tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19979392712110452682024-02-06T22:07:17.172-06:00What Gen AteGenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-26660923997731171502012-05-11T13:41:00.000-05:002012-05-11T13:41:56.331-05:00NYC Food Roundup, Part IIFirst, another housekeeping note. Blogger's new format is driving me completely nuts. Thanks, Google, for being evil and all. Every time I try to write a post, I descend into a fog of epithets and grumbling and, occasionally, fist-shaking. I actually had to insert html code throughout this post so there would be distinct paragraphs. WTF, Google? So, someday soon, if I am not feeling lazy, I will move this blog to Wordpress. Just a heads up. (If you're listening, Google, consider this a threat.)
<p>On to New York. </P>
<p>After our delicious little <a href="http://what-gen-ate.blogspot.com/2012/05/nyc-food-roundup-part-i.html">bread basket adventure</a>...</p>
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<p>We hit an old-school Tiki bar. It seems like one of those places that's been in the same location for decades, doesn't really change, and if it has a name, you don't know what it is. It probably doesn't have a website. It's just there, in a weird little big city time warp. </p><p>Unfortunately for my sense of romanticism, it does have a <a href="http://www.ottosshrunkenhead.com/">website</a>, and it's only ten years old. But we're going to pretend it isn't.</p>
<p>My drink came with a monkey! I was very excited about this, and also the spangly straw. Alas, the pours were extremely generous, and we came to it both too early and too late in the evening to really appreciate massively alcoholic cocktails. Next time.</p>
<p>Then we got pizza. </p>
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<p>Nice lamp. But the pizza frankly sucked. </p>
<p>Artichoke is generally well-regarded, and our friend loves it. I don't know what happened. It's only once or twice a year that I order something so awful I think about not finishing it, and this was one of those times. I did choke it down, but only because I was starving. Imagine thinned spinach-artichoke dip from someplace like T.G.I.Friday's (too salty, too mayonnaise-creamy), spread on strange bread. The crust didn't bother me, actually- the top two-thirds was spongy, and the bottom was crisp and a little charred. Weirdly thick for pizza, but not bad by itself. It was the dip that almost made me nauseous.</p>
<p>The next morning, we kicked off Part I of our Lower East Side round-carby-things crawl with a visit to <a href="http://russanddaughters.com/">Russ & Daughters</a>. I don't even know what to say. There's a ton of great food in New York, but I could probably wake up every day and eat here. The options are boggling: different kinds of lox! smoked fish! cream cheese options! I very nearly got my lox bagel topped with salmon roe, but resisted the temptation. That this is a suggested option meant I was in the right place for decadent salmon lunacy. I ended up with an onion bagel, belly lox, scallion cream cheese, and more onion on top. A tomato would've been advisable, but I always forget how good tomatoes are with lox. </p>
<p>Then there were soup dumplings in Chinatown. SOUP DUMPLINGS!!! I will talk about those in Part III, but in the meantime, if you see them somewhere, just think SOUP DUMPLINGS!!! and grab some. And bring me some, too.</p>Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-42279770554941346262012-05-04T08:09:00.001-05:002012-05-04T08:12:45.721-05:00NYC Food Roundup, Part I<p>Ok, so the title is a bit misleading, because I'm only going to talk about one restaurant in this post. Also because longtime readers know that when I declare something "Part I", Part II either never comes, or randomly pops up six months later to much confusion.</p>
<p>In any case, we spent last weekend in New York. One of the first places we went was <a href="http://www.vandaagnyc.com/info.html">Vandaag</a>, in the East Village. Jon had actually heard of it and wondered about genever. Hence, a field trip to check it out. Vandaag is mainly a <a href="http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/genever-and-dutch-food-at-vandaag/">genever bar</a>, though also a restaurant. </p>
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<p>Isn't this gorgeous? This is the Vandaag Gin Cocktail. I think the most interesting component is a "golden ale reduction", which is just what it sounds like. It also contained genever, bitters, and a tiny bit of kirschwasser and absinthe. The grapefruit peel garnish nicely integrated everything. The bartender noted that the drink changes completely based on which variety of fruit peel it's garnished with, which is fascinating. I wouldn't have been able to distinguish its components without referencing the menu, but the drink was perfect, and a great recommendation from the bartender based on my "not sweet!" request.</p>
<p>Jon opted for a beer and a shot of genever, so he could sip and analyze the flavors. Straight genever was really interesting- very delicate and crisp, but not overly floral the way most ordinary gins are. It was like drinking the essence of rain, which sounds ridiculous but describes the experience perfectly. </p>
<p>We were on a bit of a food crawl (wait til you hear about our Jewish-breakfast-food crawl of the Lower East Side, next time), so we just ordered a bread basket before continuing. It seemed a bit pricey, and we weren't expecting much. But then this came:</p>
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<p>This is quite possibly the best $6 bread basket in the world. There were wafer-thin pumpernickel crisps, hay-smoked white, red ale, cranberry-walnut, and seaweed foccacia. Pretty sure it's all homemade. Oh, and it came with gin butter and a onion-bacon jam. I'm going to attempt some gin butter someday soon, because it was amazing. </p>
<p>I just wish we could've stayed longer, but we had a whole city to explore. We'll definitely be back- maybe for their <a href="http://www.vandaagnyc.com/events.html?restref=53134">Sunday or Monday</a> specials.</p>Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-71826729097787054982012-04-16T09:08:00.000-05:002012-04-16T09:08:54.026-05:00Oh no I didn't.Oh yes I did.<br />
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For breakfast, I had some stale Taco Bell cinnamon crisps left over from last night. Why are they in my house in the first place? Because I was attempting to challenge the limits of human biology.<br />
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Huh? <br />
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Long story short, due to an unfortunate series of events (the main one being that thing known as "work". Like, at a job where I get paid in dollars, not vague notions of personal satisfaction that seemingly only women work. In a <a href="http://politics.salon.com/2012/04/12/ann_romney_should_apologize/">post-Hilary-Rosen-making-total-sense-and-being-excoriated-anyway</a> world, I feel the need to explain this.) Anyway. I'd been awake for 27 hours, and doing a really great job of pretending to be lucid. So "lucid", in fact, that I smiled and nodded when Jon said he wanted Taco Bell for dinner. He kindly offered to bring me back some cinnamon twists, in addition to the Crunchwrap that I requested a little too gleefully.<br />
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I was passed out on the couch when he returned with my food. I vaguely remember making a supreme effort to eat a single cinnamon twist. Then nothing. Apparently incoherent babbling was involved.<br />
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The Crunchwrap, I fear, met a sad fate last night in Jon's tummy. But the cinnamon twists were waiting for me this morning, and weren't too bad.<br />
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The glass of milk (2%, ha) was likewise delicious. As an aside, <a href="http://www.misterdonut.jp/enjoy/mail/index.html">the glass</a> it's in was obtained under questionable circumstances from a Mr. Donut outlet in Tokyo. The lion's mane is actually a donut. I can't recommend their donuts enough if you are in the area, especially their green tea-flavored, custard-filled ones. The odd <a href="http://www.misterdonut.jp/m_menu/limited/120222_001/">shape</a> is really endearing, even if it kind of reminds me of a baby's teething ring.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-2720493375764347482012-03-30T10:56:00.000-05:002012-03-30T10:56:23.186-05:00Odd Ingredient du Jour: Flying Fish RoeI'm <a href="http://what-gen-ate.blogspot.com/2012/03/cheap-food-healthy-food.html">still</a> exploring the local H Mart's variety of foods for work lunches. The only requirement being minimal prep, as our office lacks a real kitchen. <br />
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Last week, I bought <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobiko">tobiko</a>, aka flying fish roe. It was a random purchase- I like salmon roe much better, but it was exponentially more expensive, and I wondered if it would dry out faster due to the larger egg surface area. <br />
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So I was left with these weird little fish eggs. In a late-night moment of craziness, I smeared them all over a bagel with cream cheese. And it was pretty tasty, about as good as lox spread, but a little more subtle. I also dipped asparagus spears into cream cheese, then the roe. That technique emphasizes the roe's almost crunchy texture, and is a great rice-less take on contemporary sushi.<br />
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Then this morning, I woke up craving rye crepes. <br />
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And that's how tobiko blini was born.<br />
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The nutty rye flour balanced well with tangy creme fraiche and the sweet, salty roe. Not bad at all. My next project is going to be soft-scrambling eggs with the tobiko. I've seen stir-fry recipes involving tobiko, so it's not that crazy to cook it.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-15670835863713348742012-03-22T19:53:00.000-05:002012-03-22T19:53:05.573-05:00Not again.Guess what we did this weekend?<br />
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Oh yes. Taco Bell.<br />
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With wine. Sorry, y'all, you're up for <a href="http://what-gen-ate.blogspot.com/2011/06/mcdonalds-party-is-surprisingly.html">more torture</a>. As were our cardiovascular systems. This, er, "tasting" was less formal than last time, so I didn't take notes on the wines. <br />
