Dinner:
Spaghetti Puttanesca*
(from Cook's Illustrated Mar/Apr 2002 p.15)
Tuscan Bread
Pear, Pecan and Sun-Dried Cherries over Mesclun Greens
w/ a balsamic vinaigrette
Dessert:
Glace Chocolate Ice Cream
(Non-Dairy) Whipped Cream
Coffee
* traditionally, Puttanesca sauce is made with anchovies, but we usually substitute sun-dried tomatoes.
Thursday, January 31, 2002
Wednesday, January 30, 2002
Tuesday, January 29, 2002
Dinner:
Tofu [Duck] A La Jojo*
(from Jean-Georges Vongerichten)
Basmati Rice (refried w/ spice mixture from above)
Braised Leeks
(straight outta Julia Child's Art of French Cooking Vol. 1)
Dessert
Pound Cake
(last bit, really)
Coffee
* back to Jean-Georges again, working on this recipe again. I love his use of spices -- I mean this calls for Mace (the ouside skin of the nutmeg), and I had some! ;)
The trick isn't with the sauce -- Maple Syrup and [Honey] Rice Syrup! -- but in getting a crispy outside
to the tofu, like the duck would have (yeah, I know, #5). But, I think I finally got it together using Yuba sheets (the thin skin-like residue from making tofu in big vats).
I pan-fried the tofu cutlets with the spice mixture as usual, then wrapped them like a spring-roll
in a yuba sheet and sealed it along the edges with a cornstarch slurry. I then pan fried it again, seam
side down first and got a great crackly texture on the outside and a nice moist tofu inside.
Little things like this make the 2 hours spent cooking worth it ;)
Tofu [Duck] A La Jojo*
(from Jean-Georges Vongerichten)
Basmati Rice (refried w/ spice mixture from above)
Braised Leeks
(straight outta Julia Child's Art of French Cooking Vol. 1)
Dessert
Pound Cake
(last bit, really)
Coffee
* back to Jean-Georges again, working on this recipe again. I love his use of spices -- I mean this calls for Mace (the ouside skin of the nutmeg), and I had some! ;)
The trick isn't with the sauce -- Maple Syrup and [Honey] Rice Syrup! -- but in getting a crispy outside
to the tofu, like the duck would have (yeah, I know, #5). But, I think I finally got it together using Yuba sheets (the thin skin-like residue from making tofu in big vats).
I pan-fried the tofu cutlets with the spice mixture as usual, then wrapped them like a spring-roll
in a yuba sheet and sealed it along the edges with a cornstarch slurry. I then pan fried it again, seam
side down first and got a great crackly texture on the outside and a nice moist tofu inside.
Little things like this make the 2 hours spent cooking worth it ;)
Monday, January 28, 2002
Lunch
Seitan [Chicken] Stir Fry with Tamarind Glaze*
Basmati Rice
Club Soda
*yes, it's the same dish as dinner last night, but
with seitan rather than tofu. The tofu got too
soggy last night once I added the tamarind puree
and water. Flavorful yes, but the texture was all wrong.
I should have (and have in the past) taken
the tofu out and finished the dish and then poured
the glazed vegetables over the tofu and rice.
The seitan, being much denser, doesn't absorb
liquid as readily as tofu, so I left it in.
Seitan [Chicken] Stir Fry with Tamarind Glaze*
Basmati Rice
Club Soda
*yes, it's the same dish as dinner last night, but
with seitan rather than tofu. The tofu got too
soggy last night once I added the tamarind puree
and water. Flavorful yes, but the texture was all wrong.
I should have (and have in the past) taken
the tofu out and finished the dish and then poured
the glazed vegetables over the tofu and rice.
The seitan, being much denser, doesn't absorb
liquid as readily as tofu, so I left it in.
