Dinner for Two

Roasted Fennel on Flatbread + Olives and Raisins

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:25:02 -0500

My new favorite vegetable is fennel. In my Christmas dinner, it appeared in a salad with oranges and an orange vinaigrette. For friends’ New Year’s Eve dinner, I brought a bean and roasted fennel dip.

Tonight, it’s Grilled Fennel Flatbread with Olives and Sultanas from Food52.

This calls for making a yeast crust. Mine is underway…dough is sitting and I’m waiting.

What intrigues me about the flavors is the salty-sweet combination: olives and feta, and sultanas or golden raisins and a drizzle of honey.

This was a big hit last might with M. It was delicious. Even my crust was good. (Yeast is something I’ve not really mastered.)

Next time I might slice the fennel a little thinner.

Though as usual, I did make some changes to the recipe.

The topping is a paste of the Kalmata olives, raisins, some olive oil with fresh thyme - but I had no thyme. Spread this paste on the dough.

The recipe calls for 2 bulbs of fennel — which is really a meaningless measure. Bulbs vary in size/weight. I used just one bulb and it was plenty. Mix the sliced fennel with lemon juice, red pepper flakes (I didn’t include), Parmesan and more raisins. This mixture goes on top of the olive paste.

Top the fennel mix with more Parmesan, crumbled feta and then drizzle with honey.

Bake at 500 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The crust gets very crispy and the fennel and cheese gets browned.

This is a nice choice over pizza. It has great flavors and very sturdy crispy crust. Loved it!

Farro with Roasted Acorn Squash

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:33:10 -0500

For Thanksgiving, I bought squash and fruit to arrange in a bowl on the dining room table.

That’s over.

Time to eat them!

I found this recipe in Epicurious for roasted acorn squash mixed with farro. I like this site because the reviews can be very helpful.

While the recipe calls for cooking the farro for one hour, someone kindly points out that farro grain comes several ways. Thank you Happygoin for the following explanation.

I cook with farro often and learned about it through trial and error. Farro is sold either whole, pearled or semi-pearled. It’s important to know what type of farro you’re cooking with. Whole grain farro includes the husk of the grain, and requires pre-soaking for several hours or overnight before using. If you use whole grain farro without soaking it, it will take much longer and signficantly more liquid than your recipe may say. Pearled or semi-pearled farro requires no soaking and cooks in about 20-25 minutes. The trade-off though is fewer nutrients.

by Happygoin on 06/21/12

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/reviews/Farro-with-Acorn-Squash-and-Kale-367135#ixzz2DN9yTHfk

And I didn’t use fresh kale. I have a bag of frozen, chopped kale from Trader Joes. I banged the frozen on the edge of the counter top to break it up, and poured some into a bowl. Microwaved it for a little bit, then let it sit until I mixed it in with the squash and farro. I’m sure fresh leaves would have a different texture, but these taste just as good.

The recipe is a bit like making risotto. But since I have pearled farro, I’m not standing over the pot stirring slavishly.

The squash is soft but the grains of farro are a little chewy — nice contrast. Toasting the grains comes through in the flavor, too. It’s worth doing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 21:19:31 -0500

There Will be Tarts....and Potatoes -- Thanksgiving

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:13:00 -0500

Again this year our friends RO and SRO invited us for Thanksgiving…a feast for 18.

Yesterday, I picked up C and her friend T from the train. This morning with some of their help, I’ve been making my dinner contributions for tomorrow.

I started with tarts for desert. These mini-tartlets are only 2-3 bites each. This is a recipe from Fine Cooking from long ago. I made three varieties: pumpkin, pecan and cranberry-pear.

My desert contribution is complete. Maybe I’ll whip some whipping cream for the pumpkin tarts tomorrow.

Next, the girls peeled the 6 pounds of potatoes for Melissa Clark’s

mashed potato casserole. I made this last Thanksgiving It was a hit, and an easy way to have mashed potatoes without the last minute work. Great to bring when someone else is hosting the feast.

It’s not beautiful in the photo. The specks are chopped chives. No crumbs on top, and it hasn’t been baked yet. It’s waiting in the fridge till tomorrow. It will finish at SRO’s — baking for about 30 minutes.

