This morning I received a flyer informing me of a national food drive taking place this Saturday, May 10th. The National Association of Letter Carriers is holding the "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive and all you need to do is leave a bag of non-perishable food items by your mailbox. The postal carrier will pick it up and deliver it to your local food bank!
"Though thousands of local post offices will be participating in the program, some are unable to. To find out whether your letter carrier is participating, search the USPS website for the contact information for your local post office."
For me, this is perfect timing. I've been weeding out my cupboard contents and replacing bad items with healthier choices. This is a perfect opportunity to get rid of things you likely won't use.
A couple suggestions ...
1. check expiration dates - nobody wants your old crap :-) The oldest thing I found today expired in 2006. Whoops!
2. seize this opportunity - cleanse yourself of high-fat, high-sodium, high-calorie foods -- look at those nutrition labels and serving sizes ... you may be shocked by what you see!
I just realized my suggestions may sound horrible ... 'let's donate all of our unhealthy food to the less fortunate'. Hmmm, that's not what I'm advocating by any means - please also include healthy foods too! It's not like I'm filling a bag with lard and sticks of butter, but instead all those canned goods and prepared foods that no longer fit my current diet which someone may be able to use.
My local food bank will be gaining a few flavored gelatins, pudding mixes, cake mixes, coconut milk, a lovely assortment of Indian and Indonesian prepared spice pastes (pure salt), canned soups, canned tomatoes, pasta, and prepared sauces.
I'm headed out grocery shopping tomorrow and will add in a few more things to fill the bag up to the top. For all of the US folks, I hope you take this opportunity to help stock your local food bank. Leave me a comment and let everyone know what you'll be putting in your bag!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
National Food Drive: Saturday May 10th!
Thursday, May 01, 2008
My list of new priorities ...
Life has a funny way of kicking you right between the legs just when you least expect it. The past two weeks have had a few ups and downs, with a doctor's appointment this week which has changed a few priorities. I rather dislike change, especially when it requires sacrifice of things I greatly adore.
Two weeks ago I was required to attain a medical physical for my immigration paperwork. The doctor performs the physicals for Canadian immigration and was not my primary physician. He discovered my blood pressure seemed a bit high and suggested I have it checked out by my own doctor.
Last week, I visited my doctor and fortunately my blood pressure was a bit lower and within the higher end of the 'normal' range. I breathed a sigh of relief and gave a blood sample for testing. I returned this week to complete my physical and receive the blood work results.
I saw the puzzled look of my doctor as she entered the room. She pulled up a chair so we could both review the paper she held. Since my last physical (about 2 years ago) it seems my bad cholesterol has significantly increased ... *significantly*. And inversely, my good cholesterol decreased. She gave me the choice of trying to reduce it via diet and exercise over the next 6 months or take medication for the rest of my life. I've opted for the 6 month period of massive physical and dietary improvements.
Now what? My first thought was this blog and whether I could continue it, hence my sporadic posting lately. There isn't much to write when only eating fresh fruit, salad and limited amounts of protein. I'll admit that I'm not feeling too inspired just yet. For breakfast I had plain oatmeal (i.e. no milk, no sugar, no salt) with a bit of cinnamon. For lunch it was fat-free cottage cheese, half a cucumber sandwich on high fiber bread, and a handful of strawberries.
So, I've written down my priorities to help myself stay focused. Formerly, I cooked like crazy and ate too many bad things -- it was only last week that a delightful triple cream brie passed my lips. With reluctance and fear, I am changing my priorities and will focus lowering my cholesterol. I've already stopped eating my daily dose of white rice and haven't used a single grain of salt this week. Although I have wickedly bad will power, I know I can overcome this. However, my blog content may suffer and will likely appeal less to most of you.
The bright side is that I'll be more slim and trim due to the change in diet, although I'm not rushing to buy a speedo just yet. And once I overcome this cholesterol thing I can move on to my next priority -- attaining a super power. As a kid, I used to run around pretending I could shoot fire from my fingertips. With a little determination, I know I can achieve it too :-) Criminals of the world, beware!
Friday, April 25, 2008
Bay Area Organic Produce Delivery!
