Sunday, June 26, 2005
There Will Be No Tater Tot Hotdish.
Vittles:
First off a big welcome to CT and GH to their first SFD.
I'm really glad we chose the grilled pineapple to go with the BBQ chicken. While it's not exactly a startling decision, or out of the ordinary, there's a reason for that. The sweet juciness of the pineapple is the perfect complement to the spicy tang of the chicken. (Other people's chicken might also be helped due to its dryness as well, but we don't allow that type of stuff around here.)
As for the potatoes, JZ said "That's the most fantastic thing I've ever put in my mouth." Good to know that some fancy tater tots have surpassed all of our other attempts. More seriously, they were very good, but I had hoped for more of the pungency of the Gorgonzola to come through. I'm afraid it melted and cooked out during the frying.
For the salad, I was nervous about the white balsamic vinegarette as I don't tend to enjoy regular balsamic straight up. However this dressing was absolutely excellant. It was so complex with flavor that it carried the salad by itself (which is good because it was the only thing in the salad).
We tried to make a birthday cake for DP, but he was too busy working for The Man to come and enjoy it. So here's a picture of CP eating it:
- BBQ chicken breasts (I mean with the spice rub and sauce and everything)
- Grilled pineapple
- Gorgonzola and Yukon gold mashed potato croquettes (aka "fancy tater tots")
- Spinach and romaine salad with white balsamic vinegarette
- Devilsfood birthday cake
First off a big welcome to CT and GH to their first SFD.
I'm really glad we chose the grilled pineapple to go with the BBQ chicken. While it's not exactly a startling decision, or out of the ordinary, there's a reason for that. The sweet juciness of the pineapple is the perfect complement to the spicy tang of the chicken. (Other people's chicken might also be helped due to its dryness as well, but we don't allow that type of stuff around here.)
As for the potatoes, JZ said "That's the most fantastic thing I've ever put in my mouth." Good to know that some fancy tater tots have surpassed all of our other attempts. More seriously, they were very good, but I had hoped for more of the pungency of the Gorgonzola to come through. I'm afraid it melted and cooked out during the frying.
For the salad, I was nervous about the white balsamic vinegarette as I don't tend to enjoy regular balsamic straight up. However this dressing was absolutely excellant. It was so complex with flavor that it carried the salad by itself (which is good because it was the only thing in the salad).
We tried to make a birthday cake for DP, but he was too busy working for The Man to come and enjoy it. So here's a picture of CP eating it:
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Mexicali Molly
Menu:
Thanks go to MS for her Mexican urges (and we all thought she liked Korean).
The soup seemed different from the last time we made it. It was still good, but it didn't have folks melting the same way as last time. I didn't think the secret ingredient substitution we made at the last minute would have had that much of an impact, but maybe.
Thanks also go to my co-worker for his Queso Fundido suggestion. The chorizo sausage we bought at Lund's was damn tasty and made the kitchen crazy fragrant for quite a while before dinner. The only downside was that it filled me up so much that by the time the enchiladas came out, I could hardly eat any more.
The enchiladas were different enough from last time that I can claim it wasn't a repeat meal. There were so many different flavors coming through that each bite had to be concentrated on. Good thing too, because I could only get down about two bites before being absolutely full.
Cake, mmm... People who leave before dessert are suckers.
- Black bean and coconut milk soup
- Queso fundido
- Robin's mom's bean dip
- Citrus chili stewed flank steak enchiladas
- Saffron rice
- Citrus chiffon cake
Thanks go to MS for her Mexican urges (and we all thought she liked Korean).
The soup seemed different from the last time we made it. It was still good, but it didn't have folks melting the same way as last time. I didn't think the secret ingredient substitution we made at the last minute would have had that much of an impact, but maybe.
Thanks also go to my co-worker for his Queso Fundido suggestion. The chorizo sausage we bought at Lund's was damn tasty and made the kitchen crazy fragrant for quite a while before dinner. The only downside was that it filled me up so much that by the time the enchiladas came out, I could hardly eat any more.
The enchiladas were different enough from last time that I can claim it wasn't a repeat meal. There were so many different flavors coming through that each bite had to be concentrated on. Good thing too, because I could only get down about two bites before being absolutely full.
