tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14058330676326677622024-03-13T16:58:18.257-07:00Cooking For My WifeJasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-9023598996396637822012-12-09T23:57:00.000-08:002012-12-10T00:00:54.133-08:00"Moroccan" Lamb Chops<span id="goog_144134479"></span><br />
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I've never been to Morocco, and I can't say I know anything about Moroccan cuisine, but a friend of ours went to Morocco and brought back some spices. One of them was a spice mixture called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ras_el_hanout">Ras el hanout</a>. My wife wanted to eat lamb chops, and she gave me no other instructions, so I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to use this unique spice blend.<br />
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I rubbed plenty of salt, pepper, and the spice blend on the lamb, and let it sit while the oven was heating to 425<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">°</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span>F. I wanted the spices to be obvious, so I covered it generously. Once the oven was ready, I roasted the lamb to an internal temperature of 135<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">°</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span>F, maybe about 30 min. At the same time, I popped in some oiled garlic cloves to roast.<br />
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To make a side dish, I did a take on Thomas Keller's <a href="http://threemorebigbites.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/cookbooks-thomas-kellers-smashed-roasted-marbled-potatoes-with-garlic-confit/">smashed marble potatoes</a>. I microwaved some previously boiled potatoes (which were saved from a previous dinner), smashed them, and cooked them in a generous amount of butter, along with the finished roasted garlic cloves from the oven. In addition to the potatoes, I simply sauteed swiss chard (from my patio garden) with garlic.<br />
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The lamb was full-flavored with a hard hitting spice component. Unfortunately, the texture was a little tougher and chewier than I would've liked. I think lamb chops are better off done more to a medium temperature. Next time, I will have to try it at 140<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">°</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span>F. Paired with <a href="https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=661450">2005 Volver Tempranillo</a>, the wine brought out the spices in the lamb and served as a nice fruity foil to the inherent gamy flavor of the lamb.J Dogghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13611067728205146958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-39075088817473426772011-12-04T17:58:00.000-08:002011-12-04T22:55:28.959-08:00Buffalo surf and turf<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-4Y8PxHVbNNy2wzezrrxOw8dorL1DSVsA9K52lhO5ma-k1U-KJ4qenIShfq41TtUL2h7mDBcGsknkK26OjLOIDvyOw8CnL-3PRH_5k5boudvg1-w6kTZShkKtH5tN2eM8oZPmyRJlZUq/s1600/IMG_0889.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 273px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-4Y8PxHVbNNy2wzezrrxOw8dorL1DSVsA9K52lhO5ma-k1U-KJ4qenIShfq41TtUL2h7mDBcGsknkK26OjLOIDvyOw8CnL-3PRH_5k5boudvg1-w6kTZShkKtH5tN2eM8oZPmyRJlZUq/s400/IMG_0889.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682466295073281890" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My wife came upon a great deal at Safeway this week: $5 frozen lobster tails! Yeah sure, live lobster is better, but you can't argue with $5. Our friend also happened to be at the <a href="http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/">San Francisco Ferry Building</a> and picked up a half pound of buffalo tenderloin. Having some free time today, I put them together for a classic surf and turf. A shot of rich lobster soup accompanied the meal.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>Lobster and buffalo lend themselves wonderfully to sous vide cooking. The slow cooking gives the lean buffalo a wonderful texture without fear of turning it into leather. Also, butter poaching the lobster using a temperature controller really infuses the butter flavor into the lobster.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>To get the timing right, I started with the buffalo tenderloin. When the buffalo was done cooking, I transferred the bag <i>and the water</i> to a separate container to keep warm while I made the lobster and soup.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the lobster, I followed Thomas Keller's recipe of poaching the tails in beurre monté. Buerre monté is an emulsion of butter and water, whisked together below 180° F. It's very easy to make: just start with some water water at low heat, and slowly whisk in pieces of butter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Keller's recipe calls for creating an entire bath of buerre monté and lowering the lobster tails directly into the bath. In order to save butter, I put the tails into a zip-lock bag and poured the buerre monté into the bag. I ended up using about 1 stick of butter for this. The nice thing is, when you're done, you can reuse the butter to flavor anything.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>The soup was kind of an afterthought, but it turned out to be a nice complement to the dish. It was very rich and flavorful due to the lobster shells. I wish I had some celery or potato to add substance, but I worked with what was available in the kitchen at the time. Also, a nice variation could be to use white truffle oil instead of extra virgin olive oil to finish.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Buffalo tenderloin steak</b></div><div>Buffalo tenderloin</div><div>salt, pepper, to taste</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Salt and pepper the tenderloin, vacuum pack.</div><div>2. Cook for 1 hour (or as needed) at 130°F.</div><div>3. Grill on high heat, about 1 min per side.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Butter poached lobster tails</b></div><div>Lobster tail meat</div><div>butter</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Make buerre monté by whisking small pieces of butter into warm water. Dilute with more water until you have a 75:25 mixture of butter to water.</div><div>2. Place lobster tails and burre monté into a zip-lock bag and seal.</div><div>3. Cook for 15 min at 139°F.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Lobster soup</b></div><div>Lobster shells</div><div>onion</div><div>garlic</div><div>thyme</div><div>bay leaf</div><div>heavy cream</div><div>extra virgin olive oil</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Saute lobster shells until they are red</div><div>2. Add onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf. Add water until barely covered.</div><div>3. Simmer for one hour.</div><div>4. Reduce in half, add heavy cream.</div><div>5. Garnish with extra virgin olive oil and black pepper.</div></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-6513277406111644382011-02-27T13:13:00.000-08:002011-02-27T13:36:10.961-08:00Blowtorch prime rib<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4UVQcKzWCXl54JhkEBSRLaMwxdwEr8aBw3aVytF0Z4baJTiy3JD_pgsEJfU6GwbdrUjCuMx7-uQcZTjj_hIlm3C6zZnLWYVX5Fb8LmA0t-B9_uh6jtR8dABQ1YWSrgut4shHyCxvw4G5/s1600/5280766980_01fd2747e5_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4UVQcKzWCXl54JhkEBSRLaMwxdwEr8aBw3aVytF0Z4baJTiy3JD_pgsEJfU6GwbdrUjCuMx7-uQcZTjj_hIlm3C6zZnLWYVX5Fb8LmA0t-B9_uh6jtR8dABQ1YWSrgut4shHyCxvw4G5/s400/5280766980_01fd2747e5_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578485114946496402" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">I was inspired to post this because of my sister-in-law's recent posting on Facebook about her own prime rib. :) We hosted a dinner to raise money to send my wife to serve on board <a href="http://www.mercyships.org/">Mercy Ships</a>. The fundraiser was a huge success and we are grateful for all who attended!</div><div><br /></div><div>The main course was Thomas Keller's <a href="http://www.thedeliciouslife.com/blowtorch-prime-rib-roast-recipe-from-ad-hoc-at-home-by-thomas-keller/">blowtorch prime rib</a>. The recipe details can be found at the link, so I won't bother rehashing that. The key to the recipe is to torch the outside <i>before</i> you roast it, so that by the time it comes up to the correct temperature, it has a nice crust on the outside.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a dish I've made several times in the past, and I've found that it really lets the quality of the beef come through. My favorite type of beef to use is corn-fed, dry aged beef. You really get some nice complex flavors from the dry aging process, as well as the marbling from corn-fed beef. Just remember if you use dry-aged beef, you need to cut off the dry outer layers or else it will be tough.</div><div><br /></div><div>For this particular dinner, we used a corn-fed, non-dry-aged prime cut of beef. You might say it was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef_aging#Wet-aged_beef">wet-aged</a> for a week. The result was still delicious, although you don't get the complex aromas and flavors from the dry aging process.</div><div><br /></div><div>The most fun part about doing this is using the blow torch! Don't bother using a "creme brulee" torch you get at fancy culinary stores. Go straight to your local home improvement store and get yourself a serious blowtorch at a cheaper price.</div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-77903753034402378392011-01-07T13:10:00.001-08:002011-01-07T13:27:54.205-08:00Fountain Coke vs Mexican bottled CokeEveryone talks about how Mexican bottled Coke is so much better than regular Coke because it uses cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Today at work, we put that to the test in a scientific experiment.<div><br /></div><div>My coworker Sean and I were presented with two unlabeled paper cups of Coke--one of which was Mexican Coke, the other was regular Coke from the fountain machine. I noted that they smelled pretty much the same. Upon tasting, the cup on my left tasted more familiar to me, like the Coke gummi candies I used to eat as a kid. However, the cup on my right seemed to be more refreshing and fizzy. I preferred the one on my right.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was revealed that both Sean and I preferred regular fountain Coke, which was a shock to both of us. The candy-like taste of the Mexican Coke could possibly be attributed to the cane sugar. Also, the appeal of the fountain Coke could possibly be attributed to the freshness and coldness of the carbonated water from the fountain rather than the actual flavor profile of the drink. What we learned from this is that the freshness of a drink has a bigger impact than any subtle difference in flavor between cane sugar and HFCS.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, since our goal is to isolate the difference between just the sugar, we will try this test again on Monday while trying to minimize these other variables.</div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-528730069832660702010-04-07T20:44:00.001-07:002010-04-07T21:31:17.814-07:00Glazed Pork Belly with Swiss Chard, Pinot Gris-Poached Granny Smith Apples, and Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzpMqWZwInfNtYXheGHMRud55XEni5rJKysZkh8YOkVLT-qyMgHSsp_jytGpn76Jixzl7BfCJsZ8To71hEJF-NvG-ZcrtkHG0KRZTgCl4aYUKR5dWmqiydoP1B9bJls5O1nJ1kaw-SZXIF/s1600/IMG_6315b.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzpMqWZwInfNtYXheGHMRud55XEni5rJKysZkh8YOkVLT-qyMgHSsp_jytGpn76Jixzl7BfCJsZ8To71hEJF-NvG-ZcrtkHG0KRZTgCl4aYUKR5dWmqiydoP1B9bJls5O1nJ1kaw-SZXIF/s400/IMG_6315b.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457607991047786738" border="0" /></a>This was quite possibly the best pork fat I've ever tasted. Most of the time when I eat pork belly, I take the fat off because it feels so unhealthy. This, however, was so good I wanted to eat all of it. The beauty of cooking this sous vide is the fat. Fat melts at 85°C, and the meat is cooked at 82.2°C. What this means is that while the meat is getting tender, the fat does not melt away. One mistake I made, however, was that I cut the pork incorrectly with respect to the grain. I should have cut the pork against the grain, because cutting with the grain made the meat seem more tough and stringy instead of fall-apart tender.<br /><br />The combination of flavors on the plate was fun. There was the rich and decadent combination of the pork belly and the swiss chard leaves. The leaves were cooked with bacon, another form of pork belly, and could definitely stand up to the richness of the belly. Then there was the vinaigrette and the apple balls, both of which provided a cleansing acidic counterpoint to the fatty pork.<br /><br />I paired this with a Ravenswood Zinfandel. I thought the fatty pork would help to balance the acidity and tannins of the zin, but I don't think it worked that well. It seemed like the zin overwhelmed the pork, which although it was rich, it was not very heavily flavored.