cooking news

Free range Goat

2010-03-23T09:45:00.000+02:00

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.

2010-03-21T21:40:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-21T09:51:00.000+02:00

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.

2010-03-20T21:43:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-18T21:56:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-18T09:12:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-16T21:29:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-16T09:55:00.000+02:00

“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

2010-03-14T21:58:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-13T21:48:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-13T09:46:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-11T21:56:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-11T09:50:00.000+02:00

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

COOK linguine according to pkg. directions. Add broccoli for last 4 min. of cooking time. Drain.
HEAT butter in skillet. Cook chicken until browned, stirring often.
ADD soup, milk, cheese, black pepper and linguine mixture and heat through. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
TIP: *Or substitute spaghetti for linguine.
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)

2010-03-09T21:51:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-09T09:55:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-07T21:48:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-06T21:56:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-06T09:46:00.000+02:00

(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

2010-03-04T21:53:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-04T09:34:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-02T21:53:00.000+02:00

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

2010-03-02T09:14:00.000+02:00

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

2010-02-27T21:52:00.000+02:00

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

2010-02-27T09:32:00.000+02:00

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

2010-02-25T21:50:00.000+02:00

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!

Covering My Nut

2010-02-25T09:02:00.000+02:00

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

2010-02-23T21:46:00.000+02:00

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

2010-02-23T09:39:00.000+02:00

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

2010-02-21T21:48:00.000+02:00

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

2010-02-21T09:47:00.000+02:00

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?

2010-02-20T21:48:00.000+02:00

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

2010-02-20T09:00:00.000+02:00

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]

Terrible Name, Tasty Dish

2010-02-16T21:22:00.000+02:00

Easy, quick, pantry-friendly, and perfect for a weeknight. Oh, it’s reeeeeally delicious and makes great leftovers. What more could you ask for?

As for the name, it’s the awful “You Won’t Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta.” I can’t attest to its mate-snaring properties but it is a lovely weeknight pasta dish that seems a bit more special than the same ole, same ole Wednesday spaghetti. As promised, it also comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Penne alla Vodka (because I refuse to use that horrible name!)

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it).

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves.

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

Disko Disko Party Party

2010-02-16T09:55:00.000+02:00

Imagine if the Starship Enterprise was made of bread.

Party snacks should ideally do three things:

1) Not make you vomit later on when you’re trying to convince the pretty girl/boy with the really short dress/gold hotpants that going home with you is an excellent idea and should be done with wild and enthusiastic abandon.

2) Help insulate you against the 2 bottles of red wine and 7 shots of tequila that you’re still going to drink (mostly to help with all that wild and enthusiastic abandon with the pretty girl/boy later on), and finally…

3) …not be ‘some kind of meat on a stick’.

For the last 12 or so years that I’ve been cooking things for myself, it’s mostly just been in the category of ‘something for me to put in my mouth while I watch TV’. However, as time has gone by, I’ve started inviting people to, you know… eat with me. Sometimes it’s worked, sometimes it hasn’t. For every tour de force Moroccan-style Seared Chicken I’ve served up, I’ve also made Undercooked Prawn Mush In A Bowl (in a weird twist of fate my friend Greg has consistently been on the receiving-end of some of my most spectacular failed experiments, including the time I destroyed his toaster by shoving it full of mielie pap (a sort of South African corn porridge) convinced that it would be an excellent way to make a stiff, grilled alternative to potatoes). But slowly, I’ve gotten better at hiding that I still mostly don’t know what I’m doing, until recently, when a lovely friend of mine asked me to cook for her birthday party.

Apparently she wasn’t too concerned that by the end of her party she might have lost all her friends to Death By Party Snack.

Now – I’m always up for a challenge (which explains the ‘Summer of Jean-Shorts’ in ’92), but usually challenges like this only involve me. I can happily do this stupid stuff safe in the knowledge that only person who’s going to look like a toolbag is Yours Truly. But in this instance there was someone else’s Special Day involved, and I have to tell you, it scared the fuck out of me. But I had a budget, I had a brief (mostly vegetarian), a rapidly-shrinking set of balls – but fuck if I wasn’t going to give it a go.

Luckily, I had a notion that I’d mostly be okay as long as I: a) started early and b) drank lots – two golden rules that I followed to the letter (I’d finished a substantial amount of wine before midday, and once all the food had been trotted out, duly collapsed in a ridiculously boozed heap by about 8pm).

If the idea of a party snack is to line the stomach and keep you in a place where you can still get your drink on for as long as possible – there’s obviously only one route to go – and so this particular menu pretty much revolved around the twin pillars of bread and cheese. Not exactly sophisticated, sure. But did I fancy it all up? You bet. All pretty and such? Totally. But still – bread and cheese.

And so, mostly because I’m lazy and writing out everything I did for the party is a horrific amount of effort, I’m only going to do the recipe of which I was most proud.

Brioche Tart with Camembert and Roasted Red Onion

Brioche is the fourth best thing to be given to the world by the French (after kissing with tongue, Audrey Tatou and Peter Sellar’s accent in The Pink Panther). It’s almost criminally rich, needs quite a while to prepare, but so totally worth it that it’s become one of the things I dream about. I also dream about miniature horses, but that’s neither here nor there.

Brioche base

Ingredients

500g butter

2 big tablespoons of caster sugar

15g dried yeast

100ml warm milk

1 tbspn of sea salt

9 eggs (yes, nine)

750g of cake flour

Topping

4 large red onions

5 large sprigs of thyme

2 tbpsn of olive oil

125g of camembert cheese

chives (finely chopped)

150ml of cream

2 eggs

What to do

Beat together the butter and caster sugar together. If you’ve got a fancy mixer thingie – then good for you, but if not, just let the butter soften a bit before you get going. Keep this to one side just for the moment. Put the yeast and the warm milk into a bowl and whisk until the yeast has fully dissolved. Now, beating the whole time, slowly add the eggs, salt and flour this milk/yeast mix and once its all in – keep beating for another ten minutes. This is probably the bit where you want to go out and by a proper mixer. After ten minutes, slowly add the butter and caster sugar a little at a time, and then beat for another five minutes. At this point, the dough should be glossy and elastic.

At this point scrape the mixture into a Tupperware or any sealable plastic container and let it rest/prove for about 2 hours. Unlike normal bread dough, you don’t want this to be near too much heat or the butter will start to separate from the dough mixture and that’s just grim. It should puff up nicely after 2 hours, at which point you need to gently deflate it, seal it back up and then bung it in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to start turning this all into a tart, turn your oven on and up to about 200ºC. Then peel the onions and then cut them into largish chunks and get them on a roasting tray with the thyme, olive oil and some salt and pepper. Get this into the oven and roast them for about 20 minutes to half an hour. Once they’re starting to soften beautifully (the aroma is going to be insane), get it out and set it aside to cool. In the meantime, take a quantity of your brioche loaf and press it into a circular dish or tart tin and pop it in the oven for about 5 minutes (this is just to crispen up the base a bit, otherwise it does stay fairly wet). Once that’s done, spread the onions over the base and crumble in the camembert and the chopped up chives. Whisk together the cream and eggs and pour that over the onions. Then get that back in the oven and bake for about half an hour to 45 minutes until the brioche is cooked through and looking lovely (i.e. a nice golden brown).

This recipe makes waaaay more brioche dough than you need for just the tart. I suggest making the rest of it into a conventional loaf (just pop it in a greased baking tin, brush the top with a bit of egg yolk/milk mix and bake for about 30 minutes) to keep for breakfast the next day.

Also, a quick apology for the fairly slow start to the year (yes, another one….jeez can this guy ever just do something without apologizing? Ghard….), what with certain changes to my lifestyle (no, I didn’t get a sex-change) and my camera breaking – it’s been more difficult than I expected to update regularly. But, I’m going to say this in caps so that the point is made strongly – I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. There’s a bunch of exciting things coming, and now that I’m slightly better at handling my time – hopefully the posts and recipes will start flowing at a steadier rate again.

Woo.

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

Pressure Cooking

2010-02-14T21:43:00.000+02:00

I’m pretty comfortable in the kitchen, but occasionally I manage to forget that (1) I have three hungry kids waiting for me at home and (2) I haven’t gone shopping lately, which tends to make me anxious about preparing dinner. Ordering pizza is always an option but, in the interest of inflicting a death of a thousand cuts upon the debt monster, I prefer to reserve pizza and take-out for special occasions or emergencies.

It was on one of these brain-addled evenings that I was checking the larder when I got home. There are certain ingredients I try to keep on hand at all times for such situations; one of these is broccoli, which holds the honor of being the healthiest food that is also enjoyed by every member of my household.

A few other staples I had were eggs, milk, cheese and frozen pie shells — I know that making pie crust isn’t that difficult but I have a hard time tolerating the mess — making broccoli quiche another option. But that would have taken about an hour and a half to prepare, bake and cool, and I don’t like pushing the evening routines too late, both for my kids’ sakes and mine.

Digging deeper, I found a few boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese — actually the Wegmans equivalent — but it’s one of the foods the kids can prepare by themselves when I can’t get home in time. Besides, it’s not a comfort food I grew up with — macaroni were made with sauce or garlic, never powdered neon-colored cheese — so I’d prefer to declare a pizza emergency than go the box-dinner route.

Fortunately there were also a few cakes of extra-firm tofu in the fridge and several packets of ramen noodles in the pantry, meaning I could make another family favorite: tofu and broccoli stir fry with ramen. I tend to avoid this dish because I usually get too OCD about the preparation to do it quickly. But on this evening, I was pretty motivated and managed to throw it together efficiently (though accidentally leaving out the garlic) with a minimum of mess, stress and grumbling. In the end, there was good food that everyone liked, ready at a reasonable hour, without spending lots of extra money.

Phil Hartman as the

Anal-Retentive Chef

Tofu Broccoli Stir Fry

ingredients:

3 broccoli crowns

1 red or green bell pepper

1 medium onion

1 pound extra-firm tofu

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

5 packages any flavor ramen noodles (throw away the flavor packets unless you have kids, in which case put one packet at each place at the table)

.25 mg Xanax (optional)

marinade:

juice of 1/2 medium lemon

3/4 cup soy sauce

2 cubic inches fresh ginger, grated

1 medium clove garlic, pressed

2 tablespoons honey

If you opt for the Xanax, take it first with a tall glass of water. This will help keep things under control later on when you have to clean up the mess, set the table, and serve the food before the noodles get gummy and the vegetables get limp.

Mix the marinade ingredients together with a whisk or fork.

Drain tofu and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. I try to keep the entire block intact when I cut it so I can put it back into the plastic package it comes in, and then pour the marinade over it. If this is too anal-retentive for you, just toss the tofu and the marinade into a plastic ziploc bag and shake it up.

Cut broccoli into florets and stem chunks. Florets should be no larger than one inch across, stem pieces 1/2 inch cubes. Steam until bright green and still firm but not crunchy. You should be able to pierce it with a fork, but with significant resistance.

Slice the onion and pepper into 1/2 inch by 2 inch strips. You can also use carrots, celery, bok choy, pretty much any firm vegetable, as long as you cut them so each piece is about the same volume. Or you can leave these out entirely and just use more broccoli, it’s up to you. Put these aside. You’re done with the prep, so rinse the cutting board so you don’t get food chunks running around the dishwasher. And make sure you scrape the inside of the garlic press because you know how icky it is to empty the dishwasher and find soggy washed garlic inside the press.

Put up a big pot of water for cooking the ramen. By the time it boils, you should have the stir fry part done.

Heat oil in large frying pan or wok. Drain off marinade into a bowl, and mix in the cornstarch. Pat the tofu dry with a paper towel to avoid splattering oil.

Stir fry tofu for a few minutes until it starts to brown a little — you’ll need the heat pretty high or else you’ll just be sauteeing it. Add the cut up veggies and continue to stir fry until the onions start to get translucent. Add broccoli, lower heat to simmer. Add the marinade, stir and cover.

Serve with ramen. It’s good with rice too, but then you should make sure you start the rice before steaming the broccoli or else you’ll end up with soggy vegetables and nobody likes soggy stir fry. You’d end up throwing the whole thing out (and how do we throw things away…?) and ordering pizza after all.

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

Recipe of the Day: Valentines Day Pizza

2010-02-14T09:37:00.000+02:00

Yield: 12 Servings

Prep and Cook time: 2 hrs 15 min

Ingredients

3 cups bread flour
1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 (14 ounce) can pizza sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
15 slices vegetarian pepperoni
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives

Directions

Place bread flour, yeast, water, and 2 tablespoons olive oil into the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the Dough setting. Press Start. When the dough is finished, knead rosemary into the dough.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Divide the dough into three portions. Shape each piece into a heart shape about 1/2 inch thick. Brush with remaining olive oil, and spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on each pizza. Sprinkle cheese over pizza sauce, and arrange tomatoes, zucchini, pepperoni, and sliced olives on top.
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese has melted and crust is browned.

Tips

Bake pizza on a pizza stone for best results.
For more heart shapes, cut tomato into slices, and then cut slices into heart shapes. Do the same to the zucchini and the pepperoni.

Nutritional Information (Amount Per Serving)

Calories: 261
Total Fat: 9.1g
Cholesterol: 18mg

Recipe from Saymorethanwords.com

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

The Boyfriend, The Vegan and Me, the Jackass

2010-02-13T21:43:00.000+02:00

I am a jack ass with deep rooted habits.

I understand that I need to be okay with being alone. I understand that a person who can be happy and productive on their own ends up making a better partner in the long run.

But I’m an idiot….

So I put up another ad on the site I met a bunch of retards on. Remember this winner? Met him on that site. Oh and The Librarian, yup found him there too. As well as an R. Crumb lookalike that was in and out of my life before I started this blog. Absolutely no good came out of this stupid dating site and yet I put up another ad.

(On a totally hilarious side note, Cow Porn Guy (whose blog I deleted when he became an immature twat) is now on that dating site. Here he is, perhaps one of you might want to date him. Hope he finds a lovely lady that will not do all the wrong things that I apparently did on the first date. Best of luck, sir. )

My main reason for putting up an ad was not really to meet anyone, it was just a distraction technique. However, I found an ad for a man that I waxed sometime last year who I thought was totally adorable. We had bullshitted about tattoos, San Diego and what brought us to Portland. I had hoped that he might get my number or at the very least come back for another waxing (and no it was not a ball wax) but I never saw him again. So I e-mailed him on this site. Lo and behold he wrote me back and said that he had wanted to get my number but hadn’t wanted to be that guy. We exchanged numbers and decided to meet up for a drink. I took Lucy along because she’s an excellent judge of character and I am not.

He was adorable, charming, intelligent and a lovely conversationalist. He texted me after he left the bar which is always sweet. Will I see him again? Who knows. Lucy made a slight social faux pas by inviting him out for Valentine’s Day. Trouble being that Tay Tay Jenkins will be with us as well. Tay Tay knows full well that the romance between us is over but he never gives up. Having some new man meat around would be disrespectful and awkward.

Also, it gets stickier…..

I put the ad up thinking, “God I just want someone to hang out with! To see movies with and to fuck!”

But after meeting the new guy, who shall be dubbed The Vegan (cuz duh, he’s a vegan. I would not have dated a vegan two months ago but since I gave up meat and tried out the vegan diet for a few weeks I’m now more open minded. plus he doesn’t seem to be a dick about it.) I started thinking more and more about The Boyfriend, now the The Ex Boyfriend.

I don’t just want SOMEONE. I want The Boyfriend back. The Boyfriend before things got weird and distant. I want that boy who supported my meat boycott by bringing me veggie dishes from his work, who took me to Washington Park with a bottle of wine to watch the city at night, who makes art, reads, cooks, fucks like a champ, looks at me like I’m amazing and in general is someone I have so much fun around.

He and I had lunch yesterday. After much gut ache I had told him how much I missed him. He said he missed me too and suggested a meet up. It was nice and sad and weird. I looked at his bearded face and his pretty blue eyes hooded by a silly baseball cap with the brim flipped up (seriously) and I still adored him. We’ve agreed to grab a beer next week. I have a feeling that to get back to where we were it will be slow going. But if I could have that boy back and have him back the way it was in the beginning….I would be one seriously happy girl.

I miss him.

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

Cash Saving Tips No.1

2010-02-13T09:50:00.000+02:00

Reading Time: 3 mins

Welcome to the first in my series of ways to save yourself a bit of cash.

One of my more recent ways I’ve come across to save a bit of cash is to cook using the ‘Hay Box’ method. My Mum says that during the war her family cooked alot in this way. It’s ideal for cooking meals like casseroles, stews and well anything in a sauce basically.

All you need:-

a large cardboard box, say about 3′ x 3′ x 3′ (1m x 1m x 1m);
a large old blanket or sleeping bag;
a cooking pot or saucepan that you’d cook a casserole or mince dish in.

Not too hard so far, eh?!

