Lin's and my fifth wedding anniversary will be this coming Saturday. The
fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary, so the menu will have a
slightly-wood/forest-inspired theme:

APPETIZER
* creamy nettle soup

MAIN COURSE
* pheasant with pecans and beech mushrooms
* pan-cooked burdock and carrots
* planked asparagus

DRIFTING TOWARD DESSERT
* goat cheese and spring greens with honey vinaigrette

DESSERT
* maple soufflé with banana crème anglaise


Since pheasant is extremely lean, I plan to cook it at 275°F in a
Schlemmertopf clay casserole. I have some chunks of pecan wood which
I'll use to smoke the mushrooms before they go into the Schlemmertopf
with the pheasant and pecans; I'd like to get just a little smoky flavor
in there. I'll also use that wood fire to cook the asparagus.

Bob

On Apr 3, 3:41*pm, Bob Terwilliger >
wrote:
> Lin's and my fifth wedding anniversary will be this coming Saturday. The
> fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary, so the menu will have a
> slightly-wood/forest-inspired theme:
>
> APPETIZER
> * creamy nettle soup
>
> MAIN COURSE
> * pheasant with pecans and beech mushrooms
> * pan-cooked burdock and carrots
> * planked asparagus
>
> DRIFTING TOWARD DESSERT
> * goat cheese and spring greens with honey vinaigrette
>
> DESSERT
> * maple soufflé with banana crème anglaise
>
> Since pheasant is extremely lean, I plan to cook it at 275°F in a
> Schlemmertopf clay casserole. I have some chunks of pecan wood which
> I'll use to smoke the mushrooms before they go into the Schlemmertopf
> with the pheasant and pecans; I'd like to get just a little smoky flavor
> in there. I'll also use that wood fire to cook the asparagus.
>
> Bob

Lucky lady. Best wishes to you both.

Nancy T

On Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:41:48 -0700, Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> Lin's and my fifth wedding anniversary will be this coming Saturday. The
> fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary, so the menu will have..

Talk about a buzzkill. Who cares?

"Your Name" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:41:48 -0700, Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>
>> Lin's and my fifth wedding anniversary will be this coming Saturday. The
>> fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary, so the menu will have..
>
> Talk about a buzzkill. Who cares?

What? Wood is a buzzkill? Where's Sheldon to make something of this?

"Julie Bove" > wrote in
:

>
> "Your Name" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:41:48 -0700, Boobie Twitiliger lied again and
wrote:
>>
>>> Lin's and my fifth wedding anniversary will be this coming Saturday.
>>> The fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary, so the menu will
>>> have..
>>
>> Talk about a buzzkill. Who cares?
>
> What? Wood is a buzzkill? Where's Sheldon to make something of this?
>
>
>


Twitiliger is an habitual liar and stalker.... a closet queer who
'married' Lin to make it look like a 'regular' person. Lin is what is known
as a 'beard'.

It is also a keyboard (k)cook, quite adept in making up fantasy menus.

Don't be sucked in by its lies and bullshit.



--
Peter
Tasmania
Australia

In article m>,
says...
>
> Lin's and my fifth wedding anniversary will be this coming Saturday. The
> fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary, so the menu will have a
> slightly-wood/forest-inspired theme:
>
> APPETIZER
> * creamy nettle soup
>
> MAIN COURSE
> * pheasant with pecans and beech mushrooms
> * pan-cooked burdock and carrots
> * planked asparagus
>
> DRIFTING TOWARD DESSERT
> * goat cheese and spring greens with honey vinaigrette
>
> DESSERT
> * maple soufflé with banana crème anglaise
>
>
> Since pheasant is extremely lean, I plan to cook it at 275°F in a
> Schlemmertopf clay casserole. I have some chunks of pecan wood which
> I'll use to smoke the mushrooms before they go into the Schlemmertopf
> with the pheasant and pecans; I'd like to get just a little smoky flavor
> in there. I'll also use that wood fire to cook the asparagus.