<br /><br />The pork was cooked 82.2°C for 12 hours, then seared at high heat on all sides. After that, it was cooked in a pork sauce made of reduced pork stock. This cooked down until it became thick and glazed the belly.<br /><br />The swiss chard leaves were cooked with bacon, onions, and garlic, then roasted with additional chicken stock in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes. Then it was reduced on the stove until the chicken stock thickened and glazed the leaves.<br /><br />The chard stems were cooked sous vide at 85°C for 75 minutes, with bay leaves, thyme, and garlic. Be careful with the herbs! The stems really soak up the flavor.<br /><br />The final touch were granny smith apple balls. These were cooked sous vide at 85°C for 30 minutes in a solution of water, sugar, and an Oregon pinot gris. These provided a perfect counterpoint to the richness of the belly. The sous vide cooking allowed the apple balls to soak up the sugar and wine, while retaining a toothsome bite.<br /><br />The vinaigrette was simple, with Dijon mustard, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-37999561464768777612010-04-03T23:34:00.000-07:002010-04-04T00:32:53.323-07:00Twelve hour pork bellyUnhindered by my lack of success with the short ribs, I decided to move onto pork belly. The recipe is also from Thomas Keller's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1579653510?ie=UTF8&tag=ddrfreak-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1579653510">Under Pressure</a>. The crazy recipe involved sous vide at every turn, from the pork belly (82.2 °C for 12 hours) to apples (85 °C for 30 minutes) to swiss chard stems (85 °C for 1 hour, 15 minutes).<br /><br />The pork started off overnight in a brine of salt, sugar, onions, carrots, bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkg3ZtvwaR7r3M5xA8QNonTsHOPs00RvF0arfTsADtTNTn-DvOlkETGW7iAJKEZpTOkhXIYssMMnlBjSzNToKauu0khBiJ_22dqnihA6fsCZw3POXZ-RUtvik0z2SmBXVFvYOWQSu_MmY/s1600/IMG_6292.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkg3ZtvwaR7r3M5xA8QNonTsHOPs00RvF0arfTsADtTNTn-DvOlkETGW7iAJKEZpTOkhXIYssMMnlBjSzNToKauu0khBiJ_22dqnihA6fsCZw3POXZ-RUtvik0z2SmBXVFvYOWQSu_MmY/s320/IMG_6292.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456172385558389042" border="0" /></a>After that, it was put into a bag with chicken stock, more herbs and spices, and cooked for 12 hours at 82.2 °C. Twelve hours later, it is put in an ice bath and chilled.<br /><br />When I finally took it out of the bag, it came out a beautiful pale pink color with subtle alternating layers of meat and fat. The fat was so soft, trimming it was like cutting through a piece of lard.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bOmDlGlvo1mfifUrULOIgiEQnQiXBfiMwB_sSk1Ik5Y3zC84q9uEzFxTeXG_95_BP2Sbx18USVOJBFj4kgEnnn5k4D2hg6QzKhWsj9XNjNmSf6ZqBI7fOtwLJAxk5V0kCNA00N_Xz7GR/s1600/IMG_6312.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bOmDlGlvo1mfifUrULOIgiEQnQiXBfiMwB_sSk1Ik5Y3zC84q9uEzFxTeXG_95_BP2Sbx18USVOJBFj4kgEnnn5k4D2hg6QzKhWsj9XNjNmSf6ZqBI7fOtwLJAxk5V0kCNA00N_Xz7GR/s320/IMG_6312.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456179753225295346" border="0" /></a>In my next post, I will tell you how the dish turned out. Until then, I will leave you with an appetizer. I laid thin strips of fat trimmings on top of a plain garlic bruschetta. It was delicious! The feeling of cold pork fat melting on your tongue, contrasting with the crisp texture of the toasted bread was amazing. The subtle accents provided by the herbs and spices also added complexity to the pork fat flavor. A wonderful prelude of what was to come...Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-42407688169105469172010-03-28T10:00:00.000-07:002010-03-28T10:00:02.586-07:00Sous vide short ribs, part 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4yHJlEQljDhXzivgwHKkRdM7rxVTkYW7fi37AYzlSPA-M8Ex7cRb2YeLpS_E_kVOvr_trX12VbhOPfHgY1z1yc_Lqqb1ts0oUshvgZUEjJ5W7TOobzECIYPCYCIKWZxQNOghMQeoWQEl/s1600/IMG_6198.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4yHJlEQljDhXzivgwHKkRdM7rxVTkYW7fi37AYzlSPA-M8Ex7cRb2YeLpS_E_kVOvr_trX12VbhOPfHgY1z1yc_Lqqb1ts0oUshvgZUEjJ5W7TOobzECIYPCYCIKWZxQNOghMQeoWQEl/s320/IMG_6198.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453547611846118642" border="0" /></a>48 hours later, I pulled them out. This was my first time cooking meat sous vide, so I found that they looked quite unpleasant and unnatural looking straight out of the bag. Many sous vide meat preparations call for searing the meat with a hot pan or torch before serving to create a nice crust. As a former Boy Scout, I love playing with fire and welcomed the opportunity to torch the meat!<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNfOYz3ordHo5q-0Ly4nR1TLffJDbHeRcwZ2G5NxjidvAHFeFVi2jFQ97cQjhKRoqfgf17JG7XvUm6o5WJzxd_5yrC1lal-ZR8C5186xfxdJ7bPBQ-LDenlTWg2Xvxuh7LWPqoVGCtbI1/s1600/IMG_6195.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNfOYz3ordHo5q-0Ly4nR1TLffJDbHeRcwZ2G5NxjidvAHFeFVi2jFQ97cQjhKRoqfgf17JG7XvUm6o5WJzxd_5yrC1lal-ZR8C5186xfxdJ7bPBQ-LDenlTWg2Xvxuh7LWPqoVGCtbI1/s320/IMG_6195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453545611361182338" border="0" /></a>However, before pulling the ribs out of the water, I made a quick sauce by sauteeing a mirepoix (carrot/onion/celery), tomato paste, deglazing with white wine, and then adding beef stock. I reduced this until it became syrupy.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9dnJBtk0JPIRWtfeKT92Td075IfIcNt-RobmpmvtjgXgNjQTFAa668q39z8H1ONV_KgCF5ZC0kr0EN8OY5W3zE_rtXoD-1WezQkCWZEENkUkFD5O7uaMw6kuqXx3nN9BQlHSC5Bw8znv/s1600/IMG_6199.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9dnJBtk0JPIRWtfeKT92Td075IfIcNt-RobmpmvtjgXgNjQTFAa668q39z8H1ONV_KgCF5ZC0kr0EN8OY5W3zE_rtXoD-1WezQkCWZEENkUkFD5O7uaMw6kuqXx3nN9BQlHSC5Bw8znv/s200/IMG_6199.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453551916320545362" border="0" /></a>Finally, I had my torched short rib and sauce. Time to eat! The result was indeed a medium-rare short rib--something I had never had before. I also found that there was no discernible difference between the three versions I had made. It was not as tender as I had hoped, except for one piece that was particularly fatty. I also thought that they had an almost overwhelming flavor of beef fat. I wonder if the result had something to do with the beef being grass-fed. Grass-fed beef tends to be lean and strong in flavor, almost gamy. Did cooking it in a pouch intensify these flavors? Did I need to cook it another 24 hours to make it more tender?<br /><br />Overall, I had expected an amazingly tender short rib with amazing flavor. Perhaps that was too much to expect. Compared to this meal, I would have preferred a traditionally braised short rib. I obviously have much more experimenting to do.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvJdx6LHT6szCmMJMtX0yBqKPAYfXUo4FRKq7cDtMDwf0NyJwqZbww4H-fSead418_R_vZv0LAJQC-7LCuOqzXytIeKGfChFawA1ynOscF4UxpXRImNTjfkL7VQNGeOV1xMyW3MkuelLL/s1600/IMG_6200.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvJdx6LHT6szCmMJMtX0yBqKPAYfXUo4FRKq7cDtMDwf0NyJwqZbww4H-fSead418_R_vZv0LAJQC-7LCuOqzXytIeKGfChFawA1ynOscF4UxpXRImNTjfkL7VQNGeOV1xMyW3MkuelLL/s320/IMG_6200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453552397632202674" border="0" /></a>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-63577015098056951002010-03-25T19:09:00.000-07:002010-03-26T10:53:57.821-07:00Sous vide short ribs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTk0TV0TdHXZIB_9fzciBjCkaE9XEzKRMeq2AnuPamajktOzdvnwRlZ8IryT98uqQM67LUvi8avfno1yp5k7j8wDaWhQeenjUnpDvA2j66mSwaZQMmBBQuUuuUJ5gCsIE-YCWVY6lPFBb/s1600/IMG_6180.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 346px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTk0TV0TdHXZIB_9fzciBjCkaE9XEzKRMeq2AnuPamajktOzdvnwRlZ8IryT98uqQM67LUvi8avfno1yp5k7j8wDaWhQeenjUnpDvA2j66mSwaZQMmBBQuUuuUJ5gCsIE-YCWVY6lPFBb/s400/IMG_6180.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452818788571542898" border="0" /></a>I recently built a temperature control unit for cooking sous vide. For those unfamiliar with sous vide, it is characterized by cooking food in a vacuum sealed bag for (usually) relatively long periods of time in a temperature controlled bath. An excellent and beautiful book on this is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1579653510?ie=UTF8&tag=ddrfreak-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1579653510">Thomas Keller's Under Pressure</a>.<br /><br />For details on the construction process, I generally followed the <a href="http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=315">instructions</a> for a temperature controller that enthusiasts have made to control the smoking temperatures for smoking food. The only difference is that I purchased this <a href="http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=3">PID temperature controller</a> from Auber Instruments, as well as an <a href="http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15&products_id=46">immersible probe</a> accurate to 0.1 °C. I also added a power switch and a fuse to protect the PID controller. Total cost of this project was $110 including taxes and shipping. This is dirt cheap compared to the $450 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003AYZIB4?ie=UTF8&tag=ddrfreak-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003AYZIB4">Sous Vide Supreme</a> or any of the medical grade immersion circulators.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwE1UNJBezbrH20bLsmb4KhkzbovVJfSmNiZ6tCC5S7eNgUwUp3JoU2BtSs85yN_gqBV18xrmAR26jHRGfA6K1ZyCSVyqMH1FxEYkRRIveqRZZGO0uwZDcBUzuL7C9uG3yB41QUoVPI8xH/s1600/IMG_6182.JPG"><br /></a>Once the temperature controller is setup, it's as simple as plugging it in and connecting it to a rice cooker, slow cooker, or in my case, a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I14C7I?ie=UTF8&tag=ddrfreak-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000I14C7I">1300W electric burner</a>. I found that it kept a stock pot at a pretty stable temperature (generally within .2 °C of the target).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwE1UNJBezbrH20bLsmb4KhkzbovVJfSmNiZ6tCC5S7eNgUwUp3JoU2BtSs85yN_gqBV18xrmAR26jHRGfA6K1ZyCSVyqMH1FxEYkRRIveqRZZGO0uwZDcBUzuL7C9uG3yB41QUoVPI8xH/s1600/IMG_6182.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwE1UNJBezbrH20bLsmb4KhkzbovVJfSmNiZ6tCC5S7eNgUwUp3JoU2BtSs85yN_gqBV18xrmAR26jHRGfA6K1ZyCSVyqMH1FxEYkRRIveqRZZGO0uwZDcBUzuL7C9uG3yB41QUoVPI8xH/s400/IMG_6182.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452762443441211474" border="0" /></a>I've read about and heard about sous vide short ribs and wanted to try it out. After reading Under Pressure and some other online sources, I decided on 57.2 °C for 48 hours. The temperature would give me medium rare doneness, and the long cooking time would make sure the connective tissues had time to dissolve and become tender.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwE1UNJBezbrH20bLsmb4KhkzbovVJfSmNiZ6tCC5S7eNgUwUp3JoU2BtSs85yN_gqBV18xrmAR26jHRGfA6K1ZyCSVyqMH1FxEYkRRIveqRZZGO0uwZDcBUzuL7C9uG3yB41QUoVPI8xH/s1600/IMG_6182.JPG"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVXzM6N22szo8cyRnfU09n9u2dNQQsvfIPsCdiZ5_P-I1DV9GJ7WcPff5VIJ77g2b0AxX-C4Zsyb55rEwy7qhGeADYof5xQXJb45KD-QNmn33yQs5W6q5k9j6ugB7sdRNojgLdKq_Bpnp/s1600/IMG_6184.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVXzM6N22szo8cyRnfU09n9u2dNQQsvfIPsCdiZ5_P-I1DV9GJ7WcPff5VIJ77g2b0AxX-C4Zsyb55rEwy7qhGeADYof5xQXJb45KD-QNmn33yQs5W6q5k9j6ugB7sdRNojgLdKq_Bpnp/s320/IMG_6184.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452819624585458402" border="0" /></a>Since I don't have a real vacuum packer, I used ziplock bags and a straw to suck the air out. Ghetto, yes, but does the job. Sort of. I packed three different bags: 1) plain salt and pepper, 2) salt, pepper, and a sprig of thyme, and 3) salt, pepper, and about 1/2 cup beef stock. The third option would be the closest to a traditional braise. The beef I used was from <a href="http://www.morrisgrassfed.com/">Morris Grassfed Beef</a>.<br /><br />I labeled the bags, zipped them up, and dropped them into the water. How did it turn out? Tune in next time to find out!Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-73405026399696929292009-04-11T17:13:00.000-07:002009-04-11T21:31:01.220-07:00Chicken wing stock<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPX0iSey0VflRni99DofQB-Fa2XhF2pFSid6APsDS1swYfXUYGD6Dx9w0wELuojfeCWpxUly6IaRYFpna9oe4HDisGB6huW9aD94BgxH-u8A9GqETu7Syi5l2n7lH4VGU-iF_aibZdo2a8/s1600-h/IMG_3767.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPX0iSey0VflRni99DofQB-Fa2XhF2pFSid6APsDS1swYfXUYGD6Dx9w0wELuojfeCWpxUly6IaRYFpna9oe4HDisGB6huW9aD94BgxH-u8A9GqETu7Syi5l2n7lH4VGU-iF_aibZdo2a8/s200/IMG_3767.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323603747427086978" border="0" /></a>Chicken stock is the basis of so many dishes. It is also easy to make, and it keeps very well in the freezer. Despite all this, most people buy canned chicken broth in the supermarket, which might approximate the flavor of homemade stock, but it will never do justice to the depth and body real chicken stock can provide. I do buy commercial chicken broth sometimes, but I try to keep a ready supply of homemade chicken stock in the freezer.