (thought I had parsley, oh well, a sprig of cilantro and celery tops went in the bouquet garnish). French daube provençal. Ended up delightfully unctuous if a little dehydrated (halving recipes is fraught with peril).

    I don't know if I'll ever know why I live things like this but hated my mother's pot roast, but it probably had to do with not understanding low and slow.

    Dessert was freshly made multigrain bread, recipe from The Breadmaker's Apprentice.

    Nice, Joel!
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2342 - January 29th, 2023, 10:29 pm
    Post #2342 - January 29th, 2023, 10:29 pm Post #2342 - January 29th, 2023, 10:29 pm
    LTH,
    Carb heaven tonight:
    Falafel, Calabrian peppers, tahina sauce and adult beverages
    Pizza w veg, ‘nduja, and pepperoni
    Lemon meringue pie (just a sliver)

    Image
    Image
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    [img]https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/ac198/Evilronnie1/IMG_1158.JPG[/
    Image
    Falafel method borrowed from my former Chef at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas, TX, Avner Samuel, an Iraqi-Druze-Israeli
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2343 - January 30th, 2023, 7:13 am
    Post #2343 - January 30th, 2023, 7:13 am Post #2343 - January 30th, 2023, 7:13 am
    Evil Ronnie wrote:LTH,
    Carb heaven tonight:
    Falafel, Calabrian peppers, tahina sauce and adult beverages
    P...
    Falafel method borrowed from my former Chef at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas, TX, Avner Samuel, an Iraqi-Druze-Israeli

    Were the falafel baked? I'm skeptical of the crispness you can achieve. (FWIW, Falafel Waffles did not work particularly well)
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #2344 - January 30th, 2023, 12:42 pm
    Post #2344 - January 30th, 2023, 12:42 pm Post #2344 - January 30th, 2023, 12:42 pm
    JoelF wrote:
    Evil Ronnie wrote:LTH,
    Carb heaven tonight:
    Falafel, Calabrian peppers, tahina sauce and adult beverages
    P...
    Falafel method borrowed from my former Chef at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas, TX, Avner Samuel, an Iraqi-Druze-Israeli

    Were the falafel baked? I'm skeptical of the crispness you can achieve. (FWIW, Falafel Waffles did not work particularly well)

    Joel, I’ve always fried them. I’m so meshug that I’ve never owned a crock pot, insta pot, or air fryer.
    These always come out very crisp. Old school method.
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2345 - January 30th, 2023, 12:43 pm
    Post #2345 - January 30th, 2023, 12:43 pm Post #2345 - January 30th, 2023, 12:43 pm
    JoelF wrote:
    Evil Ronnie wrote:LTH,
    Carb heaven tonight:
    Falafel, Calabrian peppers, tahina sauce and adult beverages
    P...
    Falafel method borrowed from my former Chef at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas, TX, Avner Samuel, an Iraqi-Druze-Israeli

    Were the falafel baked? I'm skeptical of the crispness you can achieve. (FWIW, Falafel Waffles did not work particularly well)

    Joel, I’ve always fried them.
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2346 - January 30th, 2023, 4:36 pm
    Post #2346 - January 30th, 2023, 4:36 pm Post #2346 - January 30th, 2023, 4:36 pm
    Evil Ronnie wrote:
    JoelF wrote:Were the falafel baked? I'm skeptical of the crispness you can achieve. (FWIW, Falafel Waffles did not work particularly well)

    Joel, I’ve always fried them.

    Thanks, I was worried/intrigued as they were sitting on a baking sheet.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #2347 - January 30th, 2023, 4:51 pm
    Post #2347 - January 30th, 2023, 4:51 pm Post #2347 - January 30th, 2023, 4:51 pm
    JoelF wrote:
    Evil Ronnie wrote:
    JoelF wrote:Were the falafel baked? I'm skeptical of the crispness you can achieve. (FWIW, Falafel Waffles did not work particularly well)

    Joel, I’ve always fried them.

    Thanks, I was worried/intrigued as they were sitting on a baking sheet.

    Ready to fry…
    mis en place
    Oil on low heat…
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2348 - January 30th, 2023, 7:57 pm
    Post #2348 - January 30th, 2023, 7:57 pm Post #2348 - January 30th, 2023, 7:57 pm
    I wasn't sure what to make but when I got home from work and saw that the path had been excavated -- and salted -- I had a pretty good idea what Mrs. Suburban wanted for dinner! :lol:

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    Ready To Fire
    Considerably more snow than last time I grilled and much cooler out, too. About 8F.

    It's going to be a busy week and I think this might be the only dinner I cook until the weekend. To that end, I figured I might as well use up the last of the mega-bin of mini tomatoes from Costco. They're not very good but they can be heavily manipulated and they do their thing in a very predictable way, which makes them okay in my book . . .

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    Tomato Mise En Place & Toyama B#2 Damascus Gyuto, 210mm
    Evoo, black pepper, sliced garlic, mini tomatoes, dried oregano, salt and Greek vinegar. Also added just a splash of white wine, which caramelized immediately when it hit the pan. Just making a quick on-the-fly compote-type thing.

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    Charcoal-Grilled Chicken Thighs

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    Plated Up
    With leftover/reheated brown basmati rice and a blob of the weekly slaw.

    Happy Monday! :)

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #2349 - January 30th, 2023, 9:01 pm
    Post #2349 - January 30th, 2023, 9:01 pm Post #2349 - January 30th, 2023, 9:01 pm
    Looks great, Ronnie. And thanks for reminding me that our two week old Costco Campari tomatoes are ready for Donna’s fave soup, tomato basil. I see grilled cheese in my future…
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2350 - January 30th, 2023, 10:27 pm
    Post #2350 - January 30th, 2023, 10:27 pm Post #2350 - January 30th, 2023, 10:27 pm
    Evil Ronnie wrote:Looks great, Ronnie. And thanks for reminding me that our two week old Costco Campari tomatoes are ready for Donna’s fave soup, tomato basil. I see grilled cheese in my future…


    Great minds think alike. This is our dinner tomorrow —and I did, actually, make the soup from scratch, since my freezer was in need of some clearing and a quart each of purée and whole tomatoes from the garden were taking up valuable real estate :) :) :)!!
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #2351 - February 2nd, 2023, 6:39 pm
    Post #2351 - February 2nd, 2023, 6:39 pm Post #2351 - February 2nd, 2023, 6:39 pm
    I'm sure your very regular dishes change over time as do mine. Currently, it seems that at least 1 time a week I am making Fusia Dunlop's Gong Bao chicken (also known as Kung Pao chicken - not sure if there is a difference )
  • Post #2352 - February 3rd, 2023, 6:48 pm
    Post #2352 - February 3rd, 2023, 6:48 pm Post #2352 - February 3rd, 2023, 6:48 pm
    Leftover chicken picatta with Donna’s spinach stuffed tomato and Z’atar roasted eggplant. I put a hard sear on the mushrooms which eventually darkened the sauce, ( I should have at least wiped out the pan) but we enjoyed it.Image
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2353 - February 3rd, 2023, 6:53 pm
    Post #2353 - February 3rd, 2023, 6:53 pm Post #2353 - February 3rd, 2023, 6:53 pm
    I made some thin, fast-food style burgers with the 99 cent-a-pound ground beef I bought a few weeks ago at Park Packing. It was claimed to be ground chuck. It looked like something I swear was like 60/40 (which is what I hear In N Out uses.) I haven't used it for anything but burgers, but f*** me if it doesn't make some solid griddled fast food style burgers. I bought five pounds of the stuff and I'm almost out. My 8- and 6-year old love this stuff. When I cook the stuff, something about 8 inches across in diameter shrinks down to like 4-5 inches. It is fatty. But, damn, you get some crisp edges and the interior still feels juicy.
  • Post #2354 - February 4th, 2023, 12:04 am
    Post #2354 - February 4th, 2023, 12:04 am Post #2354 - February 4th, 2023, 12:04 am
    Binko,

    Thanks for this useful information, especially related how much shrinkage there can be.

    I have made burgers from 75/25, but not 60/40. My Dad loves smashburgers. It sounds like this 60/40 would improve my burgers.

    Again, thanks!

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #2355 - February 4th, 2023, 8:39 am
    Post #2355 - February 4th, 2023, 8:39 am Post #2355 - February 4th, 2023, 8:39 am
    Image
    This was all about the sauce: https://www.seriouseats.com/soubise-fre ... pe-7101058 . Daniel Gritzger's french onion sauce. I had never heard of Vadouvan spice, but Epic Spices on Chicago always seems to have everything and they had this. Absolutely wonderful sauce, served on confit chicken thigh quarters and roasted potatoes.
  • Post #2356 - February 4th, 2023, 6:48 pm
    Post #2356 - February 4th, 2023, 6:48 pm Post #2356 - February 4th, 2023, 6:48 pm
    Finally back in the kitchen after what seemed like an eternity. Actually had some very nice food -- both restaurant and friend-cooked -- during the four days I was away. Nonetheless, cooking is one of the activities that makes me happy and grounds me, so I was more than ready. Friends over tonight and I know they like beef stew (posting pre-arrival), so I decided to give it a go. Last time I made this, I followed a method (with a few recipe tips) from youtube that I ended up not really loving. This time, I just winged it, which worked out much better . . .

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    Mise En Place & Yu Kurosaki VG10 Fujin Family (Gyuto 210mm & Petty 120mm)
    Red wine, carrot, shirodashi, salt & black pepper, AP flour, unsalted butter, coarsely chopped garlic, creamer potatoes, tomato paste, yellow onion, celery root, celery, cremini mushrooms, herb set (parsley, thyme, rosemary & dried bay leaves), beef stock, chuck roast, hakurei turnip and worchestershire sauce.

    A few hours later (a portion I served my son before our dinner) . . .

    Image
    Plated Up
    With Mrs. Suburban's world famous roasted broccoli, a fresh batch of mini tomato compote and some day-old, toasted/buttered baguette.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #2357 - February 4th, 2023, 7:28 pm
    Post #2357 - February 4th, 2023, 7:28 pm Post #2357 - February 4th, 2023, 7:28 pm
    Bucatini Carbonara
    Pasta, Guanciale, Pecorino, egg yolk, black peppercorn, H2O
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    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2358 - February 4th, 2023, 10:15 pm
    Post #2358 - February 4th, 2023, 10:15 pm Post #2358 - February 4th, 2023, 10:15 pm
    No peas, Ronnie :D ?

    Tonight was a loose interpretation of moo shu chicken. I made the pancakes in an electric heated tortilla press. Fingers tightly crossed for the first pair, but it worked really well. I used some cheap "chicken strips" from Butera that were partly small tenderloins and partly little pieces of boneless breast. Question: Is it necessary to pull the white tendons out of the tenders? I did, but afterward wondered if it was worth the work.

    We also have moo shu beef around the house:Image
  • Post #2359 - February 4th, 2023, 10:20 pm
    Post #2359 - February 4th, 2023, 10:20 pm Post #2359 - February 4th, 2023, 10:20 pm
    No peas, Ronnie?
    Ouch!…and they call me Evil?
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2360 - February 4th, 2023, 10:28 pm
    Post #2360 - February 4th, 2023, 10:28 pm Post #2360 - February 4th, 2023, 10:28 pm
    tjr wrote:No peas, Ronnie? :D

    LOL, they're there. Check the pic.
    The small green orbs in the bowl. Threw them in from the freezer at the end of cooking.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #2361 - February 4th, 2023, 10:38 pm
    Post #2361 - February 4th, 2023, 10:38 pm Post #2361 - February 4th, 2023, 10:38 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:
    tjr wrote:No peas, Ronnie :D

    LOL, they're there. Check the pic.
    The small green orbs in the bowl. Threw them in from the freezer at the end of cooking.

    =R=

    Not touching this!!!!
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2362 - February 4th, 2023, 11:35 pm
    Post #2362 - February 4th, 2023, 11:35 pm Post #2362 - February 4th, 2023, 11:35 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:Binko,

    Thanks for this useful information, especially related how much shrinkage there can be.

    I have made burgers from 75/25, but not 60/40. My Dad loves smashburgers. It sounds like this 60/40 would improve my burgers.

    Again, thanks!

    Regards,
    Cathy2

    Cathy and Binko,
    Although not smash burgers, Paradise Pup’s char grilled burgers are so deliciously rich (greasy in the best way) that I’ve long suspected them of being a 60/40 blend.
    Ciao
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2363 - February 5th, 2023, 7:34 am
    Post #2363 - February 5th, 2023, 7:34 am Post #2363 - February 5th, 2023, 7:34 am
    Image
    Duck and homemade andouille gumbo
  • Post #2364 - February 5th, 2023, 9:26 am
    Post #2364 - February 5th, 2023, 9:26 am Post #2364 - February 5th, 2023, 9:26 am
    Cathy2 wrote:Binko,

    Thanks for this useful information, especially related how much shrinkage there can be.

    I have made burgers from 75/25, but not 60/40. My Dad loves smashburgers. It sounds like this 60/40 would improve my burgers.

    Again, thanks!

    Regards,
    Cathy2


    I would definitely not use them for anything but those really thin smash-burger style burgers. I actually just smashed them between some wax paper. That fat really needs to melt and run off. I don't know if it's actually 60-40, but its definitely fattier than 80-20 and seems fattier than 70-30 (or 73-27). When my kids remark gleefully and unprompted at how juicy the burgers are, even though they are certainly cooked well done, that works for me. These kinds of burgers I like to offset with some lettuce (I used romaine), fresh onion, and tomato for contrast. You know, like an In N Out burger. But they little ones just had them plain.

    Here's the article where the Serious Eats folks deduce that that patty is about 60-40. I suppose I could just cook some up and check pre-cook and post what the %age is. Be sure to season adequately. I like just using Lawry's these days. But salt+pepper+garlic works great, too.

    ETA: OK, I just weighed it, cooked some up, weighed it again and it's somewhere around 55/45- 60/40, so pretty darned rich. :) (Though now that I think of it, there's going to be some water loss, as well, so probably closer to the 60/40 range or higher). My guess looking at it was about right. I mean, at a buck a pound, what do you expect, but for griddled hamburgers, it hits just right for me.
  • Post #2365 - February 5th, 2023, 10:13 am
    Post #2365 - February 5th, 2023, 10:13 am Post #2365 - February 5th, 2023, 10:13 am
    Evil Ronnie wrote:
    ronnie_suburban wrote:
    tjr wrote:No peas, Ronnie :D

    LOL, they're there. Check the pic.
    The small green orbs in the bowl. Threw them in from the freezer at the end of cooking.

    =R=

    Not touching this!!!!


    "A Tale of Two Ronnies"
    or
    "To Pea or Not To Pea"
  • Post #2366 - February 5th, 2023, 10:20 am
    Post #2366 - February 5th, 2023, 10:20 am Post #2366 - February 5th, 2023, 10:20 am
    Binko wrote:OK, I just weighed it, cooked some up, weighed it again and it's somewhere around 55/45- 60/40


    Sounds like what we used to call "Fatty McGreaseburger", pale pink stuff sold in crappy groceries as "hamburger" not even rising to "ground beef." I guess we didn't know that McBurgers use Mexican/Central American beef which would be much leaner.

    Hope I haven't insulted those who enjoy the smashburgers. And thanks for the advice to make them 8" rounds in order to get 4" results.

    Another way to use it is something I heard about long ago suggested to school cafeterias which were stuck with fatty government surplus burger as a way to make it more healthy for the kids: Brown crumbled burger until well browned, drain fat, then very quickly rinse with boiling water and drain immediately. Apparently working fast didn't wash off much of the taste, and a lot more of the fat.
  • Post #2367 - February 5th, 2023, 6:59 pm
    Post #2367 - February 5th, 2023, 6:59 pm Post #2367 - February 5th, 2023, 6:59 pm
    Pizza night
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    $14 Carbon steel Dexter Russell vegetable cleaver…cuts like buddah…made in the USA!
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2368 - February 5th, 2023, 7:16 pm
    Post #2368 - February 5th, 2023, 7:16 pm Post #2368 - February 5th, 2023, 7:16 pm
    I guess it's just a stew weekend for us. And at this point in time -- early February -- I had the pleasant realization that some of the recent dishes I've made might not hit our table again until next winter. Yes, we have several more weeks of winter weather -- along with a few more warming soups and stews -- ahead of us but the end is nigh, especially for dishes I only make a couple of times a year. To that end, I decided on chile verde chicken stew, which could be making its final (or penultimate) appearance of the winter. I usually make it with pork but chicken sounded good, so I grabbed some boneless/skinless thighs. But before that, I prepped the salsa verde which, along with a few other ingredients, effectively becomes the base and cooking medium of the dish.

    Image
    Roasties
    Knob onions, poblanos, red jalapenos, garlic cloves, red onion, serrano pepper, tomatillos, green jalapenos, anaheim peppers and fresh cilantro.

    Didn't do all of these together (peppers separate) but once roasted, I aggregated everything on the platter before I cleaned it all up (peeled garlic, skinned onion, skinned and semi-seeded peppers) and sent it all on quick spin in the vitamix . . .

    Image
    Salsa Verde

    Also made a couple of sides . . .

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    Black Turtle Beans
    From Tracey Vowell at Three Sisters Garden, one of our favorite local farms.

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    Black Bean Mise En Place & Yu Kurosaki VG10 Fujin Gyuto, 210mm
    Evoo, yellow onion, bay leaves, celery leaves, fresh thyme & rosemary, slitted jalapenos & serranos, overnight-soaked black beans, coarsely chopped garlic, salt & black pepper and 4x pork stock.

    Not enough pork stock to cook the beans exclusively in it but being highly reduced/concentrated stock, I just topped off the batch with water. Neglected to write a date on the bag and wasn't sure how old these beans were (2021, 2022?), which is why I soaked them, and it worked out just fine. As long as I had the fresh herbs and celery leaves on hand (from yesterday's beef stew), I figured I should toss some in there. I don't think I've ever made any 2 pots of beans exactly the same way and this was no exception.

    And some Mexican restaurant-style rice . . .

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    Rice Mise En Place & Yu Kurosaki VG10 Fujin Gyuto, 210mm
    Evoo, medium grain rice (later washed), scallion tops, chicken/tomato bouillon powder, tomato paste, freezer peas, carrot, yellow onion, black pepper and salt.

    A quick saute in evoo of the carrot and onion and then everything into the rice cooker. Used a few T each of the bouillon and the tomato paste.

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    Chicken Mise En Place & Yu Kurosaki VG10 Fujin Gyuto, 120mm
    Evoo, chicken thigh meat, roasted red & yellow onion, salsa verde, AP flour, roasted/chopped poblano & anaheim peppers, coarsely chopped garlic, salt, Mexican oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, ancho chile powder, black pepper and cumin seed.

    Made a dredge/rub of all the spices (and the flour) and dusted the chicken with it. From there, seared it up (in a couple of batches) in the evoo, then added all the rest to the dutch oven and let it simmer, stove top, until it was just about done. Tasted, touched up the seasoning and served it.

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    Plated Up
    With flour tortilla, cotija cheese garnish.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #2369 - February 5th, 2023, 7:25 pm
    Post #2369 - February 5th, 2023, 7:25 pm Post #2369 - February 5th, 2023, 7:25 pm
    lougord99 wrote:Image
    Duck and homemade andouille gumbo

    Looks great! How far do you take your roux?
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #2370 - February 5th, 2023, 7:38 pm
    Post #2370 - February 5th, 2023, 7:38 pm Post #2370 - February 5th, 2023, 7:38 pm
    Evil Ronnie wrote:
    lougord99 wrote:Image
    Duck and homemade andouille gumbo

    Looks great! How far do you take your roux?

    This roux was purposefully on the lighter side.

    When I do gumbo, I make the roux to blond on the stovetop and then put it into a 325 oven and take it as dark as I want without concern of burning. Oven roux only needs to be stirred every 10 minutes or so. A very dark roux might take an hour and 45 in the oven, rather than 45 on the stove top, but there is little danger of burning and much less tending.

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