Saturday night dinner

It's that time of the year (any of the 12 months) when French Onion Soup tastes so good. I have a bunch of onions, so I made onion soup last night as a starter course. Then, I made an interesting steak dish (kind of a loose variation on steak diane) using a bottom round steak. First, I made the cream sauce by sauteing chopped onions and mushrooms in butter, added white wine and cooked it down, added cream, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar and a little oregano. Sauteed the steak til med. Served it with a baked sweet potato (no, I didn't use marshmallows >gak<).

An interesting note: my wife is not one to eat hamburgers and steaks, but she'll wolf down sloppy joes and meatloaf. I've learned that if I cut a piece of steak into strips she'll eat it. So, that's the way she got it last night: strips of steak with some sauce poured over. I used a steak knife on my slab of beef.

Overall, it was a tasty meal. And the steak was surprisingly tender.

What was your Saturday night din-din?

Pizza, take-out. We were too pooped to cook, after clearing downed limbs and cutting trees in our woods yesterday.

Homemade pizza with eggplant, carrots, youngish Mahon and carrot-top herbs. On the side, we had a crunchy salad of raw red peppers and carrots. Despite all the sweetness it went very well with the 04 Nigl GV Privat. Delicious evening.

I made chicken and garden veggie soup for our dinner last night. I had a package of Tia Rosa's Tortilla Bread to use up, so I made quesadillas. Used finely diced red onion, jack and cheddar cheese (2 % milk type), fresh garden tomatoes, cilantro and chili verde, then browned each side in a non-stick pan. Very yummy to enjoy with the ten rain drops that fell.

We had six friends over for supper last night. We started with cocktails. I took set our breakfast nook table up with a bunch of different bottles of liquor, mixers, citrus fruits, shakers, jiggers, and several cocktail recipe books. Everyone picked out whatever they wanted based on what we had available. Favorites were the Negroni, the Japanese cocktail, and Manhattans made with brandy or bourbon. Not so good were a Stinger (tasted like Scope) and a gin-vermouth-Chartreuse thing.

With the cocktails, we served cheese, chicken liver pate, and a smoked trout spread (my wife made both of the latter). Supper was Brasato al Barolo made with with short ribs, herbed polenta, baby bok choy with soy-balsamic, stuffed tomatoes, beet-orange salad, and cherry tomatoes with mozzarella. (I made everything but the last three items.) The meal was terrific. For dessert, we had an apple cake my wife made served with roasted almond ice cream from a local ice cream place. Wines were a Martinelli pinot (excellent with the meat) and Gnarly Vine zin, both provided by guests. Dessert wines were a Soucherie Coteaux du Layon (wonderful!!) and an interesting fortified raspberry wine called Vin d'Este from Eola Hills winery in Oregon.

Nothing better than sitting at a table and listening to the laughter and lively conversation of happy friends.

Your dinner sounds lovely. I love the Brasato al Barolo from the Recipe Zaar site. I've had it served over polenta, noodles and mashed potatoes. Is your recipe similar to theirs?

http://www.recipezaar.com/Brasato-Al-Barolo-Braised-Short-Ribs-220217

Karen -

Batali's recipe is very similar. Instead of using spices and crushed tomatoes, he calls for using a tomato sauce that already has the spices in it. He also doesn't include the gremolata and he suggest stove top rather than oven. Otherwise, they're pretty much identical. Amazing flavor for such a straightforward prep.

A late lunch at TGI Friday's and then "Cheers".

Karen -

Batali's recipe is very similar. Instead of using spices and crushed tomatoes, he calls for using a tomato sauce that already has the spices in it. He also doesn't include the gremolata and he suggest stove top rather than oven. Otherwise, they're pretty much identical. Amazing flavor for such a straightforward prep.

I'm confused. Karen's recipe says it's from Babbo, yet your are referring to your recipe as Batali's. Wouldn't Batali's recipe be used at Babbo?

I'm confused. Karen's recipe says it's from Babbo, yet your are referring to your recipe as Batali's. Wouldn't Batali's recipe be used at Babbo?

Have no clue as to what your are talking about here. I got my recipe from Recipe Zaar sometime back...I really don't know who's recipe it is. I tend to zip through recipes and sites, only looking for what I am interested in...the rest does not get my attention.

Karen - the link to your recipe states it is from the Babbo cookbook.

A rare night out without offspring to catch a very credible production of "Streetcar Named Desire" and then a late-night get-together with our Sardinian friend Monica, whose son was hosting Andrew's sleep-over, to help her celebrate her birthday. So, a late night Banh mi with some ordinary Vinho Verde and a taste of the '06 Abadia Retuerta 'Rivola' (oaky and anonymous -- tempranillo or merlot? who can tell?)

Mark Lipton

Karen -

Batali's recipe is very similar. Instead of using spices and crushed tomatoes, he calls for using a tomato sauce that already has the spices in it. He also doesn't include the gremolata and he suggest stove top rather than oven. Otherwise, they're pretty much identical. Amazing flavor for such a straightforward prep.

I'm confused. Karen's recipe says it's from Babbo, yet your are referring to your recipe as Batali's. Wouldn't Batali's recipe be used at Babbo?

I guess that explains the similarity! (I missed the reference to Babbo.)

I took mine from the "Molto Italiano" cookbook.

Batali's recipe is very similar. Instead of using spices and crushed tomatoes, he calls for using a tomato sauce that already has the spices in it. He also doesn't include the gremolata I guess that explains the similarity! (I missed the reference to Babbo.)

I took mine from the "Molto Italiano" cookbook.

Thanks, Mike.