knife...check...fork...check...gasmask??

Made some adobo steak tacos last night.  Let me just say that this is a dish that, while unbelievably delicious, is very dangerous if cooked indoors.  The recipe I had called for grilling the steak, but I just didn't want to go to the trouble of getting the coals ready and all that so I thought that I would just give it a good sear and that would be that.  However, I failed to realize that when dried peppers are reconstituted in oil that they might give off some deadly fumes when introduced to high heat.  Basically, I pepper-gassed wife and I and buddy.  From the second the meat heat the pan, all my breath was taken away.  Amy got it worse than I did because she was already battling tonsillitis and had to use her asthma inhaler.  Eventually, things cleared out and all was well.  We did have to eat outside on the back step, but it did not stymie the deliciousness of our meal.  

So, to the food...I marinated the beef (I used "flat iron" steak, which was incredibly tender once removed of tendons and silver skin) in a spice paste of olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, lime zest, chili flakes, and salt and pepper--also known as adobo paste.  It gave an incredible flavor to the steak.  It was spicy, smoky goodness with the clean tartness of the lime zest. 

Wifeshow and I made some tortillas (flour) to go with our tacos, and I cannot say enough about the difference between these and what you get at the store.  such a better taste and texture.  They don't take a lot of time, and they are worth the extra effort.  try it, you won't regret.

As far as toppings for the tacos, I wanted to have a nice textural experience so I julienned  some red and green cabbage, diced some tomato, and cut some scallions and cilantro.  a couple squeezes of lime juice later, and you have yourself a taco better than you can get anywhere.  Personally guarantee that...and I have had a lot of tacos.  peace

I was just going to have oatmeal, but I think I changed my mind

I wanted a really savory breakfast yesterday, and I just happened to have all the ingredients for croque madames.  Basically, it is a broiled sandwich consisting of thick slices of bread (brioche is very popular on these but I just used whole wheat because that's what I had laying around) spread with bechamel, one slice topped with ham and the other topped with cheese and then broiled.  after the cheese is melted, the pieces go on top of each other and then one more layer of béchamel on the top and then back into the broiler for a minute or so and finally topped with a fried egg.  I actually put a tomato slice underneath the egg because I love the whole tomato egg combo.  It makes for a very nice, good-looking breakfast.

Wife and I have figured out a basic layout for the book, as far as photo spreads and such and I have been trying to be diligent on spending as much time as I can on it,  It's tough though, there are so many things that I want to get done during the day that it is hard to concentrate on sitting down and typing.  Only two more markets left at work, which means that vacation is rapidly approaching!  I am really excited to visit some places in oregon.  I have been looking forward to it for a long time now.  It will be great to get some much needed time to relax.  Well, gotta go. Lots to do and little time to do it. peace

Are you here for the Equinox?

I really wanted risotto yesterday.  I was thinking about it all day long.  I don't really think that a lot of people make it and that's kind of a shame.  It is a wonderful, filling side, but a lot of the time I use it as a main course.  Last night's was a roasted tomato risotto that I served with some roasted green beans.  Risotto usually takes about 35 minutes.  It is rice that is sautéed dry with aromatics and then cooked with hot broth, a ladle-ful at a time, until it is al dente. one of my faves.  It is basically the same method every time with windows that allow for different flavoring.   I always add a little vermouth (tip from my sis, Erin) before the stock and it gives it a really nice perfume that hangs on throughout the dish.  

I had a dream during my nap that I kept breaking my new glasses and then getting them fixed.  weird.  hope it's not foreshadowing.  Autumn is upon us in date, however, I am still waiting for it to feel like autumn weather.  I love when the weather starts to turn chillier and I have my windows open, snuggling farther under the down comforter and feeling a slight chill on my face.  Ultimate sleeping weather.  I love that soup is a welcome meal multiple times a week.  I love sweatshirt weather, roasted food, chilly but not cold bike rides, and switching to drinking hot lattes at work.  I am ready for you autumn, bring it on.

