Peggy
11-17-2005, 07:51 PM
Since our November dinner is scheduled for this weekend, I thought it would be best to post our October dinner report now! :o Here is our menu and our recipe reviews:
Polenta with Port-Poached Quince and Blue Cheese (CL - 10/05) - This was our appetizer for the evening. We all thought it was delicious. I personally am not a huge fan of polenta in a tube, but we agreed it was the perfect base for this appetizer. Two of us are big blue cheese fans yet we both observed, almost simultaneously, that the blue cheese was a bit overpowering, especially for a CL recipe (though we weren't complaining!!). We found out a few days later that the "chef" for this dish misread the amount and used a full cup of blue cheese instead of 1/3 of a cup. :eek: Laurie has promised to wear her reading glasses at our future dinners. ;)
Autumn Apple, Pear and Cheddar Salad with Pecans (CL - 10/05) - We also enjoyed this salad. The dressing was very light and subtle, almost like a finishing spray. You hardly noticed it. We cut the apple and pear into small pieces instead of wedges because that is our group's past preference in a salad. Everyone agreed that the salad needed more sharp cheddar cheese and we actually passed a bowl around so people could add extra. It was suggested that chunks of cheese should be used instead of shredded because the cheese was hardly noticeable. But once again, that would probably not be "Cooking Light". :)
Pumpkin-Walnut Focaccia with Gruyere (CL - 10/05) - This bread was excellent and definately the big hit of the evening. One DH judged it to be one of our top "10" recipes from the last five years. It went well with the dinner and some felt it would be great served with onion soup or salads.
Pork Loin with Brandy and Dried Cherries (CL - 10/05) - The group generally like this pork recipe, though some thought it was on the salty side. Interestingly enough, the pork was cooked 50% sooner than the recipe stated. Luckily, we were checking it periodically and noticed before it was overcooked.
Wasabi Mashed Potatoes (CL - 10/05) - The potatoes came out really well. They were light and fluffy and we were surprised at how mild the wasabi flavor was. Several liked the tangy quality the yogurt gave the dish.
Honey-Roasted Root Vegetables (CL - 10/05) - This recipe received mixed reviews. Some liked it, others didn't. It was interesting to note that the members with aversions to sweet potatoes and/or turnips actually were the ones that like it. In general, we think we overcooked the vegetables and that may have been part of the problem.
Kale with Garlic and Peppers (CL - 10/05) - Some people hesitated before trying this side dish. Apparently, this was the first time some had eaten kale so they were apprehensive. Yet all agreed that it was very good and the colorful presentation was beautiful. Most felt that it could have used a bit more jalapeno pepper and that the recipe would be even better made with spinach or swiss chard. I guess we didn't have a lot of kale converts! :)
Baklava with Wildflower Honey (CL - 10/05) - This was the only recipe that had to be made ahead. The group concensus was that some recipes aren't conducive to "Cooking Light". In our opinion, recipes made with phyllo fall into this category. We felt that butter was needed for the construction of the baklava and flavor. Butter soaks in; cooking spray creates a barrier and what you get is flakiness without texture. Some felt it was too sweet. One DH said he wanted to "go to the sink and gargle and rinse my mouth!" It looked lovely, but didn't taste like an authentic buttery baklava.
Peggy
Polenta with Port-Poached Quince and Blue Cheese (CL - 10/05) - This was our appetizer for the evening. We all thought it was delicious. I personally am not a huge fan of polenta in a tube, but we agreed it was the perfect base for this appetizer. Two of us are big blue cheese fans yet we both observed, almost simultaneously, that the blue cheese was a bit overpowering, especially for a CL recipe (though we weren't complaining!!). We found out a few days later that the "chef" for this dish misread the amount and used a full cup of blue cheese instead of 1/3 of a cup. :eek: Laurie has promised to wear her reading glasses at our future dinners. ;)
Autumn Apple, Pear and Cheddar Salad with Pecans (CL - 10/05) - We also enjoyed this salad. The dressing was very light and subtle, almost like a finishing spray. You hardly noticed it. We cut the apple and pear into small pieces instead of wedges because that is our group's past preference in a salad. Everyone agreed that the salad needed more sharp cheddar cheese and we actually passed a bowl around so people could add extra. It was suggested that chunks of cheese should be used instead of shredded because the cheese was hardly noticeable. But once again, that would probably not be "Cooking Light". :)
Pumpkin-Walnut Focaccia with Gruyere (CL - 10/05) - This bread was excellent and definately the big hit of the evening. One DH judged it to be one of our top "10" recipes from the last five years. It went well with the dinner and some felt it would be great served with onion soup or salads.
Pork Loin with Brandy and Dried Cherries (CL - 10/05) - The group generally like this pork recipe, though some thought it was on the salty side. Interestingly enough, the pork was cooked 50% sooner than the recipe stated. Luckily, we were checking it periodically and noticed before it was overcooked.
Wasabi Mashed Potatoes (CL - 10/05) - The potatoes came out really well. They were light and fluffy and we were surprised at how mild the wasabi flavor was. Several liked the tangy quality the yogurt gave the dish.
Honey-Roasted Root Vegetables (CL - 10/05) - This recipe received mixed reviews. Some liked it, others didn't. It was interesting to note that the members with aversions to sweet potatoes and/or turnips actually were the ones that like it. In general, we think we overcooked the vegetables and that may have been part of the problem.
Kale with Garlic and Peppers (CL - 10/05) - Some people hesitated before trying this side dish. Apparently, this was the first time some had eaten kale so they were apprehensive. Yet all agreed that it was very good and the colorful presentation was beautiful. Most felt that it could have used a bit more jalapeno pepper and that the recipe would be even better made with spinach or swiss chard. I guess we didn't have a lot of kale converts! :)
Baklava with Wildflower Honey (CL - 10/05) - This was the only recipe that had to be made ahead. The group concensus was that some recipes aren't conducive to "Cooking Light". In our opinion, recipes made with phyllo fall into this category. We felt that butter was needed for the construction of the baklava and flavor. Butter soaks in; cooking spray creates a barrier and what you get is flakiness without texture. Some felt it was too sweet. One DH said he wanted to "go to the sink and gargle and rinse my mouth!" It looked lovely, but didn't taste like an authentic buttery baklava.
Peggy