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Our first course was "Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes". We were going for a patatas bravas tapas sort of thing. <a href="http://www.tacobell.com/food/menuitem/Cheesy-Fiesta-Potatoes">This</a> is what Taco Hell's food stylists think they look like. This is what they actually look like:<br />
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On the good side, there was leftover "cheese" to dip some of the drier courses into. And they came in cute reusable plastic tubs. But overall, not good. The sour cream tasted incredibly strange- research indicates that TB uses low-fat sour cream for some unholy reason. It was thin, with an oddly fluffy texture and watery mouthfeel. The cheese was like a watered-down version of bowling alley nacho cheese. And the potatoes? They'd be at home in a breakfast taco, or maybe in your freezer courtesy of Ore-Ida. Not awful, but a little fake tasting, with savory spice flavors. We also had nachos as a second appetizer of sorts. They were pretty awful, and required a cinnamon twist palate cleanser before we moved on. Interestingly, the cinnamon twists were the insurgent standout of the evening.<br />
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Our wines with this course were oddly spiral-themed. Thanks, Trader Joe's. The <a href="http://jasonswineblog.com/2009/12/09/2008-spiral-wines-chardonnay/">Spiral Chardonnay</a> actually worked pretty well with the potatoes. It was slightly effervescent and balanced, and cut through the layers of cheese-and-sour-cream-slime reasonably well. The Espiral Vinho Rose, though it's a decent pick on its own, didn't work with the potatoes. <br />
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Did I mention we spent $27 at Taco Bell between four people? That's actually possible. The poor counter woman was seriously confused. In other words, there are many courses to come.<br />
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Next came the Doritos.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0IztFOPgCOLjIncAQlWsoghMQvGETbDfXUNjW8c21ZRko7H_Nw6zBGJD8ob-kb3Z5IbIZXfs-mAQTDkoYGe99DZySHeguexkKpNc6ZN6u25RFKxcTGAP0jBXlwRgeD8SrCr2oTw4qX8/s1600/mar+taco+bell+5+doritos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0IztFOPgCOLjIncAQlWsoghMQvGETbDfXUNjW8c21ZRko7H_Nw6zBGJD8ob-kb3Z5IbIZXfs-mAQTDkoYGe99DZySHeguexkKpNc6ZN6u25RFKxcTGAP0jBXlwRgeD8SrCr2oTw4qX8/s320/mar+taco+bell+5+doritos.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Dorito tacos.<br />
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Sadly, I missed out on this delicacy. So sad. I had a bite, and it was decent. Accepting the premise that the sour cream is fake, and the "meat" tastes like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textured_vegetable_protein">TVP</a>, it was actually not bad. The dorito shell wasn't crispy, but that was probably our poor handling between restaurant and serving. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2b8QvYLQW6pQnXMsRez0Elfx4LC8LLd_CNkOC3d29ZUUpHqu8cHaDZqAU4Svr_fEFLCRF2xv6Loo0xVZ9uUb__tQ3MCrELw79AyyrQXZnfnF64njdWcdcmmATNfP_3DQZxaQcOaeECY/s1600/mar+taco+bell+6+chicken.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2b8QvYLQW6pQnXMsRez0Elfx4LC8LLd_CNkOC3d29ZUUpHqu8cHaDZqAU4Svr_fEFLCRF2xv6Loo0xVZ9uUb__tQ3MCrELw79AyyrQXZnfnF64njdWcdcmmATNfP_3DQZxaQcOaeECY/s320/mar+taco+bell+6+chicken.JPG" /></a></div><br />
This was some kind of chicken burrito rice thingy. Or maybe a soft taco. Is there a difference? This was a rare example of the "I-could-make-it" axiom: it wasn't bad per se, but why would you buy it? It's not unhealthy enough to be junky fast food, but it's not so exceptionally tasty that you'd go out of your way to order it. Plus, as an astute taster noted, the chicken tastes canned. You'd do better making it at home.<br />
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Around this time, we opened a bottle of Sainte Croix Syrah-Merlot blend. It was a nice, versatile red that paired well, if not exceptionally, with all the courses.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5rYWVLmQA7DGQ_nYUUztlZ1ppR6BQEq-R1SZV9jjekZ22v4Haa3vx-LY2WBWc1TDwXGkUsBdV0HXwlQmGQQ4EBfVVjwhlfC-k0GfvdDKXhkPtyvQPn1u4MIzNU1PeyRF8C69wF5IfUc/s1600/mar+taco+bell+7+crunchwrap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5rYWVLmQA7DGQ_nYUUztlZ1ppR6BQEq-R1SZV9jjekZ22v4Haa3vx-LY2WBWc1TDwXGkUsBdV0HXwlQmGQQ4EBfVVjwhlfC-k0GfvdDKXhkPtyvQPn1u4MIzNU1PeyRF8C69wF5IfUc/s320/mar+taco+bell+7+crunchwrap.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The crunchwrap was a rare beacon of joy in the field of contenders. Jon has loved the crunchwrap for many years now, but I've always made fun of him. It's like drunken pothead methy food...why would you consider eating something like that? The answer, as my foodie cred goes slinking away, is that it tastes really good. "Really good" is of course still relative to it being Taco Bell. But yes, really good. The mixture of crunchy taco shell and chewy flour tortilla worked, and the filling wasn't disgusting or obnoxious. <br />
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No idea why those positives didn't spill over to our next course, which also involved the fundamental opposites of crunchy and chewy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKHzNMNt0raXGVXCoMGmUg3w2ISsqJNzfWGkbwjb4hpxhj11rrGpiKlh23yw7eWDQuf_ZYdA0e4Fe5I7N__mY679zWyoZIWJhdvOjK8tvH7DoBi3rrEcZWLp4wuRpwVdjKv_Jex3OEzI/s1600/mar+taco+bell+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKHzNMNt0raXGVXCoMGmUg3w2ISsqJNzfWGkbwjb4hpxhj11rrGpiKlh23yw7eWDQuf_ZYdA0e4Fe5I7N__mY679zWyoZIWJhdvOjK8tvH7DoBi3rrEcZWLp4wuRpwVdjKv_Jex3OEzI/s320/mar+taco+bell+8.JPG" /></a></div><br />
This is a double decker taco. The idea is right, but I felt like the filling-to-wrap ratio was off. It was ok, but nowhere near as magical as the crunchwrap (I refuse to capitalize "crunchwrap"). Especially with wine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIF1BjQif1GW7Nui6Mt26gB4Kokk5O7PP9RjirmPSLv9SAn6HVu0_t9qoX4aczUGvsUXmBlIIAN-yqt7pISfwi8sOoav40pDF1cRI1Gi6_u9rVnuncMpNV287HvZ_5oxL9RKRGID0Z2k/s1600/mar+taco+bell+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIF1BjQif1GW7Nui6Mt26gB4Kokk5O7PP9RjirmPSLv9SAn6HVu0_t9qoX4aczUGvsUXmBlIIAN-yqt7pISfwi8sOoav40pDF1cRI1Gi6_u9rVnuncMpNV287HvZ_5oxL9RKRGID0Z2k/s320/mar+taco+bell+9.JPG" /></a></div><br />
After that, there was another burrito course. Actually, two kinds of burritos. But I can't recall what they were, they were pretty unexceptional, and my photos just look like the last burrito course. But less interesting. So we're going to skip those and head for dessert.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLODOXGg7Oj1k7xTQishOVIR7WVfBPIwHif64cXUmnghjv0sUVv8IoPkyPhPAHi-Jv5YYX89naGZSOhFouElIJFKZrp3zdhAcWB10K0HPR5U2M_4_BAR-ngmmHCFe3iumy-E5L5lAbTls/s1600/mar+taco+bell+10+empanada.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLODOXGg7Oj1k7xTQishOVIR7WVfBPIwHif64cXUmnghjv0sUVv8IoPkyPhPAHi-Jv5YYX89naGZSOhFouElIJFKZrp3zdhAcWB10K0HPR5U2M_4_BAR-ngmmHCFe3iumy-E5L5lAbTls/s320/mar+taco+bell+10+empanada.JPG" /></a></div><br />
¡Santo Dios! This is a caramel apple empanada...god help us, indeed. It was sort of like an apple pancake, but inappropriately chewy and too sweet. It worked with the effervescent dessert wine, but was overall not fabulous. Next time, I'd go for some cinnamon twists instead.<br />
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The good news, I suppose, is that we survived. Now to re-group for the next adventure. Chik-Fil-A, anyone? Finally I'll have an excuse to guzzle <a href="http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Food/Menu-Detail/ChickfilA-Sauce">Chik-Fil-A sauce</a> guilt-free.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-73276693101621106742012-03-11T19:47:00.000-05:002012-03-11T19:47:44.052-05:00Southern MagicI have mixed feelings about the South. It's as insular as everyone says. Most of it is not as cerebral as I would like. But I've also lived there, and grudgingly discovered it can be quite charming, even extraordinary. At its best, it's the closest America gets to Magical Realism. If you're lucky enough to find the locals who aren't insular and ridiculous, they're really, really nice. And, odds are, they can smoke a mean brisket.<br />
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Living in the South, especially as a non-native, carves out a special little fuzzy spot in your heart for New Orleans. No, I'd never want to live there. But it really is the most amazing city in the US. I can't believe I just said that, but it's true. If, like me, you look for novelty and uniqueness in a city, your city is NoLa. <br />
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Which explains my over-the-top glee at finding delicious Cajun food at <a href="http://bayoubakeryva.com/">Bayou Bakery</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWlX9APluiCQoJv8_ctz5T1aiCWwet5L3WRmAvXCL6YGA8hwZGuimWbrf8fEDng9MNp8VrgB42k_ZRheuXGqVPRgdGnSm69B6yivLrxSo-YInss6d7Mvxn5WmerDliNcy-whyphenhyphenjnsKUN4/s1600/mar+andouille.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWlX9APluiCQoJv8_ctz5T1aiCWwet5L3WRmAvXCL6YGA8hwZGuimWbrf8fEDng9MNp8VrgB42k_ZRheuXGqVPRgdGnSm69B6yivLrxSo-YInss6d7Mvxn5WmerDliNcy-whyphenhyphenjnsKUN4/s320/mar+andouille.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Andouille sausage with spicy mustard, and a legitimately kick-ass sweet potato and peanut soup. Also, Zappo's chips. And Abita on tap. No wonder I was gleeful. <br />
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Then, beignets.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7beXkvOB5ROjaoV7D09MNPGYZl4rZNKdsU3wj9dx-oUIDLu4Z1UO7Xd59ejbHGnWffb_a6WmpdZRB6Purzt2nsCNxgfugmNZSdKhcbAu4qc4KvGJVL6HMysgAM0K_-5QgVSfroRw3G50/s1600/mar+beignets.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7beXkvOB5ROjaoV7D09MNPGYZl4rZNKdsU3wj9dx-oUIDLu4Z1UO7Xd59ejbHGnWffb_a6WmpdZRB6Purzt2nsCNxgfugmNZSdKhcbAu4qc4KvGJVL6HMysgAM0K_-5QgVSfroRw3G50/s320/mar+beignets.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Oh, and cafe au lait. <br />
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I'll definitely be going back. But mostly, I'll be checking plane tickets to New Orleans. I need a muffaletta and some oysters, too.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-88090133089040155362012-03-08T20:18:00.000-06:002012-03-08T20:18:26.890-06:00Cheap Food, Healthy Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZahxMUl3SxLXpJ6s9U9yoHsjQKG5QOqKGsQWsrTCpwQZOZYYDOHiCARDdMsQB76LhMlpC0tA9LnwjSbd4fHksUtIK-H89WM3Qe_OVL-McsulGwACk5Vjd1nUeVabmezpEDf0DN3sc3w/s1600/mar+h+mart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZahxMUl3SxLXpJ6s9U9yoHsjQKG5QOqKGsQWsrTCpwQZOZYYDOHiCARDdMsQB76LhMlpC0tA9LnwjSbd4fHksUtIK-H89WM3Qe_OVL-McsulGwACk5Vjd1nUeVabmezpEDf0DN3sc3w/s320/mar+h+mart.JPG" /></a></div><br />
