What is/was for dinner?

[kazmac]

Made the raw zucchini "pasta" and tomato sauce using a new, smaller handcrank spiralizer.

It was good, but we decided that we'll use this smaller spiralizer for the raw lasagna and the existing labor intensive one for the "noodles".

We followed that up with sauteed bok choy & onions and Gorton's fish.

Now I want to spiralize some pears.

 

[0388631]

I love the steamed mantu (or manti) dishes you can find served in central Asia; indeed, from the Caucasus - the Georgian khinkhali, all the way across the Asian continent, you will find some version of this dish.

In Kyrgyzstan, they do a lovely version of mantu in a clear broth.

Yeah, recently tried the fried version of those. Prefer it to the boiled in water variety. That said, Chinese mantou is typically a sweet dessert. It's either steamed, partial boiled or fried and served with sweetened condensed milk. I'm not quite sure if it's common in the northern Isles, but it's like condensed milk which has a very unique flavor and it's longer preserved using sugar cooked into it. My general understanding of this dessert is that because Asians usually cannot process due to their bodies not producing enough lactase to break down lactose, a cooked milk product like this is acceptable. As is certain cheeses. How they got it is up for debate, but I'm pretty sure it's a Soviet holdover because they consumed a great deal of it during the USSR. To China and beyond makes sense.

I'm not saying it's healthy, but it's a decent source of fat and sugar (quick energy) if you have little else to eat in the middle of nowhere. Personally, the only time I'll use a can of it is to cook it within the can or rice cooker until it turns to dulce de leche and use that as an ingredient in certain desserts that call for it. If you cook it down yourself compared to the store bought dulce de leche, which Nestle sells in non-organic and organic varieties, it has a slightly gelatinous texture and better flavor profile compared to the already cooked stuff that's lighter and uniform in color, slightly sweeter, too.

To quote a Russian diplomat I once knew, it's more or less all the same with minor differences in terms of country or region specific dumplings. They're one of those foods that are slightly changed and called a national favorite. The Russians, for example, consume pelmeni which has a dough that's slightly different than the Georgian variant you brought up, and has a less finer ground. Spices used are really up to the cook. But unlike the Georgians, the Russians don't leave a bit on their plate to show how much they've consumed. As you'd know, the "tails" of the Georgian dumplings are traditionally not eaten, but instead arranged on the rim portion of a plate.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Yeah, recently tried the fried version of those. Prefer it to the boiled in water variety. That said, Chinese mantou is typically a sweet dessert. It's either steamed, partial boiled or fried and served with sweetened condensed milk. I'm not quite sure if it's common in the northern Isles, but it's like condensed milk which has a very unique flavor and it's longer preserved using sugar cooked into it. My general understanding of this dessert is that because Asians usually cannot process due to their bodies not producing enough lactase to break down lactose, a cooked milk product like this is acceptable. As is certain cheeses. How they got it is up for debate, but I'm pretty sure it's a Soviet holdover because they consumed a great deal of it during the USSR. To China and beyond makes sense.

I'm not saying it's healthy, but it's a decent source of fat and sugar (quick energy) if you have little else to eat in the middle of nowhere. Personally, the only time I'll use a can of it is to cook it within the can or rice cooker until it turns to dulce de leche and use that as an ingredient in certain desserts that call for it. If you cook it down yourself compared to the store bought dulce de leche, which Nestle sells in non-organic and organic varieties, it has a slightly gelatinous texture and better flavor profile compared to the already cooked stuff that's lighter and uniform in color, slightly sweeter, too.

To quote a Russian diplomat I once knew, it's more or less all the same with minor differences in terms of country or region specific dumplings. They're one of those foods that are slightly changed and called a national favorite. The Russians, for example, consume pelmeni which has a dough that's slightly different than the Georgian variant you brought up, and has a less finer ground. Spices used are really up to the cook. But unlike the Georgians, the Russians don't leave a bit on their plate to show how much they've consumed. As you'd know, the "tails" of the Georgian dumplings are traditionally not eaten, but instead arranged on the rim portion of a plate.

Yes, the "knots" on top of the (Georgian) khinkhali are handy to hold while you are eating them, and then, they will also serve as a useful method of counting exactly how many you have just consumed - as with slices of lemon in drinks, you simply count the number of khinkhali "knots".

