Dead Animal For One Please

Moving!!

2009-03-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

Dear All-

As most of you know, January saw the boy and I getting hitched. If that wasn't enough of a change, we recently had a career change as well and will be moving to New York City! We'll be picking up where we left off over there with our new blog: Dead Animal For Two which will continue with cool recipes, restaurant reviews, and other cooking related items. For those of you in a bit of a destructive mood, please check out our Food Hacking 2.0 blog, which will focus on deconstructing recipes from restaurants and such. We look forward to talking to you more over there.

Enjoy!

The Management *_~

Found a few pics...

2009-03-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

OSSO BUCCO

1/3 c. olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
4 lbs. veal shank with bone, sliced 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick
1/2 c. flour
1 lg. onion, peeled, chopped
4 carrots, peeled, diagonally cut 1/2 inch wide
1 c. dry white wine
1 c. chicken stock
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. thyme
4 sprigs parsley, washed, dried
Zest from 1 lemon (yellow part of skin only)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Salt and pepper veal shanks to taste. Place flour in a shallow dish or plastic bag. Dredge each piece of veal in flour or place in bag and shake. Remove from dish or bag. Shake off excess flour, placing each piece in the heated oil. Sear veal on all sides until browned. Transfer to a 10 x 15 inch baking dish. Add onion and carrot to skillet. Stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add wine, chicken stock, tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, parsley and lemon zest to skillet. Bring to a boil. Pour over veal shanks. Bake covered for 2 hours or until tender. Remove veal and reduce broth for about 10 minutes until thick.

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The simplist Pork Shabu Shabu Udon ingredients ever

New Toy...

2009-02-23T10:06:00.001-08:00

...because I packed mine away and can't find the box (sigh).

But!!!! This rocks!

JO!E Stainless Steel Paring Knife 3"
Simply Cut
Razor Sharp

I have the orange one, and picked it up at the Ferry Building Farmer's market for $5.

Totally worth it! Super Sharp and easy to handle.

French Duck a la Thailand

2009-02-23T09:48:00.001-08:00

Sorry about the stupid name, but that's pretty much what this is.

On hand I had:

2 duck leg quarters (1.47 lbs) that cost $17
1 jar of Napa Valley Thail Basil Marinade $7
1/4 onion
last 1/5 of a roasted bell pepper
6 small banana fingerling potatoes ($1.50)
1/4 cup of chicken broth
2 tblsps herbs de provance

& my trusty tagine.

Basic prep:

Add to tagine:

Cut potatoes and onion in half, dice the bell pepper.

Sprinkle duck legs with herbs de provance both sides, place on top.

Pour half the jar of the Marinade over and the 1/4 cup of Chicken Broth.

Cook @ 350F for 2.5 hours. Flip meat at an hour.

The Sauce does get quite oily, using a filter gravy pourer will cut down on your oil intake. Also, the meal keeps very nicely and reheats well, the last 15 minutes, take the lid off and let brown for a lovely cruchy skin.

Enjoy!

Miso-Soy Glazed Salmon, Orzo Vegetable Pasta, Miso Soup, and Japanese pickles

2009-02-23T09:31:00.000-08:00

One of the first meals I made in the new place is a bastardized Japanese dish that I put together with things in my pantry.

I had:

Two filets of Salmon from Japantown for $3.67
Orzo Vegetable Pasta from the Rainbow Grocery for $1.25
Soy sauce (about 2 tbs.)
Dashi Red Miso Paste (about 1 tbs.-box costs $3.50)
1/2 cup of Chicken Broth (box costs $2.99)
4 tbs. of Japanese diakon and carrot pickles (container costs $2.99)
Two instant packets of Miso soup ($0.50)

The whole meal took 20 minutes to make (mainly because of the pasta) and cost roughly $5-6 for two meals and one left over lunch.

Salmon Prep and Cooking:

Making the glaze:

Stir the tblsp of miso paste into the 3 tblsps of soy sauce and por over fish. Let sit for a minute and then place fish in pan, cook until slightly firm in a little bit of the sauce. Remove fish and plate, add the remainder of the sauce to the pan and boil down for 1-2 mins or until thickened slightly. pour of plated fish.

Vegetable Orzo:

Cooking the pasta:

Typical pasta prep, boil water, add pasta, stir every few minutes, add a bit of salt, and done in around 20.

Final meal:

Some comments about Bacon

2009-02-23T09:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, as you all know, I'm a big proponent of Wild Foods. I grow my own tomatoes (can only fit the one Aero Garden in the new place) and try and eat mostly organic and local. I also love wild game. We eat a lot of fish, rabbit, and duck, and since our freezer is pretty much non-existant, i'm going through our Wild Boar Bacon slab pretty quickly.

Here are a few tips on cooking/preparing Wild Boar Bacon that I've found out.

1) Cut it into smaller, individual use sections. For the two of us, the normal section is 4x5in.
2) Partially defrosted meat is easier to cut into thin strips and cubes. If the meat is still a bit hard, the knife doesn't slip on the cross-sections of fat.
3) Use a fork to hold down the meat, not your hand, as the meat has a specific oder that you will not be able to get off, even with lemons or steel.
4) A tablespoon of diced meat thrown into scrambled eggs is delicious, but will require an extra 30-45 seconds of cooking time depending on temperature.
5) Thin slices cook in about 30 seconds, any longer and you've got shoeleather.
6) Cook thick sections until the edges start to curl or crisp, flip, repeat for 30 secs. and you're done.
7) The fat to muscle ratio on most wild boar bacon and meat is very low compared to the stuff you typically buy in the grocery, be preared to have a lower temperature on your stove and your fan on. Don't let it cook too long.

Cooking in small spaces

2009-02-23T09:14:00.001-08:00

Ok, I know, I know, I'm a horrible person for not updating in forever, but we were in moving hell for a while. I still can't open my oven without moving boxes first, so please forgive the crappy camera phone pictures and boxes in the background.

First, let's show you what I'm working with, the kitchen:

"Quaint" is an understatement.

Now for the refridgerator, because that grey and black thing under the sink, yep, you guessed it, that's our mini-fridge.

Oddly enough, it's actually not bad. I figure if I can cook here, I can cook anywhere.

I've got 3 other posts going up in a few, so you can see just what I'm cooking. I'll try and be better about updating over the next few months. :)

ttfn!

Very neat

2009-01-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

Rosanna Tea's Me Set – Vintage Inspired Teacups

These fabulous teacups offer vintage style in simple modern colours. The Tea's Me Set includes a miss matched selection of traditional shaped teacups that are united by rich saturated pastel colours. Each two-toned cup features contrasting colours, with an internal colour that matches the saucer. The Tea's Me Set captures a quirky vintage charm where each piece is individual and unique, yet the modern colour palette creates a retro tea set that compliments modern homes and furnishings. Wonderfully nostalgic, the Rosanna Tea's Me Set captures old character in a new trendy style. The set of four comes in a round box for £26.95 or $35.00.

Prestige Deco Kettle - Retro Glamour

The centre of every British home is its electric kettle. In our house we don’t even drink tea, but there it still stands a symbol of the British institution. I’ve always been mystified by its lack of status in the American home. Generally quicker than a stove top pan, the kettle is perfect for hot water on demand. We use ours for topping up pans that are in danger of boiling dry, mixing up stock cubes, even topping up the bath when the hot water has run out, as well as the ever popular tea our guests crave. Prestige have recently released a new electric kettle that brings a wonderful retro style to Britain’s favourite appliance. A simple domed form sings out with fabulous colour. The handle is a wonderful flattened tube that is easy to grip and hold. Bringing the vintage style into the modern age, Prestige have incorporated a subtle base which uses the modern central docking pin design. Amazingly simple, the pin design allows the kettle to be easy replaced from any angle, removing the old hassle of aligning the kettle on its base exactly. Prestige have also added a subtle water level indicator, which is extremely useful but doesn’t intrude on the sleek vintage style. Available in black, silver, almond, red, and the trendy duck egg blue, there is a colour for every kitchen. Perfect for bringing a sense of familiarity and friendly warmth to your kitchen the Prestige Deco kettle is just £52

July 2008 EDIT: A bit hard to find now, you can still get the Almond Prestige Deco Kettle for £45 from Heal's.

Harlequin Goblets

The beautiful soft colours are a brilliant way to bring subtle colour to white china patterns, while the sculpted stems compliment both vintage decoration and sharp modern designs. Available as a set of six, each glass features a different coloured bowl supported by a clear glass base. A great addition to parties, your guests will find it much easier to remember which glass is theirs. Fabulous colour that compliments both modern and vintage tableware, the Harlequin Goblets are £22.95 from Scotts of Stow.

Harlequin Goblets - £22.95(Best viewed in Internet Explorer)

Topster Milk Bottle Pourers

Sometimes it's the simple things that make a difference. Designed by a busy father with a young daughter, the Topster Milk Carton Pourer ensures that your milk pours out neatly without glugs or splashes. The reusable Topster lids fit most plastic milk bottles and feature a spring-loaded pourer. The set includes two Topster Milk Carton Lids, one in blue and one in green, making them ideal for colour coding different types of milk. Quick and convenient, Topster lids are even dishwasher safe. A simple but handy gadget for your kitchen, the Topster Milk Carton Pourer Set is just £2.99 from Lakeland.

Kinda terrified

2009-01-27T08:33:00.000-08:00

Oh man,

I'm kinda terrified about my cooking over the next few months. We're moving into a new temporary place that has an economy kitchen, i.e. a mini fridge and a small range. (see below) This outta be interesting. All I'm taking is the Tagine, Small Stock Pot and the Tomage pan. The only hardware is going to be the rice cooker. The next few months worth of posting will be interesting to say the least. Hope you look forward to it!

Pub in Lower Pac. Heights

2009-01-22T14:23:00.001-08:00

good burger and steak, not so good shrimp.

Finally! Some updates!

2009-01-22T11:52:00.000-08:00

Hi all! So sorry for the long absence, but that happens without a camera!

Here's some pics from last year: (Foreign Cinema)

Cheese! How to make...

2008-12-08T11:51:00.000-08:00

Farmers Cheese

I N G R E D I E N T S
1/2 gallon (8 cups) skim milk
1 c dried skim milk powder (Carnation instant)
1/4 c lemon juice or white vinegar (I used the latter)
optional seasonings to taste

S U P P L I E S
Cheese cloth

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Heat up skim milk, and mix in the skim milk powder. As mixture begins to simmer or boil, begin to add a little of the vinegar or lemon juice. Stir.

Keep the flame on, and keep adding and stirring until the milk solids *completely* separate from the whey (yellow watery part). The amount of heat and acidity have to be in balance for this to work. Drain in cheesecloth. Use as you would cooked burger meat -- for instance, flavor it and stuff green peppers with it. Oh, you might want to flavor it while still in the milk state -- with salt, pepper and herbs.

Cream Cheese

I N G R E D I E N T S
1 gallon goat's milk (store-bought cow's milk will work too!)
¼ tsp. direct set mesophilic-m culture
2 Tbsp. diluted rennet (add 1 drop of rennet to 5 Tbsp. cool water)

I N S T R U C T I O N S
In a large pot (I use a 6-qt.) add goat's milk. Heat milk to 80 degrees. Remove from heat and add the mesophilic-m culture and stir will. Add the rennet and stir. Cover the pan and let sit undisturbed at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

After the time is up, what you have in the pot should look like very thick yogurt. Now you will drain and drip your cheese.

Line a colander with your clean pillowcase. I set this colander in a large bowl to catch the whey. Now drain your thick, yogurt-looking cheese into this cloth. Gather up the cloth and tie it tightly. Now you need to hang it somewhere. I have handles on my kitchen cupboard that work perfectly for this. Wherever you hang it, make sure it is up high enough to allow the whey to drip through the cloth into a bowl below. Now let your cream cheese drain for about 6 to 8 hours. You can speed this process along by stirring the cream cheese about halfway through the time, and you can do it again if you need to.

When it is completed, what you have left in the pillowcase is your cream cheese! You can salt it a bit or not; that is up to you. It is ready to be used right away over a homemade bagel, or you can use it for cooking or even cheesecake! You can also put some of the cream cheese in a food processor and blend it up a lot and you will end up with a great substitute for sour cream.

The whey can be used for cooking. I use it as the liquid to make bread or in pancakes.

Greek Cypriot Halloumi Cheese

I N G R E D I E N T S
8 pints fresh milk, either goats or ewe or cow
1 Teaspoon Rennet or special cheese rennet
a little salt if desired

S U P P L I E S
Pan
2-3 Muslin bags or similar

I N S T R U C T I O N S

To fresh milk add rennet and leave till set (about 30 minutes.)

Break up and place resulting mass into muslin in about two lots (this depends on the amount of milk used.

Drain any whey from curds back into pan, leave to stand in muslin for about half an hour after which they will be firmer and in oval shape.

Meanwhile bring whey to the boil (any curds which form on the top may be gathered and used fresh (add sugar and cinnamon or placed in muslin and hung to dry to form a hard cheese suitable for grating onto pasta etc.

Once milk has come to the boil, remove soft curds from muslin and place into boiling pan. Simmer gently until the cheese floats to the top, but certainly for approximately 20 minutes. Remove cheese, if liked, sprinkle with salt and fold in half and place a weight on top. Leave in fridge for at leave 2 hours before use. It may be stored in a jar with a small amount of the whey (keep cool).

The remaining whey may be used to boil spaghetti in, when cooked, cooked chicken may be added to form a soup, serve with bread (this is a typical Cypriot lunch, nothing is wasted)

The soft curds which form on the top to which sugar and cinnamon are added can be made in to 'cakes' phylo type pastry is filled with the mixture and then deep fried for a few moments, delicious!

Yield
2-3 rounds of cheese.

Farmer's Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

Two gallons goats milk
1/4 cup cultured buttermilk
½ tablet Rennet (or two drops of liquid rennet)

PROCEDURE:

Warm milk to room temperature (68-70°F)

Dissolve 1/2 of a rennet tablet in 1/4 cup luke warm water.

Stir in buttermilk, mix thoroughly.

Stir in rennet, mix thoroughly, cover, let sit for 24 hours.

Check for clean break. The curd should be firm enough to cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Some recipes call for stirring the curds into a slurry, and pouring into a fairly tight weave bag to drain. However, if the weave is too loose, such as with a single layer or two of cheese cloth, the fine curd will run through at first. I far prefer to cut the curd as it makes for more easily separated curds and whey.

Ladel the curds into a sterile cloth in a strainer (or colander), and suspend in a refrigerator or cool place.

Let the whey drain for 24 hours in a cool place.

Salt to taste (about 1-2 teaspoons), store covered in the refrigerator for a week or two. This cheese will not keep for much longer.

What to do next:

Press into small cheese molds for little cheeses.

Roll them in ashes, place in a jar with garlic and herbs, cover with extra virgin olive oil.

Use it in cheese cake.

Whip the cheese up with some powdered sugar, vanilla extract and a bit of lemon juice until its well blended and then serve as dessert with sliced strawberries over the top.

Sour Cream

Method 1
I N G R E D I E N T S
1 cup cream
1 tablespoon cultured buttermilk
Recipe can be increased at the ratio of 1 tablespoon buttermilk to 1 cup of cream.

I N S T R U C T I O N S
In a double boiler bring the fresh cream up to 180 degrees. Cool to room temp in a cold water bath. Add the buttermilk, cover, and let sit at room temp. for 24-48 hours. Stir and refrigerate. The batch will keep approximately 3-4 weeks, refrigerated

Method 2
I N G R E D I E N T S
1 cup cream
1 1/2 cups pasteurized whole milk
1/2 cup buttermilk

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl over warm water. Raise the temperature of the mixture to (68 degrees to 70 degrees F) and let it stand for 12 to 24 hours or until it is sufficiently sour and thick enough to cling firmly to a spoon. Keep in the refrigerator until you want to use it. For a richer heavier sour cream combine 2 cups of pasteurized heavy cream with 5 tablespoons of cultured buttermilk and incubate as before. For better texture refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

Tips and Hints on Using Sour Cream
Sour cream is commonly used for dips, dressings, and sauces or simply "plain" as a condiment.

