Once again, in the United States, Thanksgiving is almost upon us. It's a time to reflect on what we have to be thankful for and reflect on the blessings of the time that has passed since last Thanksgiving. I guess the biggest thing I have to be thankful for is the fact that I'm not spending it at a truck stop in Stockton, California, like I did last year.
I haven't blogged a lot here, because I have had nothing of interest to say, and I really don't think anyone really wants to hear my whining and complaining about every little thing in my life.
This Thanksgiving, I'll be making a maple and mustard glazed pork roast with bread stuffing, glazed apples, and a berry pie for dessert. We're not big turkey eaters here. I guess I've never really thought of a turkey as anything more than an over-inflated chicken, and we can have chicken any old time, so I never understood what all the fuss was about.
So, for those of you that read this, whether you celebrate the holiday or not, I wish you the best and thanks for sticking around.
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Running in circles and dodging hailstones
The last time I posted here I mentioned something about "whatever crazy weather we happen to get." Last Wednesday didn't disappoint.
It began about 5:20 or so when I got a text from Ms. Darkstar, who was leaving work in Plano (northwest of where we live) reporting a downpour. She told me later that the whole time it was pouring with rain, the sun was shining brightly. Since I was home, having left work early, I checked the radar and saw a few storms working their way towards Dallas. I didn't think any more of it until it was time to head to the train station.
There were a few rumbles of thunder, and it was just starting to rain when I left. It got heavier as I headed west, turning the streets to rivers in places. By the time I got to the train station, the hail started. It was small at first, maybe dime-sized. I parked at the (unsheltered) pickup location and waited.
I had the radio tuned to the local news station, and just west of where I was, a couple of field reporters were talking about hail the size of golf balls. You could hear them hitting their car even as they were talking. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the barrage started. It lasted for a good ten to fifteen minutes, and I don't mind telling you that was the most scared I had ever been, in an unsheltered area, with no refuge available, just waiting for it to end and hoping the car windows would remain intact.
By the time the train arrived, the hail had just about ended, tapering off in size and intensity. We drove home slowly, navigating around the flooded sections of the roads. There was no rain by the time we got home, and when I looked at the car, I could see lots of little dimples from where the hail had struck. I was very glad the damage was only cosmetic, and nothing was broken or needed to be fixed. I think an errant hailstone knocked the fuel door out of whack because Ms. Darkstar said the door didn't open when she first used the lever, but after using it to pop the trunk and then pressing it again, it worked okay. I'll keep an eye on it.
Apparently, we got off light. There was lots more damage in an area nearby. Here's the details.
Work's been a little crazy. There's lots of jobs coming due over the next few weeks, none of which had a direct impact on me, but it still made things interesting. The move is complete, so that's one less thing to worry about. I have no idea how busy I will be this coming week, as usual.
I'm off in a little bit to obtain tonight's dinner. Last night I made the chocolate mousse for dessert, and now I must go to the Asian market to get a couple of live lobsters.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
It began about 5:20 or so when I got a text from Ms. Darkstar, who was leaving work in Plano (northwest of where we live) reporting a downpour. She told me later that the whole time it was pouring with rain, the sun was shining brightly. Since I was home, having left work early, I checked the radar and saw a few storms working their way towards Dallas. I didn't think any more of it until it was time to head to the train station.
There were a few rumbles of thunder, and it was just starting to rain when I left. It got heavier as I headed west, turning the streets to rivers in places. By the time I got to the train station, the hail started. It was small at first, maybe dime-sized. I parked at the (unsheltered) pickup location and waited.
I had the radio tuned to the local news station, and just west of where I was, a couple of field reporters were talking about hail the size of golf balls. You could hear them hitting their car even as they were talking. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the barrage started. It lasted for a good ten to fifteen minutes, and I don't mind telling you that was the most scared I had ever been, in an unsheltered area, with no refuge available, just waiting for it to end and hoping the car windows would remain intact.
By the time the train arrived, the hail had just about ended, tapering off in size and intensity. We drove home slowly, navigating around the flooded sections of the roads. There was no rain by the time we got home, and when I looked at the car, I could see lots of little dimples from where the hail had struck. I was very glad the damage was only cosmetic, and nothing was broken or needed to be fixed. I think an errant hailstone knocked the fuel door out of whack because Ms. Darkstar said the door didn't open when she first used the lever, but after using it to pop the trunk and then pressing it again, it worked okay. I'll keep an eye on it.
Apparently, we got off light. There was lots more damage in an area nearby. Here's the details.
Work's been a little crazy. There's lots of jobs coming due over the next few weeks, none of which had a direct impact on me, but it still made things interesting. The move is complete, so that's one less thing to worry about. I have no idea how busy I will be this coming week, as usual.
I'm off in a little bit to obtain tonight's dinner. Last night I made the chocolate mousse for dessert, and now I must go to the Asian market to get a couple of live lobsters.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Feast or famine
One of the drawbacks about my job is there's no regularity to how busy we are. Sometimes there's lots going on and I'm constantly on the move, and other times I'm scrounging for something to occupy my time because, let's face it, there's only so many times I can get away with doing "maintenance" on the trucks.
Last week, I was kept pretty busy, so much so that I missed my usual Tuesday outing because I had to work late. This week looks to be the opposite, despite the promising start on Monday. After tomorrow's early delivery, I have absolutely no idea what else I will have to do.
This past weekend was a busy one as well. On Saturday, I took the car in for it's annual inspection (it passed, hooray), and we went to Sam's Club to renew our memberships. We did a little bit of shopping, picking up some nice looking baby-back ribs and the sliced mozzarella that I love, which factored in to our dinner plans.
Dinner on Saturday was at one of our favorite Vietnamese places. The food was good as usual, but the broth we get along with our meal was excessively oily. Oily as in, it seemed someone dumped a ladleful of oil on top of the broth in an effort to provide more flavor, but only succeeded in making it just ... greasy.
Sunday dinner consisted of the ribs cooked in the slow cooker (recipe courtesy of Robyn and Nance). I decided to throw caution to the wind and make actual baked potatoes to go with dinner. All told, I should have started the potatoes earlier, but it all still turned out wonderful. There's still some ribs left, and I'm contemplating them for afters tonight.
Ms. Darkstar made biscuits for strawberry shortcake to round out the meal, and our weekend was complete.
