Mother's Day Dinner

Classic Poached Salmon Steaks

Though not essential, a few whole peppercorns, a bay leaf, and several sprigs of fresh parsley or thyme added to the poaching liquid will subtly flavor the fish steaks. The most accurate way to check the temperature of the medallions is to remove one from the simmering liquid before inserting the thermometer.
serves 4
2 quarts water (cold)
1 cup cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon table salt
1/2 medium onion chopped coarse (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium carrot chopped coarse (about 1/2 cup)
4 salmon steaks (about 1-inch thick), boned and formed into medallions


1. Bring all ingredients except salmon to boil in large soup kettle or Dutch oven; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend, about 20 minutes.

2. Reduce heat to lowest setting and place salmon medallions into liquid in pot. Simmer until fish is very light opaque pink, yet still barely translucent at center, and an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway through flesh registers 125 to 130 degrees.

3. Remove medallions to plate with slotted spoon or spatula and remove strings. Serve warm, or at room temperature, passing sauce separately.



Asparagus with Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette

Serves 6 to 8
2 pounds thin asparagus spears (2 bunches), tough ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
table salt
ground black pepper
1 large shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
table salt
ground black pepper


1. Adjust oven rack to uppermost position and heat broiler.

2. Toss asparagus with oil and salt and pepper, then lay spears in single layer on heavy rimmed baking sheet. Broil about 4 inches from heating element, shaking pan halfway through to turn spears, until asparagus is tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Cool asparagus 5 minutes and arrange on serving dish.

4. Whisk shallot, lemon juice and zest, thyme, mustard, and olive oil in small bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle over asparagus and serve immediately.



Roast Potatoes

To roast more than two pounds of potatoes at once, use a second pan rather than crowding the first. If your potatoes are small, like new potatoes, cut them in halves instead of wedges and turn them cut-side up during the final ten minutes of roasting.
serves 4
2 pounds Red Bliss potatoes or other low-starch potatoes, scrubbed clean, dried, halved, and cut into 3/4-inch wedges
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
table salt
ground black pepper


1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss potatoes and olive oil in medium bowl to coat; season generously with salt and pepper and toss again to blend.

2. Place potatoes flesh side down, in a single layer, on shallow roasting pan; cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook about 20 minutes. Remove foil; roast until side of potato touching pan is crusty golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Remove pan from oven and carefully turn potatoes over using metal spatula. (Press spatula against metal as it slides under potatoes to protect crusts.) Return pan to oven and roast until side of potato now touching pan is crusty golden brown and skins have raisin-like wrinkles, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove from oven, transfer potatoes to serving dish (again, using metal spatula and extra care not to rip crusts), and serve warm.



Coconut Layer Cake

Cream of coconut is often found in the soda and drink-mix aisle in the grocery store. One 15-ounce can is enough for both the cake and the buttercream; make sure to stir it well before using because it separates upon standing.
Makes one 9-inch, 4-layer cake

Cake

1 large egg
5 large egg whites
3/4 cup cream of coconut
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2 1/4 cups cake flour , sifted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces, softened, but still cool
2 cups packed sweetened shredded coconut (about 8 ounces)

Buttercream

4 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch table salt
1 pound unsalted butter (4 sticks), each stick cut into 6 pieces, softened, but still cool
1/4 cup cream of coconut
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1. For the Cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening and dust with flour.

2. Beat egg whites and whole egg in large measuring cup with fork to combine. Add cream of coconut, water, vanilla, and coconut extract and beat with fork until thoroughly combined.

3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on lowest speed to combine, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on lowest speed, add butter 1 piece at a time, then beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.

4. With mixer still running, add 1 cup liquid. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. With mixer still running, add remaining 1 cup liquid in steady stream (this should take about 15 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then beat at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds. (Batter will be thick.)

5. Divide batter between cake pans and level with offset or rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown, cakes pull away from sides of pans, and toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes (rotate cakes after about 20 minutes). Do not turn off oven.

6. Cool in pans on wire racks about 10 minutes, then loosen cakes from sides of pans with paring knife, invert cakes onto racks and then re-invert; cool to room temperature.