Putting the Jazz in Jasmine

Made some tuna steak last night. Tasty treats!  Served with some jasmine rice and some steamed asparagus.  I also made a honey-soy glaze for the fish and it was really nice.  I got the idea from a cookbook I have on minimalist asian cooking.  There are some great ideas and concepts in there, I will be trying more in the coming posts.  That's one thing I love about eastern cooking, the ability to take few ingredients and turn it into really good stuff. So, as promised (to myself), I have started to eat more fish and I have to say that I am digging it.  It's a really good idea, actually.  Fish is one of the last great wild foods, I think that there is something to be said for that.  I have really been thinking a lot about the things that I eat lately, and trying to develop some sort of philosophy on why I eat the things (and the way) that I do.  I guess if I had to narrow it down it would be that I appreciate that the animals/vegetables I make were provided for me and want to make the best possible things that I can out of them.  Odds are, those animals were probably happier not on my plate, so I have really been thinking about that lately and not taking any of it for granted.  I'm not saying that I am going to give up eating meat (anyone who knows me, knows that is impossible), I think that I am just going to give up eating crappy meat, or food made without love.  I mean, this is the stuff that we put into our bodies, people!  Think about it!  I have to go.  sleepy treats await.

I've heard of people "dismantling" things, but how come nobody "mantles?"

Totally scored some heirloom tomatoes at the store yesterday.  I was really excited.  Yesterday was one of those days where you feel like you are doing about a hundred things and accomplishing less than one thing.  Oh well, it was still a pretty good day, all in all.  

Have made some great strides in laying out the cookbook.  Everything is somewhat organized and now just has to be written out and tested/finalized. I am leaving the design in amy's hands as she is wicked talented in that area.  I feel really confident that it is going to be really cool.  I am excited and that is good because it will definitely help me to get going on the thing, especially since I am really behind schedule.  I was reminded this weekend that I have been saying I would write this for years now but so far have not followed through.  This is totally off subject today, but I cannot type to save my life right now.  It's like I have hot dog fingers or something.  I should really post this message without spellcheck, you'd all be horrified.

so...about the pic:  I braised some lambshanks with leeks and root veg and served with an heirloom tomato salad.  Heirlooms are totally jem, dressed with a little herb chiffonade (basil, thyme, parsley) nice salt and peps and some fruity olive oil--exquisite.   The lamb was good, but I must confess that it was not my favsies.  while I really like lamb, I think that I needed to season the shank with stronger spices to offset the somewhat gamey flavor (usually the shanks of an animal, being surrounded with all of the fat and tough fibers have a high concentration of flavor).  In other newsworthy news, I have decided to try and eat more fish.  unfortunately, in my part of the world that either means that you pay huge premiums for the good stuff or you buy frozen.  I bought some frozen stuff.  However, just because it is frozen does not mean it is bad quality.  I actually picked up some nice tuna and salmon of respectable quality so I was pretty jazzed about that.  anyway, I had better go, time to start mantling dinner. peace

They are night Zombies!!!

So, last night I was meeting some pals downtown and it also happened to be the night of the "Zombie walk". Apparently, people dress up and smear fake blood etc. on themselves and walk downtown in droves and hold up traffic and such.  I have no problem with this, in fact, it's pretty funny.  However, some idiot turd and his ugly zombie girlfriend got in my face and stared at me, slack-jawed and crazy eyed.  I would venture to guess that the aforementioned turd could pass as a zombie without his makeup. Anyway, it was marginally funny for half a second, but after that I started getting annoyed and wanting to throttle him.  I restrained, but started thinking about what exactly he was trying to prove or what he was trying to accomplish; I haven't reached a conclusion.  Good thing I had read previously about the zombie walk, wouldn't have been so nice If I thought he was really undead.

 Anyway, to the food:  After I got home last night I was really hungry and craving something fried and greasy.  I didn't have any of those things, so I made an open-faced ham and eggwhich with some warm salsa.  It did the trick.  I listened to some crazy experimental "jazz" at the zoo bar last night.  Not my cup of tea, but it was interesting.  The weirdness was overshadowed by the fact that I did have a really good time with pals.  Although I don't get to see my mates that often, I always have a blast when I do.  If they are going downtown, they usually ride there...I followed their idea and it is really great.  you don't have to worry about parking and it's nice to take a leisurely ride out of your usual route.  ok, I gotta go.  lot's to do and the day is young. peace.

