Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
What is/was for dinner?
- Thread starter Gutwrench
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
What is a Mexican pizza?
Or, rather, how does a Mexican pizza differ from an Italian one?
Cheddar cheese along with mozzarella. Diced tomatoes, green pepper, and jalapeños. Spicy taco sauce. Large flour tortillas for crust.
Scrambled eggs (free range, organic) slowly sautéed in butter, served with freshly squeezed citrus juice, as well as coffee (from Burundi), and toasted French bread that had been generously slathered in butter.
Pre-made tiramisu for Thanksgiving. 2 days in the fridge should let the flavor mature.
That looks absolutely mouth-watering; do enjoy when you finally get around to devouring this delight.Pre-made tiramisu for Thanksgiving. 2 days in the fridge should let the flavor mature.
Thanksgiving stuffing, one of my mom’s best meals.
A simple dish of pasta, cream, meatballs, chorizo and peas.
A simple - yet tasty - dish of pasta and beans: This started with a classic soffritto (finely diced carrot, celery and onion, sautéed in olive oil, to which I added four, fine, fat, cloves of finely diced garlic), and then proceeded to add some finely diced guanciale, a little white wine, a tin of Italian borlotti beans, and - finally - a few ladles of that wonderfully starchy pasta cooking broth.
Perfect, rib-sticking, comfort food - a classic winter peasant dish - for having endured a night (last night), followed by a full day - today - (and with a further night to come) of freezing fog.
Perfect, rib-sticking, comfort food - a classic winter peasant dish - for having endured a night (last night), followed by a full day - today - (and with a further night to come) of freezing fog.
Last edited:
Who's up for some grilled chicken fajitas?
Pre-made tiramisu for Thanksgiving. 2 days in the fridge should let the flavor mature.
Nice! I see you use rum. How does it taste?
I use dry Marsala in mine.
Ham
Turkey
Cornbread dressing
Cranberry sauce
Green bean casserole
Corn casserole
Sweet potato casserole
Potato salad
Deviled eggs
Dinner rolls
Pecan Pie and vanilla ice cream
Turkey
Cornbread dressing
Cranberry sauce
Green bean casserole
Corn casserole
Sweet potato casserole
Potato salad
Deviled eggs
Dinner rolls
Pecan Pie and vanilla ice cream
Turkey coming out of the smoker.
I'm not hosting but the bird is still my responsibility. Less dishes so I am here for it.
I'm not hosting but the bird is still my responsibility. Less dishes so I am here for it.
Another filthy day, which seemed to call for comfort food: I realised that I had everything that I needed readily to hand, and that - with cold, dark, dreary, miserable weather outside, an afternoon and evening of gentle cooking would not only, not go amiss, but would be a perfect, positive and exceedingly pleasurable way in which to pass the day (and evening).
Tonight, I dined on my current interpretation of a Belgian (and/or Flemish) classic: Beef Carbonnades, or Carbonnade Flamade.
Like any braised beef dish, - especially this one, as I used shin of beef - this is not a dish that one can cook in a hurry, or when rushed, for it is a dish that calls for lots and lots of time, in the preparation (ignore those mendacious recipes that tell you that the prep takes "20 minutes"; they are lying - softly sautéing the onions alone takes twenty minutes, while browning the beef - in batches - takes even longer), and in the cooking.
However, once en route, this is a forgiving and flexible dish, and, when served, it is a perfect dish for winter, warming, soothing, rib-sticking, rich in flavour and delicious when devoured.
In essence, this is a beef stew - or, if Mark Twain could describe cauliflower as cabbage with a college education (a quote I have always loved) - then, - one can argue that a casserole is simply a stew with academic aspirations.
In any case, this is a beef stew where the beef is braised in stock, along with copious quantities of onions, garlic, some robust - for which read, strong - beer (Belgian for preference and for authenticity, although I will readily sacrifice authenticity for taste and convenience at need), carrots, (which seem to be optional, but which work well with this recipe), brown sugar and/or redcurrant jelly, along with something tart such as sherry vinegar.
Some may also choose to add Dijon mustard, but personally, I don't think it necessary - mustard can be a bit of a bully in such a dish, and my experience is that the mustard may overpower the other (glorious) flavours if used other than very sparingly. Unfortunately, moderation is not my middle name when faced with ingredients that confer robust flavours on a dish.
For the beef, many recipes suggest using what Americans refer to as "chuck steak"; now, this is not a term used This Side of the Pond, - rather, what tends to be recommended is what is described as "stewing beef" (which online sources suggest is similar to"chuck steak").
