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.

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

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.

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

How to Make Strawberry & Raspberry Jam

My very dear friend R made some Blackcurrant jam a while ago. We recently ran out so I decided to make some of my own. It is very easy and everyone can make some. I decided to make some Strawberry & Raspberry Jam. I bought Strawberries from a local super market and had some frozen Raspberries in the freezer.

Ingredients:

• Strawberries (coarsely chopped) – 1 Mug (A Coffee Mug)
• Raspberries (coarsely chopped) – 3/4 Mug
• Sugar – 1 Jug (add more if necessary)
• Lemon Juice – 2 Tbsps

Method:

• Add the finely chopped Strawberries and Raspberries to a non-stick pan and mix for a couple of minutes.
• Now add the lemon juice and sugar and mix well.
• Keep mixing on medium flame until the berries become soft and bubbles start appearing.
• Now reduce to flame and keep mixing, making sure the mixture hasn’t hardened.
• Once the mixture reaches the consistency of Jam, turn off the flame and let it cool for a bit. Do not over cook the mixture. Try to keep it mildly liquidy as it will solidify when left out to cool.
• Transfer it to a clean air-tight bottle.

Tips:

• Do not let the berries boil until the mixture becomes hard. It has to be loose and you should be able to easily transfer it to a bottle. If it does turn out to be hard, just heat the jam a little bit before using.

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

Pan Cooked Salmon

Salmon on Brown Rice

I like to cook fish at least once a week and my favorite fish to cook is salmon simply because it’s so fast and easy.  I also have a great quick tilapia recipe and my personal favorite is trout.  Here’s my quick pan cooked salmon recipe.

Ingredients:  Salmon, Salt, Pepper, Saffron, Dried Herbs (I prefer Herbs de Provence here but I was all out today so I used dried mint and basil), Lemon Juice, Water, Cooking Spray (such as Pam, I prefer one made of canola of olive oil)

Directions:  Rinse salmon.  Season one side with salt, pepper, saffron and dried herbs.  Spray a pan heated to medium-high with cooking spray and place the seasoned side of the salmon down.  Season other side of salmon.  When bottom side has brown, spray cooking spray on top of salmon and flip it over.  When the second side has also browned, add enough water to cover just the bottom of the pan by a few centimeters and squeeze a little lemon juice over the salmon itself.  Cover and let cook in steam for about 15-20 minutes.  I like this style of cooking because the salmon is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.  The salmon is fully cooked when it is tender and flakey.  If you’re not sure, use a fork to see if it pieces off easily.  Serve either on rice or on top of a fresh salad.  Enjoy!

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

66 of 365 is a heart in dark chocolate in #inkscape

heart in dark chocolate

Today’s sketch in Inkscape is a very shiny heart in dark chocolate, that might have been more appropriate earlier this month (on the 14th), but I like chocolate anytime. Especially dark chocolate, like 80% cacao. Yum! At any rate, this is a fairly simple construction, rectangles for the face and back side of the chocolate, a rectangle for the inset shape on the chocolate, a thick stroked heart shape made with ellipses and Bezier tool, then unioned. I used the high gloss technique here for the heart, but I feel now it’s a bit shinier than reality would render it. I still like the effect, however. I made some chocolate crumbs with the pencil tool set to shape: triangle out, and also with ctrl-clicks to make dots. Finally, I put it on a red velvet gradient. Hope you enjoy it!

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Covering My Nut

Heh.  That phrase has always just tickled me to no end.

I’ve gotta cover my nut.  Like I’m a business- squirrel or something.

Hey, there, chipmunk, make sure you cover your nut there.

It just sounds almost-dirty – but it’s not.  It’s just about business – basically covering expenses.  Covering your nut.  Heh.

Anyway.  This has nothing to do with that.  I’m talking hazelnuts here.  Specifically, a bed of herby hazelnuts covered by chicken.

I know, right?  Interesting . . .

A while back, I stumbled upon some French guy’s recipe for “Roast Chicken Breast with Rosemary” which sounded interesting.  Actually, it sounded simple, quick, AND interesting.