<br /><br />We had a surplus of frozen chicken wings that weren't going to get used anytime soon, so I decided to make a luxurious stock made of chicken wings. I heard that chicken wings produce a lot of gelatin, resulting in a chicken stock with incredible body and flavor. I've never done this before, so I put it to the test.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-vNlQXKuFqfG1OH7hrY_cIXe9mNh6OZ361A92RCXL6nsg5VIpg2SJUVqD-g62qncLwcE9WQY-sAftnaAOTaMaXX38Wo_83F7_OOyPNjDx-INSGva0wf3MlzSBSsZqm6r-pNfh3Ys3PoY/s1600-h/IMG_3768.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-vNlQXKuFqfG1OH7hrY_cIXe9mNh6OZ361A92RCXL6nsg5VIpg2SJUVqD-g62qncLwcE9WQY-sAftnaAOTaMaXX38Wo_83F7_OOyPNjDx-INSGva0wf3MlzSBSsZqm6r-pNfh3Ys3PoY/s320/IMG_3768.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323602764092906642" border="0" /></a>The recipe is simple, and they don't have to be precisely measured. The ingredients below can easily be changed. Every chef has their own preferences. For example, Thomas Keller likes to use leeks instead of celery because he finds celery bitter.<br /><br />The finished product was a very gelatinous broth that I am sure will enhance any dish. I will post again when I make something with it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30WPtacIktmEmjv-0lhe7ZAXfKEtbAWRLKy77ZKvfM87ZVpbFu4UY6h-zQsx4n01etuxVrleHl36EibmpxPDiZGgeMBWWaRTVpoDeN8zumpew1MN_G5Tc8f7HQm4GXYbvDm86XKYN6rSQ/s1600-h/IMG_3775.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30WPtacIktmEmjv-0lhe7ZAXfKEtbAWRLKy77ZKvfM87ZVpbFu4UY6h-zQsx4n01etuxVrleHl36EibmpxPDiZGgeMBWWaRTVpoDeN8zumpew1MN_G5Tc8f7HQm4GXYbvDm86XKYN6rSQ/s320/IMG_3775.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323604957858610770" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chicken Wing Stock</span><br />Chicken wings<br />1 carrot, chopped<br />1 celery, chopped<br />1 onion, chopped<br />parsley stems<br />thyme<br />1 garlic clove<br />2 bay leaves<br /><br />1. Dump all the ingredients into a pot, cover with water.<br />2. Simmer for 3-4 hours.<br />3. Strain.<br />4. Refrigerate.<br />5. Once the stock has cooled, scrape the fat off the top.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-44444784417849783342009-02-12T20:13:00.000-08:002009-02-12T22:06:48.997-08:00(Not) Cooking For My Wife<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVTn5x8Cdft17rMMfr8efLMOhBF2pVuQ7CxvPsxgoumuY5cvzEfajc6f04N5B3v0Lx6h5S8sbhBr6Npr_1au7IaGpw3uHM0HYvPyLlppQkr3THNt5mwoToetPnes_ED2WKpA7ajRSdAr9/s1600-h/IMG_3474.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVTn5x8Cdft17rMMfr8efLMOhBF2pVuQ7CxvPsxgoumuY5cvzEfajc6f04N5B3v0Lx6h5S8sbhBr6Npr_1au7IaGpw3uHM0HYvPyLlppQkr3THNt5mwoToetPnes_ED2WKpA7ajRSdAr9/s400/IMG_3474.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302144247231541810" border="0" /></a>These days, my wife is in cooking school and I am hardly the one cooking around here. However, let me try to break that trend with a new post! Unfortunately, despite the name of my blog, there's not much real "cooking" going on here, but the result is delicious just the same.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0w__iYnq-QnMkoGkexhqqgs7tFUwXuj7t3si5sZaweZpp9mOGPnnd3YA1mWb_poSbI78iC8vgBflYLDKR-id97Zds6mZEb679KMZ3F3l7Cl-mpxn6l4Js9KZIi6cQ0RMF854eSG6bxMwz/s1600-h/IMG_3483.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0w__iYnq-QnMkoGkexhqqgs7tFUwXuj7t3si5sZaweZpp9mOGPnnd3YA1mWb_poSbI78iC8vgBflYLDKR-id97Zds6mZEb679KMZ3F3l7Cl-mpxn6l4Js9KZIi6cQ0RMF854eSG6bxMwz/s320/IMG_3483.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302152576292311138" border="0" /></a>I bought some really beautiful fish from <a href="http://www.montereyfish.com/">Monterey Fish Market</a> at Pier 33 in San Francisco. Their location at Pier 33 is a wholesale operation, but they do have a retail store in Berkeley. They have some of the best seafood I've ever seen or tasted. If you're in <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEiv5X6JC1yYvsiMvqoBscyE4KumCcBRxruXvXc_3sw-H6Td77YfkAqZ6tZQHw_pcDRnl-i0GMSkfWP7Annwf1IC32nXFOB_k4n8E2EBvIqFqhyphenhyphenWJqo4U7gZ44N-jXXr_mntx-t_WnRcf/s1600-h/IMG_3485.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEiv5X6JC1yYvsiMvqoBscyE4KumCcBRxruXvXc_3sw-H6Td77YfkAqZ6tZQHw_pcDRnl-i0GMSkfWP7Annwf1IC32nXFOB_k4n8E2EBvIqFqhyphenhyphenWJqo4U7gZ44N-jXXr_mntx-t_WnRcf/s200/IMG_3485.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302145688280780594" border="0" /></a>the Bay Area, you should really check it out sometime. We bought about 1 pound each of maguro (tuna), sake (salmon), hirame (halibut), hamachi (yellowtail), and hotate (scallop).<br /><br />The most complicated thing about this was the sushi rice. Contrary to popular belief, sushi has nothing to do with raw fish. It refers to the sushi rice (<span style="font-style: italic;">su meshi</span> in Japanese means "tart rice"). Once the rice is finished (use less water than you normally would use for steamed rice), you are to mix vinegar mixture into the rice while fanning it. I made the full recipe of the vinegar mixture, but ended up only using half. Looking back, I think it could have used more vinegar.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyU17lB-xKIPYHHMv1gdEfyLYNP6pflLnyXFiFcoNCH6d-7pW1zsJuKS-r4OGYwJmH6lmSmpHOy3T0IHUA9W1qTxk6YLRMXTPMlJCl3MRuhynwU4Dq50tAsakoAyKWXmQbYZ2nywYjwxC/s1600-h/IMG_3486.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 181px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyU17lB-xKIPYHHMv1gdEfyLYNP6pflLnyXFiFcoNCH6d-7pW1zsJuKS-r4OGYwJmH6lmSmpHOy3T0IHUA9W1qTxk6YLRMXTPMlJCl3MRuhynwU4Dq50tAsakoAyKWXmQbYZ2nywYjwxC/s200/IMG_3486.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302146708206504066" border="0" /></a>Cutting the fish is a different story. There is a reason why sushi chefs train train for years and why their knifes have to be so specialized. It took me a long time and knife experimentation to skin the fish and cut appetizing peices of sashimi. I am not going to try to explain how to cut the fish here because I am not an expert and I don't want to give the wrong information. Suffice to say, you usually want to cut at an angle across the grain. I ended up messing up a few peices of tuna which became inedible.<br /><br />At first I tried a sashimi knife given to me by my friends several years back, but the blade was not sharp enough and it wasn't slicing as cleanly as I would have liked. I then used my wife's Global chef's knife, but while that was definitely sharp and thin, the blade was too wide and the flesh dragged on it while I cut. I ended up using a thin boning knife. While it was both sharp and thin, the placement of the blade relative to the handle made it difficult to work with on the cutting board.<br /><br />To make things easy, we did everything chirashi style. Rolls or nigiri would have taken up even more time, and we wanted to eat as soon as possible! All-in-all, I was most impressed by the scallops and hamachi. I've done sushi at home before, but the quality was never like this! Next time, I want to try ama-ebi (spot shrimp) and uni (sea urchin gonads). (Yes, I wrote gonads.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qJTfZme8etLHdVK7nJ2vn-8100aUaVi1-ITY4GNZPCYRt9v2zOP55bPRSZ9AC5Y5xZoezOSAvaC0Jij_a_jieiD2dyj5srBgDmGC8N70fE_M4AsKCTd6B7WufSxdSIugMVNmDIc9S_Ds/s1600-h/IMG_3492.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 409px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qJTfZme8etLHdVK7nJ2vn-8100aUaVi1-ITY4GNZPCYRt9v2zOP55bPRSZ9AC5Y5xZoezOSAvaC0Jij_a_jieiD2dyj5srBgDmGC8N70fE_M4AsKCTd6B7WufSxdSIugMVNmDIc9S_Ds/s320/IMG_3492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302149191052180306" border="0" /></a>Paired with a flight of sake, of course<br /><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sushi Rice<br /></span>2/3 cup rice vinegar<br />2 tbsp sugar<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />1 sq in kombu (optional)<br />4 cups warm, steamed white rice<br /><br />1. Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and kombu in a small pot.<br />2. Place over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar and salt are dissolved.<br />3. Transfer the warm rice to a wide nonreactive bowl. Toss the rice with a rice paddle as you fan it.<br />4. When clouds of steam are no longer rising from the rice, but the rice is still warm, drizzle in some of the vinegar mixture.<br />5. Keep tossing and folding the rice mixture and drizzling the vinegar mixture to taste.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-70284858455507685232008-09-29T20:58:00.000-07:002008-10-01T22:10:22.074-07:00Experimenting with bacon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztKGQNyJ7VdTarC4_r8nHYBxzuklOkrjAsT4OBemiXKNzu8jvhO0N-KnV_YTNhEjidxtEz-4PouEzwTOQA2b816LAbtiZ1jDiSkK389sqBwOYEzfBQiuTXwfkLAR_AJiPvsvqkazcx2yV/s1600-h/IMG_9763.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztKGQNyJ7VdTarC4_r8nHYBxzuklOkrjAsT4OBemiXKNzu8jvhO0N-KnV_YTNhEjidxtEz-4PouEzwTOQA2b816LAbtiZ1jDiSkK389sqBwOYEzfBQiuTXwfkLAR_AJiPvsvqkazcx2yV/s400/IMG_9763.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251667717836627074" border="0" /></a>Bacon...mmmmmmmmmmmmm.<br /><br />It's hard to find someone who hates bacon, unless of course that someone is vegan. I love it, and my wife enjoys it too, although she prefers to limit her intake of this fatty protein.<br /><br />I saw a review of different bacon cooking techniques on <a href="http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/110/Bacon-Part-II">Cooking For Engineers</a>, so I decided to try a method I've never used before--baking at a low temperature for a long time. Babysitting the oven for 3 hours wasn't really my idea of fun, however. Cooking while I sleep seemed to be a better option. I arranged the bacon nicely on a rack that night, popped it in the oven, and set the oven timer to go on at 200°F, 3 hours before it was time to wake up.<br /><br />I woke up to the delicious smell of bacon. When I tried it, I found it very crispy with a purity of flavor that comes from not having been charred. The pieces were perfectly straight, with minimal curling at the edges. This is the way my wife likes her bacon. I prefer mine slightly charred on the edges, with a bit of softness to balance the crunch, but this method is certainly a nice way to have your bacon, and eat it too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl23xLt9-6FUJR9DuSxBcEswFTXyFH3LF3MKUpjpJmEuzXaHjbqPVO4JYpdQl6xRqq8fEmnhEsWUGyNOKOUInwQnYxOsDF6_uFBava2071gBWrlg-Q9rW2ss4w2xdEMXiS-o99YDqHOD8M/s1600-h/IMG_9760.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl23xLt9-6FUJR9DuSxBcEswFTXyFH3LF3MKUpjpJmEuzXaHjbqPVO4JYpdQl6xRqq8fEmnhEsWUGyNOKOUInwQnYxOsDF6_uFBava2071gBWrlg-Q9rW2ss4w2xdEMXiS-o99YDqHOD8M/s400/IMG_9760.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251668389048544882" border="0" /></a>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-90566917382309831802008-08-06T17:32:00.001-07:002008-08-08T03:26:52.002-07:00Really simple bruschetta<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNIvhAM1AKyK4ZtJMSQ06WuRzpnKVyvPAn69j6q5E6LBpSM37CojE1pLeiHTM7-5vDckL4yYTY8706p0a5DIDa78R-kfEkyOrVqeM3sZzZIcL4-UmgNwA0qlXun8JDB6oS9AY1rr50tqI/s1600-h/IMG_9591.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNIvhAM1AKyK4ZtJMSQ06WuRzpnKVyvPAn69j6q5E6LBpSM37CojE1pLeiHTM7-5vDckL4yYTY8706p0a5DIDa78R-kfEkyOrVqeM3sZzZIcL4-UmgNwA0qlXun8JDB6oS9AY1rr50tqI/s400/IMG_9591.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231573874467263282" border="0" /></a>It's heirloom tomato season! This is very exciting for me because some of my favorite simple dishes become much better with heirloom tomatoes. It's time for bruschetta, caprese, and panzanella (bread salad). Even my old Chinese home cooking staple, tomato and egg, is better with heirloom tomatoes.<br /><br />First, allow me to give a lesson on pronunciation. Italians pronounce "ch" as a "k" sound. So to properly pronounce bruschetta, it should be sounded out as "broo-skeh'-ta". It's not pronounced "broo-sheh'-ta" like everyone in America says. As for the definition of bruschetta? It's a toasted bread with olive oil and garlic.<br /><br />Anyway, heirloom tomatoes can be <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>expensive, up to $5 / lb at Whole Foods and Safeway. Don't buy them there! To save money, go to your local farmer's market. On one visit to my local farmer's market, it was $3 / lb. My coworker was able to find some for 75 cents / lb at her farmer's market! What a deal! She was kind enough to buy some for me.<br /><br />My wife wanted to eat something simple, so I thought of bruschetta. It seems like most of these simple tomato recipes call for a combination of the same ingredients: tomatoes, bread, basil, mozzarella, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. It's crazy the number of dishes you can make with just those ingredients!<br /><br />Anyway, I promised it would be simple, so here you go!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2luhBzVOaivHXsLbTstR-QxP_MRvVUk0jqPoJU6Yo8j-zF2G6MCjQnb3M1ESiBGKcKTMhzDDkcpKRJSL_m3xRPehsHXRwroY8ISdXMdid_HOWM0j9CJRimE8PvxECkoQgYc_YWq7zKTw/s1600-h/IMG_9586.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2luhBzVOaivHXsLbTstR-QxP_MRvVUk0jqPoJU6Yo8j-zF2G6MCjQnb3M1ESiBGKcKTMhzDDkcpKRJSL_m3xRPehsHXRwroY8ISdXMdid_HOWM0j9CJRimE8PvxECkoQgYc_YWq7zKTw/s320/IMG_9586.