I'm about to start a 2 day cook-a-thon for a gourmet night a friend and I are having on Saturday Night so I thought I'd share what I'm doing with the oprano gourmet family.

hopefully one day some of you will want to try my cooking badly enough you'll make the trip down under ;-)

So, saturday ....

We have 13 summer wines to taste and matching appetizer sized dishes to go with each wine ...

Here's the menu:

Sparkling Cuvee on Arrival

A selection of Breads & Cheeses / Sauvignon Blanc
A range of locally grown black & green olive tepanades & a variety of olive oils

Duo of Soups - pumpkin soup & roast potato and garlic soup / verdelho

Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms - crumbed and deap fried, topped with hollandaise sauce / wooded & unwooded chardonnay

lemon sorbet

Spicy Warm Duck Salad - roast duck served on a bed of baby spinich with a spicy plum sauce / choice of rose or Cabernet Merlot

Kangaroo Meatballs slowcooked in traditional italian meatball style / shiraz cabernet

Lime & Chilli Sorbet / Bianco Dolce & Rosso Dolce

Champagne & Berry Jellies / sparkling shiraz

Flaming Liqueur Fruit fondue / hinterland botrytis

Fruit & Dessert Cheeses, dried muscatels, grapes, qince paste, dried figs, apricots, blue cheese, goats cheese / hinterland tawny


soups & sorbets are done, i'm about to start preparing the duck to roast ... I haven't cooked it since last dinner at papa's house!


Here's how it looks right now! LOL

http://www.carlajayne.com/galleries/...night/pic1.jpg

I'll post the finished product later ;-)


First recipe which I highly recommend :groucho:

Lime & Chilli Sorbet

2 red or green chilli's finely chopped
bottle of plain mineral water - freeze for couple of hours so its pourable but icy
2 limes - grate zest & keep, juice 1 and keep other separate
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

heat sugar and water in pan until dissolved and simmer until mixture starts to thicken - cool
when cool, add chopped chilli's and lime juice and freeze until icy
put sugar, chilli and lime juice and bottle of icy mineral water into food processor, process until smooth
freeze for a few hours and repeat blending - do this as many times as possible, at least 2 - each time it gets smoother in texture
when its blended and you are freezing for the final time, take 2nd lime and carefully scrape out the pulp which is made up of little 'cells' of lime juice. swirl this through the mixture and refreeze

remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving

stay tuned :groucho:

cj - OK then ... would a marriage proposal be out of line?? ;-)))))) :inlove:

That menu sounds incredibly delicious! please let us know how it turns out!

fuck you, Mike!
I could have had it for dinner tomorrow if you weren't busy during one of the conventions!
;-)))))

and 'till this date we were NEVER able duplicate the skin crust you've made!

here is a deal:
when you find 2 weeks of free time-
we'll fly you over, all expences paid and chain you in the kitchen!
;_))

fuck you, Mike!
I could have had it for dinner tomorrow if you weren't busy during one of the conventions!
;-))))) [/b][/quote]
hahahahahaha!!!

and 'till this date we were NEVER able duplicate the skin crust you've made!

here is a deal:
when you find 2 weeks of free time-
we'll fly you over, all expences paid and chain you in the kitchen!
;_)) [/b][/quote]
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA

I'll do one better, i'll give you the secret ;-)


you have to commit to basting it every 30 minutes for the entire 4 hours of cooking it ... make the baste out of olive oil, whatever herbs flavoring you want (dry herbs, garlic, or a sauce like plum), and each time you take the duck out, add some pan juices to the baste liquid that's left.

crispiness is the result of the skin shriveling up so you the more liquid you add the more it sizzles - almost like deep fried skin.

from you? of course not :inlove:

:P


>>That menu sounds incredibly delicious! please let us know how it turns out!

you bet, i'll be photographing the entire process for an ebook so i'll share as i go ;-)

Ahhhh!! porno for food lovers! ;-)))

:rokk:

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA

I'll do one better, i'll give you the secret ;-)


you have to commit to basting it every 30 minutes for the entire 4 hours of cooking it ... make the baste out of olive oil, whatever herbs flavoring you want (dry herbs, garlic, or a sauce like plum), and each time you take the duck out, add some pan juices to the baste liquid that's left.

crispiness is the result of the skin shriveling up so you the more liquid you add the more it sizzles - almost like deep fried skin. [/b][/quote]
no, this si NOT better!!!
because....
1) you missed the key ingridient I recall:
you were taking it out of the oven every 1/2 hour and cooled it!
Little things mean a lot!
;_)

2) I'd rather have you do it in person and you don't even have to be nekkid
;-)))

That sounds incredible CJ
:wnw: :wnw:

I believe great cooking is an expression of emotion, you can't prepare excellent food unless you love the people you're cooking for or you love to prepare food

Please let us know how it all goes CJ

and 'till this date we were NEVER able duplicate the skin crust you've made!

