Sunday, February 27, 2005
Turkey Mole!
Brains have been stormed, groceries have been purchased.
The Menu:
If you've never had turkey mole, you're missing out. I had it for the first time when Bravo Burrito first opened on Hennepin, and I've loved it ever since. Mole is a dark brown, Mexican, chocolate, sesame, hot sauce (don't worry RS, it's not too hot :). Throw in some dark meat turkey (we still have those massive thighs from Everett's), throw it over some rice, top with cheese, and yum, yum, yum! Of course we can also roll it up into a burrito as well. (I know we've sort of had burritos before, but those were Texas Chili Burritos, this is different.)
This week's meal was peculiar in a few aspects. Outside of the cake and pico, there really wasn't anything made from scratch, just a lot of prep. Pressure cooking the turkey was fun though. There was so much [four thighs and a breast] that it had to be done in two batches. I didn't want to make a third batch so the raw breast had to be butchered off of the carcass before it was cooked. I think it was the first time I had to do that, and it was interesting. BY and Robin looked at me a bit oddly as the knife was flying.
Having had and made the mole any number of times, there really weren't any surprises. For me, the real highlight of the meal was the chocolate fire cake. (Thanks to a recipe from a co-worker.) The best description was "it tastes like chocolate red hots." Not typically being a big fan of all things chocolate, it was a nice surprise.
We were expecting up to nineteen people this week, partly due to introducing this web log. At that number, the apartment gets a bit crowded, and it's impossible for everyone to sit at the table together. However only eleven actually showed, so we switched our buffet plans to sit down. The cooking/prep had been done over most of the day, so all of the cooking dishes were already clean, and there wasn't as much of a frenetic last minute push to get everything done.
The last thing I want to say, or ask, is that people should try to get there a little earlier. We try to plan to eat at seven, and if everyone walks in the door between 6:45 and 7:00 (like this week :), we have no idea how many are actually going to be there. Also, we spend most of the afternoon, and sometimes day, cooking and prepping. The camaraderie of preparing the meal (or of watching movies, playing video games, etc.) is as much a part of the experience as eating. We understand that people have other lives on Sundays, and we'd always rather people come at any time rather than skip because they're afraid they're "late".
The Menu:
- Turkey mole over rice with shredded cheese
- Build your own tostados with refried beans, lettuce, onion, and homemade pico
- Pinto beans
- Fried plantains
- Chips and cheese
- Chocolate fire cake
If you've never had turkey mole, you're missing out. I had it for the first time when Bravo Burrito first opened on Hennepin, and I've loved it ever since. Mole is a dark brown, Mexican, chocolate, sesame, hot sauce (don't worry RS, it's not too hot :). Throw in some dark meat turkey (we still have those massive thighs from Everett's), throw it over some rice, top with cheese, and yum, yum, yum! Of course we can also roll it up into a burrito as well. (I know we've sort of had burritos before, but those were Texas Chili Burritos, this is different.)
This week's meal was peculiar in a few aspects. Outside of the cake and pico, there really wasn't anything made from scratch, just a lot of prep. Pressure cooking the turkey was fun though. There was so much [four thighs and a breast] that it had to be done in two batches. I didn't want to make a third batch so the raw breast had to be butchered off of the carcass before it was cooked. I think it was the first time I had to do that, and it was interesting. BY and Robin looked at me a bit oddly as the knife was flying.
Having had and made the mole any number of times, there really weren't any surprises. For me, the real highlight of the meal was the chocolate fire cake. (Thanks to a recipe from a co-worker.) The best description was "it tastes like chocolate red hots." Not typically being a big fan of all things chocolate, it was a nice surprise.
We were expecting up to nineteen people this week, partly due to introducing this web log. At that number, the apartment gets a bit crowded, and it's impossible for everyone to sit at the table together. However only eleven actually showed, so we switched our buffet plans to sit down. The cooking/prep had been done over most of the day, so all of the cooking dishes were already clean, and there wasn't as much of a frenetic last minute push to get everything done.