For today my work is done!

Pasta with Dried Mushrooms & Asparagus

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 18:59:12 -0500

Another make-it-up-on-the-spot dinner. I have the ingredients…just can’t find a recipe that uses them all!

I have some fresh asparagus, dried mushrooms, a shallot and dried pappardelle.

I’ve made a portobello mushroom creamy pasta, so I’m using that recipe as a guide.

Soak the dried mushrooms and save that mushroom water. Blanch the asparagus then cut stalks into smaller pieces.

Saute the re-hydrated mushrooms in butter and oil. After a bit, add the sliced shallot. Saute a few more minutes and then add a cup of beef broth and the mushroom water, about a cup of that, so two cups of liquid total. Then add a small amount of sherry, salt, pepper and thyme — building flavor. Let this simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus pieces and let them cook till tender — a couple of minutes more.

I’m adding a little milk and 1/2 & 1/2 to give the sauce very little creaminess.

Boil the pasta until it is not quite done. Strain and add to the pan of mushroom sauce to cook it till it’s tender.

From pantry to table - just under a half an hour. Thinking on my feet tonight!

Seconds tasted even better — the pasta absorbed more of the sauce, delicious.

Curried Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 06:01:17 -0500

I have to quickly put a dinner together. It’s cold outside. So, it will be soup.

I have lots of carrots. (My 5 pound bag survived the Super Storm Sandy.) And I bought a few sweet potatoes today.

I’m working from this recipe from Food52. Curried Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup From my quick search of recipes online, many comments about sweet potato soup was that it was a little tasteless. Curry is the answer.

I don’t have curry paste that the recipe calls for, just curry powder. I’m using 2 heaping teaspoons with the onions. I use Penzeys Spices Sweet Curry Powder, “spicy and rich, not hot.”

Carrots and sweet potatoes sauteing in with the onion and curry.

Surprisingly, I even have coconut milk! A can has been lurking in the pantry for awhile.

I’ve got Trader Joes frozen Indian bread, Tandoor Naan, and a box of vegetable samosas. Nice!

Wonderful taste and texture! Am adding this to the regular rotation!

Zucchini Bread

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 10:44:04 -0400

Monday, October 29, 2012

This morning waiting for the worst of Hurricane Sandy (aka Hybrid Storm, Frankenstorm, etc.).

Looking through the refrigerator with the possibility of loosing power, I saw a big zucchini from the farmers’ market. How it got lost for so long, I can’t claim to not know. It is my refrigerator after all!

First thing, I made a zucchini bread. Two cups grated was needed for the Silver Palate recipe, and the one lone zucchini provided that and a tiny bit more. Perfect.

Fresh out of the oven.

Once it cools a bit, I’ll make a cup of tea and enjoy a slice!

Roasted Chicken on Acorn Squash

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 06:00:39 -0400

A perfect fall dinner from Melissa Clark, New York Times Wednesday Oct. 24, 2012, Roasted Chicken on Delicata Squash. My vegetable bed is acorn squash.

This was soooo easy, and has lots of flavor. I used thighs and drumsticks. Put them in a bowl so you can mix them with the seasonings and oil. Salt and pepper of course, sage and she called for coriander seed. I had none, so did without.

Let this sit. She says 30 minutes. Whatever works for you.

She tops the chicken pieces in the oven with slices of lemon that are first blanched quickly (dropped into boiling water for a couple of minutes). Doing this seems like it’s worth skipping, but it really does make the rind less bitter. Strain and add them to the chicken in the bowl.

Next, do follow this other tip of her’s that does make a difference in the flavor. She mixes the squash slices in maple syrup. But first she boils it for a couple of minutes with butter and chili powder. She says this is something chefs do to concentrate the flavor. I thought it was worth it once I tasted the squash.

Ready to assemble now. Spread the squash around as the bottom layer. Put the chicken pieces on top. Then put the lemon pieces on the chicken.

Roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then put on top sliced scallions. I had none so did without. Then bake another 20 minutes.

Not one of my finer pictures. I was busy eating and lost track of the need for one!

Check out the video embedded int the article, it is very helpful, too.