So, I recently started a new job. It's in a pretty cool location, food-wise, in that it's relatively close to a lot of interesting ethnic food, as well as a few national chains (eg, <a href="http://what-gen-ate.blogspot.com/2012/02/feelings-about-truffles.html">Noodles & Co</a>). So far, I've availed myself of Thai and Lebanese, and I look forward to trying more. Persian kabob place, you'd better watch out. But the best thing of all? <br />
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<a href="http://www.hmart.com/">H Mart</a>!<br />
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I was despondent when we left Houston behind. Mostly because of H Mart. But, happily, there are a few in the metro area, including one right next to work. For the uninitiated, it's a fabulous Korean grocery store.<br />
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This morning, I bought seaweed salad, sashimi salmon, and marinated tofu slices. H Mart's prepared foods section is seriously awesome. <br />
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I am a cheapskate at heart, and their prepared food prices always seem a little pricey for an ethnic grocery store. But then I started thinking about the cost relative to other options. Likewise, tonight at dinner I ate half of a pasture-raised, super-happy chicken that was pricier than I'm used to paying for chicken. As hard as it is, I think it's important to do the math and really think about it.<br />
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I'm not even talking about your typical "I read the Omnivore's Dilemma and now I'm a food snob" type arguments. Food is so ridiculously cheap in this country, our nice chicken dinner for two was less than a meal for two at Popeye's (which, don't get me wrong, I adore on occasion as well). My $5 of tofu, $3 of seaweed salad, and $7 of sashimi will keep me healthy and super-happy for at least three days of work lunches, for about the same price and less hassle than the crappiest Subway sandwich I could possibly eat (no, I really *don't* adore Subway).<br />
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It just comes down to eating really being about choices, with the exception of people who really don't have as many choices (<a href="http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/fooddesert/fooddesert.html">food deserts</a>, I'm looking at you). I feel like people make poor food choices based on a sense that they're somehow cheaper, and that much of the public discussion of food issues assumes that crappy food, or healthy food that no one wants to eat, is the only cheap food. But if you take a few minutes to think about food, and plan things out, it's almost ridiculous what tasty things you can enjoy.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-5588435274892691362012-02-28T19:01:00.000-06:002012-02-28T19:01:46.142-06:00Feelings about Truffles.The fungus-y kind, not the generally-poorly-executed chocolate kind.<br />
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For dinner, I had leftovers from lunch. Lunch being pasta with truffle oil, portabella mushrooms, parm, breadcrumbs, and a slightly skimpy layer of "Wisconsin cheese sauce".<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LIqbeajTq9ZcFaqEFJd16cXjCaOaCI3SCGMoGLY5E02l0mFSpxRfBXflq-oTnNfCzsxWgRL7HCJxQRuwbqLwuWyt5-oJd-2V51UdoiYWk7jd768IkNPfiKtUggAw3x7Vz7OWl1bbFFI/s1600/feb+posh+mac.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LIqbeajTq9ZcFaqEFJd16cXjCaOaCI3SCGMoGLY5E02l0mFSpxRfBXflq-oTnNfCzsxWgRL7HCJxQRuwbqLwuWyt5-oJd-2V51UdoiYWk7jd768IkNPfiKtUggAw3x7Vz7OWl1bbFFI/s320/feb+posh+mac.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It <a href="http://www.noodles.com/blog/tag/mac-cheese-9/">looked much prettier</a> at lunch. I was stuck in office park suburbia, and Noodles & Company was one of the better options. Yay Colorado entrepreneurs!<br />
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Colorado entrepreneurs are classy. They do things like make truffled mac n' cheese. I have a sense of humor, and like truffles, so I proceeded to bewilder the counter staff by actually ordering it. He was at first confused, and tried to sign me up for their bacon mac, but I persisted.<br />
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The embarrassing punch line is that it was actually pretty delicious. <br />
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I've never understood the weird fussiness that surrounds truffledom. Truffles absolutely stink. Supply, demand, blah blah blah, that's why they're pricey. But, in a culinary culture that reveres subtlety and minimalism as a sign of craft and refinement and maturity, that truffles are the quintessential food snob food is really odd. Truffles basically taste like umami and metal, with an acrid, mouth-filling burnt cheese note that's weirdly, impossibly nostalgic.<br />
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So, I think it's really awesome that Noodles has democratized truffle flavors. Truffles are so pungent, we should really think of it like garlic, not some fancy, inaccessible crap. Noodles' dish is at least as good as the (admittedly kind of sketchy) white truffle pasta I ate in Florence, for $20 less. I'll be eating it again sometime. Hopefully with a straight face.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-35907267235781313092012-02-23T08:51:00.000-06:002012-02-23T08:51:03.295-06:00Curd at HomeFor breakfast, I had toast with butter & fruit curd, with some jasmine green tea to drink.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6W-m34yWziL0r5kTdF_7durI3rZXMlzRvUx1ywbc3JO2JFc7oEbCF8E5VrwybZ04BmmiIEK8qDP9xCN7xpL5RSHSyhWG0ycuzC515EYjVNy1mqjeWIHUOixV7saP2tZdbKnM5CBWphc/s1600/feb+toast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6W-m34yWziL0r5kTdF_7durI3rZXMlzRvUx1ywbc3JO2JFc7oEbCF8E5VrwybZ04BmmiIEK8qDP9xCN7xpL5RSHSyhWG0ycuzC515EYjVNy1mqjeWIHUOixV7saP2tZdbKnM5CBWphc/s320/feb+toast.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Breakfast (which is fundamentally different from brunch, should you wonder) is my least favorite meal of the day. I hate breakfast cereal, and can only handle oatmeal, yogurt, or other quaint "breakfasty" things on occasion. I usually either skip it, have some coffee or tea, forget about food completely, and wonder why I'm feeling faint at 2pm, or I suck it up and nosh a few pieces of toast. Today was the latter. And you know, homemade fruit curd made breakfast relatively tolerable.<br />
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I made it a few days back, the impetus being most of a bag of Meyer lemons left hanging around the house after a roast chicken dinner. I used Ina Garten's lemon curd <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-curd-recipe/index.html">recipe</a>, but added a few strawberries, pureed and sieved, to the mix. The result was a candied Orange Julius-flavored curd that did not quite set. I'm not sure if it's due to the lower acid Meyers, or to the strawberries. Because of my storied history of egg-related mishaps, I actually did measure the temperature with a lab thermometer as I cooked, so I know that wasn't the issue. <br />
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At least it's not runny.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4c1xH2gzcEk89GvHjbQ1R-6sYoH3uQ728voxbiBlo2viOVCCpdmBAecwcKFO7HHfXf0F25SbvZVlcrqepbIuvWAUgTdJeGVBbethbNw25xIIOXXRyJmmOrwQgNbvKbXdfg3LswebmPF8/s1600/feb+toast+nom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4c1xH2gzcEk89GvHjbQ1R-6sYoH3uQ728voxbiBlo2viOVCCpdmBAecwcKFO7HHfXf0F25SbvZVlcrqepbIuvWAUgTdJeGVBbethbNw25xIIOXXRyJmmOrwQgNbvKbXdfg3LswebmPF8/s320/feb+toast+nom.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Regardless, it tastes unique and pretty fabulous. The remainder might end up in tarts, empanadas, or some sort of layered panna cotta goodness...I haven't decided yet.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-22557909024555327292012-02-19T20:07:00.000-06:002012-02-19T20:07:11.904-06:00Impressive Cooking Project: FigsSo, I have a pretty picture of chocolate-covered figs, and not a ton to talk about. Hence "impressive cooking projects". I always feel like there are certain cooking things that are extremely easy, but freak out a lot of people. Maybe I'll start a series about this?<br />
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Pretty figs:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlQ4r2kRg872ZAOemGzV8fJouWeKkHwvA6K6eteOHaA_zB28N-d04zXDyB2VzFTDgIBt9acOspUwYZez7Eo_yDyAJnbTr9oBwUqeqx1fjUnXSOjpXRL6zGhrkfj1FeKVr-3XqwukOfT8/s1600/feb+figs+crop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlQ4r2kRg872ZAOemGzV8fJouWeKkHwvA6K6eteOHaA_zB28N-d04zXDyB2VzFTDgIBt9acOspUwYZez7Eo_yDyAJnbTr9oBwUqeqx1fjUnXSOjpXRL6zGhrkfj1FeKVr-3XqwukOfT8/s320/feb+figs+crop.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It was sort of an outgrowth of that Valentine's Day chocolate-covered strawberry nonsense. And I always see ridiculously pricey chocolate-covered figs at Whole Foods, so I was curious to make my own.<br />
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How easy is this?<br />
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1. You melt chocolate. Well, first find chocolate. I happened to use Whole Foods' house brand of semi-sweet chocolate chips, but fancier chocolate, or milk chocolate, or whatever, works fine. Please don't use that weird "chocolate candy coating" crap. That is not chocolate. Melt it in a double boiler, if you're being proper, but going slowly and stirring a lot works fine in the microwave, too.<br />
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2. Take it off the heat, if you're not microwaving. Dip figs (or strawberries, or whatever) into the chocolate by hand, or using a fondue fork. Whatever is practical. Melt it a little more if it starts to solidify.<br />
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3. Place the dipped fruit on a sheet of waxed paper to cool at room temperature. If you're feeling a bit pretentious, melt a contrasting shade of chocolate and drizzle it over the top. Or add sea salt, chopped nuts, caramel, or whatever. Have fun.<br />
