Free range Goat

Goat meat. What to make of it? What to do with it?…

I have been curious about this meat for quite some time now. Even though it’s the most widely eaten meat in the world it’s not much eaten here in Australia. I think I may have eaten it once about 10 years ago in a Nepalese restaurant but that has been it.

So why the curiosity? I have been playing around with different meats. Organic, free range, locally produced, environmentally best options etc etc. Even though I couldn’t care less whether I ate meat ever again, everyone else in our family thoroughly enjoys it. So to keep meal times flowing, I cook the beasts.

In different circumstances I like to think that I would be able to rear my own animals and then either butcher them my self or take them to an abattoir to be slaughtered. However I’m not in that position at the moment so who knows how that would go down when it came to crunch time. (I think I could walk my talk though).

Free range chicken and organic beef sausages are staples with us here. They are easy and it keeps the monkeys happy. I tried to do kangaroo sausages once and am still traumatised by the whole ordeal. It’s a lean meat, with high levels of protein, and is also a natural wild meat- so not the environmental problems that can be associated with domestically bred animals…. it’s just not for this city hippy farm girl.

I tried so hard to like it. All I can liken it to is…

um…… lets just say it has a very unique taste, that may not be for everyone. If you can eat the stuff- good on you.

However I digress. It was goat I was talking about.

So. I was at some farmers markets and saw a stall for some locally produced free range goat meat. It was the first time they had run the stall, so it would be good see how they do down the track. The stall was certainly getting some attention and a lot of people were trying the different goat dishes that they had for samples. I bought some and away we went.

One Goat Curry later served with Basmati rice and steamed vegetables. The verdict….

Delicious! Everyone really enjoyed it. The meat was soft and tender. There wasn’t an over powering meaty taste. The older monkey said ” I like the chicken, but not the curry”. After I had explained it was goat. (He’s 4 though, if it doesn’t involve pizza, or hommus and capsicum then dinner needs some encouragement.)

Two things to remember when cooking goat.

1/ Cook it at a low temperature- as there is not much fat in the meat it can loose moisture and toughen up quickly if cooked at high temperatures.

2/ Cook the meat with moisture- enhances flavours and increases tenderness.

Will I cook it again?

Sure will.

[Via http://cityhippyfarmgirl.wordpress.com]

Greens.

I have started Ingenue from Custom Knits using some lovely green yarn I bought from a Ravellers destash. I think that it is worsted weight from Handpainted.com who no longer exist.

Its very green and I like it but am not sure if I can wear it as it is so bright, so it might need to be dyed once knitted up!

I have been doing well with my vegetable cooking mostly due to finding this little gem of a book, Veggie Feasts. It cost less than £5 and has some great recipies. We have loved the Spinach and riccotta canneloni and the potato, chick pea and cashew nut curry.

There are great aubergine (eggplant) ideas too like this aubergine, pesto and mozzarella toasty that we had for lunch today.

My diet has changed a little for the better lately and I now use soya milk 70% of the time, which I love, I stew fruit to go on yogurts rather than buying the ready made fruit yogurts, and I am learing to cook vegetables in loads of tasty ways!

[Via http://leafgreenknits.wordpress.com]

Crumb Foam with Strawberry Syrup

Crumb Foam with Strawberry Syrup

Ingredients:

• ½ glass of  raspberry syrup
• ¾ glass of water
• 2 tbs of crumb
• vanilla to taste

Instructions:

• Mix the syrup with water and boil.
• Add the crumb and leave it to boil for about 4 minutes
• Take it off the stove and add the vanilla
• Whisk together until it cools down and becomes foamy
• Serve cold

Note: You could use this recipe with just about any juice or syrup, i have picked up  raspberry syrup because it tastes better.

[Via http://coooooking.wordpress.com]

Getting to you know, a poll.