I totally recommend this dish. The squash was delicious. It was very flavorful. Yes, the flavor is maple syrup, what’s not to like! Because these are thin slices - 1/4 inch or so, the flavors really penetrate the squash.

I think I’m going to get more chicken tomorrow. Have plenty of squash. Want to make this again on Sunday, before the hurricane hits!

Sofrito

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 06:00:43 -0400

This is just a building block for a future dish.

I discovered this a couple of years ago when I was making dinner for a dozen friends to celebrate MS’s birthday. I knew I want to make a Porto Rican pork shoulder that is slow roasted, covered in a mash of garlic and seasonings. Easy and delicious.

Then I went hunting for the right side dishes. It had to be rice and beans, but I wanted something authentic. It couldn’t be just boiled white rice and heated up canned black beans.

From Daisy Martinez, I found a recipe for Yellow Rice with Corn. Lot’s of flavor additions: Achiote oil (you make it by heating oil with annatto seeds), pimento stuffed olives, cumin, bay leaves, and Sofrito.

Don’t know that you can buy Sofrito, I’m sure I’m wrong, but the recipe is included with the rice recipe.

Sofrito is fresh ingredients chopped up in your food processor. Store in your refrigerator if you’ll use it right away - up to 3 days. Or freeze it.

Sofrito Ingredients:

onions

Italian frying peppers or cubanelle

lots of garlic cloves

a bunch of cilantro

ripe tomatoes

a bell pepper

And if you’re wary of cilantro, don’t be. It’s taken me a long time to get used to the flavor. But once everything is chopped up, it isn’t overpowering.

When you use Sofrito in a dish, you will saute it first which takes down the taste of the cilantro, too.

Six cups of Sofrito in individual containers are ready for the freezer, and the next time I make Yellow Rice and Corn with a pork roast. Soon, very soon!

BOO! I'm Back - Dinner and Halloween Dessert

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:41:26 -0400

It’s been way too long, I know.

I’ve heard from many of you, “How’s your blog?” ”Are you eating anymore?”

Well, since it is fall, I’m making my first squash soup. The recipe is from our friend SD. I know I posted this before, but you might be inclined to give it a try now.

Butternut Squash Soup

Cut in half and clean out the seeds. Season generously with salt and pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and top with a pat of butter or so. Roast in a 400 degree oven, till tender. Anywhere from 45-60 minutes. This will depend on the size of the squash.

While that’s roasting, dice half an onion, and a whole Granny Smith apple. I used a Jonathan tonight, that’s what I had. Sautee with a little butter or olive oil.

After squash is done and cool enough to handle, cut it into chunks and put into a blender. Add the sauteed onion and apple, and a cup or more of vegetable or chicken stock. Blend till smooth. Return to the pot, add more stock, heat and eat.

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

Last Friday, my dear friend SRO and I made these Candy Corn Cookies to send to the daughters at college.

They are really easy. They may look complicated, but you don’t need lots of baking expertise.

Make sugar cookie dough. I like Alton Brown’s. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sugar-cookies-recipe/index.html

Divide the dough into thirds.

I use paste food coloring. Dye 1/3 orange, and 1/3 yellow. Keep the last third just as it is.

Use a loaf pan to layer the dough and let it chill in the refrigerator, or fast track in the freezer.

Line the empty loaf pan with plastic wrap, wax paper, parchment, whatever you like. This will help you lift the dough out after it has chilled.

Start with the plain white dough, press it into the bottom of the pan. Next do the same with the orange, and finish with the yellow.

We did a version substituting the yellow with brown.

Chill the dough till it’s firm enough to cut into ¼ inch slices.

Take a slice and cut it into triangles – candy corn pieces!

Here’s the link to the Land O Lakes recipe and video where you can see exactly how to layer and cut the dough. http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/1542/sparkling-candy-corn-cookies

After they’re baked and still warm, roll in sugar. They really look nicer with the sugar.

Waiting to hear how the girls like them!

Dinner: Sunday, May 6 2012

Mon, 07 May 2012 14:37:02 -0400

It’s been awhile. I keep making dinners I’ve already posted about. No need to bore you. You really don’t want to hear about another quiche!

Yesterday, I walked my very first race, the Long Branch Half Marathon. When I got home with some very tired muscles, I wanted to make a celebratory dinner.

