Do you have a Signature Dish?

Food and Drink

Posted by PerkyMac, June 23, 2008 at 12:30 AM

Something you're known for, or that friends, co-workers, or family request. Is it your favorite to make, or would you prefer that you were known for something you like even better? Where did the recipe come from?

37 Comments

37 Comments:

macaroni & cheese. it's such an easy comfort food. i flavor the bechamel sauce with something unexpected, like a bay leaf and whole peppercorns or a sprig of fresh mint. my girlfriend is obsessed with mac & cheese so i just borrowed from all different recipes on the internet and it worked out awesome.

foodbeast at 4:19AM on 06/23/08

I hijacked a recipe from my little sister, broccoli pie, its not what would be a signature dish for me, but when the situation warrants, its one that can be whipped up really quick, (family reunions ect.) and tastes like it took hours to produce. I don't know how she came up with this, she is really gifted in the kitchen. I am fortunate to have 4 sisters, 3 older, 1 younger, and they can all turn out some really outstanding dishes. I'll find the recipe and post it later.

weljwm at 4:29AM on 06/23/08

Funny - this varies from group to group. My office used to look forward to my salsa to the point of Pavlovian response when they saw me in the break room). My family always asks me if I brought a cheesecake (of any variety). Friends of my brother always ask if I've made pulled pork when they see me at his house.

I love my Sunday Gravy. If I had to pick one thing to define me - that's what it would be.

chiff0nade at 4:48AM on 06/23/08

This question's come up before, and my answer is always my German-Polish Oven-Roasted Potato Salad. But now that we're serving Flint-Style Coney Islands at our food concession down at the beach, that's what I'm now known for around town.

LunaPierCook at 5:29AM on 06/23/08

Mine varies too. Lately it's been Crab Macaroni & Cheese (or just Mac & Cheese since I moved to Israel.) But with different times and different groups of friends it's been Beer Bread with homemade Honey Butter, or Garlic Prawn Skewers. My mom always asks for my Berry Tarts, which I stole from my sister and miniaturized.

cowprintrabbit at 7:05AM on 06/23/08

most of my friends go crazy over my meaty pasta sauce, i get requests and have even gone to a friends house to show her how to make it. No one ever seems to want to take the time. My SO adores my spiced peanuts. I make them quite often for him since its one of the few things he can taste. (he was head shot and has no sense of smell and little taste) my ex used to go crazy over pasta salad that I made and my roasted potato salad. personally I'm not crazy about any of those dishes.

huneybumper at 7:44AM on 06/23/08

huneybumper, you just reminded me that when I was 7ish, I used to make linguine with ham and onions for my parents a couple of times a month - I could take it or leave it but they used to request it...

cowprintrabbit at 8:17AM on 06/23/08

That would be my "German Cassarole". I made it on a whim when I was trying to do something creative with a can of sauekraut. It turned out to be delicious so soon after, I made a huge batch for family gathering and the rest is history.

smile at 9:29AM on 06/23/08

My Strawberry tofu pie has been a big hit. Can't taste the tofu, texture is like custard. Light, sugarless, very nice. The other requests? Veal couscous with artichokes and tomato and my sunshine muffins. My version of a sweet cornbread flavored to mate the meal.

colonendparentheses at 9:50AM on 06/23/08

I think mine would be shrimp and pasta salad for my co-workers. For my family it would be lasagna or taco salad. My personal favorite is asian marinated flank steak with edamame salad.

luvtocook62 at 9:59AM on 06/23/08

Friends of mine describe my deviled eggs as "crack". I bring them to every party...one time I didn't for some reason, and I heard about it. Everyone says, "I shouldn't eat that, it's full of cholesteral" and then the tray of 24 eggs are gone in about 10 minutes.

joannabar at 10:35AM on 06/23/08

I probably have quite a few (at least, according to my husband:-)), but if I were to choose one, I'd say it's my stuffed apricots. It's a beautiful sweet & savoury hot appetizer that I make for special occasions. It never fails to impress. People who try it for the first time, usually tell me, "I never thought I would like something like this, and I absolutely love it!", which is kind of the way I felt when I came with the recipe:-).

brooke29 at 11:07AM on 06/23/08

My signature would have to be more of a style... cooking is always a culinary adventure. I never go for the ordinary. I rarely make something more than three times. I strive to find a dish that I can call my own but it just never happens. Once something has been mastered I just tend to move on to something new.

