Sunday Family Dinner

The All New Relax-A-Sandwich

2005-12-05T10:34:00.000-08:00

Food:

Braised brisket sandwiches
Caramelized onions
German potato salad
Chips
Blondie bars

Attendance: 17

Last week we were a little more formal, so this week we went a little less formal. With only thirteen when it was time to eat, we were pretty easily able to just sit around the living room (two left early and two came late). It was nice and relaxed, very low on chaos. Of course I liked that I had a lot more time this week to sit and talk with everyone.

The brisket sandwiches came out perfect, the onions added a nice sweetness, and the potato salad threw in a nice tartness. (Some may find it amazing that I intentionally added onions to my sandwich.) The bars were a touch over-cooked, but they did have enough "chewy" left in 'em.

This was the first time we bought brisket from our newer butcher, and I was amazed at how well trimmed it was. One of the things I've never really liked about brisket was the cap of fat. A lot of it does cook away, but there's always plenty left too. Not this time. I don't remember getting a single bite of fat. The downside was that the younger guy that helped us either didn't know what I meant by a "full brisket" or they didn't have 'em. We ended up getting two flat cuts, and we still ran a little short. No one ever believes that we need as much meat as we ask for.

I usually don't comment on the social interaction for the evening, but two things must be noted. First is the hour+ long conversation on breakfast foods. The Twins said something about not liking most breakfast foods, and everyone started just naming different things to see if they liked it. And with a little nudging to keep the conversation on track [:)], it went on for. ev. er. The second thing, and I don't even remember what sparked it, was the "Pretarded Chorus". I've never seen that many people wheezing for air and making the most ridiculous sounds before. It gives me the giggles just thinking about it.

A Metric-Freakin'-Ton of Mole

2005-11-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

Food:

Turkey mole over white rice with all the "fixin's"
Chips and SP's home-made salsa
That sweet corn cake stuff
Chocolate fire cake and ice cream

The Count: 11

There are all manner of uses for left-over Thanksgiving turkey, but my personal favorite has to be turkey mole. A few years ago, I started making it with whatever is left over from the Thursday Feast, and this year was no different. Of course the lower key nature of the meal is quite appealing after all the work just a few days prior. It also isn't a meal that needs a ton of sides, so we just went with that nummy corn cake mix we discovered a couple of months ago.

Last year we had no turkey left-overs, so this year we might have over-compensated a little. And then we were worried that after all the Trivial Pursuit snacking and the next days' sandwiches, we wouldn't have enough to feed everyone, so we bought and rotisseried an additional breast. A number of things transpired and coincided resulting in only having eleven for dinner. We all fit at the big table, with no card table extension, for the first time in so long that I can't even remember. The quieter atmosphere was certainly welcome, but the pile of food in the fridge is pretty much unmanageable. I like mole, but not enough to eat it for every meal this week, lunch and dinner, which is pretty much how much we have left.

Balancing an open ended, on-going, weekly dinner party is an interesting challenge. If it were just a "hang out" night, it wouldn't really matter how many people show up or don't. Yet we're trying to have enough to go around without having too much that we throw away food. If it were the occaisional dinner party, I'm pretty sure we'd have a better handle on who's going to be there more than an hour before we set the table. Everyone says they love the community and experience that this thing has fostered, yet more and more I'm feeling like something's broken. Though, I'm not sure what yet.

How much can we fit in the oven???

2005-11-20T21:59:00.000-08:00

Food:

Pear/Pecan/Craisin salad with champagne vinegarette dressing
Wild rice stuffed chicken breasts baked in shallot and white wine sauce
Scalloped potatoes
Roasted broccoli
Hot cross buns
Left-over "Way to Have a Baby!" cake

Attendance: 22 (+2 late comers)

Everything turned out just fantastic this week. Thanks go to Huge M (and others) for helping to formulate a menu late Saturday afternoon. The idea for the chicken kept changing as we went. It started with just a wild rice stuffed breast, then we added the sauce (which helped to keep 'em juicy), and finally, why not thow a little parmesan on top before baking. Voila.

The potatoes were a little more straight from the cook book, but we threw in a little variance using the toasted onion. I love that stuff! It makes everything taste like french onion soup. Well, not exactly like french onion soup. Maybe like it was stored next to french onion soup. Anyway, good stuff.

I hear the broccoli was good. I wouldn't know.

The salad is just too good to not keep making. Several people said they knew good food was coming next, but they couldn't get enough of the salad. Nice.

Some things are hard to do twice

2005-11-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

Food:

Green salad with craisins
Three meat cannelloni
Fried zucchini
Rustic Italian bread
Gooey butter cake (double chocolate and peanut butter chocolate)

People: 17 (Sorry folks, I'm not listing who was here anymore)

Last year when we made the cannelloni, it was one of the best things I'd ever tasted. This batch was "good", but nowhere near what I remembered. The flavor was there, but not as rich. The mixture was also a little soupy. Clearly, there's something that didn't translate as well when quadrupling the batch. Of course it could have been that it was going to take a lot longer to simmer the juices off, and we didn't have time. BY was a trooper cranking out the fresh pasta, but it was a little thicker than last time. It should have been taken down one more notch on the pasta maker. Still, good stuff.

The fried zucchini was not what I was imagining. I had a crisp image, and it came out mushy. Blech. But the desserts made up for it. ...mmm... gooey butter...

A New Record!

2005-11-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

TWENTY-THREE people, all sitting down. (It's true that we've had more people, but never all sitting down together.)

The Food:

Mixed green salad with pears, toasted pecans, feta, and champagne vinegarette
Beef Burgundy
Egg noodles
Mashed squash with butter and brown sugar
Peas and pearl onions
Lime cake, and double vanilla cake
French peasant bread and a boule

The People: BY, SP, AS, SC, MS(+1), CP, JZ+J, DS, RS2, CS, LN, AC, SM, DP, AK, SZ, BK, S?, AA, EM, and RS1 late again...