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231620436184324658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta</span><br />1 baguette (wife is partial to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acme_Bread_Company">Acme</a>...), sliced<br />2 medium sized heirloom tomatoes, small dice<br />10 leaves basil, chiffonade (thinly sliced into ribbons)<br />1 clove garlic, sliced in half<br />extra virgin olive oil<br />salt (preferably sea salt--I like <a type="amzn" asin="B000FSE1N4">Maldon</a>)<br /><ol><li>Brush olive oil onto bread slices.</li><li>Toast bread in a toaster oven until golden brown and delicious.</li><li>Rub the cut half of a garlic clove on the toast.</li><li>Sprinkle some salt lightly on the bread, set aside.</li><li>In a mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, some olive oil, and salt.</li><li>Spoon the tomato mixture on the toasted bread slices, and serve immediately.</li></ol>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-38818592403531836462008-06-17T21:04:00.000-07:002008-07-09T22:45:04.507-07:00Cooking for my sister in law<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEko3B9tGdFvB2Hx1DwlbH445ayacL53qOYzwr_kyKsLoDMf0w2g6rNIFn5Xr__GbgIUJcqYps9FRWcfMQqYOrMAHAighEluCTt63zcAyjwZrE_qIdfTOKOFtwX3fPI9bsT2rQtVkEV23/s1600-h/IMG_9173.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEko3B9tGdFvB2Hx1DwlbH445ayacL53qOYzwr_kyKsLoDMf0w2g6rNIFn5Xr__GbgIUJcqYps9FRWcfMQqYOrMAHAighEluCTt63zcAyjwZrE_qIdfTOKOFtwX3fPI9bsT2rQtVkEV23/s400/IMG_9173.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213073671875924914" border="0" /></a>I recently had the pleasure of cooking for my wife and <a href="http://moleculeeater.blogspot.com/">her sister</a>, who came over to visit. I decided to make pork loin, and found a recipe for <span style="font-style: italic;">Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Fennel Ragout</span> from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewart-Living-Annual-Recipes/dp/0848724496/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213762226&sr=8-1">Martha Stewart Living 2002 Annual Recipes</a> book. One thing that I like about Martha Stewart's recipes is that they have been tested and are generally foolproof. They are made for the average homemaker who doesn't necessarily know all the fanciest French techniques. Consequently, you can assume cooking times and portion sizes have a fairly wide margin of error.<br /><br />I took some liberties with the original recipe. Instead of using 2 pork tenderloins, I used one, and I only used one type of mustard (Dijon) instead of the two. It was still delicious. I've posted the modified version below.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvveaOkzVIysmj5YFEFFaPNARAVo-1whrOva-bE6FW7-f2iiuDtlTati0l5-jHnPhKONw3rcW3jbZgJvV9tOZcxpkXJBrSH-wznNvEt9niRLuI18HWu1wy7sc9QoVfLGir8ljIS662b5G/s1600-h/IMG_9153.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvveaOkzVIysmj5YFEFFaPNARAVo-1whrOva-bE6FW7-f2iiuDtlTati0l5-jHnPhKONw3rcW3jbZgJvV9tOZcxpkXJBrSH-wznNvEt9niRLuI18HWu1wy7sc9QoVfLGir8ljIS662b5G/s320/IMG_9153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221208206931019218" border="0" /></a>Putting the crust on the pork<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_626t29e3wSMSH8wey3a1Ec2Yh24oTezUihoJxV9wPoLuCZ5cjHj06KAyq0ljw5zfeiqhXdl0Mnq8Xm6pubGCXqpwwp8BbZbyUuD6-mlQvwtvaazmvLki9DfcgzVM0WFnqHEzWC6Yp9XA/s1600-h/IMG_9162.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_626t29e3wSMSH8wey3a1Ec2Yh24oTezUihoJxV9wPoLuCZ5cjHj06KAyq0ljw5zfeiqhXdl0Mnq8Xm6pubGCXqpwwp8BbZbyUuD6-mlQvwtvaazmvLki9DfcgzVM0WFnqHEzWC6Yp9XA/s320/IMG_9162.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221209565479725474" border="0" /></a>Trust me, it's 145°F. You don't want pork to be well done!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo02d53fhc-hus2QgUqNbZv8fRIfJkZWT7uNm8FBP9lPhfxaDw0lmDHlHkC812h7kR9Vaj29FEZtPFwguX72LuHHlCSXVD_xiBMEWAc06I1xpnCu63Y40_rM6mqx3zDs_49fb5RBMeEqYL/s1600-h/IMG_9169.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo02d53fhc-hus2QgUqNbZv8fRIfJkZWT7uNm8FBP9lPhfxaDw0lmDHlHkC812h7kR9Vaj29FEZtPFwguX72LuHHlCSXVD_xiBMEWAc06I1xpnCu63Y40_rM6mqx3zDs_49fb5RBMeEqYL/s320/IMG_9169.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221210257437551026" border="0" /></a>Reducing the sauce.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfYyid-Ow7jJ0rT0Qksy4niqx257vKXXzBqM-MJB5zkv-fcqyQwal_pBuVuqVW2Qgbx59358hDbiKK512O2uIA8MMojqhF94o69rR0XhJeWvNBPAP6Js7AgXyCliWiATksXq9qUKJeZWi/s1600-h/IMG_9172.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfYyid-Ow7jJ0rT0Qksy4niqx257vKXXzBqM-MJB5zkv-fcqyQwal_pBuVuqVW2Qgbx59358hDbiKK512O2uIA8MMojqhF94o69rR0XhJeWvNBPAP6Js7AgXyCliWiATksXq9qUKJeZWi/s320/IMG_9172.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221256894432828562" border="0" /></a>The finished product!<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wine pairing</span>. We had this with a 2005 Hogue Cellars Chardonnay, which was a great deal at BevMo for $11 (plus 5 cents more for a second bottle). The wine was a good match: slightly buttery, a little oaky, and medium bodied with refreshing acidity through the finish to cut through the richness of the pork and the sauce.<br /></div></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Fennel Ragout</span><br />5 tbsp Dijon mustard<br />1 16 oz pork tenderloin<br />salt and pepper<br />1/2 cup bread crumbs<br />3 tbsp vegetable oil<br />1 tbsp unsalted butter<br /><br />4 large shallots, large dice<br />1 small fennel bulb, sliced thinly<br />1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock<br />12 dried apricots<br />1/4 cup brandy<br />1 tsp fresh thyme<br /><br />1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the pork with salt and pepper, rub with mustard. Coat the pork with bread crumbs. Set aside.<br />2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil and sear the pork on all sides until brown. Remove from pan; set aside. Add the remaining tablespoon oil and butter to the pan. Add the shallots and fennel. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup stock; cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes.<br />3. Return the pork to the pan; add the apricots, 1/2 cup stock, and brandy. Roast in the oven, stirring the vegtables occasionally, until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145°F, about 20 min. (Yes, it is safe and delicious that way!)<br />4. Transfer the pork to a cutting board; place the pan over medium-low heat. Add remaining 1/2 cup stock and thyme; stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits on the pan. Simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; slice the pork. Serve with sauce.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-15839101047406043662008-04-15T18:15:00.002-07:002008-05-27T22:35:48.201-07:00Quickfire Challenge: Shrimp Chips<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK97CL8EkHPWu_wSLz8_V5tRdwFSaN31s-QInqfKLgHiKDG7biTeNDwt8s6OApUWZ0jMqjjomnemI66-bWGgJJDDPCdiDG92ARkjA2asMBnskqv_hCp9Az-yFjAVHcRjP0iYZYSg2pB5PT/s1600-h/IMG_8631.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK97CL8EkHPWu_wSLz8_V5tRdwFSaN31s-QInqfKLgHiKDG7biTeNDwt8s6OApUWZ0jMqjjomnemI66-bWGgJJDDPCdiDG92ARkjA2asMBnskqv_hCp9Az-yFjAVHcRjP0iYZYSg2pB5PT/s400/IMG_8631.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205296656735809794" border="0" /></a>My wife gave me a challenge the other day: cook something without going to the grocery store, using at least one ingredient from the pantry.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiU6IuwsFYc3vpnrjjFk4jL8sRCPbxTRKOnLhA_-Q4tlOLqiuEY9vcC5kGHlO11ux4xqnnkzvBkA-tauChba_r2cvBFTvY3fde0NVEd8GdyG2ughmjVBVlEjTmzIjhIRf86EmWQjKt7RCg/s1600-h/IMG_8953.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiU6IuwsFYc3vpnrjjFk4jL8sRCPbxTRKOnLhA_-Q4tlOLqiuEY9vcC5kGHlO11ux4xqnnkzvBkA-tauChba_r2cvBFTvY3fde0NVEd8GdyG2ughmjVBVlEjTmzIjhIRf86EmWQjKt7RCg/s320/IMG_8953.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196684389805430034" border="0" /></a></div>I stared at the pantry for a long time and couldn't figure out anything, so we watched an episode <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzdHncKlXrpYxnDHUemKHBH1sGwLMK6uA_w2UBouoqKeuIUoXywdVcXZoI-SBWyq3umIUbxwj4zdeIbUPdGATz8A0eAu9I-ZEMu9BdqNJOdnzPpb29-GMKLIgjSbezJVBfmDfTMDV3RjH/s1600-h/IMG_8955.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzdHncKlXrpYxnDHUemKHBH1sGwLMK6uA_w2UBouoqKeuIUoXywdVcXZoI-SBWyq3umIUbxwj4zdeIbUPdGATz8A0eAu9I-ZEMu9BdqNJOdnzPpb29-GMKLIgjSbezJVBfmDfTMDV3RjH/s200/IMG_8955.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196691210213496098" border="0" /></a>of Top Chef for inspiration. I had my "Eureka!" moment when I found a bag of Shrimp Chips, the delicious snack I grew up eating, to the bewilderment of my Caucasian friends.<br /><br />We had frozen pork chops in the freezer, so I was going to use them to make <span style="font-style: italic;">Shrimp Chip crusted Pork Chops</span>. For a second dish, I was thinking something along the lines of a savory custard. That way I could take advantage of leftover frozen spinach and the eggs we usually keep in the refrigerator. I didn't have the pie crust necessary to make a quiche, so I used a ramekin instead. I also didn't want to wait forever for it to bake, so I chose to steam the custard instead (a decision that turned out poorly, as you will find out).<br /><br />I took out a mallet and hammered away at the shrimp chips inside a plastic bag until they became crumbs. Afterwards, it was simply a matter of dipping the chops into flour, then an egg wash, and then the shrimp chip crumbs, before placing them into a shallow pool of oil to fry. They came out golden brown and <span style="font-style: italic;">delicious</span>. I'm sure the extra MSG in the shrimp chips didn't hurt, either.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4uZf-r2tx6qsTIfxWGI0wRQvAxGXCHvNjpKAyhzbH7Gt90gU32ztNGswBShAB_xP6VoEa6cjdEGUqJITxnGplS5nJGckWQwq_V3saDPlO6RElEdUGxkk1LOV_D8gDxk6dKyOkIxGBzmf/s1600-h/IMG_8629.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4uZf-r2tx6qsTIfxWGI0wRQvAxGXCHvNjpKAyhzbH7Gt90gU32ztNGswBShAB_xP6VoEa6cjdEGUqJITxnGplS5nJGckWQwq_V3saDPlO6RElEdUGxkk1LOV_D8gDxk6dKyOkIxGBzmf/s320/IMG_8629.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205295952361173234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWa_IxMVyrn4v9Ya6PsKXjBJNmumM2Y7o9RUqRtejdhGnIiebHqnN_AQbfAzAN064kjC1FI7zStGItetWATvOUg5_odjX65nNGNDq531eZa11MW-TkjVG8RJcz-Ox3sU2vSlIddFMeCOR/s1600-h/IMG_8637.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWa_IxMVyrn4v9Ya6PsKXjBJNmumM2Y7o9RUqRtejdhGnIiebHqnN_AQbfAzAN064kjC1FI7zStGItetWATvOUg5_odjX65nNGNDq531eZa11MW-TkjVG8RJcz-Ox3sU2vSlIddFMeCOR/s200/IMG_8637.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205294625216278738" border="0" /></a>The custard was not so tasty. I steamed the custard mixture (mixture of an equal portion of eggs and milk, plus a handful of frozen spinach) until it set, which did not take much time at all. I then topped it with some more shrimp chips and placed it under the broiler for a minute until it browned. The result? A crispy top, but an unfortunately watery inside. Oh well, the chops made up for it.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-57926416141906417262008-04-15T18:15:00.001-07:002008-04-15T21:40:15.339-07:00Lemon curd<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoaln7Z-FUtS2cKnRKFhIC1XyJ2jURMy3I72ptmu5dTCZNzj4KJ-PHLbEy-36n_3tJPmgwX5zHVHCaN_KYq852VyqykCsOFIfVKEyFkLiR4sISoYuxlcAgKXGeU-fv16HmZ5VCvhV9bDh/s1600-h/IMG_8512.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoaln7Z-FUtS2cKnRKFhIC1XyJ2jURMy3I72ptmu5dTCZNzj4KJ-PHLbEy-36n_3tJPmgwX5zHVHCaN_KYq852VyqykCsOFIfVKEyFkLiR4sISoYuxlcAgKXGeU-fv16HmZ5VCvhV9bDh/s400/IMG_8512.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189687296514564466" border="0" /></a>My wife likes anything with lemon in it. Lemon tarts, lemon meringue pie, key lime pie--okay not<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W52K0xKIF6SGUs5wRiXSygvdq0h9Bm3NMu59WODIc5ECRuMybRaPnn4QqX-u8TGK9yOfL28f2OqdS_2A2f-sfMaI4iikL05qXIhxa_iNOW72gBdvKta-HYEeApJQaaVM7uReFtxMu5rT/s1600-h/IMG_8135.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W52K0xKIF6SGUs5wRiXSygvdq0h9Bm3NMu59WODIc5ECRuMybRaPnn4QqX-u8TGK9yOfL28f2OqdS_2A2f-sfMaI4iikL05qXIhxa_iNOW72gBdvKta-HYEeApJQaaVM7uReFtxMu5rT/s200/IMG_8135.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189692806957605250" border="0" /></a> exactly a lemon, but it's close. We had some extra Meyer lemons that were on the verge of going bad, so she asked me to make lemon curd.<br /><br />When I first heard about lemon curd, I thought it sounded gross. Isn't curd the stuff that coagulates in milk and becomes cheese? Anyway, I used Alice Waters's recipe a few months ago, and it turned out great. I decided to use it again this time, but I think I kept it over the heat too long. The result was something that wasn't as silky smooth as the first time. The flavor seemed a bit too sweet, also. I may have reduced the sugar last time without remembering it.<br /><br />Once your curd is done, use it as a spread for anything from English muffins to scones.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lemon Curd<br /></span>2 eggs<br />3 egg yolks<br />2 tbsp milk<br />1/3 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2-4 lemons)<br />6 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span>1/4 tsp salt (unless butter is salted)<br />zest of one lemon<br /><ol><li>Combine eggs, egg yolks, milk, sugar, salt, and beat until incorporated.