What's for Dinner #70 - The "Kickoff to the Summertime BBQ" Edition - June 2021

Had local BBQ for our Friday company lunch, and there was a LOT, so I didn’t expect to be hungry at dinner.

At 7pm, my stomach said “Yeah, who YOU kidding?” (Think Joey Tribbiani from “Friends” saying “How YOU doin’?’” and you’ll understand how hungry I got all of a sudden!)

So a quick asparagus/pancetta/pasta dish with a lemon-pepper cream sauce worked.

Garganelli pasta boiled and drained.

A half package of Wegmans diced pancetta cooked and removed. Spears of chopped asparagus sauteed until tender-crisp in a bit of oil and removed. Chopped onion and minced garlic sauteed in a bit more oil.

Added some white wine, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, a bit of heavy cream, and let it come to a low boil, then turned heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, adding some Parm-Reg, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground pepper as it thickened and reduced a bit.

Added asparagus, pancetta and garganelli pasta into the sauce to heat with a bit of pasta water. A pinch of Aleppo pepper added for a smidgen of heat.

Plated with additional Parm-Reg and dried parsley (because I was too lazy to snip some off my deck plant and chop it up).

Wine. Like duh. Happy Friday!

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Bouncing from veal marsala, pork tenderloin with Calvados, nectarines, cream. Pretty good.

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We enjoyed our usually excellent takeout from Don Pepi II. It’s been a while since we had takeout from here. We enjoyed seafood stuffed lobster, paella Valenciana, seafood stuffed avocado, and crispy Spanish chips.







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paryzer, can you describe/parse the seafood stuffed avocado? Intriguing!

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It was stuffed with crabmeat, scallops, shrimp, red onions, and some diced peppers, in a light mayonnaise sauce.
By the way, I love your dinner combination.

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That looks and sounds great.

Lamb chops cooked in a new cast iron grill pan (which btw has been quite difficult to clean!) With harissa, elbows n cheese, frozen peas with mint.

Wine.

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Went to The Shed at Hudson Yards (don’t ask, explaining it makes me tired) for an art exhibit, and then to La Barra at Mercado Little Spain (Jose Andres little subterranean empire), to have this (confit cod with chick peas, spinach and a very soft-boiled egg):

food

And this (gin, cava and fruit):

drink

No complaints! How could there be?

Sorry for all the parentheses. I’m just feeling parenthetical this evening.

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Dinner last night was pulled pork premade from Sam’s Club with homemade barbecue sauce, sesame noodle salad, caprese salad. We’re eating down the kitchen fridge and freezer for a deep clean so there will be some odd combinations in coming days.

+1 to @Mr_Happy for the peas with his recent dinner. Been craving them lately and they’re going in lots of things.

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I prefer apples and caraway with my sauerkraut. Even people who don’t think much of sauerkraut seem to like it with apples.

The baked beans look good.

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I like this meal.

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Looks like a wonderful Paella Marinara …

Have a great wkend.

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Thank you @Barca! It was a paella Valenciana with chorizo sausage as well as seafood.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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That looks fantastic but I do have to ask; 4 stuffed lobsters - 2 trays of paella and chips and guacamole?!?!
Eli my friend they sending you to the chair tomorrow? Wow what a feast!!! God bless enjoy!! (Say hi to Mrs P!!)

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I do not see any chorizo in your rice !!! Are you mistaken ?

I have never seen chorizo in a Paella in Valencia or Barcelona. Not to say that it does not exist; however, we have never seen it prepared in a “non - traditional” format. And I do not know any Spaniard that would put chorizo (very greasy) in a traditional Paella. VALENCIA has laws about what one can put in their Paella !! The Government Tourism promotes authentic Paella recipes … IT is the National dish of Spain and also the Regional Dish of Valencia.

CHARCUTERIE IN GENERAL; is a “foreign or expatriate” style of Paella.

In Barcelona, we use more “FIDEUÀ” (Vermicelli Pasta) & Girona too …

However, if you had enjoyed it, all my best wishes. The lobster & seafood looks scrumptuous !! And the saffron rice too !!!

Lovely Riserva from Sardegna !!!

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Yeah mine too. I can’t decide if the visual appeal of grill marks is worth the work of getting stuff out of the gaps… I’m leaning towards NO.

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There was definitely chorizo in the paella, and chicken too. The brown spot in the top right hand corner was chorizo. It may not be authentic but it was delicious. In the US they have different versions of paella (some with only seafood, some with seafood and chicken and chorizo, and others that are just vegetables with the rice).

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Do you have a chainmail scrubber? YouTube videos promise easy cleaning of stubborn bits without ruining your seasoning. I’m thinking of buying one.

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How was the fish skin? Could you bite through it?

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