It was early in the meal, and after so much food it can be easy to forget, but I want to make sure I mention how much I enjoyed the toasted pecans in the salad. They combined with the champagne vinegarette and julienned pears perfectly. Must remember to do that again.

I was afraid that we weren't going to have enough to go around, but I forget how filling egg noodles are. We tried a different brand when I realized that the "No Yolk" noodles I've been eating since I was a little kid DIDN'T HAVE EGG YOLKS IN THEM! Don't look at me that way, I'd just never really thought about it. Of course SC almost smacked me in the store when I made that little announcement. Anyway, egg noodles are very filling. Lesson learned.

The Beef Burgundy was tasty. I just always try to forget that it's basically French stew, or as some may call it, "Freedom Stew". Feh. The squash was interesting, and yummy. And SC was almost psychotic in the portions he was forcing on people, but it got the job done.

The extra vanilla bean in the cake really accentuated the flavor, and made SP and BY's kitchen smell fantastic as it baked. It was a bit shallow in the pan, and when we make it again, I'd like to remember to double the recipe for that particular pan.

For the first time, we had no left-overs. That usually makes me worried that we didn't have enough food, but everyone swears they were stuffed. I think we might have just had the exact right amount of food. Maybe we've been cooking for twenty-three people this whole time!!!

What the hell do I know about Latino cooking...

2005-10-30T21:59:00.000-08:00

Food:

Nachos, two ways (meat and cheesey; vegetarian)
Chicken enchiladas
Corn cake
Red beans and rice
Peanut butter, sesame brownies with vanilla ice cream

People: BY, SP, AC, RS2, SL, BK, CS, JZ+J, DS, TK, AG, K?+D, SC, MS(+1), AK, S?, CP, and RS1 arrived late

The interesting thing for me was that everyone loved something different. The enchiladas had a special ingredient because SP made her home-made Mexican-style salsa. If you're thinking of that chunky Pace style stuff, get the thought out of your head. This was closer in consistency to what Little Tijuana's serves. But better. It gave a nice zip, and even more so if you dared the extra hot version. The red beans and rice were pretty standard, and we've done them before. Still people seem to go gah-gah. The last minute addition that totally rounded out the meal for me was the sweet corn cake. This wasn't cornbread. It was something wholly different, but very tasty.

For dessert, I wanted to try adding a peanut butter swirl to our home-made brownie recipe. At the last minute, I thought, "Why not try making the swirl out of our spicy peanut sauce." It worked, but the sesame flavor came out far more than I expected. It added a nice complexity to a fairly ordinary (but good) brownie.

Who Knew Ham Could Be That Good???

2005-10-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

Food:

Mixed green salad with champagne vinegarette dressing
Champagne baked ham
Pineapple blanched string beans
Risotto stuffed baked tomatoes
Pineapple tartlets

People: BY, SP, AS, MS(+1), SC, JZ(+J), DS, AK, SZ, RS2, AT, AC, CP, and CS, TL, RS1 come late

All three of the dinner dishes were uniquely flavorful, especially considering the somewhat basic nature of each. The ham was of course strongly "hammy", yet had undertones of the ginger, brown sugar, and honey. The string bean were glazed with the leftover pineapple juice leaving them sweet but not sugary. But the stuffed tomatoes had the most flavor layers. I was surprised that they maintained both a rich developed flavor and a spry, raw tanginess.

Even Robin agreed that the tartlets needed something more. They were a bit dry, and a little small for our usual portions. Ice cream, icing, glaze, or something else woul have been nice. They needed something semi-gooey.

A Pig, a Cow, and a Chicken Walk Into a Bar...

2005-10-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

And we ate them. Yum.

Chow:

Wedding day soup
Baked rigatoni
Peppers and onions
Garlic bread
Zuccotto cake

Peeps: BY, SP, AS, SC, MS, RS2, SZ, AK, TK, AG, CS, BK, and RS1 for dessert

First of all, it's good to be back. And it's good to have people back. Of course we were expecting a ton of people, and after doing all of the shopping and whatnot, we remembered that Trail of Terror will probably keep our numbers skinny until the end of October. So we had plenty of space, and plenty of left-overs.

We switched up the baked pasta recipe this time around, and it was "ok". The noodles were a little bigger, and they didn't really keep their shape after mixing the meat sauce in. Not that that affected the taste. What did affect the taste was using a different set of cheeses. Our old recipe called for feta and gorgonzola, we used fontina and asiago instead. We also subbed flat leaf parsley for the original spinach. The result was a much blander dish.

The soup however was fantastic (although the early bowls were more brothy than good stuff). Not overly salty, but a good unami, savory flavor. I was afraid the escarole would make it slimy, but no, it just added to the yummines. I'm glad the leftovers in my freezer are from the bottom of the pot where all of the good stuff was.

Ok, I technically haven't taste the cake yet, as I'm typing this as it's being cut. But it looks really cool.

30 Ears of Corn. 30!

2005-08-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

Food:

Deviled eggs
Chicken wings
Choose-your-own-dressing green salad
Olive oil and Italian seasoning soaked grilled chicken
Fire roasted corn on the cob
Pasta salad
Strawberry shortcake

The people, my god, the people: TS, BY, SP, SM, AC, TK, AG, SB, CD, BK, JZ, SC, MS(+1), JM, K?, MM, CP, SC2, RS2, DW, AK, DP, SW, RS, TL, EM

At 28 (including Robin and myself), this was easily the largest dinner yet. It makes a certain amount of sense considering that this was the last SFD before Festival begins, and whether folks are going to be out there with us or not, everyone wanted to have one last dinner together before life goes completely kablooey. Lots of people were coming back from Glory, and I'm touched that they came here rather than going home to sleep off the week. (Touched or stupid, maybe folks just didn't want to cook for themselves. I'm sticking with touched. :) And with Robin's siblings here [AK & DW], it made for two weeks in a row with actual family at Family Dinner. Cool.