And, since our rosemary is not dead yet, this seemed like a perfect dish to try.

Peeps pointed out that I have not mentioned my wonderful new mezzaluna and board that he got me for Christmas.

John Boos & Co. makes some of the most gorgeous cutting boards I’ve ever seen, and, since I decided that  the mezzaluna is the coolest thing going, well, he put two and two together and got me the Boos gift pack – a mezzaluna along with the board and conditioner.  It’s absolutely gorgeous – and I believe that if you LOVE your quality tools, you use them more.

So.  Back to the nuts and the covering thereof.    While I was lovin’ on my mezzaluna chopping not-dead rosemary, Peeps was chopping 2 Tablespoons of hazelnuts.  And for what it’s worth, 2 Tablespoons of hazelnuts is about 8 nuts.  We stirred together the chopped nuts, the mezzaluned not-dead rosemary, and a teaspoon of kosher salt, then just set the combination aside.

I used some chicken breasts that I boned and, for this meal, left the skin on.  Take 3 or 4 boneless, skin-ON chicken breasts, and I like to take a paper towel (or 2) and pat them dry first, then season them.  I used plenty of salt and pepper, but I think, next time, I’d use plenty of pepper and be sparing with the salt.

First you’ll want to preheat your oven – 450 to 500° is good.

Now, heat a cast iron (or other oven-safe) pan with a bit of oil until it’s RIPPIN’ HOT.  (That would be until the oil just barely starts to smoke.)  Place the chicken breast in the pan, skin-side down, and just let them brown.  Don’t turn them, don’t check them, don’t fuss with them at all for at least 5 minutes – probably closer to 10 minutes.

Trust me.

Then turn the breasts over and let them cook for another 5 minutes or so, while you admire the lovely browned skin – the  “presentation side.”

You’re not trying to completely cook this chicken through – just get a nice sear on it.

Then shove them, pan and all, in the oven.

Cast iron pans are so good that way.

Let the chicken bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160° – this will take about 20-25 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a plate and tent -  cover loosely with foil.

Now put the pan back on the burner with about 1/2 cup of chicken stock – we used what was left of our Chinese stock (a lightly seasoned chicken and pork stock), which, while not absolutely correct, was certainly not bad at all.

Let the chicken stock reduce until it’s reduced by half.

Meanwhile, divide the hazelnut-rosemary-salt among your plates.   Cover your nut  (heh) mixture with a chicken breast, then drizzle the reduced chicken stock over.

Okay, I’m just going to say – this was so incredibly flavorful – and so simple – it would be criminal not to do it again, and regularly.     It was a little on the salty side – we used a teaspoon of salt in the nut mixture AND salted the chicken. Next time, I’ll use a much lighter hand salting the chicken, or else use less salt in the hazelnut-rosemary mix.  Either way, it’s wonderfully chicken-y and earthy, with the crispy skin and the condensed sauce – and SO simple – almost STUPID easy!

Yeah, we’re so doing this again . . . next time chicken breasts are on sale for 99 cents a pound.  I’ve gotta cover my nut, you know.

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

Kohlrabi Salad

If (IF) I make this salad again, I plan to add Mandarin oranges and toasted almonds and probably slices of red onion.  The salad was okay but could have been better with these additions, I think.

Ingredients:

1 medium kohlrabi

spinach leaves (recipe called for 1 medium fennel bulb – but of course couldn’t obtain that in any of our grocery stores)

Also called for a small handful of rocket (arugula) – didn’t use

If I had used fennel, it should have been sliced thinly and put into a bowl of chilled water and lemon juice until the kohlrabi was prepared.

Slice the kohlrabi and then pare strips off each slice with a vegetable peeler (in order to get wafer thin slices).  Add to the bowl with the fennel (in this case spinach).

Lemon-Caper Dressing:

garlic

sea salt

black pepper

wholegrain mustard

1 large lemon

capers

olive oil

Crush the garlic with a generous pinch of sea salt in a pestle and mortar.  Add some black pepper and heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard.  Stir together.

Add the juice of 1 large lemon, the capers and twice the amount of olive oil.  Whisk to emulsify.

