What's for dinner?

[Menolly]

:::waving from Albuquerque:::

I am so sorry to have not posted sooner. I'll be leaving here in about eight hours.

Jenn, how did the rehearsal dinner go? I can't wait to hear details.

[Cameraman Jenn]

Well, the rehearsal dinner went excellent. I have standing invitations to come to every single one of Terry's and David's relatives houses to cook for them anytime I want. I took over the kitchen for the final prep stuff that needed to be done. I kept Julie and Rebecca (David's mom) inside with me and put Rebecca's inlaws out on the deck with trays to assemble the skewers. Later I had Terry's stepdad, John, to spell me at the grill. The food was a huge success. Everyone was complimenting it. The salmon came out perfect and I could hardly get it on a serving plate before it was gone. Maybe I should just lay out the whole menu...

Salads:

Tri colored rotini pasta salad with roasted red peppers and sundried tomatos in a light vinagrette, with red onion, fresh basil and fresh parsley, salt and pepper.

Individual caprese salad on mexican flag toothpicks, half a mozarella ball, a piece of basil and a grape tomato with a balsamic reduction dip.

Potato salad, red potatos, eggs, mayo, dijon, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and lots of fresh dill, served both with and without red onion.

Fresh tossed baby greens with cucumber, grape tomato, mandarin oranges, red pepper, mushrooms, toasted almonds, feta cheese, celery, carrots and three choices of dressing.

Main Courses:

Salmon glazed with honey, dijon and garlic and grilled.

Skewers of marinated tri tip steak and chicken with mushrooms, red onion, red pepper, yellow squash and zuccini.

Grilled corn on the cob.

Marinated carrots grilled and served like hotdogs.

Rebecca made homemade strawberry rhubarb pies and apple pies.

[Menolly]

Well, the rehearsal dinner went excellent. I have standing invitations to come to every single one of Terry's and David's relatives houses to cook for them anytime I want. I took over the kitchen for the final prep stuff that needed to be done. I kept Julie and Rebecca (David's mom) inside with me and put Rebecca's inlaws out on the deck with trays to assemble the skewers. Later I had Terry's stepdad, John, to spell me at the grill. The food was a huge success. Everyone was complimenting it. The salmon came out perfect and I could hardly get it on a serving plate before it was gone. Maybe I should just lay out the whole menu...

Yay!!

Salads:

Tri colored rotini pasta salad with roasted red peppers and sundried tomatos in a light vinagrette, with red onion, fresh basil and fresh parsley, salt and pepper.

Mmmm...

Individual caprese salad on mexican flag toothpicks, half a mozarella ball, a piece of basil and a grape tomato with a balsamic reduction dip.

:::hoping it was a hit:::

Potato salad, red potatos, eggs, mayo, dijon, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and lots of fresh dill, served both with and without red onion.

Fresh tossed baby greens with cucumber, grape tomato, mandarin oranges, red pepper, mushrooms, toasted almonds, feta cheese, celery, carrots and three choices of dressing.

Main Courses:

Salmon glazed with honey, dijon and garlic and grilled.

Skewers of marinated tri tip steak and chicken with mushrooms, red onion, red pepper, yellow squash and zuccini.

I have always wanted to try tri-tip, once I heard about that cut. For the life of me I can not find that cut anywhere in Gator Town!

Grilled corn on the cob.

Marinated carrots grilled and served like hotdogs.

How did they go over, Jenn?

Rebecca made homemade strawberry rhubarb pies and apple pies.[/quote]

Yummm...

Sounds wonderful. I'm glad you had a good time.

[Cameraman Jenn]

the caprese salad was a HUGE hit. Heatherly was putting the balsamic reduction on everything she was eating until Julie took her aside and told her to stop hogging it and to freaking leave some for the other guests....

[Menolly]

the caprese salad was a HUGE hit. Heatherly was putting the balsamic reduction on everything she was eating until Julie took her aside and told her to stop hogging it and to freaking leave some for the other guests....

My one and only original concoction...

