coraa | Entries tagged with food

Whew, this summer has been busy. Travel, then deadlines, then more travel, then family stuff, then more travel. (And pretty much all obligatory travel--family, work, etc.--not fun travel.) Fortunately for me, things will be calming down in the next couple of weeks.

(On that note: if you sent me an e-mail in the last month or so and I have not replied, I have not forgotten you! I will get back to you very soon. And: I'm sorry.)

Anyway, dinner poll time. I have the meat of half a roast chicken (mixed white and dark, and it got pretty shredded in the course of getting it off the carcass) that needs eatin' before I turn the bones and bits into soup. (The reason that "chicken soup" is not on this list: I'm going to make that later in the week, once I've achieved stock.)

What should I do with it?

[Poll #1861213]

Current Mood: tired

Poll #11499

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 6

View Respondents

What to do with the chicken?

View Answers

Tacos (with chicken, tomato, something green, lime, onion, salsa, and cheese)
2 (33.3%)

Fajitas (with chicken, grilled onions and peppers, salsa and cheese)
0 (0.0%)

Quesadillas (with chicken, caramelized onions, and cheese)
1 (16.7%)

Enchiladas (with chicken, onion, cheese, and enchilada sauce)
1 (16.7%)

Burritos (with chicken, rice, beans, cheese, grilled onions and peppers, and salsa)
3 (50.0%)

Salad (with chicken, shaved fennel, apple, greens, cheese, mixed greens, and creamy dressing)
0 (0.0%)

Salad (with chicken, tomatoes, bell peppers, goathorn peppers, mixed greens, and vinaigrette)
0 (0.0%)

Salad (with chicken, shredded fennel, shredded carrots, ribbons of Napa cabbage, and sesame dressing)
0 (0.0%)

Vaguely Thai-style noodles (with chicken, green onions, bell peppers, rice noodles, peanuts, and peanut sauce)
1 (16.7%)

Sesame noodles (with chicken, green onions, bell peppers, soba noodles, and sesame sauce)
2 (33.3%)

Panini (with chicken, caramelized onions, cheese, and peppers)
0 (0.0%)

Sandwich (with chicken, tomatoes, bell peppers, mixed greens, and creamy dressing)
0 (0.0%)

Sandwich (with chicken, barbecue sauce, tomatoes, bell peppers, and mixed greens)
0 (0.0%)

Wrap (with chicken, tomatoes, bell peppers, mixed greens, and creamy dressing)
0 (0.0%)

Wrap (with chicken, barbecue sauce, tomatoes, bell peppers, and mixed greens)
1 (16.7%)

Pot pie (with chicken, potatoes, carrots, peas, and pastry crust)
1 (16.7%)

Shepherd's (Chicken-herd's?) pie (with chicken, carrots, peas, and mashed potatoes)
0 (0.0%)

Pasta (with chicken, peas, carrots, and alfredo sauce)
2 (33.3%)

Pasta (with chicken, tomatoes, bell peppers, goathorn peppers, parsley, and grated cheese)
0 (0.0%)

Five-cheese mac-n-cheese (with chicken and whatever cheeses need to be used up in the fridge)
1 (16.7%)

And a side?

View Answers

Green salad
1 (16.7%)

Fruit salad
1 (16.7%)

Fennel and apple salad
1 (16.7%)

Coleslaw
1 (16.7%)

Asian-ish style coleslaw
2 (33.3%)

Greens sauteed with garlic
3 (50.0%)

Roasted beets
1 (16.7%)

No, no, no! Do this instead!

View Answers

Current Mood: tired

Dinner tonight was kalbi (which Wikipedia tells me is also also called galbi), or Korean short ribs, with sauteed bell peppers and rice. I'm not going to give you a recipe for the short ribs, because I wasn't that happy with how they came out (tough; I cooked the wrong). And I'm not going to give you a recipe for the sauteed peppers, because I just chucked a bag of frozen peppers and onions into a sautee pan. And the rice came from a rice cooker, so, tasty, but not through any fault of my own.

