So....my posting it you have engraved it in stone, eh? duly noted!!
and I might think of adding some Asian fusion hot dogs to go with the fried rice....or perhaps chicken nuggets.

John, I have no comment, but I love your posts! Chinglish and lame Chinese desserts LOL!!!
Have fun!

Wrote down all the recipes. Divided each into A) do-aheads for a previous day, B) do-in-the-mornings, and C) do-right-before-dinner.

Did all the do-aheads tonight. Simmered the ribs in heavily spiced water, moved to refrigerator to chill overnight. Made the prawn marinade and added the prawns, again for overnight. Sliced salmon into strips, buttered with softened cheese, rolled into balls and moved to refrigerator. Boiled beets.

This is the only way I know to make this sort of thing and not court disaster. The cabin kitchen is only a 1.5 butt kitchen so the scope for parallel processing is limited.

"----I will post pictures unless it is a real disaster. ---"

Disaster pictures are much more interesting.

dcarch

John,

I love reading your posts re: your cooking adventures. :)

Looking forward to the pictures!

/tricia

I remember your annual trips, and I'm always astounded/impressed/in awe....insert your own words....of the meals you make for your friends.

The effort is unbelievable. I love that these are pretty much un-tried before. Your friends must look forward to these vacations, as each meal is a surprise.

I love the way you write. You always write with humour and are so descriptive. Have a great time John!!

Am I correct in remembering that these dinners take hours and hours from start to finish? If so, maybe you should start with the cobbler and work backwards. LOL

I'll be looking forward to the post-feast report.

A 13 y/o and a 15 y/o made the dumplings. They are, interesting. Waiting to be steamed.

The simmered and marinated ribs were deep fried, now they are waiting to be stir fried with the sauce, which is about 1/2 gal of marinade reduced down to 8 oz.

Seasoning and sauce for beans are made and waiting. Subbed minced Anaheim chiles for chili sauce.

Fried rice is made and ready to be re-heated.

Beets are pickling.

A French lady is making Nutella crepes for everyone's mid afternoon snack, so I am chilling in the living room for awhile. Dessert prep will start soon so the kitchen will be crowded when I am back in it. 3 to 4 butts in a 1 1/2 butt space. Yikes.

But I got a lot done when I had exclusive use of the kitchen, last night and this morning, so things are Under Control.

Take pics!!!!

We camped at Falling Leaf Lake in late July! That's just South of South Lake Tahoe. Such a beautiful area...

I feed my family by throwing a Stouffers Lasagna into a camp oven and opening a bag of Caesar Salad. LOL - A far cry from what you are planning! :-)

Can't wait to see the pictures!

You must be eating right about now. Can't wait for the report back and, of course, the pictures. Hope the French ladies are enjoying the experimental meal!

I'm in bed. Everyone else is still up. The kids are playing cards by the fireplace. The adults are talking about life. I like talking about life with this group, because we are all in roughly the same stage of it. Fifty years on, plus-or-minus, kids in middle school and high school, our parents are starting to pass away. We're getting older ourselves, gracefully or otherwise, aware that our lives are more than half over and that many paths are now bygone. We have made choices, some good and some bad. For the most part, we are happy with our lives, especially with a glass of wine on the beach in South Lake Tahoe. Maybe not estatic. Some things are stressful, most of us worry about money or kids or both, some need to spend more time on themselves, and some need to spend more time on each other. Still, the motto this year, "It does not suck to be us", fits more than it doesn't.

More about that later.

Oh, the food. Almost everything turned out. Some stuff had to sit in the warming oven longer than ideal. I'm still bad at timing dishes, especially when multiple dishes are fried and thus want to be done simultaneously.

In no particular order.

Dry cooked beans. Almost as good as Chin's Kitchen takeout . . .

Thai garlic prawns. This is basically fish and oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, garlic, limes, lemongrass (in a tube), and cilantro. Marinate prawns, then stir fry.