In the UK we can buy something called streaky smoked bacon rashers,
which is a cheap cut of (breakfast) bacon with loads of fat through it. I
recommend dressing the raw breasts of pheasant with overlapping strips of
the bacon just to keep it moist while cooking.

Burdock? Is that roots of the wild plant?

Janet

Janet wrote:
> says...
>
>> * pan-cooked burdock and carrots
>> * planked asparagus

Planked asparagus is unfamiliar to me. Is there a recipe or write up on
the method?

> Burdock? Is that roots of the wild plant?

I don't know of anyone who farms burdock root so wild harvested is my
guess.

On Wed, 4 Apr 2012 19:31:02 +0000 (UTC), Doug Freyburger
> wrote:

>Janet wrote:
>> says...
>>
>>> * pan-cooked burdock and carrots
>>> * planked asparagus
>
>Planked asparagus is unfamiliar to me. Is there a recipe or write up on
>the method?
>
>> Burdock? Is that roots of the wild plant?
>
>I don't know of anyone who farms burdock root so wild harvested is my
>guess.

I just noticed it in the Asian store this week. Nice looking roots,
3/4" in diameter and a foot or more long. Having dug a little
[very little] burdock, I nearly bought some roots to see if cultivated
ones were better.

If you've tried both, Bob, what do you think? I was under-whelmed
with the wild ones I've tried.

Jim

Chickenshit wrote:

>> Lin's and my fifth wedding anniversary will be this coming Saturday. The
>> fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary, so the menu will have..
>
> Talk about a buzzkill. Who cares?

Your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ cares. He cares about every sparrow
which falls to the ground, he cares about my anniversary menu, and he's
very concerned that your parents' basement is not the best environment
for a retarded virgin-for-life like you.

Bob

Janet wrote:

>> * pheasant with pecans and beech mushrooms
>> * pan-cooked burdock and carrots
>> * planked asparagus
>>
>> Since pheasant is extremely lean, I plan to cook it at 275°F in a
>> Schlemmertopf clay casserole. I have some chunks of pecan wood which
>> I'll use to smoke the mushrooms before they go into the Schlemmertopf
>> with the pheasant and pecans; I'd like to get just a little smoky flavor
>> in there. I'll also use that wood fire to cook the asparagus.
>
> In the UK we can buy something called streaky smoked bacon rashers,
> which is a cheap cut of (breakfast) bacon with loads of fat through it. I
> recommend dressing the raw breasts of pheasant with overlapping strips of
> the bacon just to keep it moist while cooking.

I'd rather avoid adding fat if I don't have to. I'm hoping that by
brining the pheasants and cooking at a low temperature, the birds will
remain juicy and tender. If I were roasting the birds in an open oven at
a higher temperature, the bacon would be pretty much unavoidable, but my
research indicates that the slow-cooking method can result in meat with
a better flavor.


> Burdock? Is that roots of the wild plant?

Yes it is. I've cooked it before (with Brussels sprouts and chestnuts),
so it's not quite new to me.

Bob

Captain Peter Swallows was GREEN with envy:

> It is also a keyboard (k)cook, quite adept in making up fantasy menus.
>
> Don't be sucked in by its lies and bullshit.

Looks like someone's feeling not-so-fresh and oh-so-inferior today!

Lin will probably post pictures of the meal on the RFC Facebook group
rather than here because clueless AOL newbie Sheldon "Pussy" Katz can
eat a bag of shit. I'm sure that Peter "Hughes" on that group is giddy
with anticipation.

Bob

Bull wrote:
>> Since pheasant is extremely lean, I plan to cook it at 275°F in a
>> Schlemmertopf clay casserole. I have some chunks of pecan wood which
>> I'll use to smoke the mushrooms before they go into the Schlemmertopf
>> with the pheasant and pecans; I'd like to get just a little smoky flavor
>> in there. I'll also use that wood fire to cook the asparagus.
>
> I've cooked pheasant in that very clay vessel. I didn't like the
> outcome - which was somewhat boiled. Actually I haven't liked the
> outcome of nearly everything I have tried in it. May take it to Goodwill
> along with the popcorn popper.