What better than a steak! This was my opportunity to try the Nathan Myhrvold modernist cuisine recipe for cooking steak created for Melissa Clark at the NY Times. Seared frozen steak

(I tried the salmon submerged in warm water technique a few months ago, and was thrilled with the results.)

This procedure is easy and doesn’t resemble any other way you’ve made a steak before.

Start by putting your steak on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer for an hour. You do this, in part to get a totally flat surface for searing.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.

Heat a cast iron skillet till very hot…10 minutes. Salt and pepper the meat. Put oil in pan, heat and sear only one side of the steak and the edges. You want a crispy, browned crust.

Put the steak on a baking pan and put into the 200 degree oven. Ready for the oven.

The recipe called for the steak to reach an internal temp of 122 degrees if you wanted rare meat. My steak was about 1” thick while the recipe is based on a 1 ½” steak.

After 30 minutes, I took the temperature and it was way beyond 122 degrees on my thermometer. Thermometer misplacement perhaps.

I let the steak sit for 10 minutes.

Then I sliced into it. No running juices, maybe because I was patient enough.

It was perfectly rare, from top to bottom.

The steak was delicious. A porterhouse. This technique is wonderful. With this technique, I don’t think you could overcook steak if you check it often enough. It can’t run away from you.

My half marathon celebration dinner…fresh asparagus and leftover risotto. All prepared and eaten in less time than it took me to walk the 13.1 miles!

Dinner: Wednesday April 4, 2012

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:31:58 -0400

Lately, I’ve been making the usuals for dinner, nothing to blog about. Many times, I’ve already written about a particular recipe or meal.

Tonight is one of those meals: Pasta with Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, a recipe from the New York Times. It can’t be any easier.

At Trader Joe’s I got these heirloom cherry tomatoes. And that’s why I posted tonight’s dinner.

Don’t they look wonderful?

Pour on olive oil on the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar. Cover with bread crumbs and grated Parmesan. Put into a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Ready for the pasta!

Dinner: Tuesday March 27, 2012

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:00:17 -0400

Tonight I’m making a spinach ricotta pie for dinner. Thought I’d do a frittata, but when I was going through my recipe book I saw this. I have not made it in ages.

Easy!!!! And I don’t follow the recipe. First, I just don’t put this mixture into a pie crust as called for. The filling reminds me of a cheese layer in lasagna. No need of a crust for that flavor.

One 15 oz. package of ricotta cheese, add 3 eggs, grated mozzarella cheese (but I’ve used sharp white cheddar and that was good), about 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. In addition to a package of frozen spinach, for this one I sautéed some fresh baby bella mushrooms. While this recipe does not call for it, I include sauté some onions and garlic.

Mushrooms underway

Drying out the spinach after squeezing by adding it to the onions in a hot pan.

Mixing bowl and the ricotta, waiting for everything else.

Everything is mixed and put into a 9 inch pie dish. Ready for the 350 degree oven.

After 30 - 35 minutes.

Delicious. Good for taking to work for lunch —- eminently portable.

Dinner: Monday March 19, 2012

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:57:23 -0400

Leftovers after the St. Patrick’s Day are MS’s favorite. The first re-purposed dinner is always Ruben sandwiches.

I lost track of time today, so at 6:00 I dashed out to get rye bread and horseradish for the Thousand Island dressing. But I forgot to get sauerkraut.

Oh, well. I have Swiss cheese and the leftover cabbage. I sliced it thinly and put it on the sandwiches.

The homemade Thousand Island dressing is almost the best part of this sandwich. It starts with mayonnaise. Then add chili sauce, grated onion, a little Worchestershire, and horseradish. (I always add more horseradish than the recipe calls for because we love the heat.)

The first side is complete. The leftover potatoes are heating up behind the sandwiches.

This dinner is a wonderful replay of corned beef. But sadly, CS couldn’t enjoy it with us. I took her back to school yesterday.

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2012

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:44:48 -0400

As my family and many of my friends know, I’m not big celebrator of St. Partick’s Day.

I don’t intentionally wear green. Avoid the parades. Never tasted Guinness. I let my name speak for itself.