The last thing I want to say, or ask, is that people should try to get there a little earlier. We try to plan to eat at seven, and if everyone walks in the door between 6:45 and 7:00 (like this week :), we have no idea how many are actually going to be there. Also, we spend most of the afternoon, and sometimes day, cooking and prepping. The camaraderie of preparing the meal (or of watching movies, playing video games, etc.) is as much a part of the experience as eating. We understand that people have other lives on Sundays, and we'd always rather people come at any time rather than skip because they're afraid they're "late".
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Braised Beef in Red Wine Sauce
For some reason, we were having an issue coming up with the meal this week (ok, like every week). As a last ditch resort, we went to Cooks of Crocus Hill in Southdale Mall, sat at the table, and flipped through cook books. Actually I flitted around the store looking at stuff while BY, TS, and Robin hunkered down. Ok, TS just sort of stared off into space waiting for the free samples to be ready. After having picked out a new can opener and deciding to finally get a homemade ravioli tray I'd been looking at for a while, Robin and BY were settling on braised Beef in a red wine sauce.
As this is the first post, let me explain the meal choice process a little. I've been pretty set on not repeating a meal, and since last October [when we started], we haven't. But coming up with a new main course every week to feed anywhere between four and sixteen people can be pretty rough, especially through the winter when it's too cold to grille (with charcoal at least). I'm also pretty picky about doing something too plain. I want to wow people, so even when we do something like a roast, it gets fairly extravagant. Meanwhile, there's TS sitting in corner yelling that we're all nuts and that it's ok to go simple (he's a big fan of Irish cooking, as in throw a bunch of stuff in a crockpot and ignore it). Add to this that several of the regulars have dietary restrictions (or tastes) we have to consider. So some weeks someone gives us an idea, or maybe there's a theme for some reason, but most weeks Friday/Saturday sees us sitting around trying to think something up...
This week's meal:
We thought we were going simple this week, however the number of times BY and Robin had to remove and re-add the beef to the sauce added a considerable amount of work. I admit that I sort of took the week off in terms of cooking. Earlier in the day, the crossword puzzle was too addictive, and then when I was about to jump in and help get things on the table, I was paged by work and had to spend an hour and a half getting three freaking web servers to start.
The food was fantastic (at least in my opinion). The beef was fall-apart tender yet retained enough chew to have substance. The sauce blended the flavors of the onion, porcini mushroom, carrot, and herb bouquet garnis with the wine in perfect balance. While the potatoes were supposed to be a bit crisper, there were just too many to cook that way (six pounds). However the butter and rosemary still imparted their flavors without overpowering the potatoes. The biscuits were moist and flaky yet substantial. It's possible that I was just really in the mood for angelfood cake, but even that was perfectly light and spongy.
In entertainment, this week seemed a bit more movie intensive than some others. We started watching Goodfellas, but when RS got there, we stopped it to accommodate his aversion to graphic violence . We switched to Galaxy Quest, and once again noticed how many of the background actors have been in everything else. I think they started Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels while I was working, but then it was dinner time. After dinner, desert, and clean-up, the conversation seemed to gravitate to music, punk-rawk, hardcore, and me playing different tracks for BK to illustrate some of the post-hardcore splinter genres.
As this is the first post, let me explain the meal choice process a little. I've been pretty set on not repeating a meal, and since last October [when we started], we haven't. But coming up with a new main course every week to feed anywhere between four and sixteen people can be pretty rough, especially through the winter when it's too cold to grille (with charcoal at least). I'm also pretty picky about doing something too plain. I want to wow people, so even when we do something like a roast, it gets fairly extravagant. Meanwhile, there's TS sitting in corner yelling that we're all nuts and that it's ok to go simple (he's a big fan of Irish cooking, as in throw a bunch of stuff in a crockpot and ignore it). Add to this that several of the regulars have dietary restrictions (or tastes) we have to consider. So some weeks someone gives us an idea, or maybe there's a theme for some reason, but most weeks Friday/Saturday sees us sitting around trying to think something up...
This week's meal:
- Braised Beef in Red Wine Sauce
- Butter & Rosemary Fried/Steamed Red New Potatoes
- Shoepeg Corn
- Baking Soda Biscuits
- Angelfood Cake with Berries
We thought we were going simple this week, however the number of times BY and Robin had to remove and re-add the beef to the sauce added a considerable amount of work. I admit that I sort of took the week off in terms of cooking. Earlier in the day, the crossword puzzle was too addictive, and then when I was about to jump in and help get things on the table, I was paged by work and had to spend an hour and a half getting three freaking web servers to start.