here is a deal:
when you find 2 weeks of free time-
we'll fly you over, all expences paid and chain you in the kitchen!
;_)) [/b][/quote]
According to Viv and JP she likes to be chained nekkid to the fridge

According to Viv and JP she likes to be chained nekkid to the fridge [/b][/quote]
Gozo,
at my age FRIDGE has more meaning than nekkid
;-))))

a keen eye!!

ok good point :rolleyes:

but next time I want to cook lamb shanks :groucho: another of my specialties

Vick, this is so true
I would love to be able to cook up a huge feast for oprano like Mike & Billy do every year with the crawfish party!!

throwing dinner parties is one of my favorite activities - i love spending all day cooking, but I do everything i can to get out of cleaning up :biglaugh:

I think the best thing about preparing meals for people is making things that you know those people really like ... I like making dishes at dinner parties knowing its someones absolute favorite or remembering that they like their steak done a certain way.



well, the meatballs are in the slowcooker overnight, the duck is ready to put in the oven in the morning and i'm off to catch a few zzz's before day 2 ;-)))

don't we know that!!!?
;-))

http://www.sexia.com/gallery/webmast...files/main.jpg

Ahhhhh.

While many of you poor suckers read CJ's menu and drool, I sit here comfortably knowing that I will be partaking of each the courses personally Saturday night....

:redance:

CJ, those mushrooms and the meatballs and the duck have me ringing gourmet home deliver right now !!!!

Dr Atkins can take the South Beach Diet and give it to the Israeli Army to shove up Nathan Pritikin's ass.

I'm gonna make a pig of myself !!!!

:ph34r:

may I watch?
;-)))

Oh, and I bags doing the dishes after the first 2 courses so I can sloth my way through the rest of the evening.

:bdance: :moon:

may I watch?
;-))) [/b][/quote]
I'll reserve you front row tickets Serge.

:ph34r:

Vick, this is so true
I would love to be able to cook up a huge feast for oprano like Mike & Billy do every year with the crawfish party!!

throwing dinner parties is one of my favorite activities - i love spending all day cooking, but I do everything i can to get out of cleaning up :biglaugh:

I think the best thing about preparing meals for people is making things that you know those people really like ... I like making dishes at dinner parties knowing its someones absolute favorite or remembering that they like their steak done a certain way.



well, the meatballs are in the slowcooker overnight, the duck is ready to put in the oven in the morning and i'm off to catch a few zzz's before day 2 ;-))) [/b][/quote]
Try staying angry with anyone who has just prepared you an excellent meal

You can't do it

excellence is in the eys of the beholder....
as Jackie Mason once said:
"For me, my girlfriend is the best woman in the world,
but for my wife...."
;-)))

ah ha ha ha ha

:wnw:

That chilli / lime sorbet sounds delicious.

Think im going to try that recipe myself this weekend when the in-law types come round for dinner :)

Cooking has become my hobby (lots of hours to fill , not drinking)

My latest Pièce de résistance is Sirloin stuffed with foie gras , with sauted apples and pears...

:)

Back off Mike she's MINE!! :woo:

Back off Mike she's MINE!! :woo: [/b][/quote]
hahaha! you've got competition! ;-))))))

:shooter:

hahaha! you've got competition! ;-))))))

:shooter: [/b][/quote]
Better watch yourself.... that oh so amazing voice and personality brings out the sneeky bastard in me!! :P

Both of you....

stop being gay!!!


;-)))

I mean we are webmasters for Christsake, just say NO to pussy fever!!!

;-)))

Nick, it ain't pussy...it's a roasted duck!!!!!!!!!!!!
;-)))

ok, I'll throw done the proverbial oven glove
we need a Webmaster Iron Chef!

CJ, I'll see your chile-lime sorbet and raise it a pink peppercorn ice cream :)

thanks for the duck tip...duck is one of my weaknesses

duck, baking (I hate to measure shit) and pasta (though I'm getting better with pasta)
my biggest strength is sauces, jams, jellies and forcing twisted influences into most any "typical" dish (all those years working for Mark Miller and Marinus DeBruin really did pay off)

it's odd I worked at one of the most critically-acclaimed gourmet rooms and southwestern-inspired cafes in Las Vegas, yet am fucked at trying to boil macaroni for mac n cheese ;-)

I think if i concerntrate hard enough, i can smell the kangaroo meatballs over on the northside :P

I'm hanging out for the 'Purve Cookbook by CJ' ... geezus i need it, everytime i cook i end up drinking the red wine im supposed to be 'adding' to the meal ... i end up pissed and burning my dinner by the end of the night ... :rolleyes:

almost everything will be served in paper/plastic dishes and a bin will be provided for your convenience :biglaugh:

oh my god my house smells absolutely amazing

I've got a duck in the oven, meatballs have been cooking overnight in the slow cooker and in the background i'm designing banners :biglaugh:

sykk, if you can make that icecream non dairy i'm in LOL
pink peppercorn - yum. i've had white pepper icecream before and it was surprisingly delicious ... would love to try pink peppercorn

I think we definately need some kind of webmaster cook off LOL after the belly flop contest at the next show ;-))))

Nick, it ain't pussy...it's a roasted duck!!!!!!!!!!!!
;-))) [/b][/quote]
EXACTLY!!!