If my WordPress stats tracker is right, people actually read this blog (or at least visit it). That means, little by little, you guys are getting to know me and I think it’s time you return the favor. Considering the emphasis on food here, I have a simple question for you: On average, how often do you cook? And by cook, I mean Cook. As in putting together several ingredients and making a meal anew — TV dinners don’t count. Be honest, too. Let’s find out what kind of foodies we’ve got visiting Anagram.

View This Poll

answers

[Via http://aminamania.wordpress.com]

Weekend cheesecake

This strawberry cheesecake is the weekend cooking I mentioned the other day.  I produced it very successfully but for some reason failed to photograph it with the same level of success.  I took many a photo, but even once I’d photoshopped the best one it looked rubbish combared with this lovely photo which accompanied the recipe over at BBC GoodFood, so I thought I’d just use theirs instead!  Doesn’t it look lovely?

The cheesecake was deliciously rich and sweet and strawberry-y and generally scrummy that I would highly recommend you make it this weekend, and it’s pretty easy too (the only difficult bit is leaving it overnight to set – I had to threaten Mr M with divorce to stop him slicing into it while I slept!).  If you’re not up for making the whole cake (although I really don’t see why you wouldn’t be), at least whip up some of the strawberry sauce.  It really is amazingly tasty, for something so simple.  Hurrah for spring and strawberries!

[Via http://domestikated.wordpress.com]

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon

Ingredients

• 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
• 2 Golden Delicious apples – peeled, cored and diced
• 8 ounces raspberries
• 1 pound strawberries
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
• 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• butter flavored cooking spray
• 2 cups cinnamon sugar

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden  apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
• Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

[Via http://coooooking.wordpress.com]

Classic Pea Soup with Ham

My Mom is a wonderful soup maker and often made a pea soup, sans the ham, when we were growing up. When over for dinner the other night, she reminded us that she is simply not interested in cooking and who can blame her – cooking for our family all those years.  So I don’t get to enjoy her soups much anymore, but about once a month I have the pleasure of enjoying some spectacular home cooked soup by Anka.  When asked for the recipes, Anka shrugs and says something like, “water, a few vegetables, lentils, water and salt & pepper, and cook it for a while. I’ll keep working on it. Maybe this one will be as good as hers.

Ingredients

1 smoked ham hock, (about 1 lb/500 g)

1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil

1 large onions, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper

4 cups (1 L) sodium-reduced chicken stock

2 cups(500 mL) dried green split peagreen split peas or dried yellow split peas

3 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Using paring knife, peel off and discard skin from ham hock. Trim off and discard fat. Set aside.

In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-low heat; fry onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper and ham hock, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add stock, peas and 2 cups (500 mL) water; bring to boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until peas break down and meat is tender enough to fall off hock, about 1-3/4 hours.

Remove ham hock; pull off and shred meat. Set meat aside. Discard ham bone and bay leaves. In blender, puree half of the soup; return to pot along with meat. Or use an immersion blender right in the pot after removing the ham hock. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to container and refrigerate, uncovered, until cold. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat to serve.) Ladle into bowls; garnish with green onions.

Production notes:

You can use water instead of chicken stock. In fact I prefer it to the chemically taste of bought chicken stock. Next time you cook chicken breasts and have a few extra minutes, bone the breasts, put into a pot with a carrot an onion, cut in half, a stalk of celery,1 tsp salt (approx) a few peppercorns and cover with water. Bring to a boil on Medium high and skim on foam. Reduce heat and keep at a simmer for about an hour. I give the green onions a miss.

Canadian Living Magazine: February 2007

[Via http://closetfoodie.wordpress.com]

.25 year Anniversary

“The shoe fits better on the other foot.”

On Sunday, it was our 1/4 year Wedding Anniversary. Doesn’t sound like very long does it? But feels like it’s been much longer. It’s strange but neither of us feels married, more like we’re just living together (we hadn’t previously).

I’m actually quite enjoying the domestication of it all. I quite enjoy the cooking, though trying to decide what to make really does my head in. Despite my shelves groaning under the weight of all our cookbooks, just deciding what to have for dinner on a Friday night can cause hours’ worth of paper cuts and hair loss.