If you haven’t got a cardboard box that big you could ask your local supermarket for one or use something similar in size like a large clothes basket.

Your blanket or sleeping bag ideally needs to be one that you don’t mind the odd drip of food on.

To prepare the meat and sauce of a bolognaise:-

First of all prepare and cook your meal in the normal way but 6 hours before you want to eat it – cook your mince in a saucepan on the hob as normal but only up to the point where you’ve added all the ingredients and would then leave it to simmer for say 20-40 minutes.;
Whilst this is cooking get your ‘Hay box’ ready. Put the cardboard box on the floor out of the way somewhere with the lid open. Then take your blanket (insulation) and line the box with it but so that there is plenty left over to cover up your pot with afterwards. Try to make sure the bottom is flat so that your sauce doesn’t tip out;
Then turn off the heat under your pan and very slowly and carefully lift your pan and lower it into the bottom of your blanket lined box;
Then cover over the top of your pan with the left over blanket and tuck it in firmly round all the edges so that it’s 100% wrapped in thick layers of blanket. If the lid shuts that’s a bonus but it seems to work fine either way.
Leave it for 5-6 hours.

And it’s as simple as that!

When you open up your ‘Hay box’ having made (in the case of Spaghetti Bolognaise) the spaghetti seperately, your meat part of the meal is still very hot so be very careful when touching it. You’ll most likely still need oven gloves to protect yourself. Your meat is then ready to serve straight away, and it’s all the better tasting as it’s been sitting in it’s own juices for so long! Yum!

The meat and sauce for Spaghetti Bolognaise can be ready in only 4 hours whereas a dish like stew with big pieces of potato can take more like 6 hours.

This way of cooking is perfect for preparing before you go out in the morning and it’s always ready when you come in at the end of the day. If you’re an hour late it won’t even spoil, the worst that I’ve had happen is potatoes being crumbly as they’ve cooked a little too long and when that happened to me it was after 8 hours!

Here’s a site that has loads of good links to other Hay Box information sites.

Haybox links

What Now?

V.Day just might be D.Day

2010-02-11T21:53:00.000+02:00

I’m extremely late getting things ready for Valentines day and (yikes!) I’m in a long distance relationship. It’s a long way up to Minnesota from FayAr, so I’m sure whatever care package I end up throwing together will be a day late (and a few cookies short) for Valentines day.

After all the “hinting” I’ve done about the impending lovers holiday, now I’m the one who’s not ready. It isn’t because I haven’t thought about it. It’s probably because I’ve thought about it too much. Every DIY, Craft, and Baking blog out there has thrown out a slew of cheap, easy, and eco ideas and I’m getting overwhelmed. Here are a few I love and a few of my own. (and Adam, if you’re reading this, stop now, otherwise you’ll know that everything you’re getting will be made out of those denim cutoffs you loathe).

Valentines:

1. Take a piece of clothing that your lover hates and use it for fabric to embroider your homemade valentine on. I’m going to be obnoxious about it and embroider something like the words “R.I.P. 2/14/10 My Favorite Denim Shorts Died for our Love”.

2. HowAboutOrange featured tons of valentine ideas this month, but this cute heart paperclip idea was so simple I made several at my desk. I think I’ll use them to attach the embroidered valentine to a card or love note.

3. These matchbox valentines from Mighty Girl are charming as all hell and since my boo is having a hardtime kicking the habit I think I’ll leave matches in one and put mints and gum in another one.

Baking:

4. Ever since a co-worker and I made her cake balls, Bakerella has been my absolute go-to for simple baking ideas. You can make her pie pops heart shaped with a cookie cutter and put them on a lollipop sticks as shown in her tutorial. But since I’m going for simplicity, I’m going to make pie bites instead. I’ll probably toy around with cutting out my own crude heart shapes, but we’ll see if any of those make it out of the oven not looking like blobs.

5. Looking at all of these baking blogs is making me far too hungry. I’ll probably just rip off a cookie recipe from 17 & Baking because everything she makes looks phenomenal.

Fin. Remember those cheesy card boxes you would make in grade school? I plan on making one of those to ship all of this in so he gets really embarrassed when it comes in the mail.

So, here goes being the best girlfriend of all time. Wish me luck.

Photcred: scienceblogs.com

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

The London Seed Co herbs

2010-02-11T09:48:00.000+02:00

A few days ago I got an unexpected present in the post – these beautifully packaged seeds from The London Seed Company.

BK – Coriander, The London Seed Co

I am told that they are easy to grow and perfect for windowsills – great if, like me, you manage to kill house plants if you so much as look at them and your garden is the size of a postage stamp! So, I shall be putting The London Seed Company’s idiot-proof herbs to the test by planting some parsley and coriander in little pots on my kitchen windowsill. I will update you on my progress (if any!) over the coming weeks.

Basil, coriander, dill, parsley, thyme or a mix of all five are currently available to buy online, priced at £2.50 per packet, but I think they’re worth buying just for the pretty packaging! Emily

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

Quiche: Using a Frozen Pie Shell

2010-02-09T21:54:00.000+02:00

1 (8” or 9”) premade pie shell in foil pan
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Herbs of choice, if desired
1 cup or so of grated cheese of any kind, including blue cheese (use less blue cheese)
Filling ingredients of choice, totaling approximately 1cup: sautéed onions, chopped scallions, sautéed or steamed broccoli, sautéed bacon, finely chopped ham, tinned or marinated artichoke hearts, steamed asparagus, chopped baby spinach; use your imagination and personal preferences.

Preheat oven to 400F, and remove pie shell from freezer to thaw for approximately 15 minutes before filling.

Place piecrust in its foil pan on top of a cookie sheet. Cover the bottom of the pie shell with your chosen ingredients. Top with cheese. Set aside.

Crack eggs into a medium sized bowl and lightly whisk. Add cream, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. If you like, add some thyme, tarragon, basil, or oregano – or any other herb you like — if they go well with your ingredients. Whisk very well. Pour gently into the pie shell.

Place quiche, on cookie sheet, into the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until egg mixture has set.

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

Just Some Typical Preperation...in Vietnam.

2010-02-09T09:43:00.000+02:00

When traveling in Vietnam the first thing one will notice is that it feels authentic. The country is not overrun with tourists and has managed to keep its identity. There are markets everywhere and food shopping is done on the streets. But where does the food come from? In southwestern Vietnam is the Mekong Delta. The Mekong Delta is a region famous for its floating markets and is a Mecca for the buying and selling of goods. It also accounts for a majority of the country’s produce. According to a paper published by Australian National University, the Mekong Delta’s rice crops account for “…50 percent of total paddy production in Vietnam.” Many popular dishes are made with rice. Rice is a staple food of the Vietnamese and preparation is important to them. In America there are machines to slice noodles and create rice cakes. In Vietnam it is all done by hand.

In order to make noodles a rice mixture is created. It is steamed then and stretched over a barrel.

The paper steams for 2 minutes, and is then placed outside to cool.

It dries for a few hours and then gets sliced into noodles.

This man is stirring rice into a large wok that has sand in it. The sand causes the rice to heat evenly. When the rice gets hot it puffs up. Then all the sand and rice are placed in a sieve. The sand falls through. The puffed rice is eventually made into Rice Cakes.

Viewing a video, like the one above, creates value for viewers. It is important for readers to actually view what it is they are reading about. Being able to witness what an individual goes through in order to make some rice puffs provides a valuable resource for those who wish to learn more about this subject.

These days, traditional Asian cuisine is undergoing constant transformation. Not just with the flavor but the style in which it is prepared. But, as a distinct style develops Asian ethnic food will blend into a unique Asian American cuisine.

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

Robert Sinskey and His Fabulous Wines (Tasing)

2010-02-07T21:44:00.000+02:00

I have never met anyone who has not really liked Robert Sinskey wines except for the print wine reviewers. I don’t know what the current scores are but WS and the like do not give high scores to Sinskey (or did not) but the following speaks of something else. I give 85 to 88 for the Cabs and Merlots I have tasted. That is a couple of vintages back.

Robert Sinskey and his fabulous wines

Host:

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

Type:

Party – Bar Night

Network:

Global

Date:

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Time:

4:30pm – 7:30pm

Location:

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

Street:

One Ferry Building, Shop 23

City/Town:

San Francisco, CA

View Map

Description

Join us on Wednesday, February 10th, from 4:30-7:30pm, as we welcome special guest Rob Sinskey, Principal and Winemaker at Robert Sinskey Vineyards. Rob Sinskey has been making wine for 20 years. His philosophy is that to enjoy wine to the fullest, it must be considered with food. To that end, the vineyard relies heavily on a grape that supports those beliefs. “Pinot Noir is a grape that requires food,” says Rob, who plants over half of his nearly 200 acres in Pinot Noir.

Since 2001 Sinskey Vineyards has been certified organic. Now they are working toward biodynamic certification. The Sinskey wines have a clean, bright focus that we believe is the result of the winery’s attention to detail in the vineyard and their stewardship of the land they love.

We are sure you will enjoy meeting this charming and witty winery owner and vineyard pioneer and there is no doubt you will love tasting the wines of Robert Sinskey Vineyards at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant. It’s a Party!!

Super Bowl Party on Sunday as well!!

This Sunday come on down to Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and join us in watching the Super Bowl. The fun will be starting at 3pm as we show this sports extravaganza on our 2 large flat screen HD TV’s in the Wine Bar. Kick back with your favorite wine or even a tasty draft beer, nibble on some incredible food from the Ferry Plaza and watch the Super Bowl with us.

If the Super Bowl finds you in wine country, swing by our sister store, Oxbow Wine Merchant, where we will also be showing the game on our 52″ flat screen HD TV. We have 5 local beers on tap, plus an array of great wines by the glass at our Wine Bar. Enjoy some tasty treats from our food menu as well. We hope to see you at one of our spots.

Also, for you Olympic fans out there:

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC, will be featured at both of our Wine Bars from Febraury 12th to the 28th. So come on down and enjoy the excitement. See you there!

The featured wines are served as two ounce glasses. If you would like a full glass just ask your bartender. The wines will also be available for retail purchase while supplies last….

The cost of the flight will be $35 and will feature the following wines:

2008 Sinskey Pinot Blanc, Los Carneros (from Magnums, half bottles only for retail sale)

Retail $21 for 375ml, 5oz. glass $13.75

2007 Sinskey Pinot Noir Three Amigos Vineyard, Los Carneros

Retail $57, 5oz. glass $17.50

2007 Sinskey Pinot Noir Vandal Vineyard, Los Carneros

Retail $57, 5oz. glass $17.50

2005 Sinskey Marcien (blend is never revealed), Los Carneros

Retail $66, 5oz. glass $19.75

2005 Sinskey SLD Stag’s Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon

Retail $85.50, 5oz. glass $24.75

Hope to see you all there!

Peter, Bo, Jeff, Debbie and the entire Ferry Plaza team.

Also, don’t miss the complete schedule of our highly popular Ferry Plaza Wine Classes in San Francisco, at 6:30 pm in the Ferry Building’s Port Commission Hearing Room.

Click Wine Bar for the complete Wine Bar Event Schedule. Many of our wines are available online at FPWM.com

Join our Wine Club!

For questions, comments:

call (415) 391-9400.

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

One Ferry Building,

Shop 23

San Francisco, CA 94111

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Wine by Cush Magazine blog and published early in World of Cush also.

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

Sumptuous Sundays

2010-02-07T09:30:00.000+02:00

If you’re from an Italian family, you know at least 70 times 7 recipes for SAUCE – or as some refer to it, GRAVY! You probably know it by several names! For instance if there is meat or fish it is sugo. Succa and salsa were other names too.

Somewhere right now someone’s mama is making a huge pot of sauce, standing at the stove, gently stirring with a wooden spoon. If it’s Sunday, the famiglia is getting ready to gather together for their mama’s cooking! Someone else is probably trying to sneak around mama trying to dip a piece of bread in the pot already! Nothing says home and love like opening the door and smelling the wonderful aroma of that pot bubbling away on the stove. After all the sauce needs to simmer and bubble for hours to bring out all the robust flavor.

I had always been a great cook. From the time I was a child, I loved to cook. My own mother was a collector of great cookbooks and she was a gourmet chef who could whip up fantastic meals for two to two hundred on practically no money and certainly no effort! So I learned at her elbow and won awards in both high school and college for my skills as well as the accolades of friends! There was never a recipe that I was intimidated by. I enjoyed the challenges.

Then I met Valentino. Oh! How I wanted to impress him – and I was sure that a home cooked meal was the way to do so. After all we all learned the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. So I decided to plan a nice little dinner affair of spaghetti, Italian bread, salad, a little wine! Maybe even a homemade cake for desert. Or maybe homemade minestrone? Then somewhere around there I lost my mind and my nerve. I decided to ask a girlfriend for an “authentic” sauce recipe – after all, she was Italian American so I assumed she would have a wonderful recipe perfect for the occasion. What I didn’t assume was what I spiteful hateful jealous so and so she was and no part of a friend. I was cooking for the man she had a secret hankering for! According to her “Italian grandmother’s old family recipe”, one was supposed to make big round meatballs and drop them into the tomato sauce already simmering without cooking the meatballs first. I asked her if she was sure about that. I certainly had never heard of meatballs done that way. Let me admonish anyone who is questioning this method – it is NOT good! It produced the most horrible tasting concoction I have ever tried. Valentino spit his out and then just sat looking at me for a moment with his huge dark eyes. He finally quietly (amazing for an Italian, huh? Sure sign of SERIOUS) “What were you trying to do? Poison me?” Fighting tears of embarrassment I explained who gave me what recipe. His eyes grew wider and then he exploded in laughter. Seems I was the only person in Rhode Island who did not know how this gal had stalked him at one time! I was played the fool for sure.

He finally stopped laughing and decided to give me an impromptu cooking lesson. A can of black olives, lots of minced fresh garlic, some olive oil and a fry pan – we had Spaghetti Aglio e Olio! That following week he introduced me to his cousin Liz. This dear cugina has spent hours since then teaching me to make many family favorites and the tricks known only to Italian cooks to make sumptuous meals from next to nothing. Later it would be Mama Concetta who visit us for two or three months at a time and take over the kitchen. Then I was able to stand at the elbow of a master chef and learn! We would put up hundreds of jars of tomatoes, pickled eggplants, green beans, jams and more. She taught me to milk goats and how to make our own fresh and hard cheese. And bread! Her daily bread baking would fill the house with a wonderful aroma each morning! Of course I also learned the finer points of pizzas as she spoiled our sons with their favorites. But my lessons did not stop there. Soon my dear sisters in law would share more lessons with me. I learned to travel with a notebook to write down all the recipes and hints and tips. Stuffed breads with spinach or broccoli, leek soup, roasted herbed potatoes, pane di spagna, lasagna, granite, brandied fruits, fried squash blossoms. Even now there is nothing more special than being “en la cucina” with one or more of them as we all laugh, gossip, and cook. Famiglia! Mangia! Buon Appetito tutti!

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

With David Berryhill's new custom outdoor kitchens, Chicagoans may never cook indoors again

2010-02-06T21:48:00.000+02:00

Come Spring 2010, with one of my new custom outdoor kitchens, you just may be tempted to never cook — or entertain — outdoors again.

Archadeck of Chicagoland can now custom design a stunning outdoor kitchen right before your eyes — on your computer.

That’s right. Our expert custom outdoor kitchen design team will meet with you online — right in front of your computer — to create a custom design plan that fits exactly what your looking for.

For example, if you have a small patio but want big cooking and entertaining, we have a design for that.

Looking for a efficient and multi-functional outdoor kitchen to go under a covered porch, yes, we have a design for that, too.

Need a big, expansive outdoor kitchen to cook up a big feast for a family reunion? Yes, you know that you’ve come to the right place…Archadeck of Chicagoland.

Here’s one of my personal favorites, a raised counter with bar stools connected to a highly efficient outdoor kitchen.

Sound good? Well, there’s lot more good news to share. Call me at 847-359-8002 for your free design and planning consultation. We can quickly come up with a perfect solution to extend your outdoor living entertaining hours in beautiful, functional style.

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

wife lessons: patience

2010-02-04T21:44:00.000+02:00

the prudent housewife who suspects her husband of breaking her absolute favorite Caribbean blue Le Creuset baking dish does not live by the motto “shoot first, ask questions later.” she simply hightails it to one of her favorite cooking blogs to get the lowdown on how to return the lovely pan. and then she remembers she’s always really wanted these. and her husband, out of remorse, lets her have them.

so.

wait.

why was she upset, again?

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

I Ate Bacon.

2010-02-04T09:22:00.000+02:00

And it was good. Better than good, actually. It was eyelid-flutteringly delicious. That salty, pungent taste. That distinctive, mouth-watering smell as it fried.