I usually opt for a simple dinner on Mondays, mainly because I'm all cooked out and I have no idea how tired I'll be by the end of the day. I opted for vegetarian sliders. I had these at a little pub in Plano and they were fabulous. And the simplicity -- a slice of mozzarella, a slice of tomato, on small toasted buns smeared with pesto sauce (I used Classico's) -- nice, quick, and easy, as it should be on a Monday.
I really should update more often, but the well's been pretty dry lately. More will come when the level rises.
Last week, I was kept pretty busy, so much so that I missed my usual Tuesday outing because I had to work late. This week looks to be the opposite, despite the promising start on Monday. After tomorrow's early delivery, I have absolutely no idea what else I will have to do.
This past weekend was a busy one as well. On Saturday, I took the car in for it's annual inspection (it passed, hooray), and we went to Sam's Club to renew our memberships. We did a little bit of shopping, picking up some nice looking baby-back ribs and the sliced mozzarella that I love, which factored in to our dinner plans.
Dinner on Saturday was at one of our favorite Vietnamese places. The food was good as usual, but the broth we get along with our meal was excessively oily. Oily as in, it seemed someone dumped a ladleful of oil on top of the broth in an effort to provide more flavor, but only succeeded in making it just ... greasy.
Sunday dinner consisted of the ribs cooked in the slow cooker (recipe courtesy of Robyn and Nance). I decided to throw caution to the wind and make actual baked potatoes to go with dinner. All told, I should have started the potatoes earlier, but it all still turned out wonderful. There's still some ribs left, and I'm contemplating them for afters tonight.
Ms. Darkstar made biscuits for strawberry shortcake to round out the meal, and our weekend was complete.
I usually opt for a simple dinner on Mondays, mainly because I'm all cooked out and I have no idea how tired I'll be by the end of the day. I opted for vegetarian sliders. I had these at a little pub in Plano and they were fabulous. And the simplicity -- a slice of mozzarella, a slice of tomato, on small toasted buns smeared with pesto sauce (I used Classico's) -- nice, quick, and easy, as it should be on a Monday.
I really should update more often, but the well's been pretty dry lately. More will come when the level rises.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Another attempt to duplicate a recipe
About eight years ago, when my marriage fell apart, I packed up and moved to The Frozen Tundra, mainly because this was the only area where I had friends that were willing to take me in while I got back on my feet. One place that was on the list of preferred dining spots was a local pizza chain called Davanni's. This was the one place that served a pizza that was close to what I had in Connecticut, and whenever we went there for dinner this was what we would get.
Besides being a deep-dish style, loaded with toppings and cheese, it also featured what they called "pink sauce." Essentially, this was a mix of their red sauce and their "white" sauce (which was a garlic-and-herbed olive oil), and the mingling of these flavors was truly spectacular.
Ms. Darkstar expressed a craving for this particular style of pizza, along with the fact that there seem to be no pizzerias in the area that serve anything close. So, it fell upon me to try to duplicate it. I knew I wouldn't even come close to an exact match, but just getting in the ballpark on this one would be worth the effort.
I started with the white sauce. I took some fresh garlic and Italian seasoning, and heated this in a pot with some local extra-virgin olive oil that I picked up at the farmers' market in Frisco last year. It's a local olive grower that produces some fantastic oils. Once this was cooled, I poured it into a jar with some re-hydrated Penzey's minced garlic and let it sit.
Our red sauce came courtesy of another Frozen Tundra place we went to: The Green Mill. Target sells their pizza sauce by the jar in their stores, so we picked up some of that, and I was able to doctor it up a bit with some Tuscan Sunset to get the flavor just right.
The toppings were simple enough. I cooked up some Italian sausage and hamburger, cut some red onion, got sliced mushrooms, and for an added kick, cooked up some bacon left over from breakfast. Pepperoni and a nice four-cheese blend were the crowning touches.
All that was left was to make the pizza dough. We tried the one that Robyn and Nance made. The dough was simple enough to make, and I was able to split it into two and freeze the other half for another time.
We placed the dough into an oiled deep-dish pizza pan, put on the sauces, a base layer of cheese, the meats and veggies, and topped it off with the rest of the cheese. Now, what temperature to use to bake the pizza...
I dropped the rack to one space below center, and baked it at 400 degrees for about fifteen minutes (to start). The crust seemed cooked after that time, and the mushrooms had cooked up perfectly. I sliced and served, and damn if it wasn't pretty close to good ol' Davanni's.
All in all, the recipe was a success. Some minor tweaks for next time:
Besides being a deep-dish style, loaded with toppings and cheese, it also featured what they called "pink sauce." Essentially, this was a mix of their red sauce and their "white" sauce (which was a garlic-and-herbed olive oil), and the mingling of these flavors was truly spectacular.
Ms. Darkstar expressed a craving for this particular style of pizza, along with the fact that there seem to be no pizzerias in the area that serve anything close. So, it fell upon me to try to duplicate it. I knew I wouldn't even come close to an exact match, but just getting in the ballpark on this one would be worth the effort.
I started with the white sauce. I took some fresh garlic and Italian seasoning, and heated this in a pot with some local extra-virgin olive oil that I picked up at the farmers' market in Frisco last year. It's a local olive grower that produces some fantastic oils. Once this was cooled, I poured it into a jar with some re-hydrated Penzey's minced garlic and let it sit.
Our red sauce came courtesy of another Frozen Tundra place we went to: The Green Mill. Target sells their pizza sauce by the jar in their stores, so we picked up some of that, and I was able to doctor it up a bit with some Tuscan Sunset to get the flavor just right.
The toppings were simple enough. I cooked up some Italian sausage and hamburger, cut some red onion, got sliced mushrooms, and for an added kick, cooked up some bacon left over from breakfast. Pepperoni and a nice four-cheese blend were the crowning touches.
All that was left was to make the pizza dough. We tried the one that Robyn and Nance made. The dough was simple enough to make, and I was able to split it into two and freeze the other half for another time.
We placed the dough into an oiled deep-dish pizza pan, put on the sauces, a base layer of cheese, the meats and veggies, and topped it off with the rest of the cheese. Now, what temperature to use to bake the pizza...