Cake, mmm... People who leave before dessert are suckers.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Pesto Parmesan Pork Pinwheels
Vittles:
So the original recipe was for a tampenade stuffed pork loin, but Robin and I are both averse to olives (the main ingredient in the tampenade), and we accidentally bought tenderloins instead of the loin roast. The much smaller tenderloin was of course much harder to stuff, so we didn't get the cool looking spirals. (Ok, we got a few.) It was also a little dry, and not overly flavorful. There, I said it. The pesto's flavor didn't come through well enough, and the pork never developed the crusty exterior that's so yummy.
However the carrots provoked violence at the table, they were that good. Sweet, herby, soft, yet still firm in the center, these carrots were damn tasty. Seriously, there was a fork fight over the last few (which were unfortunately already on SC's plate).
This was also probably my favorite salad yet. I had never tried the Champaigne vinegarette before, and it was nice, not as mouth-puckering as a red wine vinegarette, but still good and tangy. It set the fruit off perfectly. The cake turned out quite tasty as well. I was expecting more of a jam for the fruit center, but it was good as is. The fruit had cooked down a bit, but was still recognizeable, and the vanilla in the cake wasn't overpowering.
Next week, by request of our world-weary travelers, Mexican.
- Pesto and parmesan stuffed pork tenderloin
- Basmati rice with a soy / peanut sauce
- Rosemary sauteed carrots
- Apple, pecan, and raisin salad with a Champaigne vinegarette
- Vanilla cake with peach and blueberry filling
So the original recipe was for a tampenade stuffed pork loin, but Robin and I are both averse to olives (the main ingredient in the tampenade), and we accidentally bought tenderloins instead of the loin roast. The much smaller tenderloin was of course much harder to stuff, so we didn't get the cool looking spirals. (Ok, we got a few.) It was also a little dry, and not overly flavorful. There, I said it. The pesto's flavor didn't come through well enough, and the pork never developed the crusty exterior that's so yummy.
However the carrots provoked violence at the table, they were that good. Sweet, herby, soft, yet still firm in the center, these carrots were damn tasty. Seriously, there was a fork fight over the last few (which were unfortunately already on SC's plate).
This was also probably my favorite salad yet. I had never tried the Champaigne vinegarette before, and it was nice, not as mouth-puckering as a red wine vinegarette, but still good and tangy. It set the fruit off perfectly. The cake turned out quite tasty as well. I was expecting more of a jam for the fruit center, but it was good as is. The fruit had cooked down a bit, but was still recognizeable, and the vanilla in the cake wasn't overpowering.
Next week, by request of our world-weary travelers, Mexican.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Buca di SFD
Menu:
This week we took a page from the Buca di Beppo cookbook, and it turned out fairly well. While the chicken might have been a little peppery, it tasted fairly close to the stuff you get at the restaurant. Maybe a little less lemony, but then again we forgot to put the lemon wedges out at first. For my taste, the four cheese risotto might have had a little too much cheese. I like the creamy yet seperated texture of the rice, and the cheese gummed it up. The bread should have been heated up a little, and if I'd thought about it, I would have shoved it in the oven with the warming chickens.
I realize I was a bit quiet throughout the night. There was a lot going on. This was the last dinner for TS for a while. SC and MS should be back next week. I'd been sick all week. And I think we're still recovering from having so many folks over for the BBQ. I was glad the TV was turned off when it was, and it was certainly nice to have The Family Guy throw out a new episode, but American Dad was yet again disappointing.
- Chicken saltimbocca on a bed of escarole
- Four cheese risotto
- Italian bread with oil and vinegar
- 1919 root beer float
This week we took a page from the Buca di Beppo cookbook, and it turned out fairly well. While the chicken might have been a little peppery, it tasted fairly close to the stuff you get at the restaurant. Maybe a little less lemony, but then again we forgot to put the lemon wedges out at first. For my taste, the four cheese risotto might have had a little too much cheese. I like the creamy yet seperated texture of the rice, and the cheese gummed it up. The bread should have been heated up a little, and if I'd thought about it, I would have shoved it in the oven with the warming chickens.
I realize I was a bit quiet throughout the night. There was a lot going on. This was the last dinner for TS for a while. SC and MS should be back next week. I'd been sick all week. And I think we're still recovering from having so many folks over for the BBQ. I was glad the TV was turned off when it was, and it was certainly nice to have The Family Guy throw out a new episode, but American Dad was yet again disappointing.