I blame the Food Network, which I’ve been a little addicted to since Christmas. All the chefs on there describe bacon as the magical flavouring ingredient, and I see them using it in all these tantalizing ways. Oh gad, I just couldn’t take it anymore! So, after reading much Michael Pollan, and after much discussion with Josh, I decided to go ahead and order some happy pig meat from our organic delivery service. That’s our requirement for the meat we eat: that it was raised humanely, and preferably organically and locally, from a farm that we researched and that we felt okay about eating meat from.

So last night we decided to be all ceremonious as we consumed our carbonara: a lovely bottle of Chianti, candlelight, cloth napkins… and pasta full of eggs, peas, onions and BACON!

And then on Alton Brown’s show “Good Eats” (I told you it’s the Food Network’s fault!), he demonstrated the innovative method of frying your bacon on a waffle iron or griller, which Josh enthusiastically offered to do. Very yum. Very good idea. I highly recommend it. (We even had a little dish for the drippings – I’ll have to find something delicious to do with those!)

So there we go. Many new doors of meaty possibilities have been flung wide open. I still don’t know if I want to sink my teeth deep into a steak, but give me a few days and see if I’ve changed my mind.

P.S. Since when did this become a food blog? I’m all about the food entries lately. Maybe it’s because making food is an act of creation that I can be certain to include in each day.

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

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-02-02T21:10:00.000+02:00

Looking for a quick, easy weeknight meal that’s DELICIOUS? I got it right here! I’m (obviously) a soup lover, and we usually make some sort of soup about once a week. It’s great for leftovers and for a quick lunch. But it also makes a fantastic dinner (and it’s usually pretty filling, too!). I got this recipe from my friend Helena and I’m definitely going to be making it often! It’s super easy to just toss it all in the slow cooker in the morning and let it cook all day. You can easily modify the spice of the enchilada sauce to control how much heat you want in the soup. And it’s blissfully perfect for a rainy evening! You can have with quesadillas or the like, but we just had a big bowl each and it was plenty! YUM!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves: 8

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com

2 frozen chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (I used medium; had some great kick to it!)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (14.5-ounce) can corn kernels, drained

1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, drained

1 avocado, diced, for topping

1/2 cup shredded cheese, for topping

1/2 cup sour cream, for topping

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

7 corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

1.      Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, black beans, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. One hour before soup is served, remove chicken breasts and shred, then add back to soup.

2.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

3.      Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.

4.      Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup. Top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, and chopped cilantro, if desired.

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

The Count of Brunchy Goodness

2010-02-02T09:15:00.000+02:00

Have you ever had a Monte Cristo sandwich?

I haven’t. In fact, I still can’t think of it without Alexandre Dumas coming to mind. . . I’d never even heard of such a dish until just a few years ago – I was cooking in a restaurant, and occasionally, “Monte Cristos” were on the menu as a lunch special. Since I didn’t start until dinner, well, I was kind of out of luck for the lunch specials. So, if you’re as uninitiated as I am, Peeps tells me that a “Monte Cristo” is ham, turkey and Swiss cheese on white bread, dipped in egg batter and griddled like French toast, then served with maple syrup.

Sounds kinda weird, doesn’t it? At least I know it does to me, so I’ve always kind of taken a pass whenever I’ve seen it on the menu at a random diner or “family restaurant.”

Then things changed. As you know, Peeps and I ran a meal-prep business a few years ago, and, though we lost an awful lot, one thing we gained was an understanding of how to put together a meal that can be made ahead, frozen, then enjoyed later. . . granted, this is something we’d already been doing for years, but this experience brought it to a whole new level.

What if, instead of frying each sandwich individually, we incorporated the ingredients into a casserole? A brunchy-type strata sort of thing?

You know, that could work. And, as it turns out, it does.

Our “Monte Cristo Casserole” is a favorite among all who try it – and with good reason!

We start with about half a loaf of French bread (what else?), cut into 1-inch cubes – you’re going to want 4 cups of bread cubes.

To that, add 2/3 cups each of diced ham an turkey. Honestly? We went to the deli and asked them for a half-inch slice of each – that was just about right. Why make it complicated?

Stir the bread cubes and the meat cubes together with a cup each of shredded mozzarella and Swiss cheeses – the Swiss for the flavor and the mozzarella for the cheesiness!

Then you’ll need your liquid mixture.

Beat together about a dozen eggs (more or less), two cups of milk and some parsley – a teaspoon of dried (if it’s winter) or a Tablespoon of fresh (if it’s available).

Pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture and stir well, being sure to moisten all the bread.

Doesn’t that look . . . moist?

Yeah. At this point, you can either shove it in the fridge for a day or so, or you could dump it into a gallon-size zip-top bag and freeze, to thaw later.

Or if, say, there were only two or three of you, you could divide it in half and put it in two bags to freeze and enjoy later. Twice.

We actually made this during the holidays when Surly Boy and my brother were both here, so we opted for the whole-pan scenario. After all, three guys can get mighty hungry. . .

Pour the whole mess into a 9×13 pan. Bake, covered, in a preheated 400° oven for 20 minutes, uncover, and continue baking another 20 minutes, until the cheese is all melty and bubbly and the top starts to brown.

Cut into about 6 chunks and serve with warmed maple syrup and maybe some fresh fruit . . . mmmmm. . . .

Printable version is here.

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

I ♥ Squash Soup

2010-01-31T21:35:00.000+02:00

Last Saturday was National Soup Swap Day. I intend to swap some soup myself, though scheduling did not permit that on Soup Swap Day. I will be showing up at a friend’s house next weekend with four quarts of frozen soup (a lot of people do six, but this seemed excessive given the prevalence of small kitchens here in NYC), prepared to snack and chat and bring home four quarts of soups made by friends. I haven’t swapped soup in this fashion before, but it seems like a nice way to add variety to holed up winter nights, to extend the tradition of sharing food beyond the one-night potluck.

I have been mulling over what soup to make. I’ve been eating lots of bean soups lately, hearty and full of protein and fiber. I made a big pot of tomato leek soup earlier this week that would probably freeze just fine. Lentils are great, and split peas, too, but my mind keeps coming back to squash soup. My decade(-plus)-long obsession with this soup has led some friends to think of me at the sight of butternut squash in the past, a fact that warms my heart more than the most heartfelt and deliberate compliments.

As with most obsessions, there is a story behind this soup. It is this: I took a year off between high school and college, and I spent a little bit of time in England. While there, I volunteered for a short time at a community arts center called the Great George’s Project in Liverpool, also known as the Blackie (so called because the building in which it was housed was once covered by decades of soot and city grime — it was cleaned up by the time I arrived, but the name had stuck). At that time, life at the Blackie was very communal. Staff and volunteers lived in one of two old houses up the road, chipped in for groceries and took turns shopping, and we shared dinners in the old chapel building in which we all worked. We also took turns cooking.

For someone who has always taken pride in her food, cooking duty was far more anxiety-producing than you would think. For starters, I was not accustomed to cooking for large groups of people. In addition, we received weekly produce deliveries, and we had to work with what was on hand. While this type of challenge now thrills me to no end, I found it a bit off-putting when fresh out of high school, thousands of miles from home, cooking in a drafty old building on a stove that needed to be lit in the most dangerous-seeming way I could fathom. Peering into the vegetable box toward the end of the food-delivery week and finding a handful of parsnips and two sad eggplants and knowing they had to feed twenty people or so was not at all inspiring.

In addition, and in keeping with the community-minded approach at the Blackie, meals were to be designed with everyone’s dietary requirements in mind. Again, I love this kind of challenge in this day and age, and I appreciate the goal of inclusiveness, but it was difficult for many of us at that time to create large meals that were free of all yeasted products, mushrooms, dairy, eggs, any and all animal products, etc. Surely I am forgetting some additional allergy. Wheat? Some other grain? We weren’t really supposed to use tomatoes, but that was more a strong preference of one of the founders than a strict allergy. Add in the facts that we had an extremely limited spice cabinet, that we all took turns cooking, and that some staffers had little to no interest in food, and we wound up with many uninspired and far from delicious meals.

The dinners that were truly good shone like little diamonds in the rough. One time, Kelly cobbled together a vegan, allergen-free toad in the hole that excited one and all. Occasionally, someone would roast parsnips to sweet, spicy perfection. And a couple of times, Jennifer poured coconut milk and ground black pepper into a pot with onions and tomato. A separate pot alongside for those who did not eat tomatoes contained onions and coconut and squash. It was simple, delicious despite its lack of fancy spices, and I loved pouring the two soupy stews together over rice, savoring the richness of the coconut milk, brightness of tomatoes, creamy sweetness of chunks of squash. An obsession was born.

I know now that the combination of coconut milk and winter squash is not particularly rare, but, when worked into night after night of drab and burned-around-the-edges meals, each of those nights following a morning of tea and toast with jam and cheese (one slice of toast with cheese, the other with jam, still one of my favorite breakfasts), a day of cup after cup of sweet, milky tea, the squash and tomato stew stood out as rich and decadent while still altogether nourishing, and I loved it.

Jennifer’s simple, separate stews have evolved over the years, in various kitchens that I have inhabited, into one big pot of gingery, squashy, tomato-y, coconutty goodness. Sometimes there are other spices. Sometimes it is smooth, other times chunky, most frequently somewhere in between. I have cooked this soup since I was eighteen, for college friends in my momma’s house, for a whole floor of girls in the dorm when I was back in England, for boyfriends, family, childhood friends. I think this is the soup to make this week, four quarts to freeze and some extra to savor on cold winter days, rich and wholesome all at once.

Awesome Squash Soup: Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
1-2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I usually use olive oil, but I suspect toasted sesame would be even better)
1 large butternut squash (or equivalent quantity of your favorite winter squash), peeled, seeded, cut into cubes
1 big can diced tomatoes (or crushed or whole – whatever)
1-2 cans coconut milk
an inch or so of fresh ginger, finely grated
garlic (I use lots – probably 4 or 5 cloves, but you could do less or omit if desired)
vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
extra spices as desired (a simple dash of curry powder is nice and warming, a sprinkle of cayenne brings some heat)
fresh limes

Please note that these quantities are approximate. If you’re not typically a big experimenter, make it without the addition of other spices and then taste it, see if you feel like stirring more in.

How to Make Awesome Squash Soup:

Saute onions in vegetable oil over medium-low heat until translucent. Stir them so they don’t brown.
Add garlic and ginger and cook for a couple minutes more.
Add squash, tomatoes, coconut milk, and enough vegetable broth to cover the cubes of squash by an inch or two, and bring to a simmer. If you know that you want to add a dash of cayenne or curry powder, now is a good time. Simmer until squash cubes are tender. You should be able to easily smash them against the side of the pot with a spoon.
Mash to desired consistency. I used to use a potato masher to crush the cubes up a bit. I have also used an immersion blender, beating half the soup to smoothness and leaving some chunks. If you want a totally smooth soup, you can just throw it in the blender, but I think it’s best to leave a little texture in this soup.
Taste it, add salt and pepper and any other spices you desire, and serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. A sprinkle of fresh cilantro would probably be good here, too.

This soup tends to thicken up if put in the fridge. I love leftovers spooned over brown rice and reheated just as much as I love this soup on its own, preferably ladled into a nice, deep bowl. Make some, eat some, be warm this winter.

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

Cashew Curry with Veggies and Tofu!

2010-01-31T08:59:00.000+02:00

I found this cashew curry recipe on 101cookbooks and tried it a few weeks ago. It made a GREAT yellow curry – with a few modifications and additions on my end The recipe is below, with my modifications in purple. Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

1 cup whole coconut milk (I used light coconut milk – it gives the same flavor with way less calories! And I probably used about 12 oz instead of 8 oz)
1 – 2 tablespoons curry powder (I actually ended up using 3-4 Tbsp curry powder, and added more to taste as needed)
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, chopped (I like garlic so I used about 3 cloves)
1/3 cup water
4 ounces firm tofu, cut into small cubes (optional) (I used 8 oz)
Veggies: 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch segments & 1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut into tiny florets (this is from the 101cookbooks recipe. I used 1 head of broccoli, 1 pound asparagus chopped, and 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced)
1/3 cup cashews, toasted
a handful of cilantro, loosely chopped
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (if you like things spicy)
You can add cumin, cardamom and pepper (to taste)
salt (to taste)
Brown rice (to serve the curry with – I use minute brown rice)

Directions

I cooked this recipe slightly differently than the 101cookbooks recipe. My directions are in purple below

Saute the onion and 2 cloves chopped garlic in 1/2 tsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp curry powder and salt and stir until combined.
Add the coconut milk to the onion mixture, bring to simmer and work out any clumps
Stir in the tofu and cook for a few minutes until the tofu has absorbed most of the flavors
Add remaining curry powder and water to the coconut milk/tofu mixture and cook down the liquid for a few minutes.
In a large pan, saute the broccoli, asparagus, and red pepper (or whatever veggies you use) with 1 clove chopped garlic over medium heat. Add salt, cayenne, and curry power to taste. Cook until veggies are crisp
Pour tofu/coconut milk mixture over veggies (in the pan) and stir to combine. Add additional spices as needed. Cook through for a few minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in cashews. Serve over brown rice with a bit of cilantro topping each bowl.

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

The Colors of Health: Red, Gold, and Green

2010-01-30T21:52:00.000+02:00

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, going raw has really opened up the world of vegetables to me – well, that and joining a local organic CSA.

Over the last three weeks, we’ve probably gone through four (if not six!) heads of cabbage – some of them green, some of them red (or, technically, purple).

Anyway, I started off using the larger, outer leafs as wraps for burritos and using the smaller, inner leaves for making small batches of slaw.

That was until I made a batch of raw hummus out of tahini and zucchini that was just begging for some chips – hence the habit of tearing red (or purple) cabbage leaves into chip sized chunks was born. Trust me, no one was more surprised than me about how good raw cabbage leaves tastes when combined with a little hummus! Let’s just say that life was good.

But then the CSA cabbage started.

I had one head left over from the week before, had just bought a red one, and got two more!

At this point in my life I am committed to two things when it comes to food: don’t waste it and (obviously) don’t cook it!

So, racking my brain for an answer, I hit on a solution: slaw. And lots of it!

Now, if you’re like me and grew up anywhere remotely resembling the south, your idea of slaw probably involves a lot of mayonnaise and other sundry items – none of which resemble anything close to being raw (let alone good for you). But I was determined, and here’s what I came up with:

1 head of cabbage (green), shredded

3-4 carrots, finely grated

1/2 cup of parsley, finely minced (I’ve also used cilantro)

Braggs Liquid Aminos, to taste (at least 3 tablespoons, for those of you who aren’t familiar with Braggs)

2 limes, juiced

1/2 – 1 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon of cinnamon (or more, to taste)

1 teaspoon of turmeric (or more, to taste)

1 teaspoon of cumin (or more, to taste)

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Himalayan sea salt (pink), to taste

This stuff is seriously delicious. I’ve been eating it by the plate – sometimes alone, sometimes mixed with Shirataki noodles, which aren’t technically raw, but aren’t technically food, since they’re all fiber and are, by design, indigestible.

Since I was eating so much cabbage – as wraps, as chips, and as slaw, I found myself wondering what nutrients cabbage actually contained. I mean, it wasn’t like I didn’t know what cabbage was prior to my latest pro-cabbage phase, but I certainly hadn’t ever given it much thought. I mean, it’s cabbage. Not that interesting. Right?

Well, not really.

Cabbage, as it turns out, is a cruciferous vegetable – as is other well known superstar vegetables (a/k/a super food veggies) such as broccoli, kale, brussels, and bok choy. According to the Whole Foods website:

The phytonutrients in cruciferous vegetables initiate an intricate dance inside our cells in which gene response elements direct and balance the steps among dozens of detoxification enzyme partners, each performing its own protective role in perfect balance with the other dancers. The natural synergy that results optimizes our cells’ ability to disarm and clear free radicals and toxins, including potential carcinogens, which may be why cruciferous vegetables appear to lower our risk of cancer more effectively than any other vegetables or fruits.

For more information about cabbage, go here. And to learn more about the health benefits of cruciferous veggies and how to get more of the into your diet, go here.

Now, some of you might be thinking: Well, that’s all well and good, but I thought cabbage gave people gas.

Well, yes and no.

Personally it doesn’t bother me, but I know it does some people. That’s where the turmeric comes in. And besides it’s wonderful flatulance reducing properties, turmeric is a superfood in it’s own right.

Trust me, if your not getting enough cruciferous vegetables or turmeric in your diet, you might want to consider adding more. Men in particular, should seriously consider increasing their intake of turmeric – especially to any recipe including cauliflower (which is, you guessed it, another cruciferous veggie)!

So, if you’re stuck in a rut on your vegetable consumption, branch out. And whatever else you do, eat your turmeric!

