I've got more chrome in my kitchen than Xzibit!

I have spent the past couple of days tweaking with my new espresso machine.  It makes a pretty darn good coffee drink.  It's so nice to be able to have an espresso at home and not pay upwards of 2 bucks for one.  It kind of looks like a robot.  A robot that delivers nutty, buttery, coffee goodness into my jittery hands. But alas, I must move on to more relevant things...

I made some cider glazed pork chops last night.  It's a pretty simple dish.  Paired it with a new invention of mine that I shall name, "belgian stovies."  Basically, the stovies are much like scotch stovies, but instead of the celery leaves and cress, I just added shredded brussels sprouts.   The chops are the easiest things in the world.  Just season with salt and pepper and saute in a hot pan with veg oil/olive oil. (I add a little veg oil to the olive so it will bring the smoke point up).  after both sides have been browned pour in a little cider (about 1/4 cup or less).  the cider will thicken as you go, make sure that you are flipping and basting the browned chops in this pan sauce every once in a while.  turn down to low, and depending on how much time you have for the rest of your meal, you may have to add a little bit more cider.  adjust the seasoning and you're golden. (oh, I almost forgot.  I cut the outside edges of the chops every 1/2 inch or so.  this helps the fat render quickly)

the stovies:  boil your potatoes (about 4 small) until fork tender.  empty about 3/4 of the cooking liquid.  Mash up a bit and add a big handful (3/4 cup?) of shredded brussels sprouts. stir well, and add some pepper. You did add a healthy bit of salt to your potato water before cooking, right?  Of course you did. So, leave it out for now.  stir, over lowish heat, every once in a while, adding more water if necessary.  once you have achieved a consistency you like (they should be somewhat creamy looking, if you mashed them up.) taste, and adjust salt if necessary.

Other newsworthy news:  yesterday was knife sharpening day.  it was much needed, too.  Razors, I tell you, razors.  actually I was thinking about posting some knife tips.  interested?  Also, I have some christmas money to spend and was thinking about picking up a flash memory video camera so I could post vid segments.  either that or I was going to buy a new skillet, or clothing, or a watch, or a wii.

DISH recommends:

Francis! Francis! espresso machines.  So far so good.  after I read the manual of course. when all else fails...you know the rest.   www.illyusa.com

cuisinart chef's stainless series.  My stainless saute pans of choice.  you can't go wrong here.  these will outlast you, my friend.  very workhorsey and stylish to boot.  14 inch skillet regularly 100 clams, now 40 bucks!  love this website.  www.cutleryandmore.com/cuisinart_cookware.html

a Recipe for deliciousness

Holiday pics. MMMMMMMM...that was a tasty beefy treat.  The beef burgundy I made went over well.  We served it with some sauteed broccoli and mashed potatoes.  Perfect.  I also made some epis (white and sesame) at work on christmas eve.  It is basically a baguette that has been cut down the spine and fanned out in opposite directions.  Excellent for dipping into the burgundy sauce.  There was so much good food that my head almost exploded.  We spent christmas evening at nance's for delicious pork roast.  The last reitz girl made a leek and mushroom galette that was magically delicious.  Where are the pics???  well, let's just say that it was all so good that it was gone before I thought to snag a photo.

Other newsworthy news:  Wife bought me an espresso machine for christmas!!!  SNAP!  francis! francis! X3.  now I just have to figure out how to use it.  Very cool, very sleek design.  I also scored a lot of other kitch goods such as a mandoline (sorry, fingertips), new crock pot,  pie dish, and new stick blender (mine was on the frizz).  Basically, I am ready to rock and roll.  I just have to clean the house first...after an espresso, it'll go way faster.

DISH recommends:

Beef Burgundy.  My brother liked this dish so much that he requested the recipe.  scroll down for the holy grail of beef stews.

Basic green veg saute.  My standby veggie method.  never fails.

Beef Bourguignonne (burgundy).  serves 4, but I usually make a giant batch.  I do this in 2-3 days, it tastes better and it's not so much work that way so chill...

hardware: dutch oven/wooden spoon/skillet/cheesecloth/kitchen twine/tongs

(spice rub)

1 Tbs dried Thyme

1 tsp kosher salt/sea salt

rounded tsp blk pepper

(bouquet garni)

1/2 outer green stalk of celery with leaves

3 sprigs of italian parsley (fresh parsley)

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

the rest

about 2 lb of chuck roast

1 yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 carrots (peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces, cut on the diagonal)

3 slices bacon 

1 tbs olive oil (or veg oil works too)

1-2 cups beef stock. (about 1 can)

12 oz. red wine. I like to use pinot noir here, or even bordeaux. but on this particular dish I used pinot noir.  I know, it's not burgundy, but still...