Today, I received my first delivery from Farm Fresh To You (FFTY). FFTY is a local organic family farm delivering fruits and vegetables direct to your door. For $29 (which includes delivery), I signed up for the 'regular' box which contains mostly vegetables with a bit of fruit. They provide many options and are flexible in customizing what shows up in your box (i.e. I never want peas, but always send onions).
I anxiously awaited my delivery today and practically pounced on the unsuspecting delivery guy. He didn't realize who he was dealing with when he walked up to my door ... I find it hard to contain my excitement for such things.
I don't think I would be able to purchase the same goods at Whole Foods for much less than $29 -- the value seems legit. I also feel better about supporting a local farm and appreciate that my items came from nearby (i.e. and are much fresher because of it).
This week, my box included:
1/2 lb. baby spinach
1/2 lb. baby lettuce
1/4 lb. pistachio meats
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch cilantro
3/4 lb. sugar snap peas
1 lb. asparagus
1/2 lb. mushrooms
1 yellow onion
1 1/2 lbs cameo apples
I started by nibbling on a sweet carrot then moved on to a crisp and juicy apple. Everything is fresh and very clean - they obviously place attention of delivering fully washed produce, which I appreciate.
Although I signed up for delivery every other week, I think I will now update to weekly. I like the assortment and being at the mercy of cooking what I am given :-)
If anyone locally is interested in signing up, please let me know. If you note me as your referrer, I get a free box of produce (and you know how much that would thrill me).
Does anyone have any suggested recipes for asparagus or carrots? I feel like I always do the same old thing with them and need some fresh ideas.
Tomorrow, I plan to try and hunt down farm fresh eggs. Erin wrote about her grandmother's farm raised eggs the other day and now it's stuck in my head. I don't think I've had a good egg since I moved away from our farm.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
My school lunch menu, my culinary heritage
I'm in a strange mood today, completely overwhelmed by nostalgia. I blame it on Classmates.com which sent me an email this morning to alert me someone had signed my guestbook. I rarely use the site but was intrigued to see if there was any new information from my former high school classmates.
One thing led to another and I found myself visiting the website for my high school. I grew up in a small, rural community so it's one of the those places where you know everyone (and everyone's business, which likely why I'm such a gossip today). My graduating class only had about 60 students and we grew up with each other since kindergarten. I've only kept in touch with a few people and am curious what happened to everyone else.
From the school website, I came across the school lunch menu and it filled me with many memories, like being excited by 'pizza day'. On pizza day, the world somehow seemed to be magical and perfect. It only happened once a week, so you learned to anticipate it.
You'll see from my school menu that they now serve pizza every day. I am happy for the advancement but sad that I never got to partake in eating pizza every day. I'm concerned that it is now 'homemade' though ... I rather enjoyed the frozen square pizzas topped with finely ground sausage bits. I am perplexed by the difference between homemade pizza and Tony's pizza slice. I suppose Tony's pizza slice is now the uber-exciting pizza the students anticipate and look forward to each week.
If I were eating there today I would have to try the pizza first. Hmmm, but tomorrow I would have to try out the stew with a biscuit. *sigh* I don't think sushi will ever make it on the menu. They just don't know what they are missing.
This menu is very telling of my food world growing up. You see pizza, chicken, stew, nachos, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, and gravy. I grew up in that period of time just before the internet world -- there wasn't any exposure to any foods outside of our microcosm.
Asian food of any type was unheard of and didn't exist. Aside from Taco Bell (which my family never ate at), Mexican food was scarce. And, forget about Indian, African or Greek food. My food experiences didn't expand until I moved away to attend college.
I feel as though I should send a care package to the school with spices and cookbooks. Maybe I should make a culinary pilgrimage to the cafeteria and help them overhaul their menu?
Monday, March 24, 2008
Anjum Anand is my new food crush
source: screenshot from www.AnjumAnand.co.uk
I'm so excited to introduce you to Anjum Anand, my new food crush. I discovered her televised series over the weekend while stumbling around the web. The discovery seemed uncanny since I just published my first Indian dish last week. As soon as I started to watch the videos online, I was immediately hooked on Anjum.
