tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42810997571558487502024-03-12T21:11:56.656-04:00Boilermaker KitchenAdventures of a home cook/scientist. Experimenting in the kitchen is just what I do. It all adds up to some great experiences and food. I hope you enjoy my recipes.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-40981840274324964822010-08-25T13:31:00.000-04:002010-08-25T13:31:52.359-04:00I Have Moved!My new blog, <a href="http://cookingwithwolfes.blogspot.com/">Cooking With Wolfes</a>, is up and ready to go! I will no longer be updating this blog and have moved all of my Food Buzz and related operations to the new one. You can find the blog at cookingwithwolfes.blogspot.com and you can email me at <a href="mailto:cookingwithwolfes@gmail.com">cookingwithwolfes@gmail.com</a>.<br />
<br />
You can also access me via <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/foodies/us/indiana/west_lafayette/profile/cooking%20with%20wolfes">Foodbuzz</a><br />
<br />
The new blog focuses on seasonal and on-sale items to create budget-friendly and tasty meals. Enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-53842506403221612182010-06-15T22:56:00.000-04:002010-06-15T22:56:37.807-04:00RetoolingRecently I have been thinking about how to move this forward. To me, food blogging is my hobby, but it's also a passion and something that I truly have a lot of interest in. So I'm changing. My blog, perhaps my approach, websites, probably a lot! I want to expand and hopefully brand my unique perspective of cooking in a way that people can find it approachable and fun. So give me a few weeks and look forward to some big new things!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-85891864767176054252010-06-08T21:45:00.002-04:002010-06-09T11:22:49.649-04:00Garden Update- Rabbit Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSyUtvbjRwV0aUsG1h9tEEHy8FoBmUERB6je15UfbY6h0A6TIeYeVOodD6T-6WujCR9yuptteocZoaaUWeEI7QlZxQdzEA_aklgldmpY7nj18XpI2hLJUCzf1uwQ3pfDTomX1RaZx9x7e/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSyUtvbjRwV0aUsG1h9tEEHy8FoBmUERB6je15UfbY6h0A6TIeYeVOodD6T-6WujCR9yuptteocZoaaUWeEI7QlZxQdzEA_aklgldmpY7nj18XpI2hLJUCzf1uwQ3pfDTomX1RaZx9x7e/s400/Vegas+Pictures+006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I'm about 2 months into my garden and things are progressing. "Progressing nicely" might be a stretch, mainly because I'm not really getting the total yields I want, but I think that has a lot do with a) this is my first garden and b) the weather can't make up its mind. But I'm actually harvesting veggies, so I really shouldn’t be complaining.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHdDdWtVixUvn864deInwJm389-UeV_Ia6ZHnx1eh7bshCQgwGcsOzVNNKhY481OPNRTTkOKvYpu0npq8QypyFKVt1XlH4BTMyeYAIeQLPNasy6lntYTudVRBrCxf2bcpAzqlmzgruv3U/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHdDdWtVixUvn864deInwJm389-UeV_Ia6ZHnx1eh7bshCQgwGcsOzVNNKhY481OPNRTTkOKvYpu0npq8QypyFKVt1XlH4BTMyeYAIeQLPNasy6lntYTudVRBrCxf2bcpAzqlmzgruv3U/s200/Vegas+Pictures+008.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I have two separate gardens going, one a raised bed, and one a converted flower bed (I think that's what it was) that I have most of my herbs and viney things in. The raised bed recently yielded all the radishes it was going to give me, fewer than I expected though. I may have not thinned them enough, understandably, because I hate thinning things, it's like killing a bunch of plants! But they have finished and now I have planted beans in their wake. I'm up to my ears in lettuce now as well. If you have not ever grown your own lettuce, I highly recommend it. It just tastes so much more…lettucy. There is no other way to describe it, really.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJmvY4gOmHUquAY15zUXRJLA0mfHtR1nywczY_ZmCKfbIK-ssGnd935txR644cpyio8caJBF4bQxgLPGpDL0WTd1jQwCthqcBP-IsWSkQ495dfIEWkdiJvF1LruMx_8EUgukjSE2Vr-y9/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJmvY4gOmHUquAY15zUXRJLA0mfHtR1nywczY_ZmCKfbIK-ssGnd935txR644cpyio8caJBF4bQxgLPGpDL0WTd1jQwCthqcBP-IsWSkQ495dfIEWkdiJvF1LruMx_8EUgukjSE2Vr-y9/s200/Vegas+Pictures+009.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
I have tomatoes in now, I believe 10 plants. Yes, I do realize that's a lot, but we really like tomatoes. I can't wait for those. And I have a pretty sound herb rotation going as well, something I'm also fond of because having them on hand is easier and cheaper than buying them.<br />
<br />
So why write all this? Well, it's nice to show off what I've been doing, sure, but it's also lessons people can use to either avoid or do what I did to better their own garden. I will update again in July, hopefully I can keep the birds and rabbits out until then.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-29014298207809355612010-06-03T19:46:00.000-04:002010-06-03T19:46:47.157-04:00Frying the Turkey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bMxWCDuBjTN_KMzXS9kDkJ1cO_Nf8eZmVoMiWG9dE-VExV2EqJkBgKr8VEqlaw_ToQwMmEWCu_SYQv8LJyu5XE8exc0agAAvkEBhI9t2CychPwE62bVTuFNzZ483egVVZbi10Sx_-Rz5/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bMxWCDuBjTN_KMzXS9kDkJ1cO_Nf8eZmVoMiWG9dE-VExV2EqJkBgKr8VEqlaw_ToQwMmEWCu_SYQv8LJyu5XE8exc0agAAvkEBhI9t2CychPwE62bVTuFNzZ483egVVZbi10Sx_-Rz5/s400/Vegas+Pictures+005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Over Memorial Day we decided to have a cook out (as is tradition). I decided to do something a little bit different this year, though. I received a frying/boil kit for Christmas last year, so I decided to give turkey frying a go. I have deep fried one other turkey in my life, at Em's house for Thanksgiving one year. And it was awesome. So why not? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a name='more'></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After watching Good Eats for many years, I have pulled a lot of knowledge from the show, especially when it comes to safety. I bought all the supplies for </span><strong><a href="http://www.altonbrown.com/adventure/knowledge.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Alton Brown's Turkey Derrick</span></a></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">, which was a great idea. Not only did it make frying much easier, it gave myself and guests a bit of piece of mind when dealing with 4 gallons of 350°F oil and an open flame. Why go to all the trouble? Well, by doing the pulley system, it was much easier to remove the bird, check its temperature, and eventually let it rest. I bought all of the supplies at a hardware store for around $8. Because I figured out how to winch it though, I only needed the rope, cable ties, pulleys, and the D-ring. And I own a ladder. Seriously, so easy! And I can reuse that stuff, so I consider it a wise investment.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLKCcVt-FtYgAGXa1F5xZYZhrbOQL_k7bIiULjGrbvayvXr1omSwNE4PlDZ4A36DGhEuUfsIufgyR22gl3FwrPtkf6BtFv81trkA56zCEVYyrNcwqCpzrUXgePpMvMgtsOycgugPJsCgA/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLKCcVt-FtYgAGXa1F5xZYZhrbOQL_k7bIiULjGrbvayvXr1omSwNE4PlDZ4A36DGhEuUfsIufgyR22gl3FwrPtkf6BtFv81trkA56zCEVYyrNcwqCpzrUXgePpMvMgtsOycgugPJsCgA/s200/Vegas+Pictures+003.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So after a brine in the morning, I followed AB's recipe and fried to my heart's content. And oh, it was so good. I love how juicy the meat is, especially how well the white meat holds up. The leftovers make great sandwiches.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66e2WXPFSOT4iEqPS59Ro-WTd5SfsLWAxC84xACUof9k2oF4T3maRTHawd7bdjrKzq-mUuozac1mcubIlBaiAL8_9oUNz4enygyEDxUAMXCP0MgqCyhhYRiLdCRMSCZYO8WCpFvY9EgPh/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66e2WXPFSOT4iEqPS59Ro-WTd5SfsLWAxC84xACUof9k2oF4T3maRTHawd7bdjrKzq-mUuozac1mcubIlBaiAL8_9oUNz4enygyEDxUAMXCP0MgqCyhhYRiLdCRMSCZYO8WCpFvY9EgPh/s200/Vegas+Pictures+004.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now, I realize as a country we are quite unhealthy. And deep frying is one of those reasons. On this subject though, I disagree. Upon recovery of the oil I found we had only lost 1/2 cup in the entire frying process. And we spilled a little, so I imagine that's a generous amount. Spread over 14 pounds of turkey, that's the same you would use in marinating something for grilling. That's it! Because of its large mass and pretty good frying time, you will not absorb that much oil. So while I don’t plan on doing this every week, deep frying a turkey was quite an experience, and one I hope to continue when the opportunity arises.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Deep Fried Turkey (from Alton Brown)</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></b><br />