I don't expect the skin to get crisp. I make a similar dish called
"chicken in the pot": You put a whole chicken in a pot with just a few
aromatics, close the vessel, and cook at a fairly low heat until the
chicken is done all the way through. The skin turns out a bit flabby,
but the flavor of the meat and the jus are stellar.

Bob

Doug wrote:

> Planked asparagus is unfamiliar to me. Is there a recipe or write up on
> the method?

Planked salmon is pretty common; I'm just going to use the same
technique using asparagus instead of salmon. You lay the food out on a
wooden plank and cook in a covered hot grill until done. The plank gets
slightly charred, which adds to the flavor of the food being cooked on
it. I have some very thin food-safe planks which I plan to use. The
asparagus will be misted with olive oil and salted before going onto the
planks.


>> Burdock? Is that roots of the wild plant?
>
> I don't know of anyone who farms burdock root so wild harvested is my
> guess.

I'm pretty sure that burdock *is* farmed. You know those things which
look like thin carrots in sushi? That's actually burdock root. I'd
imagine the sushi-restaurant demand alone would justify farming it.

Bob

Jim wrote about burdock:

> I just noticed it in the Asian store this week. Nice looking roots,
> 3/4" in diameter and a foot or more long. Having dug a little
> [very little] burdock, I nearly bought some roots to see if cultivated
> ones were better.
>
> If you've tried both, Bob, what do you think? I was under-whelmed
> with the wild ones I've tried.

I'm definitely going with the cultivated ones. My local Whole Foods
carries them, and I've used them before to good effect.

Bob

On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:43:46 -0700, Bob Terwilliger
> wrote:

>Doug wrote:
>
>> Planked asparagus is unfamiliar to me. Is there a recipe or write up on
>> the method?
>
>Planked salmon is pretty common; I'm just going to use the same
>technique using asparagus instead of salmon. You lay the food out on a
>wooden plank and cook in a covered hot grill until done. The plank gets
>slightly charred, which adds to the flavor of the food being cooked on
>it. I have some very thin food-safe planks which I plan to use. The
>asparagus will be misted with olive oil and salted before going onto the
>planks.
>
>
>>> Burdock? Is that roots of the wild plant?
>>
>> I don't know of anyone who farms burdock root so wild harvested is my
>> guess.
>
>I'm pretty sure that burdock *is* farmed. You know those things which
>look like thin carrots in sushi? That's actually burdock root. I'd
>imagine the sushi-restaurant demand alone would justify farming it.

Burdock is a thistle, a PIA plant to livestock farmers and long haired
dogs but has very pretty flowers. I have some growing here but I
leave them for their flowers (they attract pollenators) and when their
extensive tap root decays it leaves a deep hole that aerates the soil.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burdock

On Apr 3, 6:41*pm, Bob Terwilliger >
wrote:
> Lin's and my fifth wedding anniversary will be this coming Saturday. The
> fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary, so the menu will have a
> slightly-wood/forest-inspired theme:
>
> APPETIZER
> * creamy nettle soup
>
> MAIN COURSE
> * pheasant with pecans and beech mushrooms
> * pan-cooked burdock and carrots
> * planked asparagus
>
> DRIFTING TOWARD DESSERT
> * goat cheese and spring greens with honey vinaigrette
>
> DESSERT
> * maple soufflé with banana crème anglaise
>
> Since pheasant is extremely lean, I plan to cook it at 275°F in a
> Schlemmertopf clay casserole. I have some chunks of pecan wood which
> I'll use to smoke the mushrooms before they go into the Schlemmertopf
> with the pheasant and pecans; I'd like to get just a little smoky flavor
> in there. I'll also use that wood fire to cook the asparagus.
>
> Bob

Sounds like you're still 'starry-eyed and happy'.