[Via http://kjlivinglively.com]

grilled vegetable pasta

2010-01-30T09:03:00.000+02:00

Photo Credit

A couple days ago I had an adventure in the kitchen making a pasta dinner! I love pastas that are mostly dry, with a touch of olive oil and amazing vegetables and spices… So here’s a quick pasta recipe for you!

grilled vegetable pasta – serves 2, prep and cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

180g Whole Wheat pasta of choice

Water to cover pasta

1 T. Mixed herbs – Italian

Half large green and red bell peppers, sliced to 1/4″ pieces

Courgette (zucchini) sliced to 1/4″ pieces (and bite sized length)

3 T. Olive Oil

1 T. Garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 C. Cooked tuna or 1/2 tin of tuna or cooked salmon, optional

1/4 C. Grated cheddar cheese, optional

In a saucepan, bring pasta and mixed herbs to a boil and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, put oil, garlic, salt and pepper into a medium mixing bowl and toss in vegetables until well covered. Place the vegetables on your grill on foil evenly and not overlapping under a medium-high heat for roughly 15 minutes (keep an eye on these and turn foil to prevent over-browning if necessary). Toss your tuna in the bowl previously used for tossing the vegetables and pop that in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds just prior to serving your dinner. Serve hot and top with grated cheese for extra goodness! Enjoy!

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

With these mortal hands, I will bake you a loaf....

2010-01-28T21:34:00.000+02:00

I’ve been baking bread, oh yes I have. Satisfying as it is to chomp on anything half decent that you’ve made yourself, I’ve got to say that producing a simple loaf of fresh, warm bread from the oven has given me a genuine sense of pride. It’s something so incredibly basic but such a staple - partly because it’s so basic. And delicious too, of course.

Okay, so I haven’t invented the wheel or discovered fire. All I’ve proved is that I too can do something that millions of people have been doing for thousands of years in hundreds of countries and cultures around the globe. But my point is that I’ve done something that not many of us – in this country at least – get the time to do any more.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe there to be plenty of great things about the times we live in. I don’t yearn for the days when we had to rub a couple of sticks together all day just to stay warm at night (although ‘making fire with two sticks’ is next on my ‘To do’ list.) But to lose touch with the food we eat, where it comes from and what goes in to it does seem to be something worth considering for a moment. Food is important isn’t it? (If only you could have seen what I ate as a student. I ate a Smash sandwich once. That wasn’t on homemade bread, I might add…)

Up until I started baking bread, 100% of the loaves that I bought came from supermarket shelves, well, maybe the odd one from a bakery. Occasionally a market. Okay, so probably more like 99.99% but that doesn’t have the same impact. Anyway; moving on…

Loaves sell at around a pound a go, readily sliced and convenient as you like. They last for days too. But when you taste your own fresh loaf there’s no comparison. Once you’ve started to hone your kneading techniques and produced the perfect dough – the kind of dough you don’t want to stop battering – you may decide to make a regular thing of baking your own.

But like many, I have a job to go to and soon enough Leanne and I will have a wee bairn to rear. That uncharismatic, but readily-sliced and oh so convenient, loaf of Kingsmill may just prove to be all too easy to grab from the shelves in the near future. No doubt it will remind us of how convenient modern life sometimes needs to be.

In the meantime, I encourage you, dear reader, to go forth and bake your own loaf when you get the chance – especially if you’ve never done it before. And lo and behold, here’s one of mine!

A fresh loaf of bread from the oven, courtesy of Jimblytheblindman

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

Crazy Summer Weather

2010-01-28T09:15:00.000+02:00

Spent the last couple of days catching up on jobs. There is loads of lawnmowing to do here and since I am the only person who is able to do it, it sometimes gets a bit away on me. Still have not finished due to untimely showers. Which will only make the grass grow back faster. Oh dear.

We’ve been cooking up large recently, using all the lovely fresh summer fruits available to make jam and chutney to see us through the winter months. So far we have got Tomato Chutney, Peach Chutney and Apricot Chutney, plus we had enough leftover fruit to make Apricot Jam and Peach Jam. We grow the fruit ourselves, although we had to buy the apricots. We got a good deal, getting 10 kilos for $20. I noticed the other day once of our neighbours has a large, heavily laden plum tree so I should give her a call and see whether she could spare any for a good cause!

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

Home cooking

2010-01-26T21:54:00.000+02:00

Just before Christmas I started working at home on a full-time basis due to health reasons, which, of course means I’m in charge of cooking dinner. I don’t think I have ever been ‘in charge’ of dinner, so this is a nice novelty for me. When commuting back from London and getting home at around 6.30pm I was never in the mood for cooking anything. If I lived on my own I’m sure I would have lots of pasta and baked beans on toast for dinner. I would be very skinny but most probably very unhealthy. Being a non-meat eater I have to be creative with meals so I make sure I’m getting enough protein from beans, diary, eggs or fish. I like Quorn as well at least once a week as well.

As well as a love for baking cakes I now can cook Mexican bean wraps, Quorn chilli, vegetable Moroccan tagine, lasagne, vegetable and butter bean stew, bean burgers and various fish dishes (normally the fish is just baked in the oven). It is quite fun looking for recipes and this is what I need to keep being motivated in cooking every night. The internet has a wealth of recipes so now I can have a good curry takeaway and then find a million recipes for it online. Just like the Chana Masala I cooked the other week. In addition, I seem to like cooking stew-style dishes like tagines or chillis and baked dishes like pies. Not that I haven’t cooked a pastry-topped pie yet – I think that is mainly because of the high fat content in pastry but that is what makes them so yummy. Funny, but it makes me feel smug that we eat home-cooked food and not food from the freezer or out of a jar!

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

The amazing cuppa cake

2010-01-26T09:47:00.000+02:00

OK, this is the best cake recipe every. It takes only a few minutes to make, and the same to cook, no preparation required.

Add the following items into a large cup;

4 dessert spoons of self-raising flour,

4 of sugar,

2 of cocoa

Now add one egg and mix it up thouroughly.

Add 3 desert spoons of milk,

3 of oil (olive, sunflower, something like that)

3 of choc chips (optional)

and a splash of vanilla extract (again optional).

Microwave for 3 and a half minutes (that’s for an 800 watt microwave by the way).

Finished and ready to eat, and absolutely delicious. My picture doesn’t do it justice, I’m afraid.

Really nice served warm with ice cream.

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

Dreary Sunday

2010-01-24T21:44:00.000+02:00

I had planned for today to be my long run for the week…until I woke up to a rainy day. I thought I might could get out and run before the heavy rain moved in, but no such luck! As soon as I walked out the door, it started pouring. So I walked directly to the clubhouse gym to run on the treadmill. I knew going in that there was no way I was going to do double-digit mileage on the treadmill…I get soooo bored! So I compromised and ran a fast 5k, walked a mile on 10% incline, and then did a half-hour on the elliptical on the highest level…still a really good workout, even without putting in the miles. I guess I’ll go on a long run one afternoon at the beginning of this week…Tuesday might be good since I get out of class by 1:45pm. Ah this rain/ice/snow/dreary weather really dampers my mood! I need some sunshine…and warm weather, maybe?

So I have gotten a lot done over this weekend, and today I finished up returning and buying textbooks…hopefully I’ve gotten everything I need by now! Last night I was looking at assignments for my Health & Nutrition class that I just registered for, and I am actually really, really excited for this class! I even did a few of the Extra Credit assignments already, because I thought they were interesting! I read the assigned readings from our text this morning and almost couldn’t stop reading. Again…I should’ve been a dietician! ha ha

I’m a big fan of Panera Bread…whenever my mom and I go shopping or we’re near a Panera, we make sure we have lunch there. I just love their soups and salads…and fresh coffee to go with it! There happens to be two Paneras near my college, one is right off campus and the other is about 6 miles away. I’ve been craving it since I’ve been back at school, but I’ve resisted going because it would probably become a habit! Anyways, there happens to be an Au Bon Pain on my college campus, which is very similar to Panera. ABP is even included on our mealplans, so I went there today instead of giving in to my Panera addiction! I got Low-Fat French Onion Soup (it didn’t have bread and cheese on it) and a Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad….and it was surprisingly really good! Since I have a whole Commuter Student Meal-Plan to use by the end of the semester, maybe I’ll start going to ABP more often. I have been cooking at the townhouse a lot, so I haven’t really eaten on campus until today. But I have always had a problem spending all of my mealplan money, so maybe I should (not?) cook so much. I think most people like the convenience of having a meal-plan, but I would honestly rather cook. Does anyone else prefer cooking over having someone prepare food for you?

[Via http://britdanielle07.wordpress.com]

Elderberry cordial and good health

2010-01-24T09:06:00.000+02:00

The elderflower season is long gone ::sniff:: We have run out of elderflower cordial ::sob:: So now I’m busy collecting elderberries, and making cordial out of them.

Given that I LOATHE cloves, and nearly every recipe for cordial I found online said to use them, I leapt on the following recipe as soon as I saw it. Unfortunately I can’t remember where I found it, so it is unattributed, sorry. This makes 1 pint of elderberry cordial:

2lbs caster sugar

1 pint boiling water

1 lemon, zested then sliced

1 1/4 oz of citric acid (I used three teaspoons)

25 elderberry heads.

1. Wash and drain the elderberry heads before removing the berries and putting in a sauce pan.

2. Add the sugar and boiling water and put over a medium heat. Stir continuously until all the sugar has dissolved in the simmering water then add the citric acid and lemon zest and slices.

3. Combine well and simmer for a further five minutes before covering with a tea towel. Put the saucepan in a cool place and leave overnight to let the flavours infuse.

4. After it has rested, strain through a piece of muslin. Store in a dark place. The cordial can be used immediately and keeps for at least three months.

These photos manage to capture the amazing depth of red colour that the cordial turns after the berries have steeped overnight – the liquid becomes a concentrated and intense red, which if spilt stains every surface in sight.

The flavour of the final product is rather more difficult to describe. It has taken me a few days to decide that I actually like it, as I think it tastes like a cross between blackberry and cranberry juice – just different to anything I’ve ever tasted before. It is delicious when diluted with soda water and is also lovely as a warm drink.

The more I research the elder tree (sambucus niger), the more flabbergasting its health properties appear to be. I remember James Wong, an ethnobotanist, describing the elder as the “medicine chest of the people” on Grow Your Own Drugs because of its huge range of traditional medicinal uses.

I’m particularly interested in its antiviral properties; ever since a severe bout of glandular fever at university many years ago, I seem to come down with tonsilitis at least once a year, and even the slightest hint of a cold sees my tonsils swell threateningly.

Hopefully this cordial will help give me a bit of a boost, and I plan to have loads on hand over the winter period. I’m looking into elderberry tinctures as well, and am drying a few berries for other recipes I’ve stumbled across on the net (remember – don’t eat the berries raw, they can cause stomach upsets).

As an intriguing aside, some people have commented on the shape of the stems that the berries come from, and how they resemble the human lung:

I don’t usually read anything into this sort of comment, but the stems do sort of bear a passing resemblance to the bronchi in the lung. Kinda interesting given that the plant is said to have healing properties that relate directly to this part of the human body eh!

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

Pancakes with Peanut Butter

2010-01-23T21:15:00.000+02:00

Picture the perfect Saturday morning. It probably includes a nice sleep in, then waking up to a good breakfast and a sunny day, with some set agenda, not enough to feel rushed, but at least motivated and excited to do something. My great Saturday’s start off with a slightly different scenario, but I still look forward to them.

This morning I woke up to my alarm well before the sun came up, fed my cat, downed a smoothie and drove to the other end of Seattle for my weekly long team training run. I was apprehensive about going out on the long, hilly, 130 minute run after Tuesday’s running pain. I talked with my coaches and we decided that I needed to take it easy, and do a shorter loop that would not take me as far from the parking lot in case I ran into pain and needed to walk back. I ran with another woman and we took our time easing into the half-marathon training loop. We got back to the cars at 90 minutes pain free, so I did 20 more minutes on my own just around the park. I was so happy that I felt ok! Rest did me well this week. I am still going to take it easy in the coming weeks, but I was glad that the horrible pain was gone.

After practice we had breakfast at a teammates house…amazing bacon, potatoes, eggs, and pancakes….oh how I love pancakes! In college I developed a taste for pancakes topped with peanut butter and syrup. Don’t judge, just try it sometime. It feels good to be warm and well fed after a long run.

I am going to have a relaxing afternoon and then go out in Seattle to see my old roommate’s band play at a local club. Right now though, I feel like a need a nap and to ice my knees. Like I said, it feels like a pretty close to perfect Saturday.

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

Marvelous Minestrone

2010-01-23T09:00:00.000+02:00

Growing up, I was convinced that my mom had the best recipes. Her food was better than anyone’s. These days, I’ve decided that it’s because it was mostly homemade. We may not have been the most well-off at times, but my mom took the groceries and made magic.

This minestrone is a perfect example. It was a quick and delicious dinner for any night of the week. I remember eating my helping and then getting a bowlful of only broth. (Guess what my daughter’s favorite part is, too) It was the perfect cold-weather meal. When I left home, this was one of the many recipes I demanded from my mother. But then, I thought I had to follow the recipe to the letter. During college, I stressed over getting the vermicelli and the fresh snap peas and mushrooms. How could I achieve this delectable soup without including every ingredient my mother did?

However, when I became married and poor (don’t those two always go hand in hand at first?), we could barely afford the bacon, much less all those fancy ingredients. So, I had to ~gasp!~ improvise.

And I’ve found that improvisation is what this soup is made for. I think my mother knew the secret of this soup that I had yet to learn: it’s the broth. It doesn’t really matter what goes into the pot, as long as the basic broth components are there. Since these were simple pantry items, that was the easiest part. I mean, as long as you can operate a can-opener.

Since the broth is the main flavor, you can add and subtract at will with this recipe. And it serves any number. My mom’s original recipe serves 4, but I remember that whole pot of soup feeding our family of 6 with a bowl leftover in the fridge. Simply put, to feed more, add more vegetables or double the broth. Great recipe for a recession!

These days, I put just about anything and everything into my minestrone. Tonight I doubled it and added cannellini (sp?) beans and potatoes. And I didn’t put in snap peas OR vermicelli. (I’m all rebellious like that)

Here’s the original recipe, but please, pretty please, make this your own. You can make it with all fresh vegetables or completely from those dried and canned vegetables in your food storage. As long as you keep the tomatoes, chicken broth, and spices, you’re golden.

Minestrone (serves 4)

2 slices bacon, cut in thin strips (I usually add as much as I have leftover from a recent breakfast)

1 large onion, finely chopped (fine or rough, your choice)

1/4 lb. mushrooms, sliced (canned, dried, or frozen OK)

1 clove garlic, minced (I added more)

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced (or roughly chopped)

1 large can (49 1/2 oz.) chicken broth

1 can (1 lb.) tomatoes (go ahead, add an extra small can. you’ll thank me)

1 tsp. each salt and basil (I NEVER add this much salt to anything. merely a dash will do you here)

1/4 tsp. thyme and pepper

4 oz. vermicelli (or whatever type you like/have)

1/2 lb. snap peas or edible pea pods, ends and strings removed

grated Parmesan cheese

In soup pot, cook bacon over medium heat until it browns; remove from pot. To bacon grease remaining, add onion, mushrooms, garlic, and carrots. Cook until the onion is soft and the potato is slightly softened. Stir often to keep the garlic from burning. Add broth, tomatoes in liquid (coarsely chop them in the can with kitchen shears), salt, basil, thyme, and pepper. Bring to boiling and cover. Reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes. Bring soup to boiling and add the pasta (if using). Cook, uncovered, until the pasta is nearly tender, about 10 minutes. Add peas and boil for 2 minutes. Serve with cheese on top and well-buttered, crusty bread on the side. We used sandwich bread, so we won’t judge.

Oh! I almost forgot. A great tip when you’re making soup and want to get lunch for the next day taken care of: if there’s enough broth, add 1 1/2 c. to 1 c. couscous. Gives wonderful flavor to the couscous without you doing any more work. Unless your husband comes home and eats your couscous. Then you have to make more. But, you also get to make up!

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

The Case for Cooking

2010-01-21T21:29:00.000+02:00

There’s a really insightful post at Change.org’s Sustainable Food blog about the “new era in American food.” The author, Katherine Gustafson, writes about how fast food chains such as McDonald’s are using new ideas to get their customers to stay longer at their stores, and how this shows a fundamental change in our eating habits. It’s a great article and I urge you to read it.

There’s one particular line that influenced me to write my own thoughts about this topic:

This food is by and large what the American population likes to eat, and we have come to accept the speed as normal.

It’s been years since I’ve eaten at a burger joint, but I can speak for my family and friends that they don’t see places like Burger King and McDonald’s as just something convenient – it’s a legitimate choice for their next meal. This shows that my family and friends, and I assume a majority of Americans, honestly do not care about how their food is processed, how much they enjoy it, or how it tastes. It all comes down to how cheap and fast it is.