I dropped the rack to one space below center, and baked it at 400 degrees for about fifteen minutes (to start). The crust seemed cooked after that time, and the mushrooms had cooked up perfectly. I sliced and served, and damn if it wasn't pretty close to good ol' Davanni's.
All in all, the recipe was a success. Some minor tweaks for next time:
- I may season the dough next time. Mixing in some dried garlic and Tuscan Sunset with the wet ingredients right before adding the flour might enhance the flavor a bit.
- Prebake the crust a bit. I did find one small raw spot on the bottom, so next time I may top the pizza with everything but the final layer of cheese, bake it for five minutes, take it out, add the cheese, and bake it for fifteen more minutes.
- Oil the pan better. There were a couple of places where the dough stuck to the sides of the pan. Ms. Darkstar also noted that Davanni's crust had a buttery flavor, so I'm thinking maybe some butter-flavor Crisco would solve both of those issues.
Other than that, I think dinner was a huge success, and I will definitely have to make it again. Soon.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Lazy Sunday Posting
This week has been interesting. It's been a series of twists and turns, ups and downs, spills, chills, and thrills. I've gone from mind-crushing boredom to a serious case of the nerves, and today I get to rest as much as I can before we start all over again on Monday.
Work's been somewhat slow, but usually in the late mornings or afternoons there's a few runs that come in that I do. I already know that Monday promises to be a busy day, and we'll see if that trend continues through the week.
Yesterday was the day I did something I never thought I would do after leaving the cooking trades: I cooked a meal for people that weren't family. The whole deal came about on Wednesday, during a discussion about how Central Market was doing a promotion centered around grilling. Ms. Darkstar remarked how we hadn't grilled anything since moving to Dallas (living in a second-floor apartment with no storage space for a grill), and one of our other group members said she had a patio area at her condo complex, and would be quite amenable to having us over this Saturday so I could cook up a fabulous meal on the grill.'
Having very little danger in my life, and a couple of Strongbow ciders in me, I agreed.
Our menu would be a simple one: steaks, grilled veggies, and then it got complicated: grilled pineapple. We had a version of this at our favorite Brazilian restaurant, and I was game for the opportunity to recreate it. Since there was no rotisserie available, we just used a regular roasting rack on top of the grill, to keep the pineapple away from the direct heat and avoid scorching it. There was just the matter of coating the pineapple with the seasonings.
First, there was the matter of finding the right cinnamon. I know, I could have used plain-old store-bought cinnamon (like McCormick's or whatever), but since I am a Penzey's fanboy after all, I went through my collection and settled on the Indonesian cinnamon. It's similar in aroma to the store-bought, but has a more subtly sweet flavor and is not as sharp. The online recipe sites we consulted were unanimous in using a syrup glaze on the pineapple, and that's what I decided to do as well -- I would cook up the glaze and bring it with me the day of cooking.
Saturday was spent, after the usual laundry trip and a visit to the barber for me, in a flurry of shopping. First stop was the restaurant supply store. I picked up a new 12-inch skillet, we found a pan deep enough for our pizza experiment (more on that when it happens), and a few other odds and ends. We then went to lunch at the India Palace, which has one of the best lunch buffets we've ever had, followed by a trip across the parking lot to the Penzey's. I picked up a small bottle of vanilla sugar for the pineapple glaze (yes, I could have just put vanilla flavoring into the syrup, but I'm trying to impress people here), and a bottle of a new spicing blend that we thought would be good with the veggies. After that, we did our own grocery shopping, and had a couple of hours to relax at home. If by "relax" you mean I cooked up the glaze, packed the things we would need, obsessed over every little detail, and pretty much became a basket case by the time we had to leave, then I was one relaxed dude, all right.
So, our steaks were little ball-tip cuts, not much like the ones we used to get back in Minnesota in terms of size or thickness, but they were fine. I just did a salt-and-pepper seasoning on those, and prepped the veggies. We had summer squash, zucchini, onion, and portobello mushroom all sliced, coated with the herbs and tossed with butter. These went into a grill pan and cooked over medium-high heat, and once those were done, I did the steaks.
Everyone was unanimous in their opinion of dinner -- and it was pretty damn tasty, if I say so myself. Now, it was time for the pineapple. I had a whole pineapple, which I peeled and removed the ends, placed it into the roasting rack, basted it with the glaze, and slowly let it heat over medium- to medium-high heat until it just started to warm on the outside, turning and basting frequently. Once it was heated, I sliced off the roasted part into a serving platter, put the pineapple back in the rack, and started the process anew. It came out wonderful, and was damn near close to what we had at the Brazilian restaurant. I managed to get three roastings out of the pineapple, which we served with a cinnamon gelato.
So, the upshot is I survived, and apparently I did quite well. Maybe I'll attempt it again someday.
Today, I'm just taking it easy. I've already made muffins, and after I finish up here I'll cook up some home fries, make a potato salad for dinner, bake a key lime pie for dessert, and if there's time, I'll make a batch of snack mix.
Enjoy your day.
Work's been somewhat slow, but usually in the late mornings or afternoons there's a few runs that come in that I do. I already know that Monday promises to be a busy day, and we'll see if that trend continues through the week.
Yesterday was the day I did something I never thought I would do after leaving the cooking trades: I cooked a meal for people that weren't family. The whole deal came about on Wednesday, during a discussion about how Central Market was doing a promotion centered around grilling. Ms. Darkstar remarked how we hadn't grilled anything since moving to Dallas (living in a second-floor apartment with no storage space for a grill), and one of our other group members said she had a patio area at her condo complex, and would be quite amenable to having us over this Saturday so I could cook up a fabulous meal on the grill.'
Having very little danger in my life, and a couple of Strongbow ciders in me, I agreed.
Our menu would be a simple one: steaks, grilled veggies, and then it got complicated: grilled pineapple. We had a version of this at our favorite Brazilian restaurant, and I was game for the opportunity to recreate it. Since there was no rotisserie available, we just used a regular roasting rack on top of the grill, to keep the pineapple away from the direct heat and avoid scorching it. There was just the matter of coating the pineapple with the seasonings.
