Stuffed Chicken

Crispy Potatoes - Yum

One Big Stuffed Chicken!

We were at McCall’s Meat and Fish. They had prepared a Boned Stuffed Chicken. We never saw that before. It made for a very easy dinner. We simply baked it and served with Oven-Roasted Potatoes Patate al Forno. The recipe for the Potatoes can be found on our blog of: April 10, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe. I hope they have more ready to heat and serve dishes!

Steak

It was time to grill some Steaks again! We bought 40 day Dry aged rib-eye steaks from McCall's Meat and Fish. We needed our meat fix. We grilled the steaks and accompanied them with Oven-Roasted Potatoes (Patate al Forno) from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. These potatoes are exceptionally crispy (especially if you overbake them a little). You can find the recipe on our blog of: August 10, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

With the potatoes we served Foil Baked Onions with Soy Sauce from The Japanese Grill by Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat. You can get the recipe from our blog of: August 8, 2016. Click the date to get the recipe.

After letting the steak rest we sliced it down and served it over Arugula and Balsamic Vinegar. Delicious!

Best way to get Cholesterol Ever!

Can you top this?

Oh my! What a dinner. Cheese Platter, 40-Day Dry Aged Steaks from McCall's Meat and Fish, Fresh Corn on the Cob, Tomato Salad with home made Pesto and Burrata Cheese,  Oven Roasted Potatoes and Peach Pie!

We like our Steaks on the rare side. It works out pretty excellently for a 1 inch thick steak if you grill them for about 6 minutes on one side and flip and 4 minutes on the other side. Remove from the heat, let them rest uncovered for about 10 minutes then slice to serve. We like serving them over Arugula that is been dressed with a little Balsamic Vinegar.

The recipe for the Pesto Sauce can be found on our blog of: July 30, 2016. Click the date to get the recipe.

Oven-Roasted Potatoes (Patate al Forno) recipe is from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. These potatoes are exceptionally crispy (especially if you overbake them a little). You can find the recipe on our blog of: August 10, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

Burp! This is as good as it gets!

Best Steak Ever!

We purchased two thick Dry-Aged 40 days Rib-Eye Steaks from McCall’s Meat and Fish. They were beautiful! We planned to have them and then maybe have some leftovers. Tom and Scott stopped by and joined us for dinner. It turned out the 2 steaks served four of us and then I had plenty of meat leftover for steak sandwiches (and to give to the cats). The meat was so rich you didn’t have to eat a lot (but we did). We like the meat on the rare side, I grilled them on one side for 8 minutes then flipped and did 6 minutes on the other side. I didn’t even need to use a thermometer to know they were done.

We started with a Tomato Salad with Burrata Cheese that our friend Guillermo had brought  from Italy especially for us. It was much richer than the Burrata we buy locally.  I purchased the Tomatoes at the farmers market (where I also bought the Corn). Basil is in season so I bought several bunches and made fresh Pesto from a New York Times recipe.

Cathy made the best crispy potatoes - the recipe is called Oven-Roasted Potatoes Patate al Forno from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. Fantastic! They were like French Fries without the oil. You can get the recipe from our blog of: April 10, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

Scott brought a very light and rich Cake from a Japanese bakery.

Basic Pesto

New York Times

Pesto is a mouthful of bright summer — basil made more so. You can buy it in a jar or in the refrigerator section of your grocery story, but there is nothing better than making it yourself. Fresh basil can be found in abundance at farmers’ markets in the summer. Just clean, take the stems off and throw the leaves in a food processor with nuts and garlic. Dribble in the oil and you’ve got a versatile sauce for pasta, chicken or fish.

Ingredients

2       cups fresh basil leaves (no stems)

2       tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts

2       large cloves garlic

½      cup extra-virgin olive oil

½      cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Combine basil leaves, pine nuts or walnuts and garlic in a food processor and process until very finely minced.

2. With the machine running slowly dribble in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth.

3. Add the cheese and process very briefly, just long enough to combine. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Steak and Potatoes

We purchased a dry-aged Rib Eye bone-in from McCall’s Meat and Fish. It was a beautiful cut of meat.

We love the steak at Mozza Osteria. The recipe for Dry-Rubbed Rib Eye can be found In our blog of March 20, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe. The Dry Rub that we use is made from Porcinis that are hand mashed in a mortar and pestle. It is quite laborious but will build up your arms. Luckily we found that Spice Station of Silverlake has dried porcinis and will grind them for us!

This is a FABULOUS Dry Rub. Try it you will not go back to just grilling a steak, I guarantee it!

We served the steak with a great potato recipe for Oven-Roasted Potatoes from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. The potatoes are easy to make and because they bake in a cast iron pan they get very crispy. Yum! Here are two great recipes!


Oven-Roasted Potatoes Patate al Forno
From The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Italy relishes the roasted potato, but few recipes achieve quite this degree of crispness and flavor. The key to success here is roasting the potato it at high heat, covered with a light film of olive oil. Although the process requires attention, it can be done ahead; the potatoes reheat well just before serving.
[Serves 6 to 8]

4 pounds medium-size red-skinned potatoes
6 to 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 fresh sage leaves and/or 3-inch sprig of fresh rosemary
2 ounces pancetta, chopped (optional)

Method

Working Ahead: The potatoes can be roasted early in the day. Leave them uncovered at room temperature; do not refrigerate. Reheat in a 400°F oven about 15 minutes. Finished potatoes can be held in a 200"F oven 20 minutes before serving.

Precooking the Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 °F. While the oven is heating, scrub the potatoes. Place them in a 6-quart pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a strong boil. Cook 8 minutes, or until barely tender. Drain them in a colander, and rinse with cold water to cool them down. Then quarter the potatoes but do not peel them.

Roasting the Potatoes: Use a thick metal roasting pan or a shallow enameled cast-iron baking dish large enough to hold the potatoes in almost a single layer. Spread the potatoes in the pan, and sprinkle them with 5 tablespoons of the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Turn the pieces with two wooden spatulas to coat with the oil. Slip the pan into the oven and roast the potatoes, turning them often but
gently, 40 minutes, or until they begin to color. Sprinkle in the rest of the olive oil, the herbs, and the pancetta if desired. Turn the potatoes frequently as you roast them another 30 to 40 minutes, or until they are very crisp and cooked to a deep golden brown.

Serving: Keep the potatoes warm in a low oven before serving, but do not hold them more than 20 minutes. If you are making them ahead, remove them from the oven and cool, uncovered, to room temperature.