</li><li>Stir in lemon juice and zest.</li><li>Add butter one at a time until incorporated.</li><li>Cook the mixture (I like to use a double boiler) until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.</li><li>When thick, pour into a container, cover with plastic wrap touching the curd, and refrigerate. (The plastic wrap prevents a film from forming on top.)</li></ol><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxHD4-mDYS4c3jIOAsnLMv_sC527MKWxfsazcUDdSwLLckYLdrUuvsXRBaF4dpfS5v5Q1wNQbHIrX-r-cS3LSzcP8K04rOD_j4jzEPMSSnKD8ZCLWdriVVbJp8h8Hd6tfOKTBqeS8AiWg/s1600-h/IMG_8141.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxHD4-mDYS4c3jIOAsnLMv_sC527MKWxfsazcUDdSwLLckYLdrUuvsXRBaF4dpfS5v5Q1wNQbHIrX-r-cS3LSzcP8K04rOD_j4jzEPMSSnKD8ZCLWdriVVbJp8h8Hd6tfOKTBqeS8AiWg/s320/IMG_8141.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189698132717052306" border="0" /></a>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-86957958558914175862008-04-06T19:09:00.000-07:002008-04-06T19:09:44.777-07:00Chinese dumplings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjY7AH-K-M5qJTimp4fZx6MePVajGH_SkbhwCJv-Kj8CEhP5rjotRTZJ16hYCvxURc8dRvQa4fJV1jAo0HsCRw8qLK4yTO0upH5C5aCoKf3BRlGCCxUYt8Yu3HxY0r8Um0tNNX4rcbW5Dw/s1600-h/IMG_8133.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjY7AH-K-M5qJTimp4fZx6MePVajGH_SkbhwCJv-Kj8CEhP5rjotRTZJ16hYCvxURc8dRvQa4fJV1jAo0HsCRw8qLK4yTO0upH5C5aCoKf3BRlGCCxUYt8Yu3HxY0r8Um0tNNX4rcbW5Dw/s400/IMG_8133.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186314899695438274" border="0" /></a>I had extra pork left over from making meatloaf, so I put it to good use by making some Chinese dumplings. Growing up, I remember dumpling making as a family ritual where the whole family would get together and socialize around the table, making dumplings. As a kid, I never participated in that, but I still think about the social aspect of it. In any case, family now means "my wife and I", so we had a fun time making these dumplings and eating them later!<br /><br />I used this recipe from <a href="http://www.rasamalaysia.com/2008/02/recipe-chinese-jiaozi-leeks-and-pork.html">Rasa Malaysia</a>. I didn't make the wrappers from scratch (bought them at the Chinese supermarket), but I followed the recipe for the filling. I thought the filling was a bit dry, but that's probably because my pork was too lean. I also thought the "1/8 teaspoon salt" seemed negligible, as were the measurements for some of the other ingredients. Five drops of sesame oil isn't going to do much to the flavor of 1/2 lb of ground pork. Next time, I will follow my instinct with the measurements of the flavoring ingredients.<br /><br />Detailed wrapping instructions follow for those who have never done it before.<br /><br />1. Place the wrapper in the palm of your hand and drop a small portion of the meat in the center.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkfhqh2CAKiKlG3PntjXfu2HBFx1ZarMSp6ZnvwcJdbDmb29LPpTNKLcRWCEIw9b069bFRkPIm4_P_tnrJ1OwlwXlH8I1_UboZwcaNJnvEFwhclgvESyeFpWKRlU6bIaaBevg3wyWlWEB/s1600-h/IMG_8107.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkfhqh2CAKiKlG3PntjXfu2HBFx1ZarMSp6ZnvwcJdbDmb29LPpTNKLcRWCEIw9b069bFRkPIm4_P_tnrJ1OwlwXlH8I1_UboZwcaNJnvEFwhclgvESyeFpWKRlU6bIaaBevg3wyWlWEB/s320/IMG_8107.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186310166641478002" border="0" /></a><br />2. Using the tip of your finger, wet the edges of the wrapper.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZytJ2dPn4x3E5T16W-g8i5NEyMwJ8CaGVc_tYce4GMz-kq3bMma1Trs9xnH11HVxX0xP9kcb34Ji8oktL5EFa4Hm4PLFDgUaVwqbYH1Z-1Td2orADB7IF-K_ecNddwCtEvzPl8V8Epj5n/s1600-h/IMG_8110.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZytJ2dPn4x3E5T16W-g8i5NEyMwJ8CaGVc_tYce4GMz-kq3bMma1Trs9xnH11HVxX0xP9kcb34Ji8oktL5EFa4Hm4PLFDgUaVwqbYH1Z-1Td2orADB7IF-K_ecNddwCtEvzPl8V8Epj5n/s320/IMG_8110.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186311824498854274" border="0" /></a><br />3. Pinch the ends together.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyFN-U9zfES8xLqFShg2mxQ7xd7J8yUxuzma2DOxX6n8Gn9pEOGH1I4lBgSbY7_RlNbvhX9IYw9aduyU1c9MnZBH7ybCqRTR1orC2KBjvDxNNfOfwrsZqphm8fFMb97k2WdxKD4H8axnp/s1600-h/IMG_8111.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyFN-U9zfES8xLqFShg2mxQ7xd7J8yUxuzma2DOxX6n8Gn9pEOGH1I4lBgSbY7_RlNbvhX9IYw9aduyU1c9MnZBH7ybCqRTR1orC2KBjvDxNNfOfwrsZqphm8fFMb97k2WdxKD4H8axnp/s320/IMG_8111.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186312644837607826" border="0" /></a><br />4. Do the first pleat.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BTnH1IynR9Ljf0alEtDOuz2sFH-akf4_zv8J_Hxda-bE3ewDfxCwHGAr71IB3fP7WWoywlkUlewEUfY1fkCJ9f-nHAX2W5wOjwEUiFMU3SSJeGxah7CGBu2LHxVe3UzV6yOgyINQ4bXr/s1600-h/IMG_8112.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BTnH1IynR9Ljf0alEtDOuz2sFH-akf4_zv8J_Hxda-bE3ewDfxCwHGAr71IB3fP7WWoywlkUlewEUfY1fkCJ9f-nHAX2W5wOjwEUiFMU3SSJeGxah7CGBu2LHxVe3UzV6yOgyINQ4bXr/s320/IMG_8112.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186314079356684722" border="0" /></a><br />5. Repeat the pleats on both sides and make sure the entire dumpling is pinched tight. You're finished!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzasKmOat7iedO8WvNdmC94BkIVZI5i81L3gT68EhmN6umLje0jldDgCsxsa_MYwP8vW6_3Dfjat-oBjG3uTmG1qLKQ0o8wzYKf0_T-u7f7Ehi8Mz9SRRl2iCmUm9TL4TZtEa9DnwXL3i/s1600-h/IMG_8120.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzasKmOat7iedO8WvNdmC94BkIVZI5i81L3gT68EhmN6umLje0jldDgCsxsa_MYwP8vW6_3Dfjat-oBjG3uTmG1qLKQ0o8wzYKf0_T-u7f7Ehi8Mz9SRRl2iCmUm9TL4TZtEa9DnwXL3i/s320/IMG_8120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186313164528650658" border="0" /></a>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-54309405843849385502008-03-25T16:54:00.000-07:002008-03-25T16:54:01.000-07:00Everlasting milk<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM54Wm6Pgafe2vI_4jL5vTwKTZB98cR2foxVbzAYmvNCeu7xvNWmuMuDxjIWRJL4Y6WVG_NepWwLUxy1kMWAo5BZCfT8rL0Y9CGIcpzVh4A2lQrpq95fBRFN5tjxC5VnJLXP77w1OLMSdQ/s1600-h/IMG_8089.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM54Wm6Pgafe2vI_4jL5vTwKTZB98cR2foxVbzAYmvNCeu7xvNWmuMuDxjIWRJL4Y6WVG_NepWwLUxy1kMWAo5BZCfT8rL0Y9CGIcpzVh4A2lQrpq95fBRFN5tjxC5VnJLXP77w1OLMSdQ/s400/IMG_8089.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179686244739287394" border="0" /></a>I hate milk.<br /><br />There, I said it. I never liked milk, but as is common wisdom, milk gave you strong bones and made you tall. When I was in elementary school, the teachers in the cafeteria wouldn't let me leave until they had given my milk carton a good shake and there was nothing left inside. I would try to confuse them by filling up the carton with random garbage. My loving parents, in hopes that I would grow strong and tall, made me drink milk every morning. I kept up this routine until college, when I made my own decisions about what to eat in the morning (which was usually nothing, out of laziness).<br /><br />When I started cooking, I learned that there were many dishes that require milk. Milk was everywhere, in béchamel, custards, mashed potatoes, all kinds of dishes. I didn't mind it in its other forms, but cooking with milk usually meant buying a carton at the supermarket, using it once, and letting the rest go to waste because it spoiled.<br /><br />I kept up this pattern until recently, when I discovered aseptic milk. Aseptic milk, such as Horizon Organic, does not require refrigeration, and is in convenient 8 oz packages to minimize waste. Now, I know it doesn't taste exactly the same as refrigerated milk, but hey, I'm cooking with it, not drinking it. It sure beats the flavor of powdered milk. The best part is that I hardly waste milk anymore, and I no longer have to go to the grocery store whenever I encounter a recipe calling for milk. I buy it in bulk (from Whole Foods) and store it in the pantry. What a wonderful invention!Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-84578004112019573162008-03-21T18:15:00.000-07:002008-03-22T20:16:31.130-07:00Comfort food: meatloaf<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Kf_QQoQF1xdPLfi8HtusC3pm5sHKtlCf_OVODRZrnZE3Lmh9gzKoaK9HmpVVqaoxkZaespAhg9PIgzMxE6K3BVVm0ikYh4BHneBOKRvzljeSaI2LXzAJDazpBx4YFEcMWTpnbTjk-98J/s1600-h/IMG_8100.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Kf_QQoQF1xdPLfi8HtusC3pm5sHKtlCf_OVODRZrnZE3Lmh9gzKoaK9HmpVVqaoxkZaespAhg9PIgzMxE6K3BVVm0ikYh4BHneBOKRvzljeSaI2LXzAJDazpBx4YFEcMWTpnbTjk-98J/s400/IMG_8100.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179676014127188290" border="0" /></a>Growing up, my dad would do a lot of the cooking, and one thing I would always look forward to was his meatloaf. I would eat it with Worcestershire sauce and/or ketchup, and it was usually served with some kind of potato and salad. It was a fun break from the usual Chinese food we had growing up.<br /><br />My wife felt like eating meatloaf this week, so I dug up an old email sent to me from my dad with the recipe. The perfect thing to eat it with was, of course, the <a href="http://cookingformywife.blogspot.com/2008/03/jol-robuchons-pommes-pure.html">mashed potatoes from my previous post</a>!<br /><br />It tasted just like at home--except the TV wasn't on in the background this time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTts5FJffRT0fdVplDuYHiw77JQ5SZqcLi9MEVTurm1AdNip8jVRelgY_6dpa3BIxoP4esZaA05RbdI5m7sJLZgpREXT6zcBTOMcuP38xejuMOl060vB1Y9KeoiiSrSE3aL58vaq2ogZz/s1600-h/IMG_8093.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTts5FJffRT0fdVplDuYHiw77JQ5SZqcLi9MEVTurm1AdNip8jVRelgY_6dpa3BIxoP4esZaA05RbdI5m7sJLZgpREXT6zcBTOMcuP38xejuMOl060vB1Y9KeoiiSrSE3aL58vaq2ogZz/s320/IMG_8093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179678634057238866" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Meatloaf<br /></span>2 lbs ground beef, replacing up to 1 lb with ground pork if desired (<span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">and don't use the lean stuff!</span>)<br />1 egg<br />1 carrot, grated<br />1 stalk celery, small dice<br />1 onion, small dice<br />1 granny smith apple, small dice<br />1 cup Quaker's 3-minute oatmeal<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>ground pepper, to taste<br />several healthy pinches of salt<br />1 tbsp soy sauce and/or Worcestershire sauce<br /><ol><li>Preheat oven to 350°F<br /></li><li>Mix all ingredients together</li><li>Line a loaf pan with aluminum foil or parchment if you're lazy like me and don't want to clean up afterward</li><li>Bake at 350°F for 1½ hours. The top should be a deep brown color.</li><li>Let it rest for 10 minutes.</li><li>Enjoy!<br /></li></ol>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-42085329094081887772008-03-16T16:54:00.002-07:002008-03-18T00:05:51.602-07:00Joël Robuchon's pommes purée...aka the <span style="font-weight: bold;">best mashed potatoes EVER</span>!<br /><br />After eating at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Vegas, I was inspired to try to recreate his famous pommes purée. Somehow "mashed potatoes" doesn't sound right given the level to which Robuchon has taken this dish. I found his recipe, along with quite a bit of discussion, on the <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=78277&hl=Robuchon&st=0">eGullet forums</a>. Two pieces of equipment were important to the recipe: a ricer and a tamis. I had never used any of these, nor did I own them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTrkF_B90WdjEw9EJSguqIUBB-PJ26BeIVJ1PaIDAAJ7vEV9XZE8lD9WKGjkziWD66PHFnz2I3t8mPvp4p23k2bY930XHabNCy1sJNMhGSA_QYndrwxzEPDD1_sUwCiI8KMOUUdoRjINX/s1600-h/IMG_8090.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTrkF_B90WdjEw9EJSguqIUBB-PJ26BeIVJ1PaIDAAJ7vEV9XZE8lD9WKGjkziWD66PHFnz2I3t8mPvp4p23k2bY930XHabNCy1sJNMhGSA_QYndrwxzEPDD1_sUwCiI8KMOUUdoRjINX/s320/IMG_8090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178955962973610498" border="0" /></a>One of my wife's bosses surprised her by giving us a ricer! We were very excited. For those who don't know what a ricer is, it's basically a device that squeezes on the food and forces it through small holes about the size of a grain of rice, hence the name. It is more efficient and produces a more even result than using a potato masher.<br /><br />The second piece of equipment, the tamis, is even more obscure. It's a flat bottomed sieve with a rim around it (kinda like a Chinese steamer), so that when you push food through the sieve, it comes out very smooth. I didn't have one, nor was I going to go out and find one, so I decided to try using a regular sieve.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPg3B3VBO7jEMhIvw9HYVAiG06XZx4T4C5SRh92bysu_UIXozSEO8P0HwwK_gWhFU7ic8NxJVaoaq9bQaPA8xSQid6oBoUrxRRfDPX0dS_ePBVs4zumq4SqZjxvo-0qLekOIFx0OVGpXy/s1600-h/IMG_8086.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPg3B3VBO7jEMhIvw9HYVAiG06XZx4T4C5SRh92bysu_UIXozSEO8P0HwwK_gWhFU7ic8NxJVaoaq9bQaPA8xSQid6oBoUrxRRfDPX0dS_ePBVs4zumq4SqZjxvo-0qLekOIFx0OVGpXy/s200/IMG_8086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178967598040015394" border="0" /></a>The recipe is intense: 2 lbs of potatoes (about 3 russets), and <span style="font-weight: bold;">2 sticks of butter</span>! I ended up using 1.5 sticks in an attempt to be "healthier" (who am I kidding?). I followed the recipe as best I could, and it was quite a workout. I was sweating by the time I was done whipping the milk into the puree, but man was it worth it. It was delicious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3Xhp_0K3hKJ5bSoqzLpYkqvLhHYXikUf5_eF4CdYUDEK9e4nly9RVQ_vcFof-_31DBkxSyh_IQKeGEzg5nyOjPka72NBDODfnfybOeRlqZ19c1seR0PkUDgz4NGw9XlcwEEJAD96sDag/s1600-h/IMG_8096.