In article >, Brooklyn1 says...
>
> On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:43:46 -0700, Bob Terwilliger
> > wrote:
>
> >Doug wrote:
> >
> >> Planked asparagus is unfamiliar to me. Is there a recipe or write up on
> >> the method?
> >
> >Planked salmon is pretty common; I'm just going to use the same
> >technique using asparagus instead of salmon. You lay the food out on a
> >wooden plank and cook in a covered hot grill until done. The plank gets
> >slightly charred, which adds to the flavor of the food being cooked on
> >it. I have some very thin food-safe planks which I plan to use. The
> >asparagus will be misted with olive oil and salted before going onto the
> >planks.
> >
> >
> >>> Burdock? Is that roots of the wild plant?
> >>
> >> I don't know of anyone who farms burdock root so wild harvested is my
> >> guess.
> >
> >I'm pretty sure that burdock *is* farmed. You know those things which
> >look like thin carrots in sushi? That's actually burdock root. I'd
> >imagine the sushi-restaurant demand alone would justify farming it.
>
> Burdock is a thistle, a PIA plant to livestock farmers and long haired
> dogs but has very pretty flowers. I have some growing here but I
> leave them for their flowers (they attract pollenators) and when their
> extensive tap root decays it leaves a deep hole that aerates the soil.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burdock

Interesting. In UK the thistly plant we call burdock looks like this

http://morechristlike.com/burdock-leaves/

Is that the plant whose roots you cook, Bob?

when I was a child we used to drink "dandelion and burdock" (made from
roots of both).

Janet UK

Kalmia wrote:

>> Lin's and my fifth wedding anniversary will be this coming Saturday. The
>> fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary, so the menu will have a
>> slightly-wood/forest-inspired theme:
<snip menu>
>
> Sounds like you're still 'starry-eyed and happy'.

Yes indeed I am, and I'm trying to keep *her* that way, too!

Bob

Janet wrote:

>> Burdock is a thistle, a PIA plant to livestock farmers and long haired
>> dogs but has very pretty flowers. I have some growing here but I
>> leave them for their flowers (they attract pollenators) and when their
>> extensive tap root decays it leaves a deep hole that aerates the soil.
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burdock
>
> Interesting. In UK the thistly plant we call burdock looks like this
>
> http://morechristlike.com/burdock-leaves/
>
> Is that the plant whose roots you cook, Bob?
>
> when I was a child we used to drink "dandelion and burdock" (made from
> roots of both).

The Wikipedia article for the plant whose roots I cook is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctium_lappa

I think it's the same as the burdock in the link you provided, but it's
hard to be 100% certain from the pictures.

Bob

In article m>,
says...
>
> Janet wrote:
>
> >> Burdock is a thistle, a PIA plant to livestock farmers and long haired
> >> dogs but has very pretty flowers. I have some growing here but I
> >> leave them for their flowers (they attract pollenators) and when their
> >> extensive tap root decays it leaves a deep hole that aerates the soil.
> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burdock
> >
> > Interesting. In UK the thistly plant we call burdock looks like this
> >
> > http://morechristlike.com/burdock-leaves/
> >
> > Is that the plant whose roots you cook, Bob?
> >
> > when I was a child we used to drink "dandelion and burdock" (made from
> > roots of both).
>
> The Wikipedia article for the plant whose roots I cook is:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctium_lappa
>
> I think it's the same as the burdock in the link you provided, but it's
> hard to be 100% certain from the pictures.

Looks like it; and your ref says native to Britain. Thanks a lot.
Now I have to go and find some growing.

