Near-final list for our friendly thanksgiving get-together

Conspicuous gaps to me appear to be: breads, salads, any flourless desserts. And ++wine -> ++good

*** = Definite
() = Maybe

Appetizer/Lunch/Other

***Pain aux fruits, le beurre (Jon)
***Cranberry Polenta Cakes
() spanikopita with feta and mint

Entree/Dinner

***Reichl swiss pumpkin
***Jeweled rice
***black potato rye bread
***Red curry duck ravioli, coconut-lime sauce
***sweet potato black rice salad

Dessert

***Quince and Apple Brown Butter Tart
***chocolate cream puffs
***Ensaïmadas with vanilla pastry cream
***black sticky gingerbread with pumpkin mousse
***marshmallows (Jon)
*Samsa (Ikbel)

Drink

** Eyes Wide (whiskey, grapefruit, jamaica, banyuls)
** falling leaves (riesling, pear brandy, cointreau, bitters)
** aperol spritz
** ice cider
** mmmm red wine (ok white too. but mostly red.)

potatoes with fresh coconut and chiles, for ryan

I think this is what we ate about two months ago. I tried looking through past foodlist blogposts. Anyway, it is adapted from the excellent 660 Curries— and if it is not the same dish, I am certain it is delicious.

Potatoes with Fresh Coconut and Chiles, Thenga Urulikazhangu

The coconut in this dish provides a sweet balance to the pungent chiles, especially because it is added toward the end. for an even sweeter alternative, use sweet potatoes instead of half or all of the white ones.

• 2 lb potatoes, in 1 in chunks
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 Tbsp urad dal (cream colored, skinned split black lentils)
• 4 dried Thai or cayenne chiles
• ¼ tsp ground asafetida (hing)
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• 12 med to large fresh curry leaves
• 4 fresh green thai, serrano, or cayenne chiles, cut in half lengthwise
• ½ cup shredded frozen coconut or ¼ cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut, reconstituted in water

1. heat oil in a pan over med high heat. add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until the seeds have stopped popping, about 30 seconds. Add the urad dal and cook until they are golden, about 15 or 20 sec. Immediately add the dried chiles, asafetida, and turmeric. Stir-fry until the chiles smell pungent and are slightly blackened, about 10 sec.
2. Add potatoes, 2 cups water, and the cilantro, salt, curry leaves, and fresh chiles. bring to a boil then reduce heat to med-low, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 8 to 10 min.
3. Raise the heat to med-high, uncover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, 3 to 5 min. Some of the potato pieces will disintegrate.
4. Stir in the coconut and serve.

thanksgiving box

thanksgiving box Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• Italian sausage and carrot greens agnolotti
• kabocha masaman, sticky rice, cucumber salad
• pumpkin chipotle soup with tortillas
• the beet and apple soup I still haven't made
• pumpkin risotto
• sweet potato and turnip gratin
• zucchini quiche or frittata

binny’s south loop french tasting

A nice selection from distributors of French wines. I bought a bottle of my #5. My favorites of the 45 wines:

1. Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin Estournelles St. Jacques 2005 ($80) (I love good pinot noir. especially the rich funky bourgogne kind.)
2. Château Quinault l’Enclos St. Emilion 2006 ($40) (Merlot done right. Very right.)
3. Lorentz Crémant d’Alsace NV ($20) (Interesting and delicious. Other sparkling wines and champagnes at the tasting were very good, but this would be my pick.)
4. Perrin Vinsobres Les Cornuds 2006 ($20)
5. Perrin Côtes du Rhône Réserve Blanc 2008 ($9)
6. Lorentz Pinot Blanc 2008 ($13)
7. Coudoulet de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône 2006 ($27)

Steam-Scrambled Eggs

The internets are abuzz over steam scrambled eggs. Despite a panoply of marvelous looking cured meat dishes at Gottino, this entirely uninteresting preparation caught people's attention. Really, people, you could have house-made porchetta, calabrese, or pork terrine or tonnato, but instead you would pay $9 for scrambled eggs? Don't be dumb.

I tried this steam-scrambling technique today. I would only make it again if I were in a crazy rush and really wanted to eat eggs (this joint probability is very small). We already know from Daniel Boulud how to make perfect scrambled eggs. It involves controlled low heat and constant stirring (the double boiler is great, but I usually use a skillet over medium-low heat). The steam wand is too hot, but it does provide the benefit of the entire quantity of egg coagulating instantly from the pressure-stirring, at the moment the mixture reaches 68°C. The butter is almost magically emulsified, but the whole process is too fast. I should have had a soft boiled egg with my last bagel. If I were in New York for brunch, I would love to go to Gottino, but there's no fuckin' way I would order scrambled eggs.

guess the price

guess the price
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

I’ll reveal in a couple days. we were shocked at how cheap Pete’s is. The avocados were 3/$1.

Crystallized ginger
dried cranberries
dried starfruit
dried apricots
dried mix fruit california
coconut water
2 bags of sugar
2 tofus
mexican crumbling cheese
guava paste

1lb ground pork
1.5 lbs bratwurst (4)
1.5 lbs hot italian sausage (4)
2 x 0.5lbs chuleta mariposa (butterflied pork chop)
1lb bacon

2 bunches green onions
6 potatoes
2 onions
2 grapefruit
2 garlic
1 bag of grapes
5 limes
3 lemons
1 ecuadorian mango
2 bunches cilantro
bag of okra
2 red bell peppers
2 cucumbers
5 mexican zucchini
habañeros
6 medium avocados
2 chunks ginger
1 small sour cream
1 red salsa

a carnival of squash

a carnival of squash
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• some kind of okra curry and turmeric paneer, yogurt rice, cucumber salad
• squash stuffed with italian sausage, greens, and bulgur; salad
  
• tacos of stewed zuccini, chiles, and refried black beans
  
• something like these braised pork chops, with roasted brussels sprouts and cornbread
  
• ma po tofu, yunnan sliced potato, maybe scallion pancake?
  
• griddle-cooked bratwurst, cole slaw, chris affolter's bacony german potato salad
  

a tricky week

fall week 1
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

Scott has a long day Tuesday and a dinner seminar Thursday. Glee is Wednesday and Guerrilla Gay Bar is Friday. We have a couchsurfer staying wed–fri.

• salad with romaine, carrots, avocado; chipotle-lime dressing


• delicious aai kohlrabi


• whole black lentils with ginger, garlic, and butter (makhani dal) [660]


• smoky turmeric-soaked paneer with cardamom and cream


• szechuan carrot peanut soup, perhaps with some crispy nori


• more pretzels for glee night wednesday!


• ginger orange pickled beets?

• Mafe with chicken, turnips, and mustard greens
• Potato rosemary bread, beet and apple soup
• Macaroni and cheese with squash
• Mashed potatoes; chicken with garlic and parsley