Maybe I'm just the last one to find out about Anjum, I wouldn't be surprised. Erin of Erin Cooks already had the inside track and knew of Anjum, as well as other BBC food celebs. Everything is better in Britain -- can we send Rachael Ray or Bobby Flay over to the UK in trade for Anjum Anand and James Tanner? Actually, I'm fine with just sending Bobby Flay over, we don't need him back.
So, aside from the enjoyment I get from saying her name "Anjum" (I repeated her name constantly over the weekend ... Joe was so annoyed with me and Anjum), she presents Indian cooking in a simple and healthy way. More importantly, she adapts the recipes for those interested in cooking who may not have specialized equipment, like a tandoori oven. The presentation of her program is equivalent in style and quality to that of Giada De Laurentis, but I find Anjum more personable and down to earth.
"Indian Food Made Easy" by Anjum Anand
This video series was televised on BBC in summer 2007 in six parts. I've been able to locate 5 of the 6 episodes online, each segment is 29 minutes in length. Two and a half hours of wonderful Indian cooking! I haven't watched all of them yet - I'm pacing myself this week so I don't burn through them all in one day :-)
Segment 1
Segment 2
Segment 3
Segment 4
Segment 5
Recipes from this series are available from the BBC website. The are 39 delectable recipes from which to choose. I've found other recipes at other locations on the web as well.
Although she has authored a couple cookbooks, her most recent two cookbooks are not currently available in the US. I found a new copy of her latest book available from a UK seller on eBay and snapped it up. Hopefully, in another week or two, I'll have it and then watch out :-)
I made two of her recipes tonight for dinner and they both turned out amazingly well, a classic northern chicken curry and freshly baked naan.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Peach blossoms, another Spring is nearly here
Our peach tree is in full blossom right now, letting us know Spring is on its way. More than once I've contemplated removing the tree, but each year the fruit seems to be a little bit better. The tree itself is tall and ragged looking. Prior homeowners butchered into a scruffy trunk with two straggly branches, one that goes straight up and another than droops down. It is the 'Charlie Brown tree' of peach trees.
Last year, we had our most productive peach season. I froze about 10 quarts, we ate quite a few fresh, and many at the highest tip of the tree were left for the birds. It's amazing how dense the blossoms are and nearly every one will yield a big juicy peach.
I took the photos last night before the sun set. Joe worked late and I avoided making a real dinner, hence no recipe today, folks. I experimented on another use for condensed milk, something bubbly and gooey. The recipe is far from ready, and although it looks a brown, mushy and boring, it tasted extremely good. It's basically an apple crisp utilizing lots of condensed milk
Unfortunately, my blog post for today is boring, mostly because I'm busy with work. I've yet to find time to buy groceries, so we're at that part of the week where I am forced to become much more creative with our meals. I'm down to bok choy, onions, and carrots -- and have lots of pasta and rice. I've been craving beans and pasta together, but avoided it so far because it sounded so heavy. But, didn't Giada make something with beans and pasta together? I trust anything she does.
Hmmm, I'm considering cannellini beans, penne, tomatoes, lots of garlic, a squirt of lemon or balsamic, olive oil ... not too juicey, more thick and dry. I might have a few sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary or sage. Ok, I think that's the menu for tonight ... assuming I step away from the computer.
What is everyone else making for dinner?
Before heading to the kitchen, I should mention that Jenn of The Leftover Queen posted the results of her monthly Royal Foodie Joust and as suspected, I did not win. *sigh* I'll get over the loss and try again next month. Lots of creative food came out of the event though -- go check them out!
Friday, February 01, 2008
A new camera, much better food pics
The postman just left. I ran to the door to find a package containing my new camera lens. The camera arrived the other day.
Here is a sample pic using the new lens -- a lovely look at my onions. I think you'll see a drastic difference in picture quality from my prior posts, now I just need to make food that's worthy of my camera :-) More pics to follow soon ....
