Bacon Fiend

Sugar? ummm. maybe not.

2011-07-24T22:22:00.001-05:00

While we don't eat a lot of sugar over all - I've been trying to figure out ways to do up some of my sweet/sour recipes with less sugar. Right now, it's made as a sour recipe. *grin* And, it maybe that it will remain this way ... since seeing the video below has wigged me out about sugar in general (once again).

What sugar does to your body:

As did this Taubes' article in New York Times "Is Sugar Toxic".

So, I really don't want to add it to our diet. But, ice cream and cookies (wheat free of course!) and random desserts ... well, are suppose to be sweet. And, once again....some of my sweet and sour recipes or Asian recipes required sugar.

I know Joe swears by Stevia but I don't know anything about chemical changes when cooking. And, to be honest - it tastes weird to me. It's *too* sweet.

So, I was surfing the web this weekend (between long naps which were required for recovery of over working). And, I think we are going to try out coconut sugar.

I know when growing up we had "jaggery", which is coconut sugar. My mum and dad use to cook with it all the time. So, I figure it is safe to heat.

It also tastes a bit sweeter than sugar but not in the same way as Stevia does to me. More along the lines of a good honey or real maple syrup. A little will go a long way - but here are the added benefits unlike sugar which is cool. Coconut sugar has a GI index of 35 (which is nice and low) and has a lot of mineral benefits such as potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6.

Anyway - I'll let you know how the experimenting is going.

Kale...Kale and even more K.A.L.E.

2011-07-23T22:30:00.000-05:00

We joined a vegetable CSA for the summer months and it's been wonderful. I figured that since I use to be a vegetarian, it'll be easy, right?

ummm.. yeah, ok, not really. For one thing, kale. I know it's nutritious and wonderful and good for you and all that jazz. But, there is a bitterness to it that makes it challenging to eat every day. And, honestly, our CSA share (an individual share no less) has more than enough for us to eat kale every single day!

The good things about kale:

Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium.
stores for a pretty long time (might be a bad thing in our case *grin*)
apparently a lot of cultures use kale in dishes - so I have a variety of choices

Bad thing? I now need to know how to cook kale -- aside from the kale chips I made all the time when I was being "good". :) And, the BF isn't a big fan of kale's taste - so I needed to find ways to minimize the bitterness.

So, the quest began... and I found some great kale dishes. The recipe below was made up based on some of the recipes I found. Mostly because it's been way too hot to bake! It's an "italian" take. It is also a way to use up a lot of the veggies I was getting from the CSA. So, you can add or subtract any veggies you like - toss in Italian sausage for the ground beef (or with the ground beef) but the cheese and the pasta sauce is a must. Otherwise, you really are creating your own dish (no worries on that... but then I can't take credit, can I? *grin*)

Italian style beef with veggies

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
kale - minced
zucchini (optional)
yellow squash (optional)
garlic (to taste), minced/crushed
tomato sauce/pasta sauce
mozzarella cheese (to taste)
dried basil
dried oregeno
dried rosemary
salt
pepper
butter/ghee for browning onions and meat

In a frying pan, melt butter and add onions. Once onions have started turning brown, add garlic. If you like kale - you can put it in later - but if you are trying to "hide" it - put it in now as it will cook down to almost nothing.

Add ground beef once the kale has wilted away - as you want to brown the beef and so you need the water content of the kale to dissipate.

Once ground beef has browned, add the spices (basil, rosemary, oregano). Stir it in. Add the veggies (if you are adding any additional - and really it is any veggie that you would find in a Italian dish. Eggplant/aubergine is another great choice. ) and cook it a bit so it isn't so raw. This is also based on how much your family likes veggies. I tend to shred the veggies in a food processor so that there is a uniformity of taste and to cook it a bit longer. (zucchini and aubergines aren't favored by the BF either. *grin* I'm always surprised he was a vegan... honestly, what would one eat if you don't like most veg?)

Add pasta sauce and simmer for a bit. Just so the flavors meld. Add cheese. Serve.

Some pasta sauce brands we like - when I'm too lazy to make my own:

Coupla Guys :
- Awesome Arrabiata, Marvelous Marinara, Perfect Puttanesca (you must like olives!)

Tomato Mountain Farm's Tomato Basil Pasta sauce ( they also have great salsa's and jams)

Lucini Italia Spicy Tuscan Tomato Sauce

Dave's Gourmet Organic Spicy Heirloom Marinara Pasta Sauce (isn't that a mouthful? *grin*)

The "meatrix"

2011-07-03T17:59:00.000-05:00

Found this video online and it is well done... this is the 1st episode

I haven't watched any of the others in the series but here is the site so you can check it out.

Making of the Bacon

2011-06-23T23:25:00.000-05:00

So, it is a second attempt at making home made bacon. It was a bit salty... but still very yummy.

The most important thing I've learned is that the type of pig makes a huge difference. The first go we bought Yorkshire (I think) and this go it was a Berkshire. The first attempt, the bacon didn't hold form and ended up as a yummy shredded pork belly versus getting bacon. This time, we got BACON! yea!

The recipe I found was at Daves Cupboard and I used the dry cure as the base. I did reduce the amount of sugar and skipped some ingredients (mostly because I didn't have them).

So here is my base for curing:

3 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme (actually I think I put a bit more)

Rub the cure all over the pork and put it in a zip-lock bag in the fridge for 7 days. Turning about once a day, squishing it a bit as I did so to get a feel for how the meat was curing. You are looking for the meat to be feeling a bit firm to the touch, you will see some liquid in the zip-lock bag as the salt is pulling out water from the pork.

Once you have cured it for a minimum of 3 days to a max of 7, you pull it out of the fridge and wash off all the curing spices on it. I then placed it in the oven at 200F for about 2 hrs - to both dry it out and 'smoke' it. I would like to try out properly smoking it out in the backyard with my old smokey-joe grill. But right now, I have to say, aside from the salt issue - it was yummy!

One of the things I've seen to try to reduce the salt taste is to submerge the bacon after curing in a cold water bath for 4 to 24 hours. ( see here) But, I haven't tried it to say if it will work or not.

Ron - if you do make this - let me know how it goes!

Indian Resturants and resources in Chicago

2011-06-21T23:39:00.000-05:00

This is for the girl from World Market today.

Just know that I haven't been to a lot of Indian restaurants in a while.. so this list is based on what I recall as being good.

Resturants:

India House - 59 West Grand Avenue, Chicago - I was there a few weeks ago and the buffet was pretty good.
Hema's Kitchen - 2439 W Devon Ave - Chicago (Devon Ave) - I use to love this place but haven't been in about 7 years. Still gets great reviews .... so, I'm thinking it's still good.
Udupi Palace - 2543 W. Devon Ave. - Chicago (Devon Ave) - this is the veg. place I was telling you about - the masala dosa's are amazing!
Cumin Restaurant - 1414 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago - it's a Indian and Nepalese restaurant. I haven't actually been there but my boyfriend has and said good things about it.
Tiffin - 2536 West Devon Avenue, Chicago - I haven't been there in a while but last time I went it was very good.

Spice Resources:

Patel Brother's - 2610 W Devon Ave, Chicago- I can only vouch for the one on Devon. I've been to the one in Schaumburg (I think) and the product wasn't as fresh.
Spice House - http://www.thespicehouse.com/ - I've only been to the one in Evanston, but I know there is one in the city.
Whole foods (of course) - pricey but you can get a lot of stuff there

Cook Books / Authors:

India's 500 Best Recipes - http://amzn.com/1844777510 (amazon link) - some great recipes - especially Balti (regional section that has Butter Chicken).
The Best of India a cookbook (http://amzn.com/000255223X) - really simple stuff, very small book - kinda a good starter book
Book's by Madhur Jaffrey (the English actress I was telling you about)
Also - check out Chicago Public Library - they have a huge section of cookbooks and you can request some from other libraries as well.

Websites: honestly, I go to so many that I have no idea what to suggest. Searching in Google for Indian recipes might help. But, it also depends on the style your aunt (I think it was your aunt, right?) wants to eat/try. Most people in the US eat North Indian food because most restaurants are North Indian. Udupi is one of the few exceptions, as is Mysore Gardens (but I've never been there to say if it is good or not - also on Devon).

Good luck on your quest for Indian food... I do love the hunt for a good restaurant or recipe.

Crepes - Grain free - OMG good

2011-06-20T14:30:00.000-05:00

So, I finally figured out how to make grain free crepes. I've seen and tested out a lot of the recipes out there but nothing quite worked for me. A few were too egg-y. Some were too thick or oddly grain-y textured.

So, this does taste like crepes and usually holds together well. This is a general guideline as it depends on the cashew butter that you get. We are very lucky in that one of our wholefoods has a nut grinder where you can grind your own nut butter.

Crepes

1 cup cashew butter
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
butter or ghee for pan

Mix cashew butter, milk and egg until you have a thin batter. You do not need to add sugar to this as the cashew provides a sweet taste - but, if you haven't lost the taste for overly sweet add some to meet your needs. You can add cinnamon, a pinch of salt or whatever you would put in for a "regular" crepe.

Place butter in a non-stick pan (yes, it's the only time I will use a non-stick pan because even with a ton of butter a regular pan doesn't seem to work quite well). Once pan is heated - on medium heat, place about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan. Take the pan and give it a quick turn, to spread out the batter. Cover it and let cook for about 2 or 3 min. The edges should be a brown a bit, flip over (carefully!) to brown the other side. Plate. You can add jams or chocolate or cheese or whatever filling you want.

Art piece showing Iowa's top soil loss

2011-05-08T21:45:00.000-05:00

I found this on BoingBoing, which shows the amount of top soil being lost due to large scale farming over the last 150 years. Basically, from 14-16 inches in the 1800's to less than 6-8 inches today.

Picadillo - Cuban (ish) style

2011-04-19T20:39:00.000-05:00

I think I've shared that we are in a Meat CSA. Have I said that I am now the CSA coordinator for said CSA? Yes! I am the first ever Meadow Haven CSA coordinator. whoohoo! Of course the CSA only started out about six months ago, so it's not like there was a lot of coordinating going on.

Anyway, in our meat share we get a lot of ground beef. No complaints, I love ground beef because it is so versatile and there are so many ways to cook it. And, you can get a flavor of a country just by adding spices or other ingredients to create a whole new dish. We've had South African, Italian, Spanish, Indian and so on. Aside from the not so basic burgers that the BF makes for us, as he makes great burgers.

Picadillo is a fairly common name for a Latin American and Filipino dish made up with (usually) ground beef . The dish comes with a variety of flavors based on the country of origin. I even found one in a Tex-Mex cookbook but it looked so boring compared with this version that I didn't even write it down or try it. But, once you have a great recipe it is very hard to muck around with a blander version. The dish is usually served with rice or as the filling in a taco - but we just eat it straight from a bowl. Best of all, if you double the quantity, it reheats great for work.

Another good thing is that you can add almost anything to it to meet your tastes. The idea is a sweet, salty, beefy combo. The BF likes cashews and we added that for a bonus crunch. The original recipe is from Three Guys From Miami who also have a cookbook that has some great recipes.

Picadillo

1 cup diced onion
1 cup seeded and finely chopped bell pepper
butter/fat for sautéing
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lbs. ground beef or ground round
1 1/2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or one can of chopped tomatoes)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup chopped olives (optional - green or black)
1/6 cup raisins
Salt and pepper to taste1/4 cup raw cashews (optional)

Melt butter/fat in a large frying pan. Sauté onion and green pepper for about 5 minutes, until the onion is softened. Add the garlic and ground beef. Cook until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and oregano. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. If you don't want any sauce, cook it uncovered. You may still have to simmer it longer to reduce the liquids if you used canned tomatoes.

Add olives and raisins and simmer 5 minutes longer. Salt and pepper to taste.

While the olives and raisins are cooking. Heat up a frying pan with butter, toss in the cashews and stirring constantly wait until lightly brown. Then toss them into the pan.

Chocolate Peanutbutter balls

2011-04-11T22:31:00.000-05:00

The BF's mum makes this Christmas "cookie" that she calls goofballs. I do not know if this a official cookie or not but Google did find a lot of recipes. Not quite like the recipe from the BF's mum but similar.

The only problem is that her cookie recipe has graham cracker crumbs in it and well, we try not to eat wheat. So, I have been creative with her recipe and came up with this "finalized" version.

Now, you can make it vegan by using coconut oil instead of butter, which I have done in the past and it is very good. But, I like the creaminess of butter. :)

Just note, because this version doesn't have graham cracker crumbs nor parafin (edible wax which keeps the chocolate solid in warmer conditions) you have to keep this in the fridge and eat them pretty quick once you have them out. However, it hasn't been a problem in our house.

Chocolate Peanut Butter balls or Goofballs 2

2 sticks butter, softened (1 cup)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 package chocolate bars (I used 90% Lindt chocolate)
2 cups cocoa powder (optional)

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, mix butter and sugar until well incorporated. Add peanut butter and vanilla, mix some more. Remove from mixer - as the nuts tend to get more crushed by the mixer than actually mixed (at least for me)

Add in coconut and nuts and stir with a spoon. Place the bowl into fridge and let it get cold. About 45 min to a hour in the fridge.

Set up a cookie sheet with parchment paper to put the peanut butter balls on. Pull out and make peanut butter into balls, approximately a inch or so in diameter. Once all the dough is shaped into balls, cover with plastic and place in the freezer (if you have space) or fridge. You want them to be solid so that when you place the balls into the melted chocolate, they do not loose shape or turn into a mucky mess.

Once balls are solid. Melt chocolate in a double boiler (or however you melt chocolate). Drop one or two peanut butter balls into the chocolate. Once coated (and this is really quick) pull out and place on parchment paper to cool. You can coat it in cocoa powder at this point if you want - which makes it even richer.

Store in fridge. It lasts about 2 weeks (depending on the chocolate fiends in your house - ours it lasts about 1/2 a week. *grin*)

Asian inspired ground beef

2011-04-06T21:46:00.005-05:00

I've been on a hunt for ground beef recipes because our CSA provides a lot of ground beef and one can eat chili and burgers so many times.

It's probably just me. :) I really have trouble eating the same dish multiple times and if I've made it once, unless it's requested again I probably will forget about the dish. I know, it is very odd. But, I like to make new things and try new flavors - hence the blog. So, that I can recall a really good dish and do it up again. And, you thought I was writing for you. uh?