And yes, my guests always know they will drink great wine at my house. I guess that is part of my signature.

Cheers,
Angela
www.wineunleashed.com

WineUnleashed at 11:29AM on 06/23/08

I want recipes for the Strawberry tofu pie (colonendparentheses) and the stuffed apricots (brooke).

A Serious Eats Community cookbook might be an idea.

CanadianFoodieGirl at 12:15PM on 06/23/08

Back when I was dating & looking for love, I had a signature dish that I'd pull out for that "3rd date."....you know the one....when you invite them over & try to win them through their stomach.

The dish was born out of desperation for exactly such a date. I was traveling a great deal for work at the time & my flight got delayed. It was really too late to cancel the dinner date I had made, nor did I want to!

So....I improvised with what ingredients I had in the freezer and some fresh basil that my roommate had....and from that day on it became my signature 3rd date dish.

Crumble fried bacon & mix it with fresh basil & feta....slice a pocket into a chicken breast, and fill with this mixture. Layer the bottom of a baking dish with crushed tomatoes, sliced onione & garlic like you were starting a lasagna. Place the stuffed chicken breasts in this. Top with more crushed tomatoes, parmesan & basil. Bake until the chicken is done.

It's not a recipe, rather a methodology open to a lot of improvisation.

I served with angle hair pasta tossed with garlic, Parmesan & diced tomatoes.

The last time I made this was for my partner on our "3rd date" which was over 10 years ago....

2qrs at 12:30PM on 06/23/08

There are a lot of things I'm constantly being asked to make, but the ones that immediately pop into my head are

Chili (beef w/ or w/o beans) -- not my fave, but I don't mind making it -- easily the most requested item in my repertoire, along with my own recipe for homemade chili powder
Guacamole -- love to eat it; love to make it -- requested almost as frequently as my chili

Several others that frequently come up...

Pot Roast -- yes, sounds a bit odd, but people just adore my version for some reason -- I just make it the way I like to eat it!
Macaroni Salad -- an old fashioned mayo version, insanely popular
Punkin Bread -- recipe previously posted here I believe?
Cobbler -- a batter type rather than biscuit type; nom, nom

LoCo at 1:05PM on 06/23/08

@CanadianFoodieGirl - once I get to my desktop, I'll post the recipe, I promise. By the way, a SE community cookbook sounds brilliant!

@LoCo - I think I recall something about the Punkin Bread, but could you possibly re-post the recipe? My head doesn't work so well on painkillers (and the toothache refuses to go away without them:-)), so I'm not sure where to look for it.

brooke29 at 1:15PM on 06/23/08

Sweet: Ganache Covered Brownies

Savory: Pimenton Roasted Potatoes and Onions with Green Olives, or Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Brownie at 1:15PM on 06/23/08

I would have to say the one dish I am always asked to make is my island shrimp cocktail. I created this recipe after a trip to Puerto Rico, and having had various types of shrimp cocktail around the country. My cocktail sauce is made with ketchup, Cholula hot sauce (2 to 1 ratio), then I add finely chopped garlic, chopped cilantro, chopped jicama (or if you like, celery), lime juice and the zest of the lime and finally avocado Everything is to taste after the ketchup and hot sauce. I use 21-25 count shrimp (tail-off) So, for 1 pound of shrimp, start with 1/4 cup of ketchup. I add the avocado last (gently). It is nice to eat shrimp cocktail and not have to worry about where to put the tails!

izatryt at 1:34PM on 06/23/08

@brooke... here it is... hope your tooth feels better soon!

STACEY'S PUNKIN BREAD (aka LoCo)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease two 9x5 loaf pans (if using 8½” pans, use three).