In central Asia - you will find various forms of these dumpling dishes; precisely because the Soviet Union was a multi-national political entity (or "empire") dishes from central Asia made their way to become part of the standard Russian culinary repertoire - it was not unusual to find such cuisine arriving in parts of the USSR thanks to mixed marriages, (I had a stunning plov - i.e. pilaff/pilau - in Tallinn years ago, in the home of a former member of the central committee - one step down from politburo - of Estonia, prepared by his Kazakh wife, who had been one of the very first women from Kazakstan ever to attend Moscow State University, where they had met), or migrant workers (even now, central Asians work in Russia in vast numbers, sending home remittances), or Russian and European Soviet population having been stationed in central Asia during their army service and acquiring a taste for local cuisines and bringing that back to the European parts of the USSR with them.

More recently, in southern Russia, I have eaten in some excellent roadside cafés, serving superb plov (pilau, or pilaff) or Asian style dumplings.

Personally, while I really like both, I love the steamed ones, especially if served in a tasty broth or clear soup.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Debating what shall be prepared for dinner:

Monkfish shall feature, (as I purchased monkfish cheeks yesterday), but other this shall take the form of a Croatian/Hungarian fish soup (with tomatoes, paprika, garlic and onion), or monkfish with prawns and coconut milk in a mild curry, is still open to debate.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Dinner will be monkfish and prawn curry with coconut milk.

First, chopped onions are sautéed in a a mix of olive oil and butter, to which a few anchovies have been already melted, to give a nice flavour.

Next, a minced head of garlic shall be added, once the onions have softened, and, after that, minced ginger (about a thumb size piece of ginger minced), and half a red chili pepper, finely diced.

Spices to be added will include tumeric, curry powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. After they have been sautéed for a few minutes, I shall add the diced cherry tomatoes, and let them sauté for a while.

A tin of coconut milk, a cup of stock, and the juice of a squeezed lemon are next to be added. Once that has been bubbling away, I shall add the monkfish cheeks - they will take barely five minutes, and, in the last minute or so, the prawns.

Basmati rice to accompany.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Dinner will be monkfish and prawn curry with coconut milk.

First, chopped onions are sautéed in a a mix of olive oil and butter, to which a few anchovies have been already melted, to give a nice flavour.

Next, a minced head of garlic shall be added, once the onions have softened, and, after that, minced ginger (about a thumb size minced), and half a red chili pepper, finely diced.

Spices to be added will include tumeric, curry powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. After they have been sautéed for a few minutes, I shall add the diced cherry tomatoes, and let them sauté for a while.

A tin of coconut milk, a cup of stock, and the juice of a squeezed lemon are next to be added. Once that has been bubbling away, I shall add the monkfish cheeks - they will take barely five minutes, and, in the blast minute or so, the prawns.

Basmati rice to accompany.

This repast was quite delicious, but did take longer to prepare than I had anticipated.

 

[zkap]

This post of mine seems out of place here, but whatever. There are all these fancy recipes in this thread, and all I can share is that I made carbonara while watching Gennaro Contaldo’s youtube video.

At some point in the video there was cheese being used, and at this point i realized I didn’t have cheese, which comes in handy for carbonara, so I sent my wife to the store.

The carbonara turned out really well, two nights in a row.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

This post of mine seems out of place here, but whatever. There are all these fancy recipes in this thread, and all I can share is that I made carbonara while watching Gennaro Contaldo’s youtube video.

At some point in the video there was cheese being used, and at this point i realized I didn’t have cheese, which comes in handy for carbonara, so I sent my wife to the store.

The carbonara turned out really well, two nights in a row.

Glad the carbonara turned out well, and I hope you enjoyed it.

Did you use cream and/or egg yolks?

What cheese did you use? I tend to use Parmiagiano Reggiano (parmesan) and/or Pecorino.

 

[decafjava]

Small dinner party on Saturday with really simple pasta bolognese and Greek salad. Some excellent wine (I will look at the labels again and post tonight). A few close friends and a nice evening.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Speaking of Coffee jelly, in Taiwan there was a great Boba tea shop I used to go to that sold coffee jelly in their coffee/tea Boba mik. Basically a mixture of tea and coffee with milk, Boba and coffee jelly. There is a Vietnamese Boba tea place in Irvine that sells something similar but not as good.

Tea, coffee with milk I know, and "coffee jelly" I think I understand (though probably don't, I may need to have what it is explained to me), but what on Earth is Boba?

 

[stylinexpat]

Tea, coffee with milk I know, and "coffee jelly" I think I understand (though probably don't, I may need to have what it is explained to me), but what on Earth is Boba?

Boba is pretty much what they call Tapioca I believe in the US. The are like gummy bears but softer which are often placed in drinks in Asia these days. They come a bit on the hard side but get cooked until soft.