Update:
Picture taken with: Canon Eos 20D and a Canon EF 50mm f1.4 lens. Please view the comments to learn more about my camera selection process.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Peeking over blog walls
I'm spent my lunch break running around the food blog neighborhood to see what new creations are out there waiting for me to salivate over. And it wasn't until now (say, 5:40pm) that I realized I never posted about my adventure. Geesh!
I've been working from my home office since early January and clearly it's taken a toll on me. It's my first time not working in a true business setting, but being an introvert, this is largely ok with me. The only real downside is that I don't have people around me to gossip with on a daily basis. I'm not able to peek over a cube wall and talk about Project Runway or who has a crush on the boss.
So, my coworkers are *you*, the readers of my blog and the bloggers I visit. Every day I try and take some time to peek over the blog walls to see what's going on out there, to feel a part of the world outside my office walls. Like Fanny for example from Foodbeam who I visit from time to time, she reminisced of childhood lemon meringue tarts and her recent Daring Bakers challenge to make lemon meringue tartlets. They may not be as good as her personal recipe, but the look absolutely perfect to me. Good job, Fanny!
After looking at Fanny's tarts, I headed over to Culinary in the Country -- Joe always has something delicious to look at. Apparently, he sent Jeff to work today with a big batch of Banana Bars with Browned Butter Pecan Frosting for Wednesday Treat Day. Um, and where do I submit my resume to work with Jeff??
I've got to be honest, I spent alot of time looking through Joe's blog, but pulled myself away to see what Sweetnicks was up to. Cate tried out a Texas Home Fries recipe she found in a Taste of the South magazine. They look great -- being from the Midwest originally, me likes my potatoes. Apparently, Cate's dish swayed her husband to give them a thumbs up, even though he's an admitted roasted potato and french fry lover.
Just as I was about to head back to work, I remembered to check on Sam of Becks & Posh. She's been under the weather this week but stirring up plenty of inspiration with her meyer lemons. I was about to close her blog when I noticed a link to Food Blog S'cool and tip-toed over there to find an interesting debate on blog advertising. It's a healthy conversation and one that many of us have pondered, I'm sure (i.e. I keep fiddling with ads on my blog, one of these days I'll pull out my hair and rip the ads out entirely). The post is worth a read and still seems to be getting new comments though it started a couple weeks ago.
And so goes another day. I had a good dose of blog reading before putting on my thinking cap to deal with assorted data/taxonomy issues (i.e. the day job). I need to go make dinner -- have a good night, will see you back in the office again tomorrow :-)
The bacon flowchart
Ahhh, bacon. Paula discovered my dieting today and promised not to send me any more bacon recipes. She sent me this little gem recently -- it's too funny ... and pretty accurate, at least for me :-)
Reminds me of the time I had to make bacon toffee ...
The Bacon Flowchart
as found on Photobucket
You might also like these posts:
Oink! Did someone say bacon toffee?
Hittin' the vodka sauce
Friday, January 25, 2008
Announcing Food Fight #3: a Pantry Raid!
I've been out of the blogging world for awhile and would like to resurrect the Food Fight. Food Fight is a monthly blog event hosted by me where foodies unite around a given theme and sling their favorite recipes! The Food Fight is open to all food bloggers from around the world. It's about sharing food ideas and having fun, so let's not take it too seriously :-) You can view prior round-ups here.
This month's theme is somewhat voyeuristic since it focuses on what's in your pantry and what you can make from it. Anything goes -- are you ready for the challenge? Be creative and wow us with what you can whip up.
I held an impromptu pantry raid last year and here are the results to start you off --unfortunately, no cooking was involved.
All you need to do is pick a random day before the deadline (preferably not after you've just completed a shopping trip), begin by taking a picture of your pantry ... then prepare a dish with several key ingredients from the pantry. Not only will you be sharing a culinary creation, you'll be sharing all sorts of pantry ideas (i.e ooooh, so that's how she organized her cupboard).
The deadline for all entries is Friday, February 29th. I'll post the roundup here on Saturday, March 1st. The roundup will include a listing of all participants with links to your recipe posts and pics of your entry/pantry.