Ok. I was writing for anyone who is willing to put up with my random moments of writing. And for the people I love who really don't need to hear about me going on and on and on about food. ;)

The thing I love about this dish is that you can add any veggie you want to it and I had some cabbage and spinach. So, I tossed it in. The original recipe is from This Primal Life which I haven't tried anything but this recipe. It looks cool and I'm hoping to wander around her site some more.

Asian Ground Beef

1 lb. ground beef
3 tablespoons butter/ghee
1 bell pepper, sliced - red/yellow/orange - something to make it pretty
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 small onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup cabbage, shredded (optional)
1/2 cup spinach, chopped (optional)1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Sauce:
3 tablespoons almond butter or peanut butter
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

Mix the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

In a warm skillet, melt some butter/ghee. Add onions and cook until softened. Add garlic and ginger, cook about a minute or so. Add ground beef and cook until browned.

Once the beef has browned, add veggies (carrots, spinach, peppers, etc). Once the veggies are cooked to your taste, I like it a bit on the al dente side so there is a crunch. Add the sauce. Give a quick stir. Turn off the stove, add the cilantro. Serve.

Yum!

Notes on the recipe:

I cook my onion as I don't like the sharp bite of onion. You do not have to do so. And, in the original recipe it is not cooked early.
If using cabbage, you can put it in with the ground beef depending on how much you like cabbage. The earlier you put it in, the less the cabbage flavor will show through in the dish. Since the BF isn't a big fan of cabbage, I chopped it up into tiny bits and cooked it earlier in the process.
While I say use "pretty" peppers, this really isn't that attractive of a dish. Yummy! but not pretty. But, I figure taste wins! And, as long as I don't do this up for company... we're all good, right?
Now, you can put these in lettuce leaves and serve. I'd suggest Boston or even the dreaded Iceburg which both have nice big leaves. But, we just ate it up right from the bowl.

Log thing, you make my heart sing...

2011-03-05T22:44:00.002-06:00

I made this desert a while back which the BF loved. I had started with a chocolate fudge recipe but I was craving chocolate and raspberries. So, I ended up creating this yummy desert that turned out really great.

So yesterday, the BF requested the chocolate/raspberry desert. He named it "log thing" so he could sing a song in it's honor... which makes me happy. :)

And, while it's not pretty in log form - it does cut up beautifully and I could see serving it for a nice dinner. And, it is so easy.

Log Thing

Chocolate fudge:
1 cup cream
1 tablespoon sugar (more or less or not at all)
1 3.5 oz chocolate bar (I used 85% green and black)
1/2 cup hazelnut flour (finely ground nuts)
1/2 cup almond flour (finely ground nuts)
1 tsp vanilla

Raspberry Filling:
1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
1/3 cup raspberry jam (depending on how much you like raspberry)

Additional:
parchment paper
cookie sheet or flat pan you can place into the freezer

In a sauce pan put in cream to heat. Break up chocolate bar into small pieces and add to cream. Bring the cream to a simmer, whisking the chocolate and cream while it is heating so that nothing burns at the bottom. Once it comes to a simmer, turn off the heat. Add flours and vanilla. Stir until everything is nicely mixed.

On the cookie sheet, place the parchment paper. Spread the chocolate mixture smoothly on to the parchment paper so that you have a nice flat rectangle about 1/2 inch or so thick. You want it to be fairly thin so that you can roll it easily. Put another piece of parchment on top and place it into the freezer to cool down and solidify a bit - about 15-20 min.

While you are waiting for the fudge to set, put the cream cheese and raspberry jam into a nice size bowl. Take a wooden spoon or fork and mix the two ingredients together. Taste to see if you want it to be more raspberry or sweeter.

Pull out the fudge, remove the top parchment paper. Put the raspberry filling on top of the fudge and smooth out covering the rectangle as much as possible. Trying to keep it even and fairly thin. Once the fudge is covered, pick a short side to start the roll. Take the parchment paper and push over a small portion of the fudge into the cream cheese. Starting up the roll. You are going to use the parchment to help you roll the fudge into a log shape.

Place it into the fridge, wrapped in the parchment paper. Let it solidify a bit more or not - depending on how much control you have. :) Cut slices and serve. It will keep in the fridge for a week wrapped in parchment paper in a ziplock bag.

Quick links for the lady at Gene's

2011-01-09T17:06:00.000-06:00

I was at the Gene's grocery store today to get some cream and milk, as they are one of the few that carry Kilgus dairy. There was a nice woman in front of me who was deciding which milk to buy - whole, skim or low fat. I was behind her, waiting and hoping really, really hard that she would not pick the very last container of whole milk. Lucky for me...she didn't pick the whole milk! We then got into a conversation about fat and how it's not bad for you.

And being who I am... I couldn't help myself and told her about Mark's Daily Apple and the whole paleo/primal thing. So, I'm going to post this up for her... and hopefully it's helpful.

Links:
PaNu's getting started has a great listing on what you should or shouldn't eat and to some degree why.
Gary Taubes Blog while only has two postings takes on from his book Good Calories/Bad Calories and is a pretty easy read. I especially like the first posting on "The insanity of over eating".
The LA times article on fat/carbs - I'm not sure I completely agree with the article but that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows me. *grin*
The Gary Taubes article in Science from 2001 on "The Soft Science of Fat" - in which he shows that dietary fat hasn't been proven to make one fat. But, the switch to a high carb diet has definitely proven to make one fat and more prone to diabetes.
Mark's Daily Apple primer has loads of info. I like the "10 steps to primalize your pantry" and "Why Grains Are Unhealthy".

Mostly the info above are starting points - as are the links on the blog. I've found from reading various sites that people tend to make primal work for them. And, isn't that the point? :)

Christmas Brisket

2011-01-04T23:04:00.000-06:00

Apparently we have started a new Christmas tradition where I am responsible for cooking the Christmas brisket. Lucky for all of us, my family is very willing to be experimented on... even for Christmas dinner! I have also been very lucky that the Christmas brisket has turned out well two years running. Whoohoo!

Hopefully the streak will hold. ;)

This brisket recipe is based from a Hungarian Jewish brisket I found here. I have no idea how the original will turn out - as I changed it from the get go. But, it sounded really good!

Here is my version.

Paprika and Rosemary Spiced Brisket

Rub to be done the day before:

2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons garlic, chopped finely
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4- to 5-pound beef brisket

Ingredients for the day you plan to cook it:

2 tablespoons butter /ghee/bacon fat (or if doing Kosher - then schmaltz or olive oil)
2 medium yellow onions, medium dice
12 medium garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14-1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (6-inch) branches fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 or 2 cups of chicken stock or water - enough to almost cover the meat at the start

The night before, prepare the rub and make sure to thoroughly cover the brisket. Place in fridge until the next morning.

It takes about 5-6 hrs, so I usually start up pretty early since we have to pack it and take it out to my sister's house for the gathering of the masses.

The big day:
Pre-heat oven to 325°F and arrange a rack in the middle. In a large roasting pan or cast iron pan - heat the fat. Once hot, brown the brisket and then set aside.

Check to make sure you have about a tablespoon or so of fat still in the pan. Add the onions and let it brown just a bit. Toss in the garlic. Wait a second or two.

Lower the heat so that the tomatoes don't burn. Put in the tomatoes (paste and diced) and cook it down a bit. About 5 min.

Add rosemary, bay leaf, vinegar, and water/stock and stir to incorporate.

Add brisket. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pan and place into the oven. Every few hours, pull out of the oven and flip the meat over. Cook until tender - approximately 5 to 6 hrs.

Pull out the brisket and cover to keep warm. On high heat, reduce any liquid you have left until you have a nice thick sauce.

Chicken Confit with Acorn Squash in Duck Fat

2010-12-23T23:14:00.001-06:00

We are getting a lot more chicken due to our new CSA provider, Meadow Heaven. I still love Mint Creek but the BF was a bit tired of Lamb and creative dishes with offal are a bit much sometimes. Ok, ok... I know it's good for me but I just can't do it! lol. Needless to say, the cats were eating well when Mint Creek was our CSA. *grin*

Anyway, another thing I don't like too much is dark meat chicken. I know it's supposedly the best part, a la the BF. But, for me, I never liked it that much. You know why, right? It's the veins. *shudder*

But, I have found two ways I can eat dark meat. One is when I take the meat from the chicken and make ground chicken (it is much better than buying ground chicken). The second is new as of yesterday and it is chicken leg confit. It is so good, that I can even get over my weirdness with the chicken leg.

Confit is the french term for meat preserved in fat. Normally it is the fat from the animal but I used duck fat. I like the flavors and I got a great price on a "bucket of fat" from our local butcher. The best part is that once you have this stored off in your fridge, you can put a quick dinner together whenever you are short on time.

Fancy in less than 15 min - how cool is that? The bad part? This is a multi-day process but does not take a lot of time on most days.

Chicken Leg Confit

5 chicken legs
2 tablespoons salt (coarse kosher)
1 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 sprigs of thyme
2-3 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves, crushed
duck fat or lard - enough to cover the meat

Day 1: Marinate the chicken - approx 10 min.
Mix together salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves and garlic. Rub the mixture onto the chicken legs covering as much of the meat and skin as possible. Place in a covered container or zip lock bag and store in the fridge for about 48 hours.

Day 2: salty massage - 5 min? or less.
Pull out the chicken, give it a quick rub. Or not. I completely forgot about them for the whole 48 hrs. :)

Day 3: cook - approx 2 hrs.
Take the chicken from the fridge and scrape off the seasonings, saving them off to the side. Preheat the oven to 300 F while waiting for the duck fat to heat up in a pan. Once the fat is heated, place the chicken in the pan and brown the legs all over. Put the legs into a ovenproof dish, where the legs fit snugly. Add the seasonings that you saved off. Cover with duck fat and place into the oven, let it cook for about 2 hours, turning them very carefully every once in a while. Remove from the oven and let it cool to room temp. Put legs into a container that can be covered, I use a glass-lock box in a rather large size. At this point you can layer the legs if you like, then cover them completely with fat. Place in the fridge and you can pull it out to eat any time between now and 6 months from now.

Six months later: re-heating the legs
So, if you still have it in the fridge six months later -- I'm impressed. I only managed to wait 2 weeks before I broke into it because I didn't get a chance to cook anything for dinner. There are two options for reheating the legs: 1) oven method: heat oven to 450 F, pull out the chicken from the fat, cook for 5 min. 2) pan method: put the legs with a little bit of the fat into a fry pan and slowly bring up to heat. Takes a bit longer but then I don't have to heat up the oven for two legs.

You can save and reuse the fat for more confit or something else. So even though you have covered it in a lot of fat, you are not going to be wasting it. I took a little spoonful of it cold from the fridge the other day -- but I am a oddity in that I like to eat fat. :)

Normally duck confit is served with something that is a bit on the sweet or sour flavor as a side dish. As the confit tends to be a bit salty, I like something that is naturally sweet to off set the flavors.

Acorn Squash with Mache and Walnuts

1 small acorn squash - cooked
2 handfuls walnuts (or however much you like)
2 handfuls mache (or spinach or another green)
a bit of the duck fat from the confit if you wish

To cook the acorn squash:
Cut squash in 1/2 - if you have a sharp enough knife (if not, cook the squash for about 20 min and then cut it). Put a pat of butter in each half. Cook the squash in a 350F oven for 20-30 min until squash is soft to the touch.

Cut squash into bite size pieces. heat pan, put the walnuts in the pan and dry roast them. about 5 min, shaking / stirring the nuts so they do not burn. Add the squash. if using the duck fat - put about a teaspoon or so in now. Give a quick stir. Add the greens and once it has wilted you are done.

Sort-of Oatmeal / sort-of Porridge.....

2010-12-21T19:27:00.000-06:00

all in all a nice, quick and tasty breakfast. I wish I could say I thought of it but lately I've just been playing with recipe books and other peoples on-line postings.

The coconut porridge recipe from The Wholesome Home is really good. We used a bit more coconut and whole milk instead of coconut milk. The BF would like some cinnamon added -- but all in all it was brilliant. 10 min (or less).

Warm and filling before going out into the lovely winter weather we have been having.

How to store fresh herbs

2010-11-11T20:43:00.000-06:00

Ok... I know, I know. There are lots of ways to store fresh herbs and I've tried them all. I've always ended up having to toss the last bits of herbs because they have gotten brown/black and soggy... and very gross.

Some of the methods that sort of worked are:

Wrap them in a paper towel and then place them in a Ziploc and store in the fridge. This worked well enough but the last bits always dried out, if I remembered to keep changing the paper towel. If I forgot, well, then I got a sticky, gross, green paper towel.

Put a little bit of water in a glass or bowl and place a plastic bag over them and place in the fridge. It also worked well enough as long as I remembered to change the water... otherwise I was going to end up with green sludge in the glass/bowl (way gross!) and it was STINKY!

Ok.... as you can see ... there is a theme... I do not remember to do anything. And, I don't always use the herbs right away. So, I'll do up some cilantro and not use it for a week. When I go back to get the cilantro - poof - no usable herbs. So sad.

So... I decided to do a experiment that worked. The cilantro in the pictures are both over 3 weeks old! And, it still tasted fresh and cilantro-y. Yea!!

Ok. So the way to do this is....

- take a bowl or glass (the glass works better) and put a wet paper towel in. Not drippy, but a bit more than damp.
- put your herb in the glass (do not mix them up or you end with with a weird smelling / tasting herb blend. I did this with cilantro and parsley ... and well, I don't know what it was at the end of the 1st week. *grin*)
- put a Ziploc freezer bag on top, so that it covers all the way down to the base of the glass. You can use a regular plastic bag but the freezer bag works best --- perhaps because it protects from the fridge smells? Or keeps the humidity constant? I know that the herbs lasted longer and smelled more like a herb.

Anyway.. that's it. Use your herbs ....no need to keep adding water, or change paper towels or any other random work.

Yay! Browntrout, Mixteco Grill and La Creperie

2010-11-10T21:13:00.000-06:00

I feel like such a foodie. LOL. I've actually been to quite a few of the restaurants on Michelin's Bib Gourmand winner's list.    Here is the article from Chicago Tribune.

