What's Cooking (Take Three!)

[Jenise]

https://ottolenghi.co.uk/seared-duck-breast-with-blood-orange-and-star-anise-shop

Is the recipe I used, largely. Very tasty and looked pretty as well. The Blood oranges giving the sauce
a beautiful ruby red colour.

THANK YOU! Chiles, star anise, cumin, pepper, oranges? That sounds like perfection for duck breast. Btw, I found the picture offputting. That meat's so raw the one piece has an open vein oozing blood. YUCK.

I'll be doing ratatouille and pad prik gai bai krapow (Thai stir-fried chicken with chiles and holy basil) this week.

-Paul W.

https://ottolenghi.co.uk/seared-duck-breast-with-blood-orange-and-star-anise-shop

THANK YOU! Chiles, star anise, cumin, pepper, oranges? That sounds like perfection for duck breast. Btw, I found the picture offputting. That meat's so raw the one piece has an open vein oozing blood. YUCK.

I didn’t actually look at the picture! I was busy checking out the ingredients list, it being time to get cooking. I see your point.
We hadn’t had duck available here previously so when I saw it at my local shop o grabbed some, curiously my partner went up to the shop for something the same day and picked up some precooked Peking style breasts, hence the duck extravaganza chez nous. I’ll make sure they keep it on their shelves, although they are always happy to get things in.

Last thing I made (a couple of nights ago) was basically a warm salad of braised shredded pork shoulder with a mix of fresh corn, poblano chilies, various spices, and cilantro. I topped it with some avocado slices and lime juice. Came out very nicely and we've been eating the leftovers ever since.

[Jenise]

So last night was the dinner and a movie collab between our local independent theater and one of our town's best restaurants. This time: The Godfather. We arrived at the theater to find chef Mataio Gilles (full Sicilian Italian who took his wife's last name upon marriage) presiding over the grills in front of the theater, dressed like Don Corleone in the opening scene of the movie: black tux, red rose in his left lapel, and a stuffed cat pinned to his left arm (in the film, the Don strokes a real cat while discussing vendettas). With prosecco, they served a tiny dish of spaghetti and meatballs, a canape of beef carpaccio on thin sourdough cut in the shape of a horse's head, and another of deepfried tempura sardines.

Then we repaired to the theater to see the movie. They tape off every third row so servers can get between. During the Italian wedding of the sister, we had lasagna and wedding cookies, in a later scene where the principals were gathered around a table of Chinese take out cartons, we were served beef & broccoli. Halfway thru the film the movie was halted for intermission, during which we went back to the lobby for an Italian wedding buffet of roasted vegetables, polenta, and chicken cacciatore (which had just been featured in a scene). Then we left the tables and were handed glasses of vin santo with a slice of delicious biscotti to take back into the theater with us. After the movie? Canoli, of course.

Great time, and a great film which I haven't seen since it was first released. It sure stood up to time. It's a flawless period piece that, if it were made again today, would be THAT movie, word for word, scene for scene. It lacked nothing and deserves it's place as one of the best American movies of all time.

So last night was the dinner and a movie collab between our local independent theater and one of our town's best restaurants. This time: The Godfather. We arrived at the theater to find chef Mataio Gilles (full Sicilian Italian who took his wife's last name upon marriage) presiding over the grills in front of the theater, dressed like Don Corleone in the opening scene of the movie: black tux, red rose in his left lapel, and a stuffed cat pinned to his left arm (in the film's opening scene, the Don thus dressed strokes a real cat while discussing vendettas). With prosecco, they served a tiny dish of spaghetti and meatballs, a canape of beef carpaccio on thin sourdough cut in the shape of a horse's head, and another of deepfried tempura sardines (as in "sleep with the fishes").

Then we repaired to the theater to see the movie. They tape off every third row so servers can get between. During the Italian wedding of the sister, we had lasagna and wedding cookies, in a later scene where the principals were gathered around a table of Chinese take out cartons, we were served a little boat of beef & broccoli. Halfway thru the film after the marriage of Michael and Appolonia, the movie was halted for an intermezzo during which we returned to the lobby for an Italian wedding buffet of roasted vegetables, polenta, and chicken cacciatore (which had just been featured in a scene). Then we left the tables and were handed glasses of vin santo with a slice of delicious biscotti to take back into the theater with us. After the movie? Canoli, of course.

Great time, and a great film which I haven't seen since it was first released. It sure stood up to time. It's a flawless period piece that, if it were made again today, would be THAT movie, word for word, scene for scene. It lacked nothing and deserves it's place as one of the best American movies of all time.

Jenise that sounds great! It has given me pause for thoughts. We could maybe do this on a smaller scale at our hall for a fund raiser. A bit different, we could do it for a premium price (in ,local, terms)
There would be other movies one could consider. If any thoughts come to mind please share.

I love it.

[Jenise]

Barb, it's a blast. Mataio and his wife are real film buffs, so doing these movie-dinner nights is just about the most fun he can possibly have as a chef. In fact, he said, when he pitched this series to the theater owners back when, The Godfather was his first choice but everyone else said, "Maybe we should work our way up to that." This is maybe the 20th he's done: off the top of my head others have included Mostly Martha, Tortilla Soup, Eat Drink Man Woman and Chef. Coming up next is Gosford Park.