Rules:
1. Please post your recipe entry to your blog on or before Friday, February 29th
2. Please include a link in your posting to Eating Out Loud and mention the Food Fight
3. Please email allen at eatingoutloud.com with: a permalink to your post, your name, your blog name, your geographic location, and 2 pictures (your pantry and your completed entry). If you'd prefer, I can link from the images on your site.
Also, feel free to send me your suggestion for next month's theme -- let this month's raid begin!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Anthony Bourdain did me wrong ...
Ahhh, Anthony ... how could you visit Vancouver and not eat one bite of Chinese food? I think your producer, Nari, led you astray .. or maybe you just wanted to hang out with your chef friends on the company dime (?).
Last night's episode of No Reservations focused on Vancouver, Canada. I know the area well and was surprised when Anthony seemed to overlook the most prominent food, Chinese. I know, I know -- you're probably thinking, "how much lemon chicken can Anthony eat?".
Vancouver is a major emigration city for many asian cultures, especially from Hong Kong. The cantonese food is Vancouver is widely known to well surpass anything found in the states -- it's of higher quality and more authentic than anything found south of Canada's border. There are all night jook joints, tender pastries, and heavenly dim-sim just waiting for the stumble-out-of-bed crowd.
I'm wondering why Anthony focused on Indian, Mediterranean and Japanese restaurants ... well, the answer I guess is obvious. He focused the episode on chef's who are his friends ... and unfortunately, Tony mustn't have an chinese chef friends ... and that is our loss.
Maybe there can be a do-over or return to Vancouver? *sigh* ... I won't hold my breath but I will look at No Reservations with a bit more scrutiny now that I've seen their coverage of a city I know well.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
New Year's Resolution - Weight Watcher's!
Well, what can I say ... as you can see from my blog, 2007 was filled with many food indulgences (i.e. remember the bacon toffee recipe?). I'm hoping that 2008 will bring about a change in my eating habits and I've found Weight Watcher's to work for me. I know, it's not a very "man-ly" thing to do ... but it works. They've definetly tweaked their materials to create a WW experience for men -- that guy from 'Heroes' TV show is the current spokesman.
The past 2 weeks have brought about a 6lb+ weight loss, so fingers crossed it holds up. I've been relying heavily on a Weight Watcher's cookbook that I purchased 2 years ago called, Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
I just ordered a copy of this book for my mother and also ordered Simply Delicious : 245 No-Fuss Recipes--All 8 POINTS or Less
If anyone has any good WW recipes or websites, please let me know. In the meantime, you'll see healthier recipes and cooking tips on my blog. :-)
Friday, October 26, 2007
What's up with Starbuck's Maple Oat Nut scones?
It's been a very, very long time since I last updated my blog. I took the summer off to relax (i.e. work more hours) and I'm getting back in the mood to chat about food.
This week I'm in San Diego -- this is the week of the major Firestorm ravaging southern california. Flying into the city was difficult, looking down and seeing a city hidden beneath a blanket of smoke. The city has taken on a different tone, people seem even more friendly and considerate. I feel a bit guilty to be spending my time lounging around and taking in the sights.
Each morning I get my Starbucks and maple oat scone -- it's 'my usual'. I was surprised at the maple oat scone and how it differed so greatly by region (I consider myself a connousieur at this point). I live in San Jose California and the maple oat scone is light rown with a nice layer of maple flavored creamy icing on top. The texture of the scone is moist and almost silky smooth, the nuts intermixed and offering a subtle nutty backnote.
I visited Vancouver Canada this summer (loved it) and visited Starbucks for my normal fix. I was horrified by the Canadian version of the maple oat scone -- it was dense, like a rock, and dark brown. It was less sweet and more oat-filled. The icing was thin and flavorless, the nuts likely ground up as they weren't noticeable.
My assumption is that is was a country border thing -- we do it one way in the states and Canada does something different. Well, as I bought my scone in San Diego I realized that we have a conflict even here in the states. The scone is triangle shapped like the others, but a bit thicker (it's kinda stocky). The nuts are on top of the scone and then it is covered in a light glaze. The glaze is sugarly (not smooth) and lacks maple flavor. The scone is lighter in color, not at moist, and is more spicey. I can't place the predominant spice, possibly cinnamon, but more likely cloves. It's good, but quite different from the recipe used in northern California.