I take a lot of joy in cooking. It’s without a doubt my favorite hobby, and it is a sure way to relieve stress. On the rare occasions where I eat out or order delivery, I end up feeling that I’m missing out by not cooking myself. I have a lot of respect for home-cooked meals not only because are they undoubtedly more nutritious, but because they also taste better. A big part of my love of eating comes from concern for how my meal was cooked and whether quality ingredients were used, something restaurants rarely care about. When you eat out, whether it’s fast food or a sit-down place, your meal is a product of speed, cost, and efficiency. Taste can be compromised to some degree.

(A simple note – there are certainly restaurants that really do care about the quality of their ingredients and finished meals. I’m writing primarily about popular chain restaurants.)

The majority of people I know hate cooking. To them, it is a chore. So they stock their pantries and freezers with cheap frozen meals and ridiculously processed foods. I feel like such people are missing out, and that they are also passing on an opportunity to easily create for themselves a healthier lifestyle.

I used to live on frozen Amy’s meals and canned veggies. It was by no means an exciting culinary life – and even though I knew that at the time, I figured there was no way I could cook. There were plenty of excuses – I don’t know how, it takes too long, I’m too busy, by the time I get off work I’m too tired, etc., etc.. But then I fundamentally changed the way I ate, and in the process changed my life. Simply by cooking all my meals myself, I shed sixty pounds in less than a year, and I feel amazing. I also discovered I had a love for cooking that will probably last the rest of my life, as well as appreciation and respect for every bite I take.

The misconception that cooking takes too long or that it’s too hard is keeping so many people back. There are plenty of people who hold down full lives and jobs and still find time to cook healthy, home-made meals for themselves and their families.

So here’s a challenge: tonight for dinner, why not skip the dodgy, plastic-wrapped frozen veg patty and whip up a delicious meal yourself? Do you need inspiration? Here’s 10 ideas for healthy, speedy, and delicious meals.

Pizza – whether you use a home-made or good quality whole-wheat pre-made crust, you can any toppings you wish. A few of my favorite ingredients are fresh tomatoes and herbs, olives, mushrooms and broccoli.
Smokey Miso Tofu
Taco salad – just through together tortilla chips, beans, taco seasoning, tomatoes, lettuce, and salsa.
Polenta and Tofu Skillet. This is one of my favorites.
Oven-roasted vegetables. Make a tin-foil packet of healthy veggies, a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, and roast in the oven until fragrant. I promise you’ll love it.
Soup! There are thousands of variations and you can use anything you happen to have in the kitchen.
A huge salad. Ideas for ingredients include a variety of greens, seeds and nuts, avocado, raisins, oranges, any vegetable you can think of, and a simple lemon-olive oil-balsamic dressing.
Stir-fry. This is my signature I’m-too-tired-to-cook meal. I use whatever I have, add my favorite spices, a little soy sauce, and serve over rice.
A super-easy and yummy tempeh salad that you can stuff into whole-wheat pitas or serve over a bowl of greens.
And finally, if you absolutely refuse to cook when you get of work, for example, why not cook up a few extra meals on your day off and then freeze them. Then, when you’re too tired to cook, just heat them up! It’s as simple as that!

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

Jus Alpukat (Avocado juice)

2010-01-21T09:15:00.000+02:00

Yak yak yak..

Jus Alpukat. Ehm, aku suka banget sama jus satu ini, gara2 pernah minum pop ice yg alpukat. Hhahaha. Aneh ah. Trus kakakku pernah buat, tapiiii, ha! Dia salah resep. Yg jadinya asli gak enak banget!

Akhirnya, aku buat deh. Pas pertama sii lumayan enak. Yang ke dua ini nih lumayan mirip sama pop ice.

Bahan:

1 Alpukat matang (yang udah empuk)
2 sendok susu coklat bubuk/ susu kental manis secukupnya
Sedikit kopi. Cuman dikit bgt kok
2 sendok gula
Air minum secukupnya. Kalo aku tadi sii 1 setengah gelas biasa.

Cara:

Belah alpukat tadi. Trus dikeruk. Kalo satu setengah gelas tadi itu cuman buat setengah alpukat.
Masukan ke dalam blender. Tambahkan susu, gula, air, dan kopi sedikit.
Tutup blendernya. Trus diblender deh (taukan caranya make^^)
Selesai.

PS: Yg ijo ijo itu parutan coklat sisa. Marutnya pake parutan keju.

Yak, yak yak. Dijamin enak dah!!!

SELAMAT MENCOBA

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

Distractions

2010-01-19T21:31:00.000+02:00

With the devastation in Haiti I feel distracted from the “work” I’m supposed to be doing. Quite frankly, my start to 2010 has been full of distractions. Since December 27th I’ve been doing just about everything except working. We had a few unexpected snow days, and school delays, just after the end of Christmas break. I spent most of my time drying wet clothes, stirring hot cocoa, and praying everyone stayed safe while they bumped down neighborhood hills on a speeding sleds. In the midst of the cold snap I spent several days sitting with my sisters and my mother at the bedside of my dying Aunt Mary. As a result I attended two family funerals before January 10th – my aunt’s and my sister’s mother-in-law who died unexpectedly after she developed a blood clot in her leg. Now, I find myself riveted to the TV in disbelief when I see images from Haiti. I wait for the phone to ring or my e-mail to deliver word of evacuation at a Haitian orphanage where close friends are adopting two children.

At times like these all I can do, other than pray, is remain present to those I love by using my time and talent to cook. I guess when you break it down, cooking is my therapy. Since the beginning of the year I’ve made several yellow buttermilk sheet cakes, a few batches of pimento cheese, and several bowls of fresh dill dip to serve with sliced carrots or wavy potato chips. Over the weekend I took advantage of Saturday morning at home to make a large batch of lentil soup and bake some soft chocolate chip cookies to deliver to our friends. I can’t pretend food solves our problems or takes away the distractions. It doesn’t. But, I’m pretty sure a pot of soup, or a homemade cake, can become a balm for wounds that gape open when someone we care about dies or when we can’t stop thinking about those who can’t defend themselves in a massive natural disaster.

C.S. Lewis once said, “The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s “own,” or “real” life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life—the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one’s “real life” is a phantom of one’s own imagination.”

At the end of the day, my ability and resources to cook remind me to be grateful. For today, my family and I live in a safe place where clean water and food is readily available. For today, I can stand to chop and stir. For today, I am given the opportunity to pause and create a space in my day where I can send prayers to those affected by the circumstances of their lives. For today, feeding others reflects our larger responsibility to take care of each other as we walk together through the day by day distractions of our lives.

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

Heh - Pig Fingers!

2010-01-19T09:10:00.000+02:00

A while back, I stumbled upon a new (to me) blog. I don’t even remember how I found My Wooden Spoon, but I did, and I liked what I saw, so I added Lori the Cowboy’s Wife to my rapidly increasing list of blogs on my “Google Reader.” And I wonder why I don’t seem to get as much accomplished during the day as I used to!

Anyway. A couple of weeks ago, a new Food Challenge was announced, and boy, did my ears perk up! Peeps and I greatly enjoyed “Hobo Mondays Tuesdays” and were disappointed when Michelle discontinued that challenge. But, you know, life goes on, right? We started our own Third Thursday challenge, and now the, what? Wooden Spoon Mystery Ingredient Challenge?

I don’t know what she’s calling it, but we decided we wanna play!

The rules seem simple enough – create an original recipe using all three of the named ingredients. Oh, and take a picture of the final dish. Fortunately, the rule isn’t “take a not-sucky picture,” because I think that would be kind of beyond me. . .so here we go!

JANUARY’S FOOD CHALLENGE

Mandatory ingredients for January’s food challenge are:

Corn Flakes
Hot Sauce
Honey

So let’s do this!

First off, here’s my philosophy regarding “original recipes” – often when I cook something, read a cookbook, watch a chef, I learn something. It may be a technique, a food combination, or even a way of looking at and thinking about a particular ingredient. Many “original recipes” I’ve made have been inspired by, or springboard from, something else; they often start when Peeps or I look at a recipe or tasted a finished dish and say “what if we . . . “ Or, in this case, if we’re presented with a trio of ingredients.

What if we. . .

. . . fiddled with our cinnamon honey chicken tenders? I mean, say, instead of breadcrumbs seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg, we started with corn flakes, and seasoned them a little differently?

Say, we use for breading:

1/2 cup crushed corn flakes (measure after crushing)
1/2 tsp. each black pepper & dried mustard
1/4 tsp. each ground turmeric & dried sage

That should work quite nicely, don’t you think? A little mustard and sage, but not too much, allowing that sweet, um, corniness to come through, and, ultimately, complimentary to the “hot sauce” that’s to come.

Huh.

But you know, using corn flakes to bread chicken? I mean, wow, how original. Besides that, we’d just roasted a chicken a few days before, and we had leftovers from that we’d been working on, so, well, let’s do something a little different, huh?

Like, say, some boneless pork loin?

Heck, if you can swap chicken in virtually any pork recipe (within reason, of course), you should be able to use pork in place of chicken, right?

Of COURSE you can! So we pulled a package of three boneless chops out of the freezer, and I sliced them into strips.

Pig fingers, if you will. (Hey, chickens don’t have fingers either, you know!)

We just start with the basic egg wash that we dip the strips into:

1 egg
1/4 c. milk
1/4 tsp. Tabasco

Then roll (or shake) the fingers in the corn flake mixture, and lay them out on a parchment (or silicone) lined (or well-greased) baking tray and bake for 15 minutes at 425°.

Meanwhile, we still had two Mystery Ingredients to use – the hot sauce and the honey. No problem! Melt together for a sauce:

1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. butter (half a stick)
1 Tbsp. Tabasco

While we have other hot sauce in the house (I think), Peeps has a clear preference for Tabasco. Me, I think it all kind of tastes the same – what can I say?

A tablespoon of hot sauce may seem like a lot, but it’s really not. We’re mixing it with four times as much honey, and 4 more times as much butter – not to mention the pork and corn flakes. It’s well-diluted, fear not!

Once the pork strips have baked for 15 minutes, go ahead and pull them out of the oven, and pour the honey-butter-hot sauce mixture over them. Be sure to thoroughly coat them, then stick ‘em back in the oven to finish cooking, about another 10-15 minutes, or until the meat is done, but not dried out.

Or course, the breaded pork strips could easily be made in bulk and frozen on sheets to be baked and sauced later.

And Here’s a printable version of the “recipe.”

The bottom line – we found these pork strips delightful! They were sweet and kind of, I don’t know, zesty – not too hot (which is good for me!), but you definitely taste the zing! of the hot sauce.

I would definitely do this again – I really liked the hot-sweet combination of the honey and hot sauce. And WHO KNEW corn flakes would be so indestructible? Even after being crushed, then stuck to the pork, then baked, then coated with honey, they were STILL crispy and, well, kind of corny. . . but in a good way!

We all know I’m photo-challenged, so here’s the picture of the finished dish – believe me, that’s the best of the half dozen I took!

It looks like there are a few other entries up at My Wooden Spoon, so be sure to check them all out when you have a minute!

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

Tipping Over The Restaurant Business Model

2010-01-17T21:33:00.000+02:00

After going out to dinner last night, it got me thinking about the whole restaurant business model. It was a fine restaurant, in a pleasant location, replete with overpriced food and drinks. When I go out for a meal, I understand that I am paying for the privilege of not cooking, the talent of the chef, perhaps a romantic ambiance, and some share of the general overhead of the establishment. I am also paying the salary of my server. The restaurant gets off the hook for $2.13 an hour. I cover the rest at a socially accepted percentage of the cost of the overpriced food and drink I just consumed.

The more expensive the item I choose from the menu, the pricier the drinks in which I indulge, the higher the salary of the person I am temporarily employing to serve me. Who came up with this system? If I am going to be responsible for my server’s salary, I think it should be based on how much of that person’s time I take up, say on a per table basis. The restaurant could post its hourly rate, such as table for two, five dollars an hour, table for four, ten dollars and hour, and so on. In that manner, dining in a restaurant with an inflated, overpriced menu wouldn’t mandate that I pay my server as if he were an employee of Goldman Sachs.

Now, I’ll drink to that.

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

26 Month Gouda on Monster Hash with Omelette and Mimosa Sauce

2010-01-16T21:02:00.000+02:00

One of my goals for 2010 is to create 30 sauces. It’s not over 1,000 like Escoffier but I think I can get there one day. This mimosa sauce is fantastic and while I won’t share the details of the exact measurements, I will share the ingredients. My f’ing hand is killing me right now so I’ll make this quick.

Ingredients:

Hash

Russet potatoes, grated
Clarified butter
Bacon fat
Salt and pepper
26 month old Gouda Cheese……don’t wake up and use Gouda unless it’s aged for 26 months…..be a snob sometimes
Fresh dill
Sour cream

Mimosa Sauce

Champagne, purposely made flat
Orange, juiced
Fresh meyer lemon puree
Shallots
Clarified butter

Omelette

2 eggs
Red bell pepper, 1/4 inch dice
Clarified butter
Salt and pepper, tt

[Via http://ericriveracooks.com]

Chapter 4: I am in-like with Pasta!

2010-01-16T09:42:00.000+02:00

What can I say? I love eating pasta as much as cooking pasta. I like experimenting of different sauces and the like. I love…love…love….see my addiction to that word? I just am in heaven when pasta is on the menu. Pasta is comfort food for me. It really cheers up my bad day and it brightens the mood. What I like even more is how easy you cook pasta and how efficiently can come up with a meal. Within thirty minutes, voila! You already have a meal that’s good for four!

Clearly, I have cooked way more pasta dishes and I can’t help it! Have a look, but take a deep breath first!

Here are the other pasta dishes I’ve managed to whip up:

Baked Farfalle Noodles in Four-Cheese red sauce topped with Mozzarella

Spaghetti with Sausage and Basil

Tomato and Sausage pasta topped with Parmesan Cheese

Penne with Shrimps in Red sauce

Carms' Carbonara

FYI: My basic carbonara recipe has three essential ingredients: cream, bacon, and nutmeg. And did you notice the pasta craze? We all have that certain weakness and mine’s not so obvious isn’t it?

Would you agree with me that I am in-like with pasta?

Lovelots,

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

Leek and pancetta tray bread

2010-01-14T21:07:00.000+02:00

I have had a bread machine for many years now and for several months at a time, it sits in the cupboard. However, this week it has emerged from the cupboard and I have been making all sorts of yummy bread based products! The first was the cinnamon rolls – yes I cheated and used the machine to make the dough!

Today I saw a recipe in my Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook for a leek and pancetta tray bread, which looked delicious and ideal as I had some leeks to use up and bought some pancetta yesterday. After putting a picture on twitter I had lots of requests for the recipe!

Ingredients for the bread base:

6 tbsp water

1 egg

225g strong white bread flour

1 tsp salt

25g butter

1 tsp fast action dried yeast

Ingredients for the filling

3 leeks

75g pancetta

140ml soured cream

5 tbsp milk

2 eggs

salt and pepper

Put the bread base ingredients in your machine in the order specified by your machine’s manufacturer and put it on the dough setting.

Slice the leeks quite finely and fry in a little oil on a low heat until they are soft, then leave them to cool.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle about 23 by 35 cm (or the size of the try you want to use). Press it into a tray, making sure there is dough up the sides to contain the filling. I use my Pampered Chef Medium Bar Pan, which was a perfect size. Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Spread the leeks over the base then add the pancetta. Mix the soured cream, milk and eggs together and pour over the leeks and pancetta. Add some seasoning and bake for about 30 minutes until the edges look golden and the filling is set.

Serve warm.

I found the dough to be a little salty for my liking so I will put less in next time.

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

Camping!

2010-01-14T09:51:00.000+02:00

I went camping last week at Big Sur with some friends for one night and it just reminded me how much fun camping really is. I suggest everyone go do it. I would suggest Big Sur to everyone who has not been there before. The weather was beautiful, warm enough not to wear a shirt in fact. There is always lots to do when camping. From collecting firewood, to night hikes along the beach, to cooking massive amounts of food. If you’re in Big Sur, I strongly suggest bringing a camera so you can capture the magic of the sunset and sunrise. I know its early but it’s more than worth it. There are some simple rules to follow when camping also.

1. Always bring water. Keep water with you wherever you go.

2. Always keep a knife with you. You’ll never know when you’ll need it.

3. Bring a jacket/sweater. While it’s warm during the day, it does get cold at night.

4. Check the weather and road conditions for wherever you’re going so you can be properly dressed and prepared. You don’t want to get caught in the rain without a jacket. Or snow without chains for your vehicle.

