What's for Dinner?

[Boatboy24]

Roast chicken, oven taters, green beans and 'Mad Max' gravy.

 

[zalai]

After dinner ( burger and fries ) I had one of my favorite Hungarian dessert ,Chestnut puree .
Ingredients : chestnut , sugar , vanilla and rum . Topped with whipped cream .

 

[JohnT]

After dinner ( burger and fries ) I had one of my favorite Hungarian dessert ,Chestnut puree .
Ingredients : chestnut , sugar , vanilla and rum . Topped with whipped cream .

WOW. just WOW!!!!

My grandmother used to make something like that. Do you have a recipe?

 

[JohnT]

I was all alone on Saturday (wife went out).

After taking a beating at the grocery store (see my nest post below), I decided that I was overdue for a real treat.

I made meat sauce (using equal parts ground pork, beef, and veal). Also added some fried up some sweet Italian sausage and let that all simmer for 4 hours.

Got some frozen, generic garlic bread to help sop up all that goodness!

A nice petit sarah to go with it.

I ended up eating too much and eating too late. The dreaded acid reflux robbed me of a good night's sleep. I guess that this is the price I had to pay for eating something so yummy.

 

[JohnT]

I know that this is a long post, but please indulge me.

On Friday, with the wife away for the weekend and not much to do, I was texting my brother that I was bored, so, he invited me over on Sunday. "It will be great", he said, "we'll cook, we'll eat, we'll belch, and we'll watch football. Heck, I will even allow a couple of primative grunts in between".

This sounded great to me. I even suggested prime rib. This was my first mistake.

That decided, My brother then asked "Should I invite the other members of the family?" After some thought, I said "Sure". This was the second mistake.

Now, normally getting my family to attend a dinner, even if plenty of advanced warning is allowed, is like trying to herd cats. Figuring that we might get lucky if 1 or 2 would attend, and also figuring that a prime rib roast is too big for just 2 people, he texted out an invite to the whole family.

My brother and I formed this plan at 11pm on Friday evening. By 11:15pm, I had a total of 11 folks wanting to attend. I forgot that herding cats is no problem if you are directing them toward a large tuna (or prime rib in my case). We all agreed on 2pm as the time. Arrive a 2pm, and diner will be at 3pm to be followed by football afterwards.

So Saturday was spent at the local grocery store. I checked with "my guy" (Mr. PSSSST! Hey buddy, c'here), and, unfortunately, all of the truck doors we in perfect working order. In other words, I had to pay.....

F U L L P R I C E ! ! ! !

Well, a promise is a promise, and an invite is an invite. I picked up 5 ribs of certified angus prime rib for $135.00.

Once the roast was in hand, and the butcher shaking his head in disbelief while giving me that "this guy is nuts" look (I told the butch that I had lost bet with my brother just so that he would stop laughing at me), I rounded out my menu..

-A 2 pound shrimp cocktail (Hey, I was in it this far so why not?)
-Cream of mushroom soup
-Romaine salad dressed in a balsamic vinegrette with pickled beets, glazed walnuts, and a warm panko/goat cheese patty.
- Prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, sautéed mushrooms, twice baked potatoes topped with melted cheddar, and steamed string beans.
- For dessert, my aunt brought Lemon Pie and Carrot cake.
- My cosine brought beer.

So, there you have it. Total grocery bill $283.15, but I was happy and looking forward to what bloomed into a "big event".

On Sunday, got some laundry out of the way, showered, put on my “official chef’s jacket”, then packed up the car with groceries, and my new knife bag…

Note: I have been wanting a knife bag for years. After Santa failed me this year I simply ordered one on Amazon. This thing is SOOO cool. I can have all of my knives safely with me as I trash other people’s kitchens.
(See pictures below).

I got to the brother’s house by 9am and cooked straight through until 2pm. Everything was timed perfectly. The roast came out of the oven at the same time that the Yorkshires came out. We were all set.. I just wished that more than 2 people showed up.

2pm, I waited… 3pm, still I waited. Most ended up coming around 3:30pm. I still had two stragglers, my niece and her fiancé, who I texted at 4pm and asked if they are still coming.

Now, get this. This is how she responded…

“I am at work, I will get there when I get there.”

My initial reaction was sheer blinding RAGE!. Seriously? “I will get there when I get there”? After spending a small fortune, the time spent planning, cooking my butt off for a good 5 hours, and after holding a roast for over an hour, this is what she says?? I was so exhausted and upset! She never said she had to work on Sunday. She never even offered a time when I asked here! How unbelievably inconsiderate!!!

After collecting myself, I decided that there was no way I was going to hold dinner another moment. After all, if she plans to “get there when I get there”, then I figured that she can "eat what she can eat". We got through the soup and salad course when my brother begged me to wait. Having calmed down a bit, I agreed.

To make a long story even longer, we ended up eating the roast 2 hours late. I was completely ruined. The Yorkshires tasted stale, and the roast was not even barely warm. The meat rested too long and ended up being dry and over cooked. Such a waste!!

To make things worse, my Niece never even offered a “thank you for dinner” or even an apology for being late!

I need to calm down again.

Here are some photos of the roast and my new knife bag. Sorry, no photos of the actual dinner.