It was also the conclusion of one year of SFDs. One year of trying something different every week. One year having grown from four to six friends getting together to bake, play video games, watch DVDs, and generally relax to twenty-eight [all good] friends coming together for a weekly family reunion.

Anyway, the food. I must have forgotten everything we learned in the last year on how to get the meal out on time. If I'd stopped to think that three of the main dishes all needed to be cooked on the grille, and each of the three were going to completely fill the grille, we might have done something a little different. As it was, we ate at about 9:00, and I was still finishing the corn. Luckily most people seemed to feel it was worth the wait, either that or they were so freaking hungry that anything would have tasted fantastic.

Most of what we had, I've made at other times. So there were really no surprises or lessons learned to talk about. I did try a different method for prepping the chicken wings. I don't remember where I saw it, but I read a note on putting the wings on skewers to straighten them out. It looks really cool, like a big chicken crab claw. In theory the skewer protruding from the wing makes it easier to deal with on the grille and to eat. Well, maybe with fewer wings that may be true. Last night, all of the damn sticks poking around made it a pain to deal with. And I was actually able to fit fewer wings on the grill at once. I also think they were more difficult to eat since it was much harder to rend the parts of the wing apart to get at the meat. I don't think I'll be doing that again.

So, now that Fest begins, the next seven Sundays Robin and I will be having dinner at China Pagoda in Chaska (please join us). There will actually be more cooking during Fest with Saturday's Gate Lunch, Saturday Night Grilling, and Sunday Morning Who's Your Daddy Pancakes. Yep, talk about crazy, without a real kitchen and miles away from civilization, instead of one meal for 20+, I'll be cooking three straight meals for something like 40+. But that's a different thing entirely. I'm not entirely sure if I'll write about any of those meals, so this may be the last update here until the beginning of October. I just want to end by saying Thank You to everyone that made it to even one dinner. My friends are my life, and you have all made it the richer.

The Mom Meal

2005-07-31T21:59:00.000-07:00

Cuisine:

Grill-roasted, bone-in prime rib
Salt and peppered broiled asparagus
Cheesy hash brown casserole
Mixed green salad
Double chocolate gooey butter cake

People: Mom, SP, BY, TS, RS1, RS2, BK, TK, SM, AC, CP, SC2, SW, CT, GH, MS(+1), SC

I'm always nervous when the centerpiece of the meal is a huge piece of meat that costs as much as nineteen pounds of dry-aged prime rib does. It's one thing if one or two servings don't come out as I intend, but the chance of ruining that much food is a little nerve wracking. Well, by all accounts, I didn't.

While it looked like an enormous amount of meat, especially as it sat on the platters before being cut, we only had a little left over. Of course there were those that left with doggy plates, so that helps. The meat itself was fan-FREAKING-fantastic. I have yet to go wrong with the Raichlen book. If anything it cooked a little bit slow, but that only made the smoky flavor more prevalent. The crusty "nut" pieces held so much flavor, it almost incited violence.

The asparagus was as it usually is, and that's a good thing. The cheesy hash brown casserole may seem like an odd choice considering the quality of the meat, but it worked. We'd had heart attack mashed potatoes two weeks prior, and smashed red potatoes the night before. we knew we wanted to do potato but were looking for something a little different. I also have to admit that watching Food Network as often as we have been lately is starting to influence the Sunday Dinner. Alton Brown had done a whole casserole episode, and that probably planted the seed in my mood. Anyway, the potatoes probably could have baked a little longer, and had a few more spices, but against so many other competing flavors, it wasn't an entirely bad thing to have a blander side.

The double chocolate gooey butter cake is another thing that started with the Food Network. This time it was the southern woman whose name I can't remember. The thing that freaked me out was that she is from Atlanta, and gooey butter cake is supposed to be strictly a St. Louis thing. At first I thought that she must be calling something else "gooey butter cake", but the recipe was absolutely identical. The "double chocolate" part is just a variation on the classic recipe. Making what is actually a fairly small tweak (use chocolate cake mix instead of yellow and add a little cocoa powder to the gooey) opened a whole new world. Now I want to try any number of variations (peanut butter, mint, espresso, etc.).

Oh yeah. My mom was here. Her visit was good. She apparantly enjoyed all the food we made her. And then she bought us stuff. Right on.

Everything Except the Little White Boxes...

2005-07-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

Menu:

Cold sesame peanut noodles
Turkey shumai
Cashew chicken
Black bean chicken
Beef and broccoli
Stir fried veggies
Rice
Cocoa angelfood cake with chocolate sauce and strawberries

People: TS, BY, MS(+1), SC, CP, SC2, DP, AN, JZ(+J), RS1, RS2 (+AG for dessert)

It would have been far too easy to just pick one dish and make enough of it. No, we wanted more of the Chinese family style dinner where everyone shares several dishes so we went ahead and made three entrees (four if you count the stir fried veggies). Even I'm starting to believe those of you who think I'm crazy. Anyway, with only three dinners left before the beginning of Festival, this week was Chinese.

Everything was pretty good. We were trying to imitate restaurant fare, and I think we did a pretty good job. So if you've ever been to a Chinese restaurant and ordered one of the things we had, you pretty much already know what it was like. All except the first batch of Turkey Shumai that SC drowned. (We thought The Korean could, you know, cook Asian food.)

Much thanks to RS1 for the Cocoa Angelfood Cake. I don't think I'd ever seen that done. But then again, I don't get out much. Some know that I'm not a huge fan of chocolate, but I think what I don't like is mounds and mounds of rich chocolate layered upon itself. The light angelfood was, for me, the perfect vehicle for a nice chocolatey flavor without all the heavy.

Too... Hot... To... Think...