First, there was the matter of finding the right cinnamon. I know, I could have used plain-old store-bought cinnamon (like McCormick's or whatever), but since I am a Penzey's fanboy after all, I went through my collection and settled on the Indonesian cinnamon. It's similar in aroma to the store-bought, but has a more subtly sweet flavor and is not as sharp. The online recipe sites we consulted were unanimous in using a syrup glaze on the pineapple, and that's what I decided to do as well -- I would cook up the glaze and bring it with me the day of cooking.
Saturday was spent, after the usual laundry trip and a visit to the barber for me, in a flurry of shopping. First stop was the restaurant supply store. I picked up a new 12-inch skillet, we found a pan deep enough for our pizza experiment (more on that when it happens), and a few other odds and ends. We then went to lunch at the India Palace, which has one of the best lunch buffets we've ever had, followed by a trip across the parking lot to the Penzey's. I picked up a small bottle of vanilla sugar for the pineapple glaze (yes, I could have just put vanilla flavoring into the syrup, but I'm trying to impress people here), and a bottle of a new spicing blend that we thought would be good with the veggies. After that, we did our own grocery shopping, and had a couple of hours to relax at home. If by "relax" you mean I cooked up the glaze, packed the things we would need, obsessed over every little detail, and pretty much became a basket case by the time we had to leave, then I was one relaxed dude, all right.
So, our steaks were little ball-tip cuts, not much like the ones we used to get back in Minnesota in terms of size or thickness, but they were fine. I just did a salt-and-pepper seasoning on those, and prepped the veggies. We had summer squash, zucchini, onion, and portobello mushroom all sliced, coated with the herbs and tossed with butter. These went into a grill pan and cooked over medium-high heat, and once those were done, I did the steaks.
Everyone was unanimous in their opinion of dinner -- and it was pretty damn tasty, if I say so myself. Now, it was time for the pineapple. I had a whole pineapple, which I peeled and removed the ends, placed it into the roasting rack, basted it with the glaze, and slowly let it heat over medium- to medium-high heat until it just started to warm on the outside, turning and basting frequently. Once it was heated, I sliced off the roasted part into a serving platter, put the pineapple back in the rack, and started the process anew. It came out wonderful, and was damn near close to what we had at the Brazilian restaurant. I managed to get three roastings out of the pineapple, which we served with a cinnamon gelato.
So, the upshot is I survived, and apparently I did quite well. Maybe I'll attempt it again someday.
Today, I'm just taking it easy. I've already made muffins, and after I finish up here I'll cook up some home fries, make a potato salad for dinner, bake a key lime pie for dessert, and if there's time, I'll make a batch of snack mix.
Enjoy your day.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
More of a "Holy..." week, really
After Tuesday's activities, the rest of the week kept me fairly busy. I made the delivery that was postponed by the weather on Wednesday, along with the scheduled pickups that were an ongoing thing. Friday was the busiest by far, with one pickup and two deliveries out toward the Fort Worth area, fighting traffic each way. Then, I had to come back and load the trailer for a delivery on Monday. All told, I got about eight hours of overtime this week. It's still better than what I was doing, because at least I get paid for EVERYTHING I do, and get overtime after my forty hours.
We celebrated my first paycheck by going to our favorite Brazilian restaurant and enjoying the rodizio dinner. Perfectly cooked meat on skewers, brought to the table and carved ... what's not to love? And the roasted pineapple? To DIE for. Items like that make me wish I had a little rotisserie, so I could attempt to duplicate it.
I remember what Easter week was like when I was growing up. Basically, from Wednesday night onward, there was lots to do. After Wednesday's service, we (the altar boys) would rehearse for Holy Thursday, jsut refreshing on the order of the service that night and getting things ready. After that, we went over the Good Friday morning service, with lamentations that evening. After that night, we would get things ready for Holy Saturday, which involved the blessing of the fire and water. In retrospect, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to give a bunch of hyperactive youth the job of getting the water ready for the mass the next day. We were surprised things dried out as quick as they did, given the volumes of water that went seemingly everywhere.
After mass on Saturday, we would go over the order of the Easter service, after which two of the altar boys would accompany the priest as he went around and blessed the Easter food at the home of those that requested it. It was always a treat to walk into someone's house and smell all of the wonderful food. The day would end at the rectory, and a small dinner of the blessed food before we went home to get some sleep for the sunrise service the next day.
Easter breakfast was a big deal, and my grandparents would have a wide variety of things ready: ham, kielbasa (store-bought and the one made at the church), eggs, homemade horseradish, farmer's cheese (which I can never find any that tastes the same as the kind my grandparents would get -- think cottage cheese pressed into a small wheel, with very little moisture), Easter bread from a nearby bakery,and the usual coffee, tea, or whatever you preferred to drink. Grandma, Mom, and I would go back for the more sparsely attended service at the normal time -- Mom and Grandma in the choir, me at the altar.
I don't get to church much, mainly because there are no churches of my faith here in Texas, but I do my best to uphold the Easter breakfast. It's one of the few traditions I observe, and it takes me back to those earlier days.
Dinner tonight is a crock-pot lasagna from a recipe I got here, and because I'm a tinkerer, I made a few small alterations to the original recipe. It smells wonderful, and in a few hours we'll see how it tastes.
If you celebrate it, I hope your Easter was a good one. For the rest, I hope you had a great Sunday.
We celebrated my first paycheck by going to our favorite Brazilian restaurant and enjoying the rodizio dinner. Perfectly cooked meat on skewers, brought to the table and carved ... what's not to love? And the roasted pineapple? To DIE for. Items like that make me wish I had a little rotisserie, so I could attempt to duplicate it.
I remember what Easter week was like when I was growing up. Basically, from Wednesday night onward, there was lots to do. After Wednesday's service, we (the altar boys) would rehearse for Holy Thursday, jsut refreshing on the order of the service that night and getting things ready. After that, we went over the Good Friday morning service, with lamentations that evening. After that night, we would get things ready for Holy Saturday, which involved the blessing of the fire and water. In retrospect, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to give a bunch of hyperactive youth the job of getting the water ready for the mass the next day. We were surprised things dried out as quick as they did, given the volumes of water that went seemingly everywhere.
After mass on Saturday, we would go over the order of the Easter service, after which two of the altar boys would accompany the priest as he went around and blessed the Easter food at the home of those that requested it. It was always a treat to walk into someone's house and smell all of the wonderful food. The day would end at the rectory, and a small dinner of the blessed food before we went home to get some sleep for the sunrise service the next day.