I just want to sit at home and cheese all day long...

Made some macaroni and cheese the other night.  Actually the "macaroni" was a combination of rotini and celantini and the cheese was a combination of about 5 cheeses i had chillin in the ol' icebox.  It was really good.  Parboiled the pasta and then made a basic bechamel.  When the pasta was done I tossed it with the bechamel and all the cheeses and then put it into an oiled casserole and covered with breadcrumbs (from a loaf of pain de campagne) and parmesan.  Foiled it up and baked for about 15 min @ 350, then uncovered for about 15 more, until it was golden.  Tasty.  The only bad part about this is i made so much and it is not the best "re-heater".  Oh well.  

Another weekend gone, only three more markets to go, and then, vacation and some much needed time to work on product research and finish (and start, haha) my book.  I was hoping to get it close to done by the end of the year, we'll see how that goes.

One man's trash...

Last night I made some pork belly.  It was one of those things that I had always been interested in making/trying, but have always been a little leery about it because of the high amount of fat in it and my own inexperience.  So, i threw out all of my fears and gave it a go.  I'm really glad I did because the payoff was huge! I scored the skin of the belly, vertically, with a really sharp knife and then rubbed salt, pepper, lemon zest, rosemary, and a tad of olive oil into the slashes and all around the rest of the meat.  Here's a little tip I came up with:  In cases like this, where you have a relatively small piece of meat and do not wish to use a bulky roasting pan/rack, do what I do and place your meat (fat, and in this case, skin side up) on top of some quartered potatoes/onions in a cast iron skillet.  Not only does this elevate the meat and allow for some nice browning, but it lets the fat/spices/flavors of the meat soak into the veg while it roasts.  This piece of meat requires slow roasting (about 3-4 hours @ 300-325 F).  When finished, the skin gets a lovely crackling to it and the fat has permeated the meat, giving you delicious, unabashed porkiness.  I paired it up with some sweet and sour red cabbage (sauteed with onion, spices, and balsamic vinegar) and the makeshift potato rack that had absorbed all of that pork fat, mmmm.  All in all, it was delicious.  Actually, it was more than delicious, it was probably in my top ten, if not top five, best meals I've had, and that's saying something.  It is pretty sweet to take something like this that is so cheap and looked over and to turn it into something delicious.  Anthony bourdain touched on that subject when I went to see him speak on wednesday.  It was pretty good, pretty funny too.  I agree with him on a lot of things, particularly the aforementioned transformation of "trash" cuts of meat.  I find that more challenging than a lot of stuff that is going on in the culinary world.  Stuff like this pork belly (the whole thing was under 2 dollars), shanks, etc. is where all of the flavor is.  We need to look beyond what we are used to and get out of our culinary comfort zones.  Hey, I am just as guilty as anyone else.  I said straight off in this post that I was skeptical about making this, but look what happened.  I am so glad that I did and now I know that it rocks and I am totally going to make it again.  Just think, there is a good chance that you've never tasted your favorite food.  With that thought, I'm out of here.  peace.

It's like Christmas...Only the presents are wrapped in chicken!

I was really craving a triple threat last night (starch/veg/protein), but I wanted to do something a little bit different.  I thought that roulades sounded good and I had some chicken so I put two and two together and pretty much rocked the house...hard.  If you have never made roulades before you should give it a go.  All you need to do is flatten some meat (in this case chicken) with something heavy (meat tenderizer/big ladle/can of soup) until you get about a 1/4 inch thickness; then, you can put whatever you want in it, roll it up and secure it with a toothpick.  I filled mine with some black forest ham, fresh basil leaves, and some semi-firm goat cheese.  Dredge the roulades in some seasoned flour and then saute in olive oil until golden, finishing them off in a 400 degree oven, if needed.  I served mine with some sauteed zucchini/squash/onion and some oven fries.