2005-07-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

Food:

Mixed green salad with Champagne vinegarette
Ginger soy rubbed sirloin tip roast
Heart attack mashed potatoes
Robin's fightin' carrots
White chocolate whisper cake with raspberry filling

People: BY, SP, RS1, RS2, SC, MS(+1), JZ, BK, JM, K?, TK, AG, EM, J?, AM

For me, the over-riding memory of the evening/day is really the heat. Holy Hell was it hot!

Our original thought for this week had actually been bone-in prime rib, but when we priced it out, it was as expensive as I had feared**. I realize that sirloin tip roast (or "pot roast") isn't exactly in the same league, but it got the job done. Soaking it in the pan juices after slicing it seemed to help the dryness of pot roast, but there was still a little toughness. It wasn't so tough you couldn't chew, but compared with the very large cuts of meat we've slow cooked over the last few weeks, it was a change. Honestly I had a lot of worries that the meat was going to be edible at all. Pot roast isn't usually something that one does on the grill, however using the aluminum pan and foil, there was really no difference from an oven. Of course that also meant not as much smoky flavor.

Robin's carrots didn't inspire the same level of violence for two reasons. First making six pounds meant there were enough that no one had to get stabby with their fork. Second, (and Robin and I have discussed this) she tried to rush the cooking and they didn't caramelize as much as last time. They were good and tasty, just not infused with divinity.

The dessert came from a new cookbook, The Cake Bible (recommended by a Fest friend that works at The Kitchen Window who may be joining dinner soon). Robin and BY were really the ones focusing on the recipe, but they seemed enamored by the fact that it specified three different ways to measure each ingredient. I was enamored by the white chocolate goodness and fresh raspberries.

** Footnote: We'd still like to do a bone-in prime rib (or two), and a few people expressed interest in contributing dollars to offset the expense and make it possible. We're thinking about the last Sunday before Festival starts [August 7th]. Robin's brother and sister (and possibly her father) will be in town, so this will be a larger meal. (I have a feeling that when my mom hears of the plan, she may start walking here as well.) We've never asked for contributions because we've never wanted to exclude anyone who was low on funds, and that still stands. I got the feeling that enough people were interested in pitching in that it'll be no problem to cover those that can't. The bottom line is that we're going to need a more accurate count of who will be here. Over the next couple of weeks, please let us know if you'll attend. Remember that it'll be the Sunday of Glory weekend, although I'm hearing that most people will be heading back that morning anyway.

Breaking News: My mom may be here for the dinner on July 31st. If so, Prime Rib would probably be moved to that weekend.

From Texas to the Carolinas...

2005-07-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Grub:

North Carolina pulled pork
Sauteed vidalia onions and jalapenos
Black eyed peas
Apple stuffing
Pear, nut, cherry salad with balsamic basil dressing
Bacon wrapped, pineapple cream cheese stuffed, smoked jalapenos
Sweet potato pie
Grilled, cinnamon sugar dusted bananas and vanilla ice cream

People: TS, BY, BK, AC, SM, SB, TN, SC, MS(+1), TK, AG, MM, DP, RS1, JZ, (RS & SW left before the food was served)

At first glance, it seems this week's main course was a little too similar to last week's. (We do try to cook something new every week.) However the flavors were completely different. The smoky tang of the Texas brisket gave way to the apple vinegary goodness of the pulled pork. (To anyone from North Carolina that may be reading, no, we didn't top it with coleslaw. I hate coleslaw.) While the brisket cooked much faster than expected, the bulkiness of the pork shoulder slowed the cooking down quite a bit (unfortunately for RS and SW). By the time we were pulling it apart, the "smoke ring" described in the cook book was clearly visible. The crisp exterior set against the still moist interior perfectly. I was worried the apple vinegar was going to be over-powering, but it ended up being subtle enough to just highlight the apple stuffing.

The apple stuffing was fantastic. I don't know what else to say. The black eyed peas seemed to be a little over-cooked and lost most of any texture they may have started with. Per AG's description, I gave the stuffed jalapenos a try. The bacon did indeed cook through enough to crisp up, and while I never intended to eat one of the gut-wreckers, the bite I had was tasty. We could have probably made twice as many and still had none left over.

Ok, sorry if this seems short, but I need to work. Feel free to write your own review...

I've Never Been Fond of Texas, But Their Cooking, That's Another Story...

2005-07-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

Vittles:

Texas-style smoked brisket
Grilled corn on the cob
BBQ baked beans
Roasted red pepper soup
Cream cheese marbled brownies with vanilla ice cream

Varmints: BY, SC, MS, RS1, MS2, JZ(+1), AC, SM, MM (late appearances by RS2, BK, SD, MSh, and DP)

We'd done a brisket before, but that had been oven roasted with onion gravy. Tasty? Yes. But not exactly the ultimate in briskets. This time I wanted to slow cook the thing on the grille with plenty of smoke. Everett's came through for us with an 8+ pound brisket (which included the point end), so with a fistful of hickory chips and grille mop in hand, I started early. The recipe said it would take about six hours to cook, but this was a bigger cut of meat than called for. I tried to keep the fire in the right zone, splitting the coals, adding a few every hour, and periodically raising and lowering the grates. I knew that if it cooked too fast, we'd end up with tough meat. Unfortunately, four hours into it, I was worried at how dark the exterior was already. I took a temperature, and it was done. Damn. It's at least two hours before enough people are here to eat. What's plan B?

Slicing the meat and throwing it in the slow cooker with the pan juices and the rest of the mop sauce, I hoped for the best. And it was! While it was a little tough coming off of the fire, simmering for the next two hours helped it to start falling apart. There were still chewy parts, but there were also parts that just fell apart on the fork. The spice mixture was just right, a little bit of heat, but not enough to break a sweat. Between that and the tanginess of the juice, I was happy.

The beans were beans. I sometimes get frustrated at spending so much time cooking something like that, only to find that Bush's would have been just as acceptable. (Some people really enjoyed them, and I did too. It's just I don't know if people would have known the difference had I just opened a can.)