The food was fantastic (at least in my opinion). The beef was fall-apart tender yet retained enough chew to have substance. The sauce blended the flavors of the onion, porcini mushroom, carrot, and herb bouquet garnis with the wine in perfect balance. While the potatoes were supposed to be a bit crisper, there were just too many to cook that way (six pounds). However the butter and rosemary still imparted their flavors without overpowering the potatoes. The biscuits were moist and flaky yet substantial. It's possible that I was just really in the mood for angelfood cake, but even that was perfectly light and spongy.
In entertainment, this week seemed a bit more movie intensive than some others. We started watching Goodfellas, but when RS got there, we stopped it to accommodate his aversion to graphic violence . We switched to Galaxy Quest, and once again noticed how many of the background actors have been in everything else. I think they started Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels while I was working, but then it was dinner time. After dinner, desert, and clean-up, the conversation seemed to gravitate to music, punk-rawk, hardcore, and me playing different tracks for BK to illustrate some of the post-hardcore splinter genres.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Three Meat Cannelloni Baked in Pink Sauce
The meal:
I had been in the mood for cannelloni, and I've never been able to find a resteraunt in the Twin Cities that does it like I like. Baked pasta dishes also feed a goodly number of people. So I hit the Internet and found a recipe that looked like a good place to start (we rarely stick religiously to any recipe). Next was shopping.
Any meal that starts with a trip to Buon Giorno is a step ahead to start with. On this trip, we even had to stop at Cassetta's to grab a slice of pizza on the way home just to stave off our hunger. (Note: Of the two, I definitely prefer the market at Buon Giorno. It's a lot less cartoonishly goombah than Cassetta's, and it has a lot more space. Other than that, the selection and quality is so similar that either will do in a pinch.)
The star of this meal was absolutely the three meat filling. I'm somewhat surprised that not only did it get into the pasta rolls, but it made it to the table without being eaten in the kitchen. Every time I went to the kitchen, I caught someone sneaking a bite. The combination of Buon Giorno's meatball mix, pork sausage, and home-ground chicken breast, along with the spices, cream, garlic, and onion was perfection. I spent the next several days trying to think of what else I could use it for (and is honestly why I bought the home-made ravioli maker the following week). (It was the first time that I had used the meat grinder attachment for the Kitchenaid mixer, and it was like buttah!)
BY and RS1 did a fine job making the pasta sheets from scratch, as always. The first few attempts at boiling were disappointing, until we figured out that the trick was to boil them a little longer, not for less time. Once that was discovered, our assembly line of boil-shock-fill-and-roll went pretty smoothly. Robin added a few spices to the sauce so that it wasn't plain tomato/cream sauce, but nothing could outshine the meat.
The Berries and whipped cream were the best snackin' dessert for a big heavy meal. The clean-up went exceptionally well, leaving I think only the bowl the berries were in unwashed. We had so much freakin' food left over that RS1 took an entire casserole to "The Boys", and BY had to have eaten for the rest of the week with the half casserole she took home. That's what happens with SC and MS don't show up.
- Buffalo mozzarella, pepperoni, basil, and tomato platter, drizzled in olive oil
- Caesar Salad
- Three meat cannelloni baked in pink sauce
- Rosemary and Olive Oil Bread
- Berries and whipped cream
I had been in the mood for cannelloni, and I've never been able to find a resteraunt in the Twin Cities that does it like I like. Baked pasta dishes also feed a goodly number of people. So I hit the Internet and found a recipe that looked like a good place to start (we rarely stick religiously to any recipe). Next was shopping.
Any meal that starts with a trip to Buon Giorno is a step ahead to start with. On this trip, we even had to stop at Cassetta's to grab a slice of pizza on the way home just to stave off our hunger. (Note: Of the two, I definitely prefer the market at Buon Giorno. It's a lot less cartoonishly goombah than Cassetta's, and it has a lot more space. Other than that, the selection and quality is so similar that either will do in a pinch.)