Found this crowded place tonight in Shenzhen which looked like it had great chicken so in I went and boy was it good. If you are in Shenzhen try SPY Sauce Chicken from Hong Kong nearby Coco Park area. If you like or love chi Ken this place has really good chicken here and highly recommended. Roughly 128 Yuan for the plate. They got a timer that they flip over from time you place order. Dish is due on table within 18 minutes. They give you a special chili sauce which is quite spicy. I don't really spicy things but it has a very good and unique taste to it for those that like something spicy. Pictures below

 

[LizKat]

This post of mine seems out of place here, but whatever. There are all these fancy recipes in this thread, and all I can share is that I made carbonara while watching Gennaro Contaldo’s youtube video.

At some point in the video there was cheese being used, and at this point i realized I didn’t have cheese, which comes in handy for carbonara, so I sent my wife to the store.

The carbonara turned out really well, two nights in a row.

Halfway to lunch and already hungry, so that sounds delicious.

LOL on sending a wife to store for the cheese though... My old cats have passed on now and they were getting lazy at patrol duties anyway, so I would have to ask a mouse to run into town for cheese. He'd first have to make his way back out of the kitchen past the anti-hospitality indicators he somehow would have had to avoid on his way in.

It's still relatively warm here for this time of year and so far the mice seem to have shrugged off the few pretty chilly nights. But I've taken the advent of their moving-in season very very seriously so they're in for their choice of assorted surprises whenever they show up. So far I haven't acquired a new four-footed deputy to give me a hand with mouse patrol.​

​

A neighbor made me laugh this morning, talking about putting some small-sized Havahart® traps outside his kitchen-facing deck, with little signs on them "20% discount for eating lunch out here".​

For dinner tonight: some sautéed sliced zucchini with yellow peppers, onions, tomatoes, a few dominoes of tofu, a bit of salt and Mediterranean herbs, a slosh of white vinegar mixed with a generous dash of Tabasco, lots of black pepper and romano cheese atop it at serving time, along with some garlic-rubbed bread run under the broiler .

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Tonight I'm making red beans and rice. I've made it before, but this is a new recipe that uses ham hock for flavor and I'm curious to see how that affects the dish. Other ingredients include kidney beans, celery, bell pepper, onion, cayenne pepper, sage, thyme, and andouille sausage. ?

 

[LizKat]

Tonight I'm making red beans and rice. I've made it before, but this is a new recipe that uses ham hock for flavor and I'm curious to see how that affects the dish. Other ingredients include kidney beans, celery, bell pepper, onion, cayenne pepper, sage, thyme, and andouille sausage. ?

Oh that sounds so good. I love ham hock in pea soup... i cook it up separately for awhile and have all to do not to take some of the meat off to a plate and just eat it when making ready to put the rest in the soup... sometimes I should probably be supervised in the kitchen now in the same way was when I was a child.

I like trying out new recipes for red beans and rice too. that one sounds pretty good w/ the sage added in.

 

[anika200]

Dinner will be monkfish and prawn curry with coconut milk.

I was hoping you were going to roll with the curry, sounds amazing. Never had monkfish cheeks before but I bet they are rich and delicious.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I was hoping you were going to roll with the curry, sounds amazing. Never had monkfish cheeks before but I bet they are rich and delicious.

Actually, it was amazing, but it is a meal for an easy-going day when you have plenty of time for the prep, and can be relaxed about the cooking.

Any part of the monkfish would have done well with this dish; the fishmonger's stall just happened to have monkfish cheeks, (in sufficient quantity - not too little, and not too much) available when I was shopping in the market this past Saturday.

 

[zkap]

Glad the carbonara turned out well, and I hope you enjoyed it.

Did you use cream and/or egg yolks?

What cheese did you use? I tend to use Parmiagiano Reggiano (parmesan) and/or Pecorino.

I actually enjoyed it very much. The meal turned out very well.

I used egg yolks and parmesan. The idea was to see how well the dish would turn out by using packeted parmesan bought in a store as opposed to quality cheese I’d grate into the dish. Now I know about the parmesan and next time I‘ll be using goat cheese that I like. I can already tell it will elevate the dish.
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Halfway to lunch and already hungry, so that sounds delicious.

LOL on sending a wife to store for the cheese though... My old cats have passed on now and they were getting lazy at patrol duties anyway, so I would have to ask a mouse to run into town for cheese. He'd first have to make his way back out of the kitchen past the anti-hospitality indicators he somehow would have had to avoid on his way in.

It's still relatively warm here for this time of year and so far the mice seem to have shrugged off the few pretty chilly nights. But I've taken the advent of their moving-in season very very seriously so they're in for their choice of assorted surprises whenever they show up. So far I haven't acquired a new four-footed deputy to give me a hand with mouse patrol.​

​

A neighbor made me laugh this morning, talking about putting some small-sized Havahart® traps outside his kitchen-facing deck, with little signs on them "20% discount for eating lunch out here".​

For dinner tonight: some sautéed sliced zucchini with yellow peppers, onions, tomatoes, a few dominoes of tofu, a bit of salt and Mediterranean herbs, a slosh of white vinegar mixed with a generous dash of Tabasco, lots of black pepper and romano cheese atop it at serving time, along with some garlic-rubbed bread run under the broiler .