Apparently Michelin's little elves go ... "Under cover of darkness Tuesday night, ...stealthily sprayed the image of Bibendum (the formal name of theMichelin Man, from a Latin phrase meaning, "Now, let's drink") on thesidewalks in front of 46 Chicago restaurants."

So of course, I had to run over and take a picture!   Who knew that the Michelin Man had a name?

My all time favorite restaurant, Browntrout, uses sustainable foods and even grows their own herbs. And we were just there last Friday to celebrate my birthday!

La Creperie is a crepe place... of course! And, I celebrated my birthday on Thursday with a friend there.   It is a bit of a no-no for me since ....well, crepe's are usually made of wheat. They do have a buckwheat option which is quite good and I usually do that. (at least it's gluten free and non-grain.)

The trifecta would have been complete if we had gone to Mixteco at any point last week...does it count that I talked about it on Saturday in Indiana? ;)

I'm just so happy that restaurants I love are getting recognized. I hope this doesn't mean that I won't be able to go there again because they will be too busy.

Pork Chops Saltimbocca with Sautéed Spinach

2010-10-31T22:28:00.001-05:00

We had this for dinner tonight... I was going to post on something else but it was SO GOOD that I just had to share. Sorry I don't have any pictures buts we just ate it way too fast... it is that yummy.

I've made this twice now and I think the modified version is much better. But then again I love prosciutto and while I thought the original recipe from Gourmet is very good - I just needed more cheese and prosciutto. :)

Note about the cheese: Apparently there is Fontina and Fontinella, do not confuse the two, they taste very different. Although both will melt well and if you accidentally brought Fontinella (which I did the first time I made this) it still tastes good. Fontina is much richer and creamer, so I think it tastes better. ;)

Pork Chops Saltimbocca with Sauteed Spinach

2 pork chops - boneless works easiest, but I've done it with bone-in as well.
2 sage leaves, finely chopped (can use dried - about a 1 teaspoon)
2 very thin slices Italian Fontina
2 thin slices prosciutto (1 ounce)
3 tablespoons butter
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 (10-ounce) fresh spinach, stems discarded (or less depending on how much you like spinach)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Pat chops dry and cut a deep, wide pocket in each pork chop. Sprinkle sage into each pocket and stuff pockets with cheese and prosciutto. Season with 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. (You don't want to over salt as the the prosciutto is quite salty as well)

In a ovenproof skillet, heat butter and cook one side of the chops until it is golden brown. Flip over, put on some more prosciutto (a slice or so), cheese and a bit of sage. Stick into the oven to roast.

Roast until cooked through, about 5 minutes.

While chops cook:
Heat butter in a 5-qt pot over medium heat. Sauté garlic until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add spinach and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt.

Plate pork and spinach. Drizzle a little bit of lemon juice on both. Serve.

How cool is this? Women butchers

2010-10-29T21:31:00.000-05:00

The GoodEater Collaborative had a posting about women now going into the butchering field (again). I know that we don't have many butchers any more in the states.... but it's good to think that perhaps times are a changing.

Here is the article:

In Heels and Backwards – Women Butchers Break Bones and Barriers | the GoodEater Collaborative

Chicken Paprikash (sort-of) with Bell peppers

2010-10-15T16:35:00.000-05:00

I made this for my sis, Coco, for dinner as she is in surgery recovery mode.

A great recipe that re-heats well and has that warm, comforting feel to it. We don't eat it with pasta or rice so it's more like a soupy stew...but you can put it on top of something if you feel the need. I know the sis is going to do so. :)

Anyway ... Coco.. here is the recipe like I promised you.

Chicken Paprikash with Bell Peppers

1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons paprika
1 chicken (3 to 3-1/2 pounds), cut into serving pieces (skin off or on, depending on what you like)
4 tablespoons fat/ghee for frying
1 medium onion, sliced
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1-2" squares
ground pepper to taste
1-½ cups chicken stock
1 cup yogurt or sour cream or creme fraiche

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a bowl, mix salt and paprika. Toss in chicken and coat.

In a dutch oven, heat up fat on high/medium high heat. Add chicken to pot, being careful not to crowd the chicken . You may have to do several batches. Once all the chicken is browned (see picture).

Reduce to medium heat and put in the onions and bell peppers. Saute until onions have softened, about 5 min. Add black pepper and anything you may have left over in the bowl you had placed the chicken in. Do a quick stir. Add chicken stock and chicken. Bring up to a simmer. Just before placing into oven, add yogurt. If using sour cream or creme fraiche, wait until chicken has cooked and add at the end as I'm not sure how either of those will cook down in the oven.

Place pot into the oven and bake for about 50 min.

Serve... in a nice bowl or with something traditional like spaetzel.

Gambas al ajillo (Shrimp in Garlic)

2010-10-11T23:03:00.000-05:00

This is one of the quickest and easiest dishes. I'm not even sure it really needs a recipe!

After all the key ingredients are garlic, parsley and shrimp... not too much to it. I know a lot of recipes that have you put the whole thing in a terracotta dish and place it in the oven. This is not one of those recipes... because, as you know, I'm lazy.

So, what do you need? Ideally a really good cast iron pan, as it just gives that great flavor and holds up the heat well. If not, a good frying pan will work.

Gambas al ajillo

Shrimp in Garlic

1/2 pound shrimps or prawns, shelled and de-veined
1 handful of italian parsely, roughly chopped (1/4 cup approx)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon (more or less) of red chili flakes
3 cloves garlic (more or less), crushed
1 small shallot, finely chopped
6 tablespoons butter

Heat up the butter. Add shallots and salt, cook until shallots are soft (about 1 or 2 minutes). Add garlic and chili, and give a quick stir. Add shrimp and cook until pink / cooked. If you cook it too long, shrimps get rubbery, so keep a close eye on it. It should only be 2, maybe 3 minutes. Pull off heat, toss in parsley and put in a serving dish (so that you don't keep cooking the shrimp from the heat of the pan).

Patatas bravas

2010-10-08T22:37:00.000-05:00

I love potatoes. While we do not eat them often, perhaps once in 3 or 4 months, I prefer to eat Patatas Bravas to almost anything else...even french fries! And to those who know me well, know I was a french fry addict.

The tangy, spicy tomato sauce is just so much better than ketchup... although there is a great restaurant called DMK which makes it's own house ketchup that is pretty spectacular and they have grass fed/finished burgers that are SO good. ummm...I just ate and I'm hungry again. ;)

Anyway.. back to patatas bravas...the first time I had it was at a small place in Madrid called Jaime's that has some of the best food... the bravas and the gambas...the champiñones (mushrooms).... oh, my goodness, so good. We went back two nights in a row!

Patatas Bravas

Potatoes in Spicy Tomato sauce

2 lb potatoes, any kind
lard or some fat for frying
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 teaspoons sweet paprika (pimenton)
1/4 teaspoon (more or less) cayenne pepper
1 lb tomatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup of water

Peal and cut the potatoes into bite size cubes (about 3/4 inches). Rinse, drain and dry the potatoes.

Keep the oil to the side and warm while you make the sauce. Or you can make the sauce first and keep that warm.

Potatoes:
Heat oil/fat for frying, take out 2 tablespoons for doing up the sauce once the oil is hot. Once the oil/fat is hot, cook the potatoes (as if you were making french fries) in batches. Set to drain on a paper towel.

Sauce:
Start up the tomato sauce by using the 2 tablespoons of oil/fat once and bring it up to heat. Add the onion and saute until soft. Add garlic, cayenne, paprika and saute for about 2 minutes on medium low heat. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, 1/3 cup of water and cook until tomatoes break down to a sauce like consistency.

Put the sauce on top of the potatoes and serve.

Chorizo en Sidra

2010-10-07T20:37:00.000-05:00

Chorizo en Sidra in Madrid, Spain at a lovely little tapas place

The BF's favorite dish!

Spanish Chorizo is very different from Mexican Chorizo. While I like both of them very much, I don't think you can substitute Mexican for Spanish Chorizo and get anything of Spanish dish.

Spanish Chorizo has such a distinct taste and mouth feel... that I wouldn't want to substitute. But, if you cannot find it and do not wish to order online, Cooks Thesaurus suggests kielbasa, pepperoni,linguisa (hotter) or other dry-cured pork sausage as substitutions... and you can have a go with it if you want. Just note, they say you can sub mexican chorizo as well, and I can tell you that would not work at all for this recipe.

So what are the differences between Spanish and Mexican Chorizo?

Spanish Chorizo:

lower fat content
more finely ground
deep red in color because they contain pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
seasoned with sweet paprika and garlic

cured, rather hard like pepperoni or salami

Mexican Chorizo:

higher fat content, chunkier ground
seasoned with chili peppers and vinegar
not cured, more like breakfast sausages in consistency

Chorizo en Sidra

Chorizo in Cider

3 teaspoons butter or ghee
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika or pimenton (if you can get it)
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 chorizo, sliced diagonally (I do thin slices, since it cooks faster and the cider melds into the meat better but you can do as you wish)
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat the butter in a saucepan over low heat, add onion and cook until translucent. Add paprika and cook for a minute.

Increase heat to medium and add the cider, stock and bay leaf to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add Chorizo and simmer for 5 minutes. Add vinegar and stir. Add parsley, season. Serve.

Note: for the cider - if you can get Spanish cider, brilliant! However, if not, I've used Woodchuck Granny Apple Draft Cider and it works out well. It has the bite that some of the sweeter hard ciders don't - which is what you are looking for - something with a tang.

For Joe - Albondigas

2010-10-06T20:46:00.001-05:00

The meatballs for Tapas night were done a bit fast and so some broke up a bit. The secret to the meatballs not breaking up is to place them in a well oiled pan (or even better a non-stick pan), cook on medium low heat and wait. You are waiting for each side to cook through and get a nice crust before turning them to the next side....and to make them a bit small.... golf ball sized or so.

Albondigas

Meatballs in tomato sauce

Meatball ingredients:

6 oz ground pork
6 oz ground beef or veal (If you are going to use veal, please use rose veal which is humane )
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of ground cinnamon
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
salt and pepper to taste

Tomato sauce ingredients (spicy):

1 tablespoon butter or ghee
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine (or sherry)
14 oz can of chopped tomatoes (or diced) or approximately the same of fresh tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less depending on your heat level)
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed.

Directions:
Combine the pork, beef/veal, garlic, spices and egg. Mix by hand refrigerate, covered for 30 minutes. (you know I didn't do that part. *grin* But, it may make it a bit more solid to work with.)

Heat butter/ghee on medium heat and add onion, cook until translucent, about 3 min. Add garlic, cook for about a minute. Raise the heat to high, add wine and bring to boil. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and stock. Simmer for about 10 min. Add cayenne. Keep on a very low heat, just so that it stays warm and start up on the meatballs.

Take meat mixture and make golf ball sized meatballs. Heat ghee or butter in pan and place meatballs in pan taking care not to let them touch. You may need to make multiple batches. Cook for about a min or so on each side or done to your taste. Once all the meatballs are done, put them in the sauce. Add peas and bring up to temp on medium low heat.

Serve.

Tapas Night

2010-10-05T22:47:00.001-05:00

A few nights ago I made tapas for dinner - because I had planned to cook and I was going to cook. No matter that I had come home late from work and wasn't prepared at all for the feast.

Tapas night

And since it was not very well planned dinner - it was quite late when we ate and not all the dishes planned were made. But as you can from the "Tapas Night" picture - there is a good quantity of food. Starting at bottom center and going clockwise: Chorizo en sidre (incider), Patatas bravas (potatoes in tomato sauce), Albondigas(meatballs, actually meatball in this case. *grin*), Gambas al ajillo(shrimp in garlic butter sauce).

Scallops and chard

We were suppose to have Acelgas conpasas y pinones (rainbow chard with raisins and pine nuts) but justdidn't have enough time. I made it a few days later with scallops butI don't think the flavors worked as well as it would have done with theTapas meal.

I would say if you plan to make a tapas dinner give yourself a hour or two. Most of the stuff I made was quick - but there is a lot of cutting, chopping and basic prep that needs to be done and well ... tapas is all about little samples of food. So, lots of dishes.

And if you are motivated to make Tapas - more power to you! Here and hereare a sites I like for quite a few dishes - I haven't tried them allbut the ones I have tried turned out good. I also recommend orderingfrom La Tienda as theyhave a great selection of Spanish meats that you can get delivered. Iordered the Iberico + Serrano Duo for the BF a few Christmas' ago,which he liked very much. They also have proper Spanish Chorizo - whichwe use to order but lucky for us our local meat market, Paulina, carries it now and so I don't have to plan too farahead.

Since Chard is currently in season and has been looking very bright and fresh at the farmers' markets, that is the first recipe I will post up. And, as I've been slacking for a bit... I'll make this easy on myself and just post up a recipe in the next few days for the other items from Tapas night.

Acelgas con Pasas y Pinones

Chard with raisins and pine nuts

1 lb chard
2 tablespoons pine nuts (unless you are like me and like more)
1 tablespoon butter
1 small red onion or shallot - sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons raisins

Prep:
Wash the chard, trim and shred the leaves into bite size pieces.
In a cup, set raisins in some boiling water to rehydrate - this should just take enough time for the chard to have cooked through.
In a frying pan over medium heat, lightly brown the pine nuts and set to the side.

Directions:
Heat butter, add onion and cook over low heat until softened. Add garlic. Saute over medium heat for about a minute until garlic is fragrant. Add the chard and give a quick stir. When the char wilts, add the raisins (strained of the water) and the pine nuts. season and serve.

Great egg hunt picture

2010-09-20T11:49:00.001-05:00

So, the Boston Globe had a great "egg hunt" picture and the Atlantic this time line article about the egg recalls.

Last month the nation wide recall of eggs seemed to bring some level of awareness of just how bad our food system has gotten.

Will it change how we buy things? perhaps for some people.

Will it change how we process our food.... unfortunately, I think not. According to the Atlantic article, DeCoster the owner of the chicken farm "has done business in Turner, Maine, his hometown, for over 60years—and has incurred a decades-long list of violations there.DeCoster's history of legal cases in Maine demonstrates that the morerecent labor, environmental, and public health offenses are part of along pattern that continues today, and in several states."

If you have 60 years worth of violations....how can you possibly still be allowed to process food?