Never boil sour cream because it will curdle immediately. To add sour creme to a hot liquid, remove the liquid from the heat source (or turn the heat to very low) and add the cream while stirring gently.

Avoid using sour cream in dishes with a lot of salt, as the salt may cause curdling. Also dishes made with sour cream do not freeze well

Baking With Sour Cream
Cakes using acidic ingredients such as sour cream may development a metallic flavor if baked and stored in an aluminum pan. To prevent this reaction from taking place, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper before adding the batter to the pan.

Raspberry, lemon & frangipane tart

2008-12-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

FOR THE PASTRY

* 200g plain flour
* 140g unsalted butter , cut into small pieces
* 100g golden caster sugar
* finely grated zest of 1 lemon
* 1 egg yolk
* a few drops of vanilla extract

FOR THE LEMON CREME PATISSIERE

* 3 egg yolks
* 100g caster sugar
* 1 tbsp plain flour
* 1 tbsp cornflour
* 250ml milk
* finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
* 50g unsalted butter

FOR THE FRANGIPANE

* 85g unsalted butter , room temperature
* 85g golden caster sugar
* 85g ground almonds
* finely grated zest of 1 lemon
* 1 egg

FOR THE TOPPING

* 100ml whipping cream
* 5 x 125g punnets fresh raspberries
* 5 tbsp seedless raspberry jam
* 2 tbsp kirsch or Cointreau

1. To make the pastry, put the flour and butter in a large bowl and rub them together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Tip in the sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and mix slightly. Now work in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until you have a smooth dough. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

2. While the pastry is chilling, make the lemon crème pâtissière (lemon custard). Put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk together using a balloon whisk for 1-2 minutes until the mixture turns pale. Tip in the flour and cornflour and mix well. Put the milk and lemon zest in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the boiling milk over the mixture in the bowl, whisking continuously until everything is smooth.

3. Pour the custard into the pan, place over a medium heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring continuously until it has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and butter. Pour the custard into a clean bowl and cover the surface with cling film to stop a skin forming. Leave to cool, then put in the fridge until completely cold. (The custard will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.)

4. To make the frangipane (almond cream), tip all the ingredients into a bowl and mix until everything is well combined. (The frangipane will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.)

5. On a floured surface, roll out the chilled pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin, then use to line a 25cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Trim the pastry with a small knife but leave a lip hanging over the edge. Chill the tart case for at least 1 hour - if you have room to put it in the freezer, this would be ideal.

6. Put a baking tray in the oven and preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Using a spatula, stir the crème pâtissière until smooth, then spread three quarters of it over the base of the tart case.

7. Spoon the frangipane into a piping bag fitted with a smallish nozzle (about 1cm). If you don't have a piping bag, spoon the mixture into a tough plastic bag, squeeze it into the end, then cut off the tip. Pipe lines of frangipane evenly over the custard. Don't worry about the gaps, as the frangipane will spread while cooking.

8. Put the tart tin on the hot baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes until the frangipane is golden brown and the pastry is biscuity brown. The frangipane will puff up during the baking. Trim off the overhanging pastry with a small knife to give a professional finish. Lift the tart and base from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.

9. To make the topping, put the cream in a bowl and lightly whip until billowy. Using a spatula, gently fold the remaining crème pâtissière into the cream, then spread the mixture evenly over the frangipane.

10. Arrange the raspberries on top, placing them upside down in concentric circles as closely as possible. Put the jam and kirsch in a small pan and bring to the simmer, stirring, until it lightly coats the back of the spoon. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the raspberries with the glaze. Cool slightly, then, using a palette knife, ease the tart off the base on to a serving plate.

B&B food

2008-12-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

Baked French Toast w/ Almond Syrup

3 cups of milk
6 eggs
2 tsp. of vanilla
2 tsp. of nutmeg
2 tsp. of cinnamon
1 loaf French style bread (This will be cut diagonal)
Corn flake crumbs
1 cup of melted butter

Prepare the night before by mixing all wet ingredients and soaking bread overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 450 degrees and spray large jelly roll pan with Pam. Sprinkle cornflake crumbs on both sides of bread and drizzle melted butter over top. Bake for 15 minutes each side. Serve with homemade Almond syrup.

Almond Syrup
1 cup of water to 2 cups of sugar; bring to a boil for approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add one stick of butter and 1 teaspoon of almond extract. You can also add a small pinch of cinnamon. This syrup is very thin but delicious.

Granola

Dry Mixture
6 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of wheat germ
1 cup of salted and roasted sunflower seeds
1 cup of walnuts or pecans
cinnamon

Moist Mixture
1/2 cup of Canola oil or other vegetable oil
1/4 cup of honey
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tbsp. of vanilla

Mix the dry mixture together in large baking pan and sprinkle heavily with the cinnamon.

Mix the moist mixture together in measuring cup and heat in microwave for approximately one minute.

Stir vanilla into oil/honey mixture and pour over dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly and bake in 325 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes. After removing from oven be sure and stir to keep the flakes from sticking together. After your granola has cooled keep in an airtight container or freeze in portion size bags. Serve with fresh fruit and vanilla yogurt.

Vegetable Quiche

Mix for two minutes:
1 1/2 cups of Bisquick mix
6 eggs
1 tsp. of white pepper
3 cups of milk
1 tsp. of salt
1tbsp. of dry mustard

1 bag frozen oriental vegetables, defrosted and drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Spray two quiche baking dishes with Pam. Place vegetables at the bottom and pour your egg mixture over the top. Cover and put in the refrigerator overnight. Before baking put cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees fro 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Serves 10.

MASTER MIX SUBSTITUTE FOR BISQUICK

1/2 c. baking powder
1/4 c. sugar
9 c. flour
1 1/4 c. canola oil

Sift together powder and sugar into flour. Sift together twice into large mixing bowl. Slowly add oil, cutting in with pastry blender, until mix is consistency of corn meal. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature or may be refrigerated.

Makes 1 dozen cups. Spoon lightly into cup and level with spatula.

Egg Cups Piquant

2/3 cups of mayonnaise
1 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce
dash of salt and pepper
1 cup of milk
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
8 eggs

In small saucepan combine mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Add milk gradually, stirring till smooth. Add cheese and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until cheese has melted and mixture is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Put two heaping tablespoons in the bottom of 4 baking (oval) cups. Break two eggs into each cup. Place in shallow pan; pour hot water into the pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake in slow oven 325 degrees about 25 minutes.

Weird Vegy Day

2008-12-05T16:56:00.001-08:00

Jerusalem Artichoke or Sunchoke

Fractial Cauliflower/Broccoli

Hedgehog Mushrooms

Goji Berries!!!

2008-12-05T16:39:00.001-08:00

I don't know how many will remember, but a few months back I picked up these dried red berries that I couldn't identify. Well, I did!!! Today I stopped by Whole Foods and grabbed a bottle of Evolution's Goji Mojo, thinking I'd try it out. Low-and-behold, that's the flavor!!!

So, the mystery fruit was Goji Berry! See below for the wiki on it:

Wolfberry species are deciduous woody perennial plants, growing 1-3 m high. L. chinense is grown in the south of China and tends to be somewhat shorter, while L. barbarum is grown in the north, primarily in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and tends to be somewhat taller.

The botanical division named to the upper right, Magnoliophyta, identifies plants that flower and the class Magnoliopsida represents flowering plants (Dicotyledons) with two embryonic seed leaves called cotyledons appearing at germination.

The order Solanales names a perennial plant with five-petaled flowers that are more or less united into a ring at the base; well-known members of the order include morning glory, bindweed, and sweet potato as well as the plants of the Solanaceae, mentioned below.

Lastly, Solanaceae is the nightshade family that includes hundreds of plant foods like potato, tomato, eggplant, wolfberry, peppers (paprika), crop commodities (tobacco), and flowers (petunia). Although the Solanales includes many plant foods, some members are poisonous (for example belladonna).

It's not just a fad - organic food is better for you, say scientists

2008-12-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

By Ian HerbertTuesday, 3 April 2007

New evidence has emerged showing that organic food does contain nutrients that deliver health benefits, contrary to the view put forward earlier this year by David Miliband, who said it was only a "lifestyle choice".

Scientists in Britain, France and Poland examined organic carrots, apples, peaches and potatoes and discovered that they have greater concentrations of vitamin C and chemicals that protect against heart attacks and cancer than non-organic produce. The research could challenge official government guidelines which suggest there is no evidence of organic food being healthier than conventional produce. That led to the assertion by Mr Miliband, the Environment Secretary, which he later qualified by saying that he ate organic food both because of its taste and the environmental benefits.

The new studies found that organic tomatoes had more vitamin C, beta-carotene and flavonoids, which are known to help against cancer and heart disease, though they also had less lycopene, which is thought to help prevent skin ageing, diabetes and osteoporosis. Organic apple puree was found to contain more phenols, flavonoids and vitamin C than non-organic versions.

"This research shows there are benefits," said Dr Kirsten Brandt of Newcastle University, which led the research. "The reason why it's such a grey area is because it's extremely difficult to measure the health benefit in any food, but we can say that if you eat 400g of fruit and vegetables per day you would get 20 per cent more nutrients in organic food."

Peter Melchett, policy director of the Soil Association, welcomed the new research. He said: "There is clear evidence that a range of organic foods contain more beneficial nutrients and vitamins and less of things known to have a detrimental health effect."

The study follows US research published last week suggesting organic kiwi fruit has higher levels of nutrients than conventional crops. The kiwi fruit was found to have significantly more polyphenols - the healthy compounds found in red wine and coloured berries. It also had higher levels of antioxidants and vitamin C, according to a report published in the magazine Chemistry & Industry.

The French element of the latest study looked at organic peaches and found they had "a higher polyphenol content at harvest" and concluded that organic production had "positive effects ... on nutritional quality and taste". Researchers at Warsaw Agriculture University found similar benefits in organic tomatoes.

Dr Brandt's work on organic produce included a focus on a natural pesticide in carrots, falcarinol, which is believed to reduce cancer tumours. This led her to conclude two years ago that a raw carrot eaten each day might be better than the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables.

Sales of organic food rose by 30 per cent last year to £1.6bn. But until now the health benefits of organic food have been the subject of conjecture. Last September, the Food Standards Agency refused to issue official guidance highlighting the benefits. It said that while it accepted higher levels of nutrients might exist they were of less value than long-chain fatty acids.

The debate intensified last month when a report for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found "many" organic products had lower ecological impacts than conventional methods using fertilisers and pesticides.

But the study said other organic foods - such as milk, tomatoes and chicken were significantly less energy efficient and could be more polluting than intensively farmed equivalents.

Bring Back the Victory Gardens!

2008-12-04T09:54:00.001-08:00

U.S. Government Poster from World War II (courtesy of Library of Congress)

Are Victory Gardens an idea whose time has come back? Could a quick history lesson lead to a better future?

During World War II Americans lived with rations of such necessities as tires, gasoline, sugar, and other foodstuffs. The US government encouraged ordinary people to create Victory Gardens; small plots of fruits and vegetables to stave off food shortages so more mass-produced food could be sent to feed the troops.

The people responded. Two million Americans created Victory Gardens in their backyards or communities. According to author Michael Pollan, "...during World War II, Victory Gardens supplied as much as 40% of the produce Americans ate."

Victory Gardens were more than a war time activity, they were a social phenomenon. Schools and families planted Victory Gardens together, often on communal land. Families caught up on news as they planted and harvested. Nutrition information was widely disseminated to help home cooks create balanced meals for their families. Today’s obesity epidemic must have been unimaginable to those gardeners.

Today there are many gardens that are very much like the Victory Gardens of old. In backyards across America folks are growing their own produce, spices and herbs. They harvest fruits and vegetables that have been raised without pesticides and enjoy them when they are at the peak of their freshness and nutritional value. Adding home-grown fare to the fresh produce from a local farm stand or a farmers market gives gardeners the best of both worlds.

If you’d like to try your hand at growing some food of your own but don’t have your own backyard, you can join a community garden. In 2004, the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) estimated that there were already 18,000 community gardens across the USA and Canada. Urban community gardens can be found from South Central Los Angeles to the Bronx in New York City. If there’s no community garden near your home, think about organizing your neighbors to get one started.

Funded by federal grants, GreenThumb has been a program of the NYC Parks Department since 1995. The nonprofit organization has over 600 member gardens serving 20,000 city residents. New York University released a study of the effect of community gardens on nearby property values. The study of 636 community gardens in NYC showed a positive effect on sales prices of residential properties within a 1,000-foot radius of a community garden when compared to properties outside the 1,000-foot ring, but still in the same neighborhood. The effect was significant and increasing over time. The tax benefit to the city over a 20-year period was estimated at $647 million dollars or $1 million per garden. Who knows how much might be saved on medical costs by the healthier diet the gardens make possible.

Not all benefits are measured in dollars. Here’s what Karen Washington from the Garden of Hope in the Bronx had to say about her experience:

To grow your own food gives you a sort of power and it gives people dignity. You know exactly what you’re eating because you grew it. It’s good, it’s nourishing and you did this for yourself, your family and your community.Victory Gardens could bring down the cost of food for American families and make organic poroduce more widely available. We could reduce America’s reliance on oil simply by keeping vegetable gardens and cutting down on the amount of food that has to be transported by truck. Victory Gardens would reduce the need for petroleum-based fertilizers on giant corporate farms. If you’re unhappy about where all the money Americans spend on oil and gasoline is going, then spread the word: Bring Back the Victory Gardens!

Our friend Eve Sibley has asked that you "Please consider signing and passing on the petition below urging our next leadership to reestablish the Victory Garden model in the United States. We have done it before, we can do it again."

Bring Back the Victory Gardens Petition

I'm #192: "I live in a studio apartment in San Francisco seven floors up with no balcony; I still manage to grow herbs, green beans, salad greens, and tomatoes to supplement my family’s diet and to guarantee what we are eating. Initial cost is something that comes with every new venture; we should not let that stop us in providing for our families or communities."

If you'd like to start a garden in your community or your backyard here's some info that should help:

American Community Gardening Association

Funding & Other Support for Community Gardens

Cooking from the Heart of the Garden

American Families Turn to Organic Milk

2008-12-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

Dairy Cow (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)

Have you been buying organic milk for your family? If you have, you’ve got plenty of company. The California Department of Food and Agriculture says sales of organic milk grew by almost 34% during the past year.

According to an article in HealthNews.com:

Organic milk has been found to be even healthier than traditional milk, and demand for organic brands has been on the rise. While many may be skeptical, a recent study conducted in Wales supports the increased benefits, including high content of conjugated linoleic acid, also known as CLA9, and higher levels of vitamin E, beta carotene, antioxidants, and the presence of more omega-3 fatty acids.

Organic milk is produced by cows that are fed all-natural foods by grazing and eating fresh grass, forage, and clover. Non-organic farms are allowed to use pesticides and fertilizer for the growth of fodder, and feed hormones and antibiotics to their cows.

A number of separate studies have linked pesticides with Parkinson's Disease over the past several years. Antibiotics in food have been found to increase human resistance to medical treatment with antibiotics and many suspect the hormones administered to animals have led to an earlier onset of puberty in human females. We think those are very good reasons to buy organic milk for your family!

If you’d like to read the HealthNews.com article cited above go to: Organic Milk: A Better Alternative

Controversial Decision on Organic Fish Standard

2008-12-04T09:45:00.000-08:00

I heard about this on NPR around Thansgiving and was infuriated. There are so many better ways to do this that I just started ranting in the car. P even spoke up, his comment?

"Why don't they just feed the salmon and other meat eating fish the organic non-meating fish from the tanks?"

Yes, why indeed?

