Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[jpalbny]

6 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

what's a toque?

 

Le chapeau 

[Fletcher]

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Well, not quite, yet!  We did a dry run tonight for our main meal on Christmas Day.  We have decided it will be just the two of us, no matter what Mr Covid says. So goodbye turkey, goodbye goose . . . hello venison. Done in the style of the Duke of Wellington.  We can get loins of red deer at this time of year and we make a duxelles mixture, lay that on parma ham and wrap the seared loin in shop-bought all-butter puff pastry.  This turned out far better than we hoped so we will plan this for Christmas Day, served with as fine a wine as we think reasonable, maybe Tignanello.  Tonight we served it with pommes dauphinoise, basic peas and an American merlot but on Christmas Day I'll make a proper port wine sauce as well.  

[mysty]

39 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

what's a toque?

 

Voila the toque...

 

[Lois R]

37 minutes ago, Fletcher said:

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Well, not quite, yet!  We did a dry run tonight for our main meal on Christmas Day.  We have decided it will be just the two of us, no matter what Mr Covid says. So goodbye turkey, goodbye goose . . . hello venison. Done in the style of the Duke of Wellington.  We can get loins of red deer at this time of year and we make a duxelles mixture, lay that on parma ham and wrap the seared loin in shop-bought all-butter puff pastry.  This turned out far better than we hoped so we will plan this for Christmas Day, served with as fine a wine as we think reasonable, maybe Tignanello.  Tonight we served it with pommes dauphinoise, basic peas and an American merlot but on Christmas Day I'll make a proper port wine sauce as well.  

This looks SPECTACULOR😃

[zqtchas]

[jpalbny]

11 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

 

Not for lack of trying!

[jpalbny]

Lardons of guanciale, and fresh peeled tomatoes. 

 

 

 

Any idea what's for dinner tonight? Hoping to have pictures of the finished product in a bit.

 

[QueSeraSera]

I thought Chas' pic of Canadian name turned out rather good Mysty.  Not sure I want to see a photo of Moose Cheesecurd though.

Fletcher's dinner looks superb.  JP - Italian tonight I'm guessing...

[mysty]

5 minutes ago, QueSeraSera said:

I thought Chas' pic of Canadian name turned out rather good Mysty.  Not sure I want to see a photo of Moose Cheesecurd though.

 

 

Sorry Que...this is the best I could come up with for Moose Cheesecurd.....😁

 

[SteveH2508]

3 hours ago, Fletcher said:

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Well, not quite, yet!  We did a dry run tonight for our main meal on Christmas Day.  We have decided it will be just the two of us, no matter what Mr Covid says. So goodbye turkey, goodbye goose . . . hello venison. Done in the style of the Duke of Wellington.  We can get loins of red deer at this time of year and we make a duxelles mixture, lay that on parma ham and wrap the seared loin in shop-bought all-butter puff pastry.  This turned out far better than we hoped so we will plan this for Christmas Day, served with as fine a wine as we think reasonable, maybe Tignanello.  Tonight we served it with pommes dauphinoise, basic peas and an American merlot but on Christmas Day I'll make a proper port wine sauce as well.  

That sir is impressive! I might just nick that idea and give it a try.

[silkismom]

Icy Mcpuckface   Oh dear!

[Emtbsam]

3 hours ago, Fletcher said:

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Well, not quite, yet!  We did a dry run tonight for our main meal on Christmas Day.  We have decided it will be just the two of us, no matter what Mr Covid says. So goodbye turkey, goodbye goose . . . hello venison. Done in the style of the Duke of Wellington.  We can get loins of red deer at this time of year and we make a duxelles mixture, lay that on parma ham and wrap the seared loin in shop-bought all-butter puff pastry.  This turned out far better than we hoped so we will plan this for Christmas Day, served with as fine a wine as we think reasonable, maybe Tignanello.  Tonight we served it with pommes dauphinoise, basic peas and an American merlot but on Christmas Day I'll make a proper port wine sauce as well.  

It looks great!  Tignanello is a great choice.

[QueSeraSera]

Bought this at a farmer's market, the farmer told me what it was, then we proceeded to have an enjoyable conversation about potatoes (of course!) and apples, etc.  Got in the car, drove home, and then could not remember for wife what it was.  Its not just cabbage.  My turn for dinner tomorrow night, hoping the cooler can bail me out.

 

[jpalbny]

QSS. Is it Napa Cabbage? AKA Chinese Cabbage?

 

Dinner tonight was pasta all'Amatriciana. Simple preparation of red onions sauteed with the guanciale, a splash of wine and vinegar to deglaze, then added some tomatoes and cooked it down into a sauce. It is supposed to be finished with Pecorino Romano but I used Parmigiana Reggiano insead. Oops. It's what I had.

 

 

Went well with an unusual California white. Cline Chiaro Bianco, made in clay amphorae. It is made with 100% viogner, which is the closest I could find in the wine fridge to the Greco di Tufa which the recipe suggested. A very deep color, and definitely strong enough to stand up to this dish.

 

 

It was a busy day today. We enjoyed a brief moment of sunshine this morning and went for a long walk. Since the weather stayed nice enough we decorated a few shrubs in the front yard with Christmas lights. Yeah, it's early. It still makes me feel happy. Then I changed the water in the hot tub. It's almost up to 96 degrees so we will retire there shortly. Have a great weekend everyone!

 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2020 by jpalbny

[Lois R]

Looks like it is in the lettuce family to me😀 or leafy greens!

[jollyjones]

4 hours ago, mysty said:

 

Voila the toque...

 

 

Known to the Brits as a bobble hat.

 

[Stumblefoot]

5 hours ago, Fletcher said:

…served with as fine a wine as we think reasonable, maybe Tignanello.

 

1 hour ago, Emtbsam said:

It looks great!  Tignanello is a great choice.

 

Tignanello is a winner.  I’d hate to think what you consider unreasonable though. 😁

[jillyf]

QSS, Chinese cabbage or wombok here in Australia. I make a Thai salad with it. Delicious raw, I haven’t ever cooked it but would be nice in a stir fry.  
I find it milder than drum or Savoy cabbage in a salad. 

[Stumblefoot]

6 hours ago, zqtchas said:

what's a toque?

Clearly you need to be introduced to the Canadian brothers Bob and Doug McKenzie and their "Great White North" show.

[mysty]

8 minutes ago, Stumblefoot said:

Clearly you need to be introduced to the Canadian brothers Bob and Doug McKenzie and their "Great White North" show.

 

 

I think that is an acquired taste Stumbles!  🤣

[zqtchas]

14 minutes ago, Stumblefoot said:

Clearly you need to be introduced to the Canadian brothers Bob and Doug McKenzie and their "Great White North" show.

Is that something like country music?  Or living in WV?

[zqtchas]

[jpalbny]

48 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

 

Husbands do as they are told.

[Stumblefoot]

4 hours ago, zqtchas said:

Is that something like country music?  Or living in WV?

Definitely more like living in WV. 😁

 

[lincslady]

To me the 'cabbage' looks like what I would call pak choi, though maybe a bit 'tougher' looking.

 

Toques - from what I remember my mother telling me, the word describes a hat worn mostly by grand ladies, especially Queen Mary, wife of George V, in the 20s and 30s.    It resembled a straight sided small bucket, a bit like a fez, but obviously of more glamorous materials. I don't know if anyone has old newspaper photos of Queen Mary, but I think she almost always wore one to events in the daytime.

 

Have a good, safe, day, coolers

 

Lola