12 pearl onions

about 12 mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

for the roux

2tbs butter

2 tbs all purpose flour

Stage 1

here's your do: mix the ingredients for the herb rub together and set aside.  cut a decent sized square of cheese cloth (big enough to fit all the ingredients for the bouquet garni) and lay it out on your workspace. put the celery w/ leaves, parsley, fresh thyme, and bay leaf onto it and make a bundle.  tie the top together with the twine. (if you do not have any twine, you can always cut a thin piece of the cheesecloth, and get it wet, then tie it around the bundle.  this is what I usually have to do because wife has used my twine for some crafty purpose.) set aside.

Trim the roast of any ridiculously fatty parts, but remember to leave a bit on, for flavor and moistyness. cut into 2 inch chunks. season the meat liberally with the herb rub, let sit for about 30 minutes.

cut your veggies (onions-small dice, carrots) and set aside.  cut the bacon into thin strips. 

fry the bacon (in your dutch oven, on medium low, do not burn it!) in a little oil until brown and the fat has rendered. remove and drain on paper towels, saving about 2tbs of the fat (save the rest for later).  now, brown the beef on all sides, in batches, being careful not to burn the bottom of the pan, we want to use those tasties, soon.

as soon as your beef is done,  place in a bowl and then add your reserved bacon fat, or a little olive oil back to the pan and saute your onions and garlic until lightly brown (3-5 minutes)  scraping up the beefy bits from the bottom of the pan.  add your carrots and wine and stock, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze the beefy goodness.  add your bouquet garni and let the pan come to room temp.  refrigerate overnight, or even for a day or two.

Stage 2

if you are going to finish the dish today, then you need to defat your sauce now, if you are going to do the full 3 days, do it before the final heating.  the fat will have settled and hardened on the top.  simply scrape it off and discard. heat the oven to 350F.  The liquid in your pan needs to come about 3/4 of the way to the top of the meat mixture.  if it does not, just add more beef stock and wine.  put the mixture into the oven for about 1.5 hours for a small batch and 2 or more for a large. if not done, keep checking every 25 minutes. Because i make a fairly large portion, I have to put this all in a big roasting pan and cover with foil.  it usually takes at least 3 hours.  you want the meat to be fork tender.  let cool.  

Stage 3

using a slotted spoon or colander, separate your meat and veg from your sauce. make the roux with equal parts butter and flour, in a pan big enough to accommodate your sauce.  when the roux has darkened slightly and the flour taste is gone, add your sauce and heat until a thin gravy is achieved.  Don't use too much roux, you want this to be like a traditional gravy, it will thicken some as you combine everything back together. pour gravy back into dish with meat. set aside.

Blanch the pearl onions (with the skin on) in boiling water for 4 minutes, then place into cold water.  as soon as they are cool enough to handle, peel the skin and root end and place in a bowl.  Brown your pearl onions and mushrooms in butter and olive oil, until the mushrooms give up their juices and are golden brown.  combine with the rest of the dish.  and heat the final dish thoroughly.  Adjust the seasonings, it usually will need a bit more salt and peps, but do it to your liking.  Serve with mashed potatoes, or rice, or over egg noodles.

"meat me in Montauk!"

Today was a day...well, sometimes there's a day...sometimes there's a day...and sometimes there's a day for meat.  I seriously have no idea how I have time for typing this right now.  I made a quadruple batch of beef burgundy.  13 lbs of chuck roast went into that.  I had to rearrange my fridge just to fit it in.  I have no idea where I am going to put anything else.  Guess I should have thought of that.  also, I made 2 pate de campagne. (french country pate of ground pork, bacon, cognac, and ham).  Yumsters.  I've never had it, but seriously, how can that be bad?  I am also making a brisket for the festival of the lights...and latkes.  

to the foods:  cauliflower curry...mini whiskey glazed "meatloaves"..."jools pasta" from a jamie oliver recipe.  I hadn't made indian food in a while and I was inspired from amy's work party.  it was pretty tasty.  the whiskey meatloaves were made for wife, one of her favsies.  I also served those with a potato galette.  The tuna dish i have posted before, it is tasty...and easy.  i was going to write out some recipes, but I am pooped.  expect some holiday postings, fools!