But I really like how the sauce came out, so I'll share that. While it's intended for use with short ribs, I think it would be delicious on any kind of meat, or tofu, or just as a sauce for vegetables or stir fry. It's just plain tasty, as a sauce--spicy, tart, salty, sweet, and savory (not to mention garlicky!), in an excellent balance.

Ob!Disclaimer: While this sauce was inspired by the sauce/marinade that comes with/on kalbi, I make no pretense toward it being authentic in any fashion.

( Sauce/Marinade for Kalbi )

Crossposts: http://coraa.livejournal.com/463622.html

Once again, it's Help Cora Make Dinner time!

This time, I have some chicken thighs I'd like to use. Also a vegetable side would be good. (I'll pick a starch appropriate to the combination, hence no starch poll.)

A note before we begin: I know that "curry seasonings" isn't a thing, nor is "Moroccan seasonings." I used those as shorthands, so I wouldn't have to type in a whole list of spices (and probably hit the character limit).

If you have a Better Idea, feel free to leave it in the comments.

Another note: if I roast the chicken, it will have minimalist seasonings (ie, it will taste mostly like chicken) and have a crispy skin. If I bake, it will have heavier/wetter seasonings, and won't be as crisp, although there may still be some crispiness. If I braise, we're talking mondo seasonings and totally moist/not-crispy chicken. (Biryani is its own thing, of course.)

[Poll #1731422]

(Dessert will be baked apples with cream, if we're hungry enough for dessert.)

Poll #6664

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 2

View Respondents

What should I do with the chicken thighs?

View Answers

Roast with lemon and garlic
1 (50.0%)

Roast with lime and chipotle
1 (50.0%)

Bake with orange-maple glazeorange
0 (0.0%)

Bake with orange-sesame glaze
0 (0.0%)

Bake with teriyaki glaze
0 (0.0%)

Bake with miso glaze
0 (0.0%)

Bake with tomatoes and chipotle
0 (0.0%)

Bake with sauteed peppers and onions
0 (0.0%)

Bake with pickled plum and shiso
0 (0.0%)

Bake with lime chutney
0 (0.0%)

Braise with curry seasonings, onions and tomatoes
0 (0.0%)

Braise with red wine, garlic and onion
0 (0.0%)

Braise with orange juice, sake and shiso
0 (0.0%)

Braise with orange juice, dried fruit/nuts, and Moroccan seasonings
0 (0.0%)

Chicken biryani
0 (0.0%)

Vegetable side?

View Answers

Roasted beets and carrots
1 (50.0%)

Glazed carrots
0 (0.0%)

Green salad with vinaigrette
0 (0.0%)

Green salad with creamy dressing
0 (0.0%)

Pickled beets
0 (0.0%)

Minted peas
1 (50.0%)

Roasted asparagus
1 (50.0%)

Braised beet greens
0 (0.0%)

Radishes with butter and salt
0 (0.0%)

(Dessert will be baked apples with cream, if we're hungry enough for dessert.)

I make no claims to authenticity for this recipe. I just like it.

It's both vegetarian and meat friendly, and, AFAIK, is also gluten-free friendly, as long as you use a gluten-free soy sauce. I think it's also kosher-friendly (but not vegan).

( Fried Rice, Totally Non-Authentic Style )

Crossposts: http://coraa.livejournal.com/456454.html

Yes, another one! I'm indecisive.

This time I have a pork tenderloin. The method will be the same regardless (sous vide with seasonings, sear on all sides, make pan sauce with more seasonings), and the question is just: what seasonings?

[Poll #1718700]

Poll #6308

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 5

View Respondents

Pork tenderloin with....