I'm so used to receiving consistent foods from chain establishments, that Starbucks has thrown me a curve ball. I assume the baked goods are kept consistent, but that different bakeries supply the pastries using their own recipe versions. It's a nice surprise in some respects to get different versions of your favorite baked good, but disappointing when you're craving the specific taste.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Who's Umami?
I limit myself to having no more than 3 food magazine subscriptions at any point in time. So, when I recently subscribed to Metropolitan Home, I was pleased to discover it also included a brief cooking section each month -- bonus!
The May issue of Metropolitan Home contains an article on 'Umami', the fifth taste sense gaining popularity and much overdo recognition.
I'll admit I knew little of Umami and had heard it referenced once or twice. As I flipped through pages of nicely styled homes, I never expected to learn that Umami is the Japanese word for 'savory' or 'meaty' and is joining the ranks of sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Apparently, Umami was discovered in 1908 and is the sense of taste detecting savoriness, or more specifically the presence of glutamates which are commonly found in cheeses, meats, and protein-heavy foods.
The article continues to describe the rise of Umami and includes six recipes representative of the fifth taste sense:
- Oyster-Pancetta Pan Roast
- Truffled Lentil Salad
- Seared Skirt Steak
- Two-Potato Gratin with Parmesan
- Shiitake-Cheddar Strudel
- Carrot, Walnut and Mascarpone Torte
The magazine includes beautiful photos of each dish. I am particularly drawn to the Shiitake-Cheddar Strudel and Mascarpone Torte. I never expected to find such amazing recipes in this magazine, but now have more reasons to look forward to each issue.
Continue reading this post ...
Sunday, April 15, 2007
My Big Fat Puffball Fungus Thing
I had forgotten all about puffballs, a fungus found growing in our meadows on the farm. The puffballs were nearly the size of a soccer ball and are white. When they matured and dried out, the puffball would explode in a cloud of brown spores when kicked. Yes, I was a frequent puffball kicker :-)
We never ate them that I can recall. I visited may parents this past Fall and was shocked when my cousin brought over 2 large puffballs for us to eat (see pic above: mom said these were kind of small). My mother admitted that they had been eating them and that my grandparents used to cook them when she was young. I was intrigued yet somewhat concerned I would end up on the local news, "local man visits from California and dies from eating poisonous mushrooms".
The puffball looks and smells like a normal white mushroom you find at the grocery store. The difference is that the puffball is literally a ball, no cap or stem. When sliced, the entire puffball is a spongey mushroom texture. My mother sliced the puffballs into 1/2" slices then soaked for a few minutes in salted water. Neither of us really understood the soaking step, but mom said "that's what my mother always used to do." So, we soaked them.
After soaking, we patted them dry. You need to be careful at this step as the puffballs are more tender than a mushroom. Mom heated a pan and plenty of melted butter, then added the slices and fried until brown. I couldn't believe how good they tasted -- a strong mushroom flavor and tender texture. It left me wondering why puffballs are not more widely known about ... to be honest, aside from the farm ... I don't know of anyone who's ever seen one.
Hmmm, wouldn't these make a good Iron Chef ingredient? Maybe I should return to the farm and harvest more puffballs, open up a puffball distribution plant and get the word out.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Hanabi Roll at Kazoo Sushi
Growing up in the Midwest on a farm (in the middle of nowhere), it's hard for me to believe that I'm becoming accustomed to eating sushi. And, it's not that I merely tolerate sushi, there are some nights where I actually want (perhaps, crave) a roll or two.
This week was a long work week and we decided to go out for dinner. I didn't have the energy to chop, slice or stir anything. I'd been thinking about sushi for the past night or two, so we went to a nearby restaurant that's pretty good. It's not the best sushi ever, which is quickly apparent by the high ratio of caucasions to asians in the restaurant. But, there are a few rolls I like and they have sushi boats at the bar. I like the idea of sitting at a bar where food is constantly passing by, waiting for you to pick out anything that catches your eye. I'm easily amused by it.