But I do love corned beef. And cabbage that has not been boiled-to-death is delicious. Boiled potatoes and butter are divine.

For years, I bought the supermarket packaged corned beef. But I have seen the light.

The other option is infinitely better. Corn your own beef brisket. I use a recipe from Bon Appetit, March 2008.

How? Brine the brisket in a mixture of water, beer, brown sugar and spices for 8 days. Though, because I started late, my brisket only had 6 days brining in the refrigerator.

Out of the refrigerator and ready for the big pot.

I started simmering the beef about 3:30 in another spiced mixture: water, beer, bay leaves and allspice. It simmered for nearly 3 hours till it was tender.

The big experiment this St. Patrick’s Day was oven roasting the cabbage rather than steaming it. I cut a small head into 6 wedges. Oiled them lightly and then into a 425 degree oven – checking about every 10 minutes till tender – about half an hour.

I loved how the cabbage got crispy and caramelized on some edges.

The potatoes are basic and so very good, perfect with butter.

MS and CS loved it! It was a great day for anyone who loves corned beef.

Dinner: Thursday March 15, 2012

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 13:02:14 -0400

Last Saturday MS and the daughter went to New York City. They went to the Upper Westside to explore and stopped at a few favorite spots. Happily for me their visit included Zabar’s.

Among the goodies they brought back included fresh potato gnocchi and a wedge of Grana Padano Parmasan.

Tonight for the gnocchi, I’m making the easy tomato sauce from Marcel Hazan. One can (2 pounds plus) of crushed tomatoes. Add an onion cut in half, half a stick of butter, a little salt and sugar.

After 45 minutes at a simmer — transformation.

The gnocchi are ready once they pop to the surface of the boiling water.

My plate, topped by freshly grated Parmesan.

Thanks for shopping for dinner tonight M and CS!

Dinner: Monday March 12, 2012

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:44:04 -0400

Tonight is a quick dinner that I made often, but have not written about yet. I’m making homemade individual pizzas with dough from Trader Joe’s.

I like to keep a package of dough in the freezer. I cut one package (one pound) of dough into quarters, and roll each piece out on a piece of parchment paper.

Everyone gets to top it with what they want or I should say, what I have on hand. Tonight the choices are fresh or regular mozzarella, the sausage and pepper sauce from dinner the other night, and Parmesan.

Three ready to go.

CS prefers just cheese with a little oregano. For MS and me, pizzas with the sausage and peppers. And the extra one, for MS’s lunch tomorrow, is just cheese.

Two more just like these for dinner tonight and tomorrow’s lunch. I like thethin crispy crust. My favorite!

Dinners: March 5 & 9, 2012

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 12:44:33 -0500

I have some catching up to do!!

The daughter, CS, came home from college for her two-week spring break and she brought a friend. So, I’ve been cooking lots. And visiting grocery stores more often!

Some dinners have been family favorites — Roasted Chicken and Chicken Pot Pie. I didn’t take any photos.

I’ll catch up with two dinners – both recipes from Silver Palate.

Earlier this week I made chili. This covered several requirements: meat and quantity.

The college students want meat, I want leftovers.

The chili recipe is called, Chili for a Crowd. I don’t have a pot large enough to cook for a crowd, nor the refrigerator and freezer space for storage. I cut the recipe approximately in half.

I also made a judicious deletion – no black olives! (The book is from the Eighties.) I like this recipe because it uses ground beef and Italian sausage. I know for some people this is chili heresy but I don’t care. The chili police have not found me yet.

Cooking away in my large-enough pot.

I also made corn bread. I don’t have a favorite so I went to Food52 and found a winner, Double-Corn Bread with Fresh Thyme. But of course, I left out the thyme. Didn’t have any and knew the daughter wouldn’t be a fan. The bread was great, corny with enough flour that it didn’t crumble into hard-to-butter pieces.

It makes a nice amount. Probably would freeze well, but I had none left.

Last night, I made Italian sausage with onions and peppers to put over pasta. I has uncooked sausage left from chili making. Again, this recipe is from Silver Palate, though rather than cooking the sausage on the stove, I put it on the grill.

Cooking up the onions and peppers.

Then add the tomatoes, spices, cup of red wine and let it cook for about ½ hour. Add the sliced sausage and some fennel seeds to simmer another 15-20 minutes.

