http://www.saltshaker.net/20060722/eat-your-veggies Casting a little flavor (and a few aspersions) on the world of food, drink, and life Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:16:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.saltshaker.net/20060722/eat-your-veggies/comment-page-1#comment-169007 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Unidentified Frying Objects Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:49:42 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20060722/eat-your-veggies#comment-169007 [...] have radishes on the brain. Originally I was thinking about the cream of radish soup I made in our first vegetarian dinner, a year and a half or so ago, but I didn’t want to repeat the same dish in the same, more or [...] [...] have radishes on the brain. Originally I was thinking about the cream of radish soup I made in our first vegetarian dinner, a year and a half or so ago, but I didn’t want to repeat the same dish in the same, more or [...]

]]> http://www.saltshaker.net/20060722/eat-your-veggies/comment-page-1#comment-123085 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Irving Wed, 14 May 2008 17:05:41 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20060722/eat-your-veggies#comment-123085 [...] favorite dish. Based on one I’d made before where it was far more successful - my “oyster mushroom mcmuffins“, but this time, no oyster mushrooms available in the market. I decided on pine mushrooms, [...] [...] favorite dish. Based on one I’d made before where it was far more successful – my “oyster mushroom mcmuffins“, but this time, no oyster mushrooms available in the market. I decided on pine mushrooms, [...]

]]> http://www.saltshaker.net/20060722/eat-your-veggies/comment-page-1#comment-106113 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » In Merguez Waters Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:26:27 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20060722/eat-your-veggies#comment-106113 [...] where merguez are only made from mutton and harissa… In fact, almost two years ago I made a tofu and sweet potato version, more or less, for one of our vegetarian dinners. Now, however, with the kitchen stocked full of [...] [...] where merguez are only made from mutton and harissa… In fact, almost two years ago I made a tofu and sweet potato version, more or less, for one of our vegetarian dinners. Now, however, with the kitchen stocked full of [...]

]]> http://www.saltshaker.net/20060722/eat-your-veggies/comment-page-1#comment-1605 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » A Spirited Evening Sun, 17 Sep 2006 13:39:38 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20060722/eat-your-veggies#comment-1605 [...] Initially I had thought about making cheese soufflés for this course. I had this vision of an elegant presentation, and at the table just breaking the top of the crust of the soufflé and spooning in a sauce. But as the day approached I realized that trying to get a dozen soufflés to come out of the oven all at once, get them served while still puffed, and either having to do the whole breaking and spooning myself or train Henry in how to do something like that, was more than I could envision doing in the middle of everything else. So I changed to a cheese custard, specifically Gruyère cheese - a simple baked custard of grated cheese, milk, whole eggs, salt, paprika, and chopped scallions. I wanted to keep it simple both in the process, but also in flavor, since the idea was to have the sauce’s flavors shine through. I thought, and it turned out rightly so, that it would be a great foil for the tomato and triple sec (orange liqueur) sauce that I’ve experimented with a few times recently as a topping for various fish. For service, I spooned the sauce over the already baked custards and warmed the dishes in the oven, then sprinkled it with a little paprika. Last night’s group included a couple of ravenously hungry folk, and before I got a chance to say anything, as Henry was serving, there were cries of surprise as folks dug in to what they thought was a small bowl of soup. They loved it, and the flavors worked beautifully. [...] [...] Initially I had thought about making cheese soufflés for this course. I had this vision of an elegant presentation, and at the table just breaking the top of the crust of the soufflé and spooning in a sauce. But as the day approached I realized that trying to get a dozen soufflés to come out of the oven all at once, get them served while still puffed, and either having to do the whole breaking and spooning myself or train Henry in how to do something like that, was more than I could envision doing in the middle of everything else. So I changed to a cheese custard, specifically Gruyère cheese – a simple baked custard of grated cheese, milk, whole eggs, salt, paprika, and chopped scallions. I wanted to keep it simple both in the process, but also in flavor, since the idea was to have the sauce’s flavors shine through. I thought, and it turned out rightly so, that it would be a great foil for the tomato and triple sec (orange liqueur) sauce that I’ve experimented with a few times recently as a topping for various fish. For service, I spooned the sauce over the already baked custards and warmed the dishes in the oven, then sprinkled it with a little paprika. Last night’s group included a couple of ravenously hungry folk, and before I got a chance to say anything, as Henry was serving, there were cries of surprise as folks dug in to what they thought was a small bowl of soup. They loved it, and the flavors worked beautifully. [...]

]]> http://www.saltshaker.net/20060722/eat-your-veggies/comment-page-1#comment-886 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Mix-and-Match Wed, 26 Jul 2006 14:54:35 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20060722/eat-your-veggies#comment-886 [...] One of the things I know about putting together a last minute dinner is that you don’t have time to make sure you have every little item you might need. So the best thing to do, is see what you already have on hand, get those all lined up, and then just run out and shop for the, hopefully, few things that you don’t. I’m a big fan of risottos and pastas, and so is my friend. Initially I was thinking about making the risotto cakes that I made for our Italian dinner, but those take a significant amount of time to prepare, plus we wanted a lighter dinner, so I eliminated the frying and went with just making a risotto on site. That meant prepping everything in advance so that all that was left was the half hour or so to cook the risotto just before dinner. As luck would have it, I was cooking chicken for dinner Monday, and I’d already tossed the carcass into a pot with some vegetables to make chicken stock; I had picked up a bag of shiitake mushrooms in chinatown over the weekend; I had a bag of radish greens left from making radish soup on Friday; and I had a box of Arborio rice. Shiitake and radish greens risotto was, well, obvious! [...] [...] One of the things I know about putting together a last minute dinner is that you don’t have time to make sure you have every little item you might need. So the best thing to do, is see what you already have on hand, get those all lined up, and then just run out and shop for the, hopefully, few things that you don’t. I’m a big fan of risottos and pastas, and so is my friend. Initially I was thinking about making the risotto cakes that I made for our Italian dinner, but those take a significant amount of time to prepare, plus we wanted a lighter dinner, so I eliminated the frying and went with just making a risotto on site. That meant prepping everything in advance so that all that was left was the half hour or so to cook the risotto just before dinner. As luck would have it, I was cooking chicken for dinner Monday, and I’d already tossed the carcass into a pot with some vegetables to make chicken stock; I had picked up a bag of shiitake mushrooms in chinatown over the weekend; I had a bag of radish greens left from making radish soup on Friday; and I had a box of Arborio rice. Shiitake and radish greens risotto was, well, obvious! [...]

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