This is hardly the intended use for it but I find The Cook’s Companion by Stephanie Alexander to be a great prop for our laptop. We were given it as a wedding gift and I swear I will get through it one day, but at the moment, the sheer volume of the thing sends shivers of fear running through me.

We also bought one for our best man (who loves the art of dessert making), and I believe he is slowly making his way through it. Last I heard he was up to Cheese. Mmmm cheese…

Cleaning is tolerable, and some days even fun – I’m considering it exercise. Yes, I know. It won’t last.

So 3 months and all is going well, and our house is almost ready (we’re building) and I can’t wait to get in there and fill it with stuff. Perhaps it’s an age thing but crockery and furnishings have suddenly become very sexy. Forget the clothes and the accessories, just give me that set of pretty tea cups any day.

And I’m already dreaming of the bookshelf we’ll be buying. *Shivers* Now that’s sexy.

[Via http://thewindblowswest.wordpress.com]

Helpful Tips with chopping Hot Peppers and Chilies

ALWAYS CHOP CHILIES WITH RUBBER GLOVES.

Or, if you’re on the fly like me, turn the plastic bags you bought them in inside out, slide them over your hands, and there you go.

Please practice caution with chilies.

If you don’t have these, and end up using your bare hands, never touch your face. Wash with scalding hot water and condensed soap. I once washed my hands with vodka then hot water and soap, and it worked beautifully.

What ever you do, never touch your face or use the restroom while cooking with chilies. Wait until the meal is prepared, time has past, and you are sure your hands are clean.

If your hands, cuticles, or under nail beds burn, be cautious.

[Via http://kellyegan.wordpress.com]

Dairy Free Pierogies

Ingredients:

1 package Nasoya® Rounds Wraps

2.5lbs. Potatoes diced

1 Tablespoon Smart Balance® Buttery Spread

1 Cup Rice Dream® Rice Drink

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 cups Galaxy® Vegan Grated Topping

salt and pepper to taste

1 Cup Water

Step 1: Boil potatoes until soft enough to mash, then drain and rinse potatoes. Add buttery spread, seasonings, and half of the Rice drink and begin to mash the potatoes.  If you need to add more of the rice drink please do so (I don’t cook in exact measurements). The potatoes don’t need to be smoothly mashed. Lumpy Potatoes are good for making Pierogies. When potatoes are to the consistency you like, add the cheese

Step 2: Get your wraps ready and the cup of water. Into the first wrap you’ll spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of the potato mixture. Wet your finger in the water and moisten the outer edge of the wrap halfway around. Fold dry half of wrap over on to wet half to seal the mixture inside. If you’re feeling fancy you can crimp the edges of the wrap, but it’s not necessary. Continue this until you have your desired amount made.

Step 3: Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, put as many pierogoies as you feel comfortably managing into the pot. The pierogies are done when they float to the top, usually about 3-5 minutes.

You can serve these with a spaghetti sauce, but I’ve found that Kraft® Zesty Italian Dressing compliments them nicely.

[Via http://alternatives4thenotsovegan.wordpress.com]

Ideas for the cab Accessories - cooking, reading and So Much More

Image : http://www.flickr.com

There are eleven major categories for cabin accessories. Most of them add to the general controllability and stability of the truck itself. But what adds a very personal touch to the most important part of the truck, the cab?

Apart from spare parts and add-ons for the winch and locking parts of the truck, twelve volt appliances and gadgets travel, which are much milder.

Accessories

Compass Digital compass to your safe trip by providing you ageneral guidance on the direction you're headed, especially if it's your first time to go to a city of more than fifty miles away. Some compasses are even equipped with a warning of ice, you keep that much safer.

Heaters cabin cabin heaters are very useful, especially if you travel in the coldest regions of the country. Why suffer in silence when we can artificially regulate the temperature inside your truck cab? These heaters portable cabin just need to be connected inside the coils compactheaters do all the work.