Delicious.

Enough left for MS to take for lunch next week.

Have to plan more meat meals for next week.

Dinner: Tuesday February 28, 2012

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:32:00 -0500

It was spring-like yesterday and today. I’m inspired to make a cold pesto pasta salad. And it is perfect with grilled sandwiches. Remember one of my dinner mantras: if a sandwich is grilled – it’s dinner!

I use a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen for this pesto mixture for a pasta salad. The changes to the recipe are using a mix of fresh basil and fresh spinach, and using olive oil and mayonnaise. It may sound like heresy.

I forgot to buy spinach, so mine tonight is all basil. The nice thing about spinach is the bright green color it gives to the pesto. The mayo makes the pesto creamier and easier to mix with the pasta.

Ready for the first go-round.

And now ready to mix in the Parmesan cheese and the mayo.

Dinner sandwiches being grilled.

Pesto salad…

…and grilled sandwiches.

Dinner is complete.

Dinner with Friends: Saturday February 25, 2012

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:12:29 -0500

We’re having dear friends for dinner tonight, JB and her husband DB. Their oldest son started college this fall, too. We’ll have lots to talk about!

This is an opportunity to try something I experimented with on Valentine’s Day. (I didn’t blog about it because I had trouble posting to my Tumblr, and that week I was in NYC most days.)

Back in January, Melissa Clark in the NY Times, wrote an article, Socerer’s Apprentice Hosts a Dinner, about cooking with Nathan Myhvold who co-wrote Modernist Cooking. At her request, he adapted some recipes for the home cook who doesn’t have the odd ingredients and unusual equipment.

For our Valentine’s dinner, I made the faux sous vide salmon. MS thought it was the best thing I’ve made in years. So, I’m repeating myself tonight.

A selection of raw veggies & dip from JB

Sous vide salmon

Mashed potato casserole

(I made for Thanksgiving)

Green Beans with olive oil and garlic

Green salad with

white balsamic vinegar dressing

Panna cotta with

fresh strawberries

The salmon recipe calls for a spiced butter. I just used lots of salt and pepper.

This process of sous vide is a very gentle, low temperature cooking technique. Food is vacuum sealed in a plastic bag and them submerged in warm water. There are big-time sous vide machines for restaurants. This adapted technique is so cool – literally.

You need:

Fish -(One salmon filet per person, it should be about 1 inch thick, about ¼ pound per serving.)
Big pot of warm water
Instant read thermometer
Gallon-size zipper seal plastic bag
Warm tap water

Isn’t this wild?

Salt, pepper the fillets and put 2 pieces into a gallon sized zip bag. Drizzle olive oil on the fish.

Submerge the unzipped bag halfway into the water. The water will create a vacuum. Watch the video that’s in the NYT article to see how easy this is. Push out excess air and seal.

Then put all the bags into the pot of warm water. The water needs to be at 115 degrees so, periodically use the instant thermometer. When you need to, add more hot tap water.

Keep salmon in water 20 – 30 minutes until its internal temperature reaches 113 degrees.

Here’s what my Valentine’s salmon looked like while cooking.

Once the salmon reaches the internal temp of 113 degrees take them out and remove the skin. Melt butter in a sauté pan, place the fillets in it and sear on both sides. Baste with the butter briefly.

Concentrating on dinner on Saturday, I forgot to take pictures. This is my plate from the Valentine’s Day dinner.

I can’t quite describe how different the texture of the salmon is. With this method, you can never overcook fish.

The other big cooking event for this dinner was panna cotta. Included in this article is a recipe I was eager to try. EASY panna cotta - boil heavy cream, add balsamic vinegar and citric acid and chill. My local GNC didn’t have citric acid, so I used a traditional recipe. But I’m now on the look out for citric acid. I have pear cinnamon balsamic vinegar that would be wonderful in a panna cotta — which is Italian for cooked cream. It’s similar to pudding.

More than enough for the four of us…and plenty of testers for MS!

Enthusiastic reviews for the dinner. And I have to say it is one of the easiest I’ve ever made for company!

If anyone else gives this sous-vide-at-home method a try, let me know how it turns out for you.