{{gwi:1543775}}

Five spice pork ribs. These looked better before they sat in the warmer for forty minutes. They tasted great, though. Distinct star anise aroma. The cooking process was lengthy but worth it.

Bacon salmon blue cheese balls. Rolled by my 15 y/o helper.

{{gwi:1543777}}

Forgot to photograph the dumplings, dessert, etc.

Back to life. I noticed that my friends who were not only the happiest, but also has the best family life and sometimes the most career successes, were those who best took care of themselves. They spent time on their own interests, fitness, pleasures. Made themselves the priority. It sounds selfish but in actual effect, it has been the best for all concerned. We're not twenty anymore. We can't live on adrenalin, coffee, and ambition. The superhero phase is past, if it ever was. The machine still runs well, but it now needs regular maintenance.

That's my resolution for the coming year. In our house, one of us is going to spend more time on oneself. And I already do.

How perfectly wonderful!!...Fabulous setting, great food, good friends and all with real plates stemmed glasses, candles, tablecloth...on the beach!
Thanks for letting us share in even a small way.

Spectacular dinner!

Thumbs up on "----going to spend more time on oneself"

Thanks for sharing and the inspiration.

dcarch

John, I know first hand what a great cook you are, so I'm confident the food was wonderful! I love your posts, and enjoy hearing about your yearly food fest with your friends.

If you're someplace where the grocery stores don't have lemon grass or other herbs, you might try seeing if there's a nursery that sells herbs. They may have them. It would be the plants, but you could use them for cooking. That's what they're for. Just a thought.

Thanks for sharing.

Sally

Nice beach dinner John! Now enjoy the rest of your vacation.

Nancy

It all looks amazing. I want some of everything.

E

Wow everything looks so good John! Thumbs up on a job well done.

My question is which one is SWMBO?

Johnliu, if they are just turning 50, then don't worry
about a thing. They will be more worried about their
estrogen levels, then the food.

John, dinner look just amazing. Your dinner parties look like such fun! I'd love to have the recipe, or at least a guide, to those ribs, please.

And you're right - people must first put their own oxygen masks on before trying to help others. Never rely on just one or even two interests/hobbies. Always keep on learning new things in a variety of subject areas. I run on about this place a lot because I've just enjoyed them so darn much. I've completed at least 30 courses. They're wonderful. Got interested in a couple new hobbies that started with one of their courses.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: The Great Courses

That looks wonderful! The food so delicious!
Do you have a recipe for the green beans? Those are my favorite green beans ever but I didn't realize that's what they are called. Yes, I get them at a local Chinese restaurant but I thought they were deep fried. Who knows, I love them.

Ribs recipe (and my variation)

4 lb pork ribs - should be spare ribs (more typically Chinese), but I used baby back ribs and it was fine.

Marinade -
3/4 c soy sauce, preferably dark or mushroom soy sauce
6 tbsp rice wine
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
3 star anise
3/4 c ginger, coarse chopped

Recipe Sauce - (recipe)
6 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 c rice vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce

or, Alternate Sauce (my variation) -
Reduction of the simmering and marinating liquid.

Stir-Fry Stuff -
3 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 c basil leaves, chopped

Process -
- Cut rib racks to separate individual ribs
Place in large pot, just cover with water, add the marinade ingredients, bring to boil, then simmer for 1-2 hours.
- Move ribs in the simmering liquid to refrigerator and marinate overnight.
- Next day, remove ribs from liquid. Make the Recipe Sauce, if desired. Or, make the Alternate Sauce by boiling the liquid down to about 3/4 pint (it will take a few hours to reduce down the half-gallon of liquid you will start with).
- Heat oil in deep fryer (pot or electric). Coat ribs with cornstarch, deep fry ribs in batches (for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes each for baby backs, or until meat is browned and a little crusty and bone tips are browned).
- Heat oil in wok or frying pan. Stir fry ribs, a few at a time, adding a portion of the sauce, a pinch of minced garlic, and some basil. You are just coating the ribs with the sauce, garlic and basil.
- Plate the ribs and pour over any remaining sauce.
- The goal is three texture layers - sticky sauce over a crisp crust and then tender interior.