Electric blankets, away from home for weeks at a time? You need the warmth of home in your truck, and we can talk now. Twelve-volt electric blankets are very comfortable and provide a constant flow of heat to make your night comfortable sleep.

Shavers-Forget the batteries on this one. These systems require electric razor juice directly from your truck to work, but they work wonderfully, and they actually seem pretty cool sitting inyour truck cab.

Sandwich makers, we've said manufacturers are making designs as welcoming as possible. Twelve Volt Sandwich makers work exactly like the ones we sat in the kitchen, they have only been made more robust. These compact sandwich makers will not take damage even if the car is knocking when you're on the road. Perfect for heating the mayo sandwich your wife asks you to bring along the trip.

Cabin Coffee makers, if you like your coffee black, hot and wantNow, your best option is to get a coffee machine. Again, they were specially designed to withstand rigorous travel, and they work beautifully when plugged into your port truck twelve volts.

Clocks, if the sun is not enough to wake you up from the dream, then a digital clock would be a good way to wake up from sleep. Again, this product is compact and does not mind sitting in your car forever. You can also easily adjust the time and intensity ofalarm with a few clicks of a button.

[Via http://kadookmoo.wordpress.com]

Turkey Penne Throw Together

This is not really a recipe, this is “Hey! These ingredients taste good when you throw them together!”  There’s a difference in that I did not take the time to figure out the exact measurements.  I’ve done this dish twice now and it’s come out well both times (and it all started with a strong desire for protein and pawing through my kitchen to see what I could come up with).

Turkey Penne Throw Together

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

8 oz whole wheat penne

8 oz ground turkey

~13 oz tomato sauce of choice (I used half a bottle of Trader Joe’s marinara)

1/4 cup of white cooking wine

2 cups spinach

1 garlic clove, diced.

~1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated.

basil (to taste)

salt (to taste)

rosemary (to taste)

Directions

Boil penne with salt according to directions (al dente).   Strain and rinse.

In a large pan, brown the ground turkey on medium heat.

When the turkey is done, put the heat on low.  Add sauce, wine, spinach, garlic and spices.  Let the spinach wilt just a little.  Mix thoroughly before tossing the penne in with the sauce.  Makes great leftovers.

[Via http://wickedbites.net]

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Ingredients

• 1/2 pkg. linguine (8 oz.)*
• 1 cup fresh OR frozen broccoli flowerets
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup OR Campbell’s® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions

1. COOK linguine according to pkg. directions. Add broccoli for last 4 min. of cooking time. Drain.
2. HEAT butter in skillet. Cook chicken until browned, stirring often.
3. ADD soup, milk, cheese, black pepper and linguine mixture and heat through. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
4. TIP: *Or substitute spaghetti for linguine.
5. Serve with a mixed green salad topped with grape tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette. For dessert serve pear halves.

[Via http://coooooking.wordpress.com]

Brickyard Bar-B-Q (West Seattle, WA)

Will work for food.  Yes, I’ll even do yard work.  I can’t afford to eat at all of these places without a little help here and there.  My sister and her husband Dave were clearing out a little patch in their backyard for a “dog park”. Mindy and I showed up and helped them out then they suggested lunch……I love that system.  Originally they suggested Duke’s but it was a nice day and it’s on Alki so it would have been a madhouse plus we really weren’t in the mood to change into our Alki clothes (I have no idea what that means, don’t ask).

Huh, how about we just drive on California Avenue and see what’s open.  This has been my usual response so to hear someone else say it was great. California Avenue, home of Spring Hill, Mashiko, Bakery Nouveau,  Cupcake Royale, and so much more (need more time/money to get to all of the other restaurants!!!).  It’s almost like we planned to move to West Seattle on purpose…..hmmmmmm, interesting.