Dish recommends:

Bon Appetit:  I just started getting this magazine.  Pretty good.  the pate recipe is from this.  We'll see...we'll see.

Sleep/relaxation:  I am looking forward to getting some of this, extra day off towards the end of the week...booyah!

 wife cannot even come close to eating a whole steak.  Actually, I can't either.  We usually buy large steaks and cut them down to make them more manageable.  I used my old standby method here.  Saute on both sides, deglaze the pan and then into the oven to finish.  Absolutely the best way to eat a steak.  I know that there are those of you who argue that the grill is the way to go, but you lose all of those flavorful drippings.  The grill is good, but this method wins out.  

I always let the steaks come to room temperature (or at least close) first.  It makes it so much easier to get an accurate cooking time/temperature.  Served with baked tates, sauteed broccoli and sugar snaps.  And baguette, of course.  Lots to do today.  Finish holiday shopping, cleanups, and start making some limoncello (inspired by marth).  

Speaking of homemade hooch, I made some peach liqueur that was finally done on saturday.  I was told that it turned out really well.  I gave it as a gift at wife's work party.  Which, by the way, was full of delicious Indian food.  Aneetha (amy's boss)  is Sri Lankan, and her mother prepared all of the food for the night.  It was amazing!  Like a wonderful indian buffet inside of someones home.  Chicken, salmon, lamb, cauliflower, samosas...all there, all tasty.  be jealous, fools. peaces.

DISH recommends:

TJ Maxx.  We pretty much did the bulk of our holiday shopping here.  Lots of sweet gifts, nice gifts, for cheaper than you could get at target or wal mart.  check it out.  you sometimes have to do some searching but it's worth it.

a hundred bad guys with swords!

Swordfish is one of my favsies.  It's very meaty in texture (like a fish steak, not a fish stick) and matches up well with about anything you want to throw at it.  This night, I threw some ground pistachios at it.  

This was a recipe that I use to make as a chef.  We used halibut and hazelnuts, but the basic process is the same.  The sauce on top is an  apple-thyme vinaigrette. The apples are brunoised (cubed super small) and mixed with apple cider vinegar, honey, olive oil, fresh thyme, s&p, and a little sugar.  It makes for a really nice sauce, and you serve it at room temperature, so it's something that you can make well ahead of time (just make sure to stir it again if the emulsion has settled).  Paired up the fish with some couscous.  Which, by the way, is really ridiculously easy and really tasty.  give it a go sometime.  I threw in the rest of my pistachios, dried cranberries, and sauteed zucchini.  After that was mixed up a bit, I added a little more olive oil tossed it into a hot skillet, making a sort of "fried couscous."  magically delicious, fools.  

DISH recommends:

orca bay frozen seafood:  ok, ok.  I know that fresh is always best, duh.  However, I live in the midwest, where beef is king and pork sits on the right hand side of the throne.  Do you know how hard/expensive it is to get really fresh, good looking fish here? NO. you don't.  so this is a decent alternative.  Wild caught.  wild night.

My life has gone to pot...roast.

I'm convinced that pot roast was invented for sundays.  By the end of the week, you want something comforting, filling and easy.  a pot roast takes about 15 minutes to prepare, and then you just chuck it in the oven for a couple of hours on super low heat.  booyah!  dinner.  done.  I particularly like the veg that goes with pot roast.  in fact, I can't get enough of it.  there is something about the fact that all the flavors melt into them that makes them irresistible.  I always sear the meat on all sides, seasoned however you like, and then remove it to a plate to hang out for a while.  Then to the dutch oven I seared the meat in I add:  1 small onion, chunked, 3 stalks of celery, sliced into 1 inch pieces. 3 carrots, same, 3-4 potatoes, cubed (large), healthy amounts of cracked pepper, sprinkle of kosh, beef stock/broth, and about half a beer, or wineglass of wine.  what about the other half of beer?  you'll figure it out. put the roast back on top. lid.  oven. 300-325.  2-3 hours.  delicious.  (time will depend on your roast size, best to check after 2 hours.)

DISH recommends:

Dutch oven.  I like Staub, la Cocotte.  LeCreuset comes in at a close second.  they're both expensive, but they're worth it.  cutleryandmore.com Staub-$199 and up (depending on size) Le Creuset- $209.95 and up (depending on size). quality only hurts once.  you'll replace cheap crap your whole life.

