NFT: Something terrific you've eaten recently? 1/30 Edition

Had a few nice things this past week. The one I'd posted for the weekend, the deconstructed Beef Wellington, went really well. Puff pastry square, topped with mushroom duxelle, a sous vide and seared filet, and a mushroom gravy. The more under the radar things that I really loved:

1- An Asian slaw from Judy Joo:
ASIAN-STYLE SLAW:
1/4 cup Kewpie (or any) mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean chile flakes) (I used regular crushed red pepper flakes)
Kosher salt or sea salt
4 cups tightly packed thinly sliced cabbage
1 cup julienned peeled tart apple or Asian pear (I used a Granny Smith)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

Directions
In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, sesame oil, chile flakes and salt to taste. Add the cabbage, apple and onion and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate.

And 2, a butternut squash curry which I just had tonight, paired with bbq jerk chicken. The recipe is from Veena Azmanov, who I found online. She's Indian and does Indian dishes and baking.

Butternut Squash Curry

Ingredients
1 - 11/2 lb (1 kg) Butternut Squash (cut into 2-inch cubes)
▢3 tablespoon Cooking oil (divided)
▢1 large Red Spanish onion (finely chopped )
▢4 large Garlic cloves (minced )
▢3 inch Fresh ginger (grated)
▢2 tablespoon Tomato paste
▢2 tablespoon Cayenne
▢1 tablespoon Sweet paprika
▢1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
▢2 tablespoon Coriander powder
▢1 teaspoon Cumin powder
▢1/2 teaspoon Garam masala
▢2 Bay leaves
▢1 cup (240 ml) Coconut milk
▢1 cup (240 ml) Broth or vegetable stock
▢2 tablespoon Lemon juice
▢1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
▢1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
Directions
Oven - Preheat oven to 325°F/ 165°C/ Gas Mark 3. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and spray with oil to prevent sticking.Pro tip - You can also use parchment paper. Lining the tray makes for easy cleanup.
1 - 1½ lb Butternut Squash
Roast - Clean and cut the butternut squash into 2-inch pieces. Place them on the prepared baking tray, and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil. Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until tender. Pro tip - Use a sturdy chopping board and a sharp chef's knife and be careful as this a tough vegetable to cut. You can roast the squash 2 to 3 days in advance too.
Saute - In a skillet or saute pan, over medium heat, saute the onion, ginger, and garlic until the onions are translucent. Pro tip - Don't make haste let the onions cook down and get almost caramelized.
3 tablespoon Cooking oil,1 large Red Spanish onion,4 large Garlic cloves,3 inch Fresh ginger
Spices - Next, add the tomato paste, followed by the spices and bay leaves. Then, add a few tablespoons of water and stir on medium-low heat until fragrant. Pro tip - Add water, a little at a time, to prevent them from burning.
2 tablespoon Tomato paste,2 tablespoon Cayenne,1 tablespoon Sweet paprika,½ teaspoon Turmeric powder,2 tablespoon Coriander powder,1 teaspoon Cumin powder,½ teaspoon Garam masala,2 Bay leaves
Gravy - Add the coconut milk and broth/stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.
1 cup Coconut milk,½ teaspoon Kosher salt,½ teaspoon Black pepper,1 cup Broth or vegetable stock
Simmer- Then, add the roasted butternut squash, followed by the lemon juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer another 5 to 8 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Pro tip - The squash is already cooked so all we need is for them to soak up some of the juices.
2 tablespoon Lemon juice
Garnish - Sprinkle with more chopped cilantro.

My comments: the time and temp for the squash is way off. I'd make 1 inch pieces and roast at 375 for 30 minutes, and then check it. 2 Tbs cayenne would have made my head explode, I thought the heat turned out nice for me using 1 teaspoon cayenne. I guess, season to your taste.

And I almost finished the pasta e fagioli I made early in the week. It's still great after that time.

What about you? Anything you made or ordered in, or had at a restaurant or friend's house that you really loved? Drinks included