Before dinner, we were embroiled in the Great Husk Grilling Debate. (Is it better to grille the corn in the husk or out?) I've grilled corn in the husks any number of times, and it's always come out all right. But fighting with the silks at the table is always a hassle, and it's never been as good as the first time I had grilled corn in college. (I ran around like an idiot extolling it's greatness.) I decided to try it out of the husks. Now in all fairness, when it's grilled in the husks, you can't brush the garlic butter on it, so it's not exactly comparing apples to apples (or corn to corn as the case may be). But given the ability to do more interesting things with it, and the fact that the fire cooked kernels were freakin' tasty, I don't think I'll be fire steaming in the husks anymore.

As we were trying to finish the soup, Robin kept insisting it needed something. She and BY kept debating what was missing, and tried adding a couple of things. I agreed that it wasn't nearly as complex as I'd have liked, but I was also getting a little worn out and just wanted to eat. As it hit the table, I remembered that we were going to garnish with a dolop of sour cream. That's what was missing. I tried it with and without, and that little splooge of sour cream made all the difference in the world. Who figured I'd eat a soup made almost entirely out of peppers and onions, but there I was.

Cream cheese makes brownies better. So does ice cream. Enough said.

There Will Be No Tater Tot Hotdish.

2005-06-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

Vittles:

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

Folks: BY, MS(+1), SC, RS1, RS2, JZ(+J), CP, AG, CT, GH, AC, SM, MM, EM

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:

Mexicali Molly

2005-06-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

Menu:

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

Amigos: BY, RS1, SC, MS(+.3), BF, BK, AS, JZ(+J), RV, KC, KB, CP, TK, AG, SW (JM & K stopped by later)

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.

Pesto Parmesan Pork Pinwheels

2005-06-12T21:59:00.000-07:00

Vittles:

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

Varments: BY, SC, MS, BK, TK, DP, JZ(+J), SF, CP (with late entrances by MM, RS1, and TL)

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.

Buca di SFD

2005-06-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

Menu:

Chicken saltimbocca on a bed of escarole
Four cheese risotto
Italian bread with oil and vinegar
1919 root beer float

Mangiatori: BY, TS, RS1, RS2, BK, CS, JZ, TK, AG, CP, BF, AC, SM

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.

Big A$$ BBQ Prep, and Ham

2005-05-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

Food:

Honey Baked Ham sandwiches
Chips and such
Fried chicken potstickers
Gooey butter cookies

Crew*: BY, TS, RS1, RS2, DP, TK(+Sis), JZ(+J), SD, MSh, MM, SK, AG, BK

This was definately an atypical Sunday. With the Big Ass Memorial Day BBQ II coming the next day, most of the day was spent prepping for that. We made a ton of food, and ate almost none of it. A crazy number of people showed up to help, and the whole thing went very smoothly. Robin and I decided that we'd do a more sandwichy, serve yourself type thing, and then settle in for a night of poker since most of us didn't have to work the next day. After eating, we split into two tables, one free and one not. Both were good friendly games and much fun was had.

* Sorry if I've missed anyone. I was already starting to get sick and never got a good count of how many people were there.

Got Stew?

2005-05-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

Chow:

Guiness stew
Fried Vidalia onion straws
Italian bread rounds
Cheese
Chrys' chocolate cheesecake

Crew: TS, BY, RS1, RS2, JZ(+J), CP, SC2, MSh, SD, MM, CV (and a late visit from BK)

It was an odd night. I'm not sure if it's because SC and MS are Down Under, the TV was on all night, there was no new Family Guy, we ate outside, Robin and the rest of the theater folk were late, dessert was served before dishes were even started, or what! I'm not saying it was bad, just somehow different. I think I'm going to need to blame TJ again.

The stew was as expected. People seem to like it, and I like that because it's something that I've developed myself without any recipe to start with. I realize it's stew, so it's not that big of a deal, but still.

I've been waiting for the Vidalia onions to be in season, and they were worth the wait. So yummy...

Thanks again to CV for supplying the wonderful chocolate cheesecake.

TJ's Mama Knocked Us Out

2005-05-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

Chow:

[TJ's] Mama said knock you out lasagna
Sicilian sausages, peppers, and onions
Garlic sauteed zucchini slices
Cheesy garlic bread
Mixed green [arugala, spinach, and romaine], walnut, and craisin salad with raspberry dressing
Tirimisu

Crew: TS, BY, TK, DP, RS1, JZ(+J), SC, MS, AC, SM, BK, MM, SW, CP, and AG's debut appearance

Many apologies to CP, she was indeed there as well and I stupidly left her off the original list. Here's hoping that she will be a regular now that classes have ended!

As had been discussed at prior dinners, TJ (aka "TK") took this week to make his family's lasagna and a few other sides. The first thing to know, before we get into anything else, is that fully five heads of garlic were consumed in the preparation of this meal!

The prep began with a trip to the grocers. TJ and DP had never been to Buon Giorno's and since we were going Italian, I insisted that's where we begin the shopping. (Ok, "insist" isn't really the right word. I said we needed to go there, they said sure.) While there, we realized that it was probably smart to grab a snack before finishing shopping. Bad things happen when I shop hungry. Food was great, of course, and since the place is a scant ten minutes from TJ's place of employment, I think he might be going back for lunch again sometime.

After a somewhat quick run through Lunds, we had our supplies and hit the kitchen. For my part, I had a very relaxing afternoon of mostly watching DVDs while TJ did all of the work. We always struggle with getting food on the table in a timely manner, and this week was a pretty late dinner.

Remember the five bulbs of garlic? Good god there was garlic to be had. I'm not sure if the lasagna itself was all that garlicy, or if there was just so much everywhere else that it was overshadowed. Anyway, everyone loves garlic. Everyone loved TJ's dinner. And I loved taking a break. :)

JZ brought the tirimisu (as promised), and it was one of the more unique tirimisu's I've ever had. Damn tasty, and everyone agreed on that as well. Replacing the ladyfingers with a layer of graham cracker crust fixed what is typically my biggest complaint, soggy cookies.