Three marinades for Flank or Skirt Steaks

2010-09-16T23:01:00.000-05:00

I love both Flank and Skirt Steaks. They are both very economical and tasty cuts of meat and while I use them interchangeably for cooking purposes - they do taste a bit different. Saveur has a great little piece on "Know Your Cuts" which define the difference between Skirt and Flank.

All of the recipes grill the steaks and I'm lucky in that I have a lovely cast iron grill pan. But, you can broil it if you don't have a way to grill the steak up.

The first one is from Alton Brown, who I love for introducing me to the science of cooking. He has this great Skirt Steak recipe that is brilliant for both taste and speed. Most of the marinades require some time to both tenderize the meat and meld the flavors. This one said a hour - but I didn't marinade it at all - and it was still very tasty.

Skirt Steak

1/2 cup melted butter - cooled
1/3 cup tamari (or soy sauce)
4 scallions
2 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tsp brown sugar or honey (optional)
2 pounds inside skirt steak, cut into 3 equal pieces

Puree everything (except the meat!) in a blender. Put the marinade on the meat. Grill. Eat. Yum.

So this is Emeril's recipe for Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce which we had for dinner tonight. It does need some time to marinade into the meat. I did a hour - but I do think that Emeril's recommendation for a minimum of 3 hours is true enough. I did end up changing this quite a bit.

Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup flat leaf parsley
5 large leaves of basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 large clove garlic
1 large shallot or 2 small ones
salt
pepper
1/4 tsp red chili pepper
skirt steak

In a blender or food processor, put butter, vinegar, lemon, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic, shallots, salt, pepper, chili and blend into a nice paste. Take 1/2 the paste and marinade the steak. Grill the steak. Plate and spoon over a bit of the left over paste. It will melt into the steak.....so good!

This recipe is from "Earth to the Table" by John Ash and works really well as fajitas. Since your grilling anyway - pop on some bell peppers and sliced onions... and you are good to go. Who needs tortillas? :) I haven't found a great solution to olive oil in cooking for recipes like this which need to be marinated for a long time. Since the moment you stick this in the fridge the butter, coconut oil or palm oil solidifies. As soon as I figure out a option... I'll let you all know.

Flank Steak in Lime-Chipotle Sauce

1/2 tablespoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce ( more or less depending upon your heat levels - this is very mild because the BF can't do too hot.)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup hearty red wine (I usually use a Merlot or Rojas ... depending on what had been opened)
1/2 cup tamari (or soy sauce)
steak

In a large bowl, mix chipotle, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, wine, and tamari and blend well. In a zip-lock bag, put in the steak and marinade. Marinade the steak for at least 4 hours but it works best overnight. Once you are ready, cook up the steak. Slice thinly, against the grain.

GMO Salmon... yup.. that's what we need

2010-09-14T23:44:00.000-05:00

Discovery News published a article today about how the FDA is getting ready to approve the sale of genetically modified salmon for consumption.

I don't understand why we keep mucking around with plants and animals with traits that aren't even within the same species/genus. At least in this case we stuck with another fish. :) But, do we really need to make fish grow faster? For what?

I know I am completely wacko about GMO -- but I don't think anything we have done to date has proven completely beneficial.

The corn and soy GMO's created so that they are "Round-up ready" has introduced a new, stronger variant of weeds that are able to withstand Round-up.
In North Dakota, GM canola plants have cross pollinated with wild plants. see here
There are concerns that GMO food can cause/promote food allergies (see here for a list of some of the benefits and concerns from the Human Genome Project). Either due to allergen genes being placed into a product. Say peanuts into wheat. Or, a new allergen being created due to the modification. Since the US does not require labeling - there is no way to know if a food source is a GMO and/or what has been added.
Aside from impacting bio-diversity - we may also be changing the macro environment. By the cross pollination that is occurring, we cannot say what it is doing to both the wild plant and/or animal life. What are the impacts to wild life such as birds to the new "wild" GM plants found in ND?
And do I really trust agri-business to make sure that what they are selling me is real food. Here is a 2003 article from Seattle PI where they state that "pharmaceutical giant Hoffman-La Roche, which manufactures the dyes,provides salmon manufacturers with swatches of pink hues arranged in afan formation, much like one would find at a paint store. They call itthe "SalmoFan." Dye for the selected shade is then added to thesalmon's processed food pellets." This was done to fool customers into thinking that they were buying wild salmon not farmed.

In our focus to produce as much food as we can - we have with "traditional" (agri-business) farming produced foods that are less nutrient dense than they were before we mucked around them. And, still the information isn't out there to the average person that only by eating heirloom / organic are they going to be able to get all the nutrients that should be available in a vegetable or fruit. What are the implications of a GMO product in the food chain to both us and the planet at large?

If these fish get accidental released into the wild -what will it do to our wild salmon populations? And, do I really believe that there won't be a accidental release? From this 1997 report ... "Escapes of Farmed Salmon from Pens: Just this year, 300,000 Atlantic salmon were released into Puget Sound when their pens were accidentally ripped open. In Norway, where as many as 1.3 million salmon escape from farms each year, one third of the salmon spawning in coastal rivers are not wild, but escaped salmon. ..." 1/3rd of the salmon spawning in 1997 were not wild! What does that make the numbers now??

Per the Monterey Bay Aquarium... farmed salmon is on the do not buy list because of accidental releases, parasites and diseases being transferred to wild salmon, waste being directly released into the oceans...etc. And yet... we want to add to this by putting GM fish into the mix.

It makes me so angry that we are so short sighted. :(

Pork Braised in Cream

2010-09-09T21:15:00.000-05:00

I have discovered that pork braised in milk / cream is incredibly tasty. May not be the best looking meal - but OMG so yummy.

I had grown up eating pork which is tenderized using vinegar and is also tasty but there is a acidity to it that sometimes I'm not in the mood for. But with milk, the meat is tender and no acidity. A win/win.

So, here is one of the recipes I have for pork braised in milk/cream. Since it's the one in the picture... it seemed like a good choice. no? :P

Pork Chops Braised in Tomato Cream with Mushrooms

2 pork chops
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped (canned are fine, Roma or caprese)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup porcini (which I didn't have so I used fresh Shiitake)
1/2 cup button mushrooms (or baby portabella)
1 - 2 tablespoons butter
salt
pepper

In a nice sized pan, melt the butter and brown the pork chops. Once the chops have a nice brown to them, add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Let the wine simmer for a minute or so, add the tomatoes, cream, porcini mushrooms, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered (with a slight gap to let the steam out) for 45 minutes. Turn the chops a few times during the 45 minutes.

About 10 minutes before your timer goes off for the chops, saute the button mushrooms in a pan with some butter. Check the chops, they should be tender. If so, add the sauteed mushrooms to the pan and simmer uncovered for 5-7 minutes so that the flavors meld. If the meat isn't tender, continue to braise until ready. Check on salt and pepper. Serve.

Grilled Salmon with Basil Cream sauce and mixed colored beans

2010-09-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

I was working late today and seafood is always so quick and easy. So it was the quick wander through my favorite cookbooks to see what I wanted to make and I found a odd recipe using basil with salmon. I've had parsley and cilantro with Salmon. But, I do not recall ever seeing a Basil and Salmon recipe. And, well, my garden Basil is quite full... with the idea that I will make pesto soon.

So, this is a fairly easy recipe - since I didn't have everything the original called for... I did end up adapting it to meet my pantry's offerings. I made many substitutions and so can only give you what I made which turned out quite well.

If you want the original it's in From the Earth to the Table: John Ash's Wine Country Cuisine. The actual title is "Grilled Salmon with Roasted White Corn Salsa and Warm Basil Cream" but we didn't have the Corn Salsa as we don't eat grains.

Salmon with Basil Cream Sauce

2 6oz pieces of Salmon
2 - 3 tablespoon ghee or butter, melted but not hot - since you are going to be using it for the marinade and you don't want to cook the fish before hand
dried parsley (mostly because that is all I had - but if you have fresh that would be good too)
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
handful of basil leaves, chiffonade or roughly chopped (depending on how fancy you want to get)
1/8 tablespoon (eyeball it) of chopped green onion (whites only) or shallots
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup white wine (dry)
1/4 cup water (if you have stock even better but ours was all frozen)
1/8 cup chopped Roma tomato (optional)

Put 1 tablespoon of ghee/butter, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl or zip lock bag. Mix and then add the salmon. Leave to marinade for a bit - 20 min or so. In the mean time, chop up your other ingredients. Prep your grill pan or outdoor grill so that it is nice and hot. Put the Salmon to cook - depending on thickness from 4 -8 min each side. I usually do only do the side with the skin on it so that the other side doesn't get stuck to my grill pan and place a lid on them so that the heat cooks the Salmon all the way through.

While the Salmon is cooking. Pull out a fry pan and on medium heat put the remaining ghee/butter in the pan. Once hot, add onion and garlic and brown it lightly. Add white white (carefully! I usually lower the heat to nothing so that I don't accidentally start up a fire. ). Bring up the heat to medium, add water/stock and simmer until it is 1/2 of the volume. Add basil and let it wilt a bit. Add cream and lower heat so that the cream doesn't burn. Mix for a bit until the basil has flavored the cream - say 2 - 5 min. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. If you decided to put the tomato in, you would do so now. Since you don't really want the tomato cooked - but warmed with the cream sauce.

Plate the Salmon, put sauce on top and your good to go.

Now if you want to make the beans.... it is so easy! They are just steamed and tossed in some butter/ghee with onions and garlic.

Beans in butter

beans - green, wax, purple - whatever looks lovely at market
3-4 tablespoons ghee or butter
water to steam the beans
finely chopped green onion or shallots or regular onion (if you used the white for the salmon, you can use up the tops easily enough)
1 clove garlic - finely chopped

Steam the beans until they are cooked to desired consistency. Set aside. Heat ghee/butter in a pan and once hot add onions and garlic. Cook until lightly brown. Add the beans and give it a quick stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Done! So easy, breezy and yummy!

Tomatoes, Tomatoes everywhere

2010-08-31T22:41:00.001-05:00

It is finally tomato season and Chicago's Green City Market has been having a lovely showing of tomatoes. Big tomatoes. Little tomatoes. Red Tomatoes and green.

But apparently - I took pictures of only little ones. The Golden Honey are really wonderful. And the Mexican Midget - aside from the funny name - has the strongest tomato flavor I have ever tasted.

I used some of the Mexican Midget's for a shepherds pie I made the other day and wow! Tomato flavor with very little liquid.

You know how sometimes you have to cook down a large tomato to get that tomato essence? That pop of tomato flavor? Well, these little babies are great for that pop and still let me be a bit of a slacker.

And, some non-tomato tomatoes, such as these. The lovely, pineapple ground cherry. Which I've been eating like candy. So yummy!

Below is my current collection of tomatoes. Yellow Roma's at the top are from my neighbor Jill. As are the small round orange cherry tomatoes. The big red tomato is a heirloom and probably a Black Krim. The yellow ones at the bottom are unknown at the moment - but very very good. And the ones at the very right that look a bit like baby Tomatillo's... are my collection of pineapple ground cherry and actually taste like pineapples! So cool!

I was hoping for tomatoes from our garden - but that didn't happen this year. I love fresh off the vine tomatoes. Perhaps next.

The farmer's market is the next best thing. If you have a market going .... and tomatoes are up.... see if you can get any of the heirlooms or sort-of heirlooms.

Green Zebras while technically not a heirloom are lovely, eating tomatoes, sweet and so very juicy.
Cherokee Purple are another one I grew a few years back and are tasty eating. These are great for cooking as well. A soft tomato-y taste. Not like the Mexican Midget's. :)

The lovely lemon shaped ones at the bottom in the picture above (yes, yes, I know ... I have to find out what they are) are nice and crisp and went well with the milk braised pork we had for dinner tonight.

Jill's yellow Roma's don't taste like Roma tomatoes to me but are very good and if I had a ton of space to plant all the tomatoes I wanted... well, they would make my list.

As you can see... I am a tomato head at the moment. It is such a short lived season. Between that and all the berries -- I'm in fruit heaven. Thankfully, it is a short season. *grin*

Blueberry French Toast - Gluten Free!

2010-08-29T21:02:00.002-05:00

I found a new site that is brilliant. The person had posted up a coconut flour based blueberry french toast that turned out SO GOOD!

Since I didn't change a thing (shocking!).

I'm just going to link to the recipe at
Grain-Free Foodies and you can just check out the rest of their stuff.

Here is also a picture that the BF took of our breakfast this morning...

Bacon is from Twin Oak Meats which is SO YUMMY.. especially when we can get their peppered bacon. OMG! If you get a chance... it is so good! I try every week to get some at Green City Market ... if only I was a morning person! But, sometimes - we get lucky - and get a package of the pepper bacon. This was the regular streaky bacon - which is also good.

Peas and pancetta...

2010-08-23T22:51:00.013-05:00

We made peas and pancetta for dinner the other night and it was SO YUMMY! As you can see, in the top left corner, the scallops were the main.

I do love how quickly one can cook up scallops and have a "nice" dinner. You know, the dinners that you go out and pay heaps of money.... and think...yummy!

This is one of those meals. And, quick too! How much better than that can you get? I will say the meal itself is a bit on the salty side - since pancetta is salty and well... so are scallops. But, flavor wise, a great combo - especially with the creaminess of the scallops in mushroom cream sauce.

I got the recipe from Michael Symon's cookbook "Live to Cook" - which I thought was a great name and so had to buy it. Ok... so I did look inside first to see if there was anything that I would be willing to cook and eat. Lucky for both of us -- there were heaps of stuff that looked yummy! After all, how can you not buy a book that has a whole chapter dedicated to pickles?! :)

Peas and Pancetta

1/4 pound Pancetta, thickly sliced and then diced
1 shallot, sliced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 cup peas (I used frozen and thawed but I would love to taste this with fresh peas)
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley (chopped)
Kosher salt (or sea salt)

In a saute pan, cook the Pancetta until crispy. about 5 min. Add shallots and garlic - sweat - about a minute. Add peas, if using thawed peas - just until they are warm. If using fresh, until they are cooked. Remove from flame, toss in parsley.
Taste - add salt if needed.

Now, Michael Symon uses orange juice in his version. I'm sure it is good but we were/are avoiding the extra sugar. And, I don't really think this needs the sweetness. He also suggests putting this dish with fish such as grilled salmon or halibut. But, since we have scallops - well - you know how that goes.