Well, my grandfather used to have a lot of cats so I didn’t know about mice at first. Then I noticed one when I moved to a different house with my folks and no cats were around. It was funny because it was like out of a cartoon, the mouse was hiding from me and even though I couldn’t see it, I could sense there was someone watching me. As soon as I looked in its direction, it snuck away into the tupperware or whatever, but not before I could catch a glimpse of something pulling away. I didn’t like to hear that my mom found the mouse caught in the glue, but I guess that’s better than a cat getting to it.

In other news, made another spaghetti recipe by Contaldo today (the one that is titled Two Greedy Italians), turned out well, but I much prefer carbonara. This involves onions, tomatoes, olive oil, pancetta and grated cheese. Again the cheese doesn’t win any awards, but it’s good enough. I just like the carbonara more, it has that subtlety and invites the wine more. Also I poured red wine into the dish instead of white which was in the recipe, but it is what it is, I made the buying decision based on what I want to drink, not eat.

 

[kazmac]

Not sure what we're eating tonight, but yesterday included scrambled eggs, spiralized pear with raisins snd walnuts, dinosaur kale with onions and baked red potatoes.

Mom was very happy with brunch and dinner.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Not sure what we're eating tonight, but yesterday included scrambled eggs, spiralized pear with raisins snd walnuts, dinosaur kale with onions and baked red potatoes.

Mom was very happy with brunch and dinner.

Sounds delicious, and - as I remember very well from my own experience - it is of paramount importance that "Mom was very happy with brunch and dinner".

Mine had a most impressive - and indeed, exceptionally expressive - way of letting you know if she didn't much care for something, - gargoyle scowls - while she would beam uninhibitedly if dinner and brunch and supper appealed to her taste buds and palate.

 

[kazmac]

Sounds delicious, and - as I remember very well from my own experience - it is of paramount importance that "Mom was very happy with brunch and dinner".

Mine had a most impressive - and indeed, exceptionally expressive - way of letting you know if she didn't much care for something, - gargoyle scowls - while she would beam uninhibitedly if dinner and brunch and supper appealed to her taste buds and palate.

Yes, it makes me feel so good that she can enjoy the food I make for her.

Mom definitely let's me know verbally when she doesn't like something.

Tonight it was baked potatoes and pears again (not together).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Yes, it makes me feel so good that she can enjoy the food I make for her.

Yes, I can well imagine, as that is a lovely warm glowing feeling.

Equally lovely is the beam that accompanies treats (ice-cream, cakes, tarts)

Mom definitely let's me know verbally when she doesn't like something.

.....

Oh, that, I well remember, - Mother was quite capable of expressing herself verbally - but, in our case, it was also often accompanied by an expressive scowl, or puckered - and tightly closed, compressed - mouth.

The carer had tricks for feeding her, but there was an enormous (and quite hilarious) difference between how wide her mouth was when she liked something and when she had decided she didn't want to eat any more of what was on offer.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Mulling over preparing leeks, tomatoes, and garlic, - have not yet decided whether braised, or sautéed, or both - and roasted potatoes for dinner.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

And, as of now, dinner is simmering away.

Thinly sliced potatoes are being roasted in the oven - I've just turned them - at a very high heat, while, at stove top level, I have lightly sautéed a few (roughly chopped - actually, sliced in half) leeks, seven fat cloves of garlic (most of a head of garlic), cut in two, and two fistfuls of chopped cherry tomatoes, already seasoned with freshly ground black pepper and freshly ground sea salt.

Then, I added a generous dash of balsamic vinegar, an even more generous dash of soya sauce, a teaspoon of organic brown sugar, freshly ground black pepper, and a cup of vegetable stock, and they are bubbling away nicely, as the stock cooks down & evaporates.

Vegetarian, tasty, utterly organic, and prepared from scratch, from ingredients I had already to hand here at home.

 

[kazmac]

Not sure if Pizza and salad, or Asian take out tonight.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Not sure if Pizza and salad, or Asian take out tonight.

For me, Asian take out is usually an occasional Thursday or Friday (or any day during the week if the weather is especially filthy - i.e. if the sky is a threatening, lowering charcoal, and the rain is bucketing down) treat, but a very welcome one.

Actually, I treated myself to one last Friday - hot and sour spicy Malay prawn soup, (yum), and prawn wontons, and Thai spring rolls.