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3Xhp_0K3hKJ5bSoqzLpYkqvLhHYXikUf5_eF4CdYUDEK9e4nly9RVQ_vcFof-_31DBkxSyh_IQKeGEzg5nyOjPka72NBDODfnfybOeRlqZ19c1seR0PkUDgz4NGw9XlcwEEJAD96sDag/s320/IMG_8096.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178963483461345810" border="0" /></a>Trying to push the mashed potatoes through my sieve did not happen very easily. I gave up after trying a few minutes. The stuff that did go through the sieve, however, had taken the puree to a whole new level of refinement. The texture was so smooth, even, creamy, and luxurious. No wonder they only give you a small portion at the restaurant--it's quite a bit of work!<br /><br />Next time I try this, I will use truffle salt, which I'm sure will be awesome. I will also boil the potatoes a little longer and a little slower, as I feel they were still a bit undercooked in the center. Next Thanksgiving, I'm going to volunteer to make a big batch of this!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pommes Purée<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span></span>2 lbs russet potatoes<br />8 oz butter <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">(I used 6 oz)</span><br />3/4 to 1 1/4 cups milk brought to a boil and kept hot<br />sea salt to taste<br /><ol><li>Starting with cold water, boil unpeeled potatoes until a fork inserted meets barely any resistance (may take 30 min or more)</li><li>Peel potatoes while still hot (the potatoes are incredibly easy to peel at this point)</li><li>Push the potatoes through a ricer into a pot and stir over very low heat until steam no longer escapes (about 5 minutes)</li><li>Add butter by <span style="font-style: italic;">vigorously </span>stirring potatoes until incorporated</li><li>Add 3/4 cup milk in a slow stream while <span style="font-style: italic;">vigorously </span>whipping potatoes, incorporating air into the mixture</li><li>Add salt, more milk as necessary, until desired taste and texture</li><li>For that extra level of refinement, pass through a tamis<br /></li></ol><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-11687399325587188202008-03-10T21:24:00.000-07:002008-03-10T22:51:12.491-07:00Lamb and grits<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefn0vvQkAdXkF3uG0RDDGlQ1Cwomjpq6OoRpXFXgp0HUXnAkopFfFKCphWJzyBseNdNFOuNGfcPqpukcV59PnGxfwaUzy6-DiN3P6xz3voyaoni0pLjvPxCapIl8T3Zs3nGT5-KOiqFIF/s1600-h/IMG_8059.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefn0vvQkAdXkF3uG0RDDGlQ1Cwomjpq6OoRpXFXgp0HUXnAkopFfFKCphWJzyBseNdNFOuNGfcPqpukcV59PnGxfwaUzy6-DiN3P6xz3voyaoni0pLjvPxCapIl8T3Zs3nGT5-KOiqFIF/s400/IMG_8059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176335934138802626" border="0" /></a>During one of our trips to Costco, my wife spotted a package of lamb chops and decided she wanted lamb for dinner. No problem, I thought. Lamb chops sound fancy but it can be cooked simply with salt and pepper on a cast iron skillet for a quick meal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwEc0j4QQR_f4kHyHx86m6iQp8MKi-8bh65P8deU4hNHY7hCcHwZXiVVpNoeW1Q8eLjI5O5W_Ym4rDZ6N9DRMiWw-y_EZjCvrDvyyNbdKG5jEyapEf3zWc5H80Bc24UrTg123AaTT3MyN/s1600-h/IMG_8052.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwEc0j4QQR_f4kHyHx86m6iQp8MKi-8bh65P8deU4hNHY7hCcHwZXiVVpNoeW1Q8eLjI5O5W_Ym4rDZ6N9DRMiWw-y_EZjCvrDvyyNbdKG5jEyapEf3zWc5H80Bc24UrTg123AaTT3MyN/s200/IMG_8052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176340838991454674" border="0" /></a>Now that we had the protein, I pondered what to do about starch. The only bread we had was sandwich slices, and that didn't seem very good. I didn't really want to eat it with rice, either, since it seemed too boring. I decided a nice creamy polenta would work best. Once I got home though, I realized I didn't have any polenta. Crap. Hmmm...what about grits? It's the same thing, except a different color, right? What the heck, I decided to do it. Add some sauteed veggies on the side and we were set.<br /><br />For the grits, I just followed the directions on the back of the box, substituting 1 cup of milk instead of water. I also added some leftover white wine from a previous meal. I wanted it to be a little richer, so I added butter. To give it some flavor, I added a handful of dried thyme and black pepper, to taste.<br /><br />For the lamb, I simply seasoned it with salt and pepper, and cooked it on a cast iron grill over medium-high heat. This gave it a nice seared outside while keeping the meat done at medium.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s6j0J7zJL_3XXv3B3R95NJrjPIsWqYA7JxfamcW1GA0F7jzKMW2cbNqTpUZhNOfoM8KIVREFuV_abXWS9ZNWzJ-3izTrKUwhP2v5yMOtOcekS82Vu6krEIcaQMXkCT8dvX_Z5PaBTEVr/s1600-h/IMG_8054.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s6j0J7zJL_3XXv3B3R95NJrjPIsWqYA7JxfamcW1GA0F7jzKMW2cbNqTpUZhNOfoM8KIVREFuV_abXWS9ZNWzJ-3izTrKUwhP2v5yMOtOcekS82Vu6krEIcaQMXkCT8dvX_Z5PaBTEVr/s320/IMG_8054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176343845468561890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Grits</span><br />1 cup grits<br />1 cup milk<br />2 cups water<br />splash of dry white wine (optional)<br />1 tsp butter<br />thyme, to taste (maybe 1 tbsp)<br />pepper, to taste<br />salt, to taste<br /><ol><li>Bring water, milk, and wine to boil</li><li>Add grits, thyme, salt and pepper</li><li>Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick (about 5 minutes)<br /></li><li>Add more water until desired consistency is reached</li><li>Add butter<br /></li><li>Adjust seasoning to taste</li></ol><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lamb chops<br /></span>lamb chops<br />salt<br />pepper<br />dry white wine (optional)<br />oil<br /><ol><li>Season lamb chops with salt and pepper<br /></li><li>Heat oil in a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat</li><li>In batches, sear both sides of the lamb, cooking a few minutes per side until desired doneness</li><li>Remove lamb chops.</li><li>Deglaze with white wine, reduce by half, and pour over chops.<br /></li></ol><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-33397530299844095752008-03-01T16:42:00.000-08:002008-03-03T09:02:24.871-08:00A Tale of Two FonduesSorry for not posting in a while. My wife and I were in Vegas, where we <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/blogs/us/nevada/las_vegas/strip/275529-my-dinner-at-l-atelier-de-joel-robuchon-not-a-review-">shared an awesome meal</a> at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. I also recently fell sick to the flu, but fortunately it happened after our trip to Vegas or else I wouldn't have been able to taste anything!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnmL80hGAbJLhehyZKa3sTpl63Pv_NmCx3HqF-NjhZhB7GQyWRCaNHNcigMz1TeSgTFZKEpXP8uqyIO94EnZdZGpE_Lc5R77dqHSZk1YD5tZ5y2GFKe4cg40uSeX5remlzL-P24iqGSGY/s1600-h/IMG_8039.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnmL80hGAbJLhehyZKa3sTpl63Pv_NmCx3HqF-NjhZhB7GQyWRCaNHNcigMz1TeSgTFZKEpXP8uqyIO94EnZdZGpE_Lc5R77dqHSZk1YD5tZ5y2GFKe4cg40uSeX5remlzL-P24iqGSGY/s400/IMG_8039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172942071265697010" border="0" /></a>Nonetheless, I had the chance to try two fondue recipes for a get-together we had for our friend's birthday! There were 13 people over--a whole lot of cheese. We don't actually own a fondue set, so we borrowed a friend's alcohol burner, and we made use of a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FZojirushi-EP-EVC25-Electric-Gourmet-Expert%2Fdp%2FB00005OBC5%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dhome-garden%26qid%3D1204419692%26sr%3D8-9&tag=ddrfreak-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Chinese electric hot pot</a>.<br /><br />The two recipes we tried were <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_8793,00.html">Alton Brown's recipe</a> from an episode of Good Eats, and the other was based on the more <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_31540,00.html">traditional Swiss recipe</a>. One of the nice things about using a hot pot instead of a fondue set is that the hot pot is bigger and can accommodate more people than your standard fondue set. This worked out well and there was plenty of room for people to reach in and dip their food.<br /><br />In addition to pieces of bread, we also served broccoli, chicken/apple sausages, potato wedges, roasted bell peppers, and sauteed mushrooms. It was a success! I must say, however, that I enjoyed the Swiss recipe much more than Alton Brown's. I am a big fan of AB, but the fondue had kind of a lumpy texture, and I didn't enjoy the flavor of the smoked Gouda. The Swiss recipe had an even texture and a more subtle flavor that worked better with the variety of ingredients we were using.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-71784745803147661472008-02-20T20:00:00.000-08:002008-02-20T22:05:21.802-08:00Eggplant, pork, and what the heck is cornflour?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVW7rjBg6kIDuT0rsj12C6epa2_bQlyvWL51ANvTkiG_T9QVRkzuVsMeopQnSRfuFUrTWvdBEmp7Zl9D7SX_UDmr3ZQeJsZiptw4xd8Ua-qHebEhjFUGtnNSiTrxCUBkNVxfT7hf23OkI/s1600-h/IMG_7898.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVW7rjBg6kIDuT0rsj12C6epa2_bQlyvWL51ANvTkiG_T9QVRkzuVsMeopQnSRfuFUrTWvdBEmp7Zl9D7SX_UDmr3ZQeJsZiptw4xd8Ua-qHebEhjFUGtnNSiTrxCUBkNVxfT7hf23OkI/s400/IMG_7898.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169307288717342962" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65vs82fOZaG4pB2apf0xXCht3KOpJZQYnKfGvNlLogFFiSJ5qmRC7hVZnWjwdREhHib1uF_s6O0yLQzCIW3-0dlzu3Oxn2IfvxkfSBVDMjsHipqwl_LByuUKrHag-OPbwisxF2PXB5LhS/s1600-h/IMG_7914.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65vs82fOZaG4pB2apf0xXCht3KOpJZQYnKfGvNlLogFFiSJ5qmRC7hVZnWjwdREhHib1uF_s6O0yLQzCIW3-0dlzu3Oxn2IfvxkfSBVDMjsHipqwl_LByuUKrHag-OPbwisxF2PXB5LhS/s400/IMG_7914.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168576109189904562" border="0" /></a>Continuing with the Japanese cuisine, I made two dishes on Monday: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ginger-stewed Eggplant</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gingery Seared Pork</span>. The theme ingredient, by sheer coincidence--ginger!<br /><br />Both of these recipes called for ginger juice. Ginger juice? How do you get juice out of a ginger? It turns out, if you peel and then grate the ginger, you can squeeze the "shavings" to get ginger juice. I liked the result. In the past, when I wanted some ginger flavor, I would cut up a few pieces and hope it would infuse the dish, but it was more like ginger "surprise" rather than an infusion. I may use this technique in future Chinese dishes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8moc5OJ_KC0Ew1aKx1rBiCHCRcJrYw7iK59cyZikNxkSzJaqNFcYzrXdcILtAa8P8GBMFGt8pIB9R-LM0jKtjiojSi_C5-4ZoLUNT50a-EDTBiq3Vx91QkPueq2odhraBv1OQRll_D08V/s1600-h/IMG_7895.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8moc5OJ_KC0Ew1aKx1rBiCHCRcJrYw7iK59cyZikNxkSzJaqNFcYzrXdcILtAa8P8GBMFGt8pIB9R-LM0jKtjiojSi_C5-4ZoLUNT50a-EDTBiq3Vx91QkPueq2odhraBv1OQRll_D08V/s200/IMG_7895.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168576804974606530" border="0" /></a>The eggplant prep was also interesting, as it called for making many shallow diagonal slits on the skin. It seems to have helped make it easier to eat, as well as help the eggplant to more readily absorb the flavor of the broth.<br /><br />Although the pork recipe calls for marinating the meat for at least 20 minutes, I felt like it could have been longer. The ginger flavor was not as concentrated as I would have liked, and I suspect it would have been better with one hour of marinating.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxcMKqDvF9EDnh_1AVUnlZUTjfQvbeL2-6ozH4UfJnQqvL2NqR7SkGlIo88Un47fyLihSGGhzgjqqGuBKeA3Ai0GLFoHHymVRPMD1Wa5TIaebA_HklZB9Bubl62d_6sgWeJFwVlyrpepJ/s1600-h/IMG_7929.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxcMKqDvF9EDnh_1AVUnlZUTjfQvbeL2-6ozH4UfJnQqvL2NqR7SkGlIo88Un47fyLihSGGhzgjqqGuBKeA3Ai0GLFoHHymVRPMD1Wa5TIaebA_HklZB9Bubl62d_6sgWeJFwVlyrpepJ/s320/IMG_7929.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169310312374319362" border="0" /></a>For dessert, my wife requested <a href="http://ilovemilkandcookies.blogspot.com/2007/12/breathless.html">this recipe for grapefruit soufflé</a>. Let me tell you, I'm not trusting a recipe from Australia again! First of all, apparently their version of a tablespoon is 20 mL, and the American version is 14.2 mL. Second, and most importantly, they have an ingredient called cornflour.<br /><br />I thought I was being smart when I thought "cornflour" was Aussie for "cornstarch". Makes sense, no? No. Definitely not, especially when I tried to mix 30 g of cornstarch with 2 American tablespoons of water. Remember in science class when they taught you about liquids and solids? This one was a solid, and there was no way I was going to get 30 g of all-purpose flour to somehow join that party. I even added 1 more American tbsp of water to the mix, but to no avail.