To think I kept digging it out of my last garden :-)

Janet

I wrote:

> Lin's and my fifth wedding anniversary will be this coming Saturday. The
> fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary, so the menu will have a
> slightly-wood/forest-inspired theme:
>
> APPETIZER
> * creamy nettle soup
>
> MAIN COURSE
> * pheasant with pecans and beech mushrooms
> * pan-cooked burdock and carrots
> * planked asparagus
>
> DRIFTING TOWARD DESSERT
> * goat cheese and spring greens with honey vinaigrette
>
> DESSERT
> * maple soufflé with banana crème anglaise
>
>
> Since pheasant is extremely lean, I plan to cook it at 275°F in a
> Schlemmertopf clay casserole. I have some chunks of pecan wood which
> I'll use to smoke the mushrooms before they go into the Schlemmertopf
> with the pheasant and pecans; I'd like to get just a little smoky flavor
> in there. I'll also use that wood fire to cook the asparagus.

The menu changed slightly:

1. I couldn't get burdock, so the carrots were paired with chestnuts
instead.

2. Instead of the goat cheese, we used a white cheddar which had been
infused with chardonnay and strawberries. The vinaigrette was made with
strawberry-balsamic vinegar (as well as Dijon mustard, salt, honey, and
grapeseed oil). Lin came up with the excellent idea to add some fresh
cut strawberries, so that's what we did.

3. Rather than the soufflé, I made a banana-maple mousse which was
scattered with chopped toasted pecans and drizzled with maple syrup.

4. Instead of just beech mushrooms, I used an assortment of mushrooms,
including shiitake, beech, golden oyster, and maitake (a.k.a. "hen of
the woods"). They had just the touch of smoke flavor I was hoping for.

Bob

In article om>,
says...
>
> I wrote:
>
> > Lin's and my fifth wedding anniversary will be this coming Saturday. The
> > fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary, so the menu will have a
> > slightly-wood/forest-inspired theme:
> >
> > APPETIZER
> > * creamy nettle soup
> >
> > MAIN COURSE
> > * pheasant with pecans and beech mushrooms
> > * pan-cooked burdock and carrots
> > * planked asparagus
> >
> > DRIFTING TOWARD DESSERT
> > * goat cheese and spring greens with honey vinaigrette
> >
> > DESSERT
> > * maple soufflé with banana crème anglaise
> >
> >
> > Since pheasant is extremely lean, I plan to cook it at 275°F in a
> > Schlemmertopf clay casserole. I have some chunks of pecan wood which
> > I'll use to smoke the mushrooms before they go into the Schlemmertopf
> > with the pheasant and pecans; I'd like to get just a little smoky flavor
> > in there. I'll also use that wood fire to cook the asparagus.
>
> The menu changed slightly:
>
> 1. I couldn't get burdock, so the carrots were paired with chestnuts
> instead.
>
> 2. Instead of the goat cheese, we used a white cheddar which had been
> infused with chardonnay and strawberries. The vinaigrette was made with
> strawberry-balsamic vinegar (as well as Dijon mustard, salt, honey, and
> grapeseed oil). Lin came up with the excellent idea to add some fresh
> cut strawberries, so that's what we did.
>
> 3. Rather than the soufflé, I made a banana-maple mousse which was
> scattered with chopped toasted pecans and drizzled with maple syrup.
>
> 4. Instead of just beech mushrooms, I used an assortment of mushrooms,
> including shiitake, beech, golden oyster, and maitake (a.k.a. "hen of
> the woods"). They had just the touch of smoke flavor I was hoping for.
>
> Bob

Lucky MrsBob !

I love chestnuts, great accompaniment to pheasant.

Janet

Janet wrote:
>
> I love chestnuts.

Me too, especially a turgid variety.

Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
> Janet wrote:
> >
> > I love chestnuts.
>
> Me too, especially a turded variety.

I've always wanted to roast chestnuts on an open fire. Maybe in my next
life.

Gary

In article >, Brooklyn1 says...
>
> Janet wrote:
> >
> > I love chestnuts.
>
> Me too, especially a turgid variety.

Oops, and LOL

Janet.