What did you cook or eat today? (December 2025)

[SoCalZone10]

Today’s dinner
shrimp Timbale, avocado, mango, with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sesame seeds, it was a hit, my new dish to try.

Grilled Quail, I didn’t add palm sugar because I didn’t want my husband complaining about burning stuff, hard to wash, next time the palm sugar is back

The roast duck leg, almost like a duck confit, with creamy mashed parsnips, I made sure I added extra butter, and roasted fennels and pancetta. The sweetness of the parsnips and the roasted fennels went very well with the duck, the duck leg was served with a honey tamarind soy sauce glaze, the second biggest hit of the meal.

The biggest disappointment is roasted lamb, I didn't realized there was a big bone in the back, made it hard to cut the lamb, next year I will spend money to go to the shop where I can get proper lamb rack. The mint sauce was good. The potato Dauphinoise was another disappointment. Next year, I just stick with ordinary roasted potatoes.

 

[Barriehie]

Today’s dinner
shrimp Timbale, avocado, mango, with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sesame seeds, it was a hit, my new dish to try.

View attachment 139127

Grilled Quail, I didn’t add palm sugar because I didn’t want my husband complaining about burning stuff, hard to wash, next time the palm sugar is back

View attachment 139128

The roast duck leg, almost like a duck confit, with creamy mashed parsnips, I made sure I added extra butter, and roasted fennels and pancetta. The sweetness of the parsnips and the roasted fennels went very well with the duck, the duck leg was served with a honey tamarind soy sauce glazed, the second biggest hit of the meal.

View attachment 139129

The biggest disappointment is roasted lamb, I didn't realized there was a big bone in the back, made it had to cut the lamb, next year I will spend money to go to the shop where I can get proper lamb rack. The mint sauce was good. The potato Dauphinoise was another disappointment. Next year, I just stick with ordinary roasted potatoes.

View attachment 139130

Pippi and I will be right there! We're bringing venison.

 

[msmofet]

No dinner pictures. I did get a picture of dessert.

Cheesecake with cherry topping.

 

[SoCalZone10]

We’re too full for Christmas pudding, so this is what my husband and I had for dessert,

Pear poached in red wine sauce and a bit of mascarpone cream

 

[karadekoolaid]

No pictures, but the carbonara was spot on. My only contributions were (a) dicing the pancetta (b) grating the cheese (c) beating the eggs and cheese together (d) plating the salad. Wife did all the hard work, cooking the spaghetti to perfection and getting the mixture just right. Served with a Chilean Merlot.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Boxing Day/St Stephen's Day.

no change from yesterday really!

and desert. the merignue is very light and fluffy still.

 

[Z-Cook]

No photos, but had a beautiful lunch at inlaws. Huge pot of local lamb posole stew, piles of roasted green chile, tamales, fresh baked rolls, sopapillas and all the fixings.

Load of firewood had been delivered just before we left for lunch so came home and stacked a cord of wood in the shed ahead of bad weather coming in from the Coast. Rural life.

 

[Barriehie]

No photos, but had a beautiful lunch at inlaws. Huge pot of local lamb posole stew, piles of roasted green chile, tamales, fresh baked rolls, sopapillas and all the fixings.
...

 

[medtran49]

Pinot noir braised beef short ribs, lots of good stuff in the braising liquid, besides the whole bottle of wine, pancetta, porcini, crimini, onions, garlic, beef stock, fresh thyme and rosemary, carrots, celery, made a very flavorful sauce. Served over polenta with mascarpone and ParmR. Roasted carrots, parsnips for Craig, and Brussel sprouts.

 

[Z-Cook]

Boxing Day/St Stephen's Day.

no change from yesterday really!

View attachment 139138

View attachment 139139

and desert. the merignue is very light and fluffy still.

View attachment 139140

Beautiful!

 

[Wombat457]

Hey SatNavSaysStraightOn - do you follow the Cricket - the traditional Boxing Day Terst by any chance?

 

[Wombat457]

Looks like we will be eating Cottage Pie for the next few months - I kinda went a bit overboard with the amount I made

 

[Windigo]

Our dinner at Parkheuvel Parkheuvel was wonderful again
A seven course menu this time, made by the Chef for Christmas only.

The room we had dinner in, and a glass of Jorg Geiger Aecht Bitter. My favorite sparkling alcohol free wine.

Appetisers. Left: Chicken Tom ka khai bombe, middle a sweet potato crust filled with calfs saddle mousse, right was Mushroom & duck paté in a cheese shell.

Our second appetizer was a Tofu custard dish with an olive tapenade. I would never have guessed this works fabulously, but also that tofu custard tastes like cheese! Could have fooled me.. So I am keeping that in mind next year on our vegetarian journey!

The first starter was a dish of scallops, perle imperial caviar, crème fraiche, lime and fried wheat. Lovely.

Foie gras with Stellendamse prawns ( local), umeboshi, pickled radish, grapefruit sauce and elements of rhubarb. Sublime, one of my favorite signature dishes of Erik van Loo.

Sauteed turbot fillet with stewed oxtail , mushroom and truffle sauce, crispy mushrooms and turbot skin and a potato gratin. Delicious fleshy fish, creamy, crispy.

 

[Windigo]

Veal sweetbread with a vinaigrette of razor clams, celeriac, dill and a delicious zingy flavor that I can't find on the menu.

Deer fillet with port sauce, vanilla, blackberries, almonds and beetroot. Perfection.

A dessert with pear ice cream , pear compote, meringue, white chocolate, pear & butter coulis, caramel, and textures of pear. I was blown away, the flavors were so different for each item yet everything just sung together great end to a great meal!

 

[TastyReuben]

Looks like we will be eating Cottage Pie for the next few months - I kinda went a bit overboard with the amount I made

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