Cooking - That's creative right?

[Nom_de_Plume]

Ok so I'm not an artist, writer, sculptor or anything else but there are a couple creative hobbies I enjoy and one of them is cooking.
I don't presently own a camera (I'm hoping for one this birthday)
Anyhoo, I really really enjoy cooking and like making fairly complicated meals that friends and family will oooh and ahhh over (I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one on LOR who cooks)
So I figured this would be a good place for all us creative foodies to post our recipes and hopefully pictures of them.
This weekend I'm having a dinner party, which is the only time I really cook anything elaborate - my husband is a food philistine and thinks KD with some fried ground beef and salsa added is a delectable meal *shudder*

Oh right forgot to add what I'm cooking
Appetizer is: terrine de foies de volaille with toasted french rounds (chicken liver pà¢té)
Soup: French onion with smoked gruyà¨re
Main: rosemary braised lamb shanks, garlic roasted potatoes, red pepper/garlic grilled winter squash.
I want to do something with pears for dessert.
I was thinking of a mild cheese stuffed baked pear (maybe brandy???)
with maybe a carmel/pecan drizzle???
Cheese I was thinking of was taleggio, but I do have some brie, and blue on hand if you guys think that would go better
Dunno any suggestions?

 

[Laurens]

It can be creative (unless you're just microwaving a ready meal)

I often like messing around and improvising whilst cooking, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I eat it anyway.

 

[Nom_de_Plume]

It can be creative (unless you're just microwaving a ready meal)

I often like messing around and improvising whilst cooking, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I eat it anyway.

Cool Laurens, when I cook something and it doesn't turn out I feed it to my chickens. I won't eat stuff that I don't like.
I've been thinking more about my dinner party, and I think I'm just going to go with a simple wine poached pear.
I got given a lovely bottle of Pinot Noir from a customer last week that seems to have a nice raspberry undertone which will be interesting.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

It is almost like you've been reading my blog recently... :lol:

Tonight is some ropa vieja with spanish rice, and I've got some leftover tortillas that I can fry up and dump cinnamon and sugar on for dessert? I've got some queso blanco and olives that would make a good appetizer.

 

[Nom_de_Plume]

It is almost like you've been reading my blog recently... :lol:

Tonight is some ropa vieja with spanish rice, and I've got some leftover tortillas that I can fry up and dump cinnamon and sugar on for dessert? I've got some queso blanco and olives that would make a good appetizer.

More than recently, it was actually your food portion that initially attracted me to your blog all those months ago
I know I'm totally spoiled with my access to interesting stuff as well, between what I grow myself plus what my friends/customers grow or make I can source nearly every ingredient locally/ethically grown. I spend a wack of my time in the fall canning up stuff so I can use it year round.

 

[Your Funny Uncle]

Tomorrow I'm going to make a chicken and chorizo paella (I'm not too fond of seafood). It's my own recipe which I figured out by looking at a few different paella recipes and choosing the bits that I liked the look of!

 

[ImprobableJoe]

Tomorrow I'm going to make a chicken and chorizo paella (I'm not too fond of seafood). It's my own recipe which I figured out by looking at a few different paella recipes and choosing the bits that I liked the look of!

My problem with seafood is that it doesn't work so well as leftovers. And I'm having a hard time finding a relatively mild chorizo... I like sausage a whole lot, but too much chorizo overpowers everything else.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

Ropa Vieja!

 

[Nom_de_Plume]

Nice!
I'm pretty sure I've never had that.
I haven't eaten or cooked a lot of spanishy type food.

Once I get a camera I'll be able to post pics of mine, my blackberry takes crappy assed pics so it's a waste of time.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

Nice!
I'm pretty sure I've never had that.
I haven't eaten or cooked a lot of spanishy type food.

Once I get a camera I'll be able to post pics of mine, my blackberry takes crappy assed pics so it's a waste of time.

Well, that's the first time I had it, and I realized how unimpressive it is fancy name and all. If you've ever made Swiss steak or even beef stew you've got the general gist of it. Instead of salt and pepper, it is adobo, cumin, and ancho chili powder... plus some red wine. Although I guess you should add a bit of wine to the Swiss steak and beef stew as well.

I sort of under-salted the meat a bit, because I'm making tacos out of the leftovers on Taco Sunday.

 

[Nom_de_Plume]

Well, that's the first time I had it, and I realized how unimpressive it is fancy name and all. If you've ever made Swiss steak or even beef stew you've got the general gist of it. Instead of salt and pepper, it is adobo, cumin, and ancho chili powder... plus some red wine. Although I guess you should add a bit of wine to the Swiss steak and beef stew as well.

I sort of under-salted the meat a bit, because I'm making tacos out of the leftovers on Taco Sunday.

I was planning on Taco's this sunday as well. I don't have "taco sundays" or anything I just make them when the mood strikes me.
Although I only make them when I have a day off as the flour tortillas take me too long to make on a work day and I've yet to find a decent way to store them so they don't dry out.(or worse, stick together)
If anyone has tips on how to make them the day before I'd be eternally grateful.
I ground up a couple of 17ish lbs turkeys today (which I use quite often in place of ground beef) and froze it up into nice meal (for 3) sized balls.

 

[Your Funny Uncle]

Well, that's the first time I had it, and I realized how unimpressive it is fancy name and all.

You do realise that "ropa vieja" means "old clothes", right?

 

[ImprobableJoe]

Well, that's the first time I had it, and I realized how unimpressive it is fancy name and all.

You do realise that "ropa vieja" means "old clothes", right?

Yep, but in Spanish it sounds impressive!

Here's tonight's meal, stuffed peppers and roasted potatoes:

 

[Nom_de_Plume]

stuffed with what, Joe?
I have 50 minutes til my dinner guests arrive, my house smells awesome.
Just enough time to hop in the tub so I don't look like I've been drudging in the kitchen all day.

 

[Your Funny Uncle]

Here's the second helping I had of my paella. It was rather yummy...

 

[Nom_de_Plume]

never had that... what's in it Funny Uncle

 

[Your Funny Uncle]

never had that... what's in it Funny Uncle

In mine? Bomba paella rice (you might be able to get away with risotto rice) chorizo, chicken, onions, peppers, peas, saffron, paprika, small packet of chopped tomamoes, white wine, chicken stock,, fresh parsley, quartered limes or lemons...

I believe the original recipe from Valencia features rabbit, and often you get paellas with prawns and other seafood added. It's quite like a risotto except that you don't stir it, adding the stock bit by bit, you add all of it at once and leave it to be absorbed by the rice without stirring.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

stuffed with what, Joe?

Ground sirloin, cheese, breadcrumbs, minced onion.

 

[Nom_de_Plume]

Awesome, thanks guys. I might give those a try soon.

Dinner party was a success, and everything turned out exactly as I'd hoped. I'm so glad I went with the simple wine poached pears as we were all pretty full still by the time coffee dessert was served.

No pictures unfortunately.

But I went online and ordered a nice little camera for myself last night.
a Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2MP Digital SLR Camera With 18-55 IS with a EF 75-300mm USM Lens Kit
I ordered it in red cuz I've never owned a red camera before.
It should be here in about 10 days.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

Here's the second helping I had of my paella. It was rather yummy...

Looks good!