Here is a picture of the finished product.... thanks to the BF for both pictures. Otherwise, you would have none. I'm really trying to get better about taking pictures... sigh... but ... this involves planning... or some such thing. ok... it needs a camera too.

The two little round things... are tomatoes from the farmer's market. They are called sun gold tomatoes which were last weeks favorite tomato.

This week...... well... I guess, I'll have to take pictures and let you know. :)

thai chicken vs. thai basil chicken

2010-08-13T18:48:00.016-05:00

I've made multiple versions of Thai chicken now and I still don't see a significant difference between Thai basil chicken and Thai chicken (from the recipes I have tried).

Here is one I like best which is from The Atlantic (I think but I cannot find it on their site anymore).

Thai Meat Salad

5 ounces lean pork or chicken, hand-minced, This is an important step, and takes about two minutes with a sharp knife. Chop until meat is very fine and resembles ground chicken or pork. The texture will be much better than machine ground meat.
¼ cup chicken stock
3 shallots, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large handful fresh mint, coriander and spring onions, in roughly equal parts, chopped OR 1 cup of Thai basil or holy basil (Italian doesn't taste right but can be used if you wish) slivers
1 Kaffir lime leaf, rolled up and then sliced into tiny slivers (optional)
2 tablespoons lime juice (more, if you like it sour)
1.5 to 2 tablespoon good fish sauce (I use a bit less since I don't like fishy)
½ teaspoon roasted chili powder
a handful of cashews (optional)

Heat stock and garlic in a small pan and season with some salt (and sugar - if you use sugar - I do sometimes put in a drop of honey if it tastes like it needs sweetness but for the most part I don't bother)
Add minced meat and cook quickly, stirring, until the meat is fluffy and cooked through--about 3-5 minutes is all you'll need.
Remove from heat and add lime juice, fish sauce, chili flakes, and taste. There should be a sweet, salty, spicy and sour balance. If not, adjust.
Toss with fresh herbs and shallots. Cashews if you wanted to have a crunch.

serve immediately.

If you are pressed for time... the minced chicken works well enough. It really does taste better if you chop up the meat yourself - but this is such a nice quick meal - I have totally slacked on occasion and used ground chicken instead of doing it up myself. :)

You can put these in lettuce - for lettuce wraps. Or eat it plain like we tend to do. Boston/Butter lettuce works well as it has nice big leaves.

A nice side to this is a cucumber salad. We got a lovely Persian cucumber from the farmer's market last week and I have to say it is one of my favorite variety of cucumber. I just slice it up with some rice wine vinegar, a drop of honey and some shallots diced up. If you have some nice tomatoes that would be lovely in there as well.

Big Agra - whoo whoo

2010-08-10T22:31:00.000-05:00

Ok, this shouldn't be new to anyone.... but apparently the National Cattlemen's Beef Association used marketing money generated under the Checkoff program for lobbying purposes. Both the NY Times and the Atlantic had good coverage on the misuse of funds.

What I don't understand is why the beef industry even needs to be in the checkoff program. Since the program is suppose to "improve the market position of the covered commodity by expanding markets, increasing demand, and developing new uses and markets" - I don't see where beef doesn't have the market covered. Aside from soy-burgers (which really isn't a beef alternative) -- what is the competition? Don't they have the market cornered on beef?

No wonder we don't have real farmer's anymore ... it's impossible to out spend the large businesses. The only good thing out of this is as the Atlantic put it we can "Chalk one up for this administration's attempt to be transparent". I honestly don't think we need to be providing subsidies to agri-business. Once food becomes a production process and people are removed from it, one doesn't know how much is propaganda and how much is real (as in this case with Fair Oaks Farms who promote themselves as a small family run farm but until I read the article and found out it wasn't - which kinda pissed me off since I made a major effort to find their brand at one point).

Another rant done. :)

Basically, get to know your local farmer, buy local, organic - as most small farmer's are organic and sustainable (too expensive to buy all those chemicals). :)

Why? Why do food processors put sugar in everything?

2010-08-01T16:09:00.000-05:00

So, I can no longer buy my from my favorite bacon vendor. I am so sad.

I use to buy bacon from Wallace once a month as that was how often he came into the city. So, last go I bought a lot of bacon not knowing that he had changed his recipe for curing bacon. Apparently, it was a choice between nitrates and/or sugar. I do not know why that is the choice.

But, cane sugar doesn't agree with me. And, really, I don't want sugar in my diet from sources that do not need sugar. I just don't get why we have to put sugar in everything! no wonder we all get fat.

Anyway, I'm now on a quest for a new bacon provider. Sigh... more work.

I'm actually asked the BF what he thought about possibly making my own bacon. but that would definitely be more work. *grin*

Beef and cranberry - a odd combo that works

2010-07-25T09:20:00.009-05:00

So, we just got back from holiday and have no veg in the fridge but we are never short on meat. One of the nice things about being in a CSA and having a freezer to store all the bounty - is that you are never short on food. Anyway - I pulled out some pot roast and took stock of what we had -- dried cranberries that I normally use for salads, onions, garlic, 1/2 bag of frozen peas.... umm. It was going to be tough.

Off to the web I go to see what I can find to make with my meager rations. I found this recipe on BBC Food that might actually work. OK, I wasn't going to use the recipe exactly - but then again - when do I? I must say, at the end of the day - YUM. it works. However, I did go to the grocery store and that helped as well.*grin* Since the picture made me think of mash potatoes and well, once I get something like that in my pea brain... well, I had to go shopping.

So, too make mash potatoes that are lower in carbs - do a percentage of the "potatoes" with cauliflower. I made ours with 2/3 cauliflower and 1/3 potato and lots of butter, cream and cheddar cheese. The BF dislikes the taste of cauliflower, but he did like this version. So, if you are minding your carbohydrate intake but do not like cauliflower, this might be a option. It does taste great with this stew.

Braised Beef with Cranberries

1-2 pounds braising steak/pot roast cut into 1" pieces
3 onions, sliced
1 to 1 1/2 cups red wine
1 to 1 1/2 cups stock (beef, chicken, veg, even plain water will do)
4 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 - 2 tablespoons for browning beef and onions

brown beef in butter or bacon fat, pull out and set to a side. You may need to brown the beef in batches, depending upon how big your dutch oven or oven safe pot is. Then, brown onions
once onion are browned, add the wine and give it a good stir. Basically deglazing the pan, by getting all those nice dark bits from the bottom of your pan into the sauce. Add in stock, beef, cranberries and bring liquid up to a simmer. At this point the liquid should be covering the beef. Cover pot loosely and cook on low heat for a minimum of 1 1/2 hrs. You want the liquid to be a low bubble and just enough venting on the cover so that it doesn't boil in the pot.

Note: the amount of stock and wine is based upon how much sauce you want and how long you want to braise the beef. I braised mine for about 5 hrs and so used a lot more stock and wine.

Cranberries - you need to look at the ingredient list carefully on dried cranberries. Actually, dried fruit in general, since they tend to add sugar and sulfur to the product. Health food stores usually have dried fruit that does not have sugar added and is sulfur free.

I'm slacking...

2010-07-21T22:00:00.002-05:00

but this did entertain me, even has paleo refs! How great is that? :)

Pulled Beef Short Ribs

2010-06-28T23:51:00.088-05:00

ok, ok, ok... I don't know why I've been making such time intensive meals the last few days. But, I had a taste for short ribs. And, all the recipes I have had carrots in them. One thing we didn't have are carrots. Apparently, I've been on a carrot kick and the BF is somewhat sick of them. So, I was banned from buying carrots this weekend at the farmer's market. *grin*

We did have onions, beer and lemons. OMG - this ended up SO good! But, it is a LOT of work compared with other beef short rib recipes. I use two different pans for this. 1) cast iron skillet to brown up the ribs and 2) cast iron Dutch oven for the braising - but if you don't want the extra clean up you can do it all in the Dutch oven.

Also, you can break this out into multiple days which we ended up doing by accident. I didn't realize that separating the meat and bone would make so much of a difference in both taste and ease of eating. Although, I'm sure you can figure out the later when you have the short rib still on the bone. If your doing this all in one day, it will take about 5 or 6 hours.

Beer Braised Pulled Short Ribs

3 pounds beef short ribs
1 good porter - I highly recommend Bell's
1 really large onion (or two normal sized ones) - sliced thinly
2 garlic - sliced thinly
3 thick slices of lemon
1 bay leaf
1 celery stick - chopped roughly
parsley (if you have fresh great! you just need a few sprigs - if not - about 3-4 tbsp dry)
chicken stock or water - enough to cover the short ribs well (approximately 3 cups)
bacon fat - enough to brown up the beef and saute the onions

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Salt and pepper the beef and brown in a pan. I use two different pans for this, a fry pan to brown the beef and a dutch oven to braise the ribs. If you choose to use only the dutch oven, then pull out the beef and set it on the side and then saute the onions. Otherwise, heat up the dutch oven while the meat is browning and saute the onions.

Add garlic to the onions and stir it for about a minute. Add beer to onions and garlic mixture, cook down a bit (about 5 min). Add beef and bring liquid to a soft boil/simmer.

Place pot in the oven for 2 hrs. And, if you are like me and working from home - back to work you go. Otherwise - do whatever you would normally do for the next 2 hours. TV anyone?

Pull it out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature so that you can handle the meat. You can even pull the meat out and place it on a separate plate to cool.

When you can easily hold the meat in your hands - remove the gristle and bones. Place the meat in one container, the bones in another and the gristle in the garbage. If you are doing this over multiple days, place the meat in the fridge.

Put the bones into the dutch oven with the juices/liquid that has been there from the braising
simmer/low boil the bones and liquid until liquid is 1/2 to 3/4 gone (this is a few hours - depending upon how high you have the heat).

Strain the liquid and add the meat which you have either pulled by hand or you can pull with a fork
cook until liquid is all gone.

Now you can do this in many stages over a few days and it will taste better for it. The lemon isn't overwhelming - but it does make the house smell lemony. Which is a good thing, no? ;)

I really need to get a new camera so I can take pictures of the food... but that is on hold for a bit. So, I'll just put up random images unless the BF is sweet and takes a picture of the meal.

Mutton! Mut-ton! Muuuuuttttttttoooon.

2010-06-27T20:16:00.016-05:00

When my cousins were in from India and my sister's were taking them out for a meal post some sight-seeing event .... they would inevitably ask if the restaurant served mutton. Now, mutton is a very popular meat in India and so they were quite shocked to find out that hardly anyone serves mutton in the US. They were also surprised that we ate so much beef.

Now, we are catholic... (well, culturally) ... and so beef isn't the same taboo it would be for someone who is Hindu. But, Indian's in general don't tend to eat a lot of beef in India.

Anyway - guess what we got in our CSA yesterday? Mutton! LOL. Sure, when the cousin's aren't here to eat any. However, my mum should enjoy the curry I'm making for tomorrow. But, as always - I did hack it up a bit.

The BF helped cook it and laughed when I said to put in a bit of peanut butter. *shrug* we didn't have any peanuts in the house and after shopping already half the day -- I just didn't want to go to another store. :)

Here is the recipe. You are welcome to hack away at it as well. It is a lot of ingredients - sorry! Remember, it's Indian food - you can ad-lib all you want and measurements of ingredients is very optional.

Mutton Curry

2 1/2 pounds meat from shoulder or leg of mutton
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (more if you like spicy)
1 1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped/ground almonds
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped/ground peanuts
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 1/4 teaspoon white poppy seeds (khas khas)
3 brown cardamom pods (I only had green so that was what was used)
8 small green cardamom - seeds pulled out from the husk and crushed (I only used 3, since I had done up 3 already)
14-16 peppercorns
8-10 cloves (whole)
pinch of nutmeg powder
1 - 2 tablespoons coconut (desiccated - no sugar added)
2 inch piece of ginger - chopped roughly
12 - 13 medium garlic cloves - sliced / chopped roughly
3 - 4 tablespoons butter or ghee
2 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/4 cups yogurt (use a thick yogurt like Brown Cow or FAGE - whole cream)
1 can diced tomatoes - liquid separated
1 teaspoon garam masalla
fresh coriander leaves

whew. now that you have all the ingredients. you do right?

Here is what you do with all of that....

Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes and put to the side.

In a pan over moderate heat, toast the coriander powder for a few seconds. Add almonds, peanuts (if you substitute with peanut butter, wait until later when putting everything in the blender), cumin seeds, poppy seeds, 3 whole cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns, nutmeg, coconut --- stir until you smell the aroma of roasting spices. (about 1 1/2 min). Toss in the ginger, garlic and red chili powder and toss the whole thing (well, not the pan) into the blender. Add some water and blend until a nice paste like consistency.

Heat the ghee/butter in a pot (fairly large pot as you are going to be adding loads of stuff to the pot). Add onions and the crushed seeds from the cardamom to the pot. Saute until onions are browned. Add the blended spices and turmeric powder, mix and fry for 4 to 5 minutes. Add yogurt a bit at a time, allowing any liquids to cook out. Or, if you are lazy like me - dump it all in and then stir until all the liquid is gone - but it is not quicker and might be even more work - since you can not let yogurt cook on too high of a heat as it will break up and you need keep stirring or else it will break up.

Once yogurt has dried up - add the tomatoes (no liquid) and stir up. Cook until tomatoes have softened, it should be fairly dry still at this point. Something like a puree or thick sauce. Add meat, stir. Add tomato liquid, stir. Make sure that meat is covered by the curry - if not - add water until it is nicely covered.

Once it starts to simmer, cover and cook for 2 hrs. Stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle garam masala and chopped coriander leaves. Stir. Serve.

If you want you can make it more curry like by adding water 1/2 way through the cooking process. Or more dry - by not adding water and allowing for the last 1/2 hr to cook uncovered. Or to continue cooking until you get the liquid consistency you want.

Cartoon Thursday

2010-06-24T23:51:00.000-05:00

I'm not so sure I can find a cartoon for every Thursday... but, I'll make the attempt. :)

This is from a comic strip called Committed.

New Orleans duex

2010-06-20T14:01:00.020-05:00

We had some andouille sausages I wanted to use and as you know, I'm in a New Orleans kind of mood. So, I was browsing the Gumbo Pages and found this recipe that uses andouille sausage. Now, I have to admit to being very bad and hardly following the recipe at all. I was planning to and I will do so next time. But, this version came up pretty darn good.