My cell phone pictures do not do the food justice. My favorite roll is the 'Hanabi', which literally translates into 'fireworks'. It's served as four pieces in a pinwheel layout with a light orange sauce drizzled on top, then sprinkled with tempura flakes and chili pepper. It is reminiscient of a colorful burst of fireworks.
I know that someone reading this is groaning right now. For die-hard sushi lovers, I realize this is a fusion roll and not authentic to Japan. However, it blends all of my favorite flavors and textures together -- spicy tuna rolled up and topped with avocado, tempura flakes, jalapeno sauce, and chili pepper. It's sweet, spicy, creamy and crunchy all in one chewy delicious bite.
I had skipped lunch at work on Friday, so I loaded up on more sushi than normal. I washed it all down with a steaming cup of green tea and plenty of pickled ginger. It was comforting and pleasing, a good ending to my work week.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Little Taste at TasteTV.com?
I remember when Nigella Lawson brought the first hint of sexuality to cooking. The combination of her personality and goddess qualities made everyone take notice and tune in. She continues to bring a seductive quality to her cooking that is enjoyable to watch.
I mention this because I ran across something disturbing while reviewing a site called TasteTV.com. The site states, "Launched in 2004 as The Indie Food Channel, TasteTV programming highlights the quality and diversity of content that viewers crave in these days of digital, mobile and satellite TV." As I poked around, I suddently began bumping into a variety of content that although certainly diverse, seemed to lack quality.
A video series called 'Dessert Vixen' is hosted by a woman wearing lingerie while cooking. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if it ended there, but alas ... the host speaks in an overly breathy voice, especially when talking about 'whipping' or 'beating' certain ingredients. One episode has her and two friends dressed as schoolgirls bouncing around and spanking each other while making no-bake cookies -- you've got to see it to believe it. This content is placed alongside of segments of actual chefs, with even a segment from Michael Chiarello.
Bad porn or just bad cooking?
In retrospect, I overlooked the obvious signs. From the homepage there is navigation to a section called 'Sexy Dishes' where even a mature section resides. I'm perplexed by a supposed cooking site actually needing a mature section. It seems this is the content direction of this site, as they are advertising new programming being developed called 'Sexy Chefs'.
So, I'm left with a bad taste in my mouth. I was excited to learn of the site originally but now feel it's not something for me. I wanted to like it, really, I did. Am I being too picky?
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Joeprah's Chicken with Potatoes & Cheef Gravy
A couple week's ago I posted an article about the downfall of American civilization due to celebrity chefs like Ms. Sandra Lee and I received a hilarious comment from a reader named Joe. I soon learned that Joe isn't just any reader, he's the blogger best known for his blog Joeprah - Chronicles of a Stay at Home Dad.
Joe reminded me he's often busy with the kids and is the only cook in the house, so he's often rushing around to pull togehter a meal for the family. He caught my attention though when he mentioned his infamous 'Cheef' gravy. "I like to use gravy packets to make my gravies for non holiday meals...is that OK? Also, I will mix two different gravy packets together to make a new and wonderous gravy like Cheef (chicken and beef mixed together)."
Well, Joe had me at Cheef. And, after reading through his site (he's got a brood of cute kids) my sides were splitting. I asked Joe to send me the recipe to one of his meals so I could feature it. So, today you don't get any of my food 'cause I'm serving up some Joeprah. Here is the food talk straight from the man himself ...
Rotisserie Chicken
Ok, I know you need a rotisserie for this, but indulge me. I have the Ronco "set it and forget" rotisserie and it has literally changed my life. I have cooked some of the best prime rib this planet has ever seen from this baby and I used to cook in restaurants (blah blah blah).
Anyways, here is the recipe:
1 4-6 lb bird (see 15 minutes per pound)
Marinate that sucker with what you like. If you are feeling cajun, than hook 'er up, if you want herbs then chop and rub thyme, basil and tarragon all over or whatever. I use olive oil in addition to my spices and herbs. Next, put bird in rotisserie and "set it and forget it." When it is nearly done sometimes (if I am frisky) I will drizzle some honey all over it and it will sear up nicely.