St. Louis Summer BBQ

2005-05-08T21:59:00.000-07:00

The Chow:

Holyland Deli humus [ok, it actually read "homos"] and pita bread
Deviled eggs
BBQ Pork steaks and chops (with Maul's BBQ sauce)
German potato salad
Corn on the cob
Homemade cream biscuits
Dairy Queen

The Folks: TS, BY, RS1, RS2, BK, JZ, SC, MS, CV (with a special guest appearance by TL)

The intent had been to make a pile of pork steaks for dinner, but Everet's only had four left by the time we got there. So we bought those four and made up the rest with chops. I had one of the steaks and I'll say that taking the time to actually BBQ rather than the quick grilling that we usually do is well worth it. (If you don't know the difference between BBQ and grilling, leave now, before anyone get's hurt.)

If you've never heard of pork steak before, I understand. Most people outside of St. Louis haven't. It's one of those things like Gooey Butter Cake or Toasted Ravioli. Everet's is the first and has been the only place I've ever seen pork steaks outside of my birth city. But just to clue you in, pork steak is basically sliced pork rump roast. But it's best when it's been slow cooked all day on a parking lot smoker by the Knights of Columbus or the local Rotary club as a fund-raiser. I hope I did it justice.

I only had one of the pork steaks (at over a pound each, it was plenty) so I don't know how the chops came out, but I loved what I had. Juicier than what you get at those all day smokers (most likely due to the brine), it was a little shy on spice. Don't get me wrong, there was a tang thanks to the spice rub and Maul's, and it was probably spicier than some liked, I just wanted a bit more.

While I've grown up around German potato salad, I'm not sure I've actually ever eaten any of it until tonight. This recipe was damn tasty. The vinegar set the real bacon and Vidallia onions off perfectly. I couldn't eat too much (partially due to the pound of meat), but I did savor every bite.

The corn on the cob was pretty typical, nothing spectacular, and I don't eat deviled eggs, so Meh. Robin's biscuits were flaky, moist, and tender as always.

As an appetizer (along with the eggs), TS suggested the pita bread and humus. I had my doubts as it didn't really match the meal profile I was going for, but it was really tasty. Living only a block away from Mississippi Market, I have a feeling I'll be going back for more.

Since we were lacking in the dessert department, I had initially suggested that someone run to Dairy Queen for a thing of soft serve. By the time it rolled around, we had the great idea to all go and eat it there. And it would have been a great idea too, if it weren't for the random rainstorm that seemed to be centered over the DQ and the wind tunnel blowing the foul weather through the only shelter available. We took our Peam and ran. (Yes, Uncle Mike, I've explained Peam and now everyone here calls it that. Thanks.)

Gilled Beef Tenderloin with My Mom

2005-05-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

The Food:

Pepercorn, tamari, and teriyaki chicken wings
Caesar salad
Grilled beef tenderloin
Sesame, salt, and pepper broiled asparagus
"Heart attack" mashed potatoes (~15 pounds)
Turtle and/or Raspberry cheesecake

The Peeps: Mom, TS, BY, RS1, RS2, BK, DP, TK, AW, SC, MS, JZ+J, RS, SW, CP, MM, TL

When I told everyone they should be here to meet my Mom, WOW did they listen! By far the biggest night yet. I'll add more about the food later, but for now it's time for bed.

Here Fishy Fishy Fishy...

2005-04-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

The Food:

Cedar plank grilled salmon with lemon-garlic & olive oil
Jasmine rice with a honey soy sauce reduction
Grilled white asparagus in butter
Leafy green and tomato salad
Mixed berry and whipped cream adorned sponge cake

The Eaters: BY, TS, DP, TK, JZ, RS1, RS2, MS, SD, SC, MS

We were coming down to the wire on food selection again as we drove around on Saturday afternoon looking for a Honey Baked Ham. Much to TS's chagrin, they were closed for the weekend. I was still thinking pork of some sort when we realized that with MS's supposed absence, we could do fish. Salmon it was. I always love the conversation with the butchers:

We'll take the salmon.
"How much?"
We're not sure yet.
"Well how many people are you feeding?"
We don't know.
"You don't know?"
Not really. It's however many show up.
"Well about how many?"
We don't know. Let's say ten, well, maybe twelve.
"Twelve?!?!"

The six pounds of salmon was a little difficult to grille properly. It took three planks, and since it's cooked over indirect heat, getting the middle plank to cook all the way through took some inventive maneuvering (or throwing the last piece over the direct heat for a few minutes). But it came out exactly as it should, light and flaky without too much chew, yet cooked evenly through. The glaze did well, but next time I think I'll use the Spanish smoked sea salt to punch up the smoky a little.

Many kudos were given and deserved for the honey soy sauce reduction. It was the perfect complement to the jasmine rice, and was more complex and tasty than straight soy.

The white asparagus was an experiment because (once again) the only green asparagus the store had was the big, thick stalks (we prefer pencil thin). I swear the stuff they had was better suited to clubbing someone to death than eating. The white was ok, but I still prefer the green.

The sponge cake was as good as always. Although MS quite enjoyed her bowl of strawberries as well. I think Felix particularly enjoyed his piece the next day. (Stupid dog getting on the table...)

Italian Tacos?

2005-04-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

The odd flavor combination:

Grilled chicken, spinach, and mozzarella tacos
Oaxacan grilled flank steak, onion, and pepper fajitas
Mexican style rice with corn
Ice Cream + sauces galore

The Folks: TS, BY, DP, SC, MS, RS1, RS2, SD, TL, MM

This week may not have been the most gourmet meal we've done, but it was yummy, fast, easy, and doable even considering the mountains of boxes waiting to be unpacked. The joy of grilling and eating in the back yard, while Felix pranced around free of his collar, was pretty cool too.

