What meal/food is your specialty - the one that you whip out for special occasions because you know you're damn good at making it?
I have 2 or 3. I make a really mean Beef Stroganoff, and my Tarragon Chicken over Mirepoix and Parmesan Orzo is pretty damn tasty too. But my ultimate meal is an onion and mushroom risotto. I don't mind saying that I haven't ever tasted anything better. The key is to experiment with different types of mushrooms. They really are ignored too much. I generally use a agaricus augustus mushroom, but that's only because I know someone who grows them! And if you want to be ridiculous you can even add truffles to it. My wife likes to have garlic mushrooms and sprinkle some pine nuts over it.
I do a great line in shrimp/chicken with Tortellini.
I must say, my cheese on toast is pretty damn fantastic too.
Steak and Guinness pie and bread and butter pudding.
Actually, I like being good at the whole English/Irish meals, as most of the American people I have over for dinner don't know what it should taste like, so if it all goes Pete Tong, my guests are none the wiser! wink
Good old roast dinner with all the trimmings, chili, cheese and onion quiche, chicken kiev, steak and mushroom pie, sausage plait, fish and chips.
My famous desserts include trifle, pavlova and no-bake cherry cheesecake.
Debs x )
Chilli con Carne but I can also do a very good Sunday roast type meal. I torment folks at work by bringing in previously cooked, home-made chilli and heating it in the microwave in our break room, then strategically wafting the condensation so that it lingers in the room and neighbouring corridor. Then they get to heat up their ramen noodles or cup a soup.
Curry obviously but then it's hard to go wrong with a meal designed to disguise the taste of rotten meat wink
Thai coconut chicken
Fajitas (with home made salsa and guac)
Tiramasu renamed tiramastew by a friend
Things I cook well
Fajitas and Tacos
Proper roast with all the trimmings
English breakfast (or at least as close as one can get with Amurrican ingredients)
Barbeque chicken and steak
Chicken-fried steak
Pizza
Spag Bol
Things I don't cook well
Everything else roll
I can turn my hand to pretty much everything but as a signature dish it would probably have to be chilli or a good English roast. An English roast works especially well on American guests. My roast taters are the talk of NH.
Too many to list in all truthfulness...
I try to cook based on what I can get fresh locally and with such an abundance of good vegetables, seafood and so forth, end even though we tend to make a menu, it can change simply because we come across vegetables that look so inviting I decide to make something else.
For example, the local organic supermarket had green garlic, something that doesn't happen very often, so we bought all of it! So on the way back from seeing Ginger I called at the ranch where I can get free (and fresh - still warm) chickens and voila, tonight we'll have roasted chicken with green garlic, and a nice butter lettuce salad, and a francese bought from Gayles (local French/European bakery)..
I agree with you though Bungle, many mushrooms are overlooked.
Fortunately in the forest behind where Ginger is located there are wild chantrelles...yum
Andrew )
I'm interested to know how you make your mushroom& onion risotto Bungle
No probs.
You are going to need
1 Cup Chopped Onion - go for a sweet one like your standard Vidalia
2-3 garlic cloves (depends if you really like garlic) minced. Well, I tend to crush them and sort of mince them - I like big chunks of garlic!
1 cup sliced green onion
8-10 ounces mushrooms - if you don't want to pay premium dollar for really good shrooms just use about 12 button one,s a pay for a few wild ones. Porcini's are good - just get about a cup of dried ones then soak till nice and big.
2 cups of broth - I go for half mush/chicken but vege or just mushroom is fine.
1/2 cup of cheese - pick one you really like. Easiest is feta cuz it crumbles easily, is easy to get and is fairly cheap. But the beauty of it is it gives you an excuse to try out loads of diff cheeses.
1/4 cup parmesan - the key is get good parmesan.
1/3-1/2 cup of chopped parsley
OPTIONAL - 1 mined leek.
OPTIONAL - 1 hot pepper.
1 and half cups of Arborio rice
Do this
In one pan bring the broth slowly to a simmering.
If you want to do the leek, then in a big pan saute the leek for about 5 mins. Then add the garlic, green onion, and the sweet onion (and if you like a tang the hot pepper) for a little while (maybe a min or two). Now brown the mushrooms for about 1 min then throw in the rice for another minute and keep stirring. Now one cup at a time cook in your broth. KEEP STIRRING all the time until the broth is absorbed. Taste after about 15 mins to see what firmness your rice is - you might not need to use all the broth but it'll be around 2 cups. When the rice is good (al dente) take off the heat. Now throw in half of your cheeses, and all the parsley and mix it all up. All done - all you have left if you want is some cheese to throw on top. If you like it cheesier throw it all in at once.
Like Manc, I do fine toasted cheese sandwiches....well, actually grilled with onion...fantastic.
The other thing I can't seem to fail at is making superb mashed potatoes....my wife loves them. Good job too seeing as I spent all saturday at her folks' place planting rows and rows of them.
I don't consider myself to have a special dish, but when I go to potlucks (as I am within the hour), I always, and am expected to, take "eight layer dip". I think I did it for the first time about 10 years ago, and was then requested to do this again and again. I don't think I make a particularly mean eight layer dip, but I seem to be expected to do something septic for some reason.
When we have people over for Sunday lunch, we just do a pretty standard roast. If we have people over less formally, it's often chile con carne (with rice!) or beef bourguignon - both of which I just cook in advance and let sit in the slow cooker.
OPTIONAL - 1 mined leek.
Aha! So that's where they get them from in Wales eh?
Good recipe Bungle!
A :)
I've just realized I've left out one of the most important ingredients for that risotto!!! White wine! Chuck in a glass (or if you are lucky enough to be able to buy a can of it at tesco - 1 can) of wine with the rice and before the stock. Tastes much much better than without it.