 

[geek]

@JohnT I'm going to drop by sometime in the future.... ::

 

[Tnuscan]

@JohnT You have the knife bag do you own a boat? LOL, when I saw the knife bag rolled out, I thought of the show.

 

[Rodnboro]

Not sure yet, but I have a hankering for steamed, spiced shrimp and hush puppies.

I have a good shrimp recipe if you're interested.

 

[Boatboy24]

I have a good shrimp recipe if you're interested.

Bring it on! Please.

 

[Boatboy24]

@JohnT: sorry the dinner didn't work out as planned.

My wife (of all people) did that to me just last week. At 6:45, she checked in and asked what time dinner would be ready. I told her 7:20. At 7:15, I heard her upstairs getting into the shower!! I'd already postponed the dinner at her request and I wasn't about to do it again. I just called the kids to the table and started eating at 7:20 as planned. ::

 

[ceeaton]

My initial reaction was sheer blinding RAGE!
I need to calm down again.

My SIL is much like your niece, every event with my wife's family usually has her arrival time in question, and it is never early. I feel your pain John.

What method do you use to calm down? I try and breathe like they taught us when we took birthing classes 18 years ago, seems to work for me but it didn't work for my wife at the time. It usually gets me laughing at myself and that is what does the trick. I need to get better at anger management before it kills me. You'd think with four kids I'd be a pro at it by now...

 

[Rodnboro]

Bring it on! Please.

Cast-Iron Party Shrimp

Dry Seasoning Mix

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano

Other

4 dozen large shell-on shrimp (about 2 pounds)
½ pound (2 sticks) plus 2 to 4 tablespoons butter
2 to 3 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chicken stock
¾ cup beer, at room temperature(drink the rest while cold)


1. Make the dry seasoning mix.
2. Rinse the shrimp and drain well.
3. Melt the ½ pound butter in a large cast-iron skillet. Add the garlic, Worcestershire, and seasoning mix. Add the shrimp. Stir lightly or shake the pan back and forth for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the remaining 2 to 4 tablespoons butter (to taste or preference) and stock and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the beer and cook for 1 minute.
6. Remove from heat and let it rest for 3 minutes.
7. Stir and serve.

This works best cooked at a medium temp.
We have tried it served with pasta, rice, and various types of bread. It's all good.
Credit to Carrie Morey of "Callie's Biscuits" in Charleston SC

 

[ceeaton]

First night of the kids finishing dinner. Wifey goes to my MIL for dinner after work, then Chemisty class, I don't get home until around 6 pm from work/grocery shopping. Wanted to do a frozen part of a pork loin (the really big ones from 500 lb pigs) in the crockpot, but worried about it drying out. So I left it partially frozen and wrapped it in bacon (you can never go wrong with bacon). Added some cider vinegar, water, onion, salt, pepper and a pinch of thyme. Oldest Son did some smashed taters and petite green beans for sides. Was a hit, 1st image was from this morning, 2nd was what was left when I came home, yikes, I think they liked it! Last image was my pork, bacon and sauerkraut sandwich (with wing sauce) and a glass off of the porter keg I kegged last night. Still needs some time for more carbonation, but still mighty tasty for a 16 day young beer.

 

[Amanda660]

Working on our Valentines tasting dinner menu. Tonight: Split Pea Soup with Kielbasa. I think I have one winner. On to the next course....

 

[Mismost]

@JohnT....I don't do anger management...I do dinner at the time I said dinner would be served. I cook, we eat when I say we eat. Trust me, I have made everyone in the family mad at some point in time.

Guess what? Everybody tends to have their happy butts in their chairs at 6:00...we are talking to God at 6:01 and diving in at 6:02. If you're there, pass the gravy. If you ain't, you may not get gravy.

If someone isn't there, that is not my problem. Yes, I am the a-hole in the family and am very good at it too! Now, what ticks me off...when my brother says dinner at 6 and we eat at 9:30. I have to admit....pour lots of good liquor, make them wait 3 1/2 hours and they will chew the butt off a road killed skunk and swear it was the best dinner they ever had. (I always stop for a burger on the way over).

 

[sour_grapes]

Tonight was smashed/fried taters again, and "Stomping at the Savoy braised cabbage for sides. The protein was boneless/skinless chicken thighs, seared and then finished with a sauce of: garlic, lemon, wine, Kalamata olives, capers, heavy cream, stock, cayenne, and fennel. It was easy on the taste buds, let me tell ya!

 

[JohnT]

What method do you use to calm down?

UHHH... CEEATON... What is the theme of this website??? (LOL)

@JohnT....I don't do anger management...I do dinner at the time I said dinner would be served.

That is going to be me from now on (that is if I ever decide to do a big dinner again).

 

[Boatboy24]

Used up the last of Sunday's roasted chicken.

 

[sour_grapes]

Tonight was polenta with plenty of blue cheese; swiss chard braised with chicken stock, onions, and ancho chili; roasted cauliflower florets, smothered in oil/butter with cumin, garlic, and coriander; and a bone-in pork rib chop, seared hard, then smothered with a red wine/demiglace sauce. (My DW reminded me that I had laboriously made demiglace a year or more ago, and froze individual servings of it to form the backbone of a sauce some day in the future; today was that day for one of the nuggets!)

 

[geek]

Used up the last of Sunday's roasted chicken.

That really looks