Combine and set aside

⅔ cup milk (or water)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together and set aside
15 oz. all purpose flour or 3⅓-3½ cups
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon cinnamon (or 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
(1 teaspoon nutmeg)
— I use the larger measure of cinnamon instead, cuz I don’t much like nutmegBeat together until light and fluffy
3 cups sugar (use 2⅔ cups next time if it ends up too sweet)
1 cup vegetable oil (or 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened)
Add one at a time, incorporating fully between each addition, and continuing to mix until light and creamy
4 large eggs
Mix in until well blended
16 oz. unsweetened pumpkin puree (canned is fine)
Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk/vanilla mixture, and fully incorporating between each addition.
Fold in (optional) ingredients
(1 cup chopped toasted nuts)
(⅔ cup raisins or other dried fruit)
Divide batter evenly between loaf pans. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes; rotate pans, and bake 30-40 minutes more, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Cool 10-15 minutes before removing loaves from pans. Cool fully on a rack. This bread freezes well if the unsliced loaf is double-wrapped.

LoCo at 1:52PM on 06/23/08

My Thai slaw is requested more often than not. I've posted the recipe before in a thread, but it's not really a recipe, as I have no idea what the actual amounts are that go into the dressing...I just start whisking it together and tasting as I go. But it's a big hit every time, and is requested at lots of cookouts as it's full of flavor and no mayonnaise.

rosezilla at 2:13PM on 06/23/08

@LoCo - thanks! and thanks!

brooke29 at 2:15PM on 06/23/08

Chicken Parmigiana - I actually dreamed up the recipe long before I was aware what actual chicken parmigiana was, so my version has stuffed chicken breasts along with the traditional red sauce and cheese. It's decadent, and the meal most of my friends and family request when I ask, "what would you like me to make?"

Other dishes oft requested include:
Olive rosemary bread
Meatloaf with homemade sweet ketchup (and/or meatballs and sauce from the same recipe, just different proportions)
Shrimp scampi and smoked cheese grit cakes

jenilowrance at 3:21PM on 06/23/08

My friends all associate me with creme brulee! In college I bought a creme brulee set and would test out all my concoctions on my friends. They would all come over for the official "torching" and tasting. :)

Hillary
Chew on That

Chew on That at 3:42PM on 06/23/08

i make a really good apple pie. i think it's the butter crust that does it. also, i've been told my Hamentashen are really good. again, lots and lots of butter.

redhead at 10:10PM on 06/23/08

As promised, here they are:

Stuffed Apricots

(It may look complicated, but it honestly isn't!)

1. Apricots

10-12 oz dried apricots (it's about 50 apricots, as far as I remember)
2/3 cup white wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc), 2/3 cup water

Soak apricots in the wine/water mixture for up to 2 hours (no less than 1 hour).

2. Filling:
9 oz ground veal* (OK, the amounts are not exact, but I'm trying. It probably is somewhere between1/3 to 1/2 lb. The good thing is, if you happen to have leftover filling, you can always ass it to your scrambled eggs the next morning:-)).
1 small yellow onion, or ½ medium onion, minced finely
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp of finely minced parsley
leaves of 6-7 sprigs of thyme
salt, freshly ground black pepper (optional)
2 tbsp white wine

Mix thoroughly all ingredients of the filling other than olive oil and the egg. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

3. In the meantime, prepare the sauce:

Extra virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, sliced (about 1 lb)
½ tsp cinnamon or 1 stick, broken (I actually used 2 sticks last time)
1 1/2 tbsp honey
3-4 sprigs thyme
salt, freshly ground black pepper
a splash of white wine

Cover the bottom of a skillet with olive oil (I use a 12” skillet: it should be large enough for you to be able to place all apricots in one layer, but it's OK to "double-layer" them). Saute onions until soft and brownish in colour, but not fried. Add a splash of white wine, stir. Add cinnamon, honey, salt and pepper, let simmer for about 5 minutes. Cover with a lid and turn off the heat.