The reduction process for the Alternate Sauce is not very Chinese, but I was going to be cooking much of the day anyway so it saved having to make and keep track of another sauce. I think the flavour was better than a quick mix of bottled sauces.

Dry-cooked green beans:

The exact ingredients are variable, the main thing is some heat/spice and frying the beans in oil until they blister.

3/4 lb green beans, trimmed and patted dry

Stir Fry stuff -
5 or 6 small dried red chiles, minced (or red pepper flakes)
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
3 scallions, chopped
2 tbsp dried shrimp, dried fish, Fish or Pork Sung (optional)

Sauce -
1/2 tbsp rice wine
1/2 tbsp chili bean sauce, Siriachi hot sauce, or similar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Process -
Heat a fair bit of oil in wok or frying pan (if a wok, at least 1/4 inch deep of oil at the center)
Working in batches, fry the beans on high heat until they get blistered and browned. Wear an apron, and use a long-handled tongs or spatula (or wear an oven mitt) as the oil will spit and pop.
Drain the free oil, leaving a coating of oil on the wok
Return all the beans to the wok, still high heat, and add the stir fry stuff, fry with constant movement for about a minute, don't burn/blacken the garlic and ginger.
Add the sauce, enjoy but don't inhale the initial burst of spicy steam, and toss the beans for 30 seconds, then remove to platter.

Thank You!!

/t

Those beans sound great! Thanks for posting the recipe.

John what a wonderful evening you must have had. great food, great people, and to die for setting!

Thanks for the green bean recipe. It sounds delicious.

Sally

Sounds like a wonderful evening.

~Ann

Thanks for the report, but with such wonderful company, anything you served would have been in second place to the participants.

So I tried a variant on the green bean recipe and tossed the beans in a mixture made from the sauce ingredients and some powdered garlic and ginger on onion and extra EVOO, and roasted them at 500. Mine for about 5 minutes, maybe another 60 seconds would have been bettert quite delicious, and no need for the wok, welding mask and respirator! ;-p

Thanks for the inspiration, John!

The food sounds great and although I can't really see the setting I can tell it's beautiful. And together with good friends - what more can you ask for! I might have to try those ribs...

What a lovely meal! Everything looked delicious!

How lovely.

What a lovely dinner, it all looks delicious. Elery is going to love those green beans, though, with both hot chile peppers and Sriracha. I'll have to break out the gas mask and respirator just to cook them, but he'll love them, LOL.

There's something about being 50. I remember it was a terrible year for me, and I never thought I'd be where I am now. The forum had a birthday party for me, the only birthday party I've ever had.

Now, just 7 years later, my life is completely different. Life is odd, you never know where you'll end up or how, but it's a great ride. And, as you've mentioned, those who take the best care of themselves are in the best shape to enjoy that ride.

Annie

I have not minded the imminent 5-0. I feel good, better than I have in years, and even my inaugural prostate exam - brrr - is not upsetting me.

SWMBO is not as sanguine about the milestone. Hence, as I mentioned, someone here is going to spend more time on herself from here on.

It is a little hard to do if you are of a generous spirit, so I'm told anyway, because at this point the people you love start needing more, either because they are dying, because they are turning fifty, or because they are turning teenaged.

So, I think, you triage. An ailing parent is one thing. A whiny friend or an unvacuumed house, is another thing entirely. For them, there's "no" and there's Robbie.

I made the beans tonight, John, and they were great!
I followed the recipe except used fish sauce for the dried shrimp and no hot sauce- we don't like heat.

Cool. I made the beans, or actually a much simplified version, for dear daughter a couple days ago, and she liked them too. She has spent the whole summer eating camp food and is happy to have some new things to eat.