What's For Dinner v. 6

[wolverine]

I made Terras lovely mu zu pork last night. The SO just loves it.

 

Tonight, a Thai red curry.

Sounds fun.  Where is this mysterious mu zu pork recipe?

 

We had venison tenderloin fried in butter.  Probably the best and simplest way to prepare venison tender loin IMO.  We also had venison heart dredged in flour and fried.  I wasn't going to be home to cook supper for a few nights so I made both.  This was my first time preparing heart (usually I just throw it in with the trimmings).  The flavor was excellent, but my wife was not happy with the texture, I thought it was a little different, but fine.  She is big on texture though (won't eat mushrooms!!!! sinful, I know).  Kind of surprising how much good meat you get from one heart.

 

Today I think we will have smoked pork chops since I am making jerky and will have the smoker going anyway.

[Inigima]

Took my first stab at fresh pretzels this morning. Here's the best one, covered in butter and coarse sea salt (only coarse salt I had at hand):

I would have liked a little more browning and a more pretzel like shape -- we didn't do the wrap-around because we didn't feel the dough allowed for it. It didn't make all that much dough -- this was the King Arthur recipe out of the Baker's Companion, and the pretzels were rather small when divided into 8 pieces as described. we ended up making 4 that size -- that's one of them -- and two larger ones by recombining two of the remaining ones per. I don't see how I could possibly have rolled this amount of dough into 28" ropes. If I could have it would certainly have been easier to get the proper shape.

For all that, though, they were very tasty. I'm pleased with the texture and flavor.

[BigFatCoward]

i love it when it gets cold in the autumn (its been high teens in the UK until this week), i like slow cooker type recipes and roasts on a sunday, which i really can't do in the summer.  and i really miss crackling in the summer, even though i know it is horrendous for me, i just don't care. 

[MercenaryChef]

i love it when it gets cold in the autumn (its been high teens in the UK until this week), i like slow cooker type recipes and roasts on a sunday, which i really can't do in the summer.  and i really miss crackling in the summer, even though i know it is horrendous for me, i just don't care. 

roasted pork belly with crispy skin is a thing of fucking beauty. right now i have a slab of it sliced served with creamy potatoes, beet chutney and grated horseradish on my menu. it is delicious.

now what to cook for my own dinner? the wife is out and about so i am a bit without inspiration. cooking for only myself is kind of hollow. 

[Xray the Enforcer]

I suggest you take inspiration from Chef Jacques La Merde.

[Xray the Enforcer]

Traditional bachelor dinner Chez X is take-out fried chicken and toaster waffles, paired with a mid-level lager.

[MercenaryChef]

I suggest you take inspiration from Chef Jacques La Merde.

that guy cracks me up. probably will go with just a bag of cheetos. no need to actually make them into cheeto soil or cheeto foam. i am in fact strangely intrigued by using cheetos to finish a risotto though.

we have a glut of tortillas. i am seeing some manner of tacos. there is some braised pork shank in the freezer. i am really trying to come up with a reason to not have to leave the house. but the lack of mid level lager and avocados might force my hand.

chicken and waffles should have never existed btw. but, then i detest waffles...and pancakes and french toast. the carbo-gluten breakfast leaves me lethargic and weak. to truly take on the world one needs eggs, pork products (preferably smoked), a bit of salad and if one must potatoes or toast. oh, and coffee, a lot of fucking coffee.

[Xray the Enforcer]

I showed the one entry that was 100% Velveeta to my Italian colleague and I thought she was going to die on the spot. A look of pure horror on her face that took at least 10 minutes to go away.

So so good:

(edit -- the hell? I totally did not mean to embed the entry -- CMS did it for me automatically. But fuck it. It's glorious.)

[MercenaryChef]

i am not making one dinner but two!

got a locally made chorizo i will cook with eggs and potatoes for tacos. the avocado shortage has been rectified. my guacamole will be fortified with a orange habanero.

and for kair tomorrow night and during the week a sirloin roast, brussels and bacon and duck fat fingerlings with  thyme. 