<br /><br />After doing some research online, I found that Australian "cornflour" is some type of wheat product, because the British used to call wheat by the name "corn," and the Aussies call it maize. Wikipedia says Aussie "cornflour" is "wheaten starch." Thanks, Wikipedia. What's wheaten starch? Google doesn't seem to know, either. Maybe this ingredient just doesn't exist in the US?<br /><br />Oh well, at least the extra grapefruit juice was good.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ginger-Stewed Eggplant<br /></span><span>(adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWashoku-Recipes-Japanese-Home-Kitchen%2Fdp%2F1580085199%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1202794034%26sr%3D8-1&tag=cookingformywife-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Washoku</a>)<br />serves 4<br />4 Japanese eggplants, about 3 oz each<br />1/3 cup dashi<br />1 teaspoon sake<br />1 teaspoon sugar<br />1/2 teaspoon ginger juice, with peels reserved<br />1 tablespoon soy sauce<br />light-colored soy sauce, to taste<br />mirin, to taste<br />vegetable oil<br /></span><ol><li>Cut each eggplant in half, lengthwise, and make shallow, parallel slits on the diagonal into the skin side of each half</li><li>In a skillet, sear the eggplant, skin side down</li><li>Flip the eggplant halves over so the skin is facing up, sear for another minute</li><li>Add dashi, sake, sugar, and ginger peels, and lower the heat to maintain a simmer</li><li>Cover with an <a href="http://cookingformywife.blogspot.com/2008/02/v-day-leftovers.html#otoshi-buta">otoshi-buta</a></li><li>Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until liquid is reduced in half</li><li>Add soy sauce and discard the ginger peels, simmer for another minute</li><li>Add ginger juice and cook for another 30 seconds</li><li>If necessary, adjust seasoning with soy sauce or mirin.</li><li>Remove pan from heat, and let the eggplant cool in the pan, covered</li><li>Serve at room temperature or chilled</li></ol><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gingery Seared Pork</span><br />(adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWashoku-Recipes-Japanese-Home-Kitchen%2Fdp%2F1580085199%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1202794034%26sr%3D8-1&tag=cookingformywife-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Washoku</a>)<br />Serves 4<br />12 ounces of pork loin, sliced thinly<br />2 teaspoons ginger juice<br />2 tbsp sake<br />1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce<br />3 bell peppers<br />vegetable oil<br /><ol><li>Mix ginger juice and sake, and marinate pork for at least 20 min</li><li>Add soy sauce to marinade 10-15 min before cooking</li><li>Quickly sear pork on both sides over high heat, set aside</li><li>Lower the heat and sear bell peppers, set aside</li><li>Return the pork to the pan, along with any juices released. Sauté for 2 minutes, or until the surfaces are well glazed and slightly browned.</li><li>Return the peppers to the pan and warm through.</li><li>Serve immediately.<br /></li></ol>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-54725948741018541822008-02-16T13:53:00.000-08:002008-02-19T00:08:55.675-08:00V-day leftovers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy560jNOR9ZS_jx5QpC6J3QHR7eL-NKcdRStaLKXiou_pt3OMjIuq1NeKBuZ_g6HzWIdBiOpttCTBL1rPMG8nS2iTRRO54_z9IKY5PZH0DlpzA3MsX_wd9dF2-p9oPFl5x5mWAgjBHZLyI/s1600-h/IMG_7878.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy560jNOR9ZS_jx5QpC6J3QHR7eL-NKcdRStaLKXiou_pt3OMjIuq1NeKBuZ_g6HzWIdBiOpttCTBL1rPMG8nS2iTRRO54_z9IKY5PZH0DlpzA3MsX_wd9dF2-p9oPFl5x5mWAgjBHZLyI/s400/IMG_7878.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167723884599163010" border="0" /></a><br />After the Valentine's day meal, I had leftover kabocha squash and <span style="font-style: italic;">dashi </span>left, so I found another recipe in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWashoku-Recipes-Japanese-Home-Kitchen%2Fdp%2F1580085199%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1202794034%26sr%3D8-1&tag=cookingformywife-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Washoku</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cookingformywife-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> cookbook: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Soy-Simmered Kabocha Squash with Minced Chicken</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">kabocha no tori an kaké</span>).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjhdLsPAmbnTyjMmZY9SezVcimFhvtB-smv_gQCHOjhpRUUU9yV8vilqWZ7gGiW7BJQeYkYcH4p-__jSUcYX_LyEOM2Hg5bUvW96y-aI4BN1oLW8UEizfKjXquAqHb5rccB1sZmLEzNSz/s1600-h/IMG_7864.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjhdLsPAmbnTyjMmZY9SezVcimFhvtB-smv_gQCHOjhpRUUU9yV8vilqWZ7gGiW7BJQeYkYcH4p-__jSUcYX_LyEOM2Hg5bUvW96y-aI4BN1oLW8UEizfKjXquAqHb5rccB1sZmLEzNSz/s200/IMG_7864.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167719370588534850" border="0" /></a>I didn't have ground chicken, but I did my best impression of the guy behind the counter at a Mexican taquería and chopped the heck out of the chicken thigh I had in the freezer.<br /><a name="otoshi-buta"></a><br />This recipe, as well as the previous kabocha recipe from V-day, used a technique unfamilar to me--using an <span style="font-style: italic;">otoshi-buta</span>. An <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfuHgG1r26IsFUNYS3bmy1ocixFolRgGGwnU4mw-YOuZLXh_p5D4WEBVL-Pxcp_yNCEA7A7wu9HrQ8kDDxgE8SRDhvzWi0y1zc2bfZDurvReFCP0gwTh_sfReAZrIr2ExtUVDlCUa0777/s1600-h/IMG_7868.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfuHgG1r26IsFUNYS3bmy1ocixFolRgGGwnU4mw-YOuZLXh_p5D4WEBVL-Pxcp_yNCEA7A7wu9HrQ8kDDxgE8SRDhvzWi0y1zc2bfZDurvReFCP0gwTh_sfReAZrIr2ExtUVDlCUa0777/s200/IMG_7868.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167720646193821778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">otoshi-buta</span> is traditionally a wooden lid that's meant to rest on top of the food itself, instead of covering the pot. The purpose of this is to steam the food while simultaneously allowing the liquid to evaporate, concentrating the flavors. I don't have an <span style="font-style: italic;">otoshi-buta</span>, so I used a lid from another pan to give the same effect. I think it worked pretty decently.<br /><br />I served this with an extremely simple miso soup made from the rest of the leftover dashi and miso.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoQe3f9W9U_MG7nB7qxLQ1jHxyS2IdHVd501ceAAoB4V-ZxoGgmid9jBFAGmmdwxOA14NKgSECMAGFpovzv2NLiahDEbURAcfodnMLYRhudldo115kLl14A1sq7nrVPSk8GYGJSVNglGF/s1600-h/IMG_7872.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoQe3f9W9U_MG7nB7qxLQ1jHxyS2IdHVd501ceAAoB4V-ZxoGgmid9jBFAGmmdwxOA14NKgSECMAGFpovzv2NLiahDEbURAcfodnMLYRhudldo115kLl14A1sq7nrVPSk8GYGJSVNglGF/s320/IMG_7872.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167722797972437106" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Soy-Simmered Kabocha Squash with Minced Chicken</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWashoku-Recipes-Japanese-Home-Kitchen%2Fdp%2F1580085199%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1202794034%26sr%3D8-1&tag=cookingformywife-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Washoku</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cookingformywife-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" />)<br /></span>Serves 4<br /><br />1/4 kabocha squash, cut into 12 beveled chunks with seeds removed but skin intact<br />1 1/2 cups <a href="http://cookingformywife.blogspot.com/2008/02/valentines-day.html#dashi">Basic Sea Stock</a><br />1 tablespoon sake<br />2 teaspoons sugar<br />2 teaspoons soy sauce<br />3 oz ground chicken<br />1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water<br />1 scallion, finely chopped<br />salt, to taste<br /><ol><li>Arrange squash pieces in a single layer, skin side down, in a pot.</li><li>Add enough stock to cover the squash barely.</li><li>Place an <span style="font-style: italic;">otoshi-buta</span> over the squash and bring the stock to a boil over high heat</li><li>Lower heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until barely tender.</li><li>Add sake and sugar and flip the squash so that the skin faces up</li><li>Simmer for 2 more minutes.</li><li>Add soy sauce and simmer for another 2 minutes.</li><li>Transfer the squash to deep individual serving dishes.</li></ol><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">To prepare chicken sauce</span><br /><ol><li>Strain the remining liquid if it looks very fibrous.</li><li>Add the remaining stock and bring to a simmer.</li><li>Add the chicken, stirring well to break up any lumps.</li><li>Season with salt if necessary.</li><li>Pour cornstarch paste into the simmering chicken, and boil until the sauce thickens.</li><li>Top each squash portion with the chicken sauce, and scatter scallions on top of each serving.</li></ol>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-54638987317032560332008-02-11T20:20:00.000-08:002008-02-16T15:10:43.238-08:00Valentine's Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJ6JjIQT2XhOQPL1PJoaos6gsQjubG7p0Tgahr_FGG4xguDQotY8Dv01L-Yp15FJqUZyk0qhQF9WmYrwrTwO5QNMA03KigrG9NVv041cfx4GHbIk5zCnC2wRObfbEa0bBGMWrsOY3If7R/s1600-h/IMG_7787.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJ6JjIQT2XhOQPL1PJoaos6gsQjubG7p0Tgahr_FGG4xguDQotY8Dv01L-Yp15FJqUZyk0qhQF9WmYrwrTwO5QNMA03KigrG9NVv041cfx4GHbIk5zCnC2wRObfbEa0bBGMWrsOY3If7R/s400/IMG_7787.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166367877524469714" border="0" /></a>Valentine's day is coming up, and that's a real high pressure event for any guy. My wife and I actually celebrated an early V-day on Sunday, so the pressure is over for me! If any of you fellas are reading this, here is some advice that can turn this day into a culinary success.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Find out what she likes</span><br />Like most women, my wife appreciates flowers. Her favorite flowers are yellow roses, so I bought her a yellow rose. Other girls may like tulips or daisies, or non-floral stuff like candles, too. This will come in handy when setting the table.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What kind of food?<br /></span>Does she like Italian food? Mexican? Chinese? This is important. You don't want to slave away in the kitchen for hours just to find out she doesn't even like the type of food. If you don't know, ask her (or her friends)! My wife's favorite cuisine is Japanese, so I was able to plan a menu around that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plan the menu<br /></span>This is very important. Make sure you have at least one appetizer in addition to a main course. If your significant other has a sweet tooth, don't skimp on dessert! Think about what you plan to drink that night as well.<br /><br />I flipped through the pages of <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWashoku-Recipes-Japanese-Home-Kitchen%2Fdp%2F1580085199%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1202794034%26sr%3D8-1&tag=cookingformywife-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Washoku: Recipes From The Japanese Home Kitchen</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cookingformywife-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> and found two recipes I was sure she would enjoy: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lemon-Simmered Kabocha Squash</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">kabocha no sawayaka ni</span>), and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Miso-Marinated Broiled Black Cod</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">tara no misoyaki</span>). I would also need to make rice to accompany this, and decided on green tea as the beverage. I opted for no dessert per my wife's request to keep it a light meal (you don't want to end up with food coma on Valentine's Day!).<br /><br />Always read recipes a couple of days before the event--you never know what you may need to do beforehand.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Miso-Marinated Broiled Black Cod<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">(adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWashoku-Recipes-Japanese-Home-Kitchen%2Fdp%2F1580085199%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1202794034%26sr%3D8-1&tag=cookingformywife-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Washoku</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cookingformywife-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" />)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Serves 2<br /><br />3/4 pounds black cod with skin intact, cut into 2 pieces<br />1 1/2 cups sweet, light miso<br />1/3 cup mirin<br />1 T yuzu peel, grated lemon or orange zest (optional)<br />Lemon or lime wedges (optional)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">To prepare the fish/marinade:</span><br />1. Rinse the fish pieces under cold running water and pat dry.<br />2. To make the marinade, combine miso, mirin and yuzu peel in a medium-sized container and stir to mix well.<br />3. Push aside 2/3 of the marinade in the container. Lay a single piece of <span style="font-style: italic;">sarashi </span>cloth (equivalent to two layers of cheese cloth, or you can make do with a paper towel as I did) so that half of it is on top of the marinade. Lay one of the fish pieces on the marinade-moistened cloth, and fold the remaining cloth over the fish to enclose it. Spread half of the remaining marinade on top of the cloth, and repeat the process with the second piece of fish. The last half of the marinade will go on top.