Easter breakfast was a big deal, and my grandparents would have a wide variety of things ready: ham, kielbasa (store-bought and the one made at the church), eggs, homemade horseradish, farmer's cheese (which I can never find any that tastes the same as the kind my grandparents would get -- think cottage cheese pressed into a small wheel, with very little moisture), Easter bread from a nearby bakery,and the usual coffee, tea, or whatever you preferred to drink. Grandma, Mom, and I would go back for the more sparsely attended service at the normal time -- Mom and Grandma in the choir, me at the altar.
I don't get to church much, mainly because there are no churches of my faith here in Texas, but I do my best to uphold the Easter breakfast. It's one of the few traditions I observe, and it takes me back to those earlier days.
Dinner tonight is a crock-pot lasagna from a recipe I got here, and because I'm a tinkerer, I made a few small alterations to the original recipe. It smells wonderful, and in a few hours we'll see how it tastes.
If you celebrate it, I hope your Easter was a good one. For the rest, I hope you had a great Sunday.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
This whole "free time" thing ...
The rest of the week went pretty well. I am gradually getting the hang of things, and I proved to them that I am, indeed, certifiable when I successfully completed my forklift training. There's already a few trailer loads booked for next week (one delivery and a week of pickups) along with whatever else comes up.
Wednesday was a pretty busy day and I was glad we picked a quick and easy dinner for that night. On our shopping trip to the Target, we found a bag of Tyson's cheddar and bacon flavored chicken strips on clearance, and we made a plan for dinner based on that. We had already planned on salad, which would be topped with the cooked chicken, and a mix of buffalo ranch dressing, and a cucumber ranch dressing to cut the heat of the buffalo ranch. Top with some shredded cheese and there's our dinner -- The dressings blended well with each other and gave a nice buffalo-wing flavor to the chicken
The chicken on it's own isn't bad either, as I found out on Thursday. Since Ms. Darkstar was doing her volunteer work that night, I had a dinner of clam chowder and the leftover chicken strips, with some cucumber ranch for dipping.
And, now it's the weekend. Friday night was a trip to our favorite Indian restaurant, and then a trip to Central Market. We wandered and looked at all of the wonderful things they had, and I wept silently as I realized I would have needed that half a billion Mega Millions jackpot to get everything I may have wanted at that store. We went to the bakery and got a couple of cupcakes for our dessert (tiramisu cupcake for me, Nutella cupcake for Ms. Darkstar), and a jar of organic blood orange spread for breakfast this morning.
Saturday was our usual shopping and whatever day, dinner being a trip to get some barbecue that we hadn't had since before I left on my cross-country tour. Tonight, a simple crock-pot pot roast dinner and pie for dessert.
I still have this feeling that I shouldn't be just sitting around, that I have work to do and I shouldn't be such a slacking slacker. I'm sure that feeling will pass. Right after I get the crock pot going. Relaxation is a wonderful thing, and I intend to make the most of it.
I have six months of catching up to do, you know.
The chicken on it's own isn't bad either, as I found out on Thursday. Since Ms. Darkstar was doing her volunteer work that night, I had a dinner of clam chowder and the leftover chicken strips, with some cucumber ranch for dipping.
And, now it's the weekend. Friday night was a trip to our favorite Indian restaurant, and then a trip to Central Market. We wandered and looked at all of the wonderful things they had, and I wept silently as I realized I would have needed that half a billion Mega Millions jackpot to get everything I may have wanted at that store. We went to the bakery and got a couple of cupcakes for our dessert (tiramisu cupcake for me, Nutella cupcake for Ms. Darkstar), and a jar of organic blood orange spread for breakfast this morning.
Saturday was our usual shopping and whatever day, dinner being a trip to get some barbecue that we hadn't had since before I left on my cross-country tour. Tonight, a simple crock-pot pot roast dinner and pie for dessert.
I still have this feeling that I shouldn't be just sitting around, that I have work to do and I shouldn't be such a slacking slacker. I'm sure that feeling will pass. Right after I get the crock pot going. Relaxation is a wonderful thing, and I intend to make the most of it.
I have six months of catching up to do, you know.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Getting (country) fried on the weekend
You will notice, dear reader, as you peruse my cooking entries, that I do like to improvise and experiment, mostly because I like to try to create something that is just as tasty and is as close to my own as I can possibly come. I tend not to fool around with the instructions for desserts and baked goods, since improvisation will invariably produce detrimental results. And, it flat won't taste good, either.
Much as with yesterday's entry, today's dinner is a modification of a recipe that I felt could use a little bit more liveliness. We hadn't had it for a while, so I prepared country-fried steaks with cream gravy and mashed potatoes. It's a bit rich, so we limit to maybe once a month or once every two months.
After we got home from our weekly shopping trip, I whipped up a quick snack with the leftover French bread from last night, some melted butter, garlic powder, and some Italian seasoning. I topped this with some leftover Mexican 4-cheese blend, and popped it in the oven at 400ยบ until the cheese was melted and the edges of the bread had browned slightly. There it is -- my variation of garlic toast. I have another recipe I do, usually around the holidays, and I'll share that with you when the time comes.
It was getting time to start the prep for dinner, and the first thing I needed to do was saute some diced onion until it was translucent. This would be going in to the gravy later on, so it was okay to cook ahead and let sit until it was needed.
The onion I had was one of those large Spanish yellow onions, which worked out well because I could use half today, and save the rest for salads during the week.
The onion was cooked in about 2 tablespoons of butter and seasoned with salt and black pepper. Once it started to turn translucent, and some of the pieces were browning on the edges, the pan was pulled from the heat and left to cool.
Note my fancy kosher salt holder. That's quality plastic right there, boy. Nothing but the best for my kitchen, let me tell you.
Next up was seasoning the steaks. I put a tiny dot of olive oil on each, then used one of my Penzey's blends, and although it's advertised for chicken or fish, it worked great on the steaks. You can substitute by using a blend of seasoned salt, garlic powder, pepper, and if you wish, some thyme and rosemary. Or, you can just season with seasoned salty like the original recipe suggests. Not gonna break my heart any; make it the way you like it.