View Answers

five-spice powder, hoisin, and honey
3 (60.0%)

mirin and ginger
1 (20.0%)

shiso and pickled plums (umeshiso)
0 (0.0%)

apples and balsamic vinegar
2 (40.0%)

maple and stone-ground mustard
3 (60.0%)

apricot and orange
2 (40.0%)

maple, orange and chipotle
1 (20.0%)

bacon
0 (0.0%)

maple, smoked paprika and ginger
1 (20.0%)

sour cherries and port reduction
2 (40.0%)

currants and red wine vinegar reduction
1 (20.0%)

apples, sage and cream
2 (40.0%)

apples and smoked paprika
1 (20.0%)

apples, rosemary and maple
4 (80.0%)

ginger, sake and shichimi
0 (0.0%)

Actually, you should use....

View Answers

This Alton Brown recipe is really good: Roasted Edamame Salad

Vegetarian, vegan, and, as far as I can tell, friendly to both kosher and gluten-free diets.

I modified it slightly (used a whole chopped leek instead of diced scallions, roasted an extra 10 minutes to account for the extra moisture in the leek, and used parsley instead of basil and white wine vinegar instead of red wine), but not enough that I think it made much difference. Very tasty.

(The one suggestion I would make is: don't do what I did. I used edamame in the pod—they were what I had on hand—and shelled them, which took for-freaking-ever. I'd recommend buying pre-shelled frozen edamame.)

Crossposts: http://coraa.livejournal.com/455087.html

The cooking took a stupidly long time*, but I have finally worked out a vegetarian vegetable broth recipe I like—and with it, a vegetarian French onion soup recipe with good flavor. Yay!

* - Admittedly, most of the stupidly long time was making the vegetable broth, which could be made in large batches and then frozen in the future.

Crossposts: http://coraa.livejournal.com/454551.html

I'm having a writing evening, but before I head out, I'm going to chuck a salmon fillet in the sous vide machine with some seasonings. Help me decide which seasonings!

It will be served with rice, with a green vegetable on the side.

[Poll #1716277]

Poll #6247

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 6

View Respondents

Salmon with....

View Answers

Reduction of red wine, rosemary and garlic
1 (16.7%)

Balsamic vinegar and thyme
1 (16.7%)

Lemon and leek
4 (66.7%)

Lemon and stone-ground mustard
1 (16.7%)

Ginger, sake and soy sauce
2 (33.3%)

Reduction of red onion, white wine vinegar and butter
1 (16.7%)

Ume (pickled plum) and shiso
0 (0.0%)

Miso and brown sugar
1 (16.7%)

Reduction of white wine, chives and butter
1 (16.7%)

Orange juice, lemon zest and balsamic vinegar
2 (33.3%)

Orange juice, garlic and ginger
2 (33.3%)

Court bouillon
1 (16.7%)

Thinly-sliced lemon and red onion
1 (16.7%)

Bacon and diced tomato
0 (0.0%)

Reduction of white wine vinegar, garlic, and mint
1 (16.7%)

Since a couple of people have asked....

The butternut-squash-and-miso filling for the onigiri wasn't made with any particular recipe, but here was the method (which is quite easy):

First, I baked a butternut squash. First I skewered it with a knife (to provide a steam vent) and microwaved it for 7-10 minutes, until softened enough to be easy to cut. I let it cool a bit, then halved it lengthwise and scooped out the seeds. Then I preheated the oven to 400F, seasoned the cut sides of the squash with salt and pepper, put it on a baking sheet, lightly oiled the cut sides, and baked for half an hour, until just starting to brown.

Then, as it happened, I used the first half for pasta sauce. But the second half I wrapped well and put in the fridge, and the next day I made the butternut-miso onigiri filling.

The filling was made thusly:

Scoop out about a cup of butternut squash. Mash with the back of a spoon. Add miso. The amount will depend on the pungency of your miso—I used a fairly mild brown rice miso, and about 1/4 cup of it. Milder miso will require more, stronger/saltier miso (like red or black miso) will require less.

Mash some more. Splash in some mirin (say about another 1/4 cup). Mash some more. Stir. Taste. Adjust mirin and miso. When it tastes good (savory-salty-sweet), it is done.

If you're putting it in onigiri, pull portions out with a slotted spoon and let any accumulated moisture drip out before you us it as a filling.

(The smoked salmon and umeboshi require no recipe. The salmon was just flaked with my fingers. The umeboshi I pitted and otherwise used intact.)