---------------------------------------

The National Organic Standards Board has voted to allow fish to be labeled as organic when up to 25% of the feed is non-organic. The Board advises the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The vote marks a sharp contrast with the labeling standard for all organic meats. The feed for meat must be 100% organic in order to be legally labeled as organic.

An article in USA Today says there are three main objections from environmentalists and organic food advocates to the vote by the National Organic Standards Board:

• Fish labeled as organic could be fed food up to 25% non organic food, even though all other livestock labeled as organic can only eat organic feed.

• Fishmeal used to feed farmed fish labeled as organic could be made from wild-caught fish, some of which can have high levels of mercury and PCBs.

• Open net cages could be used to raise fish labeled as organic. Critics say such cages can flush drugs, disease and parasites directly into the ocean, which can harm wild fish and other marine life.

Urvashi Rangan, PhD, Senior Scientist and Policy Analyst at Consumers Union is quoted in a press release as stating,

It’s a disservice to the organic program and to consumers that the NOSB is ready to undermine the organic marketplace which relies on a higher bar for environmental health practices being met. Fish labeled as ‘organic’ that are not fed 100 percent organic feed, come from polluting open net cage systems, or that are contaminated with mercury or PCBs any measurable level, fall significantly short of consumer expectations.

The controversial decision will now go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has the authority to issue a final ruling.

If you’d like to read the USA Today article cited above go to: Organic fish decision is controversial

To sign a petition objecting to the vote by the National Organic Standards Board go to: Organic Consumers Association Petition.

Know your Pork: Tokyo-X pigs

2008-12-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

Tokyo-X pigs

These are Tokyo-X pigs. I was first drawn to them by their excellent name, which refers to the fact that they are the first genuinely original hybrid developed in Japan. The first Tokyo-X pigs were born at the Tokyo Metropolitan Livestock Experiment Station in 1997. They are apparently a cross of the Berkshire, Beijing Black and Duroc breeds.

Buta no kakuni: Japanese Braised Pork Belly

Buta no kakuni (Japanese braised pork belly)
About 450g / 1 lb pork belly
2 Tbs sugar
1 piece of leek (about 6 inches / 15 cm long or so. You can use the green part too.)
1 large piece of fresh ginger
1 star anise
3 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. sake
2 cups water

Cut the pork into cubes about 1 inch / 2cm or so square. If the skin is still on, leave it on. Heat up a large pot with a heavy bottom. Sauté the pork belly cubes, without any added fat (you don’t need it…) until browned.

When the meat is browned, scrape it to one side and put the sugar in the fat that’s accumulated on the bottom, and stir around until it’s a bit caramelized. Stir and toss so the meat gets coated by the sugar.

Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a simmer and lower the heat. Put a lid on and let it simmer gently for about 3 hours, turning occasionally.

To serve, dredge the pieces carefully out of the very oily cooking liquid, and peel of the thick layer of fat that’s on the skin side of the meat. Drizzle a little bit of the cooking liquid over the cubes.

We have this with very plain vegetables, like broccoli with wasabi sauce. Pickles (oshinko) are good to have too. Hot, plain rice is essential. To eat, take a small piece and put it on top of your hot rice, and let the sauce and fat sort of melt in. A little goes a long way.

Restaurant review: Foreign Cinema, Mission District, SF

2008-12-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

Foreign Cinema in the Mission District of San Francisco, California. We went here back on Nov. 15th for our Anniversary. It was decent food, but very pricey. One of those places I'd suggest going and trying, but not a weekly thing.

We started with the Asian Pork Ribs ($9): Which were good, but super messy!

P had the Fried Madras Curry Spiced Chicken ($21): He said it was dry though, which makes me think that if you baked it instead of fried it would have come out better.

INGREDIENTS
• 3 Tbsp Madras curry (substitute with yellow curry if Madras curry is not available)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Pinch granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 roasting chicken, about 3 lbs
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp Madras curry powder
• 4 cups peanut or grape seed oil
• 3 cups buttermilk

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine 3 Tbsp Madras curry, garlic powder, sugar, and chili flakes; mix well

2. Cut chicken into eight pieces: breasts, wings, legs, and thighs; keep skin on

3. To season the chicken, liberally salt the chicken pieces, then lightly rub the curry mix over the chicken pieces (cover and refrigerate overnight for maximum flavor)

4. Place flour, salt, black pepper, and 1 tsp Madras curry powder in a large bowl and mix together until well blended

5. Preheat the oil in a cast iron skillet to 300 degrees (use a candy or frying thermometer)

6. While the oil is gently warming, dip the curried chicken pieces into the buttermilk, and then into the flour mix, covering each piece thoroughly with flour and rest on a plate; repeat until all the chicken is breaded

7. When the oil is hot, place chicken pieces skin side down gently into the skillet; do not overcrowd and be cautious of hot oil splattering

8. Cook chicken on one side until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes; turn chicken over gently and finish cooking until done, about 5-7 minutes

9. Place the fried chicken on a rack on a sheet pan; place in a warm 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

I had the Grilled bavette steak, hedgehog mushrooms, roasted sun chokes, fingerlings, cilantro salsa (Features - $28). Mine was very good, but a bit charred in some places.

We finished with the Gateau au chocolat ($7.75). Oh Gods was this part heavenly!!! I don't really bake, so this was a lovely treat, served with a bit of lavendar ice cream. Yummy!

Total was just over $80. Like I said, pricey. I'd give it 4 stars.

French Meal examples

2008-12-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

This is to follow-up on my slight rant about French children and such from yesterday. I wanted to show what the kind of "typical" French meals were. This is not the end-all-and-be-all of examples, just a few.

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

French Pot Au Feu- "Pot on the Fire"

2008-12-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

Pot-au-feu ("pot on the fire") is hearty dish of boiled meat and vegetables, its flavoursome broth strained and served in small bowls as an entrée or accompaniment. Authentic recipes call for a selection of beef, cartilaginous cuts of meat, such as oxtail, and marrow bone, and require many hours of cooking. Our recipe is a simplified version which is less time consuming, but equally delicious.

1.6kg beef cheeks* (approximately 6)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and halved
3 carrots, peeled and quartered lengthways
3 parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthways
½ Savoy cabbage, thickly sliced
1 litre beef stock
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
1 stick celery
5–6 stalks of flat-leaf parsley
5–6 whole black peppercorns
2 cloves toasted sourdough slices to serve
Season beef with sea salt and ground black pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large casserole dish over a high heat and seal half the beef on all sides until browned, remove and set aside.

Seal remaining beef until browned.

Return browned beef to the casserole dish, add the vegetables, pour over the stock and add 1–2 cups of water until the beef and vegetables are just covered.

Tie bay leaves, thyme, celery and parsley together with string to make a bouquet garni and place in the casserole along with the peppercorns and cloves.

Cover with a lid and simmer over a low heat for 2½–3 hours, or until stock is rich in flavour and beef is very tender and cooked through.

To serve, remove beef, vegetables and bouquet garni from stock, place beef in the centre of a large warmed serving platter and arrange vegetables around the meat.

Strain beef broth through a fine sieve before serving with the beef, vegetables and toasted sourdough.

Serves 6.

*Beef cheeks may need to be ordered in advance from your butcher.

Mock Worcestershire Sauce

2008-12-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

2 tbsp. catsup

3 finely minced shallots

2 finely chopped anchovy fillets or 1 tsp. anchovy extract
1/2 tsp. powdered cloves
1 qt. strong vinegar

Combine all ingredients in small pot, place in another pot container boiling water and continue boiling the water until the sauce in the inner pot is well heated but not yet boiling. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 2 days. Then strain and bottle. Refrigerate.

Lamb in a Pot

2008-12-03T10:19:00.000-08:00

Well, not quiet, but whatever...

Last night I took to cleaning out my fridge a bit and came up with "Lamb in a Pot." Of coarse I have no idea what it was, but it was tasty. I had 2 lamb shoulder chops that I marinated in red wine and balsamic vinegar over night, 1 new potato, 1 sweet potato, 2 regular vine tomatoes and about 4 cherry tomatoes, 2 carrots, and a quarter of an onion. I rough chopped the vegetables and tossed them in a casserole dish, the sprinkled herbs d'provance on them, put the lamb on top, added more herbs d'provance, a bay leaf, two sliced basil leaves, red wine, balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and salt and pepper.

At 350F it took 2 hours to being able to be pulled apart with forks. A bit more salt when serving and it was yummy!

Anti-Thanksgiving: Paella with Sea Scallops

2008-12-03T08:40:00.000-08:00

Yeah, cooking again, it's been a while...well, since Thanksgiving any way. We had our Anti-Thanksgiving where I make Paella instead of Turkey, used Large Scallops this time for the seafood, very tasty! (oh, and only use white fish when you make paella, red fish tastes funny...bleh!)

So the quick and easy way is to get boneless skinless chicken thighs and cut into cubes.

Slice some Chorizo or (in my case) Linguica, and cube a white fish (de-boned), and get out a handful of large sea scallops.

I made the yellow packets of 'spanish' rice you can get for $1 at the grocery and then seared off the scallops in a pan along with the sausage.

You can pre-cook the chicken now, or add it to the rice while cooking and then in the last 5 minutes or so add in the rest of the meats.

Typically, you would add shrimp and peas, but P has a slight allergy to shrimp, so we only eat it in Florida when we go home, he also doesn't like peas, so I omit them.

Total cook time: ~25 min
Total cost: $20 depending on seafood and proportions (we have about 6 servings for what I made)

This isn't my picture, but it gives you the idea.

French children aren't as fat as others

2008-12-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

I came across this post today that got me thinking about food consumption around the world.

My opinion?

There are a few things to take note of: different regional groups have different body types that were developed over thousands of years and have specific needs that were created when we were hunter/gatherer/farmers. Even if your family roots have been gone for a while, you still retain the genetic disposition of your ancestors’ geographies. For example: my family background is French, English, and Portuguese (in that order), my French side has been in the US since the 1600s, my Portuguese side for three generations, I look and have the body structure of both groups, so when I cook, I incorporate the primary food groups from both: rice and potatoes are eaten in alternating similar (small) quantities, I grow my own green beans, tomatoes, and herbs, meats used are varied and of organic, local, and good quality, and seafood is in at least one meal a week. We drink fruit juice, milk, or water at every meal and soda only on special occasions. I don’t drink alcohol but once or twice a year.

My husband however, is Filipino, and this diet doesn’t work that well for his body type. So I incorporate Filipino dishes that have a lot of soups and rice with broth, vinegar, and white meats (Chicken and Pork) in them. By taking a few vegetables like baby bok choy and diakon into the mix, I get vegetables into something that doesn’t normally use them. I also incorporate small amounts of oil, if used at all, that are made from olive oil, or animal renderings, duck and pork fat or drippings, once cleared work lovely, and a small amount goes a long way.

The main point to this is that you have to be smart about how you eat. Lots of processed foods and sugars are not something that you would have come across a few hundred years ago, but natural sweeteners like molasses, sorghum, raw honey and raw sugar cane when consumed in moderation are not a problem. My view: eat smart, eat several small portions throughout the day to keep your metabolism up, and eat moderately of several types of foods. But that’s just the food portions; that doesn’t include exercising, which is the hardest in my opinion, getting proper sleep and enough fresh air and sun. I think I’ve paled 4 shades since I moved from Sunny Florida to San Francisco a few years ago.

Sun, wind, dirt on your food, hands on a plow: that’s how our great-grandparents did it, and they lived ripe old ages in decent health doing everything the ‘authorities’ tell us not to. If I can get anywhere near them, I’ll be in good shape.

75 Exceptional Herbs for your Garden

2008-11-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

Synopsis

Gardening expert Jack Staub continues his stimulating series on unique additions to your garden with 75 Exceptional Herbs for Your Garden. With fascinating facts, unexpected lore-including its ancient medicinal and culinary employment-elegant prose, and beautiful watercolor illustrations by Ellen Buchert, this keepsake volume offers up 75 of the most extraordinary herbs available. Sometimes masquerading as common denizens of our fields and forests, these are plants that will not only decorate our gardens, but will capture the imagination of any gardener or cook!

Be sure to look for this book's equally captivating companion volumes: 75 Remarkable Fruits for Your Garden and 75 Exciting Vegetables for Your Garden.

Jack Staub is one of the country's leading experts on fruit and vegetable gardening. He frequently lectures on the subject, and his articles have appeared in numerous magazines and print publications, including Country Living, Fine Gardening, and The New York Times. He is also a featured guest on NPR. You can learn more about Jack and Hortulus Farms at hortulusfarmdiary.blogspot.com.

Fennel pollen

2008-11-23T15:46:00.000-08:00

Hog Heaven Fennel Pollen Blend- 1 oz

Catalog # - SPIFENHOG
Your Price - $10.50

Hog Heaven Fennel Pollen is a heavenly blend for Pork, Veal or Poultry - just rub it on and roast or saute.

Pure fennel pollen, toasted pecans, dried chervil, fleur de sel sea salt, ground cumin, ground annatto, lemon peel.

Ramps and Wild Leeks

2008-11-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

Ramps and Wild Leeks
A unique and delicious Spring jewel

By Diana Rattray, About.com

The ramp, sometimes called wild leek, is a wild onion native to North America. Though the bulb resembles that of a scallion, the beautiful flat, broad leaves set it apart. According to John Mariani, author of "The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink," the word ramp comes from "rams," or "ramson," an Elizabethan dialect rendering of the wild garlic. The word is first mentioned in English print in 1530, but was used earlier by English immigrants of the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Ramps grow from South Carolina to Canada, and in many areas they're considered a spring delicacy and even a reason for celebration. West Virginia is well-known for their many festivals and events in celebration of the ramp. The flavor and odor of ramps is usually compared to a combination of onions and garlic, and the garlic odor is particularly strong. Strong enough, in fact, that even ramp-lovers will advise caution. If you sit down to a big meal of ramps, don't be surprised if people continue to keep their distance after a few days have passed!

Cautions aside, ramps add wonderful and uniquely pungent flavor to soups, casseroles, rice dishes and potato dishes. Use them raw or cooked in any recipe calling for scallions or leeks, or cook them in a more traditional way, scrambled with eggs or fried with potatoes. Since ramps aren't cultivated in the way leeks are, they're much easier to clean. Just rinse thoroughly and scrub off any excess dirt on the bulbs.

Ramps aren't available for long, but you can chop and freeze them for cooked dishes. The green tops are milder in flavor and are usually used along with the bulbs. I chop about half of the green leaves separately, air-dry them for a few hours then freeze them in an air-tight container for future use as a seasoning.

If you can't find ramps in your area, they are available seasonally at Earthy Delights (along with fiddleheads, wild morels, and more). You'll also find a nice selection of recipes to browse through.

Jubon Yakiniku House (Japantown) for Halloween!

2008-11-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

I love this place. It's pricey, but fun and oh so yummy! They had a special Cherry Coke for Halloween that I just had to try!

Yakiniku is essentially grilled meat and vegetables. The catch? You grill it yourself at the table!

Braised Pork Belly Two Ways

2008-11-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

Carribean Pork Belly with Mango salsa

Italian Pork Belly with Angel Hair Pasta

Southern Salmon

2008-11-06T10:24:00.000-08:00

Made a risotto with cress and spinich and pared it with a steamed salmon fillet on a bed of Swiss Chard.

Italian Lamb with Yellow Rice

2008-11-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

Whipped up Lamb shoulder with eggplant and tomatoes one night.

Chinese Food in the rain...Oriental Pearl Restaurant

2008-11-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

Oriental Pearl Restaurant located at 760 Clay Street(between Grant Ave & Walter U Lum Pl), San Francisco, CA 94108.

It was pouring when we hit this place for dinner after work one day. Pretty good actually, though I really hate when they have bones in the peking duck. 3***.

Vietnamese food in the East Bay...