Hey, check it out! A BBQ place, let’s try it out! Great choice.  Let me do something really quick, testosterone time.   When talking about BBQ you always have to talk about how big your BBQ IQ is (I was going to say something else but this is a PG rated blog…PG-13?…alright R).  Let me just qualify this by saying.   I lived in Texas for three years and I have been to some pretty amazing BBQ places and before you proceed to tell me about how great this or that place is let me just tell you that it’s not going to go far with me.

(I wonder if I still have that shirt….)

I’ve been grilling, bbq’ing, and in more general terms burning things over fires for a long time so when it comes to good BBQ I know what’s up.  Yup.

The Brickyard BBQ. We came for the standards, brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and some chicken wings.  What we received was execution at a very high level.  The plating (abundant), sauces (go for the spicy!), bar area (bottles on ice look awesome), meat, bartender (hilarious), and owners (amused with Mindy’s jokes) were all great.

(Ugh, camera phone)

The restaurant itself is indoor with a large porch on the outside for great summertime awesomeness. They have been open for 5 months now so I can’t wait to see what they are going to do with their open space…..I’ll be there….working on my sauce on face tan-lines…..”haha, looks like you missed some sunscreen”…..No man, that’s BBQ sauce and I meant to do that.

The great smell of smoke in the air, open space, great beers available, awesome food, and family. THE

(Oh man, I’m good at this whole blogging thing. You see what I just did there. I used a picture from their restaurant to finish a sentence……Professional!)

Those wings I was talking about earlier. They’re the best in town. Yeah, I know there are two posts in a row where I proclaimed best of something (crab cakes in the other) but these smoked chicken wings are a thing beauty.  Yes, I know there is a Wingdome opening soon but their wings are nothing like this….they’re still fantastic but the wings at the Brickyard set the bar.   Don’t believe me? Go try it.  When you taste them and you agree then tell your friends.  If you taste them and you don’t agree then there are plenty of other blogs to read on a regular basis.

The Brickyard BBQ

2308 California Avenue Southwest, Seattle, WA 98116-2403

206-933-3109

Eric “Will Work For Food” Rivera

[Via http://ericriveracooks.com]

Potato and tomato

Finally, a namesake dish! As I prepared it, I realised that this is the first time that I am making a dish that my blog is named after.

Potatoes and tomatoes can be cooked in many ways, but this is surely the most brainless of all recipes.

First, peel and cut potatoes into medium sized cubes and pan fry them in a bit of oil till almost well done. Next, peel whole tomatoes and throw them into the pan (or canned whole tomatoes will do just as well). Finally, add a dash of salt, pepper, honey and ketchup to taste. Garnish with a bit of green, if desired.

And, in my opinion, garnishing should always be desired, even for simple home-cooked everyday food like this. It can be humble food, but little things make a world of heartfelt difference, for e.g. adding a garnish to provide contrast of colour, cutting food into equally sized pieces, using the right plate for the amount of food, making sure the side of the plate is not smudged with gravy etc.

Whenever I eat out, I find myself observing the little things too. I like to eat food that has been prepared with the heart. I believe that is how all food should be treated. Sometimes, I can taste the care and thoughtfulness that went into preparing the food for me, which tremendously heightens my level of enjoyment of a meal. Sometimes, the food has been prepared by a disgruntled employee who does his work devoid of any thought for the food and the person who is about to consume it. And you know it because it is, well, edible but just tastes bad.

[Via http://potatontomato.wordpress.com]

The Case of the Mystery Egg Man

I tried out a new tangerine and spinach omelet recipe this morning-delicious!

My breakfast may or may not have been influenced by my sighting of “Mystery Egg Man”.  This is the third time I’ve seen him while shopping at Aldi.  Mystery Egg Man is exactly that- a man shrouded in mystery regarding eggs.

My childhood bookworm days aren’t for naught, as my hours with Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and the case-cracking Boxcar Children led to my two sleuthing observations  regarding Mystery Egg Man:

1. The sheer quantity of eggs he purchases.

2. His evasive attitude while buying said eggs.

If I was at police academy utilizing my incident report writing skills, I’d describe my first encounter with this man as so:

On January 9th, 2010 at 0900 hours I, Recruit Officer Sookie Smackhouse with the IMPD, was dispatched to the Aldi location at 6691 East Washington Street in reference to a Mysterious Egg Man.  MEM is a W/M, 5′ 8″- 5′ 10″, 160-170 lbs.