5. All in all enjoy yourself. Nature hikes are fun, but bring a flashlight if you hike at night.

[Via http://queerfresno.com]

A Microwave Poached Egg: Breakfast of a UG Champ

2010-01-12T21:45:00.000+02:00

Photo Credit to NotAHipster on Flickr

There are certain times where and when convenience should not trump taste. If you are a gourmand, one that over-indulges in fine food and drink, scrambled eggs in the microwave may not qualify as “good food.” It doesn’t to me. It is rubbery and disgusting and I’d rather dirty a frying pan, spatula, and have my house smell of eggs than eat such a concoction. However, that is not the case with microwave poached eggs. Poaching eggs is a very difficult task it requires a certain temperature water, a slotted spoon, a paper towel, and a lot of patience. In the words of Homey D. Clown, “I don’t think so… Homey don’t play dat!” I have no qualms about using a microwave, I am uncouth. Although, I am not a savage and know only morons would use a microwave to reheat pizza. With that said, if you love a good poached egg then use the microwave. It is quick, simple, and has minimal clean-up. It is my typical breakfast and was going to email this video to Josie, who asked for it, and then realized I might as well share it with all of you. There is no talking and pretty music, so please enjoy and get your microwaved poached egg on.

Here are a few of my tips:

-Add salt to the water before you add the egg

-I microwave my egg for 48 seconds

-I use potato bread for that smushier (technical word) quality

-Sprinkle the two P’s, pepper and paprika, as soon as the egg is on top of the bread

[Via http://uncouthgourmands.com]

Garlic Cucumber Salad (涼拌黃瓜)

2010-01-12T09:42:00.000+02:00

Preparation time: 15 minutes

8 ozs. Cucumber (1 large hothouse cucumber or 3 small Persian cucumbers)
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Cut the cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and slice off the center to remove the seeds. For large hothouse cucumbers you may want to further cut the quarters into eights lengthwise. Then cut into two-inch long pieces. Add the salt and garlic then mix well. Refrigerate the cucumbers for about 30 minutes.

When ready to serve drain the salt extracted juice from the cucumber pieces and arrange on a plate. Be sure to retain the garlic. Pour the sesame oil over the cucumber and serve chilled.

Credit:http://www.redcook.net/

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

Saturday at Whitetail

2010-01-10T21:50:00.000+02:00

I spent the better part of last week organizing a daytrip for 8 of my friends to Whitetail, PA for a day of snowboarding/skiing. It was only a couple hours away, and they griped about leaving at 8:30am (babies), but we all arrived around 10am, ready for a day on the slopes.

I’d heard from other people that east coast slopes couldn’t compare at all to Tahoe; everything I heard was right. The mountain was more like a hill, the bunny slope was about 20 feet long, the blacks felt like blues, blues felt like greens, the runs were icy with a thin blanket of manmade powder despite it having snowed the night before, and the ticket was still $63. At least I got to snowboard!

We had a pretty good group, ranging from first-timers to more experienced folks. Laura (the annoying/weird girl from work) and I went with Andrew and Jared on the more advanced runs. The rest of the group stuck to greens and blues. We spent a few hours with them in the afternoon, and Laura and I tried to give Gabe (a newbie to snowboarding) some pointers; it was hard because he’s goofy, but he picked it up pretty well! Even though the runs were icy, the relatively easy grade of the mountain gave me courage to try the only double black at the resort. I ended up feathering down half the run because it was too icy to do anything else, but was able to zip down the rest without too much difficulty. In all, I didn’t have any major falls, just semi-falls where I sat down, kept sliding, and got right back up. The only boo-boos that happened were 1) accidentally ran over a kid on skis because he turned right as I turned left, and 2) having a 4-person fall while getting off the lift, since Gabe, Denise, and Andrea all decided to go towards the center and crash into everybody.

I really do miss having mountains that have back trails, where the moguls aren’t blocks of ice, where falling doesn’t mean sliding for over 75 feet. Despite my complaints last season, I now miss lifts that only take you halfway up the mountain, then going to a different lift for the summit, because it means the summit is too high for one lift to go straight up. I guess you have to make do with what you’ve got though; even though the mountains here stink, I plan on going much more this season, otherwise I’ll go out of my mind!

The group posing for a photo before hitting the slopes. Jared, Andrew, Laura, Denise, me, Danielle. Red seemed to be the color of choice this season, and it was kind of hard to tell Andrew and Jared apart sometimes.

At the summit; Whitetail was similar in size and grade to the surrounding hills, so you can see that nothing was too steep.

Laura, Jared, and me at the top, right before sunset. We stayed until about 8pm to check out the night skiing, but it got so cold that we headed back to DC earlier than we planned.

I screwed up my courage and finally bought meat that hadn’t been processed. Ok, so it was individually-wrapped frozen chicken breasts from Costco, but I still defrosted them and cut the raw meat myself, so I’m rather proud. I made a stir-fry dish with the browned chicken, bell peppers, onions, a bit of minced garlic, and added black bean and garlic sauce

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

When Zen Isn't Zen

2010-01-09T21:41:00.000+02:00

Last night I made granola. What could possibly be more zen than making your own granola? Except when your 11-year-old decides to pretend to be a dog and and other assorted animals in the kitchen while you’re trying to be zen and make granola.

Pretending to be a puppy is tolerable or even cute behavior in a toddler. It’s less endearing in an 11-year-old. Especially when you’re trying to make granola. I did my best imitation of a mature mom and patiently told her that I was not enjoying her game and suggested that she sit on the stool and keep my company in the kitchen or play her animal game in another room. For some reason, that didn’t work. Ok, it never works. At least not for me. Finally, Little One changed tactics and asked if she could help with the granola. Secretly, I wanted to say no, but I know that it’s good to have kids help with cooking so I said ok. Little One happens to be a pretty good cook. Unfortunately, Little One took it a step too far when my back was turned and I turned into Cursing Mommy. Cursing Mommy refers to a piece written by Ian Frazier in the current issue of The New Yorker that Little One read this morning (The Cursing Mommy Cooks Italian) and found hilarious. She probably didn’t find it quite as hilarious when her own mommy turned into Cursing Mommy.

Little One and I made our peace quickly, and the granola is pretty delicious. And now you know how zen isn’t always zen.

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

The Winter of My Dish Content

2010-01-09T09:28:00.000+02:00

Public domain photograph of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This is the winter of my dish content, made glorious . . . full formed, and finished and sent by dinner time into this breathing world.” With a nod to Mr. Shakespeare.

For most of my adult life, I’ve made Italian food for the holidays, often a seafood dish like spaghetti and clams for Christmas or New Years Eve and usually, a lasagna on Christmas Day. I might make a ham, macaroni with ricotta, and a salad for New Year. Or, I might make something Greek, a moussaka or a pastitsio.The main reason for these selections was ease, not nostalgia or tradition. These are the kinds of dishes that are either easily and quickly assembled just before dinner time, or they lend themselves to preparation in advance. This really works when you juggle a job (sometimes more than one) and try to make a memorable day for your child, husband, and elderly parent. I’ve always had the theory that good times are emotional vitamins. Creating good memories strengthens us for the tough times, which are inevitable. So celebration is important and food is a natural part of celebration.

Since I’ve generally been the one with total responsibility for meals, I’m just delighted with our new, evolving traditions. The hallmark seems to be collaboration, and there isn’t anything more collaborative than making tamales. That’s just what we did this year. We thought it would be fun, even though none of us had ever prepared them before. First we mined the Internet for recipes. We got all the ingredients together, and I prepared the pork for the pork tamales ahead of time. Then we got together the Monday before Christmas to assemble and steam the tamales. Before we started work, we watched some YouTube video demonstrations to see exactly how the assembly is done. It was a good afternoon’s work, but no where near the project we expected it to be. In between forays into the chips, salsa, and guacamole, we made thirty-eight tomales, froze them, and defrosted only what we needed on Christmas Day. Maybe next year we’ll do tamales again. Maybe not. No matter. Warm collaboration will always make for a winter of dish content, even if the dish were just a simple bowl of rice.

[Via http://musingbymoonlight.com]

Julia and Jacques - Cooking in Concert

2010-01-07T21:44:00.000+02:00

January 7, 2010

When my dear husband was helping with the last post, he first found the five minute video of Jacques deboning chicken and turkey with Julia, but as the day went on, he found the whole show which he then put on the site. I had read about the Cooking in Concert shows, but had thought I’d probably never be able to see even one. I’ve just finished watching, and it is absolutely delightful. The chemistry between Julia and Jacques is wonderful, and their banter hilarious.

Jacques came to prominence in my non-cooking years, and only in reading recently did I find that his teaching career was the result of a terrible accident which he was lucky to survive. The physical demands of restaurant cooking were too much for him afterward, and he decided to teach. He had been De Gaulle’s chef, and was later approached by Jackie Kennedy to be her White House chef, but he declined. Rene Verdun accepted the offer.

Nancy

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

Have I mentioned that I love my peanut butter?

2010-01-07T09:24:00.000+02:00

Yeah, I do love me some peanut butter. Not that icky Skippy, either, or, heaven forbid, that disgusting “natural” crap. Jif. Choosy moms choose Jif, and I’m a mom, and I’m obviously choosy.

How sad would it be to have one of those kill-you-dead-if-you’re-in-the-same-room peanut allergies? You know, I just might go for it anyway, because I’m not sure life would be worth living without my Jif. I love peanut butter that much.

Remember how much I loved the peanut butter pie we ended up taking to the family Thanksgiving? Well, I love peanut butter cookies even more – it’s peanut butter you can eat with your hands! Add to that the fact that we decided to build anti-Christmas cookie baskets this year, and, well, it’s almost a no-brainer, isn’t it?

How would you like to try a couple of Cook’s Illustrated Big, Super-Nutty Peanut Butter Cookies? While I can’t actually share the cookies themselves with you (they’re long gone!) I can share how much fun they were to bake. I made exactly 28 cookies from this recipe. (The original recipe said 3 dozen. I probably could have used a smaller scoop, but whatever.)

Start by preheating the oven to 350°. Sift together the dry ingredients:

12.5 oz. (2½ cups) flour
½ tsp. each baking soda and powder
1 tsp. table salt

Then beat, in a stand mixer, 2 sticks (or ½ pound) of unsalted butter until it’s creamy, then beat in 1 cup each of white death (granulated sugar) and dark brown sugar, then beat until fluffy. Add 1 cup of peanut butter. Good peanut butter. Extra-Crunchy Jif, if you love your ultimate cookie consumers. (I’m just saying – good peanut butter – peanut butter that tastes good – it shows your love.)

When the PB is fully incorporated, beat in an egg, then another, then 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

In the meantime (probably while your stuff is mixing in the stand mixer and you’re adding stuff one ingredient at a time), you’re going to want to haul out the food processor, too.

Hey, the number of appliances you use is a measure of how much you love your cookie recipients, right?

Grind 1 cup of roasted, salted peanuts (the snacking kind – get a big jar!) until they’re about the coarseness of bread crumbs – this will help add “super-nutty” flavor.

So back to the mixer. You’ve got your peanut butter-plus-other stuff mixture going on, and it’s smooth and incorporated and everything. You’ll want to gently stir in the flour mixture. We all know what happens when you just throw flour into a stand mixer, don’t we? Is there anyone here who doesn’t know what happens?

No, I didn’t think so.

Then gently stir in the chopped peanuts.

And step over the dog, who is lying in the middle of the floor waiting -intently- for you to drop some peanut butter. As if that’s going to happen.

Roll the dough into “large balls” – the original recipe says 2 Tablespoons at a time. Me, I used a #24 scoop, which may or may not be slightly larger than 2 Tablespoons.

Then, using a dinner fork, do your basic PB Cookie Indentation – the cross hatches that tell you, without tasting or smelling, that THIS is a peanut butter cookie.

Then just bake them, until puffy and slightly browned, about 12 minutes or so. Yes they look a little undercooked – but they will firm up on the cookie sheet – let them sit for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

‘Cuz if you’re the impatient sort, and you remove the cookies before they’ve completely set, they’re too soft. One or two might break while you’re trying to transfer them. THEN what would you do?

Cool completely before storing.

I wrapped each cookie individually in plastic and froze them. That works.

PS: If you have a habit of wiping your hands on your pants while you’re cooking, be warned. If you smell even faintly of peanut butter, the dog will lick your pants. All day. And into the evening. And even the next time you wear those same pants. It’s actually kind of weird.

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

New hobby

2010-01-05T21:51:00.000+02:00

There’s nothing in the world like a fuzzy, warm scarf blocking the bitter cold winter wind from your neck. And being broke and bored, I decided about a year ago to learn this time-honored tradition of the housewives who have cooked and cleaned before me. I am decidedly in my beginner phases, but over the Christmas break (well, break for my husband and baby girl who didn’t have school for a week and a half while the rest of us grunts had knuckle breaking work to do) I made about 4 scarves and 1 hat! Very productive and I finally used some of the yarn I got on major clearance at Hobby Lobby last May! (Apparently, when it’s no longer cold is the best time to buy warm fuzzy yarn.) So, here is a small sampling of my projects. For all scarves, modeled by my darling baby girl, check out my Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049139&id=1322357918 I’m going to finish another scarf, using whats left of my hat yarn, to make a set, and then another hat to match a previous scarf…then hopefully move on to the wonderful world of socks! Whoo Hoo, exciting times all around…

I also recently discovered a website: www.thepioneerwoman.com. Ree Drummond is one of the best bloggers I’ve read, and her recipes look to be awesome. I’m asking for her cookbook for my birthday, if I can wait that long. I also want a Wii, so if anyone out there has an extra they’re not using, feel free to mail it to me!

I want to do this blogging thing more frequently. It seems like a nice release. And lawd knows I need a release! Between extended family drama, 3 jobs, a 4-year-old, 2 steps and a husband who at times is as neat as the 13-year-old boy in the house, I frequently want to bang my head against a brick wall until I’m babbling incoherently and drooling on myself.

So, here’s to a new year, new releases, new hobbies, new reads and hopefully new recipes!

My baby girl modeling one of my many scarves

It's not a box!

Fun, Funky, Fuzzy and Purple!

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

Do IT Trainers deserve Michelin stars?

2010-01-05T09:35:00.000+02:00

I love cooking. And eating. That the two are intrinsically related to each other is a source of infinite joy. But what on earth does that have to do with IT training?

Well. IT trainers are often presented with random mix of ingredients and are then expected to put them together and produce an end result to suit everyone.

Take your average Excel Intermediate course. Despite all your best efforts as a trainer, you know damn well that you will end up with 8 delegates (usually at least 2 more than you were told to expect) of wildly differing skill levels, ability and enthusiasm.

They’ve all been supplied with a menu (course outline) which they have studiously gone through, picking up the items they each want from their training smorgasbord, with no idea of how they knit together.

You, as the trainer, now have to determine how to mix the following together:

The total beginner, who needs the basics firming up before being able to cope with anything more than simple calculations in Excel, let alone lookups and pivot tables.

The daily user, who uses 10% of the product 90% of the time, and needs to understand how formulas are put together, edited and combined before moving onto logical statements and custom charting.

The power user, who everyone asks for help, because ‘they know everything’, and is a bit resentful of having to attend anyway – even though you know there will be multiple topics they can use and improve on.

You reach into your store cupboard for your basic ingredients – formulas, charts, formatting, editing, and you start putting together a ‘menu’ in your head to suit everyone.

Not too much spice to scare off the beginners, but enough to keep the ‘experts’ interested. They are expecting beef consomme, and all you have is an Oxo cube to start things off.

You chop and mix your ingredients to provide them with a fabulous menu which covers as much of their smorgasbord items as you can, with flair, and great presentation.

So, do IT trainers deserve Michelin stars? Maybe not quite, but I think we’re pretty close.

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

New Orleans Dining: COCHON Butcher

2010-01-03T21:37:00.000+02:00

COCHON Butcher

930 Tchoupitoulas Street

New Orleans, LA 70130

(504) 588-7675

Web Site: http://www.cochonbutcher.com

Click Here for a Hi-Res Slide Show

Donald Link’s COCHON Butcher is half butcher shop, half re-invented deli with a Cajun and New Orleans twist.

Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

Right down the street from COCHON restaurant, Chef Donald Link’s fine-dining ode to all things oink, Link and his partners have opened Butcher, a small lunch place that focuses on unique deli sandwiches and also functions as a butcher shop selling fine artisinally-butchered meats. All the charcuterie for the sandwiches at Butcher is made in-house, and the meats and sausages used here are all sourced and made specifically for COCHON’s and Butcher’s use.

Chef Donald Link, proprietor of COCHON, Butcher and Herbsaint Restaurants in New Orleans.

Above the main counter area you can see much of the charcuterie that is used in Butcher’s sandwiches.

Here are some of the items in the front case you can take home (click on photo to enlarge)

As well as the fine meats you can buy to bring home and cook yourself (click to enlarge)

House cured salumi. I think this is a sorpressata of some kind.

Charcuterie platter.

Butcher also uses various artisinal breads for all of its sandwiches.

Chef Link cures his own pastrami, although I would tend to say that they are closer to the original basturma than pastrami. To the left is a duck pastrami and to the upper right is his regular beef pastrami, which is thinly sliced and heavily smoked rather having the peppery/garlicky/mustardy and briny characteristics of a New York Jewish Pastrami or a Montreal smoke meat. Both are excellent for what they are, although I don’t think Katz or Schwartz’s has much to worry about. Yet.