<br />4. Place plastic wrap over the top of the fish "sandwich", pressing lightly to ensure even distribution of the marinade.<br />5. Marinate the fish at cool room temperature (no more than 75 F) for 6+ hours or in the fridge for up to 3 days.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">To broil:</span><br />1. Preheat a broiler.<br />2. Scrape away the miso marinade and remove the fish from its cloth wrapping.<br />3. Place the fish pieces skin side up on a shallow broiler-safe pan and place in the broiler about 3 inches away from the heat source.<br />4. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes until skin begins to bubble, then flip the pieces.<br />5. Broil for another 2 to 3 minutes. The fish should be slightly crusty and golden on the surface and white on the inside.<br /><br /><a name="dashi"></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Basic Sea Stock</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWashoku-Recipes-Japanese-Home-Kitchen%2Fdp%2F1580085199%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1202794034%26sr%3D8-1&tag=cookingformywife-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Washoku</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cookingformywife-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" />)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>Makes about 1 quart<br /><br />15 to 20 square inches kombu (dried kelp)<br />4 1/4 cups cold water, preferably filtered or spring water<br />1/2 cup loosely packed katsuo-bushi (dried bonito flakes)<br /><br />1. Place kombu in a pot with the water. Soak for 10-15 minutes before placing the pot over medium heat.<br />2. Remove the pot from the heat when small bubbles begin to break on the surface and at the edge of the pot. Add the katsuo-bushi, scattering the flakes across the water. The flakes should begin to sink after a few minutes.<br />3. Within 3 to 4 minutes after adding the fish flakes, strain the stock through a <span style="font-style: italic;">sarashi</span> cloth, or paper towel-lined strainer as I did. You're done!<br /><br />Note: This stock must be used fresh; it loses its flavors when frozen. It will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lemon-Simmered Kabocha Squash</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWashoku-Recipes-Japanese-Home-Kitchen%2Fdp%2F1580085199%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1202794034%26sr%3D8-1&tag=cookingformywife-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Washoku</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cookingformywife-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" />)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>Serves 2<br /><br />1 cup Basic Sea Stock (above)<br />1 small lemon, zest removed and reserved, lemon juiced<br />2 T mirin<br />1/4 kabocha squash (10 oz), cut into 8 beveled chunks with seeds removed but skin intact<br />1 teaspoon light-colored soy sauce<br />1/2 teaspoon soy sauce<br />Lemon or lime slices for garnish, if serving chilled (optional)<br /><br />1. Combine stock, lemon juice, and mirin in a pot wide enough to hold the squash pieces in a single layer.<br />2. Bring to a simmer over low heat, and skim away any froth.<br />3. Add the squash pieces, skin side down, in a snug single layer.<br />4. Place two layers of parchment paper over the squash, cut in a circle 1 inch smaller in diameter than your pan and weigh it down with a small lid from another pot.<br />5. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady (but not vigorous) simmer. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until barely tender. With a toothpick, you should be able to pierce the squash but still meet some resistance.<br />6. Flip the squash pieces over so the skin faces up. Replace the parchment and lid, and simmer for another 2 minutes. Test again with a toothpick; you should be able to pierce the skin without much difficulty, but the flesh shouldn't be so soft it crumbles.<br />7. Add the light-colored soy sauce, swirling the pan to make sure its evenly distributed, then simmer for another minute or two. The toothpick should meet no resistance now. Add the soy sauce, swirl again, and simmer for a final 30 to 40 seconds.<br />8. Remove the pan from heat and allow the squash to cool in the pan. When it's ready to be served, spoon the leftover liquid over the squash.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The game plan<br /></span>This was actually the first time I cooked Japanese food, so there were quite a few ingredients I did not have, and techniques I have never used. I needed a game plan.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">1 day ahead</span><br />Buy groceries<br />Marinate fish<br />Make sea stock (<span style="font-style: italic;">dashi</span><span>)</span><br />Set the table<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">2 hours before</span><br />Make kabocha<br />Make rice<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">10 minutes before</span><br />Broil the fish<br /><br />For most of the Japanese ingredients, I went to my local Japanese market, <a href="http://www.nijiya.com/">Nijiya</a>. I was pleasantly surprised to see they actually had yuzu! I was going to use lemon zest for the fish marinade, but fresh yuzu zest is even better since it's more aromatic, <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>it's the authentic Japanese ingredient!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDNveFt3FAhDmea7ryKqM6NONTKUo1pEiO5K23fPOXmxL0LnsvYRqCQKEnrsfqCQeDqt7hJJCYApz6P8U7ILL_HucT1JxNOh-Q0Yil4iRycgMgYiCzUU8bkYXBE0e4TRQH4ZMXt6UTzih/s1600-h/IMG_7754.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDNveFt3FAhDmea7ryKqM6NONTKUo1pEiO5K23fPOXmxL0LnsvYRqCQKEnrsfqCQeDqt7hJJCYApz6P8U7ILL_HucT1JxNOh-Q0Yil4iRycgMgYiCzUU8bkYXBE0e4TRQH4ZMXt6UTzih/s320/IMG_7754.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166361684181628786" border="0" /></a><insert><br />I finally had the ingredients and it was time to marinate. Now, I have never heard of a technique where the main ingredient wasn't touching the marinade (the recipe called for a layer of cloth between the fish and miso), and was worried that the miso flavor would not penetrate the fish. However, I stuck to the recipe, substituting a paper towel for the <span style="font-style: italic;">sarashi</span> cloth. The other thing was that it seemed like it called for a heck of a lot of miso! But once again, I decided to trust the recipe. Once the fish was all wrapped up and covered in miso, I placed it into the refrigerator overnight, hoping the miso would somehow find its way through the paper towel and into the fish.<br /></insert><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3mGV4j1LAE1GxEnZW8erP5rcpsCSUnL7Ay6xGnvCUcv4JfOLGPbr7UeSSvlIcRWrH7IgQa9mZXD76VMHnAEPBTaRDFzZx-02m6vuIfnKDGvBjhdhHMhg4SSENDI4JEDYCZQRFFsisKgN/s1600-h/IMG_7751.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3mGV4j1LAE1GxEnZW8erP5rcpsCSUnL7Ay6xGnvCUcv4JfOLGPbr7UeSSvlIcRWrH7IgQa9mZXD76VMHnAEPBTaRDFzZx-02m6vuIfnKDGvBjhdhHMhg4SSENDI4JEDYCZQRFFsisKgN/s200/IMG_7751.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166378709431990290" border="0" /></a><insert>The sea stock, or <span style="font-style: italic;">dashi</span>, was very easy to make. The only thing that didn't seem right was that</insert><insert> </insert><insert>the bonito flakes didn't sink into the water after 4 minutes. Maybe I didn't heat the water enough? It tasted okay though, so I saved it and put it in the fridge.</insert><insert><insert></insert></insert><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPT_5X5mrRg9ANMs0ayr7fvywunTAY1L79XZ9Lt1r0eBA4zUZHw8DnwO2BR30A7Cs1C3rH-IJXQ-iWeTRMoWtNaJdYOek4ICX_Ps4-fLWM_gP6KoFHpoX8vvYfURZ0LVZKwkq5fbBr_-V7/s1600-h/IMG_7765.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPT_5X5mrRg9ANMs0ayr7fvywunTAY1L79XZ9Lt1r0eBA4zUZHw8DnwO2BR30A7Cs1C3rH-IJXQ-iWeTRMoWtNaJdYOek4ICX_Ps4-fLWM_gP6KoFHpoX8vvYfURZ0LVZKwkq5fbBr_-V7/s200/IMG_7765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166377678639839234" border="0" /></a><insert><insert>The day of, I made sure not to forget to make rice (I <span style="font-style: italic;">always</span> forget that!), and I made</insert></insert><insert><insert> the</insert></insert><insert><insert> kabocha in advance, since it's supposed to be served at room temperature. The recipe called for bevelling all the corners off, so I did that dutifully, though I'm not sure what difference it made.<br /></insert></insert><insert><insert><insert><br />I had never made kabocha before, so I didn't really know how it was going to behave while cooking. I think I overcooked some of them, however, because some parts were quite dry and crumbly. Of course, I saved the best ones for my wife.<br /><br /><insert></insert></insert></insert></insert><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0_KsHCjwXebqlgMdQMhNMOPL6ahiALDFlKzN-niBrVdh0krlf7S0RaSciahKjiA_4wwe7nXOYwyGXkyzeLg27Fdkj6Tp5wllOWlSHGiwp2DVDFtPo1NBTWGZ4qZAe07lezDJjzuIxUk0/s1600-h/IMG_7769.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0_KsHCjwXebqlgMdQMhNMOPL6ahiALDFlKzN-niBrVdh0krlf7S0RaSciahKjiA_4wwe7nXOYwyGXkyzeLg27Fdkj6Tp5wllOWlSHGiwp2DVDFtPo1NBTWGZ4qZAe07lezDJjzuIxUk0/s400/IMG_7769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166373194693982178" border="0" /></a><insert><insert><insert><insert><br />As soon as she came home (she was at a baking class), I took the fish out of the fridge and unwrapped the paper towel and miso. To my delight, the paper towel had become moist, and the surface of the fish had changed color, indicating to me that it had absorbed the miso!<br /><br /><insert></insert></insert></insert></insert></insert><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUrsuJR2EFnxwMAI4PbpUasoqFi5Zzp3UC_omS4TILYjxAn3aizNHvP9bsVvoZiEf_DQqGt-M0Lxtie-TckI1RM4JqnKwj_pGlaWKrYY9lkfG7TA_UgtSjibpffNlnkMStoEazTXM2Hgf/s1600-h/IMG_7766.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUrsuJR2EFnxwMAI4PbpUasoqFi5Zzp3UC_omS4TILYjxAn3aizNHvP9bsVvoZiEf_DQqGt-M0Lxtie-TckI1RM4JqnKwj_pGlaWKrYY9lkfG7TA_UgtSjibpffNlnkMStoEazTXM2Hgf/s320/IMG_7766.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166366090818074546" border="0" /></a><insert><insert><insert><insert><insert><br />I popped it in the oven for about seven minutes (making sure to flip it halfway). It looked <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> good coming out of the broiler. The skin was crispy and the surface was slightly charred. Garnished with a lemon wedge, it looked perfect. Hopefully my wife would think it tasted as good as it looked!<br /><br /></insert></insert></insert></insert></insert><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifuvW7ml3bhuz5f731Y9kIDzfN_KlixN-v184dNgIsP5aJjkNdIjc22n9jXX5PcaLhLUH5fdEoVnVfExXFHu41zlUb6suJFU_uF4Q0XfbN7jBhgyawOVgcyhJyrJyC2jl1WlXDadKrjJjo/s1600-h/IMG_7785.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifuvW7ml3bhuz5f731Y9kIDzfN_KlixN-v184dNgIsP5aJjkNdIjc22n9jXX5PcaLhLUH5fdEoVnVfExXFHu41zlUb6suJFU_uF4Q0XfbN7jBhgyawOVgcyhJyrJyC2jl1WlXDadKrjJjo/s400/IMG_7785.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166376931315529714" border="0" /></a>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405833067632667762.post-11140111887835199762008-02-10T09:56:00.000-08:002008-02-10T14:39:38.122-08:00Cooking for my WifeHello world!<br /><br />About six months ago, I got married. In an attempt to be a good husband, I've tried to do nice things like cooking for my wife.<br /><br />The problem is...my wife is difficult to please. Don't get me wrong. She's cool and all, but if there's one thing she's, um, <em>particular </em>about, it's food. It doesn't help that she used to be a food critic for her college newspaper, either.<br /><br />Along with her passion for food comes indecisiveness. Consider this typical after-work conversation:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Me</span></strong>: What do you wanna eat for dinner?<br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Wife</span></strong>: I don't know. Something good.<br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Me</span></strong>: Want me to cook something?<br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Wife</span></strong>: Okay.<br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Me</span></strong>: What do you want me to cook?<br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Wife</span></strong>: I don't know.<br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Me</span></strong>: Chinese food?<br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Wife</span></strong>: No.<br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Me</span></strong>: What's wrong with Chinese food?<br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Wife</span></strong>: Because you're going to make Broccoli Beef or Tomato and Egg.<br /><br />The conclusion is that she usually ends up cooking, or we eat out. My mission: to make something she actually <em>likes</em>! In this blog I will chronicle my adventures.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600431357069530783noreply@blogger.com7