However, ever since I discovered the culinary delights of shin of beef on the bone, (a number of years ago), I have used nothing else when preparing a beef stew, or casserole. Shin of beef is not something readily obtained - I usually have to place an order for it in advance, - but, as it happened, the last time I visited the farmers' market (and the organic meat stall), knowing my preference for shin beef, the vendor mentioned that they just happened to have some with them, adding, disingenuously, "no pressure". Needless to say, I succumbed immediately and bought it.
This is not an expensive cut, - and, with the collagen, bone and bone marrow it is delicious when cooked slowly - but it does take considerably longer to cook than most other cuts, even most other stewing style cuts.
Today, I started by cutting the shin of beef into large pieces, and browned them - leaving plenty of space between the individual pieces of meat, and not crowding the pan, - in a stainless steel Italian sauté pan, in a mix of some olive oil and a lot of butter. This took several batches, and, as each was ready, it was transported (via slotted spoon) to a large, heavy, French copper saucepan, one to which I have a sturdy lid.
Next, a roughly chopped carrot was sautéed in the sauté pan, and added to the copper casserole; in turn, this was followed by several onions - chopped roughly - which were allowed to sauté, soften and caramelise a little in the sauté pan, whereupon six, fine, fat cloves of garlic - roughly chopped - joined the onions. This lot were emptied (along with the glorious scrapings at the bottom of the sauté pan) into the copper saucepan.
Stock (chicken, rather than beef, as I lack the latter) found its way into the copper casserole, as did several sprigs of thyme, some black pepper, a generous dessert spoon (or two) of Xerez sherry vinegar, two dessertspoons of brown sugar and two of redcurrant jelly, and, finally, the sauté pan was deglazed with some Belgian beer - its contents then emptied into the copper casserole, the remainder of the bottle of beer following, being poured straight into the copper saucepan; for this, I used a bottle of St Bernardus Abt 12.
That lot were set to simmer - at a slow boil - for three and a half hours on the stove top, (it would be closer to five in the oven) the (happily quite heavy and surprisingly sturdy copper) lid replaced on the copper saucepan, and checked - and stirred - roughly every half an hour to 40 minutes, to ensure that sufficient liquid remained, and that nothing was sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. By the time it was ready, (to serve and to eat) the shin beef was so soft that it could easily cut with a spoon, and was moist and tender.
This dish is traditionally served with chips (i.e. French fries, frites), fried potatoes, roasted potatoes, or mashed potatoes, and sometimes with a serving of redcurrant jelly, or applesauce on the side.
Thus, tonight, rather than the classic frites (French fries), I decided to serve mashed potato with this (adding the stock from the potatoes, when I drained them, into the beef casserole, in case the liquid - which is one of the glories of this dish - was running low); thus, the main side dish was mashed potato, - which came with plenty of finely diced parsley, and finely chopped scallions (French onions), not to mention an exceedingly generous hand with, or copious quantities of, butter.
And, also, applesauce, or, to be more precise, what I would describe as autumnal - even though winter is now upon us - seasonal sauce, was served: In the Italian sauté pan, butter (tonight's dinner was, in fact, a veritable ode to butter) - yes, generous quantities - were melted, and (organic) brown sugar - a few dessertspoons - was added, and allowed to blend and meld with the melted butter; then, a quince, (I love the sweet and tart texture and taste of quince, they have a short season, and, unlike both apples and pears must be cooked, for, they cannot be consumed raw, but they are superb when served with apples), two large cooking apples (I love their tartness), and a pear, slippy and dripping with juice - were all peeled and cored and chopped into very large chunks - whereupon they were added to the sauté pan, and allowed to simmer away until soft (and ready), which takes longer than one might think.
An utterly divine repast, - I decided to open a Belgian beer (St Bernardus, naturally) to sip and savour with dinner.
Tonight, I dined on my current interpretation of a Belgian (and/or Flemish) classic: Beef Carbonnades, or Carbonnade Flamade.
Like any braised beef dish, - especially this one, as I used shin of beef - this is not a dish that one can cook in a hurry, or when rushed, for it is a dish that calls for lots and lots of time, in the preparation (ignore those mendacious recipes that tell you that the prep takes "20 minutes"; they are lying - softly sautéing the onions alone takes twenty minutes, while browning the beef - in batches - takes even longer), and in the cooking.
However, once en route, this is a forgiving and flexible dish, and, when served, it is a perfect dish for winter, warming, soothing, rib-sticking, rich in flavour and delicious when devoured.
In essence, this is a beef stew - or, if Mark Twain could describe cauliflower as cabbage with a college education (a quote I have always loved) - then, - one can argue that a casserole is simply a stew with academic aspirations.
In any case, this is a beef stew where the beef is braised in stock, along with copious quantities of onions, garlic, some robust - for which read, strong - beer (Belgian for preference and for authenticity, although I will readily sacrifice authenticity for taste and convenience at need), carrots, (which seem to be optional, but which work well with this recipe), brown sugar and/or redcurrant jelly, along with something tart such as sherry vinegar.
