Passover Seder with Steve 4/20/08

I like to give the people what they want. And, if I have my finger on the pulse like I think I do, the people want unleavened bread floating in a sea of broth, slabs of seasoned beef, fried potatos and cake sweet enough to turn Willy Wonka's stomach sour. So, in the spirit of the season I decided that a Jewish Passover Seder would be most appropriate - L'chaim!

Dinner started with potato pancake otherwise known as Latkes by my Hebrew friends. The potatos were sliced, rather than grated, and were cooked in peanut oil. One note for next time to keep in mind is that the potatos oxidize quickly once peeled, so soaking in water would help.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Potato-Latkes-I/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

Next came the Motzah Ball soup. I adapated this recipe from a "vegetarian" motzah ball soup as I chose to serve the balls in a chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth they were simmered in. Note: Matzoh meal can be found at gourmet food sources like Jansen's in Greenville, DE.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/108017

The main course, which spent the better part of 2.5 hours braising in the oven, was a spiced brisket with leeks and dried apricots. Now writing this, I realize I didn't serve the leeks with the beef. But, in my defense, I don't associate leeks with Passover. The interesting thing about a brisket is that due to the high level of connective tissues in the meat, it must be cooked well-done in order for the beef to become tender. Once these connective tissues are broken down, the meat becomes very tender and delicious. Temperature of the brisket at the time removed from the oven was 198 f. There were several herbs & spices in this recipe that are a bit uncommon, including coriander, cinnamon and apricots. I opted to go with an au jus instead of a heavy brown gravy for this dish as I felt I may lose a few diners to sleep shortly thereafter.
http://www.epicurious.com/services/referral?messageKey=b60333dab09f160a4430cddfbda1d4ea

Finally came dessert, and with dessert came subsequent appointments at the dentist's office. Passover Honey Nut Cake in Soaking Syrup was the poison. Although just a small piece would do the trick, we ended up finishing off half of the thing. Next time, I would like to find hazelnuts and use them instead of the almonds as I think the flavor would be fantastic. Also, I would cut the amount of soaking syrup by half, or maybe drizzle with just a little lemon icing.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/109151

As far as libations were concerned, Jef brought a lovely red, a white that went untouched and a bottle of semi-aged blackberry Manischewitz which tasted basically like liquefied rock candy. Mozoltov!

April 13, 2008 - The Fiesta

I have to start by thanking Pat who made a great sous chef and Steve for brining delicious margaritas and refreshing cervezas. The fiesta began with some delicious, spicy nachos paired a nice tomatillo salsa on the side. For dinner, it was chicken enchilada lasagna with some spicy as hell Spanish rice. Oddly enough, the tortillas turned into potatoes while in the oven enhancing the flavors and texture of the dish. For dessert, we enjoyed a take on fried ice cream as we reminisced about the long, lost days of Chi Chi's. If only the American people were more willing to accept a side of Hepatitis with their chimchangas we could still enjoy the delights of Chi Chi's. All we were missing to make this meal complete were a few sombreros and a mariachi band.

The meal was super easy to make and cost roughly $7 per person to make.

The menu:
Ultimate Nachos
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_35777,00.html
*To make the chips, we quartered corn tortillas and baked with a little oil and salt until crispy.

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35924,00.html


Chicken Enchilada Verde
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30253,00.html
*Layer sauce, corn tortillas dipped in sauce, chicken filling and then cheese in a baking dish to make into a lasagna. (30 minutes covered at 350 and then broil 10 minutes uncovered)

Fried Ice Cream
*Scoop ice cream and shape into ball form. Freeze on parchment for 2 hours or until hard. Warm balls in your hand so outside begins to melt and roll in crushed cinnamon toast crunch. Refreeze for another hour until you are ready to serve. (wow this sounds dirty)

March 30, 2008 - A dinner fit for a Duke

Some say it was Sir Arthur Wellesley's (the Duke of Wellington), favorite meal. Others will tell you that it was a dish only fit for the pallet of one Winston Churchill. And you might hear a third tale of gastronomy from a certain British a**hole but lovable chef, Mr. Gordon Ramsey. But any way you slice it (get it) beef wellington is a dish that anyone can love. The meal on this fine Sunday consisted of the following dishes:

Beef Wellington with a beef and wine sauce.
The meal was easier than you might think to prepare and the presentation nothing short of bad ass.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Beef-Wellington/Detail.aspx

Quinoa side.
Quinoa, pronounced KEEN-wah, for those unfamiliar is a good and healthy substitute for rice that has a little more nutty flavor. Paired with onions and lemon the dish went over well.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quinoa-Side-Dish/Detail.aspx?prop31=2

Dessert
As someone who likes to think "outside of the box" I decided to expand this meal to include a traditional dessert. Bread pudding has long been one of my favorites and substituting cinnamon raisin bread in for the standard white gave this recipe the added "kick" I so look for in BP.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bread-Pudding-II-501/Detail.aspx?prop31=4