Going to see anthony bourdain tonight.  Should be pretty good.  I am going to be really tired for work though.  Oh well.  Sometimes I think that you have to do stuff like that.  I think it keeps you young...or makes you feel old, I can't decide:)  Garden season is pretty much over.  I didn't get as many tomatoes as I would have liked, but I don't really think that anyone did.  It was an incredibly mild summer.  I can only really remember one week where it was miserable.  Still haven't made any progress on the puff, puff, pastry tour.  I have been super busy at work.  You could even say I've been busy to the limit....kah!  Anyway, I had better go to bed.  I want to try and get as much sleep as I can.  Hope to be posting some tasties soon. peace

"My Specs!" or "I made this for my soul, but it ended up in my stomach."

It was a sad day yesterday.  It started out alright.  I was coming off of that huevos rancheros high, and everything was super sweet.  I had just finished showering and went to grab some lotion out of the cupboard when it slipped out of my hands and smashed my glasses beyond repair.  The snapped right in the middle of the frame.  I froze.  those glasses were about 7 years old, I think.  They were like a friend.  We had been through a lot together.  Also, I always seemed to get complements on them (they were blue, but looked purple in the sunlight.)  I felt (and according to wife, looked) like ralphie after the icicle smashed his glasses (come on, haven't you seen a Christmas Story?).  We tried to tape them in the middle, and add even more nerdy prowess to my look, but they fell apart with little to no movement on my part.  So, I had to bite the bullet and get a new pair of frames.  they are growing on me.  Actually, they are really nice.  I didn't realize how scratched my others were and I was past due for a new pair of lenses, so it was a blessing in disguise...a 300 dollar blessing (I had to also get an eye exam before I could get glasses...sadface)  So, what do you do when you are super bummered? No, not "Orange mocha frappacino."  You make a big pot of chicken noodle soup...creamy.  Improved my mood greatly and was quite comforting.  I have given this recipe to my family and it is one of their (especially my brothers) favsies.  

In other ventures...I will be trying to do a lot with puff pastry here in the next few days so expect some flaky, buttery postings.  toodles.

They say pancakes "stick to your ribs," but this meal coated my spine.

So this may be my new favorite breakfast.  Heuvos rancheros with refried beans and a side of bacon.  Just hear me out.  I know it sounds like quite the undertaking (eating that much and the actual cooking time), but sometimes (once a week:) breakfast should be special, a time to catch up and take it slow, hang out, drink some good whiskey, I mean coffee, and prepare for the day. Here's how I do:

There are two components to this rockin dish:  the warm salsa and some refried beans.  You could cheat, of course and just buy beans already refried, but if you are reading this, you know that's not our style.  Mince a small onion, and 2 cloves garlic, dice a pablano pepper (or you could use half of a green pepper), and dice 1 medium size tomato.  Get out a small pot and a large saute.  Put a quarter of the onion/garlic/pepper into the pot and the rest into the saute. Add a small amount of chili powder, cumin and ground coriander to the small pot, and about 2 teaspoons of the same to the saute. Cook until you get some color on both, then add some rinsed/drained pintos to the pot (I used canned, you could be old school and use dried but I hadn't thought that far ahead, maybe next time) and your tomato to the saute.  Also to the saute, add 1 small can of tomato sauce and a shot or two of stock.  let cook until the veg in the saute is softened and then blend or mash the beans (I used a stick blender), and blend the warm salsa in the saute.  At this point assess whether you need the salsa to be thinner (It should be slightly on the thin side if you are going to poach the eggs, thicker if not.) and adjust accordingly.  Now you have two options:  Poach your eggs in the salsa, or fry them in a separate pan.  I poached, and ended up overcooking them because i got distracted, so its up to you.  Cook to your own preference(I like over easy), and your done.  I served the eggs over some toast and topped with the salsa.  Serve with your beans and some bacon and you will not be hungry until dinnertime.  Oh yeah, add a little bit of the salsa to the refried beans and stir it up, it's great!  peace.

