What's for dinner?

It's just another Monday here in the sunny but snow-covered South. I've been going like the energizer bunny today, probably like many of you. During the holidays we sometimes focus on the baking and preparing for that special dinner or parties we are having or going to. However, dinner needs to be prepared just the same. Tonight I'm making maple soy salmon, and was wondering what will be sustaining you as we count down to Christmas.

sesame pan-seared salmon tonight;
birthday party at a steak place tomorrow (a friend's bday);
roast chicken on Wednesday;
seafood spectacular (lobster, clams, shrimp) on Thursday;
cassoulet on Friday

French-dip sandwiches, with caramelized onions, and green salad with chives, basil, plum tomatoes and Balsamic, Maple and shallot dressing. I made Ina Garten's Lemon bars today with lemons off of our tree and Knock you Naked Brownies, which have a gooey caramel center.

Chicken picatta tonight
Rack of lamb tomorrow night
Who knows Wednesday night (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?)
Prime Rib roast for friends Thursday night

Roast chicken, mashed Yukon Golds and gravy, and Jo Ann's incredibly good Brussels sprouts which we just tried for the first time.

Chicken and andouille sausage gumbo.

-Paul W.

After finally digging the last of the Nor'Easter off our driveway last night, I'm tossing together a daube of beef Provencal for tonight. If that doesn't thaw me out, nothing will. Well, maybe the lambic I'm pouring with it will....

my sister's wedding anniversary tonight so we'll be having steak and gambas (shrimp cooked with olive oil, garlic, and some bacon thrown in for good measure hehe)

Tonight, veal scallopini with baby spinach sauteed with onions, garlic, pine nuts and bacon. I'm leaning towards a Williams Selyem "Hawk Hill Vineyard" Chardonnay for the wine.

Sounds like everyone is eating quite well!

Green chile stew and flour tortillas.

Cream of Asparagus Soup, grilled pork chops, boiled baby potatoes, and steamed green beans.

Tonight we're going to two places: a party near Old Town and a walk around Old Town to see the luminarias. There's a hispanic house that's always lit up with a gazillion lights and, on Xmas eve, everyone is invited in to share Mexican food prepared by the family and neighbors. We were thrilled the first time we were invited in and have made it an annual pilgrimage ever since.

After that, we're headed up to the northeast heights of Albuquerque to a friend's house who was born and raised in Africa. We're going to chow down on some African food (she's a good cook, too) and, most likely, a wide assortment of cheeses and wine.

Later today, I'm starting to cook some posole (my prize-winning green chile version) for a Xmas dinner tomorrow that we're invited to.

We're such social gadflies....

[Jenise]

After finally digging the last of the Nor'Easter off our driveway last night, I'm tossing together a daube of beef Provencal for tonight. If that doesn't thaw me out, nothing will. Well, maybe the lambic I'm pouring with it will....

You're a pretty interesting guy. You have a good wine cellar, and some obviously good cooking chops if you throw around words like 'daube'. You're fitting in here REAL good!

[Jenise]

my sister's wedding anniversary tonight so we'll be having steak and gambas (shrimp cooked with olive oil, garlic, and some bacon thrown in for good measure hehe)

Sounds delish. Now where are you that you call shrimp 'gambas'? Do I recall from your registration that you're in the Phillipines?

You're a pretty interesting guy. You have a good wine cellar, and some obviously good cooking chops if you throw around words like 'daube'. You're fitting in here REAL good!

Hey, thanks Jenise! That's so sweet of you to say. And indeed I love it here - it's a lot classier than the dumps I usually frequent. You know, like ones my family populate. Those philistines.

Oh, and don't let my use of words like "daube" fool you. I have no idea what I'm talking about. But being on the radio, I'm used to snowing people out of habit

Hope you and yours had a great Christmas!

Tom

Xmas day we had roast turkey and prime rib and posole and all the accoutrements.

Christmas dinner featured Chinese lemon chicken, with fried 5-spice chicken wings as an appetizer and also Onion soup gratinee.

-Paul W.

sesame pan-seared salmon tonight;
birthday party at a steak place tomorrow (a friend's bday);
roast chicken on Wednesday;
seafood spectacular (lobster, clams, shrimp) on Thursday;
cassoulet on Friday

The roast chicken didn't happen. That became a sushi night.

The cassoulet came out magnificently. (Yes, yes, proud of myself, I am.) I basically followed Paula Wolfert's receipe.

Yesterday we fed fourteen people roast goose, potato stuffing, braised red cabbage, green beans almondine, tropical fruit salad, and as an accompaniment for the goose, pickled pears. We sent another plate home with a daughter who was supposed to bring a sick (cancer) friend and couldn't make it. Washed it all down with a couple of Cab Francs.

Tonight the two of us with have rib eye steaks, sourdough bread, and a yet to be decided veggie. We also have a nicely aged out Cab that we will pop if True Love is feeling better.

Well, tonight it was leftover prime rib, leftover tenderloin, leftover mashed potatoes, leftover kale in a savory custard, and leftover lemon risotto with duck confit. Given how much of it remains, I'm guessing we'll be having a very similar supper tomorrow night.

We had a multi-ethnic meal tonight from leftovers at a dinner party we attended two nights ago: egusi (African), rice with potatoes, riaita (Indian), tamale and flour tortillas (Mexican).

sesame pan-seared salmon tonight;
birthday party at a steak place tomorrow (a friend's bday);
roast chicken on Wednesday;
seafood spectacular (lobster, clams, shrimp) on Thursday;
cassoulet on Friday

Jeff, I would like to hear how you go about making the pan-seared salmon. I have some copper river salmon that I purchased and froze, and it needs to be eaten soon. I usually grill it, but temps are not so conducive right now. TIA.

Jeff, I would like to hear how you go about making the pan-seared salmon. I have some copper river salmon that I purchased and froze, and it needs to be eaten soon. I usually grill it, but temps are not so conducive right now. TIA.

Rinse the fish. Wipe with olive oil. Apply seasoning that you like, especially ones that will respond well to heat. I usually do a mix of black pepper, ginger, and a ton of sesame seeds. (But I sometimes swap out the ginger for paprika, or add charnushka to the sesame. Use an herb if you like carbon. )

Get a small non-stick pan. (Yes, yes, the heat will ultimately hurt it... so what? If you like another type of pan, go for it but I could never make my Calphalon anodized finish pans work for this dish.) Burner on medium high and get the pan hot. Add a small splash of oil, maybe a teaspoon. Put the fish in the pan, skin side up. Apply a good dose of salt to the skin. Assuming you have a filet of around a pound, let it sear for 4 minutes. You can give the handle a jiggle from time to time. You can half cover the pan if you need to demonstrate to the spouse that you're not letting grease fly through the air and land on all the good furniture.

Now, if the piece is really chunky, and you're determined to fiddle around, grab two implements and stand the piece of fish up on its side for a minute or two so you sear the chunky end. If you don't feel like fiddling, that's OK, too.

Flip the fish onto the skin. 4 more minutes. Out the pan. You should have deep brown surface, medium-rare flesh in the middle, and a salty stiff skin. If you let it sit a little, the middle will cook a little more.

HTH.