With the steaks seasoned and set aside, I prepared the breading mix. The container you see here is my Batter Pro. Years ago, when I lived on the Frozen Tundra, we went to this store in the Sprawl of America that had the merchandise you only saw advertised on TV. I tell you, this thing is a big work-saver, in that I only need this for my dry coating, and another bowl for the wet dip -- lots less to clean, it coats beautifully and evenly, and I really can't ask for any more than that. I generally don't measure for this phase, but I'd guesstimate maybe a cup of all-purpose flour, about a half cup of yellow corn meal, and season with seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix it in good, and set aside until you're ready to cook the steaks. Of course, if you don't have a Batter Pro, just use a nice big bowl filled as above.
When it's time to cook the steaks, melt about 4 tablespoons of shortening in a frying pan. Place a broiler pan in the oven, or a sheet pan with a wire rack, and heat the oven to 275ยบ. You'll use the oven to hold the steaks while you prepare the gravy.
Beat two eggs in a medium-size bowl, and season with either the seasoned salt or the spice blend. Dip the steaks in the egg, then coat with the dry coating mix. Here's the before and after of the breading process. You want a nice, even coating of the flour/corn meal mix on each side, shaking off any excess before frying. Set them on a clean, dry plate while you wait for the oil to get hot.
The excess coating really can't be saved, which is why I keep the batch small. Let's turn our attention briefly to the potatoes, which are more whipped than mashed, but I don't care because they're still tasty.
Okay, so, we boil the potatoes in salted water, drain them, and place them back into the still-hot pot. To this, I add a tablespoon and a half of butter, some minced garlic, black pepper, onion powder, and a dollop of horseradish. Slam the lid back on and set it aside until the butter melts. If possible, leaving it near (but not on) the burner you used to cook the potatoes will help speed the process along. Once the butter's melted, break the potatoes into smaller pieces with your masher (or electric beaters on lowest setting, if you're like me and love modern convenience and have very vivid memories of hand-mashing forty pounds of boiled potatoes like I had to do in cooking school). Add some half-and-half, or plain milk if you prefer, and mash/whip until there's very few chunks of potato left.
Time for the payoff -- frying the steaks. Place the steaks in your frying pan without crowding them, and cook for about three minutes or until the crust turns a nice golden color. Turn and repeat for the other side. The thickness of your steaks and the heat of the oil will determine how long you cook them. I went with medium-high heat, and my steaks were about a half-inch thick, maybe less because I forgot my ruler today and I'm just guessing at this point. once they're fried on both sides, place them in the oven on that pan I had you heat earlier and hold for service. Reduce the heat on the burner to about medium.
Drain off the oil, and add the onions to the pan you fried the steaks in. Add another tablespoon of butter, let this melt along with the butter that's already coating the onions, and sprinkle with flour. Yes, we're making a roux. Again, I don't use exact measurements, but what I look for is the roux to be solid when I'm whisking it, only to slowly melt when I leave it alone in the pan. Cook this for a bit to get rid of the flour taste, then add about a cup and a half to two cups of milk or half-and-half. Sprinkle in some beef bouillon granules (about a half teaspoon) and season with black pepper. Cook until the gravy thickens up, stirring it constantly so it doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan.
And there it is -- fairly unadorned, but if you want to add some flair you can sprinkle this with some chopped parsley.
I served this with a 2009 Pinot Noir from California, although it would be just as good with a nice glass of sweet tea.
As you can see, I've been a bit busy this weekend, and it's off to the new job on Monday. I'll be sure to update with how it went.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
Much as with yesterday's entry, today's dinner is a modification of a recipe that I felt could use a little bit more liveliness. We hadn't had it for a while, so I prepared country-fried steaks with cream gravy and mashed potatoes. It's a bit rich, so we limit to maybe once a month or once every two months.
It was getting time to start the prep for dinner, and the first thing I needed to do was saute some diced onion until it was translucent. This would be going in to the gravy later on, so it was okay to cook ahead and let sit until it was needed.
The onion I had was one of those large Spanish yellow onions, which worked out well because I could use half today, and save the rest for salads during the week.The onion was cooked in about 2 tablespoons of butter and seasoned with salt and black pepper. Once it started to turn translucent, and some of the pieces were browning on the edges, the pan was pulled from the heat and left to cool.
Note my fancy kosher salt holder. That's quality plastic right there, boy. Nothing but the best for my kitchen, let me tell you.
When it's time to cook the steaks, melt about 4 tablespoons of shortening in a frying pan. Place a broiler pan in the oven, or a sheet pan with a wire rack, and heat the oven to 275ยบ. You'll use the oven to hold the steaks while you prepare the gravy.
Beat two eggs in a medium-size bowl, and season with either the seasoned salt or the spice blend. Dip the steaks in the egg, then coat with the dry coating mix. Here's the before and after of the breading process. You want a nice, even coating of the flour/corn meal mix on each side, shaking off any excess before frying. Set them on a clean, dry plate while you wait for the oil to get hot.
The excess coating really can't be saved, which is why I keep the batch small. Let's turn our attention briefly to the potatoes, which are more whipped than mashed, but I don't care because they're still tasty.
Drain off the oil, and add the onions to the pan you fried the steaks in. Add another tablespoon of butter, let this melt along with the butter that's already coating the onions, and sprinkle with flour. Yes, we're making a roux. Again, I don't use exact measurements, but what I look for is the roux to be solid when I'm whisking it, only to slowly melt when I leave it alone in the pan. Cook this for a bit to get rid of the flour taste, then add about a cup and a half to two cups of milk or half-and-half. Sprinkle in some beef bouillon granules (about a half teaspoon) and season with black pepper. Cook until the gravy thickens up, stirring it constantly so it doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan.
I served this with a 2009 Pinot Noir from California, although it would be just as good with a nice glass of sweet tea.
As you can see, I've been a bit busy this weekend, and it's off to the new job on Monday. I'll be sure to update with how it went.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Because the internet can never have too many cooking blogs...
So yeah, it's official, I start the new job Monday morning and I've already processed out of the old job. It's nice not to be under the gun and having to pack up all my stuff yet again for another odyssey into the great unknown. Anyway, that's all of the job stuff for now. Let's get down to the real reason for this entry.
I may have said it once before, but I do love to cook. I'm also fortunate to live with someone that loves to eat what I cook. In that regard, things work out rather well. Until now, however, I've never gone into great detail about just how I make the dinners that have Ms. Darkstar raving on her blog about how tasty it is.