4. Back to the filling:

Saute the filling mixture in olive oil, over med-high heat, until the the meat is cooked, but not browned (make sure you stir quite vigorously, so that you don't have one "lump"). Taste and adjust seasoning (this is the time to make sure it tastes good – at this point, you can still add more salt or thyme or pepper, if needed). Let cool. (At this point, I used to lightly beat an egg and stir it into the cooled filling mixture. But last time I made the apricots, I forgot the egg altogether, and found out that it's not necessary).

5. Prepare apricots (do not discard the water/wine mixture they were soaked in): find the cut that was made to remove the stone. With your finger (you can use a paring knife, but I find that it is easier to do using your fingers), open a “pocket” in the apricot, but try to keep the cut relatively small, so that the apricots keep their shape. I prefer “prepping” all apricots first, and then filling them with the meat mixture, but you can also “prep” them as you go, one by one. Using a small coffee spoon, or your fingers, fill the apricots with the meat mixture. Place on a shallow platter.

6. Place the stuffed apricots in one layer on top of the caramelized onions. Add ¼ cup water to the soaking liquid and pour over apricots, just to barely cover them. Place thyme sprigs on top. Bring to boil, lower the heat, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for about 25-30 min. Let stand for 10 min. When serving (warm), pour the sauce over the apricots. I also like to sprinkle some pine nuts over the plate.

* When I was developing the recipe, I was set on veal, but I've tried other meats since, including beef, and even a mixture of turkey and pork (last time), and it was great, too.

brooke29 at 10:19PM on 06/23/08

@brooke: Generally I'm vegetarian but any recipe that calls for soaking dried fruit and wine could make me forget what the cows were fed and how they were treated while being raised.* :)
In fact, enough wine - a little for the apricots...a little for me... a little more for me - could make me forget a lot, including forgetting to finish the recipe.

Upon second read of the recipe I've found a typo that I quite enjoy:

The good thing is, if you happen to have leftover filling, you can always ass it to your scrambled eggs the next morning:

I think I saw a chef ass ingredients on Top Chef once. He was eliminated. I have mental images of what "assing" ingredients would look like.

*Alternately, I'd use organic veal. I'm health conscious, but recognize our place in the food chain.

CanadianFoodieGirl at 10:00AM on 06/24/08

What keeps me in dinner party invitations are my soup/stews; Black bean, Gumbo, Cream of Potato, Cream of..., Gulas (especially Segedinsky). I'm working on perfecting Hot and Sour and Pho. I want to be buried with a bowl of Czech-style Tripe Soup but for now, I have to go to a restaurant to get it. The smell while cooking is more that some will tolerate ;~(

czken at 10:28AM on 06/24/08

@CanadianFoodieGirl - this is the best typo ever! Although I can be like my little brother and say, it's not a typo, I meant for it to be this way!:-)

Speaking of wine, I really love this recipe, since I usually claim that I need a whole bottle of wine for it and, indeed, by the time it's done, the wine is finished.

And if you'd rather not use any meat at all (although, it is really lovely here), give me a day, I'll think of something you can use instead and preserve the flavours. I thought of ricotta (mixed with a little bit of honey, thyme, etc), but it has to be a decidedly savoury ingredient, since it's that savoury/sweet contrast is what makes this dish work so nicely...boursin? It may actually be interesting, although it'll be an entirely different flavour. I'll think about it...

brooke29 at 10:44AM on 06/24/08

For my in-laws it is cinnamon rolls; I am not allowed there on Christmas without them. My family its rum cakes. Its the classic recipe with cake mix but, thats what they like. For Christmas I have to make 6 of them .

jennywren at 2:35PM on 06/24/08

@jennywren - rum cakes from cake mix - do tell! I inherited a fear of cakes from scratch from my mother...

@brooke29 - have you ever seen the magnets/coasters/aprons that say "I like to cook with wine; sometimes I even put it in the food" I had to buy one for my nephew, he was a sous-chef at Marco's Supper Club in Seattle for a while and can cook more sauced than I ever could...

cowprintrabbit at 3:24PM on 06/24/08

@cowprintrabbit: Mmmm. Crab Nac and Cheese, eh? Love the sound of that. Would you mind sharing the recipe??

@Brooke: Hope you are feeling better today!

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