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If it's fresh fruit, ideally eat it the same day. Strawberries can start to weep. I think dried fruit will keep for a few days or longer, but they didn't last long enough for me to truly attest to that.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-50919675834238780292012-02-14T20:21:00.000-06:002012-02-14T20:21:17.652-06:00Burmese LoveFor dinner, I had <a href="http://www.mandalaydc.com/mandalayrc/beta/menu.html">Burmese</a> food!<br />
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I went into it knowing nothing of Burmese food. Their menu turned out to be what you'd expect if you looked at a map, and are familiar with Chinese, Indian, and Thai food...sort of an assortment of those styles, with some interesting curve balls thrown in. <br />
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For example, I ended up with the above, <a href="http://www.mandalaydc.com/mandalayrc/beta/veg.pdf">vegetarian plate #6</a>. "Yellow beans"? Sort of a curve ball. The textures were really interesting. It contained those flat, chewy, lightly doughy noodles often found in Thai drunken noodles (one of my own great carby weaknesses), crisp, lightly sauteed romaine hearts, crunchy bean sprouts, meaty tofu, and the aforementioned yellow beans. They were sort of garbanzo-like, if garbanzos were creamy and delicate. It appears they're a yellow pea variety, but there's not a lot of intel out there in English. Topped with a peanutty, vinegary sauce, the dish was extremely delicious. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9l9TCz-GpNm9U4z0qGynZWWqzvD9F3dFin-BAovrHtB71myvQb2wM6D5m_dr9fjS-0X48T5RQYd4hefq9rE6h3smz4ryPe7fVDWWtKzTqzakgyVnEvCbOSKf_YMqTjhW5e9UvOZN_z8/s1600/feb+burmese+app.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9l9TCz-GpNm9U4z0qGynZWWqzvD9F3dFin-BAovrHtB71myvQb2wM6D5m_dr9fjS-0X48T5RQYd4hefq9rE6h3smz4ryPe7fVDWWtKzTqzakgyVnEvCbOSKf_YMqTjhW5e9UvOZN_z8/s320/feb+burmese+app.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Our appetizer, fritters made with gram (aka lentil) flour, garlic, and spices, was also pretty great. It came with a spicy chile sauce, possibly accented with fish sauce, on the side. <br />
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Dessert was a sticky rice, brown sugar, and coconut cake of sorts. The texture, cohesive and gummy, was novel, but I prefer the more intense flavors of Thai-style sticky rice with mango.<br />
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They had a ton of awesome-looking vegetarian options, and the prices are quite reasonable. Definitely our new favorite close-to-home ethnic restaurant.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-30165717892557704792012-02-07T18:54:00.001-06:002012-02-07T18:57:45.545-06:00Kale Malfatti at HomeFor dinner, I had some homemade malfatti, with a glass of primitivo.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZeb2vYUNEbfL-CCToVBmPdWklFVJsgth5M4hs7IMdLKf3qNnOxmOinmhyphenhyphen4u1Ntm68hEX_PINEvLA6cgLBYqgDpaWdPfgBNZDU5B3MJt7rUFj6r09bSORIMSS8vPIS1jx8647t_fcIqA/s1600/feb+malfatti+raw.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZeb2vYUNEbfL-CCToVBmPdWklFVJsgth5M4hs7IMdLKf3qNnOxmOinmhyphenhyphen4u1Ntm68hEX_PINEvLA6cgLBYqgDpaWdPfgBNZDU5B3MJt7rUFj6r09bSORIMSS8vPIS1jx8647t_fcIqA/s320/feb+malfatti+raw.JPG" /></a></div><br />
They weren't quite as much of a pain to make as I expected. Malfatti are basically delicious little cheese blobs, often more palatably described as "ravioli without the pasta". These are from a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/17/magazine/naked-came-the-pasta.html">recipe</a> adapted from <a href="http://www.aldilatrattoria.com/menu_dinner.pdf">Al di La </a>in Park Slope. I traded the chard for kale, just for fun, and idiotically forgot to buy sage. So I made a butter/shallot sauce instead. And then this happened...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5lHDOlo1tIDbU_ug9llcJDZWV1XCFHLx3qHjRko6Uw_xclSyJifzsPXYxX7OBtuNgseJgFmISJn-tTgJA9noYJaQBbd8YlDRbPTZXOmAkfEcoh1_GykH3Y3Q0Cu4LVCmjfd0teHKPM8/s1600/feb+malfatti.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5lHDOlo1tIDbU_ug9llcJDZWV1XCFHLx3qHjRko6Uw_xclSyJifzsPXYxX7OBtuNgseJgFmISJn-tTgJA9noYJaQBbd8YlDRbPTZXOmAkfEcoh1_GykH3Y3Q0Cu4LVCmjfd0teHKPM8/s320/feb+malfatti.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Er, yeah. They are kind of spineless. I gave up and mixed it into a kale-y, cheese-y mush. Nice flavors- the nutmeg is really key- though the texture reminded me disconcertingly of salmon patties or crab cakes.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=435">wine</a> was a standout, in the world of Trader-Joe's-under-$5 that I inhabit so often. Make no mistake, it's head-explodingly tannic, and quite rough around the edges. But I feel like I've been in an incredibly boring rut of malbecs lately, so it was a wonderful and jolting change.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-19359550560586658652012-02-01T12:13:00.000-06:002012-02-01T12:13:53.165-06:00Apple Tart at HomeFor breakfast (and lunch...), I noshed on a homemade apple tart, with some jasmine green tea to drink.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4aLfHlqLX4hOYyFpGS0zFc60gUMQI8PL3TzZ4exSMw1NEhrhV4pwWmF4uunm3J3ZwTJP1OzhjfpfdgHQqbFktCsAahQtQVk_w6LoJLdQZAWw5NozxX_CVcwbD3wtjQK3yobv9PMgh1c/s1600/jan+apple+tart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4aLfHlqLX4hOYyFpGS0zFc60gUMQI8PL3TzZ4exSMw1NEhrhV4pwWmF4uunm3J3ZwTJP1OzhjfpfdgHQqbFktCsAahQtQVk_w6LoJLdQZAWw5NozxX_CVcwbD3wtjQK3yobv9PMgh1c/s320/jan+apple+tart.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I baked it yesterday, just for fun. The <a href="http://events.nytimes.com/recipes/12132/1988/09/25/Tartelettes-Aux-Pommes-Lionel-Poilane-Lionel-Poilanes-Individual-Apple-Tart/recipe.html">recipe's</a> super-easy, even though I'd never made pâte brisée before. I like that the tart doesn't contain anything else (looking at you, cinnamon) to distract from the simple apple flavor and rich, not-too-sweet crust.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpHq4oabK6zK2xsYKjWUB6XRPb5M9j0ahb1_i_9gM4naJfj4DGw22lMCYD5IhNXjf2lQyvYlLkMARHdb0OFs5cCyYQG2yN-Ay3dQ5Bv48270Hi6amxZjXnH5Fvn4Ob9TVaJgbIjCVSmM/s1600/jan+apple+tart+cooked.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpHq4oabK6zK2xsYKjWUB6XRPb5M9j0ahb1_i_9gM4naJfj4DGw22lMCYD5IhNXjf2lQyvYlLkMARHdb0OFs5cCyYQG2yN-Ay3dQ5Bv48270Hi6amxZjXnH5Fvn4Ob9TVaJgbIjCVSmM/s320/jan+apple+tart+cooked.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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The recipe calls for individual "tartelettes", and peeled apples, which I modified for prettiness. Also, remember all that <a href="http://what-gen-ate.blogspot.com/2012/01/odd-ingredient-du-jour-lard.html">lard</a>? Perfect for adding a little extra depth to the apples. I replaced a bit of the butter with lard in cooking the apples; if you know it's there, you'll taste it, but it didn't scream PORK! <br />
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Finally, an equipment suggestion: I do not own a pizza peel, and always mourn this fact. But I don't have the space for an adequately-sized one, and it's sort of a ridiculous purchase, unless you have a wood-fired oven or something. If I'm making pizza, I heat up the pizza stone in the oven, then pull it out and build the pizza on the warm stone. With fragile tarts, I can't do that, and transferring them can be fraught with disaster. I solved this by sprinkling a wooden cutting board with cornmeal, building the tart there, and slipping it onto the pizza stone as if it were a peel.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-44017860874739780002012-01-31T16:07:00.000-06:002012-01-31T16:07:46.978-06:00A Very Delicious Thing I Will Never Make Fun of Again.Cheeseballs. Cheese balls? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw22cCsVGyhYfn0rDYjrpquocUWS8ftGoi3OEpjmhH8wTbQoVe2lxcE-nbXwXT4r76ydKnl-092dFRp7v1irC69QnZYoxyMqYBflcb6ViH7oit9nkWX75Nuqkl-PL_XgkJ2oc1e-ucWQg/s1600/jan+cheeseball+big.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw22cCsVGyhYfn0rDYjrpquocUWS8ftGoi3OEpjmhH8wTbQoVe2lxcE-nbXwXT4r76ydKnl-092dFRp7v1irC69QnZYoxyMqYBflcb6ViH7oit9nkWX75Nuqkl-PL_XgkJ2oc1e-ucWQg/s320/jan+cheeseball+big.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Cheese ball. Yes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHbFE88bU32jTh8NGVcltSngC9NwPBgeP_5p6oCveiLhxBDWJRlsl2MWyZO_G_xZocjhLy9ZeZOLc4yzFjrhBEHbl5GnQWiJcLdqqRjTd4gdLgIJi3xElYARalKVC03TRQplT4d-DDjo/s1600/jan+cheeseball.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHbFE88bU32jTh8NGVcltSngC9NwPBgeP_5p6oCveiLhxBDWJRlsl2MWyZO_G_xZocjhLy9ZeZOLc4yzFjrhBEHbl5GnQWiJcLdqqRjTd4gdLgIJi3xElYARalKVC03TRQplT4d-DDjo/s320/jan+cheeseball.JPG" /></a></div>Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-88727562337610644832012-01-25T12:52:00.001-06:002012-01-25T12:56:23.622-06:00Porridge at HomeFor breakfast, I had some semolina porridge with butter, molasses, and salt, and some Earl Grey tea to drink.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrksvMFE11KCShssIvz4XUxkWDfp9dTU9rZEVBHHBfKQM4lPOEgU-U1vs2B1jItFe7NxmyusoQRGQmYOXey9YOsKGyNkbE-kR3LGkms4tiqloH8oE4KrhS6L2X95eQcMV8O1P1Pes6_g/s1600/jan+semolina+yum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrksvMFE11KCShssIvz4XUxkWDfp9dTU9rZEVBHHBfKQM4lPOEgU-U1vs2B1jItFe7NxmyusoQRGQmYOXey9YOsKGyNkbE-kR3LGkms4tiqloH8oE4KrhS6L2X95eQcMV8O1P1Pes6_g/s320/jan+semolina+yum.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I was feeling creative, I guess. It was an odd breakfast, as I'm not a huge fan of breakfast, or cereal, or hot soupy things early in the morning. And I have awful memories of my grandmother making me Cream of Wheat as a snack and me dousing it in heavy cream, butter, and brown sugar, just to make it edible. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArmnKR7N-KlGOkziHvA1Pv7xYdfJssCUQ9Fn9WIddy8PjxrTp2ZRYQXTGDav63wemunmHKUCHd2tvKkv_DTSRhblxLii72mcFsu6I6b-XRP0TfyBvRkMFum-4gGPZKneDjacsm-M_cDI/s1600/jan+semolina+dog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArmnKR7N-KlGOkziHvA1Pv7xYdfJssCUQ9Fn9WIddy8PjxrTp2ZRYQXTGDav63wemunmHKUCHd2tvKkv_DTSRhblxLii72mcFsu6I6b-XRP0TfyBvRkMFum-4gGPZKneDjacsm-M_cDI/s320/jan+semolina+dog.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Even the dog wanted in on this. Weirdo.<br />
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Dousing did ensue, but the result was remarkably tasty. I don't think of semolina as having much flavor, but the molasses brought out a rich, earthy quality in it, and provided contrasting mineral overtones. Sort of a non-alcoholic morning Guinness. The meal was balanced beautifully by my Earl Grey: floral black tea flavors, with a refreshingly sharp citrusy zing that prevented the porridge's creaminess from becoming boring.<br />