Some may also choose to add Dijon mustard, but personally, I don't think it necessary - mustard can be a bit of a bully in such a dish, and my experience is that the mustard may overpower the other (glorious) flavours if used other than very sparingly. Unfortunately, moderation is not my middle name when faced with ingredients that confer robust flavours on a dish.
For the beef, many recipes suggest using what Americans refer to as "chuck steak"; now, this is not a term used This Side of the Pond, - rather, what tends to be recommended is what is described as "stewing beef" (which online sources suggest is similar to"chuck steak").
However, ever since I discovered the culinary delights of shin of beef on the bone, (a number of years ago), I have used nothing else when preparing a beef stew, or casserole. Shin of beef is not something readily obtained - I usually have to place an order for it in advance, - but, as it happened, the last time I visited the farmers' market (and the organic meat stall), knowing my preference for shin beef, the vendor mentioned that they just happened to have some with them, adding, disingenuously, "no pressure". Needless to say, I succumbed immediately and bought it.
This is not an expensive cut, - and, with the collagen, bone and bone marrow it is delicious when cooked slowly - but it does take considerably longer to cook than most other cuts, even most other stewing style cuts.
Today, I started by cutting the shin of beef into large pieces, and browned them - leaving plenty of space between the individual pieces of meat, and not crowding the pan, - in a stainless steel Italian sauté pan, in a mix of some olive oil and a lot of butter. This took several batches, and, as each was ready, it was transported (via slotted spoon) to a large, heavy, French copper saucepan, one to which I have a sturdy lid.
Next, a roughly chopped carrot was sautéed in the sauté pan, and added to the copper casserole; in turn, this was followed by several onions - chopped roughly - which were allowed to sauté, soften and caramelise a little in the sauté pan, whereupon six, fine, fat cloves of garlic - roughly chopped - joined the onions. This lot were emptied (along with the glorious scrapings at the bottom of the sauté pan) into the copper saucepan.
Stock (chicken, rather than beef, as I lack the latter) found its way into the copper casserole, as did several sprigs of thyme, some black pepper, a generous dessert spoon (or two) of Xerez sherry vinegar, two dessertspoons of brown sugar and two of redcurrant jelly, and, finally, the sauté pan was deglazed with some Belgian beer - its contents then emptied into the copper casserole, the remainder of the bottle of beer following, being poured straight into the copper saucepan; for this, I used a bottle of St Bernardus Abt 12.
That lot were set to simmer - at a slow boil - for three and a half hours on the stove top, (it would be closer to five in the oven) the (happily quite heavy and surprisingly sturdy copper) lid replaced on the copper saucepan, and checked - and stirred - roughly every half an hour to 40 minutes, to ensure that sufficient liquid remained, and that nothing was sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. By the time it was ready, (to serve and to eat) the shin beef was so soft that it could easily cut with a spoon, and was moist and tender.
This dish is traditionally served with chips (i.e. French fries, frites), fried potatoes, roasted potatoes, or mashed potatoes, and sometimes with a serving of redcurrant jelly, or applesauce on the side.
Thus, tonight, rather than the classic frites (French fries), I decided to serve mashed potato with this (adding the stock from the potatoes, when I drained them, into the beef casserole, in case the liquid - which is one of the glories of this dish - was running low); thus, the main side dish was mashed potato, - which came with plenty of finely diced parsley, and finely chopped scallions (French onions), not to mention an exceedingly generous hand with, or copious quantities of, butter.
And, also, applesauce, or, to be more precise, what I would describe as autumnal - even though winter is now upon us - seasonal sauce, was served: In the Italian sauté pan, butter (tonight's dinner was, in fact, a veritable ode to butter) - yes, generous quantities - were melted, and (organic) brown sugar - a few dessertspoons - was added, and allowed to blend and meld with the melted butter; then, a quince, (I love the sweet and tart texture and taste of quince, they have a short season, and, unlike both apples and pears must be cooked, for, they cannot be consumed raw, but they are superb when served with apples), two large cooking apples (I love their tartness), and a pear, slippy and dripping with juice - were all peeled and cored and chopped into very large chunks - whereupon they were added to the sauté pan, and allowed to simmer away until soft (and ready), which takes longer than one might think.
An utterly divine repast, - I decided to open a Belgian beer (St Bernardus, naturally) to sip and savour with dinner.
Last edited:
Perhaps. But I'm in the US, with some Midwest roots. So when I hear "casserole" I immediately think of a dish with no aspirations past convenience and low cost. I remember too many "casseroles" made in a CorningWare dish that had such exotic ingrediants as ground beef (often cheapest grade), canned soup, and canned vegetables. Such a casserole might be jazzed up a bit with a sprinkling of American mass market cheese or canned, dried onion ring bits.