If pussy tasted that good there would have been no need for the feminist movement!!!!!!!

:yowsa:

hmmm, I'll have to try it with Silk and see if that will work

when I worked at Coyote Cafe (RIP) we were always coming up with off the wall flavors and some were better than others...we had pink peppercorns for another dish on hand, so I re-did a white pepper ice cream recipe, substituting the pink peppercorns and added a splash of grenadine into the mix, then served it in a dish that had a little caramel at the bottom and some ground roasted pine nuts on top...

stop it lance or i'll be humping your leg :rolleyes: LOL

duck went into the oven 2 hours ago looking like this ...
http://www.carlajayne.com/galleries/...night/pic2.jpg

now it looks like this ....
http://www.carlajayne.com/galleries/...night/pic3.jpg

The meatballs are done ;-)
http://www.carlajayne.com/galleries/...night/pic4.jpg

friday noon here, 31 hours till guests arrive!

Pussy , much like wine , truffles , and caviar , is an acquired taste


:)

then I'll wait before giving out my secret to a jalepeno ice cream that even people who don't like spicy food will love...(just don't tell them what's in it ;-))

shall I wear something formal for the leg humping?

my food ebook (if I ever get around to it) is going to be a desert book for people who can't bake (like me ;-))

Can't type ...
Drooling....
:awinky:

Where's the gravy and biscuits?


and the kangaroo balls scare me.

other than that, as long as there's tabasco available it looks great!

How do you boil it in the microwave?

How do you boil it in the microwave? [/b][/quote]
put water in the microwave and nuke it for 15 minutes ;-))

I'm also actually a bit of a microwave chef

want fluffy scrambled eggs and don't have a frying pan?
crck 3 eggs and beat them together with a little milk, salt and pepper and pour the wash into a ziplock bag. Make sure the bag is *sealed TIGHT and microwave for 45 seconds on high
some older microwaves, it takes 1 minute

*disclaimer* if you fail to seaql the bag tight and the eggs blow up and fmake your microwave dirty, don't blame me ;-)

ok, duck is done, deboned and ready to be served, here's our 'test plate'

http://www.carlajayne.com/galleries/...night/pic5.jpg

we're about to start on the mushrooms ;-)

http://www.carlajayne.com/galleries/...night/pic6.jpg

:groucho:

put water in the microwave and nuke it for 15 minutes ;-))

I'm also actually a bit of a microwave chef

want fluffy scrambled eggs and don't have a frying pan?
crck 3 eggs and beat them together with a little milk, salt and pepper and pour the wash into a ziplock bag. Make sure the bag is *sealed TIGHT and microwave for 45 seconds on high
some older microwaves, it takes 1 minute

*disclaimer* if you fail to seaql the bag tight and the eggs blow up and fmake your microwave dirty, don't blame me ;-) [/b][/quote]
IRON CHEF CALI vs IRON CHEF OZZIE

Whos cuisine will reign supreme?

DAMN YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I used to change planes in ATL when it made sense to fly on Delta just to get the airport version of the real thing which is better than ANYTHING west of Georgia.

Someone please, please, please, bring me biscuits and gravy when you come out here next week!

cj,
you sure you don't wanna come over?
;_)))

Oh My

Foodgasm

you know it!!!
especially if MikeW bothers to join us for dinner this time :groucho:

ok, the berry fruit jellies are done, chicken wings are par-cooked, tables are set, deck is clean, candles are out, covers on lights - 3 hours till guests arrive and everything is under control in the kitchen!!

That's what happens when 3 girls are in charge ;-)))))

:bdance:

now kezza is straightening toni's hair :rolleyes:

Vick, the taste is orgasmic - the chilli that's sprinkled on top is roast chilli - i didn't stuff the duck before i cooked it, but i did slot a garlic clove and 2 whole chilli's inside :okthumb:

pics to follow once the dishes are plated up ;-)

Geez, that looks great, CJ!

Only problem is I'm about 16,000 miles too damned far away! :(

CJ,

Gourmet night starts in 5 minutes...

I have been ready for an hour.

Leisa is screaming that she has nothing to wear AND makeup is yet to be done.

Babysitter is late.

Taxi yet to be rung.

If I miss the mushrooms I am going to have to kill sombody.

:ph34r:

LMAO
glad to see you made it on time toyboy!!!

9.30pm and the duck salad has just been served, all meals so far have been a hit!

kangaroo meatballs are about to go out and then i'm kicking back with dessert and excellent company

wish ya'all were here ;-)