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One cooking note: the ratio I found everywhere online is really wrong, assuming you want porridge and not semolina-flavored water. I used less liquid than recommended (2 cups water- our milk smelled funny...) to a quarter cup semolina, and it was still quite watery after 20 minutes of cooking. Maybe it has something to do with the grind of my semolina (pretty fine), but I'd go with 1.5 cups liquid next time, or maybe even less. I didn't miss the milk, though added a few tablespoons butter to compensate.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-79265876166628978662012-01-23T10:16:00.000-06:002012-01-23T10:16:14.180-06:00Odd Ingredient du Jour: LardSo, for someone who likes food a whole lot, I'm not really into the Cult of Pig that's hit the food world in the last few years. I like my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam%C3%B3n_serrano">jamón</a>, I like <a href="http://www.academiabarilla.com/italian-recipes/meats-charcuterie/prosciutto-daniele.aspx">proscuitto di San Daniele</a>, I madly love <a href="http://salumebeddu.com/">these people</a>. But I maybe cook bacon once a year. It's ok, but I could take it or leave it. Especially since lamb bacon is way tastier. <br />
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In any case, Jon decided to cook traditional Hungarian goulash last night. The recipe called for the meat to be browned in a few tablespoons of lard or shortening, and we had neither. The sensible thing would've been to buy that scary shelf-stabilized lard, or to buy a can of Crisco, or just use butter or oil. Or maybe even to head to the Dupont Farmers' Market and hope <a href="http://redapronbutchery.com/">Red Apron Butcher</a> had some posh lard on hand. Me being me, however, this went in a different direction.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAgR9Oaf7phqxdQh5-3eN8hd40SMwyjPg3EQ68GBiUiMfnNEpOrzlZTx1cUS2QivJ6Ic7Hp_eyb5g1RsDB2iYDYqjukxJFCtVFi6M0vqxAt8_XBODZj9KkYPhE4vxiWO9PzUVc8Ix2IU/s1600/jan+lard+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAgR9Oaf7phqxdQh5-3eN8hd40SMwyjPg3EQ68GBiUiMfnNEpOrzlZTx1cUS2QivJ6Ic7Hp_eyb5g1RsDB2iYDYqjukxJFCtVFi6M0vqxAt8_XBODZj9KkYPhE4vxiWO9PzUVc8Ix2IU/s320/jan+lard+1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
That's two or three pounds of fat, skin, and god-knows-what the local Whole Foods nicely scraped up for me from their butchering remnants.<br />
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I knew my kindred spirit <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/tags/recipes/The%20Nasty%20Bits">Chichi Wang</a> over at Serious Eats had done a <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/03/how-to-render-leaf-lard-welsh-griddle-cakes-recipe.html">tutorial</a> on rendering lard a few years back, so I figured it was manageable enough. Of course, I wasn't starting with a nice, pretty chunk of leaf lard, so I just loosely followed her procedure and hoped for the best.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibO8PvJ-3alKCfFyw70NRcc1FXZNVaonXZWaUn5vdEFEjFTMsn-hf7nrkfDrXKjA_XPDO8mwDd9pCdZUdke2Y9rIXNCEJhbWmt4wQ3gDdnAoFfFOvQFFL6jyDWRN8rj9qoDUeKytgaxBY/s1600/jan+lard+action+shot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibO8PvJ-3alKCfFyw70NRcc1FXZNVaonXZWaUn5vdEFEjFTMsn-hf7nrkfDrXKjA_XPDO8mwDd9pCdZUdke2Y9rIXNCEJhbWmt4wQ3gDdnAoFfFOvQFFL6jyDWRN8rj9qoDUeKytgaxBY/s320/jan+lard+action+shot.JPG" /></a></div><br />
First, I chopped that pile of pig into approximately 1" chunks. Next time, I'd dice them to get a faster render and maybe even some useful cracklins. The fat was still pretty cold from the butcher's cooler, but if I were dicing, I'd probably pop them in the freezer for awhile to make the process easier and less messy.<br />
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Then I tossed them in my large (4 quart?) dutch oven, and added 1/4 cup of water. The water's just there to help the fat evenly heat, and to prevent scorching at the beginning. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9sOk_bpnb1C6PqgLyCPtioaJ8c75naowR1oD6nFfhQO9uELLOwGPdTIitR0ryY8zpoQwGSxrliVvjiyYSU8gGhpMj-ckcFDxD4bbdoiJEoSxPD42AgwE8tffnVHochJSR9J_IlLcw868/s1600/jan+lard+first.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9sOk_bpnb1C6PqgLyCPtioaJ8c75naowR1oD6nFfhQO9uELLOwGPdTIitR0ryY8zpoQwGSxrliVvjiyYSU8gGhpMj-ckcFDxD4bbdoiJEoSxPD42AgwE8tffnVHochJSR9J_IlLcw868/s320/jan+lard+first.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The tutorial says to start it over very low heat, covered, for the first ten minutes. Presumably this is to help it heat up quickly and evenly, but mine was over such low heat (stupid new apartment burners) that nothing really happened. I removed the lid and kept heating, stirring regularly. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpZ5pZiu4hF-aQQkIs7rnKEWn888BPLmDgK0jYP9hqbrpxa8ZGN0C-5Lhj5GB-jRCNk2NhHqhJI8vAvnl1TeBWHdsknzsHpDvv9L-Vggtba5IWI5IKamUVBJ5PwqquMxAtqnoYa4VOT0/s1600/jan+lard+second.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpZ5pZiu4hF-aQQkIs7rnKEWn888BPLmDgK0jYP9hqbrpxa8ZGN0C-5Lhj5GB-jRCNk2NhHqhJI8vAvnl1TeBWHdsknzsHpDvv9L-Vggtba5IWI5IKamUVBJ5PwqquMxAtqnoYa4VOT0/s320/jan+lard+second.JPG" /></a></div><br />
10 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlH1E5yYQAM4ricgIsJkptBgzYJ3jEGGxShg9GiZj6NNbXR-AlWIYrnF84pTpZVS1lOm82hQGKLTRfCqH6P-lGAL_IL4nzr7uUIMvF3GE56S9DUCnpVVlR0La-xWepgt2sUKtRqUc7_wU/s1600/jan+lard+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlH1E5yYQAM4ricgIsJkptBgzYJ3jEGGxShg9GiZj6NNbXR-AlWIYrnF84pTpZVS1lOm82hQGKLTRfCqH6P-lGAL_IL4nzr7uUIMvF3GE56S9DUCnpVVlR0La-xWepgt2sUKtRqUc7_wU/s320/jan+lard+3.JPG" /></a></div><br />
15 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xSKSvQREOb7VLMTr1kigBzXy6vYq4SFU8uhxm8E0exnLfm4anFQ_JliQ_DpKARg6xHh5aL0Rjgj10sicgnKxSUWWEFk5HMRQbZ_tFZCUBkRd2IWdFIohZt-0YOZvIyNBSBRsO0dSSV4/s1600/jan+lard+third.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xSKSvQREOb7VLMTr1kigBzXy6vYq4SFU8uhxm8E0exnLfm4anFQ_JliQ_DpKARg6xHh5aL0Rjgj10sicgnKxSUWWEFk5HMRQbZ_tFZCUBkRd2IWdFIohZt-0YOZvIyNBSBRsO0dSSV4/s320/jan+lard+third.JPG" /></a></div><br />
20 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigkvh2I6_NFkaO0JiH3ayhSOqnmfFp-1GWY1_7tb-cexQkX9s-lESSUekoT7eODbn-a8vWnv7mTvRRJTW5MbFdZy59_GihD96dP18Gc6CbhusAqUDRYfeZU9azduE92fgW1aseyd23bc/s1600/jan+lard+3.5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigkvh2I6_NFkaO0JiH3ayhSOqnmfFp-1GWY1_7tb-cexQkX9s-lESSUekoT7eODbn-a8vWnv7mTvRRJTW5MbFdZy59_GihD96dP18Gc6CbhusAqUDRYfeZU9azduE92fgW1aseyd23bc/s320/jan+lard+3.5.JPG" /></a></div><br />
75 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopQgSSwFZ3MxdALk0R8dyqQzlQPV6hOtW_DH5s3uiEgEHXlsC0hGmntrv426gyzsAocB-DribbmDuZ0wZApZMW8MIiuXB4UdlY2pg55ngb0vUbZNg3hzS58xjuKXqmF100eQlsXqAfDk/s1600/jan+lard+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopQgSSwFZ3MxdALk0R8dyqQzlQPV6hOtW_DH5s3uiEgEHXlsC0hGmntrv426gyzsAocB-DribbmDuZ0wZApZMW8MIiuXB4UdlY2pg55ngb0vUbZNg3hzS58xjuKXqmF100eQlsXqAfDk/s320/jan+lard+4.JPG" /></a></div><br />
105 minutes.<br />
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The whole process seemed to take forever. Especially between the 20 and 75 minute photos, change was very incremental and slow, to the degree I wondered if it was working at all. The important thing to remember is very low heat, at least until it has mostly melted. This yields a nice golden fat, without browning or developing off-flavors.<br />
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I quit at about two hours, though I could've gone longer and maybe yielded some cracklins. At that point, I (precariously) tipped everything through a mesh strainer into a measuring cup, then into jars for storage.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHVCOuE7NgdQOcEpY3NI6HFq9um0-ujUcnUsOTHkTdU6cC7_MDfzU0K-e_5HcZqhYS42jw3twQm_QkD3VnzYva4Rd6IRdU8tK0iVMOTH_xoGOh76_WlOJCVBO-DSRh7IzKZG2x3GDaBs/s1600/jan+lard+cup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHVCOuE7NgdQOcEpY3NI6HFq9um0-ujUcnUsOTHkTdU6cC7_MDfzU0K-e_5HcZqhYS42jw3twQm_QkD3VnzYva4Rd6IRdU8tK0iVMOTH_xoGOh76_WlOJCVBO-DSRh7IzKZG2x3GDaBs/s320/jan+lard+cup.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It's unfortunately a messy business. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirr4wM2rhJCOdGFt0ZfzSDEP2DrzBOltzGvZEW1xROKLxgbu_TzBy77ml4OocBmgVtDjzw5apYlG8_hbKm3SG95lhtaBghZmhrD8iAfIGA6Bcf0kl2SrQFBPYxgXB6G0CcDxejyTFe9CE/s1600/jan+lard+jar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirr4wM2rhJCOdGFt0ZfzSDEP2DrzBOltzGvZEW1xROKLxgbu_TzBy77ml4OocBmgVtDjzw5apYlG8_hbKm3SG95lhtaBghZmhrD8iAfIGA6Bcf0kl2SrQFBPYxgXB6G0CcDxejyTFe9CE/s320/jan+lard+jar.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It cooled to a nice creamy white, and made Jon's goulash extra-delicious. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the rest of it...Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-89154503452176677772012-01-20T21:18:00.000-06:002012-01-20T21:18:08.649-06:00Holiday Food Roundup, Part IIThe deliciousness continues.<br />
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One of the more brilliant things I discovered over the holidays is the magic of dry brining. I'm a somewhat fanatical advocate for dry brining turkey, and was severely remiss for not recommending it in my <a href="http://what-gen-ate.blogspot.com/2011/11/everybody-panic.html">Thanksgiving post</a>, but hadn't ever tried it for other meats.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfpkpYUK4rUKtUsQY7PSHyvX-7n-uFCdRab_VBfmUyrffYNRf8NWKPIUEIs5pc0uIrYYI32ylpt9Hhrqz_AnV0-s_LYxG09BRB7vMNh1kltc7jgUmdmG4vBlcEzhOce9ACLYsLZd2DHE/s1600/jan+tenderloin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfpkpYUK4rUKtUsQY7PSHyvX-7n-uFCdRab_VBfmUyrffYNRf8NWKPIUEIs5pc0uIrYYI32ylpt9Hhrqz_AnV0-s_LYxG09BRB7vMNh1kltc7jgUmdmG4vBlcEzhOce9ACLYsLZd2DHE/s320/jan+tenderloin.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Enter, the Tenderloin.<br />
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My MIL was cooking Christmas dinner for eight. This was a seven-pound hunk of meat, which she chose to <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Beef-Tenderloin-with-Port-Sauce-240690">dry brine</a>. Basically, toss a bunch of salt on it, and leave it in the refrigerator, uncovered, for a few days. The meat turns from an opaque blood red to a (slightly creepy) translucent dark burgundy. The texture gets leathery and stiff, and you wonder if you've just mangled an $80 piece of cow. We were both terrified. But it roasted into an addictive, amazing meal. The dry outer layer browned more easily and became a little crispy, while the inside cooked normally to a nice medium rare.<br />