Naturally, once it was known I would be home (although we didn't know at the time it would be permanent), I received a list of things that I would be required to cook. Tonight's meal would consist of French onion soup, and key lime pie for dessert.
A couple of the things I truly love, food-wise, are French onion soup and clam chowder. I've had many different preparations of each, in different places, and I've tried several recipe variations at home. Another thing about me is I love to tweak a recipe, adding here and subtracting or omitting there and seeing how things turn out. This recipe started out from Top Secret Recipes, specifically Top Secret Restaurant Recipes Volume 2, with a few modifications by yours truly.
A quick note, and full disclosure: I absolutely LOVE Penzey's Spices. I first discovered them when I was living in Saint Paul, MN about eight years ago, and was in hog heaven when I found out they had a store here in Dallas.
I'll try to keep the more exotic blends (ones that can't be replicated by a trip to the local grocery store) to a minimum, but for heaven's sake, do yourself a favor and get their catalog, try a few things, and see if they don't have what I consider to be the best spices and dried herbs I've ever tried.
I mean, c'mon, spicey goodness in your mail box? What's not to love about that, for crying out loud?
Of course, one should pace oneself, so don't be like me and point to the catalog and announce you'd like one of everything, please, even if in your little heart of hearts you truly mean it.
So ... on to the soup.
Most of the traditional recipes for this soup call for chicken stock, while the recipe I "followed" calls for beef broth. I compromised by adding some beef bouillon granules to the chicken stock (use unsalted or low sodium, whether it's stock or broth. It makes it easier to control the flavoring). The recipe calls for three different cheeses, but I prefer to use the traditional Gruyere, because the nutty flavor of the cheese compliments the sweetness of the finished soup. The Parmesan cheese serves double duty, as you will see in a moment.
That may look like way too much onion (that's three white onions in that bowl), but they will cook down. Don't let the amount spook you. This recipe will cook down to about four servings (or two servings with seconds).
First thing you do is melt down the butter (one-half of a stick, or 1/4 cup) in your soup pot. Do this over medium-high heat, and wait for the butter to stop foaming. If you're the adventurous sort, like I am, let the butter brown a little bit before dumping in the onions. Stir well to coat them with the butter, than cook them until they start turning brown. Be VERY careful not to burn them. It's a good idea not to stray too far at this stage and stir often. When the onions have a little bit of brownish color to them and have reduced in volume in the pan, add the stock and a small sprinkling of the bouillon granules, along with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder. (I had a picture of this but my stupid phone decided not to save it after I took it. Bah.)
The crouton toppers are fairly simple. I used a loaf of demi-French bread I got at Target (seems to be the best size without a lot left over), made four slices about 1 inch thick, and topped each with a mixture of Parmesan cheese and dried parsley. These went into a 350-degree oven until they were browned and crispy (recipe says 10 minutes, your time will vary, just keep an eye on them and pull them when they're browned).
Let the soup simmer uncovered for about an hour, adding three tablespoons of the Parmesan during the last ten minutes of cooking. And now, it's time to finish and serve.
I bought these crocks at my local restaurant supply store. They're not all that expensive and, because they're oven-safe, they can go under the broiler for the finjal step. Unless your serving dishes are safe in this way, DO NOT place them in the oven.
To finish the soup, ladle it into your crock or bowl, place a crouton on top, and top it with the Gruyere you've grated beforehand. Place it under the broiler until the cheese melts and browns slightly on the top.
If you don't have a broiler or don't have oven-safe serving dishes, an alternative is to use a cook's torch (I've seen these at Target and places like Bed, Bath and Beyond in addition to restaurant supply stores) to melt the cheese. Just keep an eye on it so you don't burn the cheese or start a fire. Always practice safe cooking.
I served our soup with a 2010 Hogue late-harvest Riesling (don't you just love my fancy plates?) and Ms. Darkstar was simply overjoyed that she didn't have to cook anymore -- oh, and the soup was great, too.
Dessert is a simple key lime pie, from a recipe off a bottle of Nellie and Joe's Key Lime Juice and available on their website.
Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom of this page. Tune in tomorrow as I torment you further with my culinary adventures and prepare a simple country-fried steak and mashed potato dinner.
I need to let dinner digest a bit.
I may have said it once before, but I do love to cook. I'm also fortunate to live with someone that loves to eat what I cook. In that regard, things work out rather well. Until now, however, I've never gone into great detail about just how I make the dinners that have Ms. Darkstar raving on her blog about how tasty it is.
Naturally, once it was known I would be home (although we didn't know at the time it would be permanent), I received a list of things that I would be required to cook. Tonight's meal would consist of French onion soup, and key lime pie for dessert.
A couple of the things I truly love, food-wise, are French onion soup and clam chowder. I've had many different preparations of each, in different places, and I've tried several recipe variations at home. Another thing about me is I love to tweak a recipe, adding here and subtracting or omitting there and seeing how things turn out. This recipe started out from Top Secret Recipes, specifically Top Secret Restaurant Recipes Volume 2, with a few modifications by yours truly.
I'll try to keep the more exotic blends (ones that can't be replicated by a trip to the local grocery store) to a minimum, but for heaven's sake, do yourself a favor and get their catalog, try a few things, and see if they don't have what I consider to be the best spices and dried herbs I've ever tried.
I mean, c'mon, spicey goodness in your mail box? What's not to love about that, for crying out loud?
Of course, one should pace oneself, so don't be like me and point to the catalog and announce you'd like one of everything, please, even if in your little heart of hearts you truly mean it.
So ... on to the soup.
That may look like way too much onion (that's three white onions in that bowl), but they will cook down. Don't let the amount spook you. This recipe will cook down to about four servings (or two servings with seconds).
First thing you do is melt down the butter (one-half of a stick, or 1/4 cup) in your soup pot. Do this over medium-high heat, and wait for the butter to stop foaming. If you're the adventurous sort, like I am, let the butter brown a little bit before dumping in the onions. Stir well to coat them with the butter, than cook them until they start turning brown. Be VERY careful not to burn them. It's a good idea not to stray too far at this stage and stir often. When the onions have a little bit of brownish color to them and have reduced in volume in the pan, add the stock and a small sprinkling of the bouillon granules, along with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder. (I had a picture of this but my stupid phone decided not to save it after I took it. Bah.)