Tonight's dinner will be the latest recipe posted at the Mala Project website: stir-fried beef with Pixian dobanjiang.

-Paul W.

Tonight its fried chicken with a salsa channeling Keith Floyd, sautéed shallots, garlic red and green capsicum, sweet corn kernels, flambé with rum, a little stock and cream, some diced tomatoes and spring onion. Some jalapeños to give it a kick.

Tonight its fried chicken with a salsa channeling Keith Floyd, sautéed shallots, garlic red and green capsicum, sweet corn kernels, flambé with rum, a little stock and cream, some diced tomatoes and spring onion. Some jalapeños to give it a kick.

My god, I loved Keith Floyd! That salsa sounds pretty good too

Tonight its fried chicken with a salsa channeling Keith Floyd, sautéed shallots, garlic red and green capsicum, sweet corn kernels, flambé with rum, a little stock and cream, some diced tomatoes and spring onion. Some jalapeños to give it a kick.

My god, I loved Keith Floyd! That salsa sounds pretty good too

Hi Tom
Yeah, Keith was an early player in the celeb chef game and the TV shows were great fun, cooking on the fly with the tide coming in, constantly put on the spot by David Pritchard who also produces Rick Stein.
The salsa he devised for southern fried chicken in Floyd’s American Pie.
We taped all the shows and have continued to upgrade them to the latest technologies so we can still watch them. Sad but true

We taped all the shows and have continued to upgrade them to the latest technologies so we can still watch them.

*gasp*

WHEN CAN I COME VISIT?!

WHEN CAN I COME VISIT?!

Any time Tom LOL
In the meantime A sampler re the. salsa.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AGpQped-bDw

In the meantime A sampler re the. salsa.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AGpQped-bDw

My god - I've been to the Peabody! I'VE SEEN THE RUNNING OF THE DUCKS!! To think I was once in the same place as Keith Floyd....

That was a hoot Barb, thanks! And that corn dish looked wonderful, although soupier than I expected. Did you use hot peppers like he mentioned he would have preferred, or did you stay with bell peppers?

Thanks for the link - talk about bringing back memories!

In the meantime A sampler re the. salsa.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AGpQped-bDw

My god - I've been to the Peabody! I'VE SEEN THE RUNNING OF THE DUCKS!! To think I was once in the same place as Keith Floyd....

That was a hoot Barb, thanks! And that corn dish looked wonderful, although soupier than I expected. Did you use hot peppers like he mentioned he would have preferred, or did you stay with bell peppers?

Thanks for the link - talk about bringing back memories!

Wow, the Peabody and the ducks just made me smile all over again.
I used bell peppers and some jalapeños.
Glad you enjoyed the memories.

Wow, the Peabody and the ducks just made me smile all over again.
I used bell peppers and some jalapeños.
Glad you enjoyed the memories.

Very, very much. Thank you

Dinner last night was grilled chicken wings, using a Sichuan-style basting sauce based on Pixian doubanjiang (fermented chile and broad bean paste). The recipe is on the Mala Project website (https://blog.themalamarket.com/cooking-with-pixian-doubanjiang-sichuan-sauce-for-grilling-roasting/). Delicious!

-Palu W.

Dinner tonight will be "ants climbing a tree".

-Paul W.

Asparagus season and got to the farm for just picked.
Asparagus and prawn risotto, looked good, tasted great. Just a classic risotto prep adding
The asparagus and prawns (blanched in the stock) at the end with a handful of greens peas as well.
With the remainder, the next night I did grilled asparagus with a poached egg and a vinaigrette made with pumpkinseed oil and tomato water. Sprinkled with crisp fried pepitas
With a side dish of bruschetta with tomato and fresh mozz.
I’d be happy to do both these dishes again this season. And I probably have to go by the farm again soon.
I love spring.

With the remainder, the next night I did grilled asparagus with a poached egg and a vinaigrette made with pumpkinseed oil and tomato water. Sprinkled with crisp fried pepitas.

Sounds wonderful!

Cookery has been quiet in my kitchen... away for three weeks on holiday in Rome, since then a little charcoal grilling, pasta with shrimp and pesto, and a big pot of coq au vin.

away for three weeks on holiday in Rome, since then a little charcoal grilling, pasta with shrimp and pesto, and a big pot of coq au vin.

Any thing to report on your food experiences in Roma? You must have had some good nosh.

[Jenise]

Dinner tonight will be "ants climbing a tree".

-Paul W.

What's that?

[Jenise]

Last night was my first evening cooking at home in a long while and I really looked forward to it. First thing I had to do was test whether or not adding a lot of dill to a dish (in this case, chicken thighs cooked in fiduelitos) would cancel out the flavor of overt American oak in an accompanying wine, an idea born while tasting at La Rioja Alta. The only other seasoning was sliced garlic. The wine selected for the test was a 2001 Pesquera. The result? No, it highlighted it. But it was worth trying, and the Pesquera was delightful.

"Ants climbing a tree" is a bit of stir-fried ground pork, Sichuan doubanjiang (chili bean paste), soy sauce, and soaked mung bean thread noodles cooked in stock until the noodles absorb nearly all of the stock. When you pick up the transparent bean thread noodles with chopsticks, bits of the pork cling to them like ants climbing a tree.

-Paul W.