2008-11-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

Um...so Angie and I went cloth shopping several months back and I have no idea what they name of this restaurant was, we were out in some small town near Bay Fair Bart that was like a mini-Mexico (don't scoff we were asked to buy ukuleles from a kid in a parking lot) and hit this awsome little Vietnamese place.

I had standard rare-beef Pho and Ang had tofu in a tomato base Pho with other things I'm probably better off not knowing about. But I got my Melon Bubble Tea, so I was happy

Cheep, good, quick, 4 stars!

Awsome Italian food in the Mission...La Traviata

2008-11-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a class at the Mission campus of CCSF, so I'm starting to hit a bunch of the local restaurants, this one was fabulous! totally redeems my crappy spaghetti experience.

La Traviata, located at 2854 Mission Street(between 24th St & 25th St,)San Francisco, CA 94110 is traditional Sicilian Fare in old world ambience. This is what Buca de Bepo was trying to do and failed.

I had the Veal Scalapini with an appetizer of Tortellini and fresh baked bread. The service was attentive and excelent and the owner came out to ask how things were as well. Now, I was the only guest at the end of the night, which normally sees the worst service, but this place just blew my mind. The whole meal cost $20, which is a bit pricey for one person, but it was still very good, and I had enough left over for a very nice lunch the next day. Definately 4 **** star rating in my opinion!

Crappy Italian food in the Mission...Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

2008-11-06T09:08:00.001-08:00

P and I went to this Italian Restaurant that specializes in Spaghetti called Emmy's Spaghetti Shack, located at 18 Virginia St at Mission, San Francisco, CA 94110. We had, duh, the spaghetti and a salad and neither was any good.

1st, we waited for over an hour while 3 tables sat empty.
2nd, service sucked.
3rd, it took another 3o minutes for us to get the food once we ordered.
4th, though the portions were large, the food was overly garlicy and the meatballs were slightly cold inside.
5th, we never recieved an offer for water or a refil on our drinks.
6th, we were rushed out the door as soon as we were done.
7th, it was pricey! $35 for 1 plate of speghetti and 1 plate of salad.
8th, it was so dark you couldn't really see and the waiters kept running into the tables because they couldn't see.

Anyways, we will not be going back, ever!

Finally!

2008-11-06T09:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, Ok, I know I'm a horrible poster, but it's not my fault, P just found all the photos on the computer, so I'll be uplaoding and writing today in the hopes of playing catch up. Please be patient.

Let's start off with showing you the Green beans in one of our Aero Gardens:

Richmond New May Grocery

2008-11-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

Out in the Avenues of SF's Richmond District. This place blew me away with it's selection of Asian groceries.

British Beer Shandy Recipe

2008-09-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Beer Shandy Recipe

This is a light and refreshing alcoholic drink perfect for a hot summer's afternoon. It is certain to be a hit with the ladies! I use Red Stripe since its taste is closest that of Castle Lager, but any lager would be good.

2 min | 2 min prep

SERVES 1

150 ml lager beer
150 ml Sparkling lemonaid

Pour well chilled beer into tumbler.
Gently pour in well chilled Sparkling Lemonaid.

NOTE: since the ingredients portions are equal, you could make this as small or as large as you like!

D&B: British Dandelion and Burdock pop

2008-09-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

Give it a go and see what you think, play around with it if you like, then give me some feedback. This recipe will make a strong syrup which will then need to be watered down with soda 1:4.

Heat 1.5 litres of water in a pan, when boiling add:

2 teaspoons fine ground dandelion root
Might need a mortar & pestle
1.5 teaspoons fine ground burdock root
Might need a mortar & pestle
5x 50p sized slices of root ginger
1 1/2 star anise
1 teaspoon of citric acid
Zest of an orange

Leave that little lot to simmer for 15-20 minutes, it will smell a lot like a health food shop, then strain through a tea towel, muslin isn’t really fine enough. Whilst the liquid is still hot you need to dissolve about 750g sugar. If you prefer is sweeter or ‘not-sweeter’ adjust the sugar. If you’re finding the drink a bit flavourless simply add more sugar, it accentuates the flavours of the roots and anise.

In the summer I mix it with plenty of ice and stir through borage flowers for the ultimate English soft drink! Enjoy.

Pirate Cake

2008-08-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

Made this a while back for a Friend's Birthday:

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
2 baked 9" or 10" round cakes
3 to 4 cups chocolate icing
Decorations:
Chocolate wafer sticks (such as Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Cookies)
Milk chocolate wafer rolls (Waffeletten cookies)
Several pieces of white or off-white paper
3 10" wooden skewers
Malted milk balls
Rolo candies
Root beer barrels
Plastic pirate figures (we used Playmobil), washed thoroughly

1. Cut the cakes in half and layer them, rounded sides all facing the same direction, adding a thin coat of chocolate icing between the layers.

2. Trim the bottom curves of the cakes slightly to help them sit flat, then turn the cakes upright, as shown. (Tip: If necessary, wrap the cakes in plastic and chill in the freezer to make them firmer. Also, two drinking straws stuck through the four layers of cake will help keep them together.)

3. Cover with the chocolate icing, then create planking lines along the hull with a butter knife. Chill at least one hour to firm the icing.

4. Use dabs of icing to anchor wafer stick gunwales along the edge of the deck.

5. Press the wafer rolls into both sides of the ship for cannons.

6. Cut sails from the paper, then slip them onto the skewers and set the masts in place.

7. Add malted milk ball cannonballs, plenty of Rolo gold booty, and root beer barrels, then station a few pirates to keep watch.

8. For safety, place the candles in the cookie cannons, far from the paper sails. Also, make sure that the surface on which the cake rests is impervious to wax, as the burning candles will drip.

Darbar Restraunt

2008-08-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

1412 Polk Street
Between California & Pine
San Francisco 94109

Tel : 415-359-1236
Fax: 415-359-1236

Open: Daily Lunch & Dinner
Mon-Sun : 11:00 am to 10:00 pm

My Prefrences:

Mango Lassi
Delicious drink made with mangoes & yogurt...$1.99

Seekh Kebab
Minced meat long kebab on skewers filled with authentic seasonings hot from the oven...$2.49

Tandoori Lamb Chops
Seasoned lamb meat skewered & grilled ...$9.99

Darbari Chawal
Basmati Rice cooked with cumin and saffron...$1.99

Darbari Nan
Freshly baked Tandoori Bread...$0.99

Gulab Jamun
Royal Sweet Dish...$1.99

or

Karahi Goat
Diced goat cooked with Northern spices, herbs and tomatoes in traditional style...$8.99

How do you keep from going to the store everyday?

2008-08-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

Friend's of ours have a very young child and were trying to figure out how to not spend so much time at the grocery...here's my answer...

Some standards in the pantry would be useful. First, try to figure out what type of food you cook most often. We eat alot of French and Italian style foods at home, so I always have the following on hand:

Pantry:

pasta (dried-spaghetti, orzo, lasagna, taco shells, etc. and frozen- udon only)
rice (white and yellow)
olive oil (good quality)
tomatoes (fire-roasted, crushed canned and whole canned--Roma's the best for sauce making)
capers (salt brined are better)
typical sauces (Japanese soup base, cartons of broth, worcheshire, ketsup, etc.)

Fresh/frig:

potatoes
carrots
celery
tomatoes
bell pepers (mini-sweet are a favorite)
garlic
onions
butter
milk (carton)
whipping cream
eggs
cheese
frozen vegetables (organic corn, peas, broccoli, baby green beans, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes)

This usually keeps us in pretty good standing for most meals. If you keep up with your spices (Herbs de Provence, Greek, Italian, Moroccan, standard basil, bay, allspice, cloves, oregano, taco seasoning, etc.) you should be fine. Also, trying to stick to standard fares during the week when you have less time and only cook things you can't do without a cookbook on the weekends, where it's less of a hassle if you need something from the market.

I try and buy my meat once a month at a nice store, and my fresh vegetables on the weekend from the farmers market. Misc items can be purchased in smaller quantities throughout the month as needed. I supplement fresh vegetables with home grown as I can, and use canned/frozen organic varieties when I can't.

A16-the Williams-Sonoma Experience

2008-08-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

Last night, Williams-Sonoma in Union Square hosted the debut of A16's first cookbook. With book signings and 2 taste-test stations pairing white wine with the Tuna Conserve and a red with their Monday Meatballs. I thoroughly enjoyed the food, though I'm not a wine fan, so unfortunately that aspect was slightly lost on me. I did taste each wine/food pairing together, but I just can't stand the tanic acid taste that comes from most beer and wine. I was shocked by the tuna, I seriously thought it was chicken it was so juicy and thick, not flaky like most fish. The meatballs were excellent as well, Nate said they'd be 'light' but until I tasted them I didn't really think they could be. Oh, how wrong I was! With the combination of pork butt, beef, fat, prosciutto, bread and herbs, it was truly an enjoyable treat. I'm looking forward to a visit to the restraunt in the Marina district later this month. I'll let you know what I get then.

At San Francisco's acclaimed A16 restaurant (named for the highway that cuts across southern Italy), diners pack the house for chef Nate Appleman's house-cured salumi, textbook Naples-style pizzas, and gutsy slow-cooked meat dishes. Wine director Shelley Lindgren is renowned in the business for her expeditionary commitment to handcrafted southern Italian wines. In A16: FOOD + WINE, Appleman and Lindgren share the source of their inspiration--the bold flavors of Campania. From chile-spiked seafood stews and savory roasts to delicate antipasti and vegetable sides, the recipes are beguilingly rustic and approachable. Lindgren's vivid profiles of the key grapes and producers of southern Italy provide vital context for appreciating and pairing the wines. Stunning photography captures the wood-fired ambiance of the restaurant and the Campania countryside it celebrates.

"Savvy diners focus on the kitchen's soulful renditions of dishes from Campania, the region surrounding Naples, and a wine list that brims with discoveries from southern Italy. Sure, have a bit of pizza, but save room for dishes such as roasted porcini with green garlic, ricotta gnocchi with squash blossoms, or sweet pea ravioli with braised pork, pecorino, and black pepper."
—Wine Spectator

Best of all, the book—which includes delectable-looking recipes for tuna conserva four ways; octopus and ceci bean zuppa with escarole, garlic, and chiles; and roasted sardines with breadcrumbs, green garlic, and mint—appears to have been a genuine labor of love, as you can feel in these opening lines: “A glass of crisp Bombino Bianco paired with a slice of creamy mozzarella burrata. Ruby-red Nero d’Avola served with a blistered pizza margherita. Juicy Casavecchia beside a plate of roasted or grilled rabbit … we don’t just offer these wines to our guests for the sake of discovery, though; the wines simply belong with the gutsy country cooking of Campania.”

Chef Nate Appleman

Wine Director, Shelley Lindgren

My Attempt at Thai Salmon

2008-08-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

So, P told me afterward that though it looked and smelled decent, maybe I should just stick to French food. Hah! I guess that means this one was a flop?! Oh well, I made an awsome Ox tail stew the next night!

Our Kitchen! (On a good day!)

2008-08-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Sorry I've been so sporadic lately, been pretty busy at work. I have a bunch of photos to upload soon, so expect that, but in the meantime, here's a composite picture of our kitchen. It's a U shape with the sink and dishwasher at the apex.

One of these day's when I'm a real grown-up and have a real house, I want my kitchen to look like this:

Medieval Vegetables

2008-08-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

Vegetables List:

Asparagus - used since Roman times

Beans - broadbean, fava (most common), haricot, hairy vetch, sweet vetch, but NEVER the modern green bean

Beets - both the root and the tops

Brussels Sprouts - not an overly common Medieval vegetable, but still widely available

Cabbage - very common & popular, sometimes known as wortes

Capers

Carrots - not modern orange ones but a smaller variety, either red or white

Cauliflower - its use seems to be mostly late-Renaissance

Celery - usually referred to as "wild celery," both the outer stalks and the hearts were used.

Chard - considered "moist" and treated differently than dry vegetables.

Chick Peas/garbonzo beans

Cress - a garden plant, considered a potherb or a worte

Cucumbers - considered a "moist" fruit and treated differently than dry vegetables.

Garlic - used in many recipes, and a staple in Medieval cooking

Gherkins

Green onions - Leeks, scallions, & green onions were sometimes referred to as "porrettes."

Leeks - Leeks, scallions, & green onions were sometimes referred to as "porrettes."

Lettuce - leafy varieties, such as leaf lettuce, Romaine, etc. make acceptable substitutes for Medieval lettuce. NEVER use iceberg/head lettuce. Lettuce would have been considered a worte

Mushrooms - not a true vegetable, but used as one in the Middle Ages

Mustard Greens - part of the potherb or wortes variety of vegetables

Olives - the source for the most common cooking oil

Onions - used extensively in Medieval cooking

Parsnips

Peas - in or out of pods, one of the most common of Medieval vegetables

Pumpkin - the American variety is different than the European, but is an acceptable substitute

Radishes

Scallions - Leeks, scallions, & green onions were sometimes referred to as "porrettes"

Shallots

Spinach - a leafy, green worte

Sprouts - cabbage sprouts

Squash/gourd - sometimes referred to as Vegetable Marrows

Turnips - a common root vegetable, sometimes used in recipes as a substitute for pears; the greens were also very popular

White Turnip

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER: Potatoes; Yams; Artichokes; Green Beans; Corn (the yellow, white, or brown kernel-variety, grown on large cobs); Red, Green, & Yellow Peppers; Chilies; & Tomatoes. These are all modern foods that were not known in the Middle Ages.

Tasmanian Heritage Signature Camembert

2008-07-28T10:36:00.001-07:00

Tasmanian Heritage Signature Camembert

Tasmanian Heritage, renowned for its award-winning range of specialty cheeses, has introduced a Signature Camembert to the much-loved family.

Tasmanian Heritage's Signature Camembert is an authentic Camembert made from an age-old traditional French recipe so the cheese develops a core and ripens from the outside in. This unique ripening process - similar to the way an avocado ripens, results in the cheese's unmistakable delicate flavour and creamy texture.

Each cheese has a rich, creamy centre and is covered in a soft white edible mould. Like all traditional soft white cheeses, it gets better with age and the best time to eat Tasmanian Heritage Signature Camembert is within two weeks of the 'best before' date. As the flavours intensify with age, this cheese can also be enjoyed beyond this date depending on personal taste.

When the Camembert is young, the texture is relatively firm with a core in the centre. At this stage, the cheese has a fresh and slightly acidic taste. When the cheese is fully ripe, the core disappears, the texture is soft and smooth and the taste is deliciously creamy, with a rich earthy flavour.

Tasmanian Heritage Signature Camembert is perfect just with fresh bread or biscuits or as part of a cheese platter with fresh fruit and nuts, in sandwiches or in recipes to add a gourmet touch. To offset the creamy texture, try matching the Signature Camembert with a Chardonnay, a full-bodied red wine or for something different, try a Vintage Sparkling Rose.

Tasmanian Heritage cheeses are made by master cheese-makers in the unique and unspoiled environment of Tasmania, using only the finest ingredients.

The Tasmanian Heritage Signature range will delight fine cheese lovers and novice gourmets alike with its taste and quality.

Tasmanian Heritage Signature Camembert retails for $8.99 and is available in selected specialty markets.

**I found this Saturday and have been plesently surprised by the taste and texture. Almost like a triple cream cheese, it is exceptionally smooth and creamy. However, it does have a slight pungent odor. I picked this up at De Lessio Market & Bakery, 302 Broderick St, San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 552-8077 delessiomarket.com‎**

Hamachi Kama, Yellowtail Collar with Udon

2008-07-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hamachi Kama (Yellowtail "collar") is the portion of the fish that surrounds the front fins near the face of the fish. The meat is tender and succulent with a lovely mellow flavor that is only enhanced by grilling or broiling in a light soy or teriyaki glaze. I'm actually going to use a Korean Grill Glaze and broil our piece, then serve it with Udon Noodles and a simple broth. Super easy and will cost less then $5 for 2 people!