Obviously Robin and I dearly thank everyone that helped with the move. If we didn't have so many people helping, we would have never gotten the truck unpacked before the rain stopped.

Grilled Chicken and Prosciutto in Farfalle with Asiago Cream Sauce

2005-04-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

The Meal:

Grilled chicken
Asiago cream sauce over farfalle and prosciutto
Homemade ciabatta loaves
Black Forest Cake (an early BDay treat for TK)

Attendees: BY, TS, RS1, RS2, JZ(+J), TK, DP, BK, RS, SW (Late: SC, MS, MM, TL)

It always amuses me when people go nuts over the simplest stuff. Everyone loved the chicken, and other then being blinded by the smoke, it was probably one of the easiest things we make. I love those little "family secret" methods that seem so obvious when you grew up with it, yet no one else thinks of.

The bread, good God, the bread. Of course it's nice when folks rave about home made bread, as opposed to going nuts over bread that came out of a tube!

There were going to be peas. Ooops.

This was indeed the last Family Dinner at the house on Dayton. Beginning next week, come to the new Fairview location (call or email Brian or Robin if you need directions).

Burger, Burger, Burger?

2005-04-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

No, Juicy Lucy!

The meal:

Seasoned and cheese stuffed hamburgers
Too many handcut french fries
Onion straws
Pasta salad
Various sundries for the burgers (bacon, guacamole, more cheese, etc.)
Made from scratch peanut butter/white chocolate chip brownies with toffee chips and ice cream

The crew: BY, TS, RS1, RS2, SC, MS, JZ(+J), BK, SF

My God has grilling season arrived! I tried to stress to TS, that just because I wanted to hearken in the Charcoal Days with a nice stack of burgers didn't mean we were going full out picnic style. There's been an issue of Food & Wine floating around the apartment that was probably causing me to think this, but I wanted high-end burgers with crazy good toppings. And nothing says "mmm-mmm" like a burger stuffed with cheese. If you're not from here, or you've never had the Juicy Lucy, I don't know if I can explain the true magic with just words.

I admit it, ten pounds of french fries was too much. They came out great, there's just no way to cook that many fries without industrial sized friars. And they're not that great left over. I must remember that just because people eat ten pounds of heart attack mashed potatoes doesn't mean they eat ten pounds of other kinds of potatoes. There were too many fired onions as well, and the sad thing was that they didn't turn out nearly as yummy as the ones on St. Patrick's Day. I think there were two problems: 1. Use the stronger white onions. The yellow ones didn't seem to have enough strength to stand up to the friar. 2. Cut them a little thicker. A lot of them seemed to completely fry away.

The pasta salad was a nice light compliment to the rest of the heavier fried foods. I do wish the fire roasted peppers had been added the night, but too many other packing related activities took precedent.

It's funny how people go nuts over the simpler desserts. There is always a certain amount of "ooohing" and "ahhhing" over Robin's more elaborate desserts, but the brownies and ice cream had people (ok, mostly MS) perched at the counter waiting for them to be cut.

All in all, a great night. Being warm enough to use the deck made the apartment feel just a little less crowded. (So much so that I think we miss-counted how many plates we needed like three times.) I'm so looking forward to having more room in the new place, and a whole little yard rather then just the creaky deck.

Easter Lamb

2005-03-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

Foodstuffs:

Purple leg of lamb
Heart attack mashed potatoes
Green Beans with lemon grapeseed oil
Wild rice and raisin stuffed grape leaves
Spinach Salad with manderin oranges and craisins
Deviled Eggs
Pineapple upside down cake

Attendees: Brian, Robin, BY, TS, RS2, SC, MS, DP, AM, BK, TL, CP, Special Guests BL, FL, SP

So the lamb didn't turn purple like I planned, but it was still good. Brian was having trouble choosing his peices of lamb because he was going for the "nut pieces." It seems that the "nut peice" on lamb is different then beef. TS suggested that we do the salad the way we did, however we didn't listen to him when it came to picking the greens. This was the first time that I did grape leaves per RS1. I made WAY too much stuffing for them. Then I went and made WAY too many grape leaves. The cake was the idea of BK, and it was tasty. I blame BY for it not being as gooey as it should have been. This meal took a long time to make, but I enjoyed doing so because the only things that weren't suggested items by the people who come were the lamb and the green beans.

Kung Pao Chicken

2005-03-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

The Meal:

Kung pao chicken
Beef and veg lo mein
Potstickers
White rice
Fried cream cheese wontons
Berry shortcake

The People: TS, BY, RS1, RS2, MS, SC, SW, DP, BK (TL stopped by later)

The Review: Potstickers, potstickers, potstickers! The potstickers were the star of the meal for me. Once again I find that to get what I want, I have to make it myself (or Robin and BY). I have a hard time ordering potstickers out because there's always a chance they're going to use the thick, nasty, gummy wrappers. We used the uber-thin ones and they came out perfect. I would have maybe browned them a little more, but they were crispy enough as it was.

The kung pao came out nice and kung pao-y. The spice burn was a little slow, but if you took two or three bites in a row, there was sizzle to be had. The beef in the lo mein was our special soy soaked flank steak, and that just never gets old.

St. Patrick's Day

2005-03-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

I'm not really wild about going out on St. Patrick's Night. I grew up with a large Irish Catholic Family, and we've always taken our Irish heritage a little more seriously than shiny, green, plastic hats allow. I'd rather cook a huge pot of Guinness Stew, a couple loaves of soda bread, and slice up some really nice aged Irish cheddar.

So if you'd rather skip the 21st (and probably last) year of Boiled in Lead, if you'd rather not subject yourselves to the Irish-for-a-day hoardes, if you'd rather have a tasty meal, coctails, and maybe play a little poker, come on by. I don't work on St. Patrick's Day, and TS is coming early, so we'll be there whenever.

