Still more rain, this time with the closest and loudest lightning I’ve ever heard (it blew all our surge suppressors and killed the phone) wanted another comfort-centric response, so I schlepped to the store after I thought it broke and got thoroughly soaked on the way home, to the point where a stranger gave me a ride, seeing that my feeble paper bags were about to dump dinner all over the sidewalk. The joys of…
cookblog Posts
This time the broth was all duck; the whole glorious smoked carcass along with an onion, carrots, and parsley simmered for a couple of hours. Then, once strained, more carrot and zucchini plus soy sauce went in to simmer while whole wheat spaghetti boiled since we were out of soba. Finished with scallions and cilantro, and had with a 2002 Jadot Beaune Les Bressandes, it proved another antidote to what seems like eternal rain.
All the other night’s ingredients (except the fish, which was gone) went back in the pan after a bit of onion had browned up a bit and then had some scallion and cilantro added to make a beautiful curried fried rice. This time a Trimbach riesling, also 2003 went with it. A nice way to enjoy a variation with subtle differences.
Roasting weather is upon us, so a pork shoulder got crammed with many garlic cloves and then goodly slathered with thyme, more garlic, oregano, rosemary, pepper and salt mashed to a paste in the suribachi. Into the oven, and then some blue potatoes steamed, skinned, and mashed with yogurt and parmesan went on the back of the stove to keep warm while I steamed some broccoli in the same pot. A quick pan sauce of…
A multi-course meal tonight: first, a pot of brown rice. Second, collards cooked with mustard, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds plus lemon and onion. Third, carrots, sweet potatoes, onion, and a whole head of cauliflower with coconut milk, tomato paste, and two kinds of curry powder. Fourth, tilapia filets with a vindaloo paste/yogurt marinade, seared in the cast iron pan and finished under the broiler. Really, really good, and enhanced by a 2004 Trimbach…
This one was really simple, but really satisfying. First, a dashi broth, supplemented with the sauce from the night before, and miso at the end with the heat off. Julienned carrots blanched, then udon cooked in the same water. All in a bowl with sliced duck breast on top and gomasio over all. The smoky dashi and smoky duck were a pretty powerful harmony, and done very well by a 2003 Chèze Saint-Joseph.
Back from the city, where work alas precluded any fancy eating, and planning on guests who alas then couldn’t make it, I defrosted a beautiful duck (fleisher’s) and fired up the smoker. The apple wood from Vermont has been sitting outside, and it’s not really dry. This makes it really smoky, but not enough to sustain a fire by itself, so I put it on top of the hardwood (beech, ash, and maple) we use…
The chicken carcass from last night became a broth, while Fleisher’s beef shanks seared then braised in wine and some of said broth, and more demi-glace. Instead of simple saffron flavor, I stirred in more of the pesto, again from last night, and some local sheep feta at the end. The meat liquid reduced to a yummy thick pan sauce, and I steamed up some broccoli in the meat pan towards the end. Yellow tomato,…
We had planned to go over to Chris and Sirkka’s place, and I had wanted to smoke a chicken, but it was pouring rain all afternoon, so I roasted it. I was late putting it in the oven, so we finished it in theirs while everything else cooked. I augmented the remaining kale pesto with the watercress purée from trout night, plus more garlic and pine nuts. This went on gnocchi (store-bought, but still good)…
Beautiful, pasture-raised veal, (fleisher’s,) pounded flat and rolled around a pesto of kale, pine nuts, garlic, onion, and oil, got a good sear and then simmered in a bit of leftover rosé until cooked through. Placed on brown rice, then the liquid (wine and pesto that leaked out the sides, plus a big spoon of demi-glace) reduced and poured around it all plus chopped herbs on top. We had this with a 1999 Autard Châteauneuf…