Parisian Macaroons

I have two things to say about Parisian Macaroons.  They're pretty much the cutest cookie on earth; And you should probably take a weekend off if you want to make them.  Are they really that cute? Yes.  Do they really suck to make?  yes.  They probably wouldn't have been that bad if we had just done a single batch and hadn't tried to do multiple colors and flavors.  however, we were a bit ambitious and by the end, we felt pretty defeated.  Wife did most of the work. (her cookies were prettier than mine).  Let's just say she is pickier than I am, and when it comes to this cookie, picky rules.  Basically, they are like a meringue, of sorts, with either a buttercream-ish filling or jam or ganache.  We did a few jam, but most of them were with the buttercream.  The green ones had pistachio and honey filling.  They were pretty fantastic.  I would like to make these again, but they are so demanding.  Perhaps we will try again with a better plan of attack.

Other newsworthy news:  we bought a chest freezer yesterday! Let the meat games begin!  Actually we were trying to clear space out of our freezer (to freeze the macaroons) when wife was startled to find 31 pounds of pork butt hanging around.  we decided that it might be a good idea to have a home for our meats of the world, so now they are resting gently downstairs by the washer and dryer.  back to the butts:  I am going to have an extreme sausage making party in the near future.  anyone interested?  I could probably use some help.  

DISH recommends:  

Kitchenaid professional 600.  one of my best pals in the kitchen.  true workhorse.  christmas is close, treat yourself, or your favorite cook. amazon.com $299 and up

silpat.  I wish I had at least one more of these (winks, nudges) cutleryandmore.com

Cuisinart 14 cup, brushed stainless steel food processor, $199 amazon.com.  need something minced, sliced, shredded into oblivion?  here's your do.

"It's a classic Chicken, Egg Situation."

Sooo...which one of these dishes came first?  The debate continues.  I had purchased some chicken the other day, and cut the breast meat up into paillards (basically, thin chicken strips).  sauteed them up and threw in some of the chicken stock I made a couple of days ago. excellent.  After the chicken was close to done, I set it aside and then deglazed the pan with some vermouth and after a few minutes, added a shot or two of heavy cream.  Makes for a pretty delicious gravy.  I know that sugar snap peas are not in season, but I don't care.  I love those things.  I like to eat them raw, like candy.  not that you eat candy in a raw state, I'm just saying...

Brought some brioche home the other day.  We had made a test batch for a restaurant that might start ordering it.  I don't particularly like brioche, but it makes the best french toast.  Paired up with some smoked gouda scrambies and some peaches that my mom put up this summer.  More posts, must...keep...typing...

DISH recommends:

cuisinart chef's classic nonstick open skillet with helper handle.  Amazon.com around $60.  This is the one I go to for sautéing meat, big batches of scrambies, giant fritattas, hashbrowns, etc. Just remember to use plastic or wooden utensils. Very, very good skillet to have around.

chili weather

It was COLD yesterday, wicked cold.  There is only one cure for a day like that...chili and cornbread.  Over the years, I've made lots of different types of chilis.  Pork, ground beef, all beef, vegetarian, chicken, turkey,  you name it.  With that said, this is the basic one that I always come back to.  The meat being used might change, but the basic make up is the same.  Onions, garlic, red pepper, pablano, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cilantro, s&p, and ibarra mexican chocolate.  I do add a can of plum tomatoes also.  I like chili that isn't overly tomatoey and sweet.  actually, I hate sweet chili.  I have no room in my life for that stuff.  

The cornbread is an adaptation from a rose levy recipe.  While I don't really acknowledge her as being an expert on bread, I will say that her recipes for quickbreads, cakes, muffins, etc., are pretty good.  I really like this one for cornbread.  it has a lot of sour cream in it that gives it a nice tang and moistness.  I usually put a tablespoon or two of honey in it also.

Other newsworthy news:  I stopped in at the Cafe Indigo (supplied with coffee from cultiva

) today to sample their latte tricks.  My friend Tamara works there and is quite the barista.  Good stuff.  So, check it out.

DISH recommends:Cafe Indigo, Latte, any size.

snuggin with buddies (dog buddies, that is) 

Staub, La Cocette, cutleryandmore.com.  Best when it comes to dutch ovens.  better than LeCreuset, in my opinion.  you won't regret the hefty price.  peaces.

They call it "wild game", but it doesn't hold a candle to "candyland" with my grandma.