The star of this meal was absolutely the three meat filling. I'm somewhat surprised that not only did it get into the pasta rolls, but it made it to the table without being eaten in the kitchen. Every time I went to the kitchen, I caught someone sneaking a bite. The combination of Buon Giorno's meatball mix, pork sausage, and home-ground chicken breast, along with the spices, cream, garlic, and onion was perfection. I spent the next several days trying to think of what else I could use it for (and is honestly why I bought the home-made ravioli maker the following week). (It was the first time that I had used the meat grinder attachment for the Kitchenaid mixer, and it was like buttah!)
BY and RS1 did a fine job making the pasta sheets from scratch, as always. The first few attempts at boiling were disappointing, until we figured out that the trick was to boil them a little longer, not for less time. Once that was discovered, our assembly line of boil-shock-fill-and-roll went pretty smoothly. Robin added a few spices to the sauce so that it wasn't plain tomato/cream sauce, but nothing could outshine the meat.
The Berries and whipped cream were the best snackin' dessert for a big heavy meal. The clean-up went exceptionally well, leaving I think only the bowl the berries were in unwashed. We had so much freakin' food left over that RS1 took an entire casserole to "The Boys", and BY had to have eaten for the rest of the week with the half casserole she took home. That's what happens with SC and MS don't show up.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
The Superbowl
The Meal:
The commercials were equally disappointing. The NFL had a stick up it's ass about the Janetit last year so only one commercial referenced it [go daddy dot com], and from what I heard it was supposed to get replayed later in the game but got yanked. There was a ridiculous local Menards commercial that seemed to get played fifty times. Did the dot com bust ruin the Superbowl commercial gala??? Damn.
The corned beef was Everett's home recipe, and the old guy told us how to cook it right. Simmering all day with pickling spices was The Way To Go. Everyone seemed to like the clam chowder, but it wasn't the clam chowder I was trying to make. It was too oniony and wasn't thick enough. I spent a great deal of time in Boston looking for the perfect bowl of chowder, and this was not it. It was the first time I ever made it, and I might have been ruined on it having to smell it cook all day. The chicken wings were a little burnt, but that comes from trying to grille in February in Minnesota. At least Robin promised that she won't make me grille again until it warms up. The chili cheese dip was the same as always, but that's sort of the point. It was especially fun to watch the slow burn of the guacamole affect SC. I didn't actually get a slice of the Boston cream pie, but I did sample the cream and it was yummy.
The post-Superbowl Simpsons was a bit of a let down. But American Dad came through. All in all it was Superbowl Sunday, what are ya gonna do...
- New England clam chowder
- Corned beef sandwiches
- Dipped in Hell chicken wings
- Chili cheese dip
- Fresh Guacamole with hand ground spices
- Veggie tray with spinach dip
- Crab and cream cheese dip platter
- Crabcakes
- Boston cream pie
- More...
The commercials were equally disappointing. The NFL had a stick up it's ass about the Janetit last year so only one commercial referenced it [go daddy dot com], and from what I heard it was supposed to get replayed later in the game but got yanked. There was a ridiculous local Menards commercial that seemed to get played fifty times. Did the dot com bust ruin the Superbowl commercial gala??? Damn.
The corned beef was Everett's home recipe, and the old guy told us how to cook it right. Simmering all day with pickling spices was The Way To Go. Everyone seemed to like the clam chowder, but it wasn't the clam chowder I was trying to make. It was too oniony and wasn't thick enough. I spent a great deal of time in Boston looking for the perfect bowl of chowder, and this was not it. It was the first time I ever made it, and I might have been ruined on it having to smell it cook all day. The chicken wings were a little burnt, but that comes from trying to grille in February in Minnesota. At least Robin promised that she won't make me grille again until it warms up. The chili cheese dip was the same as always, but that's sort of the point. It was especially fun to watch the slow burn of the guacamole affect SC. I didn't actually get a slice of the Boston cream pie, but I did sample the cream and it was yummy.
The post-Superbowl Simpsons was a bit of a let down. But American Dad came through. All in all it was Superbowl Sunday, what are ya gonna do...