Another charcuterie glory shot.

A view down the counter.

Butcher also makes its own Boudin sausage, which is probably the best I have ever tasted — not at all livery, but very peppery.

The carte de Sandwiches (click to enlarge)

A pastrami sandwich, ordered by another customer.

The “Gambino” ordered by another customer.

The “All the way Hot Dog” ordered by another customer.

A bowl of Chicken and Sausage dark roux gumbo that Rachel and I agree was the best bowl of gumbo we’ve had during our entire New Orleans trip. This is saying a lot as I’m quite partial to Upperline’s gumbo, but you can only have it a cup at a time.

Rachel’s hot roast beef sandwich with gravy and melted cheese. This isn’t by any means a traditional New Orleans roast beef Po-Boy, but something else entirely. And it was magnificent.

Wanting to sample some of the charcuterie, I opted for the Muffuletta, served hot.

Muffuletta cross-section.

Cochon’s muffuletta is appropriately lunch-sized as opposed to the monsters that Central Grocery or the Godzilla-sized ones at Nor-Joe’s (my personal favorite for bringing home). It is also very light on the olive salad, which is treated as more of a condiment than an integral component but the charcuterie in it is absolutely top notch.

If your sandwich or Gumbo needs that little extra something, the house-made Habanero Sweet Potato Hot Sauce really hits the spot.

A patron enjoys a Roast Pork sandwich.

Two ladies await their take-out order. What’s this, cupcakes?

Cupakes or Chicken… Cupcakes or Chicken… what a dilemma

Red Velvet Cupcake and Chocolate Cookie. A nice ending to a perfect lunch downtown.

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

Roasted cabbage soup

2010-01-02T21:41:00.000+02:00

I combined two of my favorite Christmas gifts into this yummy pot of soup the other day. The recipe was from the book Love Soup. It was so incredibly stellar. I’m not sure why I chose that soup to make first with my new book, but it seemed to call to me. I’m not normally fond of cooked cabbage, but roasting the cabbage first made a huge difference. I can’t wait to try more soup recipes from this book! We are looking to eat less meat and more fish and vegetable dishes, and I thought soup would be a good way to do this. The soup plus a loaf of the hubby’s homemade bread made a great dinner. Unfortunately, the kids don’t really like soup, but I’ll keep giving it to them and hopefully their taste buds will develop. I’m impressed by the progress my 7yo has made with trying new food (he says his favorite foods are “pink fish” i.e., salmon, shrimp, and “critters”, i.e., mussels) in the last year, so maybe soup will be next!

I also got hubby some vital wheat gluten and diastatic malt powder for Christmas and he added them to his standard “almost no knead” bread recipe (that we cook in a preheated dutch oven). Check out the rise on that baby! The addition of the vital wheat gluten made a huge difference. He says he’s a convert!

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

Pet Society Hack - Mayor Imposters and Cheesy Mayor Clones

2010-01-02T09:22:00.000+02:00

Not sure why anyone would want to look like the village mayor, but if bushy white eyebrows and a blue top hat are your thing, here’s a hack for impersonating him. The same hack also allows you to purchase the Cheesy Mayor for just 20 coins.

This explains those suspicious Cheesy Mayors that some of you found two weeks ago in the trading forums. We knew something smelled fishy!

Disclaimer: Pet Society Anonymous does not recommend installing any hacks. Not only do we think cheating ruins the spirit of Pet Society, but it could have negative consequences for your computer’s operating system. Play well; play safe.

[Via http://petsocietyanonymous.com]

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T21:45:00.000+02:00

Whether you follow by blog or by Twitter, I thank you for your interest. In 2010 may we all #1 eat better, #2 stay healthier and #3 drink just enough to mitigate the positive effects of #1 and #2.

The problem with being known for a drink or a dish is that is often all anyone wants you to bring to a party. Such is the case tonight where I’ve been asked for batch of my famous Black Marlin Hurricanes, my adaption of the signature drink from the Black Marlin Bayside Grill in Hilton Head, SC. For a New Year’s Eve twist on the known, make the Hurricanes as usual (you can find the recipe at http://wp.me/pli1i-99). Instead of serving over ice, fill a champagne flute 2/3 full of Hurricane then top with Champagne. I prefer Bollinger NV Brut Special Cuvee. And remember, should old acquaintance be forgot – it was probably the fault of the drink.

Happy New Year’s to everyone!

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

Rambling, Radishes, and Farewell To 2009 ~ A Feast! It Was Only Missing...

2009-12-31T09:37:00.000+02:00

…these.

green chilies, luxuriating in summer sun

I have an old friend I’ll call S.

She lives in NH and I live in MA and we try to get together every so often.

Whenever we meet, I pass a small Indian market en route; every time,

I mention to her “one day we should go there –

you would love the array of spices etc”.

To which she replies: “yes, and then you can come to my house

and show me how to use them”!

We’ve been talking about this for months, but you know how that goes –

reality gets in the way. Yesterday we finally managed to pull it off.

A dinner at S’s house is never for two; between her kids and friends,

it ended up a small feast — just in time for the New Year.

This was a new and welcome challenge for me, but I was nervous!

I used a couple of recipes I’d bookmarked in the past, and a couple I found through the newfound friends participating in Nupur’s delightful marathon.

I did tone down the heat — my own tolerance has been slowly but steadily acquired, and I didn’t know most of the attendees well enough to gauge how heat would be received!

In restrospect, I would add more chilies. Otherwise very few changes were made; where they were, they are so noted.

Also, the photos aren’t the greatest I’ve ever taken

Please do visit these talented ladies for the original recipes and better pics,

and please add all the chilies!

On the menu:

Mathangi’s decadent Dal Makhani ~ the only change here was fewer kidney beans.

If you’re like me and always skimp on the butter in the name of health, I say, try it this way just once. Sometimes it’s healthier to be sinful

dear Sudha’s Veg Biryani ~ I did add a fruit-and-nut garnish which was not exactly ’sprinkled’, more like tossed on! And it’s obvious there is no turmeric in my version. I have never tried to cook five Indian dishes simultaneously — for a crowd to boot. I suspect turmeric isn’t the only thing I missed last night

Otherwise, this one is completely Sudha’s, and completely delicious!

Palak Paneer from Sandeepa, the best I’ve ever tasted.

This was nothing short of perfect, even though it had no milk — yup, I forgot it.

We did not suffer!

Ashwini’s Punjabi Chole, to which I added more tomato than intended ~ hence the reddish tone. I loved the new flavor from the tea bag, Ashwini!

Here’s the whole kit and kaboodle:

clockwise from bottom left: palak paneer, chole, veg biryani, naan (in covered dish), radish-snap peas saute, potato crisps, chick pea chaat, boondi raita and dal makhani

We also had an assortment of chutneys that S’s friend brought, bottled — I would call them sauces more than chutneys and I think she brought seven kinds! And some hot mango pickle from a jar (could not get to dear ISG’s for this!).

I have seen so many spreads from other blogs over the years — this has been a secret desire of mine — to post my own. Thank you all, for sharing your wonderful recipes, and for sharing your friendship.

And last but not least, my own little recipe:

Radish and Snap Pea Saute

don’t forget the mustard seed ~ yup, I did!

2 bunches fresh red radishes, scrubbed, trimmed, and quartered

(if the greens are really fresh, you can save them for Anita’s haak

[though I like mine best with kohlrabi greens -- not to mention the fab

sambhar that makes... oh my, for another day!] or add to this dish at the end)

2 handfuls fresh snap peas, washed

1 tsp canola oil

tadka:

1 tsp mustard seed

1 tsp cumin seed

3-4 slit green chiles

a dozen curry leaves, more if really aromatic

salt to taste

As easy as it sounds:

Heat the oil and do the tadka. Add radishes and saute a few minutes, until the red starts fading to pink. Toss in the peas and saute a few minutes more, until the peas take on a brighter green color — add a sprinkle of water if necessary to avoid burning.

Cook this to your preference — I like it a bit crunchy, so about ten minutes all told.

Salt to taste and serve hot.

radish fry with sugar snap peas

I have enjoyed this marathon of blogging, especially after a long sojurn.

Thanks, Nupur

Of course life unexpectedly gets in the way at all times; the kids’ dad was in a car accident today. While there were no serious injuries, I may be out of the kitchen for a day or two, so… I hope this will be ok to serve as the rest of my marathon recipes. Thank you for all the kind comments — I will be back in short order, visiting all the other marathoners, and cooking up something special in a surprise gift ~ that made my day today!

I am wishing you all a very happy and healthy new year!

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

Monique's Long Macaroni

2009-12-29T21:40:00.000+02:00

Over at the kawaii-radio forums we did a secret santa this year. My secret santa was lovely enough to send me the makings of a *very* wonderful pasta casserole from Canada! Now, the particular type of pasta used is a bucatini – a long, tube shaped pasta with a hole in the center. I haven’t been able to find it in my local supermarkets, but I have found it in an Amazon.com search; I’m sure that you can substitute with a thicker-type pasta! This has quickly become a favourite in our house and amongst our friends.

540 mL Tomato Juice

540 mL Diced Tomatoes

3 cloves of Garlic (or 3 tsp of minced garlic)

1 pound Bucatini (or other thick pasta)

3/4 pound mild shredded Cheddar

1/4 pound sharp shredded Cheddar

1 TBSP Basil

1 TBSP Oregano

1 TBSP Parsley

1 TBSP Butter

1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Put water on to boil in a large pot. In a skillet, combine garlic, spices, sugar, and olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add entire can of diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup of the tomato juice. By this time, your water should be boiling so add your pasta and let cook until slightly firm. Let the tomatoes simmer until the pasta is done.

In a pyrex baking dish, add pasta and dot with butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add all of the mild cheddar cheese, and then add the sauce you created. Add the remaining tomato juice, and top with the sharp cheddar.

Bake for 30 – 45 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serves ~12.

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

Hot Coko?

2009-12-29T09:23:00.000+02:00

Hot Ginger Coko

Here’s a first for me. Got this last night with dinner. It’s really cold at the moment so instead of drinking hot chocolate, why not try something different like HOT COKE! Yeah sounds strange but actually it was quiet good. What you do is put Coke in a pot and add a lot of GINGER slices. Then you heat it up and when it starts to boil you turn off the heat and let it stand for a minute or two. Then you are ready to go!

You might have to get your head around the idea that you are drinking hot coke but trust me, it’s good.

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

Egg-Noggin'

2009-12-27T21:43:00.000+02:00

I went on limb and made my own eggnog this year. Living in Israel, this is certainly not something we can find in the dairy section. Despite our Jewish-ness, my very American father would bring home that rare quart carton of Dean’s eggnog. Oh my. He loved it. And he’d come home to find perhaps a half cup left for him… Being raised on no junk food whatsoever, having the eggnog in the fridge was a temptation that was simply impossible to resist.

Needless to say, I have a sore, sore spot for eggnog.

And how hard could it be?

Not hard. I found a recipe by Alton Brown that I kind of played with. Essentially, if you want to do a cooked eggnog (which, believe me, if you want to avoid a nasty stomach bug, you want to do this – especially if you don’t know exactly where your eggs come from), is almost exactly an ice cream recipe.

Separate 4 eggs
beat yolks hard for several minutes, then whisk in 1/3 cup sugar
heat 2 cups milk +1 cup cream + 1 tsp nutmeg to just below boiling
slowly add milk to egg yolk while vigorously whisking
Return milky eggy mixture to stove until hot enough to kill the beasties (go to just below boiling)
remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, add half a cup bourbon (or brandy or rum or a mixture)
cool in fridge
beat egg whites, slowly adding 1 tablespoon of sugar, until stiff peaks form
Add whites to yolk mixture and whisk
Serve!

Easy, right?

Right.

Tasty? That’s debatable.

It’s no Dean’s eggnog. This is frothy. Not as custardy. And the alcohol does give it a noticeable kick. In its way, it was satisfying. But the raw egg whites still perturbed me. It tasted so much like egg. Not like the nutmeg-y creamy very yellow custard I was hoping for. Next time, I think I’m going to cook my eggs longer (let them thicken), perhaps use a higher fat cream (or replace more of the milk volume with cream), and certainly cut the egg whites.

A sure sign that what you’ve created is potentially dodgy – your family won’t try it. In my family, that’s not exactly the case. We try everything. The test with us is whether we decide to take, or ask for, another serving. No takers here…

Gotta find another recipe…

But that will have to wait for next year.

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

Year-end gluttony

2009-12-27T09:11:00.000+02:00

Although here in the Mystic East the 25th is a normal working day, some of the natives here have acquired the curious habit of eating the atrocious KFC as a kind of Christmas celebration, but as I find their dishes singularly revolting, I cooked at home instead. I planned on roasting a duck, but as I couldn’t find a nice fat specimen I went for beef Wellington instead.

The pastry came out tolerably well, but the meat wanted a little more roasting; although I like my beef very rare, this is a taste not shared by the mem’sahib. To go with some of Mr. Mumm’s excellent champagne I made some assorted bruschetta, my favourite being those made with sea urhchin eggs…

Roasted spuds went on the side with the meat, and disappeared remarkably quickly. I tried to find a good horseradish from an imported foods store here, but in vain. I went for a nice Dijon mustard instead.

I also should mention I went fishing for haze again…with the water being slack most of the day, it was tough fishing but at least it was not as cold as last week; of the fish I caught most were rather middling-sized bucks, but amongst the catch were a few large, gravid females.

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

red & green

2009-12-26T21:21:00.000+02:00

When I took this photo in early August, I remember thinking that a plate of Caprese salad looks like Christmas.

In some latitudes, it might be possible to eat this dish as holiday fare. But here in South Carolina the only ripe tomatoes in evidence at this time of year are either sundried nuggets, a mason jar of carefully preserved sauce, or daydreams brought on by the arrival of the earliest seed catalogs.

This platter was made with scalloped Costoluto Genovese tomatoes and large-leaf basil still warm from the garden, and of course the photograph was taken before I splashed the whole thing with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. The final result was gobbled up in a hurry.

It feels like Christmas this year arrived in a hurry and was gone in a hurry, too. But it was good nonetheless.

How about you? Were your celebrations all you hoped?

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

...and a partridge on a pear tree

2009-12-26T09:03:00.000+02:00

Another Christmas has come … and it’s not a forgettable one. DH got out the tree to decorate and then both of us hunted high and low for last year’s lights and decorations. All the dust disturbed, discovered the location of other stuff, but lights and decorations never revealed themselves from their hiding! It’s packed up properly and lying unknown somewhere – after our shifting the house earlier this year.

So we buy another set of lights and some more bells and beads to put up on the tree. DH haphazardly wound the lights on the tree. And the multi-colored bulbs looked good. Except, all the wire was exposed. Well, I don’t have the patience to do it neatly, says DH on hearing my observation.

I patiently unwound all the lights while Siya looked on interestedly. Only DH’s presence prevents her from latching onto those wires and playing ‘tug’. Lights are back on and the tree looks beautiful with the lights.

Christmas arrives and we invite some folks for lunch – friends and colleagues from work. The day before the menu is fixed: chicken, duck, pork and fish; mebbe a veggie dish or two. DH confirms that there is sufficient gas in the cylinder for the all-out cooking – by lifting the cylinder.

First tragedy strikes after the two types of rice, chicken stew, duck curry, cauliflower appetizer and custard for dessert are done. The gas gets over and the back-up single cylinder hasn’t been refilled. Considering that DH confirmed that there is sufficient fuel, I refuse to think up a plan B.

The gas agency is closed for Christmas so a replacement cylinder is out. DH is sent out to refill the single cylinder (small one). And we get Roopa’s Elf cylinder for the cooking – she was really sweet to lend it to us considering that she is the fiancee of our friend Jean and hadn’t met her at all!

So it’s now 1 pm and the chicken, veggie and fish is set on the fire. I delegate the fish fry to Roopa and slowly begin to lose it. Last dish on the fire and Roopa ‘n’ I start cutting the fruit for the fruit salad. Meanwhile, Sangy and Ullas are lost somewhere after following directions on the google maps printout.

Tragedy strikes again after the first whistle on the pressure pan cooking the pork. Gas gets over. Jean gets upset with his fiancee – she’d assured him that there’d be sufficient fuel too. Later, I asked Jean whether he did the weight testing too to confirm that the cylinder was full. But hey, without all four burners alight from that second cylinder, all those other stuff would be cooked!

The pork is transferred to the single burner cylinder and all is well again. Sangy and Ullas finally arrive. Siya is happy to see Sangy again – but her hackles are up and she barks angrily at Ullas; DH is not able to control her and she doesn’t seem to hear him. Siya doesn’t like the smell of Lucky on Ullas (Lucky is Ullas’ dog).