Ok, let’s return to citizen-speak: His shopping cart was full of egg cartons and nothing else.  Mystery Egg Man was literally tip toeing cautiously down the aisle so the egg cartons wouldn’t tip over the side of his cart.  This was strange, but like my earlier post on WalMart, I expect a degree of craziness at my east-side Aldi.  He purchased $300 worth of eggs! The cashier asked, “Didn’t I just see you in here yesterday with eggs?” The man avoided eye contact, didn’t answer and shuffled off quickly- or as quickly as one can while burdened with 50 lbs of eggs.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the encounter as I walked home. What would possess someone to buy such a large quantity of eggs? I imagined sinister purposes in which Officer Smackhouse would break up the largest illegal egg smuggling ring in Indianapolis as MEM yelled from the squad car, “I would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for meddling kids!”

I’d repeat the incident to friends with indifferent responses such as, “Hmm, wow, a carton full of eggs, imagine that.”   “But you don’t understand!” I’d say, “Over $300 worth of eggs!” I could tell they weren’t impressed, and not curious enough to sleuth about the importance of such a thing.  They’d counter with, “Did I tell you about the guy I saw without pants at Kroger?”  No pants?! Big deal! It was nothing compared to my Mystery Egg Man.

Several months later, the luster of MEM began to wear off, and I wondered if my friends had been right- it wasn’t such an amazing tale after all. But then, Hark! Another Saturday morning and there he was in all his eggy glory. It was a similar occurrence with the cartful of eggs and the peculiar behavior.  And behold! Yet again this morning just a month later with my third sighting.

My tale ends here. One Aldi, one Mystery Egg Man, 3 sightings, over 600 egg cartons. Clearly, Officer Smackhouse has some investigating to do. I will report back with my findings , and hopefully after interrogations with MEM be armed with 101 new ways to cook eggs. Zoinks!

[Via http://officersmackhouse.wordpress.com]

Recipe: Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Loaded baked potato soup is one of our favorites. It’s simple and easy and a great comfort food and perfect for chilly fall nights.

2 lb potatoes

2 cans chicken broth

2 cups of milk

1 package shredded cheddar cheese

sliced green onions to taste

1 package real bacon bits

salt and pepper to taste

sour cream

bake you potatoes in the oven or microwave. Cube potatoes and cook on medium with chicken broth and milk until they reach a low boil.

Gently mash potatoes with potato masher being sure to leave it a bit chunky (if that’s how you like it–I do)

Add cheese, onion, bacon salt and pepper.

Heat until cheese is well melted.

Serve with cheese bread and it’s awesome.

You can reserve some cheese onion and bacon to top each bowl if entertaining. Top off with a dolop of sour cream if you like and enjoy.

[Via http://theskinnywallet.wordpress.com]

To Eat Or Not To Eat: That Is The Question

(Pics to be added, tweaking to be done, please bear with…)

To Eat Or Not To Eat: That Is The Question

To eat or not to eat: that is the question

Whether ‘tis nobler to pick the wild,

To masticate the Devil’s Gut?

Or dream instead of alchemy, gold untold,

From this Midas root?

(With bows and apologies to Bill S.)

Spring is here, established and unfortunately, this year, wet. Indeed, it’s wet enough for the oxen tractor to be a stick-in-the-mud were it to be used. And we don’t want that; it’s hard work (made harder by accompanying wife belly-laughs) getting it out.

Bah, humbug.

But besides mixing up authors, there’s still things to be done; this afternoon, we pulled, peeled, salted and squashed another 30 kilos of daikon, most of which will be used to replace the already-gone takuan (our social experimentation continuing apace).

Sandwiched in the pulling and the peeling, there was time today, between cloudbursts, for a quick forage.