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Also in the magical MIL bag of cooking tips? <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-shrimp-cocktail-recipe/index.html">Roasting shrimp</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-FXW4bEPljIyHTWLBrjK09ECFwe_tyga6wm9nPyy9p7bok8RU4M3o2mlobTPbsrVMZ__Y4goiSQhLUiH5DIjakt_3wGL6LnqZ5XTUKR3W_GnqxY4oqOeKTF_-Lpz43AWWVocJ5LmlMQ/s1600/jan+shrimp+cocktail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-FXW4bEPljIyHTWLBrjK09ECFwe_tyga6wm9nPyy9p7bok8RU4M3o2mlobTPbsrVMZ__Y4goiSQhLUiH5DIjakt_3wGL6LnqZ5XTUKR3W_GnqxY4oqOeKTF_-Lpz43AWWVocJ5LmlMQ/s320/jan+shrimp+cocktail.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Unless you're making me gambas al ajillo, I'm not a huge shrimp person. But these were pretty tasty. The olive oil + roasting gives them a nice texture and a more interesting flavor than most cocktail shrimp.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu20BbsMjktbuZNyP88hCWCTNTZ5XgvuXCRzRGsIdF7Z5ImoDbhUeTYcXkqoS15-lAB0hU5LFQpCRYmkNl7_5LrlkuUFQOixmzuvju9sFYq7Im0GlXw1rTH5oqdKfLG6_05EIrNQ9fV94/s1600/jan+plum+cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu20BbsMjktbuZNyP88hCWCTNTZ5XgvuXCRzRGsIdF7Z5ImoDbhUeTYcXkqoS15-lAB0hU5LFQpCRYmkNl7_5LrlkuUFQOixmzuvju9sFYq7Im0GlXw1rTH5oqdKfLG6_05EIrNQ9fV94/s320/jan+plum+cake.JPG" /></a></div><br />
This is <a href="http://www.publicradio.org/columns/splendid-table/recipes/dessert_plum.html">plum cake</a>, from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Essential-New-York-Times-Cookbook/dp/0393061035">cookbook-that-shall-not-be-named</a>. Apparently, it's the most-requested recipe in the history of the New York Times. I baked it with pluots, because plums are quite out of season. It's delicious, and extremely easy to make. Best dessert I've ever had? Nope. But if we're doing a results:time ratio, it's pretty far up there.<br />
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Finally, there's this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6IjxOwUJrf755MXtqXN7Adn6VWFhDHYxCrylEZXcAzwCl-OPvtI8_EJxTowgGaZgp94elGeWKVDDEepusBJr2SE6iFPO1A_Vtp8HPLapnIi3wi-N0_tzsc_FesQ8z2f_ka1Zjq9aq1c/s1600/jan+fred+casons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6IjxOwUJrf755MXtqXN7Adn6VWFhDHYxCrylEZXcAzwCl-OPvtI8_EJxTowgGaZgp94elGeWKVDDEepusBJr2SE6iFPO1A_Vtp8HPLapnIi3wi-N0_tzsc_FesQ8z2f_ka1Zjq9aq1c/s320/jan+fred+casons.JPG" /></a></div><br />
We were spending the night in Fayetteville, NC on the way home from Florida. Jon had found some barbecue place online that sounded reasonably tasty. So we were wandering around darkened streets, when we passed this sign. Fred. Chason's. Grandsons. Intriguing. We drove another two miles or so, and gave up on barbecue. Fred Chason's. It just sounded awesome. <br />
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We walked in, and immediately saw a guy with a handgun in his waistband. I knew then we'd made the right call. It was a buffet. Maybe $12 a person? But oh my god, the food.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfEoNCHVh46UvmIWQUYDV0iIuUvXxYLBTjXMNARIIlsrNO0Qm0MoQj3jVL9CI4wzx82boM5laOK3hnJmX35_SP9UGGJ1fKhpUXBoM1JezmGAWAsGKWij2ScGqoNRMvDC9tvogHEaeSn8/s1600/jan+fred+chasons+plate+nom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfEoNCHVh46UvmIWQUYDV0iIuUvXxYLBTjXMNARIIlsrNO0Qm0MoQj3jVL9CI4wzx82boM5laOK3hnJmX35_SP9UGGJ1fKhpUXBoM1JezmGAWAsGKWij2ScGqoNRMvDC9tvogHEaeSn8/s320/jan+fred+chasons+plate+nom.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Really good fried chicken. Really good. Also mac n' cheese, greens, cracklins (which I'd never had before), sausage, pretty much every part of a pig you can imagine, and reams of cobbler (multiple flavors). Oh, and sweet tea. Your stomach might explode, but it's definitely worth a detour.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-67140694426311954672012-01-18T17:28:00.000-06:002012-01-18T17:28:18.645-06:00Spain in a BowlFor dinner, I adapted this Catalan fried noodle <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/13/magazine/food-spain-a-catalan-ole.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm">recipe</a>. I made it more delicious, and, I daresay, more Spanish.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmthrqtW4njP7cK58AedlaQwAN-f5wbjLLjeS_XaQKLxGOUgZuuJpGQ-YR6NeJ102zy4G4ThcGeBCb4L74ZWTivg_7PQsscd3fVF2t5Ftz3XC6B80yv3tqePwDEVff0fF0bglLG77uVMc/s1600/jan+spanish+pasta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmthrqtW4njP7cK58AedlaQwAN-f5wbjLLjeS_XaQKLxGOUgZuuJpGQ-YR6NeJ102zy4G4ThcGeBCb4L74ZWTivg_7PQsscd3fVF2t5Ftz3XC6B80yv3tqePwDEVff0fF0bglLG77uVMc/s320/jan+spanish+pasta.JPG" /></a></div>This was taken pre-paprika.<br />
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So, what is it? Cappellini noodles, tossed with olive oil and roasted to a toasty light brown. Then cooked in fish broth and topped with mussels, paprika, and garlic aioli.<br />
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I was on the fence about which seafood to use. The original recipe calls for neither, but it uses fish broth. Seafood broths usually only take a few minutes to make from scratch, and they're hard and expensive to find. Using shrimp would create a neat take on gambas al ajillo, but I like mussels better. Also, for some reason that doesn't even make sense to me, I find shrimp more viscerally disgusting to work with.<br />
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The results? Awesomely rustic, like something the little old rural ladies of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441909/">Volver</a> would make. The paprika, not normally my favorite spice, made it all come together perfectly. Next time, I'd pan-fry the noodles rather than roast, just for user-friendliness, and butter, instead of olive oil, might be interesting to try as well. <br />
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The best part of all this? I somehow, inexplicably, did the impossible and made beautiful thick aioli with only a bowl and a wooden spoon. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgbgZSZbyv1j7q8ZtuafDUx_NsuHjsqUbHGs7c5410Xn_DZ-bxoaUZ-3Nz1xyitMUmvdmp64toHejjN_6MiRFQmryNDq8_o17rCnNhEG3eZEcrYz19it4CV3GIwjKMmkPqxp7Rjgb_s0/s1600/jan+spanish+aioli.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgbgZSZbyv1j7q8ZtuafDUx_NsuHjsqUbHGs7c5410Xn_DZ-bxoaUZ-3Nz1xyitMUmvdmp64toHejjN_6MiRFQmryNDq8_o17rCnNhEG3eZEcrYz19it4CV3GIwjKMmkPqxp7Rjgb_s0/s320/jan+spanish+aioli.JPG" /></a></div>Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-81780654711196940462012-01-15T10:10:00.000-06:002012-01-15T10:10:24.707-06:00Blini Brunch at HomeFor breakfast, I made blini with blueberry jam, with coffee to drink.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKublcPz-aVrPyAxwE-wdxDfLxnruOzYVg9rQiudKYB2sR6O10tXd83PnmlkQimmdy4_xmdKpZdk0ugIlezCsUKomFAi80MoPxXmAEzUDc7AbDJ3sMYkGxfebckULLECnZ7rEuMVdAKX8/s1600/jan+blini+pancakes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKublcPz-aVrPyAxwE-wdxDfLxnruOzYVg9rQiudKYB2sR6O10tXd83PnmlkQimmdy4_xmdKpZdk0ugIlezCsUKomFAi80MoPxXmAEzUDc7AbDJ3sMYkGxfebckULLECnZ7rEuMVdAKX8/s320/jan+blini+pancakes.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Making blini is messy, as you can see. I based them on <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/magazine/17food-t-000.html">this recipe</a>, from the ubiquitous (at least around here) NYT Cookbook. I, however, used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, baking powder instead of soda, didn't provide for an overnight rest, and halved the recipe. They were still awesome.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQt0Yro6Rdoqdr0dtlMud_LJnQaYJfDDUWQNjnv2_wIwwKYOXkGgjzglTkHQW2Ynnhw046DJvQ40mADB7zsTxF4n_1afUVOzp0uoKG_1lCe4bFtt4_xsGkIRdqCnLbFfqvaoCrW-0WBw/s1600/jan+blini+mush.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQt0Yro6Rdoqdr0dtlMud_LJnQaYJfDDUWQNjnv2_wIwwKYOXkGgjzglTkHQW2Ynnhw046DJvQ40mADB7zsTxF4n_1afUVOzp0uoKG_1lCe4bFtt4_xsGkIRdqCnLbFfqvaoCrW-0WBw/s320/jan+blini+mush.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The idea is to barely cook them through, so the middle stays super-creamy. The Greek yogurt added a sour tang that played well with the Bonne Maman wild blueberry preserves (<a href="http://www.bonnemaman.us/preserves-jellies/products/#Wild_Blueberry">my new obsession</a>), but would have been too much otherwise.<br />
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The actual cooking process was frustrating- you have to flip them while they're still quite liquid, and they don't hold together very well. My first batch was easiest to flip because of the lower heat and slower cooking time, but the last batch developed a really nice buttery, crispy skin from the higher heat. I hate making most pancakes, due to the large number of ingredients and finicky behavior of most batters...it just seems unnecessarily combative to attempt something that complex when you're in a half-awake brunch daze. Despite their issues, I found these much easier to deal with, and would highly recommend them.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-8105441346915980612012-01-12T20:28:00.002-06:002012-01-12T20:45:08.931-06:00Completely Obsessed...with baking bread. Seriously, this old NYT recipe is so easy. And I've baked, and been frustrated by, a lot of bread. <i>Easy.</i> I googled around to see if anyone had put the recipe online <a href="http://tiniestkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/french-bread.html">(they had)</a>, and was really depressed to see everyone else is getting much <a href="http://friendsandhammers.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/daily-breadstory-french-bread/">prettier</a> results.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaB32F1DB_6RYmyqhi8moXXqeo1wTAcAc6mukcOKL5nbvCmiuB1Y1EKlyyWeCCXP7UyHYtQ6NGeqHo-fo5MYzHMVjJB0YemPNav-eAWGSjA-sIOv4q7g3kJ-kKX0JEAdDyoThppLggE4/s1600/jan+bread+two.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaB32F1DB_6RYmyqhi8moXXqeo1wTAcAc6mukcOKL5nbvCmiuB1Y1EKlyyWeCCXP7UyHYtQ6NGeqHo-fo5MYzHMVjJB0YemPNav-eAWGSjA-sIOv4q7g3kJ-kKX0JEAdDyoThppLggE4/s320/jan+bread+two.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Whatever. It tastes great, even when made completely from white whole wheat flour, and it takes no time at all. I mixed up a batch, walked the dog, rolled it around a little, waited awhile, and baked it perfectly in time for dinner. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarDz7jPVnIXzL0PawgwW10omfJ4Hlp2b4mPOVRUK75gF-q8sfVn8SPCR_8DmUG3J0ER6j9lOPS2HYTjjuQZmWguKvKDhtEUO3xYPWam5_0M3jcXbILo7_TIUv8Zq2ND0Y8juLQnz7ycQ/s1600/jan+bread+shallots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarDz7jPVnIXzL0PawgwW10omfJ4Hlp2b4mPOVRUK75gF-q8sfVn8SPCR_8DmUG3J0ER6j9lOPS2HYTjjuQZmWguKvKDhtEUO3xYPWam5_0M3jcXbILo7_TIUv8Zq2ND0Y8juLQnz7ycQ/s320/jan+bread+shallots.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Still warm, with some shallot butter? Brilliant.<br />
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[Digressive edit: one of those links, the one with the prettier-than-mine bread, is actually an awesome-looking blog. Jon's sort of crushed my longstanding live-in-the-Rustbelt-and-build-stuff fantasies, but now I know where to go to <a href="http://friendsandhammers.wordpress.com/">get my fix</a>...]Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-75787809312314062322012-01-10T21:02:00.000-06:002012-01-10T21:02:15.503-06:00French Onion Soup-ishFor dinner, I kind of had French onion soup. Not nearly as deconstructed as <a href="http://www.gilttaste.com/stories/4079-the-french-onion-soup-sandwich-recipe">this</a>, but almost.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcD5viOXqfXANGEmxDVjbAPDABaCNUMlW8YYfTF1rgtDW-SQo78bk0TBK1VlJdpXTyNqXZ00ml0WKIWmpa1-s33Rv19mC0e8C7k7-t_tCvzRq7hc0AH65XxmmbTy1uoE_iYP0_tmX1BY/s1600/jan+bread+onions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcD5viOXqfXANGEmxDVjbAPDABaCNUMlW8YYfTF1rgtDW-SQo78bk0TBK1VlJdpXTyNqXZ00ml0WKIWmpa1-s33Rv19mC0e8C7k7-t_tCvzRq7hc0AH65XxmmbTy1uoE_iYP0_tmX1BY/s320/jan+bread+onions.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It all started when I tried to make a baguette. I'm still madly in love with the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Essential-New-York-Times-Cookbook/dp/0393061035">New York Times Cookbook</a>, which I received as a Christmas present. And bread is one of those things I wish I made more often, just because you miss it if you don't have it, and homemade is always best.<br />
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So I used the Craig Claiborne/Pierre Franey recipe (couldn't find it online...buy the cookbook, you'll like it. Or borrow mine) for French bread. I used wine yeast, because I happened to have a little lying around. I don't think it really makes a difference though. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGPft46-IjDc3qWsjGQW_YB7afJXPiERz_9nP_kXFyJ5JrnudLEo0yPCsAX9BQf1WETq-dFm_FlcrppNZas4ueFZqAK8FeI19pTWm5lQGi5c_EKkrFwUTWwaui6YbuQh5K_irdVSKGU8/s1600/jan+bread.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGPft46-IjDc3qWsjGQW_YB7afJXPiERz_9nP_kXFyJ5JrnudLEo0yPCsAX9BQf1WETq-dFm_FlcrppNZas4ueFZqAK8FeI19pTWm5lQGi5c_EKkrFwUTWwaui6YbuQh5K_irdVSKGU8/s320/jan+bread.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It has to be the technique. It's a really simple recipe, and, per usual, I messed with it by using mostly white whole wheat flour instead of white. It still turned out well. I was concerned that the inside was so dense in appearance:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXg4ODscTyiPYw8VowTpX1AwUa3_e2O4TcANBYWVxzoHKa1Y9aaqE5fSHjMCPFZ2RdIUfH39Y3cOOUfpagy3NJJiTl0wT_J3pfQC7TbyFk0OAvjx1JI1ml7Hl70TZm3ktGw-YYetETVaQ/s1600/jan+bread+slice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXg4ODscTyiPYw8VowTpX1AwUa3_e2O4TcANBYWVxzoHKa1Y9aaqE5fSHjMCPFZ2RdIUfH39Y3cOOUfpagy3NJJiTl0wT_J3pfQC7TbyFk0OAvjx1JI1ml7Hl70TZm3ktGw-YYetETVaQ/s320/jan+bread+slice.JPG" /></a></div><br />
But it turned out perfectly. The dense texture held well when I used it for almond butter & blueberry jam sandwiches at lunch, and was a nice counterpoint to the onion jam at dinner.<br />
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Onions?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcVGFqXxG0ZBi9ePKgX6EM_5QiMRXwB6G16K48z8BryQNGcCjjYoD4FtiQ7KWB0vBa1b6-I8RJxxyryeSqFOIGKx5H_QSJjlc9uL4v3qMJTPb05gGDND2hDg-jHGudja4EckLaAwTuYI/s1600/jan+onions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcVGFqXxG0ZBi9ePKgX6EM_5QiMRXwB6G16K48z8BryQNGcCjjYoD4FtiQ7KWB0vBa1b6-I8RJxxyryeSqFOIGKx5H_QSJjlc9uL4v3qMJTPb05gGDND2hDg-jHGudja4EckLaAwTuYI/s320/jan+onions.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It was sort of the same confit recipe as <a href="http://what-gen-ate.blogspot.com/2011/11/for-lunch-i-had-fusilli-in-creamy-onion.html">before</a>. This time, I measured to make sure I was slicing the onions more or less uniformly at 1/4". My new general rule is to use approximately a tablespoon, or a bit more, of butter per pound of onions. And to cook them very, very slowly. These I removed from heat after 1.5 to 2 hours, when they had barely changed to a light toffee color. I added a little kosher salt toward the beginning, and a little red wine towards the end. This time, I also chose to puree them a bit in the food processor, to yield nicely uniform bits.<br />
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To make the "soup", I covered some caramelized onion puree with sliced cubes of bread and shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano and briefly heated it. I can't overstate how awesome slow-cooked onions are- it's pure umami goodness. You don't need to use a ton of butter for a smooth, savory flavor. The bread was also a success, though maybe I'd add a little more water next time- I always forget the white whole wheat flour soaks up more moisture and you have to adjust.<br />
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To drink, I had a Dogfish Head "<a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/64/1180">Raison d' Etre</a>". It's becoming one of my local-ish go-to beers for complex, interesting flavors. It has a Belgian feel, with some light banana/clove flavors and heavier 'green' flavors- apple, maybe pear? Unique and interesting and substantial, but it still goes well with most foods.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-32718620093842013082012-01-09T11:52:00.000-06:002012-01-09T11:52:41.246-06:00Holiday Food Roundup, Part IOver the holiday season, I had a lot of tasty, and/or bizarre, food. Here's a brief roundup, from the first part of my vacation.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXcQV_m19pvjOkLSYyEVJIIOVd5nRIhmprxzdTP2xie-tOuS1nhHANCI_6Jb_Yiw3QELX2QV2diohA3KKNyKS7XuHOFVOMjyKxvI2cyfWsb6WI6nTgT_X-JLRIwGC1YgNWtg0sKu49WkI/s1600/jan+pancake+puppies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXcQV_m19pvjOkLSYyEVJIIOVd5nRIhmprxzdTP2xie-tOuS1nhHANCI_6Jb_Yiw3QELX2QV2diohA3KKNyKS7XuHOFVOMjyKxvI2cyfWsb6WI6nTgT_X-JLRIwGC1YgNWtg0sKu49WkI/s320/jan+pancake+puppies.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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I was tempted, but ultimately resisted, these freaky little things. I love red velvet cake (actually, one of my unspoken New Year's resolutions is to pin down a great recipe for the cake I so love), but this was just scary. <br />
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Instead, I had bread pudding French toast:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKDa9SuW0ds-sWzvtAg5ge_Lb9Ac4hsf8_VXMnad76uSTNKc9jJWGw0oZZISy9WixB_b8VrvnT_JCvWdL_PFfCQ9-DumcWvb_35C98hYpm7Q7_cCoU8qVI1bbApzZfFZwqau4skfnWnM/s1600/jan+bread+pudding+french+toast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKDa9SuW0ds-sWzvtAg5ge_Lb9Ac4hsf8_VXMnad76uSTNKc9jJWGw0oZZISy9WixB_b8VrvnT_JCvWdL_PFfCQ9-DumcWvb_35C98hYpm7Q7_cCoU8qVI1bbApzZfFZwqau4skfnWnM/s320/jan+bread+pudding+french+toast.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The location was Denny's, in case you were wondering. It was attached to our hotel, otherwise I wouldn't have been caught dead there. It's not snobbery, it's just that I don't remember eating at a Denny's without getting full-on, three-days-of-stomach-flu food poisoning. Not kidding; it had been ten years at least since I set foot in a Denny's. Thankfully, I emerged unscathed from this experiment. It was extremely dense, slimy yet dry, and strangely textured, but it didn't kill me. Success?<br />
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Once we got to Florida, I was intrigued by this bit of pretentiousness:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUzLng68SvSVkJgyEgJyqLkXuKFm3IK3ZY8QDINtmSS73-mSIPZkLWLr8K1961dollTvzQVQ-qMFwl1w0ujmYCYzk6-CkHS7DQ1hBCNApFrC2hlYjSpr8MIqEEMQI2T9RhC0MgW7Ivvc/s1600/jan+cranberry+bog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUzLng68SvSVkJgyEgJyqLkXuKFm3IK3ZY8QDINtmSS73-mSIPZkLWLr8K1961dollTvzQVQ-qMFwl1w0ujmYCYzk6-CkHS7DQ1hBCNApFrC2hlYjSpr8MIqEEMQI2T9RhC0MgW7Ivvc/s320/jan+cranberry+bog.JPG" /></a></div><br />
A "cranberry bog", from which you can fish your very own cranberries. Fresh Market kind of pisses me off for <a href="http://www.nbcwashington.com/the-scene/food-drink/Vienna-Business-Says-Non-Compete-Is-No-Fair-121955234.html">what they're up to in suburban DC</a>, but I understand that they're a rare beacon of enlightenment in rural Florida. Still, pretentious. <br />
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Then there's the random office I visited with the in-laws. You know, you visit an accounting or legal office or whatever, and they ask you if you'd like something to drink? At this office, I was offered a menu:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE6_p_dThNLeyNUvSrvMx8yXrLPuwx9ujgTPO-T32bI61X5zLIzEAAutN6ub4Ze7WPkj4c7x59sUSQIA-snfCimfNShklWfHGnctJimJuHlQLaRyFZoGDZUOA_34zvNIR_NUFxdrQlmY/s1600/jan+weird+beverage+menu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE6_p_dThNLeyNUvSrvMx8yXrLPuwx9ujgTPO-T32bI61X5zLIzEAAutN6ub4Ze7WPkj4c7x59sUSQIA-snfCimfNShklWfHGnctJimJuHlQLaRyFZoGDZUOA_34zvNIR_NUFxdrQlmY/s320/jan+weird+beverage+menu.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Yeah.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-29119484624473396112012-01-08T19:19:00.001-06:002012-01-08T19:23:29.121-06:00Yay, cookware!Sorry I was gone so long! I didn't plan on that, but hooking up internet at the in-laws' proved to be more trouble than it was worth. Don't worry, I'll be punished enough when I try to make a roundup of all the tasty food I've had in the last three weeks.<br />
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In the meantime, I thought I'd talk about cookware. Fun, eh?<br />
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A few months ago, I was trying to candy some lemon slices, in my absolute favorite size pot. Favorite because it's perfect for everything but really big or really small jobs. It's a two quart Le Creuset, part of a 70s brown set I "borrowed" from my mother and never gave back. You can guess where this is going, no?<br />
