What are you eating?

[Sergeant Rock]

I love weekends when Mrs. Rock takes over the cooking    Tonight a scallop risotto made with homemade fish stock and spiced with saffron. For veggies: an Italian salad and her signature carrot dish made with creme fraiche, dill weed and ground coriander seeds. We drank Champagne, a blanc de blancs (chardonnay): Gimonnet-Henry Brut Cuis 1er cru




Sarge

[abidoful]

I have some habaneros and mayonnese- left overs from my birthday party. What could I do with them? Ideas would be appreciated

[jlaurson]

I have some habaneros and mayonnese- left overs from my birthday party. What could I do with them? Ideas would be appreciated

Clearly dunk the habaneros in batter, then (deep) fry them, dip into mayo & eat.

[abidoful]

Clearly dunk the habaneros in batter, then (deep) fry them, dip into mayo & eat.

cheers, that's a nice dish! I'm not sure about these habaneros---they are kind of hot. I mean REALLY HOT (yellow habaneros)!!

[jlaurson]

cheers, that's a nice dish! I'm not sure about these habaneros---they are kind of hot. I mean REALLY HOT (yellow habaneros)!!

bawk.bawk.bawk.bawk.bawk!

[Brian]

Just had a hot salt beef and mustard bagel on Brick Lane in London. I didn't take this picture, but my bagel looked the same.

[abidoful]

bawk.bawk.bawk.bawk.bawk!

[abidoful]

Eating Cloudberry Icecream (probably only availeble in Finland) and listening Bruckner's String Quintet.

[SonicMan46]

Well, Susan's (i.e. Harpo) birthday was January 21 - so in celebration for a number of years, I've taken her to the Fearrington House which is just south of Chapel Hill, NC (USA) - this is a complex that includes a wonderful restaurant (a 5* rating - only a couple at that level in the state); a package includes an overnight stay, dinner, and breakfast the next morning - just returned today and another wonderful overnight! 

The current dinner menu is HERE, which often changes daily depending of what fresh may be available; we had a 3-course package so started with:

1 - Poached Black Truffle and Artichoke Salad with White Port Dressing Yuzu, Turnips, Leek, Micro Greens

2 - Pan Seared Sweetbreads with Poached Lobster & Apple Cider Sauce Cauliflower, Mustard, Lemon, Grape

3 - Seared Venison Striploin with Chestnut & Apple Risotto Juniper, Port, Red Cabbage, Beet

Susan for course 3 had the beef tenderloin - I had a couple of glasses of Pinot Noir - we skipped the dessert - wish that I had a little camera & had taken some pics!  All tasted just delicious & even mysterious trying to guess some of the ingredients & items in each of the dishes, which is a fun part of dining in this special restaurant! 

[DavidRoss]

Well, Susan's (i.e. Harpo) birthday was January 21 - so in celebration for a number of years, I've taken her to the Fearrington House which is just south of Chapel Hill, NC (USA) - this is a complex that includes a wonderful restaurant (a 5* rating - only a couple at that level in the state); a package includes an overnight stay, dinner, and breakfast the next morning - just returned today and another wonderful overnight! 

The current dinner menu is HERE, which often changes daily depending of what fresh may be available; we had a 3-course package so started with:

1 - Poached Black Truffle and Artichoke Salad with White Port Dressing Yuzu, Turnips, Leek, Micro Greens

2 - Pan Seared Sweetbreads with Poached Lobster & Apple Cider Sauce Cauliflower, Mustard, Lemon, Grape

3 - Seared Venison Striploin with Chestnut & Apple Risotto Juniper, Port, Red Cabbage, Beet

Susan for course 3 had the beef tenderloin - I had a couple of glasses of Pinot Noir - we skipped the dessert - wish that I had a little camera & had taken some pics!  All tasted just delicious & even mysterious trying to guess some of the ingredients & items in each of the dishes, which is a fun part of dining in this special restaurant! 

Gosh, Dave, wouldn't it have been easier just to give Domino's a call? 

[Bogey]

Gosh, Dave, wouldn't it have been easier just to give Domino's a call? 

Tougher wine pairing, David.  Not much that goes with garlic flavored cardboard.  Easier to just prepare the above.

[SonicMan46]

Gosh, Dave, wouldn't it have been easier just to give Domino's a call? 

Hi David - LOL!     This place is just 90 miles from us, so great for an overnight - probably 7-8 yrs ago I offered this option to Harpo as a special BD celebration thinking that it would be a one time experience; WELL, now she wants an overnight every year and this place is usually her first choice - YES, it would be MUCH cheaper to order a pizza and even take her out to some local place, but now I'm STUCK! 