7. While cakes are cooling, spread shredded coconut on rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until shreds are a mix of golden brown and white, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Cool to room temperature.

8. For the Buttercream: Combine whites, sugar, and salt in bowl of standing mixer; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 1/2-inches of barely simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture is opaque and warm to the touch and registers about 120 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.

9. Transfer bowl to mixer and beat whites on high speed with whisk attachment until barely warm (about 80 degrees) and whites are glossy and sticky, about 7 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high and beat in butter 1 piece at a time. Beat in cream of coconut and coconut and vanilla extracts. Stop mixer and scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Continue to beat at medium-high speed until well-combined, about 1 minute.

10. To Assemble the Cake: Follow illustrations in chart. Cut into slices and serve. (Wrap leftover cake in plastic and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before serving.)


STEP BY STEP: Assembling the Cake
1. With a long serrated knife, cut both cakes in half horizontally so that each cake forms two layers.
2. Put a dab of icing on a cardboard round cut just larger than the cake. Center one cake layer on the round.

3. Place a large blob of icing in the center of the layer and spread it to the edges with an icing spatula.
4. Hold the spatula at a 45-degree angle to the cake and drag it across the surface to level the icing. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with remaining cake layers.

5. To ice the sides of the cake, scoop up a large dab of icing with the tip of the spatula and spread it on the sides with short side-to-side strokes.
6. Sprinkle the top of the cake with coconut. Then press the coconut into the sides, letting the excess fall back onto a baking sheet.

Chị Thuyền à,

Bắt mẹ tàu ăn đồ tây cho nó đặc biệt hả?

(Có bà bạn tên Thuyền, lâu nay vẫn gọi bằng bác, chị cũng tên Thuyền, cái chữ chị đằng trước chữ Thuyền nghe nó kỳ kỳ)

Cái món khoai tây này dễ làm đó. Mà làm sao mình biết khoai nào ít bột, phải red potato không hở Thuyền? Còn Red Bliss potato là loại nào há?

quote:

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Gởi bởi tvk

Chị Thuyền à,

Bắt mẹ tàu ăn đồ tây cho nó đặc biệt hả?

(Có bà bạn tên Thuyền, lâu nay vẫn gọi bằng bác, chị cũng tên Thuyền, cái chữ chị đằng trước chữ Thuyền nghe nó kỳ kỳ)

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ui cha, bác tvk đừng gọi T bằng chị nhe, đúng là kỳ thiệt, vì T còn nhí lém, sợ tổn thọ . T cũng nghĩ chắc mình phải gọi mọi người trong này bằng cô/chú mới đúng, nếu ko là thất lễ lắm, mọi người nghĩ sao?

mí món đồ tây nì hổng phải từ bếp của T ra đâu, bác tvk có lòng thì post giùm mí món ta nào ngon ngon cho mọi người cùng nấu, còn T thì chắc là trực chỉ nhà hàng rùi

quote:

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Gởi bởi Phượng Các

Cám ơn Thuyền dịch bài này nghe, không biết bên Úc ngày lễ Mẹ có cùng ngày với Mỹ và Canada không hà?

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em ko bít bên Mỹ/Canada là ngày mấy nhưng bên Úc thì là ngày chủ nhật thứ 2 (second Sunday) của tháng 5 đó chị

quote:

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Gởi bởi Vũ Thị Thiên Thư

quote:

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Gởi bởi tonka

Cái món khoai tây này dễ làm đó. Mà làm sao mình biết khoai nào ít bột, phải red potato không hở Thuyền? Còn Red Bliss potato là loại nào há?

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Tonka
Các loại khoai tây đỏ, vàng, trắng ít bột. Red Bliss là khoai có vỏ màu đỏ , không biết bên Cali có bán hay không.
Loại nhiều bột thường dùng để bake như Idaho Potato , Russan Potato...
Thuyền
Cảm ơn em bỏ công dịch các thực đơn nầy

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dạ ko có sao đâu chị. Em cũng muốn học hỏi thêm mí món ăn với lại luyện luôn kỹ năng dịch...phăng tê di