# Any big plans tonight?



## PalmRoyale (Dec 31, 2017)

We don't. The girlfriend and I really don't feel like doing the whole family thing this year so we're staying at home. I'm making my minced meat stew that she likes so much and we're going to watch Blade Runner 2049 and that's it.


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## TheCaptain (Dec 31, 2017)

After almost getting hit by a drunk going the wrong way down a one way, hubby and I always stay in.

Rock crab claws, king crab legs, a cheesy risotto and roasted broccoli and mushrooms for dinner. Champaign tasting and a movie then sitting by the fire after the kiddo goes to bed.


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## DamageInc (Dec 31, 2017)

Five friends coming over. No family.

I've made braised and crispified chunky carnitas, charred tomato salsa, and bacon fat flour tortillas. Simple.

After that, it's beer, whisky, and champagne while watching Korean horror films until early in the morning.



PalmRoyale said:


> We don't. The girlfriend and I really don't feel like doing the whole family thing this year so we're staying at home. I'm making my minced meat stew that she likes so much and we're going to watch Blade Runner 2049 and that's it.



Damn fine choice of film. I trust you've both seen the final cut of the original? That's the one that 2049 goes by.


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## PalmRoyale (Dec 31, 2017)

DamageInc said:


> I trust you've both seen the final cut of the original? That's the one that 2049 goes by.



Of course we have, is there another version worth watching?


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## gaijin (Dec 31, 2017)

I also stay in, and have a big hunk of cow in the Sous Vide bath right now. In an hour or two, friends will drop in with sides and other food stuffs. And drinks. 

Becoming a little tradition this. Food, friends, good conversations.


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## brianh (Dec 31, 2017)

Pigs in a blanket, crab stuffed button mushrooms. Flying Dog double IPA. Get kids to bed, try and make it to midnight with the wife.


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## PalmRoyale (Dec 31, 2017)

I'm also making banana/passion fruit soufflés for dessert. I don't want to beat my own chest, but damn, that's one of the best dessert recipes in my arsenal.


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## chinacats (Dec 31, 2017)

PalmRoyale said:


> I'm also making banana/passion fruit soufflés for dessert. I don't want to beat my own chest, but damn, that's one of the best dessert recipes in my arsenal.



Please share!


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## boomchakabowwow (Dec 31, 2017)

Peking duck. Chinese restaurant. No booze


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## PalmRoyale (Dec 31, 2017)

chinacats said:


> Please share!



http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...on-fruit-souffl%E9-recipe?p=527146#post527146


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## DamageInc (Dec 31, 2017)

PalmRoyale said:


> Of course we have, is there another version worth watching?



No, the 2007 final cut is the best of them all.


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## alterwisser (Dec 31, 2017)

brianh said:


> . Get kids to bed, try and make it to midnight with the wife.



Haha.... that sounds about right!


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## brianh (Dec 31, 2017)

alterwisser said:


> Haha.... that sounds about right!



We've resigned ourselves to not even try and stay up til 12. Kids still awake. Maybe pop the cheap a$$ champagne early.


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## TheCaptain (Dec 31, 2017)

Note to self. Stone crab claws suck.


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## malexthekid (Jan 1, 2018)

brianh said:


> We've resigned ourselves to not even try and stay up til 12. Kids still awake. Maybe pop the cheap a$$ champagne early.


Haha.... well my 8 month old decided he wanted to wake up every hour or so.. so while we were entertaining some friends I spent most of the night in the bedroom trying to settle the little one... and maybe end up having a cheeky nap or two myself while doing that.


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## Paraffin (Jan 1, 2018)

TheCaptain said:


> Note to self. Stone crab claws suck.



What!!?? (Sputter)...

Not if they're fresh and cooked right. Although, there are a lot of things out there called Stone Crabs. 

I grew up in Miami FL, where stone crab craws are a _thing_. The "Joe's Stone Crab" restaurant and all that. It's one of the things I miss after moving up here to the Pacific Northwest USA. Real stone crabs -- at least the Florida/Caribbean variety -- have claws that are tough like porcelain china. You can cut yourself on 'em, and the meat is big, sweet, and juicy.

P.S. New Year's was just us two at home, too old for parties and driving. Made prawn scampi and salad. Wish I had stone crab claws instead. but this was pretty good.

P.P.S. unless you mean that you need to suck a crab claw to get all the meat out, which is a good thing.


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## JaVa (Jan 1, 2018)

Mmmm.... Joes stone crabs... been there, done that. Good times!


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## JaVa (Jan 1, 2018)

Made some prawns in lime and garlic butter for starters. Then grilled garlic and herb marinated lamb chops, baked whole garlics, creamy herb sauce and root cellery and carrot pyre. Because of our four year olds request for dessert some Arnolds donuts. &#128514; 

We were supposed to go out to see some fire works, but its been a rough week at works and I got home at 5 pm. I was out like a light at 11 pm with our 5 month old. Wife and the 4 year old stayd up and watched the fireworks from our balcony where they had front row seats to all the action.


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## Salty dog (Jan 1, 2018)

I know I'm not the only one that worked.
Usually closed on Sundays but whored out for the money. It was a long weekend. 
Special five course menu with three or four choices within each course. The boys rocked it out. It was a thing of beauty.


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## TheCaptain (Jan 1, 2018)

Paraffin said:


> What!!?? (Sputter)...
> 
> Not if they're fresh and cooked right. Although, there are a lot of things out there called Stone Crabs.
> 
> ...


I live in chicagoland. Fresh seafood is a challenge. These were frozen with little notches cut in the shell to supposedly make cracking open a bit easier.

They still wouldn't crack open so out with a hammer and towel. Shell shards everywhere and the meat was chalky and muddy tasting.

Now the king crab legs I also did were darn tasty. I guess some things shouldn't be done unless fresh.


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## TheCaptain (Jan 1, 2018)

Salty dog said:


> I know I'm not the only one that worked.
> Usually closed on Sundays but whored out for the money. It was a long weekend.
> Special five course menu with three or four choices within each course. The boys rocked it out. It was a thing of beauty.


It is amazing when your team pulls together and pulls it off. Good for you!


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## Paraffin (Jan 1, 2018)

TheCaptain said:


> I live in chicagoland. Fresh seafood is a challenge. These were frozen with little notches cut in the shell to supposedly make cracking open a bit easier.
> 
> They still wouldn't crack open so out with a hammer and towel. Shell shards everywhere and the meat was chalky and muddy tasting.



Drat, sorry to hear about that. It's one of the most amazing seafood treats from my home area, like conch, but it has to be fresh. You can probably find a source for shipping fresh overnight in dry ice, but that's gonna be expensive. It's why I just pine for them, and wait for a trip to Florida. 

As a south FL native I used to fish for all kinds of things down there... mackerel, red fish, snook, mangrove snapper, and had friends that dived for stone crabs and Florida lobster. When I was a kid, we'd hunt blue crabs in the mangrove shallows. There is an abundance of seafood out here on the Pacific Northwest USA coast, but it's less varied. Of course with the population explosion in So. Florida, fishing ain't what it used to be. 



> Now the king crab legs I also did were darn tasty. I guess some things shouldn't be done unless fresh.



King crab legs travel better, maybe because they live in cold water instead of warm like the Florida/Caribbean seafood? 

We get good frozen king crab here in the Pacific Northwest, even though it's coming from much further north in Alaska than where I live and always frozen. If you're into crab, give Dungeness Crab from the PNW a shot too, it's very good and probably travels well.


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## panda (Jan 1, 2018)

really dont understand the craze for stone crab, don't think it tastes good and is severely over priced. i'll take snow crab legs any damn day! dungeness, blue, or peekytoe i will also devour. hate lobster.


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## Keith Sinclair (Jan 1, 2018)

Ham Hocks stewed tomatoes and black eyed peas with baby bok choy, bell peppers, lots of garlic & ginger.


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## DamageInc (Jan 2, 2018)

panda said:


> really dont understand the craze for stone crab, don't think it tastes good and is severely over priced. i'll take snow crab legs any damn day! dungeness, blue, or peekytoe i will also devour. hate lobster.



I have to agree there. Stone crab has always been boring compared to nice long crab legs.

While I do think good crab legs are better than lobster, I can't say a I hate a nice lobster claw or tail.


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