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What's for Dinner #257 - Chugging towards Thanksgiving Edition (Choo-Choo!) [Through Nov. 24, 2013]

Actually, we're not chugging like the Little Engine That Could. We're racing there like we're in the Indianapolis 500 or at the 24 hours of Le Mans.

But I kind of like the chugging - that means we get to have a leisurely meal, right? A gourmet meal on the Orient Express sounds very nice right now. Maybe with a little murder mystery with Hercule Poirot there to solve it? (Provided none of us are involved in the murder!)

So - what is being served in your dining car this evening? Henri, the bartender, is at the ready to make cocktails, and I believe we'll be pulling into Venice in the morning, so enjoy your last meal onboard! ;-)

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    1. re: foodieX2

      I know, huh? With a bunch of us WFDers? The laughter, stories, cocktails and fine dining would be superb!

      1. re: LindaWhit

        Especially if we could all take turns in the kitchen! Sign me up NOW!

      2. re: foodieX2

        Deb and I were on the left coast recently and had a chance to tour a restored private rail car. It was a 1912 Pullman owned by Clara Baldwin Stocker. The dining room, bedrooms, kitchen and so on were spectacular.


        Here's a shot of the 1937 steam engine it was hitched to at the Nethercutt Museum.

        I like trains.

      3. Tonight is cod wrapped in bacon. rjbh20 will provide details.

        1. I am repurposing the sofrito pork from last week in a lasagne with the fresh tortillas and the red beans and rice. I made a cheese sauce to lubricate the "lasagne" and some salsa. Spinach salad with boiled egg, bacon bits, and grape tomatoes with a warm bacon dressing. I know, it isn't cohesive but it tasted good. I miss lettuce, damn my tummy.

          1. I like trains! Especially live steamers. Cause you get to ride on top.

            Shrimp curry:

            Take the holy trinity (onions, garlic, ginger) and soften. Add pureed pumpkin and diced tomatoes ( I use canned, for i am lazy). Add in curry powder, tumeric, and cayenne as well as some salt and pepper. Simmer. Open a can of coconut milk and scrape it in. Bring to a simmer. Add spinach. Add shrimp. Donc, voila.

            9 Replies
              1. re: gini

                Thanks for the recipe. That looks darn tasty

                1. re: gini

                  Wow gini, that looks wonderful and love the spice combo! ex coconut milk, I am going to make this and use it for my steamed cauliflower tonight!

                  1. re: acssss

                    Woohoo! I added chopped cilantro to mine and a little lime juice, if you want to play around.

                    1. re: gini

                      ...but we don't know each other!
                      Kidding.. Kidding... sorry I couldn't help it :-)

                      ...and yes, I will play around with it and use it on a lot of things I make. I use these spices and the trinity (love that ref) of Onions, Garlic and Ginger on almost everything I make, but never added the blended pumpkin (maybe I'll use squash) to make it into a sauce. That is like perfection for me, because I love squash so much. So.. Thanks!

                2. re: gini

                  You are talkin' my language. Can't get enough curries and those spices…!

                  1. re: gini

                    Ooo... That sounds amazing. I just love quick pantry meals. I've got tofu instead of shrimp. Thinking about frying up pieces and then added them at the end. Or should I simply cube and add at the beginning? I'm still something of a tofu novice.

                    1. re: PhillyCook

                      I don't cook much with tofu, so I have no words of wisdom, sadly.

                      1. re: PhillyCook

                        I wrap in paper towels and add a weight on top to squeeze out the water before frying. Dust with a little rice flour for a crispy crust

                    2. We're having another type of tofu tonight. The toddler is mad for this and I'm trying to reorganise our evenings so we eat together rather than feed her earlier and then cook again.

                      It's another Fuchsia Dunlop recipe. this time using tofu 'bamboo' which is the skin that forms on bean curd when it boils. This gets scraped aside and dried into sticks. You rehydrate the sticks and then cook them in a chicken stock, sesame oil, spring onion and ginger mix.

                      To go with the tofu I've got some pea shoots. I haven't quite decided how I'll cook these as yet. I'm thinking a stir fry with some of my home made bacon added to it.