Black Eyed Peas and Andouille Sausage Soup/Stew

1/2 pound black-eyed peas
2 Andouille Sausages - pan fried and cut into bite size pieces
5 oz ham (I had some left over in the freezer from a dinner we had done up a bit ago)
6 cups beef stock (well that was what I had in the fridge since we had just done up some beef stock)
2 tbsp Cajun spices (I used Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning )
1 large onion - chopped finely
1 large bell pepper - chopped finely (red since the BF doesn't like green, go figure)
2 bay leaveshandful of parsley leaves - roughly chopped
butter to saute

In a hot pan, saute the onions and bell pepper in butter until onions are softened, about 5 min.

Add Cajun seasoning and give it a quick stir.Add bay leaf, stock, black eyed peas - simmer for about 10-15 min.

During the simmering time, cook up the sausages and cut them into bite size pieces.

Put in sausages, ham and parsley.

Simmer for a few min - until the black eyed peas are done to a consistency you like.

We did eat it with a wee bit of sourdough bread that I got from Gene's. Best sourdough I've bought outside of San Fran.

New Orleans

2010-06-16T11:48:00.001-05:00

Yes, yes, I know - everyone has something to say about BP, the gov't and the oil muck-up.

I have been telling the BF that I feel that we need to go down to NO to support the businesses there. Can you imagine the lousy luck - Katrina, Jindal, BP. The triumvirate of tribulation.

Here is a article about P & J who will now be importing oysters from the west coast to LA.Can you imagine? A company which has been around since 1876 - being forced due to this fiasco to buy from the west coast. And, you know that NO people pride themselves on their seafood. Now chefs in NO are finding creative ways to deal with the loss of seafood. But, chicken livers? I don't like oysters but I don't think that chicken livers and oysters taste anything like each other. I actually kind of like chicken liver. *blush*

Anyway - due to my affinity of what is going on down in Louisiana - the BF has been having a New Orleans themed meals (for the few meals I've cooked this week - god, but I hate painting!) .

Here is a recipe for Shrimp Etouffee that I got from Gumbo Pages which is based on a combo of Mom's recipe and Perry's .

Shrimp Etouffee

1 pound shrimp
1/4 pound butter
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced bell pepper
1/2 cup minced celery
1 cup cold water (more if you wish more soupier mix)
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Creole seasoning blend, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pinch dried thyme
Pinch dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tomato - pealed

Heat the butter in a saute pan and saute the onion, bell pepper and celery until the translucent. Add the Creole seasoning, thyme, oregano, bay leaf - quick stir it to just warm up the spices a bit. Add tomato, stir it up. Add water. Simmer for about 10 - 15 min.
Once the liquid is almost gone - add in the shrimp. Cook it through. You know shrimp are done once they are nicely pink - but pull off as soon as that happens or they will get rubbery. Since we aren't eating rice - I tend to make my sauces a bit thicker - hence the "once the liquid is almost gone". If you want a soupier mix, just keep more liquids. Or add more water.

WI and the new prohibition

2010-06-15T00:51:00.000-05:00

WI has been having ongoing debates about raw milk. Apparently their Senate passed the resolution to allow the sale of raw milk but the Governor vetoed it - even after he said he would not veto the bill.

I do like this cartoon from WI State Journal

Another reason to buy heirloom vegetables

2010-06-05T01:14:00.000-05:00

I tend to do random Google searches while waiting for things to finish up. One day a friend of the BF had stated she looks for nutrient dense foods. So, what the heck, I looked up nutrient density and foods... and this Times article from 2/2009 popped up. With a header of: "Eating Your Veggies: Not As Good For You?" --- you know I was definitely going to read it.

Apparently vegetables from supermarkets are have less nutrients than they had even 50 years ago. The article covered what Davis wrote in his 2009, Journal of HortScience, article - but having read Taubes - I needed more information/documentation to make sure it wasn't just this one off scientist saying the sky is falling. (see below - while there is quite a lot of references to Davis' work, there are quite a few other studies done that appear to validate his theory).

You can read the information for yourself... but here are the highlights:

due to mass production of farming, we are producing more food with less nutrients in them
chemical fertilizers - which organic farmers don't use - grow plants faster and so they are less nutritious than organic foods
heirloom foods tend to have higher nutrients because they have not been mucked around with as much as "normal" vegetables / fruits
the earlier a fruit / vegetable is picked and the longer it is stored, the more vitamins and minerals it looses
chicken has "twice as much fat as in 1940, a third more calories and a third less protein" (easy reads #3) - this is entirely based on what it eats and the fact that it is cooped up without access to the outdoors. Another reason to buy free range, organic.

It bothers me that we are not told how much of a change in quality we are getting - just because we have quantity. It is like going to a all you can eat buffet - you get a lot of crap food for a relatively cheap price. But, at the end of the day, you have eaten crap food.

I realize that organic, heirloom, free range, grass fed / grass finished is more expensive and hard to find - but don't you think it is so much more worth while to eat something that nourishes your body? I'd rather eat a small good meal than a large crappy one. But, buffets wig me out on a lot of different levels - germaphobe that I am. :)

------------------------ More info ----------------

Easy reads:

Declining Fruit and Vegetable Nutrient Composition: What Is the Evidence?
CHARTS: Nutrient Changes in Vegetables and Fruits, 1951 to 1999
It's supposed to be lean cuisine. So why is this chicken fatter than it looks? (This was a odd ball find - but I couldn't resist putting it in the blog. I figure I wouldn't be able to do so for another posting...and it was just too good not to pop it in)
Fruits and vegetables aren't what they used to be
Declining Nutritional Value of Produce Due to High Yield Selective Seed Breeding.
Critical Issue Report: Still No Free Lunch

Technical reads:

Bacon cookies... yum

2010-05-30T01:16:00.007-05:00

I know... two posts within a day! But it has been a busy day! Between the book shopping and chicken stock making... I decided to make cookies for my neighbors who are wonderful enough to mow my lawn. And, cookies always seem to be a nice thank you.

So, I decided to make bacon spice cookies with some left over bacon fat that we had stored in freezer. It looked like a interesting recipe and I thought that since we were well stocked on bacon fat that this might be the time to use up some of the collection. OK, so it is a multi-functional cookie. :)

The BF voted them yummy but would like some chocolate in them sans spice. So, I will have to play with the recipe and chocolate.

Here is the recipe. It isn't a BACON flavor - rather a nice smokey spice cookie - some what like gingerbread with a smokiness.

Bacon Fat Spice Cookies

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup bacon fat
2 tablespoons molasses
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine flour, sugar, salt and spices in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add bacon fat, molasses and egg, pulse until mixture forms a soft dough. Make into small balls, about a tablespoon of dough, and place them on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten balls slightly - with your hand or a fork.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 min, until they are browning around the edges. Cool and store in a airtight container up to 1 week.

And if you still have a lot of bacon fat left over, like I do, you can season your cast iron pans.

Since I was heating the oven anyway for cookies - I put some bacon fat on the cast iron pan and stuck it in the oven while the oven was heating up and some of the time the cookies were baking. It doesn't turn rancid, at least it doesn't for us. But, then again, I use the cast iron pan for everything and wash it with soap (shock!). :)

Great Find

2010-05-29T23:53:00.000-05:00

One day while awaiting the BF's release from work (when we use to ride share and I would finish up but could not leave the doofy 'burbs), I wandered into the local library to look at cook books. Now, the local library has books that are outdated or whatever that they sell in a little corner for $1.00 or less. And, wandering through the collection I found a old new york times recipe collection book that has proven to be wonderful.

I realized while perusing this book that all the recipes called for butter and real ingredients. Which is basically what I am looking for - old recipes - ones where people cooked real food.

So today, the BF and I went to the local used book store and we ended up buying 3 old cookbooks. One of the books called "The June Platt Cook Book", looks brilliant and I can't wait to cook from it. Written in 1958, Ms. Pratt's preface is brilliant. Here is a bit that I think aligns with what we are trying to do: "Methods and equipment have changed considerably in the past few years; some of the changes I agree with, others I ignore. Purchase the best ingredients - and hope you can afford them - for good olive oil, vinegar, cheese, cream, and fresh eggs make all the difference....Seek out a first-class butcher, fishmonger, green grocer....when you cook with wine, brandy, or a liqueur, use the same quality that you would serve at table."

Another entertaining thing about this cook book is that she has a random mini history lesson just before each section. For example, in the soup section, the preface has a bit about Louis XIV having such a fondness for soup that he required four different soups at each meal. Who knew? I guess he really liked soup.

So, if you have a local used bookstore and a bit of time, I highly recommend looking at old used cookbooks.

New Page :)

2010-05-23T16:57:00.000-05:00

Just to make things difficult, I put up a new page. We've been getting lots of questions on what we eat. Since we don't eat pasta or rice, what can we possibly be eating?

Well, there are a lot of foods that are low in carbohydrates and are not processed junk. So I put up a page on what we eat / don't eat - and why. It's a work in progress so feel free to comment.

Since I have family in from India, I haven't posted as often as I would like. Part of the reason for the new page is for them. Both my cousins have diabetes and hypertension - such a constant part of Indian life now. And I was telling them about our food choices and how much of a difference it has made in our lives. Not just weight related - although both of us have lost quite a bit of weight; health wise we are both in better health now than when we started on our primal journey.

LOL. I love the words "primal journey" - doesn't it sound like a trip to somewhere exotic? And in some ways, it is. It is a trip to a new and healthier me. :) Ah, now I sound like an advert.

Chicken Makhani

2010-05-13T22:47:00.004-05:00

Butter Chicken - aka - Chicken Makhani is the BF's favorite dish. It works really well as a stew-like dish. Since we don't eat grains, this is one of the few Indian dishes that translates well into a low-carb meal. I shred up the chicken after it has cooked up so that it has a bit less liquid/curry.

I like to buy a whole chicken and cut off the meat. This gives me the bones to use for making stocks and it is very economical. I freeze the bones, wing, skin - whatever I haven't used for the curry in a ziplock bag. Then, when I have collected enough chicken bones - we have a chicken stock making day. A nice weekend event. :) Last go, we ended up with 24 cups of chicken stock for the freezer.

Chicken Makhani

2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/4 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (cayenne) - or less as it is quite spicy
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 green cardamon pods
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 cups canned tomatoes
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 lb skinless, boneless chicken, cut up in chunks
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 tablespoons cream (optional)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced

In a large bowl, mix almonds, yogurt, chili powder, ground spices, garam masala, ginger and garlic. Add tomatoes and salt, to bowl and mix. Add chicken, mix well and set aside

On medium heat, melt butter in a large pot (a stock pot works well). Add onions and cool slowly until browned, about 10 - 15 min, stirring frequently. Add chicken mixture and cool until chicken is done, stirring occasionally.

Once its all cooked up, if you had placed any bones, pull them out. Take two forks and shred the chicken if you wish. Add the cilantro, mix well.

If there is still a little too much liquid, cook on low heat until you have the desired thickness. Once it's at the consistency you want, add the cream if you wish. This gives it a richer taste.

Notes:

Yogurt: The best yogurts for this are thick, either Greek style or full cream like Brown Cow (which I prefer for Indian food).
Ground spices: I tend to grind all the ground items together in a coffee grinder and then dump it into the curry, which makes all the spices uniform.
Chicken: If you are cutting up a whole chicken for this dish, save off the wings or the leg bones and cook them in the curry, pulling them out before serving.

This dish went over really well with the family last weekend and if you are having a lot of people it is a pretty frugal meal for a large crowd. And, if you make rice for your carb eating guests - there is even more chicken for you!

Got Milk?

2010-05-12T18:58:00.000-05:00

I love milk... now. As a child, I wasn't a big fan of milk and so when I grew older I choose not to drink it except for in my coffee (...ummm... coffee! ). I didn't understand how the BF could possibly have drank a gallon of milk over the course of a day in the 'time before me'. He told me he would buy milk by the gallon fulls and finish it off without it going bad. And, here I am having a 1/2 pint go bad over a two week period. LOL. I just didn't get it.

Then I had real milk. OK... not REAL milk, which is non-pasteurized and non-homogenized (http://www.realmilk.com/). But, it was my first experience with milk not from a grocery store. Where the cow is pasture raised and the milk is low-heat vat pasteurized and non-homogenized.

Blue Marble Farms was providing samples at the green city market. And, well, everyone loves free samples, right? So, into the queue I go. Thinking, yeah, yeah, it's milk... but .. the line is only a few people versus the 10 or 20 there earlier ... so... what the heck. OMG. It was so good!

Blue Marble was forced to close. And, I haven't found another farmer since, who has meet my expectations of milk and cream. However, these guys are my current vendors for milk products:

Traders Point Creamery for yogurt and chocolate milk (they don't sell cream because they keep it all for their ice cream)
Kilgus Farms for cream. And while I would prefer to buy Kilgus farm's chocolate milk, they only make 2%. Why? oh, why? Fat is good for you! Just not on you. :)
Castle Rock - but they aren't sold at the local store or at the farmer's market, so it is only when we go to Green Grocer that I am able to buy their products

So here are some stats on milk and why grass fed is SO much better for you, the environment, and the cows. You choose what you want to buy - but for me - it's grass fed all the way.

for you:

tastes better
better omega 6: omega 3 fatty acids as you can see from the graph below which I got from here

you are trying to get more omega 3 than 6, as omega 6 is fairly easy to get in our high-processed food world. the ideal ratio is 2:1, most Americans are getting 15:1 as a best case scenario. here is a pretty good on line ref: Omega-6 / Omega-3 essential fatty acid ratio or University of Maryland Medical center
omega-3 have been proven to:

reduce inflammation
help prevent chronic diseases, such as

heart disease
arthritis
high blood pressure
asthma
IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)

It may also help with cognitive and behavioral health. And with normal growth and development, as there are such high concentrations of omega-3 found in the brain.

less likely-hood of antibiotics (most grass fed animals do not need antibiotics, all grain fed cows need antibiotics because cows are not suppose to eat grain)
higher amounts of:

conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) - enhances immune function and possibly reduces body fat
Vitamin E - an antioxidant, helps with immune functions, help prevent heart disease, cancer, eye disorders
Beta Carotene - immune functions, reproductive health, antioxidant

Cows:

grass fed cows have a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years, versus 2-3 yrs for conventionally (usually CAFO's - Confined animal feedlot operations) *
healthier animals
no hormones or antibiotics

* life expectancy info: Garnsworthy, P.C., The environmental impact of fertility in dairy cows: a modeling approach to predict methane and ammonia emissions, Animal Feed Science & Technology, 2004. 112: 211-223.