Interestingly, perhaps--then perhaps not--I've seen "stewing beef" that's sold in cut-up chunks, and it's argued that it can be a disaster buy, because it's anyone's guess exactly what is in there and how it will behave when being cooked. Although I suppose this could vary store to store.
While the rest of the US was having big feasts at big gatherings, I was alone, like usual on holidays. 😢
(Why yes, I'm as unlovable in person as I am in Internet posts. LOL)
So, being lazy, I just made some vegetable soup in a CrockPot. It turned out reasonably well, but somehow didn't quite reach the level my mother's slow cooker soup reached. Maybe one day I'll figure out why her soup turned out better.
(Why yes, I'm as unlovable in person as I am in Internet posts. LOL)
So, being lazy, I just made some vegetable soup in a CrockPot. It turned out reasonably well, but somehow didn't quite reach the level my mother's slow cooker soup reached. Maybe one day I'll figure out why her soup turned out better.
Wasn't feeling well on Wed and Thurs, so cooking my TG meal today. Got to use my new Typhur wireless grill thermometer; as expected I couldn't get it to hook up to my Wifi (futzed with it a half hour the first day, then 45 minutes yesterday, no go). It does work as a standalone unit (not via bluetooth, but a "sub-1-G" RF signal, was able to program the probes easily.
After about twenty minutes, the breast was at 112º with 29 minutes to go (predicted) and thigh was at 160º with 11 minutes to go. On a turkey the struggle is to get the dark meat done before the breast overcooks, but this duck is threatening the opposite; odd. Two probes was neat, sit in the recliner watching football with the unit, so I can see the exact moment the duck breast hit 165º (thighs/legs finished quite a bit earlier, opposite of a turkey, but they can go a little bit over).
Stuffing, smash potatoes, gravy, rolls and green beans rounded out the meal. Shrimp and Andouille Sausage gumbo with duck broth on the schedule for Tuesday!
After about twenty minutes, the breast was at 112º with 29 minutes to go (predicted) and thigh was at 160º with 11 minutes to go. On a turkey the struggle is to get the dark meat done before the breast overcooks, but this duck is threatening the opposite; odd. Two probes was neat, sit in the recliner watching football with the unit, so I can see the exact moment the duck breast hit 165º (thighs/legs finished quite a bit earlier, opposite of a turkey, but they can go a little bit over).
Stuffing, smash potatoes, gravy, rolls and green beans rounded out the meal. Shrimp and Andouille Sausage gumbo with duck broth on the schedule for Tuesday!
I don't want to offend anyone, this isn't aimed at anyone specifically, but seeing all the iphone snaps of dinner plates in this thread, I'm reminded that food photography is actually an art. Takes a pro to master it. Also reminds me of the lackings of smart phones compared to proper cameras.
That looks tasty; hope you enjoyed it.
Stuffing, smash potatoes, gravy, rolls and green beans rounded out the meal.
Ah.
Now, with this, you have successfully captured my complete and undivided attention.
If you wished to share it, I would be most interested to read (and perhaps, attempt) this (or, a similar) recipe.
No offense taken, and I actually totally agree with you, but here's the thing: I've been a pretty serious amateur photographer since '91 when I finished my Master's degree (mostly nature/critters, see my sig line), and when I joined a barbeque forum I was expecting to wow everyone with my food photos. Use a tripod, my best macro glass, set focus/DoF/exposure very carefully in Manual mode, and yet my pics were mediocre compared to most others on that forum. I started experimenting with lighting, set up a table in my north-facing bedroom (quit doing that when I stumbled once and lost my lunch to the hallway carpeting), and even paid for a food photography online course.
One day I was grouchy and lazy, and just used my new, first iPhone (just an SE v2, maybe... six? years old). Posted the pic on my BBQ forum and... suddenly it looked like everyone else's! The iPhone does some sharpening/contrast/color/ image magic that I probably should know how to do in Affinity Photo, but do not (I prefer to be out shooting, not editing on a computer, even in retirement).
And yeah, the Art of food photography I'm a bit familiar with, especially after taking that 15-hour online course. The Picture should tell a story, the out-of-focus items in the foreground/background should show prep or accompaniments, the plate's texture/shape/color should compliment the food, as should the color of wine in the glass; I get all that.
But, I'm just an old dude on a computer forum shooting pics of my lunch, not doing cover shots for Food & Wine or Cooks Illustrated.
It also amuses me about how much grief I get on other forums (not here that I remember) that I'm still using my Mom's early-'70s CorelleWare (which I inherited when she bought a newer pattern). I just tell the mockers that I'm all ready to buy newer dishware, as soon as this stuff wears out; damn Bougie kids! 🤣