Crossposts: http://coraa.livejournal.com/451805.html

I made four kinds of onigiri: smoked salmon, butternut squash with miso, turnip greens with ginger and garlic, umeboshi (pickled plum).

The smoked salmon, butternut squash, and umeboshi ones were really, really good. (The greens were merely decent. I'm not sure whether I just didn't cook/season them that well or if I just don't like greens as well as salmon, squash and umeboshi.)

I do need to practice shaping them more. They were pretty funny-looking. :D

Crossposts: http://coraa.livejournal.com/451410.html

Been a while since I did one of these.

For dinner, I'm making onigiri. (They will probably be hilarious, lopsided onigiri, because my shaping skillz are nonexistent, but hey. That's what practice is for, right?)

So I need to decide on fillings.

I am going to do a maximum of four different fillings for the sake of my sanity. That being the case, which of the following should I do?

[Poll #1669784]

Poll #5671

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 3

View Respondents

Onigiri fillings!

View Answers

Smoked salmon
3 (100.0%)

Bonito flakes, moistened with soy sauce
0 (0.0%)

Bonito flakes, mositened with soy sauce and mixed with sesame seeds
1 (33.3%)

Bonito flakes, moistened with soy sauce and mixed with wakame
0 (0.0%)

Wakame and sesame seeds, moistened with soy sauce
0 (0.0%)

Kale cooked in soy sauce and ginger
1 (33.3%)

Pickled plum
0 (0.0%)

Pickled plum and basil
0 (0.0%)

Green peas
0 (0.0%)

Butternut squash and miso
3 (100.0%)

Butternut squash and shichimi togarashi
0 (0.0%)

Konbu simmered in soy sauce and mirin
0 (0.0%)

Mixed pickled vegetables
0 (0.0%)

Kimchi
2 (66.7%)

Turnip greens, sauteed with garlic and ginger
2 (66.7%)

( cut so as not to bore you )

Crossposts: http://coraa.livejournal.com/448919.html

I have a pumpkin, a butternut squash, and two celebration squash (similar in flavor to acorn squash, a little bit smoother- and harder-fleshed). I ought to do something with them.

I have already made squash soup and pumpkin chili, and have them in the freezer for later, so would prefer not to repeat. (Although if you have a squash-based soup that's different than the usual "mildly spiced, mildly creamy pureed soup" type, that would be welcome.)

What do you like to do with winter squash?

Crossposts: http://coraa.livejournal.com/443044.html

On Tuesday, I made roast duck with apple glaze for

jmpava and

bellwethr. The method was cobbled together from several recipes I found in Cook's Illustrated or online (and thank you for all of you who provided links!).

It came out quite nicely: crispy rendered skin, nice moist meat. The breast does wind up well-done rather than medium rare, but that was an acceptable trade off for the excellent skin.

It's not a particularly complicated recipe, but it does require a deep roasting pan that is stove-safe, and a bit of time.

At the end of this, you will have a roast duck's worth of duck meat, plus rendered duck fat, plus a quart or so of duck stock.

( Roast Duck with Apple Glaze )

I remembered that I was going to get pictures about ten minutes after we finished devouring the bird, so no pictures. But it was quite good!

Crossposts: http://coraa.livejournal.com/438910.html

First one I've done in a while!

I'm going to my book club this evening, and bringing a pasta salad. I know it will contain pasta (because duh), tomatoes (because I have a ton of them), and a light lemony dressing.

What else should I put in it?

(Don't worry too much about guessing what the other book club members might like. Answer with what you like!)

[Poll #1634168]

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the owl and the olive tree

books, food, writing, and more

Entries tagged with food

Cora Dinner Theater, August Edition

Cora Dinner Theater, August Edition

Recipe: Sauce for kalbi-esque short ribs

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Recipe: Fried Rice, Totally Non-Authentic Style

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let it be known...

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Yet Another Food Poll

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food poll time!

food poll time!

meal planning

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Recipe: Roast Duck

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April 2013

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