For dinner, I had pho and spring rolls.
We went to Pho Long, having heard they make better pho than Pho Grand (they have a website, but it's annoying flash). I need to try them both again to be certain, but I think Grand might be better than Long.
The spring rolls were tasty, but the wrappers were a little dried out. No big deal, but not perfect. The pho was likewise decent. For me, the most important pho component is the broth- it should have very deep flavor, and a clear, non-oily appearance. I prefer a ton of star anise, along with complex, warming spices. Theirs was not as deeply-flavored as Grand's, although their noodles and meat were equally delicious.
In other news, I am excited for Thanksgiving. I'm pretty casual and non-OCD about it, so I just figured out what I'll be making today. Actually, I figured out the sides and dessert. I still have no idea what kind of turkey product I'll be preparing. Jon suggested turducken, and Schnuck's even sells them, but the price tag is not cool- $75. If anyone has a great idea, let me know (also, if anyone in St. Louis wants to come over, please do...we are lonely). Right now, I'm leaning toward a roulade or some kind of modified DIY turducken configuration. Or maybe I'll spatchcock it. Tomorrow, I'll go check out the posh grocery stores and make a decision, then go wine shopping.
The sides? Sweet potato leek gratin with candied bacon topping, assorted cooked greens with bacon, sausage/apple/sage/dried cherry stuffing, and pumpkin gooey butter cake for dessert. The dessert alone requires two sticks of butter. Like I said, exciting.
Showing posts with label turkey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label turkey. Show all posts
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
The Turkey Made Me Cry
For dinner, I had chipotle-apricot roast turkey and a baked potato.
I've become addicted to baked potatoes lately, mostly due to a serendipitous run-in with them at Beck's Prime a few weeks back. I love their burgers, but I was trying to be healthy and ordered a massive, delicious stuffed potato instead. It was the best potato I've had in decades, if ever, with crispy skin I HAD to eat. I wonder if they coat their potatoes in lard? They're that good. I speculated at the time that it was probably as bad for me as a burger, and I finally looked up the numbers today. It's actually worse for you than a burger by 200 calories. And almost as bad as the delicious (but very, very bad) cheeseburger I love. I ate said evil cheeseburger for lunch.
So, a healthy dinner was called for. I was fascinated with the art of the perfect baked potato, so I bought a couple to experiment with, along with some turkey from Whole Food's prepped food area. The potatoes turned out well, if not quite as crispy as the ones I made a few days back. It seems like those had slightly thicker skins, even though they were all Russets. Baking at 425 for an hour, coated in olive oil and a little salt seems to work consistently, if not always perfectly.
The turkey, however, was awful. Perhaps I should have anticipated that white turkey meat, sliced and left in a display cooler all day might not be terribly moist, but, well, I expect nice grocery stores to sell food that doesn't suck. The purported "chipolte" and "apricot" flavors were invisible, so I supplemented by slathering the meat with some peach/prosecco jam and some Marie Sharp's. Of course, I grabbed the "hot" bottle instead of the "mild" MS by accident (we have at least four varieties floating around in the fridge), so the turkey also made me cry.
I also had a glass of carignan with my meal. WF's wine selection is absurdly overpriced, even compared to Central Market, so I was ecstatic to find an old vine French red for under $7/bottle. I know most people dislike carignane except as a blending grape, but it's actually one of my favorites. This particular one is so generically labeled it doesn't really have a name ("Carignan, vin de pays d'aude 2006"). I was surprised at the structure, considering it's a few years old- it tasted like vinegar until it got some air, then opened up into a very tannic, tart wine with cranberry and smoky flavors. Sort of what pinot noir might taste like if it weren't so damned watery and soft.
I've become addicted to baked potatoes lately, mostly due to a serendipitous run-in with them at Beck's Prime a few weeks back. I love their burgers, but I was trying to be healthy and ordered a massive, delicious stuffed potato instead. It was the best potato I've had in decades, if ever, with crispy skin I HAD to eat. I wonder if they coat their potatoes in lard? They're that good. I speculated at the time that it was probably as bad for me as a burger, and I finally looked up the numbers today. It's actually worse for you than a burger by 200 calories. And almost as bad as the delicious (but very, very bad) cheeseburger I love. I ate said evil cheeseburger for lunch.
So, a healthy dinner was called for. I was fascinated with the art of the perfect baked potato, so I bought a couple to experiment with, along with some turkey from Whole Food's prepped food area. The potatoes turned out well, if not quite as crispy as the ones I made a few days back. It seems like those had slightly thicker skins, even though they were all Russets. Baking at 425 for an hour, coated in olive oil and a little salt seems to work consistently, if not always perfectly.
The turkey, however, was awful. Perhaps I should have anticipated that white turkey meat, sliced and left in a display cooler all day might not be terribly moist, but, well, I expect nice grocery stores to sell food that doesn't suck. The purported "chipolte" and "apricot" flavors were invisible, so I supplemented by slathering the meat with some peach/prosecco jam and some Marie Sharp's. Of course, I grabbed the "hot" bottle instead of the "mild" MS by accident (we have at least four varieties floating around in the fridge), so the turkey also made me cry.
I also had a glass of carignan with my meal. WF's wine selection is absurdly overpriced, even compared to Central Market, so I was ecstatic to find an old vine French red for under $7/bottle. I know most people dislike carignane except as a blending grape, but it's actually one of my favorites. This particular one is so generically labeled it doesn't really have a name ("Carignan, vin de pays d'aude 2006"). I was surprised at the structure, considering it's a few years old- it tasted like vinegar until it got some air, then opened up into a very tannic, tart wine with cranberry and smoky flavors. Sort of what pinot noir might taste like if it weren't so damned watery and soft.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
HomemadeTurkey Dinner
For dinner, I had a yummy home-cooked meal courtesy of my great-aunt and grandmother. Said great-aunt is visiting from NH, and loves to cook. I love her cooking, so dinner was awesome.
They roasted a huge turkey and made delicious gravy. I dislike gravy, but theirs was really flavorful. Apparently, part of the secret is to make a broth with the giblets and add it to the pan drippings. I'm also curious to try this as a shortcut to broth-making, or maybe as an additional step in making stock to enhance flavor. Sides included mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and salad. Dessert was a store-bought triple chocolate cake with ice cream. Everything was very tasty, and made with lots of love.
They roasted a huge turkey and made delicious gravy. I dislike gravy, but theirs was really flavorful. Apparently, part of the secret is to make a broth with the giblets and add it to the pan drippings. I'm also curious to try this as a shortcut to broth-making, or maybe as an additional step in making stock to enhance flavor. Sides included mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and salad. Dessert was a store-bought triple chocolate cake with ice cream. Everything was very tasty, and made with lots of love.
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