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I was cooking them over low heat, and it was time to take my dog for a walk. And it was such a gorgeous day, the nicest day in so long, that I took her for an extra-long walk, completely forgetting my lemons. I came home to an apartment full of dense smoke, and an apparently broken fire alarm. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pwa5bcGyiJYuG3XRl72v1kAgoANafvXizSc7Zbfv2UVlklhsMgKtyFMZn7bdyfv-7oNPZLf1aW-bSjZSkVznaczbCv0egUJCf8QOcBG1rNWHJb4-JX1FN7ZpDnEVr8umLLtOZdlZKuc/s1600/jan+burned+creuset.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pwa5bcGyiJYuG3XRl72v1kAgoANafvXizSc7Zbfv2UVlklhsMgKtyFMZn7bdyfv-7oNPZLf1aW-bSjZSkVznaczbCv0egUJCf8QOcBG1rNWHJb4-JX1FN7ZpDnEVr8umLLtOZdlZKuc/s320/jan+burned+creuset.JPG" /></a></div><br />
And this. This was taken after I spent about an hour chipping carbonized chunks of lemon out of the pot, actually.<br />
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I spent the next month chipping away, and zapping it with <a href="http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/">oxalic acid</a>, but it just wasn't the same. I heard scary internet rumors of glass chunks in my food, and got freaked out about trying to rehabilitate it. So, on our drive back from vacation in Florida, we decided to stop at one of the Le Creuset factory stores for a replacement.<br />
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The store itself was an interesting cultural experience. Hello, dainty old southern ladies. Hello, temptation. I managed to escape just over $100 poorer, for the pot, a specialized potholder, and a large bottle of enameled cast-iron cleaner. Not bad.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PNkHcti-3jfIXyNOLsUn4vEpK1zKkrOZhY9AZU59XgQs9FX-4mgfYR_aQkc3IbxNbkTZ9-SvItwTMVmZYq08FqPT391R8OkZQnVdh8bgeO1Ecn3ZlHqfDGLMFGkmHpJfYpWcqWvU2Bk/s1600/jan+creuset.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PNkHcti-3jfIXyNOLsUn4vEpK1zKkrOZhY9AZU59XgQs9FX-4mgfYR_aQkc3IbxNbkTZ9-SvItwTMVmZYq08FqPT391R8OkZQnVdh8bgeO1Ecn3ZlHqfDGLMFGkmHpJfYpWcqWvU2Bk/s320/jan+creuset.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The blue happened to be on sale, happens to go nicely with the chocolate brown 70s set, and is kind of sexy. Win.<br />
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But I noticed some interesting differences I feel compelled to note. Maybe it'll help out if you ever find a vintage pot somewhere and wonder what it is?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExopHaKsjz7K9rJpyw1KZ2Yt5qaAVmX9EvdX9KKig02y7X__rhzB6BhsEnIrDkfX0wV4LeeJSu9z_qi0Yt0K6_jt7l6tarEhK4FI8Ttg7XVlEdW90XGsJ_GoVxcJMyFU-Cg61qiCmodg/s1600/jan+creuset+bottoms.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExopHaKsjz7K9rJpyw1KZ2Yt5qaAVmX9EvdX9KKig02y7X__rhzB6BhsEnIrDkfX0wV4LeeJSu9z_qi0Yt0K6_jt7l6tarEhK4FI8Ttg7XVlEdW90XGsJ_GoVxcJMyFU-Cg61qiCmodg/s320/jan+creuset+bottoms.JPG" /></a></div><br />
They started enameling the bottoms! As you can see from the wear on my 70s pot, this is probably a good thing. I'm looking forward to easier cleanup, without worrying about whether my pot bottom is fully dry. Also, the enamel surface is much easier to thoroughly dry.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpMAZNDrHq5xaphDGGd147rUaD3wYGjS93GrlyGawHBkrCuEVYdkGqTUutGdBOs5Lumwc44whF5MZ6SiBGv3VLtbmYijuLMq5zz2_XBwJAkxRB7BZudl_sRumHOPr0IdAAEUFzA_p8zQ/s1600/jan+creuset+lids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpMAZNDrHq5xaphDGGd147rUaD3wYGjS93GrlyGawHBkrCuEVYdkGqTUutGdBOs5Lumwc44whF5MZ6SiBGv3VLtbmYijuLMq5zz2_XBwJAkxRB7BZudl_sRumHOPr0IdAAEUFzA_p8zQ/s320/jan+creuset+lids.JPG" /></a></div><br />
They posh-ified the lids! Older lids don't have any markings, while the new one is cast with a large "Le Creuset". I guess this impresses people watching me cook? Yeah.<br />
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On less exciting notes, you can see that they slightly changed the shape of the handles, and that they still insist on selling pots with <a href="http://cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/product_Large-Phenolic-Knob_10151_-1_20002_10320_">"phenolic" knobs</a>. My 70s pot has a nice looking knob only because I've melted the plastic off the metal base with use over the years. You can purchase stainless steel knobs from Le Creuset to replace them for high-temperature oven cooking, but seriously?! I fail to understand why plastic-covered metal is still standard.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-73241803125145132282011-12-18T19:47:00.000-06:002011-12-18T19:47:12.614-06:00Holiday FunThings have been busy lately. It's that time of year, I guess. We went to a great holiday cheese party, and a typical office party. I made these for the latter:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUF1GrKC-y9XlxXStg4zTxQJpNLMsyaFytP8sd8Nns54ApZHNLHkwlP2GgyTMXTYlcZVKL656jeFUKOV163QsiUXSKttPf07S495OQLkJLQmBKL0H_LlhuAgbaULKemrtqEDErGn9w3HI/s1600/pome+cupcake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUF1GrKC-y9XlxXStg4zTxQJpNLMsyaFytP8sd8Nns54ApZHNLHkwlP2GgyTMXTYlcZVKL656jeFUKOV163QsiUXSKttPf07S495OQLkJLQmBKL0H_LlhuAgbaULKemrtqEDErGn9w3HI/s320/pome+cupcake.JPG" /></a></div><br />
They're the super-simple cheesecake cupcakes I <a href="http://what-gen-ate.blogspot.com/2011/11/everybody-panic.html">recommended</a> for Thanksgiving. Pomegranates happen to be in season, and are gorgeous and delicious, so I added pomegranate seeds to half of the batch for color and excitement.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwp4OZSgtXAZR0PRFWECEMns4c-pL-FnEL28fQHwmTA30w8OeizL6NsbMgHAY7_HoKMBog5Iut2TYQowGIZB9iAYcM6sLVOdq1ZcPNZtmSKrx_gZvm_fobgns-EyxiW7a4WfnZ8J2jFg/s1600/sexy+pomegranate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwp4OZSgtXAZR0PRFWECEMns4c-pL-FnEL28fQHwmTA30w8OeizL6NsbMgHAY7_HoKMBog5Iut2TYQowGIZB9iAYcM6sLVOdq1ZcPNZtmSKrx_gZvm_fobgns-EyxiW7a4WfnZ8J2jFg/s320/sexy+pomegranate.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The cupcakes turned out deliciously. Unfortunately, I made way too many, so we are still trying to eat them all. Cupcake overload is awesome, but not during the holidays when everyone is already plying us with delicious food.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJTEgLSMkua9G1UMQTmQ86V3kyE0UJ4dPoqlQjRnLC-GnWR1Yi-1sX_rMRuWgQDdA1-Uyi8CDHDlYLjpiMhWFCRS2YJyk5GLd2kAjkC1cmTJPjwIsxS9Go8kQWZPwMWDs-9cetVTQXMY/s1600/pome+cup+nom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJTEgLSMkua9G1UMQTmQ86V3kyE0UJ4dPoqlQjRnLC-GnWR1Yi-1sX_rMRuWgQDdA1-Uyi8CDHDlYLjpiMhWFCRS2YJyk5GLd2kAjkC1cmTJPjwIsxS9Go8kQWZPwMWDs-9cetVTQXMY/s320/pome+cup+nom.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Anyone need some cupcakes?<br />
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In other news, we finally checked out the local <a href="http://koshermart.com/">kosher grocery</a> today. We'd heard tantalizing tales of lamb bacon from friends, and had to investigate. We haven't sampled the bacon yet, but the experience was fun. We saw a congressman stocking up on ridiculous quantities of gefilte fish, and saw this sign on their canned fish aisle:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDx2wKXkgAXh6xq7LGdeVL8Pq7SLL382CA3LPVexIcN1_TqJxsEAz20MM2J-sEKekVMPZQPxDdZzbzWYoH8q7pAd2pXQTcRmT76SqRpEF1kq6mYoZcIn-C3d_UfoS1EaKivZUzGSst7g/s1600/kosher+pedantics.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDx2wKXkgAXh6xq7LGdeVL8Pq7SLL382CA3LPVexIcN1_TqJxsEAz20MM2J-sEKekVMPZQPxDdZzbzWYoH8q7pAd2pXQTcRmT76SqRpEF1kq6mYoZcIn-C3d_UfoS1EaKivZUzGSst7g/s320/kosher+pedantics.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Seriously, you want to read that. Kind of gross, but great. One of the things I find fascinating about kosher food rules is how detailed they can be. Very, very detailed.Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1997939271211045268.post-88727509069886951482011-12-06T17:30:00.000-06:002011-12-06T17:30:54.635-06:00Pesto, deconstructed......figuratively, of course. I try not to be pretentious like that. <br />
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For dinner tonight, I decided to make a quick pesto and some more <a href="http://what-gen-ate.blogspot.com/2011/11/for-lunch-i-had-fusilli-in-creamy-onion.html">onion confit</a>, and alternately spread them on slices of bread. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVIp_MUf_B6bGLD7BxSz_5vBafL2AsUjGleWt4TeZXr3Ny-LIdo9mHnCTUcEnBSICLFtxk9zYTnFGp1t09vOVQJJvPRipd8t8FnwRAY07iPiJREsWpttGdCLqZzysdMDFTcQ8zDYGkuE/s1600/pesto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVIp_MUf_B6bGLD7BxSz_5vBafL2AsUjGleWt4TeZXr3Ny-LIdo9mHnCTUcEnBSICLFtxk9zYTnFGp1t09vOVQJJvPRipd8t8FnwRAY07iPiJREsWpttGdCLqZzysdMDFTcQ8zDYGkuE/s320/pesto.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The pesto I made is non-traditional, and it caused me to think about what makes a good pesto. I generally make non-traditional pestos, and they always turn out great, with a minimum of measuring or fussiness. <br />
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If you think about it, all you really need is something leafy, something crunchy, something fatty, and salt. I usually add something acidic and something aromatic for a little excitement, but it's not always necessary. <br />
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Tonight's is arugula, pistachios, olive oil, lemon juice, and shallot. I just tossed alternating handfuls of everything into the food processor, and voila. Another of my favorites is spinach, walnuts, goat feta, and garlic. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCid5fQ3XnDwJg9dS1p3tIvrvJ8HR-Vrg4qHVizVuJYPMXVDMkZzIWBs0-52uI4XQ9qIwgxg5hnjonMOIX9c2tLnzDZ65O5EDyN_lyBN3kcWPsB9IA5TuEM_CFtChcJgAS0VBOY_cBHMw/s1600/pesto+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCid5fQ3XnDwJg9dS1p3tIvrvJ8HR-Vrg4qHVizVuJYPMXVDMkZzIWBs0-52uI4XQ9qIwgxg5hnjonMOIX9c2tLnzDZ65O5EDyN_lyBN3kcWPsB9IA5TuEM_CFtChcJgAS0VBOY_cBHMw/s320/pesto+2.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Easy and delicious. Though it does kind of look out of place on our plastic plates (did I mention we're moving?!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4_hLPnNxANClFIlsUsetNL-WaM7vzNLeGuzhyDnPMbNvP1K3t7Wo4PacDu2eAdwzUxIN5vAV4SkUfl9JREKiOGuM08w6qFio0_hyphenhyphen4rSe-dq8fV_Scpl-_ljqCxu_0VvUIKaHjHlot-s/s1600/pesto+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4_hLPnNxANClFIlsUsetNL-WaM7vzNLeGuzhyDnPMbNvP1K3t7Wo4PacDu2eAdwzUxIN5vAV4SkUfl9JREKiOGuM08w6qFio0_hyphenhyphen4rSe-dq8fV_Scpl-_ljqCxu_0VvUIKaHjHlot-s/s320/pesto+3.JPG" /></a></div>Genhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803680458683579545noreply@blogger.com0