I wasn't going to cook yesterday.  I had been thawing some meat my mom had given me (I think this was either elk or antelope, I can't remember) because I wanted to make chili.  I realized it was way too much for the job so I decided to make some mini burgers, or "sliders."  I love mini food.  In fact, sometimes I wish I was a giant just so I could eat things on a smaller scale.  I have wanted to (but probably never will) throw a tiny food party for years!  Anyway, I pattied these babies up and seasoned with a little balsamic, worcestershire, s&p, and sauteed them in a skillet.  After both sides had been browned, I threw in a little beef broth and let that reduce.  two purposes:  the liquid helps the meat cook faster, more evenly, and you get sort of a lovely sauce that coats the meat.  I also made some broccoli and roasted some russets.  Today was another long day at work.  Flour deliveries really suck the life out of me.  Especially after monday workouts.  Sleepy treats aplenty.  peaces.

DISH recommends:

swanson lower sodium beef broth, grocery stores everywhere.  While I always favor homemade stocks, beef and veal stocks aren't really cost effective for the home cook.  You have to have quite a few shank bones to make a good stock, and that's just not something that I have kicking around on a regular basis.  Swanson makes a darn good substitute, with not as much sodium as other brands.  If you'd like to take it a step further, you could always simmer some carrots, onions, celery (or even a few bones) for a richer taste.  

Once, Twice, Three times Biscotti.

 Well, actually, just two times biscotti, but that didn't sound so hot:)  Biscotti gets baked once, then cools, then you slice it and bake it again. Wife doesn't really like biscotti, unless she snitches some before the second bake.  Weird, huh?  Not to her.  This biscotti was white chocolate and dried cranberry.  Bring on the Joe!  I have been trying to enhance my photography skills.  Hope you all will notice in the coming months.  peaces.

Dish Recommends:

Silpat, cutleryandmore.com, $19.95

New "Dish Recommends" section, better STOCK up!

Last night I was rummaging around the ol' icebox, wondering what I could pair up with some risotto and veggies.  I stumbled across a bag of frozen shell-on shrimp that I had purchased a while ago and thought, "Eureka!"  I like shrimp.  Quite a bit.  I just forget about it. Growing up in the midwest, it's kind of difficult for me (and probably a lot of you fellow "landlubbers") to embrace seafood.  It is, however, something that I enjoy and something that I would really like to get a lot better at preparing.  Shrimp is great because you get a protein packed meal with hardly any fat.  

I had also spent an hour or two yesterday making homemade chicken stock.  I used to do the whole carrots, celery, and onions thing.  Fresh herbs, blah blah blah.  I even used to roast my bones with a little tomato paste for maximum caramely color.  Yeah, you really only need chicken backs, onions, bay leaves, and a cleaver.  Mostly the cleaver.  A couple of months ago I picked up a "Cooks Illustrated" Magazine, specifically on soups and stews.  It had a recipe in there that completely changed the way that I make chicken stock.  The best part?  It only takes about 1.5 hours instead of most of the day!  The key is to hack up chicken backs and wings/any other spare part(s) into about 3 inch pieces.  That robust, velvety chicken flavor that good restaurants add into your meals, that's stock, and that flavor is derived from the marrow.  It makes all the difference.  By now, I hope you are buying whole chickens.  Cut them up yourself, and save the parts you will not be using (mostly the backs, sometimes I use the wings for stock too) in a gallon ziploc and chuck it in the freezer until you have enough backs to make stock (I usually wait until I have about four backs).

ok, back to food:

I made some basic risotto and while that was finishing up, I sauteed some green beans with very thinly sliced garlic and minced red bell pepper.  After about 3-4 minutes, I added the shrimp and seasoned the mixture up with some s&p, cajun seasoning, and some smoked paprika.  It was really easy and really good. A light and clean meal after a thanksgiving weekend was really nice.  

Well, time to go work out.  If you take anything away from this post, please let it be that you will start buying whole chickens.  I can't think of a better way to get the most out of your time in the kitchen.

Also, I am going to start a little "Dish Recommends" section at the end of my posts that contains suggestions on related products that will make your cooking life that much easier.

Dish recommends:

Global Meat clever (It really makes easy work of hacking up bones.) (6 inch, $120.95 cutleryandmore.com) I know, it's expensive, but it will last your lifetime, and be worth it in the end.

Knife skills Illustrated (very thorough illustrations on chicken fabrication, not to mention everything else on the planet that needs knife work) (amazon.com, $19.77, new)

Riding COACH with Grape Soda and homemade doughnuts? GET OUT!!!!