~24 cups (6 quarts) hot water<br />
1 pound kosher salt<br />
1 pound dark brown sugar<br />
1 13-14 pound turkey with giblets removed<br />
~ 5 pounds ice<br />
4 1/2 gallons peanut or frying oil<br />
<br />
Please, please, please make sure your turkey is thawed before frying it. If you brine it while partially frozen, that's alright, just make sure it is completely thawed when you cook it. If you do not, chaos will ensue and you will more than likely visit the hospital.<br />
<br />
To brine the turkey, combine the water, salt, and sugar in a large bucket/cooler/pot and stir to dissolve. Add the ice to cool. Add the turkey, making sure it is covered almost completely with water. If you need to, weigh down the turkey. Cover and store in a cool dry place (I used a partially frozen turkey and left it in a kitchen corner as well as added a few sealed bags of ice to maintain a cold temperature. I recommend this or using a cooler). Brine for 8-12 hours before frying. Remove turkey and let stand to drain and come to room temperature 30 minutes before frying.<br />
<br />
To determine how much oil you will need, place turkey in the frying vessel (empty) and fill with water. Remove bird and mark where the water level is. That's how much oil you need.<br />
<br />
Assemble turkey setup, light burner and place pot over the burner (follow instructions of your burner here). Add oil and heat until 250°F. Gently lower the bird into the oil and increase the oil temperature to 350°F (this may take quite some time, don't worry about it). After 35-40 minutes, check the temperature of the turkey using a probe thermometer. Once the breast reaches 151°F (don't worry, it will hit 165°F by the time it's done resting), remove from the oil and let rest for 30 minutes (you may want to just let it hang for 15 minutes and then transfer to a cutting board for the remainder). Don't forget to turn the gas off!<br />
<br />
Slice turkey and enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-47611374554615676852010-05-26T07:45:00.000-04:002010-05-26T07:45:44.393-04:00Burritos with Tomatillo Sauce<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYN9cHK0k_JjoDF9NN3M-fcNJ4DSDSDGdwE56j3h7c_89fq7L6yXWp2Ib9m5upBYRGEMLPVUx0n2qX3CJcCM-_nHZVoZuKFqd5EbT1gUiAsuIeyzwVL186yEbt_hQntDwCThSzrLDX3Fa9/s1600/New+Pictures+136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYN9cHK0k_JjoDF9NN3M-fcNJ4DSDSDGdwE56j3h7c_89fq7L6yXWp2Ib9m5upBYRGEMLPVUx0n2qX3CJcCM-_nHZVoZuKFqd5EbT1gUiAsuIeyzwVL186yEbt_hQntDwCThSzrLDX3Fa9/s400/New+Pictures+136.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A burrito is something of a perfect storm. A tortilla wrapped around loads of meat, veggies, beans, or even rice, it just makes sense. I would even call it better than a sandwich (but hey, I'm biased). The one thing we are lacking though, are burritos we eat with forks and knives. I'm referring to burritos served enchilada style, something fairly common in the Southwest, but not so much in other places. In fact, only <a href="http://boilermakerkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/fiesta-mexican-grill.html">one plac</a>e I know of serves them this way in my area. Why? It's such an enticing concept, take a burrito, smother it in sauce and cheese, and bake it. I drifted away for a few seconds thinking about that last sentence. Seriously.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7uF9pmsm4bEN-yvdZ_kAD2SNFp7WcEot5ox1cACjJzWM-d7FsUBXcSfSkmA7hC62-HuI0xPJs0rHFTAVu5Rkh85S661SJ6DUVHTEu_lPfpfoZpS5RpYtqVQELlj5ps0C2Ac1cmQ8MYyVU/s1600/New+Pictures+132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7uF9pmsm4bEN-yvdZ_kAD2SNFp7WcEot5ox1cACjJzWM-d7FsUBXcSfSkmA7hC62-HuI0xPJs0rHFTAVu5Rkh85S661SJ6DUVHTEu_lPfpfoZpS5RpYtqVQELlj5ps0C2Ac1cmQ8MYyVU/s200/New+Pictures+132.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOP7RVwuFM6cIxbqAgrdXgN6jXEHEHyAAhJVTOfTX5fALNABpqNER4UpmCFlyYz5G0wMoX5DFYjmoqNFih5WJO3efyt3LfA8XyprWQxDOHvVoc9AR1KjucaHyv0piPkGf540z9gnBZ9BE/s1600/New+Pictures+130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOP7RVwuFM6cIxbqAgrdXgN6jXEHEHyAAhJVTOfTX5fALNABpqNER4UpmCFlyYz5G0wMoX5DFYjmoqNFih5WJO3efyt3LfA8XyprWQxDOHvVoc9AR1KjucaHyv0piPkGf540z9gnBZ9BE/s200/New+Pictures+130.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As with most burritos, you can fill them with almost anything and in this case, top them with what you please. I'm partial to green sauce, so I made a verde sauce to go on top of mine. As for the stuffing, well, I recommend the leftover <a href="http://boilermakerkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/03/tinga-tinga.html">pork from tingas</a> or maybe some lightly spiced grilled chicken. Or even <a href="http://burritos/">fajita steaks</a>. I keep large flour tortillas in my freezer just for this purpose, they are a great way to utilize leftovers and make an easy meal. If you are in a hurry and don’t want to make your own sauce, I recommend using a salsa instead of an enchilada sauce over the top. Or spice up an enchilada sauce for your own use. Whatever you do, be creative!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJal-mh41ykvlxc0drUD1Hn1O4HGYql98dgH2housEIwIMul4qQ50zOEvwnTb7dztWBtOvgFKOGnMSlYjBYi0ryrJc5FelcgWk9Q9GaiMjzPi_JF9lbCBmtdk7y7gWfeqGO54tQST6xwLs/s1600/New+Pictures+133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJal-mh41ykvlxc0drUD1Hn1O4HGYql98dgH2housEIwIMul4qQ50zOEvwnTb7dztWBtOvgFKOGnMSlYjBYi0ryrJc5FelcgWk9Q9GaiMjzPi_JF9lbCBmtdk7y7gWfeqGO54tQST6xwLs/s200/New+Pictures+133.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If you are going for the more healthful approach, skip the cheese on top and instead add a little bit of sour cream after baking. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Burritos Enchilada Style</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For the Sauce</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1.5 pounds tomatillos, hulled</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 jalapenos</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 tablespoons cilantro</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 teaspoons sugar</div>Salt and pepper<br />
<br />
For the Burritos<br />
1 pound shredded pork, chicken, or whatever else you like<br />
2 cups cooked white rice<br />
2 tablespoons sour cream<br />
1 tablespoon cilantro<br />
8 ounces cheese<br />
4 large flour tortillas<br />
Salsa, shredded lettuce, and sour cream to top<br />
<br />
Preheat your broiler to low, spread the tomatillos and jalapenos on a sheet pan, douse with a small amount of canola oil, and place under broiler. Broil for 5 minutes or until starting to blacken, flip, and broil until slightly charred. Transfer the tomatillos to a food processor after they have cooled a bit. Peel and seed the jalapenos, add them to the food processor along with the cilantro, sugar, salt and pepper. Blend until combined and mostly smooth. Season to taste.<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine the white rice, cilantro, and sour cream in a small pot, add the meat and place over medium heat until heated (alternatively you can do this in a bowl and microwave under medium power). Lay a tortilla on a flat surface, place 1/4 of the meat and rice mixture near one side of the burrito. Top with about 2 tablespoons of the sauce, roll up the burrito tightly and place in a baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour sauce over top of the burritos, top with cheese, and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot. Top with sour cream, salsa, and lettuce. Serve and enjoy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-29002524341972180222010-05-20T10:22:00.000-04:002010-05-20T10:22:27.988-04:00Fajitas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaoWYEr9DXfax6Dq9EWUxdK-7iH0TiQfITXaqCdsdPBB5TgiJDza6CARxIEFM8b9i2v-X1oUR_wUbQ2I3Gkjf02r2YHzxeON5aav64CReXa1ZS1jl8NDP28qRpFGynXL0WossKYi5BIb2u/s1600/New+Pictures+165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaoWYEr9DXfax6Dq9EWUxdK-7iH0TiQfITXaqCdsdPBB5TgiJDza6CARxIEFM8b9i2v-X1oUR_wUbQ2I3Gkjf02r2YHzxeON5aav64CReXa1ZS1jl8NDP28qRpFGynXL0WossKYi5BIb2u/s400/New+Pictures+165.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I remember a time about 10 years ago when I was eating fajitas once a week. I worked in a Mexican restaurant as a busboy, and as is the norm for family restaurants, staff got to eat whatever was leftover at the end of the night. Wednesday night was fajita night and one of my shifts, so I often got at least a little bit of the leftover grilled steak or chicken. I honestly never tired of it. Now I think I make fajitas every few weeks, especially during the summer months, it's a meal that is just so tasty, simple, and downright fun to eat.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I made these the other night, opting for steak (as is the norm). People eat them in many varieties, but I like to keep it simple. A piece of grilled meat, some peppers and onions, maybe a bit of sour cream, and a nice salsa to top it off. Assemble as wanted in flour or corn tortillas, fold, and consume. Repeat as necessary. I love making this for groups, because you can set out all of the components on the table, crack open a few beers, and enjoy this sitting at a table or standing around outside (due to the juiciness of the meat, I would not recommend standing over your carpet eating one of these).<br />
<br />
<strong>Fajitas</strong> (Adapted from Alton Brown)<br />
Serves 4<br />
<br />
1/2 cup olive oil <br />
6 tablespoons soy sauce <br />
4 scallions, washed and cut in thirds <br />
2 large cloves garlic <br />
1/4 cup lime juice <br />
2 teaspoon red pepper flakes <br />
1 teaspoon ground cumin <br />
1/4 cup dark brown sugar <br />
2 pounds flank steak, cut into four pieces (with the grain)<br />
2 onions, sliced into rings<br />
2 bell peppers<br />
8-10 flour tortillas<br />
Sour cream and salsa for passing<br />
<br />
Combine first 8 ingredients in a food processor or blender, blend until smooth. Pour marinade over steak in a zip-top bag or pan and marinate for 1 hour. Preheat grill to high. Grill onions and pepper (you can lightly oil them first if you wish) until soft and slightly blackened. Slice onion rings in half for strips, and peel and slice the pepper.<br />
<br />
Place steak on grill, cooking on each side for 6-7 minutes or until temperature reaches 125°F (for medium rare) or 140°F (for medium). Let rest for 5-10 minutes, and then slice thin. Warm flour tortillas on grill (in foil) or in a low oven. Assemble and serve.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-50158674449659174702010-05-13T11:46:00.001-04:002010-05-13T11:47:06.003-04:00Real Men Eat Quiche<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1O0jq-TgFbxHB2PRrpmwXc3J-3bvx_hX62Vl0CZCFLV6KLq8zSsKEiPFrRWHJLkAbD2rKkQnh5fE10VRCsEPE63t3woiFiGQqTcDxiO0s0weEE_XrOMGvzdvm_noh55kxfntPtv59J42E/s1600/New+Pictures+188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1O0jq-TgFbxHB2PRrpmwXc3J-3bvx_hX62Vl0CZCFLV6KLq8zSsKEiPFrRWHJLkAbD2rKkQnh5fE10VRCsEPE63t3woiFiGQqTcDxiO0s0weEE_XrOMGvzdvm_noh55kxfntPtv59J42E/s400/New+Pictures+188.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">I love quiche, and I think I know why. It's an egg and cheese pie in a crust. How could you not like that? Well, ok, my wife doesn’t care for it, or at least, she didn’t before. It's hopefully another dish I have converted her on (see <a href="http://boilermakerkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/02/rabbit-food-cake_15.html">cake, carrot</a>). I made it the other night and did a little fiddling with the recipe I usually use and what do you know, she liked it! And so did I.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Quiche can be a finicky beast because of introducing such a wet filling into a delicate crust. I pre-bake my crust, which I believe is the standard. But I tried baking it a little longer this time so the bottom would crisp up and not get too soggy. On a tangent for a moment, I don’t use pie weights. I think they are a waste of money. I mean, you have to use aluminum foil anyways to line your pie and then add weights, so why not use something cheap? Like beans! I keep a bag of dried pinto beans that I use for pie weights. I like it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55ZE4SKKJhuzLZacX_mAopcIofb_VazaPKhVOMART9xc4ACJa0yI2unaK058r895xv3r77TJbATC7Oq8Iat4etXwxyAFQEgu0ErWmd0xgdRjv7b_znhuVE0iX0iJT_wso8X9taVW8HKyq/s1600/New+Pictures+177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55ZE4SKKJhuzLZacX_mAopcIofb_VazaPKhVOMART9xc4ACJa0yI2unaK058r895xv3r77TJbATC7Oq8Iat4etXwxyAFQEgu0ErWmd0xgdRjv7b_znhuVE0iX0iJT_wso8X9taVW8HKyq/s200/New+Pictures+177.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKdCf-lsSMrfjOFYKkQVwwzmHxDhLpgoaNya6DYuOtJpqmQNpb4r7Ei5PNBhU74qq3UbewY8jxHY-GLXWxWtlPBieZ9HjpsK8rtCthyphenhyphenowoVLbHAIOA-3fgSp7g3jANGHNCDlulBfRmkUO/s1600/New+Pictures+182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKdCf-lsSMrfjOFYKkQVwwzmHxDhLpgoaNya6DYuOtJpqmQNpb4r7Ei5PNBhU74qq3UbewY8jxHY-GLXWxWtlPBieZ9HjpsK8rtCthyphenhyphenowoVLbHAIOA-3fgSp7g3jANGHNCDlulBfRmkUO/s200/New+Pictures+182.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Back to the subject at hand, my other issue with quiche is how much cream it takes. I like cream, but it can be a bit overkill. Doing a little rooting around on the net, I found people have started to use evaporated milk in place of cream to get richness without a ton of fat. I added that to my eggs and some salt and pepper for the custard. Last step was the actual filling, and I went traditional with spinach. Uncooked spinach has a lot of water, so I opted for the frozen stuff. I also on a whim added kielbasa, which turned out to be a great idea (ham would also work well). It looks like I get to keep quiche on the dinner menu from now on.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Spinach and Sausage Quiche</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Serves 4<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Crust<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">6 ounces (about 1 ¼ cups) flour</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon salt</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ teaspoon pepper</div><div class="MsoNormal">3 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces</div><div class="MsoNormal">3 tablespoons lard, chilled and cut into small pieces</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 tablespoons vodka, cold</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 tablespoons water, cold</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Filling<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">1 cup evaporated milk (2% or fat free)</div><div class="MsoNormal">4 eggs</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 egg white</div><div class="MsoNormal">8 ounces kielbasa, chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon olive oil</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 onion, chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 cloves garlic, minced</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture</div><div class="MsoNormal">4 ounces <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Monterey</st1:city></st1:place> jack or Swiss cheese, shredded</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 ounce parmesan cheese, shredded</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Combine the flour and salt in a bowl, using a fork or pastry blender (or you can even use your food processor) cut in the cold butter and lard until evenly distributed. Working slowly, sprinkle the vodka and water to the dough and fold with a spatula, being careful not to over mix. Once combined, use your hands to press the dough into a rough disc, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 2 days).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Preheat your oven to 375°F. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. The main goal here is to ensure you have enough to cover a 9" pie pan (I used a deep dish pie pan for this) so just place the pie pan over the rolled out dough to make sure you have enough (and with some overhang). Transfer the crust to the pie plate and trim the edges to a ½-1" overhang. Using your fingers fold the edges under and crimp. Place aluminum foil over the pie crust and fill with your pie weights (or beans). Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and beans, and bake for another 10 minutes. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While the crust is baking, assemble the filling. In a large skillet over medium heat add the kielbasa and cook until brown, about 6-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the kielbasa. Add the olive oil and the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Add the eggs, evaporated milk, and egg white to a bowl, whisk well. Season with salt and pepper. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Once the pie crust is out of the oven, decrease the oven to 350°F. Add 1/2 of the cheese followed by the kielbasa mixture and the rest of the cheese on top of that. Pour the egg mixture over the top, making sure you have even custard coverage. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top and place the quiche in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife in the center comes out clean and the quiche appears set. Remove from the oven, poke a few holes in the top of the quiche to let steam escape, and let cool for 20 minutes before serving. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-5727657927056636922010-04-29T16:18:00.000-04:002010-04-29T16:18:55.132-04:00Grilled Fish with Pineapple Salsa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIESeCBXi17HnJdXopehpaw9aGBlrRuE97LwjXT0CwoPEMBcsjNjL1ZjreDaK5-4m_e9wtimvWZGzYLR0BAfgqtmqsQxgfxuSadD7UiBahL2czE2X7NildCGAZEJzyJKQjlbvGwbqVUIS/s1600/New+Pictures+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIESeCBXi17HnJdXopehpaw9aGBlrRuE97LwjXT0CwoPEMBcsjNjL1ZjreDaK5-4m_e9wtimvWZGzYLR0BAfgqtmqsQxgfxuSadD7UiBahL2czE2X7NildCGAZEJzyJKQjlbvGwbqVUIS/s400/New+Pictures+061.jpg" tt="true" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Growing up I ate a decent amount of fish. Most of it was in the form of canned tuna, but we also fished during the summer and I had trout or various other wild caught fish. But living in Arizona, we really did not see a lot of things like Mahi-Mahi, snapper, or tuna steaks, the only exception being when someone brought back fish from a deep sea fishing trip. That's how I came across the original recipe for this (from Emeril), one of my first external recipes I tried outside of my parents cooking. Over the years I have scaled back the overkill of the preparation for this dish, and I am really quite happy with it now. It's perfect for a warm evening to grill outside. It's also wonderfully healthy.</div><a name='more'></a><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYYt0IYXWMMognEcAPHKTY5m306wZdg6UT1vpQuB1WOzh3-r8jA_ghnyF6b0ePbbTTFIYnSBA0pr332nL4PF9wkk5ne4icJUcoZkVm7lCJ0YblSuyJhnaxk_c7hpmhA-Nu4RnW4frglLJ/s1600/New+Pictures+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYYt0IYXWMMognEcAPHKTY5m306wZdg6UT1vpQuB1WOzh3-r8jA_ghnyF6b0ePbbTTFIYnSBA0pr332nL4PF9wkk5ne4icJUcoZkVm7lCJ0YblSuyJhnaxk_c7hpmhA-Nu4RnW4frglLJ/s200/New+Pictures+058.jpg" tt="true" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now I can often find decent fish in the local grocery store or at <a href="http://www.northshoreseafoods.com/">North Shore</a> (which has much better fish if you are willing to pay a little extra). This can be made with most whitefish fillets such as Mahi, flounder, or snapper. If you can, try to avoid getting fish from outside the US (namely China). They are usually raised in a pretty poor environment, are not sustainable, and are just somewhat all around icky. A few dollars goes a long way in terms of fish quality, trust me.</div><br />
<strong>Grilled Fish with Pineapple Salsa</strong><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Serves 4</span><br />
<br />
For the Fish<br />
2 tablespoons cilantro<br />
2 tablespoons orange juice<br />
2 tablespoons lime juice<br />
½ red (or white) onion, sliced<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon cumin<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
2 pound fish filets<br />
<br />
For the Salsa<br />
1 pineapple, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 2-3 cups)<br />
1 avocado, cut into ½ inch cubes<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">½ red onion, diced</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 garlic cloves, minced</span><br />
¼ cup cilantro, chopped fine<br />
1 tablespoon lime juice<br />
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced<br />
<br />
Cooked white rice<br />
<br />
To marinate the fish, add the first seven ingredients to a zip-top bag, mix well, and then drop in the fish. Marinate for about 45 minutes.<br />
<br />
To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients into a bowl, mix well, and season to taste with a little salt. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
Preheat your grill to high. Scrape down the grates and oil them with a paper towel and a little bit of canola oil (don’t skip this or the fish can stick). Reduce grill heat to medium-high, remove fish from marinade, and place fish directly on heat. Cover and grill for 3 minutes or until crisp on one side (will depend on the thickness of your filets), flip and repeat. You will know when the fish is done by it being lightly flaky but firm to the touch. Remove from grill and let rest about 3 minutes. Serve with salsa on top or on the side. Serve with rice. Enjoy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-53488029008354316742010-04-26T10:21:00.008-04:002010-04-27T12:31:14.806-04:00Garden Me<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtK3Z6MEP0Ymce6YPyd1IBAn0rl_rsqMnOw3AcvISV_v3gomxReUYaI9vqykbfoAoCbY7vnDQX-ZjjVljV07-s2JqAj9kyi9bys1KnyYjeSoulQByxl-ObLGD6CRbhdiXiL49hWEDMrbVK/s1600/New+Pictures+175.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464498867160385874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtK3Z6MEP0Ymce6YPyd1IBAn0rl_rsqMnOw3AcvISV_v3gomxReUYaI9vqykbfoAoCbY7vnDQX-ZjjVljV07-s2JqAj9kyi9bys1KnyYjeSoulQByxl-ObLGD6CRbhdiXiL49hWEDMrbVK/s400/New+Pictures+175.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>It's spring time here at Boilermaker Kitchen, which can only mean one thing. A garden! Yep, it's my first spring in an actual house since I left the desert air of Arizona behind. I had some summer gardens in Connecticut while I was there, but this will be my first all season plot. I'm a little excited, and a lot freaked out. I joined the Lafayette gardening online community to get some tips and hints with this part of the country. My main goal is to not over water my plants (this is because in Arizona you water your garden twice a day thanks to the blistering heat).<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464499258278903138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIqmkSnFowrzyC7eTu73x2R31Vc_xPDn01EJVbju6djFBpfZl9C9A7cFUJMrSQvLTiS-hU6yYF1AdD2lA0XRhts_7glU6XvGGP1yVfvTUkl2K-9qUhvDMinQA-RpN4M7CvOH2DWGZ8F0W/s200/New+Pictures+173.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 150px;" />So what am I growing? Well, I plan on having two gardens going at the same time, each with a different purpose. My little patch near the house I am growing most of herbs such as thyme, basil, oregano, chives, parsley, cilantro, and I may even put in a rosemary bush if I feel plucky. Fresh herbs are, I believe, essential to a kitchen, they add a lot of flair to dishes, and it's much easier (and cheaper) to have them on hand at all times. Plus a good amount of them are perennials, so they just keep coming back for more. I also planted some squash and cucumbers up here.<br />
<br />
My lower garden at the moment is my ambitious part. I started radishes a few weeks ago, which will be replaced by green beans once they are harvested. I also have lettuce, spinach, and peas growing as well. Tomatoes are hopefully going in this weekend followed by a fence to keep the rabbits out.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464499246057016418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudsxVGYWDkf3ftl0zh0K2s5TyM2_5PyjLyyLqa9I3NCZ1k9r92KgaqbEzGS5Shw6JdPCM6xi1ksrxR1PZ07_8c9lxpwEZBvqEK0sc2-ZwsNTvPodQrkilXzAlIOk5Ul-1loQqKrwm0KQ9/s200/New+Pictures+174.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" />Hopefully I will keep my progress updated as the growing season continues. I'm also trying to get hold of a potato pot to try and grow some of those.<br />
<br />
<strong>Things I have learned so far-</strong><br />
<br />
Raised beds are awesome and make the clay-like dirt around here manageable<br />
<br />
Start your peas like you would sprouts (that's a future post for sure). Add seeds to a jar and cover with water. Let sit for about 8 hours, then drain, rinse, and drain the water, letting the peas stay slightly moist (water level can vary). Continue rinsing and draining twice a day until peas have sprouted and are starting to grow roots. Plant these in the ground; it will increase your germination rate<br />
<br />
Spinach and lettuce CAN be transplanted if done with care (then again, check in a couple weeks and see if I stick to that statement)<br />
<br />
Sheepdogs are good squirrel deterrent.<br />
<br />
Any other ideas you have from gardening experience?</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-32549028850594434722010-04-23T12:30:00.009-04:002010-04-27T12:40:51.749-04:00Beef Stroganoff<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2P4XlE_jFbfoULP1OrUygVZzWo71ldq0xkv-Ui-dHZ7s3TWlX_h8l-cqEGdvhL9teJhUW1ZYvD718Mq4fY5mmARsBVJf2mdgOE-FbpXn6win8En0EBEsUAeoyY-aWbfHcjwKLy2_HRV1O/s1600/New+Pictures+155.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463372632649914274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2P4XlE_jFbfoULP1OrUygVZzWo71ldq0xkv-Ui-dHZ7s3TWlX_h8l-cqEGdvhL9teJhUW1ZYvD718Mq4fY5mmARsBVJf2mdgOE-FbpXn6win8En0EBEsUAeoyY-aWbfHcjwKLy2_HRV1O/s400/New+Pictures+155.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Stroganoff is one of those dishes that I grew up making one way, only to find out you can make it an entirely different way only a short time ago. Beef tenderloin as the meat source? That still boggles my mind, as I would never use such an expensive cut of meat in a dish that I consider old fashioned home cooking. But maybe that's just me being cheap. I also tried the revamped recipe from Cook's Illustrated, which used sirloin tip (a somewhat cheaper cut), but surprisingly I did not like their recipe at all. Odd, I thought to myself, rarely do I not enjoy a recipe from ATK. Well, as it turns out, it just was not for me. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPr7luEJrFwgY1MEWYDzIU2oDAN547mqblX92qRF_HkuJ7IP4gvozJ1FJnHDbTToCVlTt3w0quQBqBI1FAqMK_3v__FmmQewiwogPf41lgM-2ZOSEilGILjHNIn2gzVingphjirm-JiEvk/s200/New+Pictures+154.jpg" /></div>So I decided to go back to my dad's recipe, which I took, molded to my own liking (only slightly, I promise, his recipe is delicious), and made that instead. I use stew meat (or sliced chuck), which is a bit more tough but braises very well. Here's the result.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Beef Stroganoff</span><br />
<br />
1 pound lean beef stew meat (you can use chuck roast as well cut into 1 inch cubes)<br />
1 onion, half sliced and half minced<br />
2 whole garlic cloves<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
2 sprigs fresh thyme<br />
1 can low sodium beef stock or consume<br />
1 1/2 cups water<br />
3 tablespoons butter<br />
¼ cup flour<br />
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced<br />
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce<br />
Pinch cayenne pepper<br />
1 tablespoon tomato paste<br />
12 ounces cooked egg noodles<br />
Sour cream<br />
Parsley, chopped (optional)<br />
<br />
In a crock-pot add beef, onion, garlic thyme, bay leaf, beef stock, and water. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove beef and set aside. Strain liquid, reserving in a large bowl.<br />
<br />
Heat a pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter. Add onions, cooking for about 2 minutes or until soft. Add mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the mushrooms have released most of their liquid and start to brown. Add flour and stir to coat. Add cooking liquid and stir constantly, bringing the liquid to a simmer, then season with salt and pepper. Once it starts to thicken add the Worcestershire, cayenne, and the beef. Cover, turn heat to low and cook for 20-30 minutes. Add tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Serve over egg noodles with a dollop of sour cream on top and some chopped parsley.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>Note- if the sauce is too thick, add a bit of water or beef stock to thin it out (this will vary depending on cooking time). If too thin, mix a small amount of corn starch with water and add to thicken.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-18853007689880384222010-04-20T08:56:00.004-04:002010-04-27T12:41:28.494-04:00A Reason to Eat Pears<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtpu_K4SrMvJlvMOPfY7f8UCv3BkY0LWRBK6mMyStvjJmjnT06NGrne6PSSKqW8y0-bIWSaXI3ocTJ0joXg7pJ_XW2rtqL_mJWupHOx46DaBP_ZP24JWOB5tN0Vl4SLqSZ4fKrBIAohm8/s1600/New+Pictures+089.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462203741257562610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtpu_K4SrMvJlvMOPfY7f8UCv3BkY0LWRBK6mMyStvjJmjnT06NGrne6PSSKqW8y0-bIWSaXI3ocTJ0joXg7pJ_XW2rtqL_mJWupHOx46DaBP_ZP24JWOB5tN0Vl4SLqSZ4fKrBIAohm8/s400/New+Pictures+089.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<div>I like pears, but only on occasion. They are a fruit that have about a 2 hour window of perfection, beyond that they become a bit mushy for me. Maybe I'm being picky, but it's a strange fruit to me. I enjoy the flavor, I even had pear ice cream when I was in Sweden (let me tell you, that was crazy). Due to this hesitation, I have very infrequently cooked with pears. But no more! I decided to give it a go with poaching pears, based off a recipe I saw in Bon Apetit. I made this salad for Christmas dinner, then made it again a week later for company, and then made it once more for Valentine's Day. Success! Not only was it fairly simple, but it could also be made way ahead of time, easing my preparation for a dinner.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The great thing about wine poaching pears is not only their retention of whatever you put in the wine, but you are essentially mulling the wine while you cook it. You can easily serve it with soda water as a spritzer or warm. I tried it, and with just a little bit of tinkering (it needed a little more sugar) it was really tasty as a before dinner drink.<br />
<br />
A few final notes that deal with the budget of this dish. I buy my cinnamon sticks in a Mexican market, as they are often higher quality and much cheaper. This wine is being cooked, so don’t use a $20 bottle, buy something cheap but drinkable. As for the crystallized ginger, well, if you buy the kind in the bottle found in the spice aisle you will literally be shooting yourself in the foot. Look around your produce section for the same thing in a baggie or plastic container, it's easily 3 times cheaper.<br />
<br />
<strong>Poached Pear Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Gorgonzola</strong><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Makes 6-8 salads</span><br />
<br />
4 firm pears, halved and cored<br />
1 bottle dry red wine<br />
1 cup orange juice<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half<br />
5 pieces crystallized ginger, sliced<br />
1 shallot, minced fine<br />
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard<br />
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar<br />
2 cup extra virgin olive oil<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
1 cup gorgonzola, crumbled</div><div>1 cup walnuts<br />
12 cups(10 ounce package) salad greens<br />
<br />
You can easily make most of this dish a day in advance.<br />
<br />
To toast the walnuts, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add nuts, toss occasionally until slightly brown. Let cool to room temperature.<br />
<br />
To poach pears, add wine, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and ginger to sauce pot over medium heat until simmering. Add pears, reduce heat to low, and keep at a simmer for ~30 minutes, turning pears occasionally. Pears should have a little give but still be firm. Cool pears in liquid to room temperature, then move to container and keep in refrigerator until ready to use.<br />
<br />
To make dressing, add shallot, mustard, vinegar, and some salt and pepper to a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil slowly. Season to taste, can store in refrigerator overnight. Better yet, add all of the ingredients to a small container, cap with a lid, and shake well. This is enough to emulsify the dressing without whisking.<br />
<br />
To assemble salads, toss greens with enough dressing to coat. Slice pears and fan half of a pear on top of greens, add some walnuts (crumble them slightly with your hand) and some gorgonzola cheese. Enjoy.</div><div><br />
</div><div>To use the leftover poaching liquid, rewarm and add sugar to taste, or serve chilled with sparkling water.</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-70856807296537161122010-04-12T08:35:00.004-04:002010-04-27T12:41:58.217-04:00The Chile Relleño Omelet<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RVGOuNsUWyzvIsfBthhjwBA7ijbKCxS42LkrdUmC9SzakKtYGDJjhcJ9h8cdC_VjslfeKngd2qGytxeoOT-NxWk4s7JAUXl-s5ddI5ot1noh-zaLcPBlulRZxOONrZotpfX-aqLvc8WF/s1600/New+Pictures+127.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459229109643482690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RVGOuNsUWyzvIsfBthhjwBA7ijbKCxS42LkrdUmC9SzakKtYGDJjhcJ9h8cdC_VjslfeKngd2qGytxeoOT-NxWk4s7JAUXl-s5ddI5ot1noh-zaLcPBlulRZxOONrZotpfX-aqLvc8WF/s400/New+Pictures+127.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>During my recent <a href="http://boilermakerkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-time-in-vegas-or-that-time-i-got.html">trip to Vegas</a>, I discovered a restaurant serving what I consider to be one of the better breakfasts I have eaten, a chile relleño omelet. Never one to simply have something once, I decided to give them a go at home.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459229377875694914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5KrzVMrVdzs8Mhgwap8Z0o8V_NI9G1g0-dB8DylV-zVOati9rEBiR94y9-io7vu_gqdSPmXXeTxRaLraZZ89rYx-4d5K2u5KEQxNIS3UqBYCZdQW3XKuACtbNouGPLA1noIwiRLA_Qgv/s200/New+Pictures+123.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" />There are some obvious differences when cooking at home compared to what you are served at a restaurant. For example, I never cook omelets with four eggs, but that (or three) is pretty much the standard at a restaurant. Big deal? Not usually, but I was planning on stuffing a pretty good amount of stuff into this omelet. I'll be honest, my first one completely fell apart (I ate that one and gave the nice one to my wife). I believe this is more about patience than anything, having the omelet set up really helps you manipulate it as needed.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459229384307556114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpNoEf7ndgGHUOG0i4dKofKEQIbu77XC8AvurBc5XOrztpDXfI7pqlkXBkvuXrCtviCbOaazIro7MSMDNRMuFOKdWIGLIMPGr1lelzi6hnV3G1VGyZmiQfVTT8kf50b6RmZbrWG3KkDJ-/s200/New+Pictures+126.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" />No matter, I figured it out, piled them with salsa and some sour cream, and they were extremely tasty.<br />
<br />
<strong>Chile Relleño Omelets</strong><br />
Makes 1<br />
<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 green chile<br />
1 T milk or water<br />
3 ounces Colby-jack cheese (or more depending on your taste)<br />
3 tablespoons salsa<br />
2 tablespoons sour cream<br />
Chopped cilantro (optional)<br />
<br />
To roast the chile you can grill it until black and blistered, broiler it (on high) until blistered, or do it over a gas stove. Make sure to turn often. Once roasted, let cool slightly and then peel off skin and remove stem and seeds. Stuff with one ounce of the cheese and set aside.<br />
<br />
Mix eggs, milk, and some salt and pepper well in a small bowl. Heat a 10 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and preheat your broiler to high. Add a small dollop of butter to the pan to coat. Pour eggs in, moving pan around to coat bottom. Using a spatula or chopsticks, whisk the eggs around for a count of ten. Once finished, swirl the egg to coat the bottom of the pan. Lay the chile down the center of the omelet; it should reach end to end. Sprinkle some more cheese if desired. Cook until almost set. Fold omelet in half or in thirds. Top with salsa and the rest of the cheese. Place pan under broiler until cheese is melted. Transfer to plate, top with sour cream and cilantro. Enjoy!</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-42258329902555595272010-03-29T10:20:00.017-04:002010-04-27T12:46:31.355-04:00My Time in Vegas (or That Time I Got Married) Part 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKOAA5-EA7A8j0DDbNVySr5GoN9jX2g8XUYpTsyN4vkQ0ENe82ioamDJwcAorBvXDyzp3oWh1yg5qP4oO2SW_n6pkj0qDdJnkvNID4C5yhDHuk4sSg56HA8m40H3ktMo1r5B3-5JJvx1c/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+047.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454061220610734546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKOAA5-EA7A8j0DDbNVySr5GoN9jX2g8XUYpTsyN4vkQ0ENe82ioamDJwcAorBvXDyzp3oWh1yg5qP4oO2SW_n6pkj0qDdJnkvNID4C5yhDHuk4sSg56HA8m40H3ktMo1r5B3-5JJvx1c/s400/Vegas+Pictures+047.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>More on the Vegas trip-<br />
<br />
<strong>Freed's Bakery</strong><br />
<br />
Vegas seems to be all about deception. Go on the strip, see the glitz, and be overwhelmed. Go off the strip and see another simple desert city. But while the strip is hiding price gouging and mediocre food, the area off the strip is hiding some just plain amazing restaurants (like The Egg and I or Donna Maria's). Well, we went for the wedding cake off the strip for this occasion. Rachel Ray had visited Freed's a long time ago for wedding cake by the slice, and I figured it was worth a shot. What a deceptive décor though! Located in a strip mall, the sign is simply a banner hung from screws flapping in the wind. No fanfare, nothing. But this place has been Zagat rated and mentioned in all kinds of publications all over the world. Their pastry counter looked amazing, and the éclair my mom tried was outstanding. The wedding cake, as you can see in the picture, was just stunning. A "Mad Hatter" cake with angled layers, beautiful decorating, and so much detail I cannot even begin to explain it all. It was quite tasty too, if a bit heavy on the filling. If you ever have a sweet tooth, I strongly recommend stopping by.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div><div><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9Wf4dVJgEgXB424ragr0hKB8gWaafgc0QZT_TEqGqXsEZgky5QqIMIONtk8wb6md55th0I-NCF5y6x_ESziCcPBzQYKlfn8UMzpH7gCbRsZjghMaFxnmor4Rz7f2GgPJkrnN2yASOpCP/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+048.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454061069566478562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9Wf4dVJgEgXB424ragr0hKB8gWaafgc0QZT_TEqGqXsEZgky5QqIMIONtk8wb6md55th0I-NCF5y6x_ESziCcPBzQYKlfn8UMzpH7gCbRsZjghMaFxnmor4Rz7f2GgPJkrnN2yASOpCP/s200/Vegas+Pictures+048.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbaToyQMkvhIQv_5gyM6X1Zt5AONahSaF0wqho0E64tYWMu1WFPy-k03_TTz4jO_mY0SX4DuBuLgZGwGE-DpNNqe0kEORnTT9qXmc0l9lQK8RD7bxd7SEDLF57sN91JsWZZXcfWk_Lk4_/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+049.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454061076536877922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbaToyQMkvhIQv_5gyM6X1Zt5AONahSaF0wqho0E64tYWMu1WFPy-k03_TTz4jO_mY0SX4DuBuLgZGwGE-DpNNqe0kEORnTT9qXmc0l9lQK8RD7bxd7SEDLF57sN91JsWZZXcfWk_Lk4_/s200/Vegas+Pictures+049.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
Pastry case and cookies!<br />
<br />
<strong>Rosemary's Restaurant</strong><br />
<br />
We chose <a href="http://www.rosemarysrestaurant.com/">Rosemary's</a> as the site for our wedding dinner. It's an off the strip restaurant that was setup by a husband and wife (he opened the original Emeril's in Las Vegas), and it constantly wins awards and praises for food service, and the fact that the owner actually cooks in the kitchen. Case in point, when we arrived he was out front ordering some fresh produce, chef's whites on and looking like he had been hard at work.<br />
<br />
This is probably going to sound a bit gushy, but this was hands down one of the best meals I have ever eaten at a restaurant. The food was gorgeous and delicious, the service was absolutely impeccable, and the whole experience was amazing. To start off our fantastic waiter detailed the menu, the specials, some nice wine pairings (they also do beer pairings), and picked some of his recommendations. Having been a server, I appreciate a waiter giving us a detailed description of the dish from a tasting point of view, not just a carbon copy of the menu description. The menu is set up in a very nice way, with everything ala carte or the option of ordering 3 courses for $55. Stop right there, $55? The whole menu? <a href="http://boilermakerkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-time-in-vegas-or-that-time-i-got.html">Remember</a>, I complained about Switch having a very limited menu for $60. Amazing value here folks. Not to mention that Sundays are half price wine bottle nights.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454064271369095346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFxnMvtEeZWwwWFEtdsM7bRNat4hcA7pkfMe52BLpBpjqH3MZgLHWKVK0uXvcZLhRxVN3BeD_6sA-DFcg9EE6zhPntAG5rH3it9Y9E0quJqgaGRjzPxCsc6XsoNDgPvA-KvrFWmK7yh9d/s200/Vegas+Pictures+134.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /> To start we were served an amuse bouche, a tasty cracker with a fish salad and light miso glaze on top. For the first course I was very adventurous, having sweetbreads served on a light sauce with duck confit. They (to quote Stephanie Izard from Top Chef) taste a bit like chicken nuggets, with an earthiness to them. They were outstanding, well cooked and balanced, and the sauce was incredible. Em had the crab boulettes, almost a Cajun like crab cake. Also sampled were the some barbecue shrimp (nice) and some wonderful seared foie gras.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVE8wmbCYMofjZp7ZHF-j_wbTM6C9AQFKdzto1tzeoZGRRr8zBJnkY7FUEtTmXmEzLc2HRzXFBXWxDUiaBn1joVRKQbLe-uz3gYwiWxwEg5vNV3rKmVRwO8wXR8q1lweyNmy-f6Q3_V_N/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+123.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454061526053028610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVE8wmbCYMofjZp7ZHF-j_wbTM6C9AQFKdzto1tzeoZGRRr8zBJnkY7FUEtTmXmEzLc2HRzXFBXWxDUiaBn1joVRKQbLe-uz3gYwiWxwEg5vNV3rKmVRwO8wXR8q1lweyNmy-f6Q3_V_N/s200/Vegas+Pictures+123.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUkDITnV8Q0lAID-kBq-RMPnx78rWgXcrN4C_y0dn2GRawcJnufsDyBjU4nMjjI0bCwVDqRw3qXNVdVFFrVUiScUMLBSCcDoszli5va5qb1dbz1rkWeg7vb4jGEb5bsYGari3cytBQElp/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+120.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454061522438570546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUkDITnV8Q0lAID-kBq-RMPnx78rWgXcrN4C_y0dn2GRawcJnufsDyBjU4nMjjI0bCwVDqRw3qXNVdVFFrVUiScUMLBSCcDoszli5va5qb1dbz1rkWeg7vb4jGEb5bsYGari3cytBQElp/s200/Vegas+Pictures+120.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Sweetbreads (left) Crab boulettes (right)<br />
<br />
For the second course I had the twice baked parmesan soufflé, which was served over wild mushrooms and in a cream sauce. Again, beautiful execution with the dish. The soufflé was pillow-like in texture, had a very nice flavor, and went along really well with the mushrooms and sauce. We also had a ham and crawfish risotto, which was wonderfully smoky and rich, tried some of the salads, and the winner really goes to my mom for the special scallop dish they had. It was really good.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrhwb_uIyporFhxYtmZHu7QN7LKFO5mkW3eaC92yG1oG10xtnxgMoMqZPvUMKlDMRuDXw705l1jxqjwG8M1oFOZP6JlKknR81xtF_5459FGmfzIRj0ALIyqjaJFRuFRyMpZ9jc6H2Ji85/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+126.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454061533674976242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrhwb_uIyporFhxYtmZHu7QN7LKFO5mkW3eaC92yG1oG10xtnxgMoMqZPvUMKlDMRuDXw705l1jxqjwG8M1oFOZP6JlKknR81xtF_5459FGmfzIRj0ALIyqjaJFRuFRyMpZ9jc6H2Ji85/s200/Vegas+Pictures+126.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Twice baked Parmesan soufflé<br />
<br />