I know I haven't posted for a while, and I have been cooking, just nothing interesting, so please forgive me with this super simple recipe.

Awesome Kitchen Range

2008-07-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

Amish Cooking: Pickles galore!

2008-06-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Cheese, Whole Wheat Pizza, Octopus, Chouriço...yummy!!!

2008-06-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

Le Chatreux

Cranberry Chevre with Cinnamon

Fol-Epi Mold

Fol-Epi (French Emmental)cheese

Elderberry Cheese (Houlander)

Tuma de la Paja by Beppino Ocelli

La Tournette-Rebiochon-style Tomme

Whole Wheat Pizza:

Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1-1/2 cups (360mL) warm water
2 Tbsp (30mL) olive oil
2 cups (240g) unbleached white flour
1-1/2 cups (180g) whole wheat flour
1 tsp (6g) salt

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Stir in olive oil and set aside.
Combine white flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, making a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture and stir until blended.
Gradually stir in the whole wheat flour, adding only enough to make a soft, workable dough.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Continue to lightly flour your work surface if the dough becomes sticky while kneading.)
Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until it’s doubled in bulk, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Chouriço:

Portuguese chouriço is made with pork, fat, wine, paprika and salt. It is then stuffed into tripe (natural or artificial) and slowly dried over smoke. There are many different varieties, changing in colour, shape, seasoning and taste.

Rock Octopus:

In the waters off Asturias, there are two kinds of Octopus: Rock Octopus (Pulpo de Roca) and High Sea Octopus (Pulpo de Altura). The former is the most exquisite and appreciated of these two sea treasures. It is usually obtained with nets near the coast using crab meat or sardine as bait. It can also be caught from land with large fishing poles. This brightly multicolored sea creature ranges in size from 5 to 12 pounds. AGROMAR, the maker of this gourmet specialty item, only works with Pulpo de Roca, producing the most delicate and flavorful octopus meat. It is cooked then marinated in olive oil to preserve its freshness. This octopus is only slightly chewy and has a subtle sweetness. It is a favorite at tapas bars, served chilled, and is also delicious grilled.

Canned and alive...hehe

Mediterranean Cooking: Osso Buco and Grilled Squid

2008-06-23T15:38:00.000-07:00

Osso Buco:

• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 dry bay leaf
• 2 whole cloves
• Cheesecloth
• Kitchen twine, for bouquet garni and tying the veal shanks
• 3 whole veal shanks (about 1 pound per shank), trimmed
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All purpose flour, for dredging
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 small carrot, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 stalk celery, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Place the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and cloves into cheesecloth and secure with twine. This will be your bouquet garni.

For the veal shanks, pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Veal shanks will brown better when they are dry. Secure the meat to the bone with the kitchen twine. Season each shank with salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge the shanks in flour, shaking off excess.

In a large Dutch oven pot, heat vegetable oil until smoking. Add tied veal shanks to the hot pan and brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove browned shanks and reserve.

In the same pot, add the onion, carrot and celery. Season with salt at this point to help draw out the moisture from the vegetables. Saute until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Return browned shanks to the pan and add the white wine and reduce liquid by half, about 5 minutes. Add the bouquet garni and 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Check every 15 minutes, turning shanks and adding more chicken stock as necessary. The level of cooking liquid should always be about 3/4 the way up the shank.
Carefully remove the cooked shanks from the pot and place in decorative serving platter. Cut off the kitchen twine and discard.

Remove and discard bouquet garni from the pot.

Pour all the juices and sauce from the pot over the shanks. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest.

Grilled Squid:

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

· 1 pound cleaned squid
· 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
· 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
· Metal skewers
· 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
· Lemon wedges

Preparation:

Prepare grill. Rinse squid with cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut squid bodies lengthwise down one side and open flat. Cut tentacles in half if large. In bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add squid bodies and tentacles, tossing to coat. Thread squid bodies lengthwise onto skewers so they lie flat; thread tentacles onto separate skewers. Grill over high heat, turning once, until just opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove squid from skewers and pile on platter. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

How to clean Squid:

Whole squid is becoming quite popular with home cooks because they contain a gourmet prize: squid ink. Squid ink has become the secret ingredient for famous chefs around the world to not only color pastas and risottos, but also lend a touch of flavor. Squid ink is available in some gourmet markets at a hefty price, but if you buy whole squid, you can harvest your own squid ink. All it takes is a bit of careful cleaning. Cleaning your own will also save you money.

To clean squid grip the head in one hand and the body in the other. Gently pull the head away from the body. The entrails should come right along with it.

The ink sac will be in the innards. It is thin and silvery, about one inch long and 1/16th in width. You won't get much ink per squid, but a little goes a very long way. If you wish to reserve the ink, puncture the ink sac and squeeze the contents into a small bowl with about 1/4 cup of water or vinegar. Very small deposits of ink can also be found just behind the eyes.

The tentacles are perfectly edible. Sever them from the head just below the eyes.

Remove and discard the beak from the center of the tentacles.

Inside the body, you will feel a long, thin sliver of cuttlebone which must be removed and discarded.

The outer colored skin can be scraped or rubbed from the body tube under running water, leaving the white meat. On smaller, more tender squid, it is not necessary to remove the outer skin, but on larger squid, the skin tends to toughen with cooking. Rinse meat and tentacles inside and out under cold running water.

American Cooking: Pot Roast and Apple Pie

2008-06-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

Pot Roast:

pork loin
6-8 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into thin slivers
7 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juice only
1 tsp dried fennel seeds
8 sprigs fresh oregano
300g shallots
1 large celeriac, quartered and peeled
1 x 130g twin-pack cubetti di pancetta (small cubes of Italian cured belly pork)
600ml full-bodied red wine- drink the remainder!

Using a small, sharp kitchen knife, stab through the fatty side of the pork loin to make about 30 fairly deep, randomly spaced incisions. Insert a sliver of garlic into each stab mark, pushing the garlic well into the meat and smoothing over the fat to close up the entry points. Reserve a few slivers to push in cuts made on the flesh-side of the joint.

Put 5 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon juice, fennel seeds and the leaves stripped from 4 oregano sprigs in a large non-reactive dish (a non-porous dish, such as glass or stainless steel, which won't react with acidic foods and alter the flavour). Grind in plenty of black pepper, then swish everything into a sludge with one clean hand. Put the joint into the dish and massage the marinade into every nook and cranny. Leave the pork to marinade for 6-24 hours in a cool place or the fridge.

When you are ready to start cooking, preheat the oven to 170C/Gas 4/fan oven 150C. Put the shallots in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 2 minutes to loosen the skins, then tip the shallots into a large sieve or colander and rinse under cold water. Trim off the root end, then peel the shallots, breaking any large ones into their natural segments. Halve each celeriac wedge, then cut into large, bite-sized chunks.

Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Toss in the pancetta and fry for 2-3 minutes until slightly frazzled. Transfer the cubes to a large casserole big enough to take the pork, using a slotted spoon so the fat drains back into the pan. Throw the shallots and celeriac into the frying pan and sauté them for 3-4 minutes until coloured, turning frequently. Transfer them to the casserole, again draining off the oil.

Pull the frying pan to one side. Quickly scrape off any excess marinade from the pork loin, then season the meat with fine sea salt. Replace the frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the pork on all sides, including the ends. Place the loin on the vegetables in the casserole. Stuff the remaining sprigs of oregano around it.

Pour off and discard all the fat in the frying pan, raise the heat and pour in the wine. Bring to the boil, scraping up all the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine bubble and reduce for 3 minutes, then pour into the casserole.
Place the casserole over a high heat and bring the juices up to a bubble.

Immediately put the lid on the casserole and transfer it to the oven. Cook the loin for 1 hour 45 minutes, turning it halfway through. Remove the casserole from the oven and leave the pork to rest in a warm place for 15-30 minutes, still covered, before carving.

Oatmeal Nut Crunch Apple Pie:

Ingredients

Crust
1 cup all-purpose, flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchâtel)
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons ice water

Filling
3 Granny Smith apples, medium, peeled and thinly sliced
3 medium McIntosh apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Topping
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. To prepare crust: Whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cut in 4 tablespoons butter and the cream cheese using a pastry blender or a fork until the mixture is pebbly. Add oil; stir until evenly moistened. Sprinkle water over the mixture; toss with a fork to combine. Knead the dough in the bowl a few times. Gather into a ball, press into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Roll the dough into a 14-inch circle between 2 large pieces of parchment or wax paper. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Peel off the remaining paper. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Tuck the overhanging dough under, forming a double-thick edge. Crimp the edge with your fingers. Using a fork, prick the dough in several places. Refrigerate the crust for 15 minutes.

3. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F.

4. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool, about 30 minutes.

5. To prepare filling: Combine apples, 1/2 cup brown sugar, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the apples and toss again; mound the filling into the cooled crust. Coat the crust edges with cooking spray, return the pie to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, prepare topping: Combine 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or a fork until evenly distributed. Stir in orange juice concentrate and nuts.

7. After the pie has baked for 30 minutes, remove it from the oven and scatter the topping over the apples. Return it to the oven (covering the edges of the crust with foil if they're browning too quickly) and bake until the topping is golden and the juices are bubbling around the edges, 20 minutes more. Cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

Vietnamese Cooking: Pho and Spring Rolls

2008-06-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

Pho Bo:

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Beef Broth:

1 small onion, chopped
1 2-inch stick ginger
2 pounds beef bones
12 cups water
6 star anise
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pound lean, tender beef
Noodles: 1 16-ounce package dry, flat rice noodles (pho)

Garnish:

3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
10 cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
10 sprigs basil
10 sprigs fresh culantro (ngo gai)
fresh red or green chile pepper, thinly sliced

Accompaniments:

lime or lemon quarters
fish sauce
hoisin sauce
hot chile sauce

Preparation:

Broil onion and ginger until they look burned. Using back of cleaver, smash the ginger and set aside. Wash beef bones, place in a large soup pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and immediately pour off this "first boiling" water and discard. Add another 12 cups of fresh water and again bring to a boil. Skim off foam. Add the broiled onion and ginger, star anise, salt and sugar. Over medium-low heat, simmer for 30 minutes. Slice raw beef into thin strips and set aside.Remove bones from broth and strain out vegetables and seasonings. Soak noodles in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain. In a soup pot bring two quarts fresh water to a boil. Add drained noodles and cook seven minutes at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally until noodles are tender. Rinse noodles under cold running water and set aside. Return the broth to a boil over high heat.

To serve: Divide noodles among 4 to 6 large individual serving bowls. Arrange thinly sliced raw beef, scallions, onion, and cilantro on top. Pour boiling hot broth to cover noodles and serve immediately. The boiling broth will cook the thin slices of beef.

Pho is always accompanied by bean sprouts, basil leaves, culantro and chile pepper.

Serve with lime and lemon quarters, fish sauce, hoisin sauce and hot chile sauce.

Serves 4 to 6.

*Culantro is a leafy herb with a similar aroma to cilantro, although more pungent. If unavailable, increase the amount of cilantro or simply leave out.

Pork and Shrimp Spring Roll (Goi Cuon) with Peanut Sauce (Nuoc Leo)

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Peanut or olive oil, optional
1/2 pound fine rice vermicelli (bun)
12 (10-inch) rice paper wrappers (banh trang)
1 pound boiled shrimp, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise and then thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 1/2 cups thinly shredded romaine lettuce
48 mint leaves
24 cilantro sprigs
48 Thai basil leaves
1 carrot, cut into julienne

Peanut Sauce (Nuoc Leo): See below

Place the pork tenderloin in a bowl with the shallot, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, black pepper, and oil, if using, and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate, turning occasionally, at least 1 hour and up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat a grill to high. Grill the tenderloin, turning occasionally, until just cooked through and an instant-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Transfer tenderloin to a plate and set aside to cool to room temperature before proceeding. Once cooled, slice tenderloin into 1/8-inch thick slices and set aside, covered and refrigerated, until you are ready to assemble the spring rolls.

Prepare the rice vermicelli according to package directions and strain in a colander. Run under cold running water until cool and set aside to drain.

Assemble the rolls 1 at a time:

Dip 1 spring roll wrapper into lukewarm water and quickly transfer to a clean kitchen towel. (Wrapper will soften within seconds.) Lay 4 shrimp halves in a horizontal line across the center of each wrapper and top with a few tablespoons of cooked (well-drained) vermicelli. Top the vermicelli with 1 or 2 slices of cucumber, 2 tablespoons or so of the shredded romaine, 4 mint leaves, 2 sprigs of cilantro, and 4 basil leaves. Place a few sticks of carrot julienne along the top of the filling ingredients and top with 2 slices of pork. Carefully pull the lower edge of the wrapper up and over the filling. Fold the 2 sides inward over the filling and press to seal. Work carefully so as not to tear the wrapper. Once both sides are folded inward over the filling, roll the spring roll upwards so that the filling is tightly contained and roll up to seal. Set the spring roll aside on a plate, covered with a damp paper towel or damp clean kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Once you have assembled all of the spring rolls, serve them immediately – either at room temperature or slightly chilled, with the Peanut Sauce on the side for dipping.

Peanut Sauce (Nuoc Leo):

1 tablespoon peanut oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chili paste

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup plus

2 tablespoons chicken stock or water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped

*1 fresh red Thai chile pepper, seeded and thinly sliced, optional

*optional Sriracha sauce, for garnishing

Heat the oil in a small saucepan and, when hot, add the garlic, chile paste, and tomato paste, and cook until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add the broth, sugar, peanut butter and hoisin sauce and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly before serving. Serve in small bowls, garnished with the peanuts, sliced chiles and optional hot sauce.

May be served warm or at room temperature.

Yield: about 1 1/4 cups

Bolivian Cooking: Pork Stew and Penco Desert

2008-06-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

I found this very neat comparison between the different geographical food pyramids of the world. Here's Latin Americas. I figured I should post a few food items to go with it. Enjoy!

Fricase(Pork Stew)

4 pounds pork loin cut in pieces
2 cups chopped onions
2 large tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 T. parsley
½ T. cumin
½ teaspoon pepper
2 small sprigs of mint
1 T. ground chili powder(if available use the yellow ground chili powder from Bolivia)
Several boiled potatoes
Hominy

Cover meat with water and a little salt. Let boil for a while and then add all other ingredients, except potatoes and hominy. Let cook until onion disappears and meat is well done. It should have a lot of soupy juice. Serve in bowls with wedges of peeled, boiled potatoes *and drained hominy added.

*Usually it is served with chuno, which is a freeze-dried potato. You can make chuno at home by putting raw potatoes in the freezer until they shrink and dry. They will turn almost black. Then they must be washed, soaked overnight, peeled and pounded so that they break up into little pieces before cooking. Boil in water about 15 minutes. On the Altiplano, the potatoes are set outside overnight to freeze in the cold, dry air. This is an acquired taste and you may be happier with just regular boiled potatoes.

“Penco” Dessert
(Thin Layers of Cracker Type Doughwith Caramel Filling)

6 egg yolks
1 T. vinegar
1 T. oil
¾ to 1 cup flour
Dulce de leche, a caramel sauce found in most Latin markets, Smuckers brand can be used.
Heavy whipping cream
Walnuts

Beat yolks until very foamy and almost cream colored, you may use a beater for this but change to wooden spoon and add ½ cup of flour very slowly. Continue beating while adding oil slowly. Let dough pull together and add vinegar, beating until it pulls together again. Now add enough flour to make a very soft dough. On a lightly floured board knead until it is elastic and forms bubbles, about 5-7 minutes. Divide into 4 small balls. Roll out each ball into a very thin, round circle about 8 inches in diameter. Put on cookie sheet and prick with fork all around except the edges. You should be able to get two on a sheet. Bake about 5-7 minutes in a hot, 450 degree F oven. The edges should curl up. When cool, fill with a mixture of “dulce de leche” and whipping cream, usually about half and half or to taste. Cover top layer as well and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Salad Dressing and Marinades

2008-06-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

Olive Garden's House Dressing

Ingredients:

8 ounces Paul Newman's Own vinegar and oil dressing
1 garlic clove -- peeled, halved
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon sugar (or 3 pkgs of Sweet and Low)

Cooking Directions:

Put ingredients into the bottle of dressing and shake well.Refrigerate 24 hours before using.