Kolhrabi is a member of the turnip family.  Sometimes it’s called ‘cabbage turnip’ and is very good eaten raw.

[Via http://hopeseguin2010.wordpress.com]

Let's Cook -- Using Stock to Make a Fast Meal

I’m taking a break from lambing (well, not really, taking a break from writing about lambing) to share a recipe for one of my favorite fast dishes: risotto/orzotto made with lamb stock. I confess I have come late to the joys of cooking with stock, and I’ve morphed from using a can of Campbell’s soup in the crock pot (all that salt!) to buying good quality stock at the grocery store to making my own. I usually make a batch that yields 2-4 quarts, depending on the meat I have on hand, and I freeze it in 2-3 cup portions, so that when I need it to make a quick meal, I can snag it out of the freezer at the last-minute and use it–the ultimate convenience ingredient. For those without the time or inclination to make their own, we are offering lamb stock made with Cordero Farms grassfinished lamb, but since we don’t have a certified kitchen, our good friend and co-packer, April Harrington at Earth Elements Market and Bakery, makes it for us.

I’m a huge fan of casseroles and other one-dish meals, but most of the time, they take more than an hour from start to plate due to spending so much time in the oven. On the other hand, you can be licking the bowl clean of your risotto in less than a half hour, and sometimes, that’s all the time I have to cook. For this post, I’m going to make risotto, which uses arborio rice, but you can use orzotto pasta instead, and it’s even a little faster to cook. If you’ve never made risotto, you might use orzotto the first time you try, since the pasta is a little more forgiving than the starchy rice.

Start by heating 2 cups of lamb stock in a small saucepan, just barely at a simmer. Do the same with 2-3 cups of water. You can use any kind of meat with this recipe–pork or lamb sausage, leftover roast, or even hamburger. I used some leftover lamb shank which I just added in towards the end, but if you need to brown some meat, this is where you add it in. In a large skillet, add two tablespoons of olive oil and saute 1/3 – 1/2 cup of onions and a few cloves of minced garlic on medium heat until the onions are translucent.

Use more onion and garlic if you prefer. Note the lamb stock simmering in the pan north of the onions.

Reduce the heat, and add 1 cup of risotto and toast it lightly until it’s golden.

It only takes a minute or two to toast the rice

Leaving the heat on low, add 1/2 cup of white wine and stir, cooking until it’s almost evaporated. Now add half of the lamb stock to the rice, stirring until the rice absorbs the liquid almost completely.

Keep the heat low, and you don't have to stir it constantly once you start adding the stock.

Repeat the same process by adding a cup of water and stirring, and once that is almost evaporated, you can add the rest of the lamb stock. Check the rice for doneness as the stock is finally absorbed. If it seems to still be too al dente, add one cup of water; if it feels closer to done, then just add 1/2 – 3/4 cup. At this point, I like to add a whole bunch of greens to steam while the rice cooks. If you are using leftover meat, add it here now.

I used spinach, but you can use whatever you have on hand--chard, kale, even collards!

Keep testing the rice (I just spoon a grain or two between my teeth), and once it’s done, fold in 1/2 cup to 1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese.

The cheese and the starchy rice make a nice creamy finish

Remove it from the heat and spoon it into a bowl for serving. This recipe makes 2-3 dinner-sized portions.

Feel free to garnish with more cheese

Here’s the recipe summary:

2 cups lamb stock

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup chopped onion (I like sweet onions, leeks or shalots work great also)

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

Sea salt

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese

3/4 – 1 lb of beef, lamb, or veal (ground or diced into cubes)

1/2 bunch of spinach, kale, or other greens (use any amount you like)

 

In a small saucepan, heat the stock to a low simmer. Do the same with 2 cups of water in another saucepan.

If not using leftover meat, brown the meat with 1 T olive oil on medium. Add the greens when the meat is about half-cooked.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the orzo. In a skillet on medium heat, saute the garlic and onion in 2 T olive oil until the onion is translucent.