On the embankments and by the rice fields, つくし (tsukushi), common name Common Horsetail, but also known, (among others) as Devil’s Guts, Frog Pipes, or Snakegrass, are now in abundance.

Funky, fungi-looking, they’re factually ferns. And, according to the elder folk round here, absolutely edible, with what’s said to be an asparagus-like taste. They’re also made into a tea.

Other research on-line tells us that, high in silica, Horsetail can not only be used as a scouring agent, (meh) but that – Alchemists Arise! – it also produces gold.

Gold? GOLD! Gold in them there stems! Apparently, they can produce a whopping 4-and-a-half ounces per ton. Though it’s un-harvestable.

Alchemists, you better sit down.

On-Line Research further counters Local Knowledge by saying Horsetail (I prefer “Devil’s Gut”) is toxic, and has been known to kill grazing cattle, so until I can come up with a bona-fide recipe in Japanese that Izumi can trust, “Not to eat” is the Answer.

Bah, humbug.

Any help out there?

kitchengardenjapan

[Via http://kitchengardenjapan.wordpress.com]

Butternut Custard

In honor of the March snowstorm now blowing through my yard, I’m posting this recipe. Part pumpkin pie, part baked pudding, it’s all delicious. So bake some this week and curl up with a bowl. And don’t feel guilty – it’s low fat, low sugar, high fiber, just good for you and good to eat.

Enjoy!

Butternut Custard

1 medium butternut squash – about 2-3 pounds

3/4 c. milk

4 eggs

1 c. brown sugar

1 t. ginger

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. salt

Split squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds. Place squash in 9×13 pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350 until very tender, about one hour. Let cool. Scoop out flesh. Place 2 c. butternut squash in blender. Add milk and eggs. Puree until smooth, about one minute, it will be very thick. Pour into bowl. Add sugar and spices. Beat with whisk until smooth. Pour into well-greased 9×13 pan, spread evenly. Bake at 400° F for twenty minutes, turn heat down to 325° about 45 minutes, until filling is set and toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped topping.

[Via http://jaletac.wordpress.com]

Black Devils Food Cake

Black Devils Food Cake

Instructions

Grease and flour two 9″ layer pans or one 9″ x 13″ pan Cream together

until fluffy: 2/3 cup softened shortening 1 2/3 cups sugar Beat in

thoroughly 3 eggs Blend together: 2/3 cup cocoa 1 1/3 cups cold water

Sift together: 2 cups sifted flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2

teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon salt Stir in alternately with cocoa water

mixture. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour into prepared pans. Bake until

cake tests done. Cool. For a striking color contrast spread a snowy

white frosting between layers and over top and sides. Bake at 350 -

30-35 minutes for layers and 35-45 minutes for oblong.

[Via http://coooooking.wordpress.com]

February 27, 2010

chinese cooking – Eric and Morgan are here for the weekend and decided to cook for the family. This is a pork loin wrapped in bacon cooking in the wok. We also had tilapia, spring rolls, pork buns, spinach, rice, and a snickers cake. Everything was great! But I feel fat and after looking at this pic, considering becoming vegetarian.

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Braised sausages with white beans

This one was better than expected. The sausages weren’t the best for the recipe, but that wasn’t the recipes fault, it was fault of my selection! But that’s ok.

This was basically a casserole of braised sausages with cannellini beans in diced tomatoes and fennel. And it was pretty good. I’d make it again it was that good.

And it was pretty easy too. Once you’ve boiled the sausages everything is done in the one pot. So apart from slicing up the snags and then draining them on paper towel it’s basic basic basic. And my onion didn’t even make me cry today. Now that’s a first!!

Tomorrow night is vegetarian night and I’m planning on doing homemade pizzas with the lemon sago out of the book for dessert. I could have done a soup or a salad but we’re having a guest over and I won’t have much time for food prep. So pizzas it is. Just have to remember to put the dough in the bread oven before I go out…now that’ll be the challenge.

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