My friend Angela shares some of the same ideas that i do, like making and eating food that is totally Jem (see earlier posts for obvious 80's definition) and ridiculously tasty.  She called yesterday and said that she had made some grape soda (she has a machine that can add carbonation to things, I'm super jealous) and doughnuts (made from brioche dough) and was wondering if she could drop them by. C'mon now, am I going to refuse tasty homemade food?  That's a big big no.  The grape soda was actually kosher concord grape juice with bubblies.  I should have taken a picture.  It wasn't really around long enough for that to happen.  I barely snagged one of the doughnuts.  Let me just say that they were the best doughnuts I have ever had, and one of the best sweet treats I have every tasted.  If you know where i work and who my posse is, that's saying quite a bit.  So, props to angela for the tasties.

Other newsworthy news:  Totally scored two Peugeot salt and pepper mills at the TEEJ yesterday!  Retail would have been around 50 bucks.  We paid 14.  If that wasn't enough, we were looking in the men's outerwear section when I saw some leather gloves that looked more than nice.  I reached out to feel them and my tactile senses were sent into overload.  Soft, supple grandeur that felt ridiculously smooth.  I felt the insides and realized they were lined with cashmere.  It gets better.  I couldn't find a tag anywhere.  I was wondering who possibly made these delicious digit warmers when I saw, far in the lining, a COACH tag!  When did the TEEJ start carrying coach?  At half price???  Let's get em.  Wife bought them for me. the end.

Sultry Poultry

A few holiday pics for you crazies.  I am a big advocate of herbed butters.  This one has sage, thyme, and rosemary.  Most of the time, when I roast a whole bird, I loosen the breast skin and smear some of this stuff under there.  It makes for a continuous basting process, and ensures moist juicy white meat.  I also place some type of cured pork on top of the breast meat (prosciutto, pancetta, or bacon) and then remove it when it has cooked to crispy status, usually about 30 minutes before the bird is done.  This has two purposes.  It lets the skin where the meat was resting crisp up and brown nicely, and also it gives you something nice to chop up and put in salad/mashed potatoes/gravy/your mouth/etc.  

the second picture is of my mom's better than excellent sweet potatoes.  She slices them thin and cooks them in some butter/oil with salt and peps and a tiny sprinkling of gran sugar, just to caramelize.  They are sooooo good.  I wish I had some right now.  The last photo is of the brined, buttered, and baconed turkey.  It was pretty delicious.  Wife loved it.  I loved it.  It was a hit.  Try the method out.  You can't beat it, seriously.  You can practice on some chickens, which are far less expensive and then work your way up.  peaces.

Thanksgiving Reflections in Segmented Sections

Makenna had never tasted something so delicious.  Mom grabbing a power snack of mini wheats, preparing for the mayhem, Dad needing an emergency coffee fix to get through the 3rd or fourth round of doing dishes.  What a thanksgiving holiday it was.  I reclaimed my title as turkey master, tasted my first non-liquid wild turkey, spent some time with extended famsies, and made a small venture out into black friday.  Yes, as I said previously, I am the turkey master.  scratch that, I am the whole roasted bird master.  Three steps, maybe two, that guarantee success (mad skills also help).  Herb butter, brine, and pork fat.  not necessarily in that order.  steps and secrets to follow.  stay tuned peeps.

Making the Most of this Chickeny Roast

Well, I believe I have said this many times: "Buy Whole chickens, people!"  Come on, seriously.  I made three different meals out of this roasted chicken.  The whole picture is obviously raw, it was so good and I was so excited, that no photos were taken.  The second meal, was some really easy but really tasty chicken tacos.  On corn tortillas.  Buy corn, they are better.  The last and third meal I made was a breakfast meal.  I had the leftover chicken taco meat and was wondering what I could do outside the realm of tacos when I thought that it would make a really good hash.  Potatoes, onions, and peppers later, it made a pretty smashing breakfast.  No complaints were heard.  Lots more posts to go.  Wait for it...

Pork Belly Rub

So, if you haven't figured it out by now, I loves the meats.  Most all of them.  However, in this post, we pay homage to the meat of all trades, pork.  I love pork.  I can't think of a more useful, adaptable meat.  Sausages, cured hams, chops, shoulders, loins, bacons, and not to mention pork fat  (hmmmmm... gurgle... gurgle).  is it getting hot in here?  Just me???  Anyway, we had a work party on saturday night that just so happened to be potluck.  I made andouille and kale soup (my favsies), and I also smoked this pork belly.  If you are a lover of the pork fats (which I am, big time) you will absolutely love this piece of meat.  I recommend serving/preparing it like it is pictured above (thinly sliced).  I also made a gastrique for this and coated the fat side several times while it was finishing cooking.  When eaten on a baguette, the results are crazy delicious.  I finished cooking it in my oven (it was very cold out and I only got about four hours out of my smoker

) and made a makeshift roasting rack out of some potatoes.  Worked pretty well, the juices and fat drip down into the potatoes giving you ethereal buttery goodness.  I cubed those up and served those along with the pork.  By that I mean that part of one of them actually made it onto the dish (hey, I was hungry.)  

