Update - The BIG MEAL
Ok, then there is this past weekend. See during the race weekend we had decided that it was about time we cooked one of the prime ribs in our freezer. OK, little explanation here. My husband in one of his former careers was a cook. He went to college for cullinary. And he is a very talented cook. Even though I am sure he had enough hours in to write his chef's papers he didn't and eventually moved on to other methods of earning a living. Hubby's food is wonderful. It is actually the only thing we had in common when we met. We both love to cook. We have grown to have more in common over the past 18 years, but cooking is at the heart of our household. Back to the primerib. When we cook a prime rib, we cook a WHOLE prime rib. That means we need to feed 12 people minimum. So this meal becomes an affair. When a local grocey announces that prime rib is on sale someone buys a whole rib (that's about 22 inches long with 7 ribs - this one was 26 lbs). It's not odd for a friend to knock on our front door, hand over a huge rib smile and leave - we cart the thing downstairs and throw it into our freezer until it's decided to have the BIG MEAL.
The BIG MEAL consists of made from scratch ceasar salad (I'm talking, homemade croutons, bacon bits and sauce!), made from scratch french onion soup, awesome yorkshire pudding (my husband is anal about his yorkshire - he insists it stand up when it is served and it has taken him years to perfect his recipe), greek potatoes (potatoes roasted with chicken stock, oregano and lemon juice) some sort of vegetable (this meal had baby carrots marinated in orange and apple juice) and the prime rib. In the last year, homemade baked cheesecake has been added for dessert. New people at one of these meals get a horrible surprise. Hubby likes to inititate them by serving them a huge-r-than-normal slab of meat. I've seen him be a cruel and serve a 1 3/4 to 2 inch slab of meat to new people after having served both of those appitizers. People who are regulars get a sick and twisted satisaction from inviting someone new to eat and it is now routine that we have someone new join us for every one of these meals.
So Friday, we went out and bought an air conditioner in anticipation of cooking all day Saturday for the BIG MEAL (it was 28 degrees celcius on Saturday). Saturday we cooked all day and had a choatic but lovely meal. Adult table and kids table. Kids playing the piano during courses, people everywhere. Utter chaos. Hubby likens it to Christmas dinner only 4 or 5 times a year more than normal people do it.
Sunday, Hubby and Jody (yes we have several reveller's stay over) get up and ride up to the North Bay airport to enter their bike's in the annual Drag Bike competition. After purchasing a crap load of water, pop and fruit, I head up with the kids and we stay up at the airport for 5 hours in the heat (um at least 30 degrees with no shade). After that we head to the beach and let the kids play on the beach and in the water for another 4 hours. They managed well, we huddled in the shade. I, even though I lathered myself with sunscreen, I am quite burnt. Then we arrived home at 8:00 pm yesterday and found when I put Lina to bed that her goldfish had died. I think the heat did it. The algae must have taken over in an accelerate rate (it was fine only somewhat needing a clean the day before) and done them in. I must say I've never seen that happen before. Anyway, Lina after all she had experienced this weekend was ill-equipped to handle this blow and tonight, instead of being able to flush them down the tiolet, we are holding a funeral in the back yard.
An eventful weekend, I must say.
And tonight, as well, we have some of our guests returning to partake in the traditional leftover meal. We don't always have leftovers, but when we do, we love to make beef dip with au jus. My mouth waters when I think of it. Garlic toasted kaisers, shaved prime ribe with your own bowl of rich au jus (thin gravy) to dip it in. Ah, amazing. It's a wonder that I don't weigh 200 lbs. People talk about the "aftermeal" as much as the BIG MEAL.
In our house we watch the Food Network like most people watch reality TV.
The BIG MEAL consists of made from scratch ceasar salad (I'm talking, homemade croutons, bacon bits and sauce!), made from scratch french onion soup, awesome yorkshire pudding (my husband is anal about his yorkshire - he insists it stand up when it is served and it has taken him years to perfect his recipe), greek potatoes (potatoes roasted with chicken stock, oregano and lemon juice) some sort of vegetable (this meal had baby carrots marinated in orange and apple juice) and the prime rib. In the last year, homemade baked cheesecake has been added for dessert. New people at one of these meals get a horrible surprise. Hubby likes to inititate them by serving them a huge-r-than-normal slab of meat. I've seen him be a cruel and serve a 1 3/4 to 2 inch slab of meat to new people after having served both of those appitizers. People who are regulars get a sick and twisted satisaction from inviting someone new to eat and it is now routine that we have someone new join us for every one of these meals.
So Friday, we went out and bought an air conditioner in anticipation of cooking all day Saturday for the BIG MEAL (it was 28 degrees celcius on Saturday). Saturday we cooked all day and had a choatic but lovely meal. Adult table and kids table. Kids playing the piano during courses, people everywhere. Utter chaos. Hubby likens it to Christmas dinner only 4 or 5 times a year more than normal people do it.
Sunday, Hubby and Jody (yes we have several reveller's stay over) get up and ride up to the North Bay airport to enter their bike's in the annual Drag Bike competition. After purchasing a crap load of water, pop and fruit, I head up with the kids and we stay up at the airport for 5 hours in the heat (um at least 30 degrees with no shade). After that we head to the beach and let the kids play on the beach and in the water for another 4 hours. They managed well, we huddled in the shade. I, even though I lathered myself with sunscreen, I am quite burnt. Then we arrived home at 8:00 pm yesterday and found when I put Lina to bed that her goldfish had died. I think the heat did it. The algae must have taken over in an accelerate rate (it was fine only somewhat needing a clean the day before) and done them in. I must say I've never seen that happen before. Anyway, Lina after all she had experienced this weekend was ill-equipped to handle this blow and tonight, instead of being able to flush them down the tiolet, we are holding a funeral in the back yard.
An eventful weekend, I must say.
And tonight, as well, we have some of our guests returning to partake in the traditional leftover meal. We don't always have leftovers, but when we do, we love to make beef dip with au jus. My mouth waters when I think of it. Garlic toasted kaisers, shaved prime ribe with your own bowl of rich au jus (thin gravy) to dip it in. Ah, amazing. It's a wonder that I don't weigh 200 lbs. People talk about the "aftermeal" as much as the BIG MEAL.
In our house we watch the Food Network like most people watch reality TV.
posted by ria at Monday, June 27, 2005
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