Mashed Potatoes:
Most important part of any meal are the mashed potatoes. I use baby red potatoes as a rule. If you use Yukon Golden or whatever, you are simply missing out. K, here it is, you ready? The best mashed potatoes ever.
Partially peel (meaning get all the nasty eyes and rotten parts off the spud) 8-10 Baby Red Potatoes. Chop into cubes about an inch or so square (no need to break out a ruler, irregularity enhances the texture...good thing). Rinse potatoes thoroughly to remove all excess starch. Water should be basically clear when you are about to boil potatoes. Add ta ablespoon of garlic powder & pepper to water, plus 2 teaspoons of salt. Why? Cause I said so pigeon head. Boil until tender (fork slides in and out easily, you should know this one). Drain.
Add following ingredients:
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup of shredded cheese (I like the colby jack mix myself)
2 tablespoons of sour cream
Hand mash with a mashing tool that looks like a torture device for potatoe people.
Gravy Time You Punks
McCormick Spice Packs can be found on the east coast (and that's all that matters to me), but I am sure Knorr has generic gravy packs. Here's what you need:
1 Chicken Gravy Pack
1 Beef or Au Jus Gravy Pack (Au Jus when you are feeling frisky...like you just don't care anymore)
Directions...follow them. One exception, always just add one cup of water for Au Jus pack although it will tell you to add more. You ain't making french dip sandwhiches laddie so just toss that idea. You will now either have Cheef Gravy or Cha Jus, both are tremendous in their own right.
I usually also have a frozen veggie I am nuking at the same time as my gravy is congaeling. You can get fancy or whatever, but with kids I stick to the basics of peas, carrots, corn and bok choy, 'cept never bok choy. K, so there you have it. Roast Chicken with Joeprah. The one thing you will most certainly have to ad lib is my smart ass comments that go along with any meal I make or devour. I also recommend a nice Chardonnay with Roast Chicken or an ok Pinot Noir. My personal choices are 7 Heavenly Chards (freakin' awesome), and Smokin' Loon Pinot (acceptable).
Friday, April 06, 2007
Food Fight #1: Eggs
The results for the first Food Fight are in! Check out the 13 wonderful recipes submitted from 6 different countries. You'll find great and delicious ideas for your eggs: Food Fight #1: Eggs Round-Up
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Pantry Raid Results: April 3, 2007
Last week I shared pictures of my pantry and asked for readers to send me their pantry pictures. I'm a voyeur and enjoy peeking into other people's cupboards -- two daring people threw open their doors to expose their food arsenals.
First to respond was Paula from Wisconsin who you'll find hanging out at Group Recipes. I spy some Easter candy of the top shelf that looks good -- I never turn down a Butterfinger. But I am a little concerned by her storage of coconut milk so close to the lights bulbs. I would hate to accidentally grab the wrong thing :-) Fortunately, I see lots of good ingredients here
In our next view, you'll see an additional storage cupboard -- and I'm impressed that she cans her own veggies (see bottom shelf). She has quite a few empty jars, so I'm sure she'll be busy this summer. And notice what a good deal Paula found with her graham crackers -- $.25. Good job, Paula!
The next and final entry comes from Clare in Los Angeles who whips up culinary mayhem over at her food blog, Rainy Days and Sundays (check out her recent batch of mini cheesecakes -- wow!).
Clare is clearly all about her seasonings - she has an entire army of spice bottles, along with what appears to be every type of oil, vinegar, and sauce. Your food will never be bland when dining at Clare's house :-)
Sharffenberger *and* Ghiradelli ... Clare is prepared for any situation.
It looks as though Clare has everything required to create a sweet dessert at a moment's notice. And if there are leftovers, she will have a Ziploc bag that's just the right size! Oh, and notice the round tortilla-looking package ... it appears to be vietnamese spring roll wrappers. These are the kind you soak in warm water then roll around cooked beef, bean sprouts, rice noodles, and cilantro and then dip into a soy based dipping sauce.
Well, that's it -- a big thank you to Paula and Clare for participating! Stay tuned for more chances to share your pics. If you have any voyeuristic ideas, send me an email!