UPDATE:

I just noticed, and have had it confirmed, that First Avenue is still having Ritmo Caliente after the Boiled in Lead show. So folks are welcome to stop by before and after the show! Robin and I both have Friday off, so late shouldn't be an issue...

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

2005-03-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

The Meal:

Chicken and sausage jambalaya
Lemon lime shrimp and pesto squares
Corn bread
Miniature peanut butter cheesecakes

The Eaters: TS, BY, MR, RS1, SC, MS, SD, MiS, BK, TK, DP, AC, SM, CP

I could have made a ton of jambalaya and left it at that, but there needed to be something else. After Robin, TS, and I sat at Barnes & Noble perusing the New Orleans cookbooks, the idea of topping our pesto squares with a shrimp seemed perfect. Of course the idea of eating that bag of shrimp that's been mocking me from the freezer was appealing as well.

The food was fine. Honestly, I've made the jambalaya so many times before that it wasn't really special to me. My head cold also reared its ugly head again, and that may have dampened my enjoyment.

Dessert was tasty, but I'm not going to complain about anything that involves peanut butter. I'm pretty sure we left the "extra" cheesecake on the back porch, so I hope the squirrels enjoy it too!

I'm going to end by saying one thing. Sunday Family Dinner is about relaxing with friends and enjoying each other's company. No one should endanger either of those things. Please listen to one another and don't make each other tense. Obviously it happens from time to time, but its how we react to it that counts. (If anyone thinks this is directed solely at them, they're wrong. There were several distinct things that happened, all with different people involved, that prompted me to say this.)

Peanut Pepper Pork

2005-03-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

The Menu:

Romaine salad with pistachios and feta
Grille-roasted peppered pork tenderloin
Peanut hot sauce
Bourbon and butter mashed sweet potatoes
Sauteed green beans in soy sauce, ginger and garlic (ala China Pagoda)
Boysenberry filled white layer cake with buttercream frosting

Attendees: Brian, Robin, BY, TS, SC, TK, DP, MR, MiS, SD, RS(1), RS, SW, MM, (WE MISS YOU MS!!!!)

Everett's came through again on the meat. When we arrived, having already decided on the pork tenderloins, our eyes searched the meat case frantically as we didn't see any pork tenderloins. The guy who was helping us, while nice enough, wasn't Our Guy. He just sort of told us they were out. We looked at him in disbelief. He said that he unpacked the truck (or maybe the freezer) so he'd know and they're out. We continued to look on in disbelief. After a few minutes of this, the Older Guy (the one who told us how to simmer the corned beef perfectly) asked what we were looking for. After conveying our pork tenderloin needs, he nonchalantly told us he'd have someone cut 'em fresh.

"How much you need?"

"Six pounds."

"Okay-doke."

Five minutes later we had our pile of pork. Fresh.

I had grille-roasted tenderloins before, out at Festival, but that had really been a happy accident. I was a bit nervous about grilling seven tenderloins simultaneously, but thanks to the Big Honkin' Grille, there was plenty of room. My technique was flawless, even if I do say so myself, and everyone seemed to love the meat.

We have temporarily misplaced our peanut sauce recipe, so we had to improvise. The recipe is better. Gotta find that damn card. The pistachios and feta made the salad nice and tangy-crunchy. We reused the mashed sweet potato recipe from Thanksgiving, and those turned out very nicely. Our green beans were a bit more crunchy than China Pagoda's, but that's quite ok.

The cake, the cake, the cake. I could go on at length about the cake. The boysenberries, the butter cream frosting, the sweet sponginess, mmm... But I don't want to make you jealous.

As for the rest of the day, my own memory is being clouded by the beautiful weather. It was so nice to be able to sit on the deck for extended periods of time without freezing to death. Of course the warmer weather also meant we couldn't chill the ciders on the back porch, but that's the price you pay. I'm looking forward to Sunday evening cigar smoking...

Turkey Mole!

2005-02-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

Brains have been stormed, groceries have been purchased.

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

Attendees: BY, TS, BK, MiS, SD, SC, MS, BT, KS (TL joined later)

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".

Braised Beef in Red Wine Sauce

2005-02-20T21:59:00.000-08:00

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:

Braised Beef in Red Wine Sauce
Butter & Rosemary Fried/Steamed Red New Potatoes
Shoepeg Corn
Baking Soda Biscuits
Angelfood Cake with Berries

Attendees: TS, BY, MR, SC, MS, BK, RS (MM and TL came late)

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.

Three Meat Cannelloni Baked in Pink Sauce

2005-02-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

The meal:

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

Attendees: BY, TS, BK, RS1, DM, MR, TJK, TL (my memory is already fuzzy, please forgive me if I'm wrong)

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.

The Superbowl

2005-02-06T21:54:00.000-08:00

The Meal:

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...

I have seriously lost track of everything we made for the Superbowl. It was party style snackin' as everyone watched The Game. However The Game and The Commercials both sort of sucked. Having lived in Boston I was rooting for the Patriots (as the food may have suggested), but for the last three Superbowl appearances, they seem to win by default. Their opponents always seem to go belly up or never show up. Go Boston, and all that, but come on! I wanted to see a battle, an any-given-Sunday-you-can-win-or-lose, an epic story with loss, pain, triumph, and all that. Oh well.

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...

Roasted Stuffed and Wrapped Chicken Breasts

2005-01-30T21:59:00.000-08:00

The Meal:

Salad
Roasted chicken breasts, stuffed with spinach pesto, wrapped in prosciutto, and covered in asiago
Asiago lemon rissotto
Stir fried asparagus in asian sauce and sesame seeds
French bread
Peanut butter cheesecake

Attendees: TS, BY, MR, BK, SC, MS, RS1, RS2, SD, MiS, MM, CP, S?, SG (TL came after dinner)