Reduce the heat. Add the rice (or orzo) and saute until it’s lightly toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the wine and stir, cook until it’s almost evaporated. Now pour half of the stock into the skillet and cook until it’s almost absorbed, stirring as needed. Next, pour half of the water into the skillet and cook until it’s almost absorbed, stirring frequently. Finally, add the remaining stock and stir until it’s absorbed. Check the rice for doneness, and add more simmering water if and as needed. Total cooking time should be about 15-20 minutes.

Once the rice and meat are both cooked, combine in one of the skillets. Add the cheese and stir thoroughly.

Serves 2-3.

A great fast food meal you can make at home! Off to check on Siouxsie, who seems like she might be going into labor.

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

Complex but uncomplicated

Chili. Yum.  In high school I’d make a can of Hormel (“hot” – and the hot stuff was the waxy orange grease you had to scrape off the top of the can, after opening it).  Crush some Doritos in there and mix it with chopped iceberg lettuce and some shredded cheese, a wonderful meal.

We still love chili kinda like that — chili from a mix or packet — premeasured chili powder, garlic powder, masa (corn flour) etc– with some ground turkey or beef, beans, and a bottle of generic sweet bbq sauce.  For a quick dinner  you can’t go wrong.

Lately though we’ve been experimenting with real chili.  There are a lot of recipes all claiming to be authentic (I might be willing to bet there are more chili recipes than recipes for anything else, online), and the loudest shouts about authenticity come from the folks who maintain that real “texas red” doesn’t have any tomatoes, or beans, or onions, or anything, really, beyond the five basic ingredients (beef, garlic, cumin, oregano and ancho pepper).

I like simple recipes that complexify in the cooking so I started messing around.

Turns out it’s very easy to make a really good authentic chili;the only difficulty as far as I can see is that the standard batch isn’t big enough.  I’m not kidding when I say that if I took a spoonful every few minutes as I walk around the house I could finish an entire batch in one day, easy.

The only concession I’ve made to innovation was to add some jalapenos, because the anchos don’t have any heat (just glorious smoky depth).

The anchos are, however, where the magic happens. Rubbery or papery and dark purple-brown, soaked in water and then pureed they make the wonderful smooth but slightly grainy red sauce — and that’s it– the sauce and the beef, and later some masa to thicken. You couldn’t get more simple:

Hours later that red turns a dark rich brown about the same time whatever tough cut of beef you’ve chosen gives up the game and changes from chewy to melting.  Eat it like that, or dump in some chopped onion, or some cheese, or beans if you like; just leave room for seconds.

An added bonus is the masa qualifies for that oddball category of packaging that shows the item in question happily cannibalizing or at least inviting you to eat its own people (i.e., bbq ads showing pigs in overalls eating ribs, chickens in straw hats serving up hot wings, etc.) — here Mr. Corn is apparently saying “Yum won’t you please try this tremendous taco made in part by the death and grinding up of my brothers and sisters?”

Then, finally, last night while Rebecca was writing about bread, I dug some old LP’s out of the basement and perhaps as a concession to college days, listened to them by the light of a couple candles.  Hyla listened too but was playing with her Nintendo DS most of the time.  I was just listening.  The shadow cast by the lamp in this corner seemed particularly nice, and constant, after I stared at it for a couple hours:

The window and the umbra made me think of Joseph Wright of Derby’s “Experiment With the Air Pump” though in comparing the two just now the light isn’t that similar — but anyone with the bandwidth should consider clicking the pic in this link then using the slider on the right to enlarge the image rather a lot:

Evidently like the UK’s nat’l gallery’s done a great job in giving us access to really high reproductions of their works, and this painting has always been a favorite — complex but uncomplicated, made from a small number of basic brilliant elements (kind of like good chili).

-mrm

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

百果松糕

这个糕做得相当的失败。当然看起来还不错，很有卖相。可是也太难吃了。菜谱是从毛毛妈那里来的：http://blog.wenxuecity.com/b logview.php?date=200706&post ID=21505

人家的横断面就确实很松。我的其实也蛮松的，但是问题是里面掺了没有熟的米粉，所以很难吃。不知道为什么会是这个样子。唯一想得到可以改的地方就是不要装这么满，因为边缘的地方都有点儿没熟。但是其它地方具体的我想不出来为什么很仔细的follow recipe会有这些毛病。所以连重新再试的勇气都没有。

[Via http://chenjie66.wordpress.com]

OK, now, where were we?

After a week of not feeling so great, I am finally BACK!   I got my act together and stocked up on groceries today.  I have been eating well the entire time, even though I wasn’t blogging it, so I feel great!    I am really a believer in eating only foods that are good for me and I don’t plan on going back to eating awful food, ever.    So this week I have a few recipes to try and tell you about.  The subject keeps coming up on television and in my own life about how expensive organic foods are, but I have really found that I am eating less because I am more satisfied.  The organic foods last longer before perishing, and the food I do buy is feeding me for two to three weeks.   So, yes the initial outlay is more, but it truly is not costing any more than eating awful food — and I have the future savings on medical expenses, not to mention time added to my life for being healthy.   More detail about the costs later. 

So this week I’m pulling meal ideas from the little book which came with my Windsor Pilates dvds.   The program is called “Win in 10″  and the meal ideas seem to follow my plan, too, except for the breads.  So I’ll be replacing their english muffin or bagel with my own dense whole grain bread.   You’ll get all the details of any changes I make on those meal plans, along with the original info from the book.

And for exercise, I’ll still follow the plan outlined in the pilates book, too, which combine the pilates routines with walking.

[Via http://14monthsto50.wordpress.com]

Growing Garlic in your Garden

Looking back at how and when I started growing garlic I can honestly say it was quite by accident.   I had some cloves and I don’t recall what prompted me to plant them but I did.   I will venture to say it was the wrong time of the year because I remember they died down and I forgot about them leaving them in the ground until the next year.   They sent up sprouts the next year and I left them to grow and decided to do some research on growing garlic.   I found that they should be planted in the fall (October) and harvested 9 months later when the leaves start to turn brown and fall down.  The middle of July arrived and I dug up a few and was amazed that I had full heads of garlic!   I never realized they needed such a long period in the ground! 

Garlic is pretty simple to grow since it is a light feeder and its basic needs are full sun and rich soil.  The garlic head should remain intact until you are ready to plant – then you break apart the head into individual garlic cloves planting 2-3” deep with the pointy end of the clove in the upward position. 

Space the cloves or bulbs 4” apart in all directions and top with mulch.

There are two basic kinds of garlic – softneck and hardneck.   Hardneck garlics have a “hard” stalk in the middle, they are more difficult to grow and more perishable, but they have a wider range of flavors. 

They also have larger cloves and are easier to peel.   Softneck have a longer shelf life and this is the garlic usually used for braiding since the stalks are softer.   You can see the different varieties I have in the ground this year here.

Fresh garlic has the best flavor in the first few months after harvest.  Designer or gourmet garlic is more expensive than store bought since there is a lot more character and flavor.   Garlic tastes may vary from variety to variety and even a single clove may taste different from person to person – same as with fine wine.   When growing your own garlic, harvest and hang to dry for 2-3 weeks before using.   Then store in cool, dark place and do not refrigerate or freeze.

It is said that garlic repels Japanese beetles and many other pests so you can plant around roses or other flowers that suffer from Japanese beetles.    You can also mix up a garlic spray as an insect repellent.   Chop a few cloves, add to a quart of water (mixing in a blender works well).   Let sit for several hours and then strain the mixture through cheesecloth.

A few tips on cooking with garlic – Mincing or chopping garlic into fine pieces produces a bright and lively flavor.   If you smash the garlic before cutting, the flavor will be stronger.   Using a garlic press will produce a very strong flavor so use when looking for a dramatic garlic taste in your recipe.   Pressed and grated garlic is much stronger than chopped or minced. 

Cook garlic slowly on the stove over low heat – do not burn – burnt garlic is bitter.   You can use garlic many ways – raw, sautéed, dry roasted or oven roasted.

Experiment in the garden and in the kitchen with garlic! 

You will simply fall in love with fresh grown garlic from your very own garden! 

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