[Deedles]

 

Sounds fun.  Where is this mysterious mu zu pork recipe?

 

it's on an earlier iteration of this thread. http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/94243-cooking-questions-part-3/&page=9

 

its ts very tasty! As are the chicken thighs further up the page

[MercenaryChef]

 

[Inigima]

Only a few snaps from tonight -- the day of prep was pretty leisurely, but I timed everything that needed to be hot to get done right at dinnertime and my parents showed up early while I was juggling three dishes. I don't give a shit about Thanksgiving, and I don't care about Thanksgiving food, but I hosted my family for dinner with an alternate menu.

Salad - nothing special, but escarole and romaine for the greens and a nice Italian dressing.
Dinner rolls

Pot roast with carrots and onions
Green beans with garlic and butter
Hasselback potatoes

Chocolate mousse
Apple pie (provided by Ms Ini's parents, who came for dessert)
Vanilla ice cream

All made from scratch except the ice cream Here's photos:

Table, early in the day:

Rolls:

Chocolate mousse - garnish is shaved chocolate and mint

[HexMachina]

Looks great Ini  

Tonight we had roasted peppers stuffed with mince, onion, mushrooms, tomatoes and a variety of herbs and spices (don't remember exactly what we used, I recall cumin going in there though, maybe paprika, some garlic, chillies etc) with a breadcrumb topping, served with side salad and homemade bread. Was very nice, and beats our usual hurried student meals of pasta with tomato sauce or similar  

[Inigima]

Three dishes either complete or underway:

• Made oatmeal for breakfast
• Roasted chiles, tomatillos, and garlic, blended, added onion for salsa verde; will be for lunch tacos
• Boston butt has begun its six hour voyage into pulled pork

[thelittledragonthatcould]

Took my first stab at fresh pretzels this morning. Here's the best one, covered in butter and coarse sea salt (only coarse salt I had at hand):

I would have liked a little more browning and a more pretzel like shape -- we didn't do the wrap-around because we didn't feel the dough allowed for it. It didn't make all that much dough -- this was the King Arthur recipe out of the Baker's Companion, and the pretzels were rather small when divided into 8 pieces as described. we ended up making 4 that size -- that's one of them -- and two larger ones by recombining two of the remaining ones per. I don't see how I could possibly have rolled this amount of dough into 28" ropes. If I could have it would certainly have been easier to get the proper shape.

For all that, though, they were very tasty. I'm pleased with the texture and flavor.

[MercenaryChef]

we had a most delightful dinner last night curated by a chef friend of mine at his popup.

his beet salad with black pepper meringues and goat cheese was truly lovely.

foie gras with banana bread and coco cola gastrique i found to be not only delicious but playful. 

chicken fried sweetbreads with ham and field peas owned the night for me. he really hit everything with this dish.

entrees were duck with chanterelles and gingersnap jus which tasted of the fall and rack of lamb with truffle and root vegetables that could not help but be awesome. there was also a side of tiny confit potatoes covered with a drizzle of creme fraiche and more truffles.

dessert was apple ice cream and funnel cake. that is right. funnel cake. awesome.

[Inigima]

I pulled a pork.

Yielded roughly 12 cups post-pulling. I portioned them out into six Tupperwares of 2 cups apiece and froze half of them.

[all swedes are racist]

Looks great!

[MercenaryChef]

Last night was a winning meal. 

We entertained a couple friends for dinner and began with a board of my charcuterie and cheese before moving into fried chicken,  buttermilk biscuits, confit potatoes, and Brussels and bacon.

Dessert was dark chocolate brownies and ice cream we made. 

Simple but really delicious. 

[aceluby]

Made an absolutely delicious vegetarian chili with lentils, red kidney beans, black beans, chili beans, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and corn.  Was probably the best batch I've ever made trying to get enough 'stuff' in it since I usually have lots of meat in my chili.  Couldn't even tell it was vegetarian.

Starting to get used to this cooking vegetarian thing.