Steak & Ale's Marinades Recipe

Ingredients:

FOR BEEF AND STEAKS

1/2 cup ketchup
2/3 cup tomato juice
1/4 cup red wine or purple grape juice
1 dash Worcestershire sauce

FOR CHICKEN OR PORK

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup white wine or white grape juice

Cooking Directions:

Mix ingredients for each marinade.Use mixture to marinate steaks, chicken or pork for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Salmon Two Ways: Honey Dejon and Southeast Asian

2008-06-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

Red Lobster's Grilled Salmon With Honey Dijon Sauce Recipe
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets - (8 oz ea) -- brushed with oil

Honey Dijon Sauce

8 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons water -- warm
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 teaspoons soy sauce1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

Cooking Directions:

Combine honey, Dijon mustard, water, olive oil, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Set aside.Brush salmon fillets with olive oil and grill 3 to 5 minutes on one side. Turn.While grilling on second side, brush with Honey Dijon Sauce.Grill a total of approximately 10 to 12 minutes.Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Baked Salmon with Southeast Asian marinade
Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 salmon fillets, each 4 ounces
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup diced fresh fruit, such as pineapple, mango and papaya

Directions:

In a small bowl, add the pineapple juice, garlic, soy sauce and ginger. Stir to mix evenly.

Arrange the salmon fillets in a small baking dish. Pour the pineapple juice mixture over the top. Put in the refrigerator and marinate for 1 hour. Turn the salmon periodically as needed.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly coat 2 squares of aluminum foil with cooking spray. Place the marinated salmon fillets on the aluminum foil. Drizzle each with 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil. Sprinkle with pepper and top each with 1/2 cup diced fruit.

Wrap the foil around the salmon, folding the edges down to seal. Bake until the fish is opaque throughout when tested with the tip of a knife, about 10 minutes on each side. Transfer the salmon to warmed individual plates and serve immediately.

Thai Coconut-Mango Sticky Rice

Ingredients

1/2 cup basmati rice or jasmine rice or other sweet asian rice
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (you can use the light kind if you want, it just makes it a little less rich)
1/2 cup sugar
1 mango, sliced

Directions

Rice:

Cook rice according to package directions, but substitute coconut milk for half of the water, and add half the sugar. It should be fairly dry when you finish cooking it, without any liquid visible in the pot.

Sauce:

In a medium saucepan, boil the rest of the coconut milk with the second half of the sugar. Keep this at a full boil until the rice is cooked, or until it reaches a thick, syrupy consistency.

Presentation:

Arrange the cooked coconut rice in a bowl or plate with the mango slices in some kind of pretty formation and dribble a bit of the sauce over the whole thing

Meat Cuts: For Your Inner Butcher

2008-06-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

...or the one at the grocer. These may help when deciding on what type of meat you want to work with fo meals. See Lamb-in-a-box for the Lamb cuts.

Beef:

Goat:

Pork:

Lamb-in-a-Box...Mutton the UK Way

2008-06-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

When you think about buying Lamb, you probably contemplate which of these lovely cuts you'll need or prefer for the night's meal, but if you just aren't sure, and don't mind dropping $200+, the UK based Lamb-in-a-box company has the answer for you...

Just go a head and buy them all!! Or at least Half a Mutton, like the one pictured below:

Oh, so many places I could go with this, but we'll just leave it at the picture, I think that says enough.

Pork ShabuShabu Udon...again...I'm telling you people, this stuff's good!

2008-06-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Anytime I need a quick and easy meal, this is what I grab from the freezer...one part udon and one part pork shabushabu meat and sauce, the concept is pretty straight forward:

Take one jar of Pan Shabu or 1 bottle of Soba Soup Stock + 3-4 Tbs of Soy Sauce and boil.

Add Pork (or whatever meat you like) and boil off until almost done (10-20 sec for three pieces at a time ~roughly) and set aside.

When all meat is done, add any vegetables and cook the same way, parboiled or almost tender. Set aside.

Add Frozen Udon Noodles (defrosted is very useful) or cook dried noodles per package directions and then at about 3 minutes when they are still slightly hard in the center, add vegetables and meat back in.

Cook off for another minute to heat through and serve. The whole thing should take 10 minutes top with the non-dried version of noodles and cost under $10 (depending on vegetables or quantity of meat).

Udon Noodles:

Standard ShabuShabu prep for meal (boiling in water is bland you all):

Homestyle Turkey Barley Soup

2008-06-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

Serving Size : 8

1 c Chopped onion
1 c Sliced carrots
1 c Sliced celery
1 tbl Vegetable oil
5 c Water
1 c Reduced sodium chicken broth-(14-1/2 oz size)
1/2 c Medium Barley
1 tsp Thyme-crushed
1 tsp Salt (optional)
1/8 tsp Black pepper
1 c Chopped cooked turkey-(about 1/2 pound)

In a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, cook onion, carrots and celery in oil until onion is tender. Add remaining ingredients except turkey. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked turkey; continue cooking 5 to 10 minutes or until turkey is heated through and barley is tender. Add additional water or chicken broth if soup becomes too thick upon standing.

Da Laa' Lamb Cutlets

2008-06-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

Serves 4

Marinade for Lamb:

2 tbs worcestshire
1/2 preserved lemon, flesh only

Mix togerther. Place 12 lamb cutlets or 2 large lamb shoulder blades, cut in half length wise, in a bag and pout marinade over, squishing to cover. Leave sitting on counter for the time it takes to make the sauce.

Prep oven to 350F.

Sauce:

2tbs olive oil
1tsp grated ginger
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 white onion, sliced into rings
pinch saffron
salt and pepper

Saute above over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Add in:

1/2 c sugar
1/2 c honey
1/2 c fresh orange juice

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add in:

1 c chopped dates

Saute for 5 minutes more.

***Lamb:

Bake in tagine for 15-25 minutes depending on rarity wanted.

(obviously, I used an oven, but this works too...) :)

Serve with Couscous and peeled orange segments.

***Plating:

Mound couscous in center, place lamb on top, orange segments pinwheel fashion around lamb and drizzle with sauce mixture.

Time: 40 minutes start to finish
Cost: $15
Rating: 8/10

A French Kitchen and Dinning Room

2008-06-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

(I like the copper pots hanging up)

(ok, so this one's from a castle, but it's still pretty cool!)

Entrecote Marchand de Vin

2008-06-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

This classic French recipe has the simplest possible sauce for a fried steak. The red wine bubbles down and deglazes the pan so that all the lovely flavours of the steak are incorporated into the sauce.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 entrecôte or sirloin steaks weighing about 8 oz (225 g) each, removed from the fridge about 1 hour before you need them

1 tablespoon light olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

6 fl oz (175 ml) red wine

freshly milled black pepper

You will also need a solid frying pan with a diameter of 10 inches (25.5 cm).

First of all, heat half the oil in the frying pan over a high heat, then fry the chopped onion until it's softened and tinged dark brown at the edges – about 6 minutes – and remove to a plate.

Now add the remaining oil to the pan and, keeping the heat high – the pan should be as hot as you dare – season the steaks with coarsely milled black pepper, but no salt, as this encourages the juices to come out.

Now add the steaks to the hot pan and press them gently with a spoon so that the underneath is seared and becomes crusty.

Cook the steaks for about 3 minutes each side for medium, 2 for rare and 4 for well done.

Then, about 2 minutes before the end of the cooking time, return the onion to the pan, pour the wine around the steaks and, keeping the heat high, boil until reduced and syrupy.

Serve the steaks on hot plates with the sauce spooned over.

Oven-roasted Chunky Chips and a green salad would be very good with this.

Poulet Basque

2008-06-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

Serves 4

Ingredients :

Fresh chicken with giblets weighing about 1.5kg cut into 8 pieces
225 gm pork belly cut into small chunks
25 gm butter
2 tbl olive oil
900 gm fresh ripe tomatoes skinned and quartered
2 large green peppers de-seeded and cut into strips
225 gm button mushrooms halved
150 ml chicken stock made with giblets
1 clove garlic crushed
1 x level teaspoon thyme fresh or dried
1 x salt and freshly milled black pepper

Method :

Preheat oven to gas mark 6 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Heat the butter and the oil together in a large flameproof casserole.

When it is hot saute the pieces of chicken and pork together until they are golden.

Do this in 2 batches if there isnt enough room.

Pour off the excess fat then return the first batch to the casserole and add the stock garlic thyme salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste.

Bring everything to simmering point then transfer the casserole to the oven cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes add the tomatoes peppers and mushrooms to the casserole and cook for a further 40 minutes reducing the heat to gas mark 4 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

This is good served with rice and a plain lettuce salad with a garlicky French dressing.

Cran-Brandy Pudding and Golden Toffee Sauce

2008-06-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

A holiday favorite at our house; takes a while, but totally worth it. Add the alcohol at the end for a 21 and over cake!

Cran-Brandy Pudding

Ingredients:

1-1/3 c All-Purpose Flour*
1/4 c Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 ts Cinnamon
1/4 ts Allspice
1 ts Baking Soda
1/2 ts Baking Powder
3 tb Brandy
1/4 c Milk
3 tb Oil
Egg
Small jar of baby-food plums
2 c Cranberries, Halved
Handful of Rosehips rehydrated

Method:

*Self-rising flour IS NOT recommended for this recipe. Generously grease 1-qt mold or casserole. In med. bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, soda and baking powder. Add brandy, milk, oil and egg; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in walnuts and cranberries. Spoon into the prepared mold. Cover tightly with foil. Place on wire rack in large steamer or kettle. Pour boiled water 3-4 deep into steamer; cover. Keep water boiling gently over low heat. If necessary, add water to maintain steam. Steam 1 1/2-2 hrs or until pudding springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool slightly. Invert onto serving plate. Cut into slices.

Golden Toffee Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Whipping Cream
1/3 cup Margarine or Butter
2 tsp Brandy

Method:

In small saucepan, combine sugars, cream and margarine. Heat to simmering; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add brandy. Serve warm over Cran-Brandy Pudding.

BRAISED PORK BELLY...OMFG!!! YUMMY!!!!

2008-06-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

SPICE RUB:

1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon dill seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless pork belly, skin on or skin off

BRAISING LIQUID:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion (about 4 ounces), coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
1 cup chicken stock, homemade or store-bought

Spice rub (1 to 2 days in advance):

Combine the peppercorns, coriander and dill seed in a small mortar or a spice grinder. Grind until cracked but not reduced to a powder. Add the salt and grind briefly to combine.

Dry the pork well with paper towels and place it on a small baking sheet or large plate. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork, turning and rubbing until all the spices adhere; this may take a few turns. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Brown the pork:

Pat the surface of the pork dry with paper towels. If some of the spices come off, save these for later. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet or shallow braising dish (4- to 5-quart) over medium-high heat. Add the pork, skin (or fat, if you bought skinless) side down and sear until the skin (or fat) sizzles and browns evenly, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan.

The aromatics:

Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the onion, carrot and celery, and sauté until the vegetables are softening and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves and cloves. Stir and sauté for another minute or so.

The braising liquid:

Add the white wine, bring to a simmer, and stir with a wooden spoon to dislodge any seared-on bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine reduces down to a couple of tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.

The braise:

Return the pork, skin side up, to the pan. Scrape in any spices that have fallen off the pork. Cover with foil or a secure lid, and slide into the middle of the oven. Braise, checking every 45 minutes to baste and to make sure that the liquid isn't simmering too rapidly or evaporating, until the pork is completely tender, 2 1/4 to 3 hours. Turn down the oven 10 or 15 degrees if the liquid is simmering too briskly. And if the pan threatens to dry out, add some water, about 1/4 cup at a time. Remove the pork from the oven and let cool in the braising liquid.

The finish:

When the pork is cool enough to handle, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, and set the pan aside. If the pork is skin-on, run a long sharp knife blade just under the skin and remove it. Score the exposed fat in a cross-hatch patter, making shallow cuts about 1 inch apart, then cut the pork into 4 even portions.

Browning the pork:

Strain the braising liquid into a large glass measuring cup, pressing down lightly on the vegetables to extract any liquid (don't press so hard as to mash the vegetables), and then discard the vegetables. With a large spoon, skim off the excess fat that floats on the surface of the strained liquid. Return the pork to the braising pan or another shallow baking dish. Slide the pork, uncovered, onto the middle oven rack until sizzling and browned and heated through, about 20 minutes.

Serving:

Taste the braising liquid for salt and pepper, adjust seasonings as necessary, and spoon a bit over each serving.

Options/Alternatives:

I've now done this 2 different ways: Asian and Southern.

Asian:

Alternate Sake for the White Wine, omit the dill seeds and use a tamarind paste/soy sauce mixture and used it like a light glaze.

Southern:

Alternate Ouzo for the White Wine, omit the spice rub listed above and use Harry and David's Grill Rub for Pork and Poultry: Sea Salt, Red Pepper Flakes, Corriander, Black Pepper, Mustard Seeds, Garlic, and some other stuff I can't remember. It ends up with a slight 'corned beef' taste.

Also...I used a cast iron pan for the asian version, and a tagine for the southern, i didn't see much of a difference, but my tagine is a heck of a lot easier to clean!

Grilled Octopus-Greek Style-

2008-06-03T09:41:00.001-07:00

Grilled Octopus

If using fresh octopus, wash it well and place in a large nonreactive pot. (The octopus releases water as it cooks, so there is no need to add any.) Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the octopus changes color and curls up. If using frozen octopus, place it in the pot directly from the freezer and cook over low heat, turning frequently, until it curls up. Increase the heat to high and cook to evaporate most of the liquid. Let cool.

Marinade:
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine or cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup red wine
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or freshly ground black pepper

Marinate the octopus:

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl or baking dish. Cut and separate the eight legs of the blanched octopus, place in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight and up to 3 days.

Drain the octopus and pat dry.

Cook the marinade over medium–high heat, until reduced to 1 cup.

Grill (or broil) for 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Cut into bite-sized pieces and drizzle with the reduced marinade.

French Yogurt Cheese

2008-06-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

**French Yogurt Cheese

Take yogurt, any amount, place in cheese cloth, let drain out of refrigerator for 3 days in a collander or jar.

Wrap tightly in cheesecloth and press out remaining whey.

Use a cheese press for a hard cheese, use as is for a cream cheese consistancy.

Add your favorite flavors to custom make; ex. honey; sundried tomatoes and basil; etc.

** Gâteau au Yaourt
-Figs and rosemary yogurt cake-

1 yogurt (plain/natural)- 125g container
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/8 cup caster sugar (also known as superfine)
1/2 packet of baking levener (1 T baking powder)
2-3 T vegetable oil
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
Rosemary
Cooked (alcoholic) figs on top.

Bake at 350 F for 35 to 45 minutes for a cake pan, about 25 to 30 minutes for a smaller loaf pan.

Tajen Djaj bel Btata Lehleewa (Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes)

2008-05-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

Tajen Djaj bel Btata Lehleewa (Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes)

Ingredients

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
one chicken (approx. 8 lbs.), cut into 8 pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ lb. white or yellow sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced crosswise (should be one-eighth inch thick)
1 tbsp chopped parsely
cup water
salt & pepper (serves 4)

Preparation

1. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

2. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the casserole along with the onion, ginger, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 7 minutes. Arrange the chicken pieces in the casserole in an even layer. Spread the sweet potato slices over the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle evenly with the tomatoes, garlic and parsley. Add the water to the casserole and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook the tagine over low heat until the chicken and sweet potatoes are tender, about 50 minutes.

3. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and keep warm. Boil the sauce over high heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sweet potatoes and serve.

The tagine can be prepared ahead of time, step 1 & 2 and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before reheating gently.

Duck Confit

2008-05-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

4 duck legs
5 garlic cloves
6 cups of rendered duck fat
kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp finely crumbled dried thyme
1 Turkish bay leaf, finely crumbled

Instructions:

Mix all the spices together and sprinkle them evenly over the legs. Measure out enough kosher salt to have 1/3 ounce for each pound of meat, and sprinkle it evenly over all sides of the legs. Set them in a flat, glass baking dish with the garlic cloves, cover with plastic wrap, and cure them in the refrigerator for 36 hours.

Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C;). Drain all the liquid from the baking dish. Pat the legs, garlic cloves, and dish dry. Return the legs and garlic to the dish and cover with the duck fat. Bake until the garlic cloves have turned a deep golden color, which will take 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Let the meat cool in the fat until it can safely be transferred to a large canning jar. Strain the fat through a cheesecloth, and pour enough over the meat to cover it by at least an inch. Cool it completely, seal the jar, and store it in a cool, dark place such as a cellar or refrigerator for up to six months.

Ikea Dinner: Scandinavian Feast

2008-05-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I'm about to go into the kitchen and make an Ikea dinner for us tonight. 2 weeks ago we stopped off over at the store in Emeryville to pick up some shelves, but I also picked up some foodstuffs too. On the menu tonight are Swedish Meatballs with gravy and lingonberry sauce, baked new potatoes with herbs de province, grilled white asparagus with olive oil and vegetable seasoning, and Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits.

Mostly everything is quick cooking. The meatballs will take 15mins, as will the biscuits and potatoes (once I quarter and parboil them) and I'll do a quick parboil to the asparagus and then put them on the George Forman to grill off. I'll time it and write that up after dinner...answer 25 min from start to finish.

Oh yeah, cost for dinner tonight is: $10

I'm also going to try making this:

Cloudberry Cream with Rosemary and Vanilla

Serves 2-4

1 pound (1/2kg) cloudberries or 1 pound cloudberry preserves
6 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste, if using fresh berries
3 cups (7dl) heavy (whipping) cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

Pour the cream into a large bowl. Scrape the black seeds out of the vanilla bean and add to the cream. Whip the cream until stiff. Fold in the cloudberries and rosemary. Serve immediately.

This recipe was from New Scandinavian Cooking. It's a great show and a fun website. Some of the 'traditional' foods are best left to living in freezing areas where there's not much to eat though. :)

Bistro Chicken and Modern Moroccan

2008-05-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

P brought me home a new French cookbook called Bistro Chicken yesterday. Looks like it'll be fun to go through. We're going to try two recipes out of it this week: Chicken with Honey, Lavender, and Herbs and Marrakesh Chicken.

Along the Moroccan lines, we also have a book called Modern Moroccan that is very cool. It has lots of pictures so you know when things have gone horribly wrong. :) So, to make things easier I went and bought a tagine today. I'm going to try and use it for one of the two different dishes out of the book this week: Da Laa' Lamb Cutlets. I'm also planning on making the Minted Lamb and Mushroom Kebabs, but those will be grilled in the George Forman Grill.

Friday I made a Swedish meal from Ikea: Herbed and Salted Salmon with a Chive and Lemon Sauce that I served with Saffron (Yellow) Rice. Came out wonderfully. And then Saturday I cooked up some thinly sliced flank steak with onion and marinated Roasted Sweet Bell Peppers and served it over torn lasagna noodles with the Chive sauce and some fresh shelled English Peas and P made a sun dried tomato and pepper pesto sauce and had his with some of the left over yellow rice. I'll post pictures soon.

Kalamaria Yemista: Rice Stuffed Squid--Greek

2008-04-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

Kalamaria Yemista: Rice Stuffed Squid

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 pounds of cleaned squid
1/2 cup of olve oil
1/2 cup of dry wine (white or red)
3/4 cup of rice (preferably long grain)
1/2 tablespoon of tomato paste
1/4 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
2 1/4 cups of water
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
toothpicks

PREPARATION:

Chop up the squid tentacles into small pieces.

Stir the tomato paste into the wine until smooth.

Preheat oven to 340F (170C).

In a frying pan, sauté the onion, garlic, and 1/2 the chopped tentacles in the olive oil over medium-high heat.

When the onion has softened and the mixture is steaming, stir in the wine and tomato paste mixture. Stir in parsley and cook until the mixture thickens slightly. Stir in 1/2 the water and bring to a boil. Stir in rice, turn off the heat, and wait for the rice to expand, about 15 minutes.
Using a spoon (or small measuring spoon for small squid), fill the squid tubes with the stuffing, to 1/2 inch from the top. Thread the top with one or more toothpicks to close and place in a baking pan. Add remaining stuffing, chopped tentacles, and remaining water.

Bake at 340F (170C) for one hour and 10 minutes.

Remove toothpicks before serving.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2008-04-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:

3 cups rhubarb stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces

(Trim outside stringy layer of large rhubarb stalks; make sure to trim away any and discard of the leaves which are poisonous; trim ends.)

1 cup strawberries, stemmed and sliced

1 cup sugar

1/2 cub flour

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg powder

Unbaked pastry for two-crust 9 inch pie

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix the rhubarb and the strawberries with the sugar, tapioca, salt, and orange rind. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Turn into a pastry lined pan. Top with the pastry, trim the edge, and crimp the top and bottom edges together. Cut slits in the top for the steam to escape.

Bake at 400°F for 40 minutes.

Serve warm or cold.

Blast From the Past!! Cooking terms...

2008-04-23T13:40:00.001-07:00

A year ago I came upon this video, and though it is horribly sexist, it does give a great explination of some standard terms you should know before setting off to start cooking.

Examples:

Baste: To spoon or brush food as it cooks with melted butter or other fat, meat drippings or liquid such as stock. A BULB BASTER can also be used to drizzle the liquid over the food. In addition to adding flavor and color, basting keeps meats and other foods from drying out. Fatty roasts, when cooked fat side up, do not need basting.

Fold: A technique used to gently combine a light, airy mixture (such as beaten egg whites) with a heavier mixture (such as whipped cream or custard). The lighter mixture is placed on top of the heavier one in a large bowl. Starting at the back of the bowl, a rubber spatula is used to cut down vertically through the two mixtures, across the bottom of the bowl and up the nearest side. The bowl is rotated a quarter turn with each series of strokes. This down-across-up-and-over motion gently turns the mixtures over on top of each other, combining them in the process.

Cream: To beat an ingredient or combination of ingredients until the mixture is soft, smooth and "creamy." Often a recipe calls for creaming a fat, such as butter, or creaming a mixture of butter and sugar. When creaming two or more ingredients together, the result should be a smooth, homogeneous mixture that shows neither separation nor evidence of any particles (such as sugar). Electric mixers and food processors make quick work of what used to be a laborious, time-consuming process.

Whip: To beat ingredients, such as egg whites, cream, etc., thereby incorporating air into them and increasing their volume until they are light and fluffy.

Click to see the 10 minute video on Cooking Terms!

Other Images:

Bacon Wrapped B-B-Q Rabbit with Stuffing and Green Beans

2008-04-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

Time to kill the Bunny!!!

hehe ok ok, so a lot of people freak when I tell them we eat rabbit, but it's very tasty and quite prolific, so I don't feel bad at all.

I made Bacon wrapped B-B-Q Rabbit and Stuffing yesterday for dinner and we've been eating it all week, really yummy.

This is a simple recipe that doesn't take much involvement at all...

Get a 2 lb rabbit pre-cut (or have the butcher do this) and wash it under cold water to dislodge any hair or blood.

Wrap each piece with one or two pieces of bacon and place in a casserole dish.

Lightly baste (To moisten periodically with a liquid, such as melted butter or a sauce) with favorite BBQ sauce (we love Sweet Baby Rays!!) and cook in a 375F pre-heated oven for 1 hour.

Every 15 min reapply sauce to meat. At the 30 min mark, drain liquid into extra bowl, then turn over each piece and repeat sauce application.

Once meat is cooked and taken out of oven, drain again and then use the liquid to baste once more with a bit of the BBQ sauce mixed in.

Serve with Stuffing and Green Beans.

Videos forth coming.

A trip to Tapioca Express...

2008-04-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

I'm a total freak about Tapioca Express's Honeydew Snow Bubble, but i really don't like spending $5 a pop on them, so I picked up the ingredients to make it at home. I also have everything to make their Thai Ice Tea and the Milk Tea, so I figured I share the info.

How to make a Boba (bubble tea) Fresh Fruit Drink:

1 cup fresh fruit
1/2 cup milk
1 Scoop bubble tea sugar syrup
1 cup ice
2 fl. oz. cup of cooked Bubble Tea Tapioca Pearls

1. Put all ingredients except bubble tea tapioca pearls into a blender and blend well.
2. Make sure that the fruits are grinded into the milkshake.
3. Add bubble tea tapioca pearls to a cup, and pour your drink over.
4. Put in your big fat bubble tea straw and enjoy.

(how to cook dried tapioca pearls)

1 cup Tapioca Pearls
6-8 cups water

Approximately 6-10 servings

Step 1: Boil Water; Make sure there is a minimum of 7 parts water to 1 part tapioca.

Step 2: When water achieves a rolling boil pour in the tapioca pearls.

Step 3: Stir the tapioca lightly so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.

Step 4: Let the tapioca float to the top

Step 5: Cook for 25-30 minutes on high heat
When the tapioca floats, cover the pot.
Maintain a rolling boil and stir every 10 minutes.

Step 6: After cooking for 25-30 mins, take the pot off the heat and let sit for 25 mins covered.

Step 7: Drain the water from the cooked tapioca
Run lukewarm or cold water over the pearls and drain the water from them.

Step 8: Pour tapioca into a container and cover in sugar syrup or brown sugar.
Cover the container. Serve when ready.

Note: This is for those that want to make Bubble Tea at home and don't want to wait an hour. What I do is boil the tapioca pearls for 20 minutes and let it sit for 15 minutes. I rinse the tapioca pearls and then place in a container in the refrigerator. When I get the urge, I boil a cup of water and put some refrigerated tapioca pearls in for about 3-5 minutes. Rinse, cover in sugar syrup and serve. It usually lasts a few days before it gets too mushy. Enjoy!

(how to make the tea sugar syrup)

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups water

Approximately 32-35 sixteen ounce servings

1. Mix sugar and water in a large pot.
2. Cook at medium to high heat.
3. Once the mixture boils remove from stove immediately.
4. Let cool and serve.

*Refrigerate any excess

----------------------------------------------------------

Pearl Milk Tea

This can be made with black, green, oolong, chai, or yerba mate. The most popular are black tea and green jasmine tea.

3/4 cup tea
1 Scoop non-dairy powder creamer
1 Scoop bubble tea sugar syrup
1 cup ice
2 fl. oz. of cooked Bubble Tea Tapioca Pearls

1. Put hot tea, creamer and bubble tea sugar syrup in shaker and mix well.
2. Add in ice, cover shaker and shake for a nice froth.
3. Add tapioca pearls to a cup, and pour your drink over.
4. Put in your big fat bubble tea straw and enjoy.

----------------------------------------------------------

Thai Tea Drink w/Tapioca Pearls

3 1/2 c water
1/3 c Thai tea mixture

1. Heat the water to boiling, then using four layers of cheesecloth as a filter, pour the water through the tea four times or until the tea until reaches the right color.

10 oz. cooked Thai tea
1 Scoop bubble tea sugar syrup
2 TBLS sweetened condensed milk
2 fl. oz. of cooked Tapioca Pearls

1. Mix together the Thai tea, bubble tea sugar syrup and sweetened condensed milk and shake until little bubbles form on the top of the drink. Add bubble tea tapioca pearls to a 16 oz. cup, and pour your drink over.

March 18th, 2008: Daily Bread

2008-03-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: (324 calories)
1 chocolate glazed custard filled donut (234 calories)
1 cup skim milk (90 calories)

Lunch: (232 calories)

1/2 turkey sandwich:
1 slice marble rye bread (73 calories)
2 slices turkey breast (60 calories)
2 slices American cheese (94 calories)
1/2 cup Cesar salad (5 calories)

Dinner: (730 calories)
Prepackaged Deli Select Wrap (Chicken) (310 each serving, 2 servings)
1 cup soda (110 calories)

Daily Total: 1,286 calories
Maximum allowed: 1,550

March 19th, 2008: Daily Bread

2008-03-17T23:02:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: (324 calories)
1 chocolate glazed custard filled donut (234 calories)
1 cup skim milk (90 calories)

Lunch: (574 calories)

1 cup of calm chowder (95 calories):
[added to 6 cup serving: crab meat (3 tbs.) and sliced mushrooms (1/4 cup)]
10 oyster crackers (45 calories)
1/2 cup Beef Stroganoff (329 calories)
1/2 cup noodles (100 calories)

Dinner: (620 calories)
Prepackaged Deli Select Wrap (Chicken) (310 each serving, 2 servings)

Daily Total: 1,508 calories
Maximum allowed: 1,550

Monday, March 17th, 2008: Daily Bread

2008-03-17T22:44:00.000-07:00

Well, not just bread, but what the heck!

Breakfast: None

Lunch: (585 calories)
1 ham and cheese hot pocket (340 calories)
1/2 cup mixed fruit (35 calories)
1/4 cup raw cucumber (10 calories)
1 small roll (hard) w/1/2 tbs butter (100 calories)
1 cup soda (100 calories)

Dinner: (529 calories)
1/2 cup noodles (100 calories)
1/2 cup Beef Stroganoff (329 calories)
1 cup of soda (100 calories)

(see preceding post for recipe)

Dessert: (234 calories)
1 chocolate glazed custard filled donut (234 calories)

Daily Total: 1,348 calories
Maximum allowed: 1,550 calories

1965 Nutrition Guide

2008-03-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I thought I'd share this with you, very cool. These numbers came out of my grandmother's 1965 Better Homes and Garden's New Cookbook. These are just for a male of 30 yrs. and a female of 25 yrs., but if you want kids or different ages, let me know and I'll include them later.

Daily Allowance for a man of average size: (30 years old; 154 lbs; 69 in tall [5ft. 9in.])

2,700 calories
70 grams of protein
.8 grams of calcium
10 mg. of iron
5,000 i.u. vitamin A
[1.1 mg. of thiamine; 1.6 mg. of rhiboflavin; 18 mg. of niacin]= vitamin b
70 mg. of vitamin c

Daily Allowance for a woman of average size: (25 years old; 128 lbs; 64 in tall [5ft. 5in.])

2,100 calories
58grams of protein
.8 grams of calcium
15 mg. of iron
5,000 i.u. vitamin A
[.8 mg. of thiamine; 1.3 mg. of rhiboflavin; 14 mg. of niacin]= vitamin b
70 mg. of vitamin c

4 food groups

1-milk group
adults: 2 or more cups
[alternative to 1 cup of milk: 1.5 oz American cheese; 1 lb. cream cheese; 1.5 cups cottage cheese; 2-3 large dips of ice cream]
90 calories for 1 cup skim milk

2-meat group
2 or more servings:
[servings = 2-3 oz. lean cooked meat; 2 eggs; 1 cup cooked dry beans, peas, or lentils; 4 tbs. peanut butter]
245 calories for 1 hamburger (1/2 lb. raw meat)
215 calories for 1/2 fried chicken breast
185 calories for 1/4 small chicken broiled
230 calories for 1 steak of broiled halibut (4x3x1/2in.)