Environment:

since the cows are eating grass, you do not have the issues that are involved with grain fed

no run-offs of pesticides or fertilizers into the water
no need to ship food to the animals

decreased soil erosion and increased soil fertility (all that manure is left on the pasture to fertilize the grass - unlike CAFO's where the manure is collected (one hopes) and shipped - although from what I have read, it appears that most CAFO's just leave the cows in the muck. yuck!)

Dinner for a thousand mothers...

2010-05-10T20:18:00.001-05:00

OK. So, it was only 5 mother's and the families...but you get the idea. :) We had about 14 people, with 1 baby (so no food for her, yet). Which is a lot of mouths to feed...and so much fun.

So, I was pretty good on the prep work and getting loads of things done up in advance. And, I even have 2 pictures! But, completely lost track of time and never did get a picture of the great bounty.

Dunch (dinner/lunch) was a wonderful success, which is a good thing since we are having another this saturday. Yikes!

Appetizers were meatballs in tomato sauce, cheese plate and some grapes. Easy breezy, as you can do up the meatballs the day before and then heat them up just before company comes. The same with chopping up the cheeses (I didn't want to leave any knives around because of the little ones - 3 munchkins under 5! so, no sharp objects)

Since we had some people who didn't eat ham, I had also made Chicken Makhani. Roasted potatoes, roasted green beans, marinated bell peppers (the lovely ones above which were just going into the oven at the time I took the pictures). The BF was lovely enough to make a great salad with dressing. And, my mum brought over both plain white rice and a lemon rice. So, quite a feast.

And, then desserts... yes, no pictures. :(
The BF's mum brought Pineapple dessert (it so needs a better name!) which was eaten so fast that I didn't even get more than a bite. Chocolate cup cakes with white sugar frosting, which I had made for the kids but were a hit with the adults. And, a flour less walnut cake.

So... slowly I will put up recipes. If there is one that you want right away - let me know. This is for the sib with the cupcake kids.

The cupcake kids were eating their respective cupcakes, with the tray too temptingly close. Apparently, the one on S's plate wasn't enough and he stuck his finger in a cupcake on the tray. The BF''s mum very nicely said that if you stick your finger in the cupcake it is yours. Hence, both boys started sticking their fingers into the remaining cupcakes. LOL . Lucky cupcake kids' dad was so quick or they would be taking home quite a lot of cupcakes. :)

Chocolate cup cakes with white sugar frosting

--- Cake ---

1 cup unbleached white flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (do not use imitation vanilla as it will turn it bitter)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. (or you can do what I do, dump them all together and give it a good stir. Then when putting it into the mixer, just stir a bit more. While it isn't as perfectly blended - it works. )

In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl (yes, another bowl - thank god for dishwashers!) - combine water and vanilla. Add the water mixture in thirds to the butter mixture - alternating between the water and flour.

So 1/3 water, mix, 1/3 flour, mix, 1/3 water ... etc until blended well.
Put in cupcake paper liners or in a cake pan (8" or 9"). Bake until done. Cupcakes were about 20 min. Cake is supposedly 30-35 min - but since I haven't made the cake version, I don't know how accurate that would be.

--- Frosting ---

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 pound (3 1/2 cups) confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 tablespoons heavy cream (can use more or less based on the consistency you want)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I can't recall if I put any in - umm... I think I forgot)

Cream the butter (you can either use a wooden spoon and do a lot of work - or use your mixer and do a quick job. However, if you were like me - you just used your mixer and the beater is now in the wash). Add 1 cup of sugar and the salt - mix some more. Alternate adding sugar and cream until all the sugar is gone. Once you have the consistency you want - add the vanilla.

Mizuna

2010-05-06T23:14:00.000-05:00

We have been eating a lot of salads lately and I found this lovely green.

I had forgotten what the farmer had called it, until today on a random read of Gastro's blog on Radical Roots CSA.

If you get a chance to try out this green, I highly recommed it. A nice spicyness like Rocket/Arugula, but not so strong on the pepper flavor.

Very pretty and lasts ages in the fridge. (well, we are at 1 week and counting... which on greens is impressive!)

Say what?

2010-05-05T18:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I had a "driveway moment". I was listening to NPR/WBEZ and this piece came on when I got into the garage and I just couldn't believe Ms. Storey could even state "A full-calorie soft drink has 90 percent water and a diet soft drink is 99 percent water. Water is the most important nutrient that we have". Ummmm... really? You are going to imply that drinking soda is as good as drinking water?

And, in response to the question if people shouldn't be concerned about the nutritional content of soda. Storey said "Well, I don't think it's nutritionally unsound. There are some studies that show that particularly with children, children who have been exercising may not drink enough water to get back to the hydration point that they need to be at. So with a little bit of flavoring and a little bit of sweetness, they will drink enough then to get back to where they need to be."

It's not nutritionally unsound? It is ok to replace water with soda so that children are hydrated?

WTF?!?!?

ok... done with rant. Ah, much better now.

Over the top lunch....

2010-05-03T23:51:00.002-05:00

I was planing on having company this weekend but ended up under the weather. Allergy season. :(

However, the grand plan was to have a wilted watercress salad (fresh from the farmer's market), beef pot roast (mint creek) and chocolate cake (flour-less, of course).

So, I made up the cake on Friday. Set up the beef in the fridge to thaw out.... and generally got ready for Saturday dinner.

Saturday morning - I just couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Eh! The ruin of all my plans. Thankfully, my friends are very accommodating and were willing to reschedule. But, Sunday - I had to deal with the beef roast. So, very late, I get to cooking... and we ended up with a lovely lunch.

As you can see, the cake was already broken into by the time I got to taking pictures. :)

And the pot roast came up lovely.

Almost makes going to work on a Monday bearable.

The wonderful thing about pot roast is that it tastes brilliant the next day. This was a great flavor combo - the warm roundness of the pot roast, the acid and bacon and pepper flavors of the salad, and the sweet finish of chocolate. So, here are recipes and if you want a wonderful evening dinner or a over the top, make you feel good lunch....

The BF's sister gave him a cookbook for Christmas holidays (and, well, I've basically taken it) No surprise there! I'm sure he is happy enough - getting the rewards and hardly any of the work. :) And, I have been enjoying this awesome cookbook. If you have a bit to spare, I highly recommend adding "From the Earth to the Table: John Ash's Wine Country Cuisine" to your cookbook collection/stash/stack. (I do not get money from this.. I just really love the book. I will at some point put up a list of cookbooks that I just think are brilliant -- but that is for another day. )

Pot Roast:

3 pounds tri-tip (aka: triangle tip, sirloin tip) or bottom round of beef
4 tbsp olive oil (I used bacon fat)
4 cups sliced onions ( I've done as little as 1 cup to as much as 5 cups -- depending on if you have leeks or not)
1 cup leeks
1 1/2 cups celery (sliced - supposedly diagonally - I'm a random chopper when it comes to stews and roasts because it cooks down and no one will notice the lack of perfection)
1 1/2 cups carrots (sliced, diagonally -- *shrug* -- and I tend towards more, but I like carrots)
1/4 cup garlic (slivered / chopped / some how made a bit small)
3 cups red wine (optional)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like heat)
4 cups beef or chicken stock
2 cups canned diced tomatoes (I use fresh when possible)
2 large bay leaves (broken up a bit)
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp minced fresh sage or 1 tsp dried.
2 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried. (if you can get winter thyme - the leaves are smaller but the taste is brilliant - and as a bonus, no mincing. )
2 tsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried

Note: if you are using one pan to brown everything and another to cook it, please mind step 5. If you are doing everything in a roasting pan - no worries. I tend to brown everything in a cast iron pan, then move all the ingredients to a dutch oven. It doesn't have as much room as a roasting pan would - so the liquid ingredients get put in slowly over the course of cooking -- and in proportions to whatever I feel at the moment. I max out at 5 cups of liquid in my dutch oven - so, if I'm using wine - it will be a bit more heavy handed than the stock. :)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Season the meat (salt / pepper) on all sides. In a pan heat the oil / fat until hot. Put in the roast and brown - all sides. Once all the sides are browned, put beef on a plate.

Put in the vegetables (onions, leeks, carrots, garlic - but not the tomatoes) and cook over medium heat until they begin to color and the onions are translucent. Add the meat to the vegetables. Add liquids (wine, stock, canned tomatoes' juice), red pepper flakes, tomatoes, bay leaves, fennel seeds, thyme, sage, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring up the heat and once the liquid starts to simmer, cover and braise in the oven for 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

Once done, pull out meat and let rest.

in the mean time, thicken up the base by simmering. Cut up the meat, add the sauce, serve.

Salad - Wilted Watercress:

The recipe is from simplyrecipes.com which really didn't need any changes. However, since we don't use much sugar - I tend to the less sweet and use honey over table sugar. But, you can sweeten it as much as you need/want.

2 bunches watercress (Try to get mature watercress, it will hold up better to the hot dressing)
3-4 slices bacon (save off the bacon fat for the dressing)
¼ cup apple cider vinegar (less can be used - I'd start with a few tablespoons and add to taste)
4 teaspoons sugar (or less - I used a tbsp honey)
Salt and pepper
A pinch of ground mustard
A pinch of sweet paprika

Rinse thoroughly the watercress, removing old leaves and thick stems. Set aside in a serving bowl

Heat a small stick-free pan on medium heat and cook the bacon until done, several minutes on each side. Remove the bacon from the pan and put on a paper towel.

Keep the bacon fat in the pan. Add the cider vinegar and sugar/honey to the bacon fat. Stir to dissolve. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add a pinch of ground mustard and a pinch of paprika.

Adjust acid/sugar to your taste. If you are going to use the dressing the next day, use less vinegar as the bacon fat will pick up the taste. if you are going to use it now... bring the dressing to a simmer. Pour over the watercress. Crumble the bacon over the top. Toss and serve.

Flour-less chocolate cake

This is the BF's favorite cake and each time I make it, it is a bit different. It is adapted from the America's Test Kitchen version - but there isn't a link I can find for it. If you like them - they do have a pay site: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/ - which is well worth the $40. Or, you can sign-up for ATK and get this season's recipes and info for free.

There is definitely a difference between making this in winter and in the summer. In winter, the butter doesn't separate as much and so the overall flavor of the cake is creamier/richer. And, if you have the AC on, I'm sure the same would be true in summer. :) But, it was a beautiful evening on Friday and I had to leave the windows open.

You can add as much or little chocolate as you wish - I've apparently (by accident) made it with as little as 160 grams of chocolate and as much as 480 grams. Note: 1 pound of chocolate is 453.60 grams. For some reason, I can never remember this! :) I use Green & Black 72% and 85% dark chocolate in a half and half consistency. Pick your favorite chocolate and go for it! Just know that the darker the chocolate, the less sugar it has. So, make sure you love eating it straight before you cook it up. :)

8 large egg, cold
1 pound bittersweet chocolate
½ pound butter

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and pre-heat oven to 325 F.

Line bottom of 8" spring-form pan with parchment and grease pan sides. Cover pan underneath and along sides with a sheet of heavy-duty foil and set in large roasting pan.

Bring kettle of water to boil. You will be using this for the bath around the chocolate cake.

Beat eggs at high speed until volume doubles to approximately 1 quart, about 5 min - or longer.

Melt chocolate and butter in large heat-proof bowl set over pan of almost simmering water, until smooth and very warm (about 115 F), stirring once or twice (I stir pretty much the whole time, as I find that it brings a better consistency to the chocolate and stops the butter from separating too much)

Fold 1/3 of egg foam into chocolate mixture using large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible; fold in half of remaining foam, then last of remaining foam, until mixture is totally homogeneous.

Scrape batter into prepared spring-form pan and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Place spring-form pan into roasting pan and set roasting pan on oven rack and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of spring-form pan. (you can do it the other way around too...but the water does slosh around and can make a bit of a mess)

Bake until cake has risen slightly, edges are just beginning to set, a thin glazed crust has formed on the surface, and an instant read thermometer inserted halfway through center of cake registers 140 F, 22 - 25 min.

Remove cake pan from water bath and set on wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight to mellow. It can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days.

About 30 minutes before serving, remove spring-form pan sides, invert cake on sheet of waxed paper, peel off parchment pan liner, and turn cake right side up on serving platter.

Sieve light sprinkling of confectioners' sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder over cake to decorate, if you want. I do when I'm doing this up for company... but as you can tell from the picture, the BF is just fine eating it after it has come up to room temp without the added prettiness. :)

Hope you had a happy Monday.

Plate of carbs

2010-05-02T19:36:00.000-05:00

We don't eat out that often any more. Not so much because we don't like to eat out but that we like eating at home so much better.

OK - in some ways I am a bit nutty about what we eat and it is much easier to know what we are eating if I cook it. Most importantly -- I love to cook.

Anyway - we went out to brunch today. It was good...but out of the 4 items on my plate, 3 of them were carbs/sugars. And then we wonder why we gain weight? Have diabetes, heart disease and are getting sicker as a society?

So, here is a picture of brunch. Toast, potatoes pan fried, scrambled eggs with portobello mushrooms, spinach and apple smoked bacon and fruit. The little white bowl has butter (yea! not crappy margarine or weird spread). And, thanks to the lovely waitress (Grace, I believe?) who brought me cream for my coffee. YUM!

She was sweet enough to spend a little time with us discussing food, fat and how she prefers cream in her coffee as well. I will at some point do up a post on why fat is good.

In the mean time, there is enough evidence now that carbs not fat is more dangerous to your heart. This Scientific American article (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=carbs-against-cardio) has some great points and if you have time it is a quick read. The highlights? In the past 30 years, Americans have followed the government directives to eat less saturated fat. And since that time: "obesity rate(s) ... have doubled, diabetes has tripled, and heart disease is still the country's biggest killer." The ooops? well.. apparently "investigators picked the wrong culprit". Umm.... yeah. thanks a lot.