Cauli is too spicy and left alone. Somebody asks for water, I give the glass to someone else (I realize I am losing my mind). Then Sameer starts sniffling when they start digging in; damn, I hadn’t toned down the spice as much as I thought I had. They all assured me that the food was good – but I don’t feel good about it. I couldn’t even enjoy the food I’d cooked.

Later, over a ripe banana, Ullas wins over Siya. And all’s well between them. Then she proceeds to lick off all of Sangi’s moisturiser from her bare arms. I heard that Lucky was pretty miffed with the two of them when they got home.

After everyone left, I just hit the sack. The good thing – all those left over food implies no cooking the next day! YAY!

Merry Christmas y’all!!!

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

Buche de Noel

2009-12-24T21:42:00.000+02:00

Because I’ve always wanted to make one, and because it was the day before Christmas and I still felt the need to bake, it seemed like a good idea to make this traditional Christmas Eve cake.

The recipe for the cake came from here. I made the white frosting — a type of white-chocolate-cream-cheese-whipped cream mixture. I originally attempted to make white chocolate ganache but it didn’t work out so then I improvised. For the outside of the cake, I used *gasp* chocolate frosting from a can.

We made mushrooms for the cake out of marshmallows. It’s traditional to use meringue but marshmallow seemed an easier option — and one the kids could participate in.

As I look at my kitchen sink, piled high with every bowl and pan imaginable, I can now say that I am officially done with my holiday baking.

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

Another Cake Ball Recipe

2009-12-22T21:47:00.000+02:00

I just finished another successful batch of cake balls, and boy where they yummy!!! They taste just like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, but in ball form.

I baked a traditional chocolate cake. While it was still warm I crumbled it up and mixed it with 1/2 container (maybe a little bit more than 1/2) of chocolate frosting and 1 cup of peanut butter. I rolled the “dough” into balls and let them sit in the freezer for a couple of hours. I melted peanut butter flavored melts in a double boiler and dipped the balls.

Absolutely awesome…. Gotta love cakeballs!!

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

Lamb shanks with green olives and anchovy served on soft polenta

2009-12-22T09:16:00.000+02:00

Wow.

This meal was delicious. When I got home from the gym the smell of it was wafting through the garage, making my mouth water. I was hoping that was our dinner, hoping more than anything else that that delicious smell was destined for my stomach.

And my stomach was ever so grateful for the food. It needed it, and my taste buds seriously enjoyed the meal as well. That meal hit the spot in my stomach and the pleasure pathways in the brain. DELICIOUS!!!! Definitely going to make that one again. And thank goodness, cause we were sure due for a winner!

Despite this amazing culinary experience, this dish does not have many vegetables, in fact, it has none, and it’s only fruit is olive, so it’s not a balanced meal. I am tempted to next time try it with a few big chunks of carrot just to see if it can carry it. You never know…

Oh, and it was easy to cook, just a one pot affair with no maintenance. Love that. But this is where good pots and pans come in handy. You really need a heavy based pot for it for the oven and polenta is best done in a heavy based pan. This helps control the sticking to the bottom thing that is so common with thinner pots and pans. I really do love my pots and pans. Go you good things. Love how easy and even more pleasurable they make cooking.

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

What's Your Easiest Recipe for Dinner?

2009-12-20T21:37:00.000+02:00

A friend recently posed this question on her social media page. What is your easiest recipe for dinner? I tried her Italian chicken this week, and my family really liked it. You just place chicken in a slow cooker with a large can of diced tomatoes and 3/4 cup of Italian dressing poured over the top. It takes only 3 hours on high and it’s done. I added some parmesan pasta, a vegetable and some rolls, and dinner was ready. It took just minutes to put together. I thought I’d float the question to Hope Blog readers. What’s your easiest recipe? Like everybody, I have a busy week to face, but I want to make something good for dinner. Any ideas?

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

Serving Up the Holidays (Part 3 of 3)

2009-12-19T21:42:00.000+02:00

Just Dessert

I love holiday desserts. Whether it’s oohing over elegant chocolate covered berries at a Christmas party with friends, sampling a sweet pecan pie after the big feast with family or decorating sugar cookies with the kids, holiday desserts are more about sharing a moment than packing on the calories. At least, that is how I justify it. Yet, desserts are daunting, so I am going to share what I’ve learned over the years as I’ve delved into recipes and attempted to make a sweet something.

Item #1 Temperamental Chocolate

Chocolate Covered Shortbread

I once visited Hershey Park with my family. You can smell the melted chocolate when you get out of the car. It’s wafting throughout the park, tempting you at every turn. It is my idea of heaven. So, I love to melt chocolate, but it took me a long time to really understand how to do it successfully.

Most realistic bakers just melt a bag of chocolate chips and I see nothing wrong with that. No reason to spend a fortune if your palette is just craving a little silken goodness. You can do this by melting in the microwave and stirring every couple of minutes. It works and it is fine for quick desserts as long as you are careful to check by stirring every minute after the first couple ensuring it isn’t burned. Chocolate will hold its shape until you stir it, even if it’s completely melted.

I prefer to melt in my rigged double boiler because I like having it under my watchful eye. I use a small saucepan with about an inch of tepid water and put it on med low heat. Then, I put a glass bowl that fits over the saucepan completely but does not touch the water and pour the chocolate chips or bakers chocolate bars inside. I stir often until it’s completely melted.

There is one huge mistake I have made numerous times. You cannot let even a small amount of steam or water get near the chocolate. It will clump up and ruin the entire batch.

One other tip – if you are dipping cookies or fruit into your chocolate, then use a tablespoon or two of shortening and it will add glossiness to the chocolate for a more aesthetic appeal. I have not noticed a difference in taste with this trick.

***Quick Note: I happen to know of a great chocolatier who does online orders. If you want to leave the chocolates to the experts and feel good about it, then visit http://www.chocolatesforgood.com.

Item #2 Food Coloring

Even this year, the glaze turned clear instead of white!

We have a family recipe for a Christmas cookie that we call “Red Cookies”. Though we come from the north, this cookie is actually very much like a Red Velvet Cake turned into a cookie. I love them, but this recipe is so complicated that it has taken years for me to make them edible and I still can’t get the icing to come out consistently. I have trying for 12 years.

The “red” comes from 3oz of red food coloring. Actually, we’ve modified the recipe to 1 oz of actual food coloring and 2 oz of refilling the food coloring bottle with tap water which then comes out red. These cookies are beautiful, festive and delicious.

The big issue I have with these cookies and anything else dealing with food coloring is the mess I invariably create. I don’t understand how it can so easily get everywhere! Food coloring spreads, multiplies and dilutes in the face of soap and water. I have learned to have serious cleaning power on hand. I prefer to use Clorox Wipes because I won’t accidently spray the ingredients and I can hit the spot with something tough and durable immediately. I always wear an apron when dealing with food coloring.

Item #4 Slicing out a Serving

After you finally bake your masterpiece, you set it on the counter to cool. Finally, it’s time to serve. Don’t you just grab the nearest knife and hack away? I used to. Sometimes I used the plastic cake slicer I got from the grocery bakery when I ordered that last cake or maybe an old knife in the drawer.

Now I know. When cutting brownies or even a cake, the best tool out there is a simple plastic knife. No kidding. It works like a charm. If it gets some crumbs on it between slices, wipe with a hot, wet towel to clean it off. A paper towel works just fine.

Item #5 Room Temperature

My recipe says I need an egg. So, I get it out of the refrigerator and crack it into a prep bowl, right? Wrong! Before starting to bake, I have learned to read over the ingredient list pretty far ahead of time. This allows me to ensure I have all the needed ingredients and to pull those chilled items out of the refrigerator so they can warm up to room temperature (about 72 degrees F). Eggs, butter, and the like all mix together better at room temperature.

You can soften items butter and cream cheese in the microwave if you are short on time and it works just as well, but don’t melt the butter!

That’s the end of my Serving Up the Holidays series! My next post will be celebrating my most famous kitchen disasters. It will be a good laugh so stay tuned!

[Via http://thesuburbancook.com]

Product Review - Mazola Original Canola and Sunflower Cooking Spray

2009-12-17T21:23:00.000+02:00

Our family has been using various types of cooking sprays since they entered the marketplace. Cooking sprays are so much easier to use than having to add grease to a pan. It is easy to use by following the manufacturer’s directions; you simply point the spray nozzle in the direction that you want to cover in a pan while cooking to keep foods from sticking to the pan. Easy to use and cuts down on all the mess of having to manually add grease or oil to any type of cooking surface.

//

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I was shopping one day and do try to get what I need as well as pick up things I know I am running short on at the house. I found this can of Mazola Original Naturally Cholesterol Free Canola and Sunflower cooking spray on the grocery shelf along with a couple of other brands that we have used in the past. I noticed that this product was even cheaper than the non-brand or store-brand product, which is the reason I chose to purchase the product, perhaps it was on sale that day. However, since it was cheaper I figured that I would give it a try to see how well it works.

You may read the rest of the review here.

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

Public service broadcast #1 - Leek, Potato & Thyme Soup

2009-12-17T09:43:00.000+02:00

Right, i had an infuriatingly unsuccessful search this week for a recipe on the ‘blogosphere’ so i’ve decided to, when i remember a decent one, post a recipe or two on here.

Leek, Potato & Thyme Soup

(serves 4 i reckon)

2 medium leeks – sliced

4 potatos – peeled & cubed

1 red onion – sliced

Bunch of thyme – chopped

1 litre of vegetable stock

Salt

Pepper

About a tsp Olive/vegetable oil (not too much or your soup will be oily)

Heat the oil over a medium heat in a big-ish saucepan

Add the potato, leeks and onion to the pan

After about 4 minutes, turn the heat down and sweat the vegetables for about 25 minutes – i find that cooking them long and slow like this really brings out the flavour of the leeks

Add the chopped thyme to the pan

Add the stock to the pan and bring everything to the boil for a couple of minutes

Season well with the salt and pepper

Reduce the heat and simmer everything for about 10-15 minutes

The soup is now ready to eat, you may want to season again to taste – i like to keep it unblended and chunky but you can give it a whizz with a hand blender if you want

Hope this was of use, it’s dead easy to make, pretty healthy and really cheap!

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

Random thoughts

2009-12-15T21:48:00.000+02:00

I nearly got to work today but just couldn’t make it and then felt silly. On top of that I then spent an hour in tears about it all. This is going to be a very slow process. I then spent the rest of the day with a headache and wondering… Or as I put to the work chatroom, feeling befuddled. Befuddled – such a great word. I’m befuddled with lots of things at the moment but work is definitely top of the list. Still, my husband actually listened to me today which is a step in the right direction. He also worked out that I would only need £6K to take a year off work so I could rest and explore new ideas. Where I’m going to find £6K from though – maybe I’ll win the Premium Bonds!

One other random thought of the day – over the past few evenings I have watched so many Christmas cooking programs. From Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. What is amazing is that we aren’t even hosting any Christmas meals or parties. Maybe one day we will and maybe one day we will get back to having Christmas parties like in the old days before friends had kids. However, I have seen some tasty recipes so one day when I’m off work over Christmas I will give one or two a try. Yum!

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

Droolworthy chocolate truffles

2009-12-15T09:42:00.000+02:00

It’s that time of year again – I’m making Christmas presents. Chocolate truffles tonight.

I started out with the Edmonds cookbook chocolate truffle recipe, but since when do I follow a recipe? With a bit of adjusting, I’ve ended up with a range of variations using the same basic formula. Here are a few of my recipes.

Total Nutcase

50g butter

100g dark chocolate

1 tablespoon cocoa

1/2 cup chopped macadamia and hazelnuts

1/2 cup ground almonds (and a bit more)

1/2 – 1 cup icing sugar

Melt butter and chocolate (I’m sure you are supposed to use a bain Marie, but I just use a heavy pot on the stove). Stir in cocoa, chopped nuts, ground almonds and some of the icing sugar. Keep stirring in icing sugar until the mixture is quite stiff. Shape into balls (not too big, as these are quite rich) and then roll them in ground almonds. Keep refrigerated.

Makes about 30-35, and should keep for a few weeks. But really, what are the chances of them lasting that long?

Jamaican Sun

25g butter

50g white chocolate

1-2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (I use fresh ginger that has been frozen, but ground ginger will give a different taste)

1-2 tablespoons dark rum

1 cup icing sugar (or might be 1 1/2)

coconut

Melt butter and chocolate. Stir in grated ginger and rum, then add the icing sugar gradually until the mixture is quite stiff. Shape into balls and then roll them in coconut. Keep refrigerated.

Makes about 18.

Arabian Nights

2 tablespoons Turkish coffee (with cardamom)

4 tablespoons boiling water

50g butter

100g dark chocolate

1 tablespoon cocoa (and about 1/4 cup more for later)

1 – 2 cups icing sugar

Add Turkish coffee and boiling water to a plunger, plunge and leave to stand (if you want to, you can make proper Turkish coffee in a pot, but I don’t bother for this recipe). Melt butter and chocolate. Add cocoa and 2 tablespoons of the coffee. Add about a cup of icing sugar. Taste test and add more coffee if you want it stronger. Add more icing sugar until the mixture is stiff. Roll into balls and then roll in pure cocoa. Refrigerate. After an hour or so, remove from fridge and re-roll in cocoa. Keep refrigerated.

Makes 30-35.

A note on ingredients

Good ingredients make good truffles. I assume the opposite applies too: bad ingredients = bad truffles. Don’t substitute butter for margarine in these recipes; it won’t melt and set properly. Use a good strong dark chocolate, although don’t use top quality eating chocolate, because it’s simply a waste to mask the flavour with butter, sugar and flavourings. For white chocolate, use something that actually contains cocoa butter. A lot of the stuff that masquerades as white chocolate doesn’t contain anything at all that came from a cacao tree. Check the label. Nuts are better fresh. I shell the hazelnuts myself, but I draw the line at shelling the macadamia nuts, instead buying them already shelled from my local farmer’s market. If you don’t have Turkish coffee with cardamom, you could probably make really strong, fine-ground coffee and add cardamom, but I’ve never tried that.

A further note about taste testing

Taste testing is essential. One thing that I have found is that flavours usually intensify once the truffle has cooled and sat in the fridge for a day or two.

Last note, I promise

Recipes can be doubled or halved quite successfully. I tend to do a smaller batches when I’m trying something a bit more risky, like rum and fresh ginger (I really wasn’t sure that would work, but I’m very pleased with it).

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

Breakfast in Bed (Except Not in Bed and Not Breakfast)

2009-12-13T21:51:00.000+02:00

But that was the name of the class we attended at ICE: The Institute of Culinary Education way back in October.

Actually, the full name was “Couples: Gourmet Breakfast in Bed” and we had been meaning to go for almost two years. It was a Christmas gift, you see, and a good one at that. My wife gave it to me for Christmas 2007, back when we were in Philadelphia. Two location changes later and we were running out of time, so here we were.

James Briscione

Our instructors were the husband-and-wife team of James Briscione (a professional chef who some may recognize from his appearances on Chopped) and Brooke Parkhurst (an author). Overall, the class was loose, fun and informative.

Our group consisted of the instructors and five other couples, whose experience ran the gamut from novice to fairly good. We split into three groups to tackle the six dishes on the menu.

The wife and I (and our partners) were responsible for two of the more basic dishes: blueberry pancakes and breakfast burritos. After James taught us some knife skills (including a killer move for chopping sweet peppers), we were basically left alone to go at it. Some interesting things I learned along the way:

Breakfast burritos are a favorite meal of many chefs. James was not the first who’s told me that it’s his go-to comfort food.
You don’t have to cover rice to cook it. You can make it “pasta style” by adding the rice to salted water and draining the results.
If you want the blueberries to stay in the middle of a pancake, do not mix them into the batter. Instead, add a handful into each pancake right before you flip it.

In addition to the above two dishes, each person was given the chance to make a perfect lump crabmeat omelet. If you do it right (like James), it takes only a few minutes to cook. He taught us the French folding technique, which makes these omelets look more like crepes than what you see in a typical diner. Mine turned out pretty well, although it was slightly overcooked on the bottom. (Though compared to some of my fellow classmates’ attempts, my omelet was a masterpiece.)

After assembling the burritos and making a ton of pancakes, we were ready to assemble all of the dishes for a breakfast feast. Of course, it was a Friday night, which is kind of weird time to have a breakfast feast.

Here’s a final rundown of the dishes. See if you can identify them all in the images.

1. Sherry Shrimp and Grits

2. Blueberry Pancakes

3. Buttermilk Raspberry Muffins

4. Baked Apples with Creme Fraiche

5. Savory Sweet Potato Tart with Garlic Custard

6. Lump Crabmeat Omelet

7. Breakfast Burritos

For the most part, everything turned out nicely. Some of the muffins were a bit undercooked, but the tart was amazing! Not only was the experience worth the time and money, but we got to take home the recipes. Writing this may be the inspiration I need to finally whip up some burritos.

To the kitchen, mi amigos!

[Via http://maneatfood.com]