We've been really bad about taking pictures of our Sunday nite dinners lately. Sometimes we just want to eat and not deal with the photography, especially when dinner is not at our place. It's a pain in the butt to lug around the DSLR and tripod to our friends place and figure out the lighting conditions. After accidentally dropping our point-and-shoot camera on the strip in Vegas (long story), we recently got an ultra-compact Canon SD1100IS, which is great for discrete restaurant shots.

This past Sunday, Hungry Bear and I went over to Jane's place for dinner. It was a perfect opportunity to test out our little camera. For dinner, Howie (who is a much better cook than he lets on) made mapo tofu and stir-fried green beans. Jane and Garry made angel food cake with a lemon glaze and creme brulee. We would have taken pictures of dessert, but Jane and Garry weren't happy with their results. We thought they tasted perfectly good.

Our friends, Jerry and Gabriel, are moving to Seattle in a few weeks. To give them a proper send off, we had them over for dinner last night. For SND, actually Monday night dinner, Hungry Bear and I made...

• Curry Cauliflower Soup with Honey
• Roasted Five-Spice Pork Tenderloin
• Cauliflower and Mushroom Sticky Rice Risotto
• Stir-Fried Water Spinach
• Chocolate Bouchons

Well, we didn't actually make the bouchons. We were up in Napa over the weekend and picked up some goodies from Bouchon Bakery. Sometimes it's just easier to pick up dessert than to make it yourself.

The SND kitchen is officially open again. We just cooked our first big meal in the new digs. To christen the place, Hungry Bear and I wanted to make a decadent multi-course dinner to celebrate the end of our moving process. We tossed around a few ideas for the main course, including braised pork belly, but went with veal chops with morel mushrooms. I couldn't pass up making the fantastic morel sauce. So, we created the menu as...

Chicken and Duck Mousse with Peppercorns 
with a sweet French baguette and cornichons

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Red Butter Lettuce with Baby Vegetables
carrots, radishes, cherry tomatoes, avocados and lemon Dijon vinaigrette

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Veal Chops with Morel Mushrooms 
served with roasted parsnips purée and sautéed asparagus

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Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
topped with mini M&Ms, chocolate nibs or crushed pistachios

Hungry Bear and I are almost done moving. It's been non-stop packing, unpacking, organizing, purging, contractors coming and going, dusting, sweeping, vacuuming and crying... we can't wait to finish so we can finally enjoy the renovated digs. The first SND in the new kitchen is this coming Sunday and we're going to prepare a major feast to celebrate!

Over the last few months, we've had many great Sunday nite dinners. Sometimes I took pictures and other times I just wanted to eat and not bother with documenting the meal. Who wants to carry around camera equipment, a tripod and a lighting rig all the time? I'm kidding about the lighting. Although, I would bring my own lights if it weren't such a hassle.

In the slideshow, you'll see a roundup of SND meals going back to January. For some reason (waiting for recipes, bad lighting, awful photographer... me) or other, I haven't shared these meals until now.

Mexican at Deb and Brennan's  (January 7)

• Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
• Caesar Salad with Chili-Cilantro Dressing
• Turkey Enchiladas
• Crème Caramel

Chinese Hot Pot at Jane and Mark's  (January 27)

• Chinese Hot Pot (beef, lamb, chicken, tofu, meatballs, spinach, mushrooms, etc.)
• Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Hawaiian at Tracie and Eric's (February 16)

• Japanese/Hawaiian-Style Potato Salad
• Salmon Tofu Salad - tofu, salmon, onions, tomatoes, watercress, and bean sprouts with a soy sauce-based sauce
• Broiled Sushi - crab, mayo, plain yogurt wrapped with nori
• Steamed Dungeness Crabs
• Clams
• Lemon Cream Napoleon
• Butter Mochi with Coconut Milk

Simple Sardines at Jane and Mark's (March 2)

• Grilled Sardines with a French baguette
• Mixed Green Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes

Sorry for not including any recipes. I'm hoping to get back on a normal posting routine shortly. I'll leave you with a picture of our new range. The next Sunday nite dinner has to take advantage of all the new features (pot filler, wok grate, griddle, savory oven and sweet oven). We're thinking a pasta course, a stir-fry, a big roast and a baked dessert. Any suggestions on what to make?

Growing up in Allentown, PA, my family would take trips down to Washington, DC to visit my great aunt and uncle. As an active kid, I always dreaded going down to DC because I had to spend most of the time cooped up inside my great aunt and uncle's apartment. The highlights of the trips were the amazing home cooked Vietnamese meals prepared by my great aunt. Her roasted chicken (ga ro ti) and sticky rice were my favorite dishes.

It's been over two decades since I had ga ro ti. I never see it at restaurants (at least in San Francisco), as most Viet places serve grilled chicken (ga nuong) with five spice. So last week, I decided to make Vietnamese roasted chicken. I called up my parents to get advice. Unfortunately, neither of my parents make the dish and my great aunt passed away several years ago. My dad said, "marinate it in soy, fish sauce, garlic and a little sugar"...like every other Viet dish, not much help there. I was on my own with this one.

I remember my great aunt pan fried her chicken low and slow. I believe this "roasting" method was used because traditional ovens weren't available in Vietnam back in the day, unless you were wealthy. My great aunt's chicken had an extra crispy skin and the meat was shreddable by hand, almost like a confit. To get this texture, the chicken needs to be cooked longer than normal.