She's so hot...she's like a curry

Made some yellow curry with pork on friday night, never a disappointing venture.  I don't understand people who don't fancy a good curry here and there, makes no sense to me.  What's not to like?  I was thinking the other day about how much my wife's tastes have changed since we have been together.  I am actually really proud of her for being so much more adventurous in the foods that she eats compared to when we fist met.  however, I think that some of that comes with age.  I know, for myself, I have also made the same progression, mine, perhaps, being on the more extreme end of things.  ok, back to business.  Curry...hmmm...well, pretty easy here.  Start sautéing some onions and garlic until you get some color on them, then add some well seasoned meat (pork, chick, beef, fish, or tofu)  add some salt, peps, curry powder a little stock, splash of fish sauce, and a can of coconut milk.  let it hang out until the veg is done and the meat is tender.  You may have to add a little more stock if it gets too thick.  Serve over jasmine rice or thai noodles...muey delicioso.  Of course, you can add or subtract whatever you want out of this to suit your palette.  I add a few slivered chiles to this, you probably should too.  More posts to go...

hey, Centrum, zinc is a mineral! false advertise much?

sooo...not one of my better pictures that I have posted.  I guess that is just a testament to how good this soup is (the fact that it is almost gone before I realized I had not taken a photo).  It is definitely in my top 5 foods I can't live without.  It started a couple of summers ago, back when I would go to the farmer's market instead of work all night baking for the market.  I was on a mission to create the best, delicious, vitamin-packed soup around.   consider it done.  It also has andouille sausage, one of my few vices.  Whenever I am feeling tired/exhausted/mildly sick/etc, I make a pot of this and after I have eaten, I always feel at least a million times better.  I'm not into taking medicine, unless it's in the form of tasty or spicy or at least undeniably good for you (in other words, gross {think wheatgrass shots}).  Kale (or any leafy, dark green) is abundant in this also and is so good for you!  This recipe will definitely be in the book, so look forward to it for sure.

well, its late and I have to work soon so I had better get to bed. peace.

Why? Because sometimes I just need to set things on fire, ok!

 I couldn't sleep when I got off of work yesterday, so I thought that I would do what everyone usually does when they are restless...MAKE PUFF PASTRY!  what??? you don't do that?  hmmm, well, I guess that's too bad for you.  I had some apples just begging to be used so I made a caramelized apple galette.  It was tasty treats!  I used some bourbon in the caramel and it gave the dessert a really nice, sophisticated flavor.  The recipe requires you to burn the alcohol off, once you add it to the caramel.  When I lit the pan, it was quite a bigger flame than I expected and it scared the dog pretty badly.  He got over it.  It's great now, though, because I have just under a kilo of the dough hanging out in my freezer and it will come in handy when I want to make some special treats.  I found myself feeling extremely peaceful and pleased when I was making the dough.  I think it will be something that I continue to do/keep on hand. 

I also made a couple of pizzas last night.  Mine was with mushroom bechamel, homemade italian sausage, rrp's and mushrooms.  Wife had turkey/bacon/mozz.  We should probably eat a lot of vegetables tonight.  

so, I did have a nice peaceful morning planned, thinking that I would forego working out and just sleep, but my stupid neighbors across the way are having a tree cut down that apparently requires the help of 15 screaming idiots to complete.  I guess I 'll go lift.  John brought some chocolate cake into work today.  Probably one of the best I've had in a while.  I love chocolate cake.  the best part was that it was made in muffin form and had no frosting, but was wicked moist anyway.  I had been thinking about going out tonight, but there are so few places here that are really good, I feel like I've exhausted my options.  We pretty much just go out for ethnic fare anymore because there are so few good (if any) cosmopolitan/bistro/new school american restaurants here, one of the reasons I can't wait to go on vacaash!  alright gotta go, happy snacks.