The work party was a great time.  There was so much good food and everyone was eating and having drinks and just getting to hang out without worrying about bakery things.  I had a great time.  Unfortunately, the camera was left at home, so you only get to see what I brought.  Oh well, just know that good food was in abundance.  Peaces  

I come from the marshland of mallowton

Marshmallows...Kid's stuff, right.  NO, that's a big fat negative, my friend!  I love marshmallows.  IF they are homemade. By me...only because I don't know anyone else who makes them.  Shame, really.  They are super duper easy to make.  You just need the proper tools and you're golden.  Needs:  hand or elec. Mixer, saucepot.  Here's your do:  3 packs of gelatin (plain, unflavored Knox type) poured into the mixing bowl along with 1/2 C cold water.  Let that hang out and in your saucepan bring 2c sugar, 2/3 c corn syrup, and 1/4 c water to a boil and boil for 1 minute.  After the minute is up, slowly pour the hot syrup into the mixing bowl with the gelatin, toss in 1/4 t salt mixing (w/ whisk attachment on medium high speed.) for about 12 minutes. (once you start getting fluffified, add 1 T vanilla).  pour into a pan lined with oiled plastic wrap, and also cover with oiled plastic wrap.  Let hang out for about an hour or so.  turn out onto counter and dredge in powdered sugar.  Now you're ready to cut them up!  Make whatever shapes you would like.  I usually just go for squared.  You could, however, use cookie cutters in the shape of abraham lincoln's head if you would so desire.  dredge the indiviual pieces in the powdered sugar also.  Great in hot chocolate, or coffee, but best in your mouth.

It's Cold Outside, Better Have Some Soup and a Blanket!

Look at that dog.  Seriously.  He has, as of late, developed a habit of sleeping like a human.  He loves to rest his head on a pillow...spoiled.  It was WICKED cold this week.  Perfect weather for a velvety bowl of lentil soup.  Even though there are a thousand ingredients in here, it all blends up to the color orange.  Pretty cool, I think that I used too many lentils, though.  I think that next time will be about half as much.  It ended up being kind of a gas bomb.  Delicious, but a little gassy. In other news...I have been toying with the idea of getting into making some delicious candies this holiday season.  Loves the holiday season, by the way.  I like wearing sweaters, going to parties, snuggling, roasting mallows on my weber grill (you do that too, right?), and pretty much just cozing up and spending time with the beloved ones.  I have a lot of projects planned for the coming days so expect some tasty posting.  Chill...

In State Intuition

Wife was craving enchiladas hardcore yesterday.  Believe it or not, I've never made them, so we were on a mission.  I've done the rice and beans so many times now that I don't even have to think about it, so the real challenge here was the main course.  Oh, let me mention that these were no ordinary enchiladas, but mole enchiladas.  Mole doesn't scare me.  Many cooks cower at the thought, losing sleep at the thought of producing a rich earthy mole sauce.  You just have to know the basics, and it is not that scary.  Here they are.  FLAVOR.  lots.  just kidding, but seriously, that's what it boils (or in this case, simmers:) down to.  onion, garlic, scallions, poblanos, anaheims, jalapenos, nuts (or peanut butter), raisins, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chiles, chili powder, cumin, cumin seed, cilantro, salt, pepper, and IBARRA mexican chocolate, broth/stock/water.  I've made it with other forms of chocolate before, but there really is no substitution.  You can get by, in a pinch with some cocoa powder and a dash of cinnamon, but it's best this way.  Basically, saute the onions and peppers, add the rest of the stuff and simmer for about and hour, or two, or three, then blend it all up.  Get a stick blender, it will change your life, seriously!  

Other pic is my delicious salad I made for lunch today.  Lots of veggies, mixed greens, nuts, berries, sprouts.  And a vinaigrette made with three kinds of vinegar, Delicious.  I am going to watch goodfellas now. peace. happy trails. eat some food.