3-vegetable and fruit group
4 or more servings:
[each day include: 1 citrus fruit or vegetable rice in vitamin c; a dark-green or dark-yellow vegetable for vitamin a (at least every other day); a serving = 1/2 cup vegetable or fruit, or 1 portion, such as 1 medium banana or potato.]
20 calories for 6 spears of asparagus
20 calories for 1/2 cup cooked broccoli spears
65 calories for 1 medium corn on the cob
90 calories for 1 medium baked or broiled potato
155 calories for 1 medium sweet potato
70 calories for 1 medium raw apple
100 calories for 1/2 cup canned fruit cocktail in heavy syrup
30 calories for 1/2 cup fresh strawberries

4-bread and cereal group
4 servings each day
[servings: 1 slice of bread; 1 o. ready-to-eat cereal; 1/2-3/4 cup of cooked cereal, corn meal, grits, macaroni, noodles, rice, or spaghetti; see examples for baked goods]
130 calories for 1 baking powder biscuit
135 calories for 1 cup wheat flakes
135 calories for 1 plain muffin
100 calories for 1/2 cup cooked rice
115 calories for 3/4 cup cooked macaroni

example of a simple meal:

macaroni and cheese with ham and broccoli

250 calories for 1/2 cup cheese sauce (2 tbs. cheese for 1 cup medium white sauce)
115 calories for 1/2 cup cooked macaroni noodles
125 calories for 2 thin slices (3.5x2in) fully cooked lean ham
20 calories for 1/2 cup cooked broccoli spears

total for 1/2 cup: 510 calories
daily totals: 1 serving meat, 1 serving vegetable, 1 serving bread, 1 serving milk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now that we know what we should be eating and how much of it, let's take it one step more and find out how to gain or lose weight:

Take your ideal weight for your height and build multiple it by 18 for women and 21 for men.

ex. 125lbs. x 18 = 2,250 calories.

To lose weight:

Take your ideal calorie count and divide by 1/3.

ex. 2,250 divided by 1/3 = 1,550 calories for the day/3 = 500 calories per meal

To gain weight:

Do the opposite:

ex. 2,250 x 1/3 = 3,000 calories per day/3 = 1,000 calories per meal

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Let's try writing up a sample day's food for 1 person:

Breakfast:

mini croissant = 115 calories
with 1 scrambled egg = 110 calories
1oz of cheese = 115 calories
1oz of diced ham = 125 calories

1 cup skim milk = 90 calories

total: 565 calories

Lunch:

1 cup of calm chowder = 85 calories
10 oyster crackers = 45 calories

chicken salad sandwich:
1/2 cup chicken salad with lettuce (175 calories) on whole wheat bread (2 slices = 110 calories)

1 cup ginger ale = 80 calories

total: 495 calories

Dinner:

Beef Stroganoff (1,620 calories for 5 servings):
1 tbs flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb. beef sirloin, cut into 1/4in wide strips (2 slices = 130 calories; 1 lb. = 520 calories)
2 tbs butter (200 calories)
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms ( 30 calories)
1/2 cup chopped onion ( 40 calories)
3 tbs flour
1 tbs. tomato paste ( 18 calories)
1.25 cups beef stock ( 12 calories)
1 cup sour cream ( 560 calories)
2 tbs cooking sherry (110 calories)

1/2 cup noodles (100 calories)

1/2 cup cooked green beans (15 calories)
1 cup cola (105 calories)

total: 544 calories (per serving)

Dessert:

1/2 cup Vanilla pudding (140 calories)
1/2 cup fresh red raspberries (35 calories)

total: 175 calories

Total for the day: 1,779 calories

Restaurant Review: March 11th, 2008: Pot de Pho-5 Stars!!!

2008-03-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

Pot de Pho is located on Geary just past Divisidero across from Mel's and BevMo (Stanyon).

Done in French Colonial style Vietnamese decor, Pot de Pho is my new favorite local dinner restaurant. All organic, with light flavoring and beautiful presentations, not to mention very decent prices, I'm sure they will be around for a long time to come.

The Pot de Pho staging cart for linen just makes it look so Shanghai street scene!

Notice the hanging bird cages, no birds though!

Dinner! Everything was split between 2 people.

Appetizer: Spring Rolls $5

I don't like peanut sauce typically, but this was very smooth, rich in flavor but very mild, excellent!

Entrees:

Medium Bowl of Raw Beef Pho $9

Fresh, with flat noodles and a clear, mild chicken broth. Kobe style beef cooked to perfection after a minute or two.

Curried Duck with Eggplant and Chinese Long Beans $11 + $1 for Jasmine Rice

This was interesting because I hate curries, but liked this one! Peanut based instead of chili based, it still had a mild burn at the end. The duck leg must have been slow cooking all day, because it fell off the bone and was super tender and moist.

They also had their wine list set out showing the name, region, price, flavors, and what item on the menu each went with, average $5 for wine.

The meal described above is just one of many that looked very yummy and served two people more than enough food! I;m looking forward to my next dinner there.

Dinner: March1st, 2008: Floridian Jambalaya

2008-03-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

Here's the main ingredients for Jambalaya.

Sauteed onion, peppers, garlic, celery, tomatoes and tomato paste.

Chicken added in...

Sausage added in...

Shrimp boiled off in Old Bay...

Catfish Nuggets in the end...

Final Product:

Total Cook Time: 40 min
Total Cost: $15

Dinner: February 3rd, 2008: Salt Crusted Chicken, Italian Bread Salad, and Potatoes Au Gratin

2008-03-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

Salt Crusted Chicken, Italian Bread Salad, and Potatoes Au Gratin

So, another Jamie Oliver experiment, I stuffed a roaster with tomato, onion, pepper and various herbs (basil, thyme, lavender, etc.).

After pressing Herbs de Provence into the bird I added the same herbs to a pound of kosher salt, added a scrambled egg and a 1/4 cup of water and then pressed it all over the bird.

Baked in the oven at 400F for an hour and a half, it came out like below. During the last 25 min I added a box of Potato Au Gratin into the oven and baked it off until golden and bubbly.

After breaking apart I plated with the salad and potatoes.

Italian Bread Salad:

Spinach, Green Heirloom Tomato, French Bread (fresh, non-toasted) Cubes, Asparagus, Onion and Peppers in an Italian Dressing.

Final Product:

Total Prep Time: 25 min
Total Cook Time: 1.5 Hrs
Total Cost: $15

Dinner: February 27th, 2008: Salmon with Artichokes

2008-03-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

Simple meal of baked Artichokes in lemon sauce and Salmon with parsley.

Final Product

Total Time: 30 min.
Total Cost: $15

Lunch: February 24th, 2008: Pulled Pork and Salad

2008-03-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Made the pulled pork again. An easy lunch or dinner when presented in mini-croissants a salad and cooked buttered corn.

Dinner: February 23rd, 2008: Pork with Apricots and Stuffed Mushrooms

2008-03-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

Here's the culmination of a binge of Jamie Oliver's Naked Chef shows: Pork with fresh Apricots and Stuffed Mushrooms.

The Pork was pressed with sage and then lightly sauteed with a bit of oil. Then the pitted and quartered apricots lightly glazed in honey was added.

Mushrooms stuffed with tomato, peppers, onion, bread crumb and Kessari (Greek) cheese.

Final Product:

Total Time: 30 min.
Total Cost: $10

Restaurant Review: Far East Cafe-4 Stars!

2008-02-20T22:47:00.000-08:00

Headed into China Town about 2 weeks ago. Came across this really interesting restaurant called the Far East Cafe. We ordered the dinner for 2, $25 and we got fried rice, duck, beef and broccoli, egg rolls, and egg drop soup. Absolutely the right amount and good quality too.

Also walked through one of the open markets, the meat was well priced, but what got me were the live birds in the back! Ducks, chickens, even pheasants, and at every stage of development too. Very cool to see.

Restaurant Review: Mason's-3.5 Stars!

2008-02-20T22:43:00.000-08:00

Ate over at Mason's on Powell near Union Square. Had the Parpadelle with Pork and the Steak which came covered in a hollandaise sauce, both very good, as was the atmosphere, service was a bit slow though.

Combo Platter: Misc. Food that I've Made

2008-02-20T22:30:00.001-08:00

I've made several dishes that just don't fit anywhere, so I'm putting them all together here.

Mexican night: tacos with cilantro, guacamole and salsa with sour cream and cheese.

Roasted Cornish Game Hem with a Red Current Sauce, Current and Almond Couscous, and Green Beans.

Mock Hooters fried chicken, seasoned curly fries and celery with blue cheese dressing.

Frozen Yogurt Sundae

Frozen Yogurt with Cherries, chocolate syrup and crushed shortbread cookies. And me holding it!

The Boss's Place

2008-02-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

Right before the holidays my department went to our boss's place for dinner and festivities. She had quiche, salads, and massive amounts of cheese trays, as well as this horribly awesome brownie cake that I about died over. Here are the pics:

Quiche 1: Cheese and Ham

Quiche 2: Vegetable

Huge Ceaser Salad:

:

Awesome Cheese Trays:

Restaurant Review: Bong Su-5 Stars!!!

2008-02-20T20:58:00.000-08:00

We sent a co-worker out with a bang over at Bong Su Vietnamese Restaurant on 3rd and Folsom last month. Defiantly 5 stars, food, service, and atmosphere were all excellent. be prepared to pay $10-15 for the appetizers and $20-30 for the entrees, but well worth it for a special occasion.

Their Menu:

Us looking at their menu :)

Coconut and regular rice in banana leaves, seared tuna, and seared beef with salad:

The seared beef:

Shrimp 'cupcakes':
(These were not our favorite as they were a bit squishy on the bottom)

Seared large scallops over cellophane noodles:

First appetizer, almost forgot to take a picture before eating, it was so good! Spring rolls:

I would LOVE to go back one day, that should tell you something. The group also got Vietnamese Coffee and mixed cookies which was real fun trying to figure out how to serve as each cup comes with it's own little percolator and you mix the sweet condensed milk on the bottom of the cup to your own liking. Very cool.

Dinner: February 20th, 2008: Portuguese Churizo Soup

2008-02-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

I know it's been awhile, but I'm trying to get all the pictures loaded on one machine and start back logging everything. Tonight, however, I made my family's Portuguese Churizo and Kale soup. Called (phonetically) 'Chadice' Soup by my mom's side, this hearty soup is great for cold, rainy nights like the last week here has been. Not sure if I've mentioned it, but I'm actually a quarter Portuguese, so this hits really close to the pocket.

Lets run through this now, shall we?

You'll need the following for about 10 cups of soup:

In a stock pot brown off 1 tbs. butter.

Add in:

1/2 onion, diced
2 mini sweet bell peppers, diced
1 rib celery, diced

Sweat until translucent over medium heat.

Add in:

1 pack of Churizo, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds

Add in:

1 peeled and sliced carrot
several small sliced potatoes (same size as carrots)
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2-1 lb of torn kale
(optional) 2 tbs of peas

Stir until mixed well, then add 1-2 cartons of chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a boil over high heat for 5 minutes, turn down to low and simmer for another 20. Soup is done, but always better the next day.

:)

**Word of advice, the next day, skim off the congealed orange fat on the top of the cold soup before adding back to a pot to heat, your tummy will thank you.**

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Total Cost: $20 for 10 cups

Food For Thought: Better Homes and Gardens

2008-02-20T11:16:00.001-08:00

Hi guys,

Thought you might like these recipes from Better Homes and Gardens...

Dinner: February 18th, 2008: Herdbeast Stew

2008-02-19T12:05:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 lb Beef cut into 1" peices, (up to 1-1/2)
3 tbl Flour
3 tbl Butter or margarine
1 x Garlic clove
1/2 lrg Onion, cut into bite-size pieces
1lb Peeled tomatoes, (or canned in their own juice)
2 cup Water
4 sm Or 2 medium potatoes
2 sm Carrots sliced, up to 4
2 x Ribs celery sliced into 1" pieces
Bay leaf
1 cup Corn kernals or baby corn cut into 1" pieces
Salt
Pepper
1/4 tsp Dry mustard or cracked mustard seed
Parsley

Method :

Dredge the pieces of meat in flour. Melt the butter in a saucepan. When bubbly add the meat. Brown on all sides. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

Add the onion and garlic; cook until transparent.

Add the tomatoes and two cups of water. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon.

Add potatoes, bayleaf, carrots, and celery. Bring mixture to a boil cover simmer and let cook for 30 minutes stirring occasionaly.

Add corn and spices to taste. Bring the stew to a boil again cover and return to simmer. Cook for 15-30 minutes stirring occasionally until corn, potatoes and meat are all tender.

Uncover and cook for 15 or so minutes until stew is slightly thickened.

Dead Animal For One Please

Moving!!

Found a few pics...

New Toy...

French Duck a la Thailand

Miso-Soy Glazed Salmon, Orzo Vegetable Pasta, Miso Soup, and Japanese pickles

Some comments about Bacon

Cooking in small spaces

Very neat

Kinda terrified

Pub in Lower Pac. Heights

Finally! Some updates!

Cheese! How to make...

Raspberry, lemon & frangipane tart

B&B food

Weird Vegy Day

Goji Berries!!!

It's not just a fad - organic food is better for you, say scientists

Bring Back the Victory Gardens!

American Families Turn to Organic Milk

Controversial Decision on Organic Fish Standard

Know your Pork: Tokyo-X pigs

Restaurant review: Foreign Cinema, Mission District, SF

French Meal examples

French Pot Au Feu- "Pot on the Fire"

Mock Worcestershire Sauce

Lamb in a Pot

Anti-Thanksgiving: Paella with Sea Scallops

French children aren't as fat as others

75 Exceptional Herbs for your Garden

Fennel pollen

Ramps and Wild Leeks

Jubon Yakiniku House (Japantown) for Halloween!

Braised Pork Belly Two Ways

Southern Salmon

Italian Lamb with Yellow Rice

Chinese Food in the rain...Oriental Pearl Restaurant

Vietnamese food in the East Bay...

Awsome Italian food in the Mission...La Traviata

Crappy Italian food in the Mission...Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

Finally!

Richmond New May Grocery

British Beer Shandy Recipe

D&B: British Dandelion and Burdock pop

Pirate Cake

Darbar Restraunt

How do you keep from going to the store everyday?

A16-the Williams-Sonoma Experience

My Attempt at Thai Salmon

Our Kitchen! (On a good day!)

Medieval Vegetables

Tasmanian Heritage Signature Camembert

Hamachi Kama, Yellowtail Collar with Udon

Awesome Kitchen Range

Amish Cooking: Pickles galore!

Cheese, Whole Wheat Pizza, Octopus, Chouriço...yummy!!!

Mediterranean Cooking: Osso Buco and Grilled Squid

American Cooking: Pot Roast and Apple Pie

Vietnamese Cooking: Pho and Spring Rolls

Bolivian Cooking: Pork Stew and Penco Desert

Salad Dressing and Marinades

Salmon Two Ways: Honey Dejon and Southeast Asian

Meat Cuts: For Your Inner Butcher

Lamb-in-a-Box...Mutton the UK Way

Pork ShabuShabu Udon...again...I'm telling you people, this stuff's good!

Homestyle Turkey Barley Soup

Da Laa' Lamb Cutlets

A French Kitchen and Dinning Room

Entrecote Marchand de Vin

Poulet Basque

Cran-Brandy Pudding and Golden Toffee Sauce

BRAISED PORK BELLY...OMFG!!! YUMMY!!!!

Grilled Octopus-Greek Style-

French Yogurt Cheese

Tajen Djaj bel Btata Lehleewa (Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes)

Duck Confit

Ikea Dinner: Scandinavian Feast

1 pound (1/2kg) cloudberries or 1 pound cloudberry preserves6 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste, if using fresh berries3 cups (7dl) heavy (whipping) cream1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

Pour the cream into a large bowl. Scrape the black seeds out of the vanilla bean and add to the cream. Whip the cream until stiff. Fold in the cloudberries and rosemary. Serve immediately.

Bistro Chicken and Modern Moroccan

1 pound (1/2kg) cloudberries or 1 pound cloudberry preserves
6 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste, if using fresh berries
3 cups (7dl) heavy (whipping) cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary