What’s for Dinner #25 - 09/2017 - the Autumnal Edition

Today I overdid. In fact, I started yesterday with climbing and cubing a leg of lamb, creating a marinade and marrying the two together. Also soaked some chickpeas and made Anna Sortun’s Dukkah without coconut which doesn’t belong in a dukkah. This morning, I cooked the chickpeas to make hummus. Cooked some carrots to make an Egyptian carrot puree. Thickened some homemade yogurt for a garlic-yogurt sauce. When the grill was lit, made the saffron rice, diced some cucumbers and tomatoes and then it was time for dinner. Also put some pita on the table for those that wanted to make a sandwich or dip bread into the meze.

Totally forgot to take pictures, but it was a feast. Four generations sharing dinner. Not a bad night. Thank goodness there are enough leftovers for tomorrow since I am exhausted!

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I picked up hummus from one of my favorite places this afternoon (nish nush for those in nyc), and realized that i always have it with raw veggies but that’s out for at least a few more days… (feels like the dentist punched me in the face really hard!)
So then i had a random potato craving and made a microwave “baked” potato. Topped with some of the hummus, lots of cilantro, some nutritional yeast and chopped tomato. I needed greens so i made wilted spinach (i put a colander of fresh spinach in the sink and pour boiling water over it) and the spinach got nutritional yeast and lots of black pepper. Gingerade kombucha on the side.

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Fingers crossed for your first brew. I love my homemade but something about it never matches GTs. Every time I buy a bottle I feel my scoby at home wants to strangle me.

Some highlights…

First figs, with balsamic vinaigrette, maple syrup, evoo, s & p.

Ultra fresh mullet, soy sauce, onion. Wasn’t intentional, but the left over maple syrup in the dish made it exceptional.

Mid Chinese (noodles) Mid Vietnamese (sweet sour soup with lemon juice) with cuttlefish and chilis and bean sprout.

Some tricandille - fried intestines with garlic, Bordelais street food.

Guess what was it? Cooked with butter! It was pretty good.

Bon appétit!

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I’m just going to come right out and say it: It looks like a penis! And I’m praying to dear God it’s not.

You beat me to the punch. My guess as well

fallen behind - here are a few from the last week:

BLAT salad with cukes, heirloom tomatoes, non-cured bacon, and a mayo/lemon dressing, and croutons made of bread sauteed in the bacon fat. corn on the cob on the side

Korean pork burgers - ground pork marinated in bulgogi marinade overnight. lots of gochugaru added, too. Burgers were super juicy! with cheddar cheese, very ripe kimchi on mine, and a totally unrelated caprese salad with fresh mozz. went well anyway.

pesto spaghetti and a reverse-seared rib eye, and broiled tomato with parm.

and dinner last night was out - pop-up, sort of, from a Bolivian family’s home/restaurant that is trying to start up again. the father had an actual Bolivian restaurant for years and then they couldn’t afford to keep it going. they still sold salteñas …

…to order - you could call them up and the dad would meet me on a street corner and do the hand off - like a delicious drug deal. i just learned from the son that he died last year. the family is trying to get the restaurant going again, in the son’s house, until they can afford a restaurant space again. so hard in this city. Salteñas are Bolvia’s answer to empanadas and I have to say i find them superior. they’re filled with a juicy stew, such that i find most empanadas too dry.

the BF had a couple salteñas, i had one, and we split the chicharrones - deep fried hunks of pork - which came with mote (hominy), potato, and chuño - an Andean potato that has been freeze dried and then reconstituted.

An acquired taste, but i’ve been eating them since i was a kid. slathered everything with Bolivian hot sauce, llajwa (“lyah-huah”).

so good, so homey.

for tonight i made this guisado de pollo (a foodie friend’s inspiration) - chicken seasoned with achiote, cilantro, paprika, cumin, s&p, browned, then added onions, garlic, yellow bell pepper, sliced carrots, cilantro, sliced up corn, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and water/chicken bouillon. Shredded the meat and added it back to the broth. i’ll serve it with homemade (not mine) tortillas and white rice.

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@NotJrvedivici @Scubadoo97

Nope! Not at all! (That will be too easy too!) I saw this similarity only after taking the picture.

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Roe. Looks most lovely.

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Pad Thai with shrimp & egg, dumplings , five spice ribs, bun Cha

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It’s National Cheeeeeeeeeseburger Day! So …

After a lot of thought, I’d like to reconsider
Please, If it’s not too late
Make it a cheeseburger.

Sweet potato fries and a small glass of wine alongside.

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How do you make your fries? They look great

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Tonight was our Middle Eastern feast redux. Tomorrow? Chemo, dinner out and then on Wednesday?? I head to Santa Fe in the middle of Chili season. I will return with dried chilis and eat lots of the fresh ones while I am there. How lucky am I?

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The guisado de pollo turned out fantastic. soooo homey. green salad on the side with an oregano-y/cumin-y/garlicky vinaigrette.

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Exactly! It was in the belly of the mullet. There was a lot of it (double of what is shown in the photo). And it was really good frying with butter!

You should be lucky to get some New Mexico Hatch Chili while u are there
They even roast for u there, peel and store in freezer bag or probably can buy them peeled in freezer bags already.
Love those esp in enchilada dishes

Absolutely! Can’t wait to try all kinds of chilis and I will be bringing some home with me, for sure.

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They’re Alexia Sweet Potato Fries. :slight_smile: From the freezer, onto a small roasting pan and baked in my convection oven (but not using convection heat - although I should try that next time!).

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The mention of flap meat last week, I had to defrost the cut in the freezer for dinner. Simple salt and pepper and pan sear. Fried eggs to accompany because I can’t seem to get enough of eggs these days.

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Good to know! I’ve seen that brand but never tried it.