Now, I'm not saying we don't have good researchers or that scientist aren't trying to provide the best information available. Having read Gary Taubes "Good Calories Bad Calories", I now know that the information provided by the public health authorities / goverment / media is based on a scientific bias to prove that fat is bad. Read the book! Until then - here is a good synopsis of the scientific bias data in Taubes' book: http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/07/gary-taubes-goo.html

How about some GMO's in your food?

2010-05-01T23:54:00.000-05:00

I was surprised by how much of my food is already genetically modified (well, the stuff that I don't buy from the farmer's market). I knew about corn, which is one of the things we have given up. Even the kitty cats! and they are both actually healthier for it.

In a study done on GMO corn/maize "conclude[d] that these data highlight signs of hepatorenal toxicity, possibly due to the new pesticides specific to each GM corn. In addition, unintended direct or indirect metabolic consequences of the genetic modification cannot be excluded." Which even before I looked it up - sounded scary! It was even worse once I found out it was "chemical-driven liver damage".

So aside from corn - we can now thank agri-business for - soybeans, canola, papaya, wheat, rice....the list is pretty long and unfortunately since it doesn't have to be documented... well, you get the idea. So, it is pretty cool - Wholefoods (AKA: whole pay check) has joined up with a few others to prevent GMO's from being our defacto food. They have agreed to test, verify and label their products as non-GMO. See www.nongmoproject.com, for a list of providers and additional info.

Here is a video about the history of how GMO (genetically modified organisms) were created. How it has been added into the food chain with us not being really aware of it and how "Whoever controls the seeds, controls the food."

It is 88 min long... so watch it when you have some time. :)

Not to point out the obvious -- but what is with the commercials for this video? did they think just because it's a food topic that stouffer's would be a good choice?? They didn't watch the video, did they?

Why I hate Jello

2010-04-30T21:31:00.001-05:00

I love some of the commercials... they are creative and funny and well done. And the tune sticks in my head. But, I still can not eat jello. It reminds me of grade school and cafeteria lunches and everything wrong with making good food, bad.

When I was in grade school, they would put stuff in the jello. Carrots, grapes, whatever random things they thought would be cool and fun for a child to eat -- it was the 70's, I know -- but eeeeeewwwww!! I would look at it and think that this cannot be real food. And, if any of you has seen carrots in jello -- you know it looks like worms. Tell me who in their right mind thought this would be a good thing? Although, I cannot recall now, perhaps the boys liked the jello with the carrots.

So, when I was watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution - I was thinking about my grade school. My whole goal with lunch was to figure out a way not to eat it and try to get out of the cafeteria with out the lunch lady seeing I still had a full meal. My sister's and I are, as far as I know, the only children in the history of American schools - to have to stay after lunch to eat lunch. I know, I know --- the lunch ladies meant well. They thought we were too skinny and we needed to eat. All I could think was that this was NOT food -- and when was school going to be over so I could go home and eat real food.

I realize that Jamie is attempting to bring "real" food into schools. But, from the few shows I watched, I couldn't get it out of my head that he was more concerned about how it shows on the telly than changing peoples perception and interaction with food.

My dad was able to connect me to food in such a positive way --- by making from scratch brilliant meals that I wanted to eat. And, the reason I hate jello and processed food so much is because of my dad. Because I knew what good food tasted like.

Remember, I said we were skinny little kids? It was because we hardly ever ate processed food. We did eat a lot of carbs and over time I have learned that it is not good for me (personally). But, if you can get a kid to choose a home cooked meal over McD's fries --- you know you are good.

Thanks Dad! :)

So - here is one of my dad's recipes for prawns (shrimp).

Fried Prawns

200 grams shelled prawns
2 tsp chilli powder (please note this is cayenne powder not "chili" powder)
1/2 tsp haldi powder (aka: turmeric powder)
1/2 tsp tamarind paste (see below for how to get tamarind paste)
4 cloves garlic
4 cm piece cinnamon
2 cloves
salt to taste
oil for frying

Clean and wash the prawns with a little bit of salt. Grind all the masala (aka: spices) together except for the tamarind (unless you have a grinder that does well with liquids - then go for it. I do up most of my spices in a coffee grinder, that is NEVER used for coffee! which works well for me. Then, I add in the liquid stuff later. I get a much finer masala this way and I don't have to worry about mucking up the mixer or having uneven blending.)

Put the prawns and masala into a pan and cook with a little bit of water - until prawns are cooked through and there is no liquid in the pan. (note: a little bit of water is probably a tbsp or less. Since shrimp cook very quickly).

Heat oil in a khadai (pan --- ok I said it was his recipe didn't I? -- and you know I'd use butter or lard or some fat instead of oil.. but this is his recipe.) Once hot, toss in the prawns and fry until prawns are crisp.

Yummy! He really made the BEST prawns. ummm..... now I may have to make this for lunch tomorrow. Although we do have left over veal short ribs in the fridge from tonight's dinner. umm... I know tough life I lead.

hey sibs --- if you want a hard copy with Dad's writing of the recipe let my know.

and Gastrogora -- I'm catching up... slowly but surely. :) thankfully you have a move coming up and then I might even beat you! LOL.

Tamarind juice/paste

tamarind pulp (Asian stores will carry it. I like packages instead of the jars as they don't process the tamarind as much)
cut out a nice chunk - for this recipe I'd say a 1/2 inch piece or less
put it in a bowl and then add hot water (about 1/2 cup - depends on the size of the tamarind)
let sit for 10 min or so
once it's cooled off a bit - blend with your fingers the tamarind and water
strain and use

Anything left over you can either put in the fridge or freeze it for the next random time you need tamarind paste. An alternative is lemon juice, which I think most people have around. But, the tangy flavor of tamarind makes it dish. I'm sure the lemon would be good.... but I've never tried it.

Quick Meals for those tough days

2010-04-26T21:32:00.001-05:00

I was talking to my sister today. Badgering? Chatting? driving her crazy...about switching her food options to less processed food and lower carbohydrates. Her take was that I had heaps of time and therefore was able to keep and maintain the life-style we have chosen.

I was thinking about that... but the reality is that I don't.

However, I love to cook, it relaxes me and re-connects me to what I feel is important in life. And, I am lucky that we aren't tied to eating times and the BF is very flexible on when and what we are eating. I've had days where all of a sudden I've decided that I just don't want what I had planned for dinner and go out shopping. And, we've eaten at 10pm. I know this is not possible when one has children.

And, this particular posting isn't about those days where no one cares how long it is going to be before one ea. It is about the days where I come home and all I want to do is eat and sleep.

And, here is what we do on those days.

Hamburgers (sans bread) with a side salad (avocado and tomatoes)

Tuna with green goddess dressing on a salad

Scallops in cream sauce with salad

fish (grilled or pan fried) with a salad

...ummm.. .I think there is a theme here. ; )

Steaks with green beans (or salad, I'm sure that will work too. *grin*)

Chicken strips with veggies. I use chicken pieces so that it cooks fast but if you have time chicken cooked on the bone is much tastier. But, I've never cooked the chicken recipe below with chicken on the bone - as you may recall, this is my "OMG! I just wanta go to bed recipes." :)

As for veggies, we steam or stir fry in butter the following: broccoli, carrots, green beans, mushrooms. Other options that just don't make it into the house because of the BF (but I may find ways in the future to sneak them home!): eggplant, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy...etc. The list of veggies are endless - and most cook up fast. Unless, you are trying to be sneaky with the veg in question - in which case we are back to "work" :) Well, at least until you have found a recipe that may or may not be quick and easy. I'm just saying that while I may think that butter makes everything taste good, not every one agrees with me. *shocking* I know.

OK.. so here are some recipes.

Scallops - ok.. fine... this isn't the one from the picture because....well, that one isn't so quick. but it looked and tasted too yummy for me not to put it up. I'll put up the recipe in the future.

However, here is a quick scallop recipe which is very yummy as well.

Scallop Provencal

1 lb. fresh bay or sea scallops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
½ cup chopped shallots (2 large)
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
⅓ cup dry white wine (optional)
1 lemon, cut in 1/2

If you're using bay scallops, keep them whole. If you're using sea scallops, cut each 1 in half horizontally (or not). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in 1 layer. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3 to 4 minutes, total.
Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, tossing the seasonings with the scallops. Add the wine (or not), cook for 1 minute, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Chicken

1/2 pound or so strips of chicken (you can cut up a breast of chicken or buy chicken already cut up into strips)
3 tbs butter, melted
1 tbs basil and oregano (dried)
salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl mix herbs, salt and butter. Toss in the chicken and mix to coat. In a skillet, add enough butter to coat the pan. Once hot, add chicken and cook through.

See how fast that is? you are done! I love to make this on a grill pan - which I was very lucky to get this past Christmas. If you are lucky enough to have one, heat it up while you are preparing the chicken.

This is also one of those recipes which you can add or remove ingredients on what you feel like or have on hand. I've tossed in some grated cheese. Used rosemary instead of or with the basil and oregano. You can add whatever flavors you like at the time and I think it will turn out good.

Green Goddess Dressing

½ avocado
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional - we don't use it because I can't be bothered to make mayo and well, I don't like the stuff from the stores)
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon water
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (well, if you feel like chopping - I just toss it all in)
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper

In blender, combine avocado, mayonnaise, yogurt, water, scallions and garlic. puree until smooth. Add basil, parsley, tarragon, lemon, salt and pepper. blend until combined. Or, if you couldn't be bothered to chop the herbs (like me) just blend it for a bit longer so it's all nicely chopped up for you.

There are so many quick and easy options. It isn't a case of not having time because a lot of processed foods take as much or more time. And, if you are a planner - you could do so much better than I do about getting dinner done up in no time.

And, I love stews, roasts and soups - which take a lot of time but little work. So, if you can stick something in the oven or in a crock pot and do whatever else you need to do. Those are great options as well.

I think the most important thing is to break the cycle of processed fast food. Of thinking that real cooking takes time and more energy than a tossing of pasta with some sauce. Or a pizza in the oven. OK, perhaps a bit more energy than the pizza in the oven. ;)

But, honestly, I have gained so much more energy by removing processed food and high amounts of carbs from my life. I feel better about what I eat, knowing where it comes from and how it was treated/grown/cared. Versus, eating a box-o-meal, where I know nothing about the product. Where, I do not know all the ingredients or how it was made (aside from in a factory).

Do I eat carbs? yes, sometimes. Nothing like I use to do. Which, when I was a vegetarian was every day, multiple times a day. And, the highs and lows were so extreme. If I forgot to eat on a regular schedule, I would randomly tip over. I kid you not! The BF had gotten so use to me tipping over that he thought it was normal behavior for me. And, it didn't matter the type of shoes I wore or the terrain. It was my blood sugar levels - which were spiking and falling.

Do I eat out? yes, sometimes. And, while I will try to eat at sustainable restaurants. Or, choose better options at regular restaurants (however, not fast food restaurants - they are still plain nasty). Some days, a pizza is just too good to pass up. (like tonight! although I do stick the toppings from a few slices on to 1 pizza crust. The BF, just eats it sans crust --- which is yummy too).

The thing for me is not giving up everything - just not eating it often. I find that I don't want bread or cake or pizza (ok, maybe not pizza) as often as before. And, that by ~~giving up~~ changing the food I eat on a daily basis, I am in better health now than I have ever been.

Brisket! yummy and good for you

2010-04-24T23:42:00.002-05:00

This has become the go-to recipe for me when we are going to have company and I want to make sure I have lots of food and very little left overs. And, while it isn't a bacon focused recipe - I think it counts as I have bacon fat for the browning. ;)

And for those of you who love bacon - but do not save off the fat. Shame! It works so lovely in so many dishes and it stores so well in both the fridge and freezer. (ok. Yes, I know I've been on a bacon feast when I've gotten to the point where I'm freezing bacon fat. but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.)  This recipe was originally from Bon Appétit .

However, I just couldn't do all the covering and uncovering, adding more broth, and minding! for hours on end. I'm just way too lazy for something like that.  But, the recipe is very forgiving and you can do as you like to it. I have added the Dijon mustard a time or two, but haven't found it to make much of a difference. However, the addition of lemon at the very end - just brings a brightness to the sauce that is brilliant.

Brisket Braised In Porter

1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dry mustard (such as Colman's)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 6-pound flat-cut brisket, trimmed but with some fat still attached
2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat or olive oil
4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 12-ounce bottle porter or stout
6 whole pitted prunes
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar
6 cups thinly sliced onions (2 1/2 pounds) - or however much you have the patience to cut
8 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. medium carrots, peeled, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch lengths
1 or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.

Mix first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Rub herb mixture all over brisket. Heat bacon fat in heavy extra-large wide ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add brisket to pot and cook until deep brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer brisket to platter or rimmed baking sheet.

Add broth to pot and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Stir in porter, prunes, bay leaves, and brown sugar; bring to boil.

Return brisket to pot, fat side down; scatter onion slices over to cover meat, then add garlic.

Cover pot; place in oven and braise brisket 6-7 hours. Turning meat every few hours to make sure it cooks evenly.

At about the 5 hr or 6 hr mark: Add the carrots, so that they wouldn't be too mushy. And saute mushrooms in a bit of butter. Let them rest a bit and then toss into the oven with the brisket.

Once brisket is completely done - pull it out to rest. Take the remaining liquids, add a bit of lemon juice and simmer down to nice sauce like consistency.

ok already.

2010-04-24T22:41:00.000-05:00

Fine. I've broken down and created a blog, for the two people who will read this. And, you guys best comment at least once in a while! :)

So, that out of the way. I'm going to attempt to write down what we eat and some recipes. Over the last year, my boyfriend and I have been on a paleo/low carb eating plan. I don't want to say low carb exclusively, as we will eat fruits and chocolate. But, rarely will we eat refined sugars or processed frankenfoods - especially if we have a choice!

Over the last year we have both lost significant amount of weight. And, yes, people have noticed.

We are healthier....
I have my Tri's down to under 200, from 400+ a bit over a year ago, which being of Asian-Indian origin is huge! Apparently, Asian-Indians have a propensity for diabetes and hypertension. See BBC and MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) articles. Both of which are indicated by high triglycerides, which of course forced us into a new eating plan.

And eating better than ever before...
Well, the BF is definitely eating better because I am a nutter for cooking something new every time.

Hence the blog. As my way of sharing some of the information and trying to keep track of all the wonderful blogs I've found, info we have gathered (anything techy/chemy is totally due to the BF), and just random thoughts on food.