Hope you are hungry...I made a Lat kes

More pics from work, along with killer breakfast feasties.  Breakfast first.  When we were in portland, there was a sweet jewish deli we ate at.  They served latkes and all sorts of other stuff (see older posts).  I wanted to recreate them so I set out to do so.  I made my own "applesauce" by grating some granny smiths and sauteing them in butter with cinnamon and dark brown sugar.  Medium low heat until everything gets a little browned.  Delicious.  try it out.  next, the latkes.  2 Shredded potatoes (squeezed and drained), 1/4 minced onion, 3 eggs, 2 tbs flour, salt and peps.  Mix it up, fry it in veg oil.  Top with applesauce and sour cream.  Eat your heart out, and then let your doctor or neighborhood surgeon put a new one in.  Caution: this breakfast may cause addiction.  Extreme goodness can leave subjects craving these day and night.  Best follow up with salads for a week.

Work pics:  Blue cheese loaf (pretty much a unanimous favsies around town, also addictive, same caution as latkes) and plain and chocolate croissants.  mmmmmm.  we are the only ones (for miles, and I mean hundreds) who do this right.  If you haven't had one, better stop in and freak your mind!

Let us Leif

Apparently, it was the week of stews around here.  Actually, these were pretty spaced out, it just seems like that.  I took my camera to work on saturday, so the bread pic is just some of the breads that are available on a typical saturday.  Now that the market is over, selection has gone down a bit. I made a beef stew the other night because it was so darn cold.  Really, Really cold.  Scarf weather.  Pretty basic, just beef, tates, carrots, shrooms, etc.  I did use a bottle of Leffe in there, which made it super exquisite.  The other stew is made out of brats, potatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and kale.  Of course, there are onions and garlic, celery also.  I finally feel like I am starting to get some more rest now, so things should be swinging back to more of a normal state.  I shall resume riding to work (unless it gets below 18 degress), and hopefully, be a more frequent poster.  I am going to try something new this week.  The plan: To eat only salads at lunchtime.  no, not taco salads, or bacon and egg salads, or even potato salads.  Just veggie salads.  I had been feeling like I hadn't been getting enough veg in my diet, and i bought a lot of lettuces, (mixed baby greens) so I thought that it would be a good way to experiment, and to get some vitamins all at once.  I know what you are thinking:  How could such a carnivorous beast make this resolution?  I know, that's what I thought at first, however, I think that it will be a really good opportunity for me to come up with some sweet dressings and such.  So far, its day two and I am liking it!  (erin, you should be proud)  more posts...

retspih, def. the opposite of a hipster. someone who likes listening to bands everyone else has heard of.

Made a red wine, chocolate cake two days ago.  It was pretty good.  Very earthy and rustic.  I got the recipe from a "Gourmet traveler" magazine.  I remember wanting to make it a long time ago, but the recipes was in grams and I didn't have a scale back then.  I think that I would make this again, but I think that next time I would make it into cupcakes. I like cupcakes for their size.  There is less commitment in a cupcake. It's more like having a casual relationship with your dessert.  Oh yeah! I almost forgot.  I am going to be in the paper tomorrow.  A reporter came to the bakery this morning to interview Martha and I.  Hopefully we didn't make fools out of ourselves.  Guess we'll have to see. I'll post the link on here tomorrow.  In the meantime, happy cooking.  Also, are you noticing the stellar photos?

Chopping Bones With one of the Stones.

Ok, so that took a little while.  Sorry about that.  I have been really busy with work and stuff.  It was the month of vacations, so that meant that everyone was working hard and being over-worked.  soooo, the good news is that Software was loaded on the pute and now I can upload lots of sweet new pics.  The dutch oven there is my birthday present from wife.  8 quarts of exquisite bliss!  I also treated myself to a global cleaver.  I am going to cleave the crap out of food.  Lock up your chickens and butternut squashes!  So, back to the dutch oven, I think that I prefer this brand to the more popular "LeCreuset." It's made by a company called "staub."  They're located in Alsace, France.  Seems a lot more heavy duty than the other.  I have a Lecreuset, and they are really nice, you can't go wrong with them, I'm just saying I think that these win out, they're built like a tank, or more like Keith Richards in a tank! I like the inside of these because they are just plain, seasoned cast iron, instead of the enameled cast iron.  

To the food...I made some delicious pork the other night.  Made a gastrique out of apple cider vinegar and oj and white wine.  Reduced it a lot and then basted it on the pork roast that I was grilling (over indirect heat, of course!).  So, anyway, I chopped the leftovies and simmered them in some bbq.  Sandwiched them up and served with roasted root veg (parsnips, carrotsnips.)  Exquisite!