[bloodguard bob]

creator came over for dins last night and cmj made her strog. wonderfull. i was hoping for some leftover tater salad but the strog was enough. made some wedding cakes for the weekend didn't get to taste em though.
the carrot cack
divil's food with buttercram
buttercake with rasberry cream
invisible cake rack but it was bent.

[Menolly]

Oh Bob, they're beautiful!

Terry and David must have been really pleased.

[Cameraman Jenn]

They were, and I got to taste them and they were freaking delicious! I think the carrot was my favorite.

[Menolly]

I think I've posted about this dish before, but if not, let me know.

Tonight's dinner is going to be my MIL's version of goulash. This is not Hungarian goulash, or what most other Americans I know think of as goulash, which is known as either Johnny Marzetti or Beef-a-roni. This is a ground beef, sauteed onions and mushrooms, canned corn, and cream of mushroom soup seasoned with various spices over egg noodles dish. Typical frugal one to two pot meal.

But it is a favorite around these here parts.

[Menolly]

Tonight is Johnsonville bratwurt, cooked on the Showtime Rostisserie (in the basket, never skewered), and then simmered for 20 minutes in two bottles of Leinenkugel's and half a stick of butter. Served on Chicago hard rolls with Gulden's, vidalia onion, and kosher pickle.

We had baby green peas with butter and dried dill weed sprinkled on them as well.

Mmmmm...

[stonemaybe]

Too hot here for cooking so we had a nicoise(?spelling?)

lettuce and tomatoes and cucumber and capers and boiled egg and olives and tuna and radishes and simple oliveoil/balsamic/garlic dressing.

Hit the spot.

[Damelon]

A couple of hot dogs, no bun. Mac & cheese.

Hit the spot.

[Menolly]

Both sounds great guys!

That's one of the things I love about the Showtime, Stoney. It doesn't eat up the house hardly at all, and I don't have to stand around and watch it cook.

[Menolly]

:::sigh, two in a row again:::

(where is everyone?)

Tonight is thin spaghetti with my home made meat sauce. I use both ground pork and beef when I make it, topped with Johnsonville mild Italian sausages cooked in the Showtime, and garlic toast made from white bread with softened butter, granulated garlic, and parsley flakes.

A quick tossed salad of field greens, grape tomatoes and thin cucumber slices, tossed with gorgonzola crumbles and topped with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then a grinding of black peppercorns and grating of pecorino romano on top, and I'll call it dinner.

I think this meal will deserve a split of cabernet sauvignon for Paul and me..

[Cameraman Jenn]

Two day simmered pork ragout over tortellini pasta with garlic bread. Too lazy to make a salad I think.....

I guess I better give the recipe eh?

about 1.5 pounds of cherry tomatos, crushed
one red pepper, diced
half a large zuchini, diced
eight or nine shallots, diced
1.5 pounds boneless country style pork ribs, chunked
two large sprays of fresh basil, shredded
a hefty pinch of oregano
hefty pinch of rosemary
hefty pinch of thyme
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of crushed red pepper
half pound of mushrooms diced
liberal dose of red wine
splift of olive oil
two eight ounce cans of tomato paste
two-three cups of water

Simmer in stockpot for two days until veggies are liquidated and pork is in shreds. About an hour ago I skimmed the fat off the top and we will probably eat in another hour.

I usually make things up as I go so my recipes are not very exact. I've never tried this before and I just basically had some ingredients and did what sounded good. I'll let you guys know how it turns out. At this point, it smells lovely and my entire apartment smells like a wonderful italian kitchen.

[Menolly]

Hmm...

Sounds like we're on a similar wavelength tonight, Jenn.

[Damelon]

Tonight was the remainder of the mac & cheese served along with a sandwich of salami and cheese on sourdough bread.

[Menolly]

High Lord, do I need to lecture you about fruit and vegetables? Hmm...?

[Damelon]

There were a couple of slices of pickle on the sandwich.

[Menolly]

:snort:

At least tell me you had an orange or tomato juice in the morning?

OK OK, I'll drop it. I don't eat the most healthily either...