The crouton toppers are fairly simple. I used a loaf of demi-French bread I got at Target (seems to be the best size without a lot left over), made four slices about 1 inch thick, and topped each with a mixture of Parmesan cheese and dried parsley. These went into a 350-degree oven until they were browned and crispy (recipe says 10 minutes, your time will vary, just keep an eye on them and pull them when they're browned).
Let the soup simmer uncovered for about an hour, adding three tablespoons of the Parmesan during the last ten minutes of cooking. And now, it's time to finish and serve.
To finish the soup, ladle it into your crock or bowl, place a crouton on top, and top it with the Gruyere you've grated beforehand. Place it under the broiler until the cheese melts and browns slightly on the top.
If you don't have a broiler or don't have oven-safe serving dishes, an alternative is to use a cook's torch (I've seen these at Target and places like Bed, Bath and Beyond in addition to restaurant supply stores) to melt the cheese. Just keep an eye on it so you don't burn the cheese or start a fire. Always practice safe cooking.
Dessert is a simple key lime pie, from a recipe off a bottle of Nellie and Joe's Key Lime Juice and available on their website.
Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom of this page. Tune in tomorrow as I torment you further with my culinary adventures and prepare a simple country-fried steak and mashed potato dinner.
I need to let dinner digest a bit.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
I think the kitchen missed me
One disadvantage to being a truck driver is that your choice of stopping points is severely limited by where your truck is allowed access, and consequently, you will be parking in the most remote areas of town, where a truck stop won't wreck the aesthetic of the quaint little community nearby. As a result, your choices of cuisine are limited to whatever is nearby, or at the truck stop itself. This leads to eating a lot of food that is:
This is why, when I do get home, I cook like a madman and eat like a condemned prisoner on his last day. Last night, we went to our favorite Brazilian restaurant, where we had the rodizio (rotisserie-cooked meats on skewers served - and carved - tableside, what's not to love?); Monday will be a trip to one of the local Vietnamese restaurants, which one we haven't determined yet; and this evening and Wednesday are my turn in the kitchen.
Since I was away for all of the major holidays, we never had a proper feast as we had in the past. If memory serves, we had a pot roast with homemade stuffing for our late Thanksgiving dinner, so I wanted to do something a little different this time around. I have a recipe for a maple-mustard-glazed pork roast in one of my Cooking Club of America books (yes, I'm also a life member) that I had made once before to rave reviews. We opted for my bacon-garlic sauteed potatoes instead of the sauteed apples, and a quickie dessert of mini-cupcakes and boxed pudding. After dinner yesterday, we did our shopping to prepare for the cooking ahead.
After a nice breakfast of bacon and blueberry muffins, I puttered around the house before getting the preparation started for dinner. I mixed up the roasting glaze, which was butter, maple syrup (the real stuff, not that Aunt Jemima corn-syrup crap), Dijon mustard, some balsamic vinegar, and a bit of sage, parsley, salt, and pepper. This was spread over the roast a few minutes before it went into the oven.
Bacon and garlic was cut up, followed by the potatoes. This was set aside until the roast was almost done, and the dipping sauce for the pork was prepped (syrup, mustard, and a dash of balsamic vinegar). Once the roast was about five degrees from done, I heated the pan for the potatoes, rendered down the bacon, and tossed in the potatoes. The roast came out and was allowed tor rest on the serving platter while the potatoes finished. The garlic went in at the last moment to avoid overcooking, along with some parsley, salt, and pepper. The dipping sauce was heated in the microwave right before service, portioned out into smaller bowls, and the whole thing was served with a lovely, sweet moscato.
The pork was very moist and tender, the potatoes came out very well, and Ms. Darkstar was extra-thrilled to have lots of delicious food cooked by me once again. In a little bit I'll retrieve the desserts and relax with a nice chai.
Coming Wednesday: my attempt at Indian cookery.
- Disc-shaped,
- Vaguely beef-flavored, and
- Served on a bun with fries and a soda.
This is why, when I do get home, I cook like a madman and eat like a condemned prisoner on his last day. Last night, we went to our favorite Brazilian restaurant, where we had the rodizio (rotisserie-cooked meats on skewers served - and carved - tableside, what's not to love?); Monday will be a trip to one of the local Vietnamese restaurants, which one we haven't determined yet; and this evening and Wednesday are my turn in the kitchen.
Since I was away for all of the major holidays, we never had a proper feast as we had in the past. If memory serves, we had a pot roast with homemade stuffing for our late Thanksgiving dinner, so I wanted to do something a little different this time around. I have a recipe for a maple-mustard-glazed pork roast in one of my Cooking Club of America books (yes, I'm also a life member) that I had made once before to rave reviews. We opted for my bacon-garlic sauteed potatoes instead of the sauteed apples, and a quickie dessert of mini-cupcakes and boxed pudding. After dinner yesterday, we did our shopping to prepare for the cooking ahead.
After a nice breakfast of bacon and blueberry muffins, I puttered around the house before getting the preparation started for dinner. I mixed up the roasting glaze, which was butter, maple syrup (the real stuff, not that Aunt Jemima corn-syrup crap), Dijon mustard, some balsamic vinegar, and a bit of sage, parsley, salt, and pepper. This was spread over the roast a few minutes before it went into the oven.
Bacon and garlic was cut up, followed by the potatoes. This was set aside until the roast was almost done, and the dipping sauce for the pork was prepped (syrup, mustard, and a dash of balsamic vinegar). Once the roast was about five degrees from done, I heated the pan for the potatoes, rendered down the bacon, and tossed in the potatoes. The roast came out and was allowed tor rest on the serving platter while the potatoes finished. The garlic went in at the last moment to avoid overcooking, along with some parsley, salt, and pepper. The dipping sauce was heated in the microwave right before service, portioned out into smaller bowls, and the whole thing was served with a lovely, sweet moscato.
The pork was very moist and tender, the potatoes came out very well, and Ms. Darkstar was extra-thrilled to have lots of delicious food cooked by me once again. In a little bit I'll retrieve the desserts and relax with a nice chai.
Coming Wednesday: my attempt at Indian cookery.
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