However, this is always a fun restaurant to attend and we do it just once (or less) a year - BUT, imagine how many CDs I could buy for what we pay to stay there overnight?  OTOH, it does justify my CD (and wine) purchases - seems all must even out in marriage -    Dave

[mahler10th]

 

[Mirror Image]

Just had a hot salt beef and mustard bagel on Brick Lane in London. I didn't take this picture, but my bagel looked the same.

That looks pretty nasty, Brian. Was it any good?

[Mirror Image]

I've been feeling a bit under the weather these past few days. All I had for dinner tonight was chicken noodle soup (w/ crackers of course). We're experiencing some strange weather here in Georgia. On Sunday and Monday it was warm, but by Tuesday and today the weather has gotten chilly again. My sinuses can't take this abuse! 

[DavidRoss]

Oatmeal with dried cranberries (organic rolled oats, al dente) and Twining's English Breakfast tea (the closest thing to Earl Grey I could find in the cupboard!).

[abidoful]

I'm a great Cream Pie baker nowadays.  Today I made a coconut Cream Pie. I substituted the whole milk of the custard with coconut milk and threw in some vanilla bean seeds. Not bad.

[DavidRoss]

I'm a great Cream Pie baker nowadays.  Today I made a coconut Cream Pie. I substituted the whole milk of the custard with coconut milk and threw in some vanilla bean seeds. Not bad.

Sounds tasty!  And you just gave me a great Valentine's Day idea.  Gotta run!

[jlaurson]

What had you been eating, more like it:

In London, apart from Champagne Breakfasts with Scrambled Duck-Eggs & Chives and small (not self-made) pork pies with my potentially better half from Oslo and Philly-Sacramentonean London friend, I ended up cooking for the latter's dinner party (for 7, including self). Completely without preparation and inspiration (and no pressure, except that my friend thought it would be more interesting if he invited the presenter of the BBC 4 Food Programme and her husband) I was bumbling around aimlessly until I hit London's singularly most pretentious food store, Daylesford Organic. My gawd, they make WholeFoods look like a ghetto-SafeWay. From the wicker baskets to the white shelves for each head of lettuce... the whole place looks like an Apple Store and completely unnatural in their desperate attempt to be incredibly natural. The only plastic allowed in that hyper-organic market is your Double Platinum Super VISA, and you'll need it, too!

On the up-side, their display of root veggies and carrots inspired me on the spot... and although I ended up buying most of my ingredients (except for a parsnip, a few carrots, turnip, and pork sausages) at Waitrose (lovely! -- aside, they had Gentlemen's Relish, a.k.a Patum Peperium) I was thankful for the idea of oven roast vegetables. Sounds so simple... but turns out I had never done that before and only a vague idea how to make it. Fortunately, vague ideas is all I need to get me cooking... that's why I love it so much. Vague ideas in baking get you disaster... vague ideas in cooking can (if you are confident and experienced enough--in that order) get you something quite delightful or at least acceptable.

And thus went the potatoes and red beet and parsnips and turnips and fat carrots and lots of pumpkin into a pan with salt water to be a little pre-cooked... and then there were spices and lots and lots of fresh thyme and fresh pepper and white wine and a touch of honey and olive oil and onions and mustard seeds that made for a mix through which these veggies all went... and off to the oven and eventually coated with some goat yoghurt. The sausages, browned in goat butter and then slow-cooked in beer, went along with my plans, too. The salad enjoyed a warmish dressing of red beets, thyme, sheep-cheese, gorgonzola, oil, raspberry balsamic essence, and white whine again.

Before that the kicker: Hors d'œuvres... but after a recipe of the Two Fat Ladies. I usually don't do recipes, and I improvised here, too (adding crab meat; because that's what my boss andI--when I still worked at a little restaurant--once did at a party we catered), but for pastries (or "Gentlemen's Savory Shortcrust", rather), it's helpful to do so. At least for the dough. Can't just improvise dough. Turns out those little salty anchovy bastards (dough made, cooled and rested, spread out, covered thinly with Gentleman's Rrrrrrrrrrelish, Dijon Mustard, and said crab meat, then each topped with a little parmigiano and dabbed with a egg-yolk/olive oil/pepper mix, went over rather well!

[abidoful]

Sounds tasty!  And you just gave me a great Valentine's Day idea.  Gotta run!

Good!

You never know how these things work out around here