Dinner
Swiss Chard with Currants and Pine Nuts
(from Jack Bishop's "Italian Vegetarian")
made into a Napoleon between slices of oven-dried eggplant. *
Glazed Maroon Carrots
Roasted Potatoes, Garlic and Carrots
Tofu [Chicken] Stir-Fry with Tamarind Glaze
(from Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Cooking At Home... pg. 95)
Basmati Rice
Dessert
Pound Cake w/ Whipped Cream
Coffee
* I oven dried the eggplant slices yesterday, and they did dry out nicely. They were a little too rubbery today, but I think the problem was the original slices were too thick. They need to be more
crispy and chip-like for the Napoleon to work better on the plate.
Swiss Chard with Currants and Pine Nuts
(from Jack Bishop's "Italian Vegetarian")
made into a Napoleon between slices of oven-dried eggplant. *
Glazed Maroon Carrots
Roasted Potatoes, Garlic and Carrots
Tofu [Chicken] Stir-Fry with Tamarind Glaze
(from Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Cooking At Home... pg. 95)
Basmati Rice
Dessert
Pound Cake w/ Whipped Cream
Coffee
* I oven dried the eggplant slices yesterday, and they did dry out nicely. They were a little too rubbery today, but I think the problem was the original slices were too thick. They need to be more
crispy and chip-like for the Napoleon to work better on the plate.
Saturday, January 26, 2002
Dinner:
Onion Soup
(from Raymond Oliver, "Nightowl Soup")
Haricot Verts braised in Champagne
w/ onion, shallot & garlic
Ratatouille
(from Cook's Illustrated Sep/Oct 2001 issue)
French Bread
Dessert:
Pound Cake
(it stuck a little inside the mold, but a little
non-dairy whipped cream covered up any
imperfections...)
Coffee
Onion Soup
(from Raymond Oliver, "Nightowl Soup")
Haricot Verts braised in Champagne
w/ onion, shallot & garlic
Ratatouille
(from Cook's Illustrated Sep/Oct 2001 issue)
French Bread
Dessert:
Pound Cake
(it stuck a little inside the mold, but a little
non-dairy whipped cream covered up any
imperfections...)
Coffee
Friday, January 25, 2002
Thursday, January 24, 2002
Seitan [Lamb Shanks] with Fennel, Tomato & Corriander over Farfalle (Bow Tie Pasta)
(from March 2002 Fine Cooking pg. 60, Braising by Tom Colicchio)
Mixed Greens Salad
(tomato, carrot, celery, scallion w/shittake vinaigrette dressing)
Wine
Le Cigare Volante (Bonny Doon, Santa Cruz, CA) Red Table Wine
Homemade Oatmeal cookies
Coffee
(from March 2002 Fine Cooking pg. 60, Braising by Tom Colicchio)
Mixed Greens Salad
(tomato, carrot, celery, scallion w/shittake vinaigrette dressing)
Wine
Le Cigare Volante (Bonny Doon, Santa Cruz, CA) Red Table Wine
Homemade Oatmeal cookies
Coffee
Wednesday, January 23, 2002
Black Pepper Tofu Curry with Basmati Rice
Substitute Spring Creek Nigari Style Tofu for the Chicken, portion into six cutlets, season, fry in grapeseed oil, then place in a 200 degree oven. Assemble the rest of the sauce. Save a little of the seasoning mix from the tofu and sprinkle into the sauce to give the same effect as cooking the tofu in the sauce (which would make the tofu soggy and defeat the purpose of making it firmer when you fry it). Pour the sauce over the tofu and rice when plating.
Substitute Spring Creek Nigari Style Tofu for the Chicken, portion into six cutlets, season, fry in grapeseed oil, then place in a 200 degree oven. Assemble the rest of the sauce. Save a little of the seasoning mix from the tofu and sprinkle into the sauce to give the same effect as cooking the tofu in the sauce (which would make the tofu soggy and defeat the purpose of making it firmer when you fry it). Pour the sauce over the tofu and rice when plating.