A memorable dinner

[vaneramos]

For several days I've been surfing a wave of remarkable energy. I hope it holds. Yesterday was wonderful, but more about that later; it will require a post to itself, and more thought than I have time for tonight.

Today has been wonderful, too. Danny is here for the weekend, really the first time we've had a couple days to ourselves since I don't know when: May? Earlier? This afternoon we attended the Waterloo County Knitters Fair and picked up several items each.

Back home, he helped me continue the ordeal of cleaning my kitchen, and tonight for the first time all summer we were able to use my kitchen table for its intended purpose. Thank you, my dear djjo. This inspired me to create a full dinner, which turned out particularly well.

• chicken curry
• jasmine rice
• ginger-sesame baby bok choi
• honeydew melon chutney
• cherry tomato halves with chopped fresh basil
• chocolate raspberry trifle

The curry recipe is an old standby, but I'm sure anyone who likes it has a favourite method of their own. I like to serve it with a sweet chutney (usually peach), but having none, I found some melon in the bottom of the fridge and whipped this up:

Honeydew melon chutney

5 tbsp sugar
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp ginger puree
a little cayenne, to taste; if you like spicy, chop 1 or 2 fresh chilies instead
1 apple, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
honeydew melon, about an equal amount of fruit, coarsely chopped
¾ cup white vinegar (this was too much, next time I'll try ½ cup)

Heat sugar, onion, ginger and pepper in a small saucepan on low until it starts to carmelize. Add fruit and vinegar. Simmer five minutes until it starts to thicken. Set aside.

This was too vinegary to eat by itself, but served over the curry and rice it provided the perfect complement. The melon flavour is delightful, so I intend to experiment and perfect.

Ginger-sesame bok choi was prepared simply by steaming in the microwave. Arrange eight baby bok choi in a circle in a large casserole dish with the leaves outward, add a quarter cup of water, cover and microwave on high two minutes. Add three tablespoons of Knorr sesame ginger marinade to the middle of the dish and microwave one more minute. Stir carefully, cover for three minutes, then serve with a slotted spoon. The bok choi should be barely crisp. This was very tasty, another make-again.

We're waiting a few minutes for dessert and a movie, but here's the untested recipe:

Chocolate raspberry trifle

3 chocolate Swiss rolls, sliced (jelly roll, angel cake or pound cake will do)
1 pint fresh raspberries (or frozen)
raspberry-mango jam (the original recipe calls for raspberry jelly)
2 oz. rum
chocolate pudding mix
2 cups milk
whipped cream or dessert topping

Prepare pudding according to instructions using the milk. Arrange a layer of cake in the bottom of a glass bowl. Reserving a few berries for garnish, mix the berries, jam and rum together. Spread half this mixture over the cake. Spread half the chocolate pudding over the berries. Repeat layers. Chill. Serve garnished with cream and reserved fruit.

Hope you're all having a great weekend.

Comments

[quirkstreet.livejournal.com]

You're a lovely cook (good at it and fun to watch as you do it) and I'm sure Danny makes a lovely assistant/audience. I'm so glad you two are having a wonderful evening. That makes me feel all sweet.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

You are "all sweet", Pete. It was warm in here last night, so you would have seen me cooking in my boxer briefs. :-)

[grandiva1968.livejournal.com]

Sexy food.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Hehe, sometimes food is sex.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

And conversealy.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

True!

[grandiva1968.livejournal.com]

That sounds almost like a dare…

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

curry sounds so good! i need to work up a vegetable curry sometime soon, get back into the habit of cooking for myself.

ginger-sesame bok choi, mmmmmm.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

It's much easier to cook for someone else, but I try to make a habit of cooking nice meals for myself at least a couple times a week, and then I have leftovers for other nights. The bok choi recipe was inspired by a visit to King's Diner, a Chinese Buddhist restaurant in Toronto. I had the marinade lying around from a summer camping trip, and it worked out beautifully.

[missprune.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness! It all sounds too delicious!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

It was a success. The curry and chutney required a bit of fuss, but everything else was easy.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Haha, it would be a messy business! Hey, was thinking about you on Friday. I bought an Ontario Road Atlas, not the pocket kind I've been carrying around the last while, but a full one showing all the sideroads. It makes getting around a lot more fun. I plan to spend Friday afternoons exploring the countryside.