Porky porcupines

I made three different kinds of sausage yesterday.  Chorizo, Hot Italian, and traditional breakfast.  I made some meatballs out of the chorizo last night, and kind of did a variation on porcupine meatballs with some tomato sauce.  Mashed taters and broccoli, and that's that.  My banana muffins turned out pretty good.   i have been wanting to make something with apples lately, maybe because the weather is getting colder.  Like a pie or something along those lines.  I am totally digging my new days off.  Coming to work on tuesday is a much easier transition than wednesday because of the lower baking quantities.  There are a few drawbacks, like doing all of the sourdoughs and getting a shipment of flour in (heavy lifting!), but it's really not so bad.  This way I get some additional exercise, and get to form sourdoughs, which I actually enjoy quite a bit.  Back to the sausage, The italian turned out great!  I will probably use it on some pizzas, or lasagna or something along those lines. The breakfast is the same recipe that I made up that has become my standby, it's really delicious.  I really like using my meat grinder, it's nice being able to control everything as far as fat content and such.  I have really been wanting to go through recipe books and get ideas for new foods to try.  It seems like it is so easy to get in a rut, especially when you really like something and know it will turn out well.  

In other news...john asked me how often I think about food the other day.  I said, "Probably once every 5 minutes."  the sad part of that statement was that I was trying to give myself a buffer so I didn't look like such a nerd.  I guess it doesn't help when you have a food blog, etc.  Sooo, does this make me a total nerd who needs to get some hobbies or a "life"?  I'm not quite sure.  I think that you should do the things that make you happy in life, not the things that people think would make you happy.  simple, eh?  sort of.  It's no big deal, really, I have embraced my food/nerd obsession for quite some time now. I'm totally cool with it.  I love thinking about the weeks' dinners, weekend breakfasts, kitchen prep, and all that jazz.  Recently I have really missed being a chef.  I love baking, but my creativity was so sparked when I was cooking.  I guess I just need to channel that into dinners at home.  nerdy?  yes, but that's who I am and that's how i do...

You all in for a treat...was a saucier back before the war started.

No, Don't adjust the color on your monitor, its ok.  I just cook in hi-def.  I love sweet potatoes.  They always bring nice color and diversity to your meal.  Amy wanted some steak last night so we had ribeyes and some sauteed spinach.  Made a super beefy pan sauce and it was all over from there.  As the weather turns colder I will switch from grilling to saute.  It's always kind of sad to admit that the season has come to an end, but it also means that new things will be available to eat.  Squashes, citrus, sprouts, and dark greens will be in full throttle here soon, which is great!!  I think that we have decided to spend thanksgiving in the homeland this year as last year was a bit lonely.  Should probably ok that with the fams.  well, bye for now, have to exercise the dog, work out, etc.  busy day already and its barely started.  peace.

Galette me outta here!!!!

I wanted to make a galette the other day...so I did, great story, huh? I haven't made this since I cut the top of my finger off back when I was a chef.  I figured it was time to get back on the horse.  You cut potatoes very thin, usually using a mandolin( which is how I was hurt) and then layer (nicely seasoned, of course) them in a rosette in your pan.  The result id a nice top and bottom crust with buttery potatoey goodness in the middle.  Highly recommended.  I also made some pepper steak to go with, which was also tasty to the limit.  

In other news, Anthony Bourdain is going to be at unl this month.  Amy and I and our friend angela, and others, are going to go check it out.  Should be entertaining.  It seems like september is shaping up to be a busy one.  lots of things to do.  I'm going to make some sausage today, just not linked, I am not going to buy casings again until I can really get the most out of them (they're wicked expensive).  So, hope to be more frequent with the posting, I have a lot of new things that I am going to be trying here in the next few weeks.

Hello...is it me you're looking for???

Wanted to do something a little romantic for wifeshow last week.  Thought that a little wine and cheeseplate would set the mood.  Correct!  Charmed the pants off of her.  Also had some flowers and chocolates and a nice card.  hey, you have to know how to push the right buttons when you're at the command center of the relation"ship".  ok, ok, lame joke, sorry.  Actually, I am still laughing, but anyway...

Bought 4 different kinds of cheese from around the world and some crackers/biscuits from england, and then some pain de campagne.  Had a cheddar from australia, a hard cheese from ireland (reminiscent of parmesan but fruitier), a "drunken goat" cheese, and an artisan semi firm cow's milk from seattle.  Cheese isn't the most inexpensive thing out there, but you definietly get what you pay for.  All in all, it was a great starter and something that I will try to do at least once a month.  Also had a braised chicken (that looks a lot like roasted chicken from a few posts back, ha!).  

So, in closing, do something unexpected and sweet for your gf, bf, wife, lover, husband, and surprise them, with some tasty before-dinner treats.  We move too fast here in the states and it's nice to slow down a little and have some time to relax with each other.  

Recommended cheese eating tunes:

Yo-yo ma

paris combo

pink martini

henry mancini

Slomgolian, or Slothgomilan or smothloganfarm??

ok, I swear I have heard my mom use that term for getting rid of odds and ends that you have in the fridge.  If memory serves, I believe she said you take everything leftover in your fridge that might go together, mix it up, add a couple of eggs and cook it!  seriously????  sounds more like a dare than a dish.  It reminds me of the weird kid at summer camp who would mix every soft drink and swirl jello into his mashed potatoes.  sick, weird kid.  

anywhosies, I kind of did that with this soup.  I had a lot of extra veg just kickin it around the ol' icebox, so I made a sort of loaded baked potato soup.  tates, broccoli, shallots,leeks, bacon, corn, etc.  some chicken stock and heavy cream.  tasty, and a lot more appetizing than smothloganfarm.

Where would be be without the "G-W-C"

George Washington Carver that is.  I'll tell you where--nowhere!  The man was a genius, no comments from the peanut gallery (also his invention)  I got the idea for this from martha (my workpal) who makes peanut sauce with noodles frequently.  Thought I would add some beef/green beans and have it over rice.  Pretty tasty.  Mixed the peanut butter with a little stock (in its own jar) and the rest of my ingredients for the sauce and swooshed it around.  When it came time to add the sauce I just emptied the jar.  Innovative, and conserving dishes, all about that business!  so, yeah, make something savory with peanut butter...not just kids stuff, friends.  Make George proud.

...then my kitchen is in most definite peril.

I was staring at this picture for a long time trying to figure out what it was that I had made.  I finally realized it was sausages and tomato sauce.  Martha had given me a crap ton of basil (which I, regretfully, let most of go to waste :( ) so I wanted to do some tomato sauce.  Really easy, easy stuff.  Here's how I do the sauce:

chop 1 small onion, a handful of basil stems, a clove of garlic, 1 carrot and 1 rib celery, very fine.  saute in oo until fragrant.  add some kosh, and peps, a dash of cinnamon, and cook a couple of minutes more. Take a can of plum tomatoes (if you can spring for the pricey ones it's obviously better, san marzetti?, {sp}) and pour them, juice and all, into the saute, smashing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.  crank up the heat and let reduce for about 5-8 minutes.  when the carrots are soft, throw it all in a blender, or use a stick blender, and return to simmer.  At this point you add some basil chiffonade (thinly sliced basil leaves, if you want them to be visible, if not then put them in before you blend.) or a sploosh of wine or vodka or whatever.  You can use any type of meat you want and any type of pasta.  i just prefer sausages, don't act surprised.

If variety is the spice of life, and curiosity killed the cat...

ok, I know that I have posted these before, but I just wanted to kind of remind people that you can get a lot of use out of your leftovers.  the meat in here is the thigh/leg/wing meat from my roasted chicken.  makes for a killer tostada.  I try to not waste anything, but I also try to not eat the same thing two days in a row.

ex "Q" says

Well, I have been really busy lately.  Or lazy.  I am still trying to figure out which one it is, maybe a little of both.  It seems as though this market season has worn on, that we have become busier, where historically, we have always become slower.  Oh well, I guess that is a good thing.  My days off have switched again, so I now have saturday nights free.  Once we are back to regular production, I might actually have a night to do stuff with friends.  

I am making some muffins right now.  It had been about a year since I have made them and it sounded pretty good for breakfast.  Banana and toasted almond.  we'll see... Anyway, I roasted a chicken the other night. Never a let down.  I have said it before, but it really is my favorite meat...this week.  I always lay some bacon/prosciutto/pancetta across the breast while it roasts.  It seems to ensure that the meat stays moist and delicious.   The veg is just carrots, tates, and turnips, maybe some garlic and celery, (I can't remember, this was a while ago.)  Ok, more posts to go..