Main course for me was beef, I actually strayed from my normal "order lamb" procedure, and I was rewarded with a perfectly cooked filet on asparagus with a nice red wine sauce and horseradish potatoes, which were more like small fried soufflé potatoes. It was amazing. Em had the panko and bacon crusted butterfish, and I do believe it was even better than mine. The texture of the fish was, well, like butter! I think a few had veal and also said it was really quite good.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6B8_6ye57Nwa6GEUgxmQu_1hHYS6_fWdMQUac2PL1DTZfzJxSZsd3gp39CKIx183nEFUe_2xNNJr_wFhddAOyQcL05GFCc7W-gkKcC8zkdmop2C-rVcuWTMeVo18KeA9ZfxyFco6e-_0/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+133.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454061528230656050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6B8_6ye57Nwa6GEUgxmQu_1hHYS6_fWdMQUac2PL1DTZfzJxSZsd3gp39CKIx183nEFUe_2xNNJr_wFhddAOyQcL05GFCc7W-gkKcC8zkdmop2C-rVcuWTMeVo18KeA9ZfxyFco6e-_0/s200/Vegas+Pictures+133.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqUEjV8jSG8Y_XkCf214HM39yjPiKMEu4obhLvIBn-0uISEVEtIXzM2BGzthBMaN9BvxyYHSstj9RFB56UixE_eP93o-H5tnlrW96bOI-n52MuB4CUqSnhgEN_alIxUXpBrAllOq4pHuU/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+132.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454061542214900066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqUEjV8jSG8Y_XkCf214HM39yjPiKMEu4obhLvIBn-0uISEVEtIXzM2BGzthBMaN9BvxyYHSstj9RFB56UixE_eP93o-H5tnlrW96bOI-n52MuB4CUqSnhgEN_alIxUXpBrAllOq4pHuU/s200/Vegas+Pictures+132.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
<br />
The beef (left) and the butterfish (right)<br />
For desert we had cake, they brought it out to be set on the table during dinner, a nice centerpiece, and then nicely sliced it for us. They even boxed the top. If I am ever back in Vegas I will be making at least one stop here. Not only was the experience amazing, but the food was so refined and well prepared, it truly was a wonderful evening.<br />
<br />
You can find the rest of the pictures of food <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/skylarwolfe/VegasFood#">here</a></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-49422953785264003282010-03-24T11:05:00.009-04:002010-04-27T12:46:44.894-04:00My Time in Vegas (or That Time I Got Married) Part II finally did it. Em and I got hitched last weekend (on Pi Day!) in Las Vegas. I highly recommend it. We even took our parents with us and they had a great time. And of course, as with all of my travels, there was a lot of emphasis placed on food. This is my second trip to Vegas in about 4 years, and I am very happy to say I fared much better this time around. Word of advice, next time you travel, take some time and do a little bit of research. I plowed through a lot of sites, including Frommers and TripAdvisor, and I found a lot of useful information, not to mention ways to save money.<br />
<br />
But before I get to talking about food, a wedding picture :)<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452218520614163618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZDx9GuQ9Mes3H9O8trbUyAegHzxQCJIgzknfnOCfEvSiZSad7vHTeuY6wYofzwgDBsMU2QwJd9TS6LsdmzKrX5wyG9AfmyqWoDQBnrqjXdY6kEzxdGj6KAVF0z13ITtu0u_NlXILGtR1/s320/Vegas_Wedding-107.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" />Yes, we had a lot of fun. It's so easy to get married in Vegas. Now on to the food!<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<strong>Wynn Buffet</strong><br />
This is my third trip to Vegas, and it's not complete without a trip to a buffet. We splurged a bit this time, deciding to try the Wynn Buffet (also, this was the hotel we were staying at). Let me just say this was a great decision. Of all the buffets I have been to on the strip, this one easily took the cake. Carving stations of turkey, beef, chicken, pork, and lamb that were surprisingly well cooked. Pasta, ceviche, lots of fish dishes, and scrumptious dumplings were also very welcome. And the staple of any Vegas buffet is of course, the cold bar seafood, where I was not disappointed. The fact that they made an effort to decrease the amount of work for me really made me happy. The shrimp were peeled and the crab legs were already split. And everything tasted really good. For dessert, they were a bit all over the map. However, they always have a fresh station where they make Belgian waffles and crepes. The waffles were traditional yeasty waffles, with fruit and homemade whip cream and a whole lot of tastiness piled on top. They were probably the best thing on the entire buffet.<br />
<br />
<strong>Donna Maria's Tamales</strong><br />
I'm sure I have made it clear already, but just to recap, I LOVE Mexican food. I will search it out wherever I go. Donna Maria's, well, it’s a really special place. Located off the strip (that's a theme here for really good restaurants), we stopped here for breakfast. First of all, how awesome is it to have chips and salsa with your morning coffee? Pretty sweet, I think. And the food was equally as good. I had carne machaca with eggs, a shredded beef and egg dish served with rice, beans, and tortillas to make nice little breakfast burritos. They were so tasty. However, I defer to my new wife's dish, the chilequiles, which were out of this world good. A spicy tomatillos sauce on top of fresh tortilla chips with cheese? They were great. We even got some tamales, and while the cheese one was just ok, the chicken and green chile tamale reminded me of green corn tamales, a fresher, more moist tamale. Overall, I give this place an A+.<br />
<br />
<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZHVU6sPTm97fOil0xWKb2Ha_degVJnJNL4f4v0rmy9Jdo_dEcOSpiuiY3SzU_jtt9YMfeZaGjFv9e0fYdk59qwG56Zg_xVNSI5qi0be611e_4s4nHJofmauFjmrMhFtiBqjL0bWfsfxw/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+011.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452218842972778866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZHVU6sPTm97fOil0xWKb2Ha_degVJnJNL4f4v0rmy9Jdo_dEcOSpiuiY3SzU_jtt9YMfeZaGjFv9e0fYdk59qwG56Zg_xVNSI5qi0be611e_4s4nHJofmauFjmrMhFtiBqjL0bWfsfxw/s200/Vegas+Pictures+011.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxs78KotdkLnxdPNN4fgjrgNX3zyxfgughXs61SnN2W0Yli-5IAYwxJw5rr6W0ByOYav5yQdWc9VJ-wBNZXsZ9OoeRkDwlALgyf7tDsrNhpfTAqan9LiM62jusN-2WsfDgbf8Pu3y9UZ3-/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+009.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452218836519395826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxs78KotdkLnxdPNN4fgjrgNX3zyxfgughXs61SnN2W0Yli-5IAYwxJw5rr6W0ByOYav5yQdWc9VJ-wBNZXsZ9OoeRkDwlALgyf7tDsrNhpfTAqan9LiM62jusN-2WsfDgbf8Pu3y9UZ3-/s200/Vegas+Pictures+009.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a></div><br />
<strong>The Egg and I</strong><br />
In my dream world I open a breakfast restaurant. It's small, quaint, and serves really good food. It's pretty much what I walked into with the Egg and I. An off-the-strip joint that serves awesome breakfast, so good there's pretty much always a wait. They had great service, good coffee (which is so hard to find these days in a restaurant), and the food was both great and enormous. I went with my family and we left stuffed for the rest of the day. Good thing too, since we missed lunch due to the wedding =) My mom had blueberry pancakes which could be mounted as tires on a car, my brother had a huge omelet with I believe a whole avocado, and I once again found myself sucked into green chiles by ordering a chile relleño omelet. Four eggs stuffed with chiles and cheese, covered in salsa, cheese, sour cream, and cilantro, and baked. Yes please. Between this and Donna Maria's, I say don’t choose, go to both.<br />
<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxtPr_vWMCf6s9Kr90H_0s_WQL_CyamIu5-UkcL0c7RtAujSRpo0K44DDHC-wdFTQA4d3hhnfMhKQEFCltab_QoQXBTaCiX5qmvrfwFSv7zq11zxo0b_xDhGU04PbYlNvrF8c4luWb0__/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+045.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452218851089515906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxtPr_vWMCf6s9Kr90H_0s_WQL_CyamIu5-UkcL0c7RtAujSRpo0K44DDHC-wdFTQA4d3hhnfMhKQEFCltab_QoQXBTaCiX5qmvrfwFSv7zq11zxo0b_xDhGU04PbYlNvrF8c4luWb0__/s200/Vegas+Pictures+045.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Mesa Grill</strong>As much as I love Bobby Flay, this meal did not quite live up to my expectations. Maybe it's because we went for brunch, where the menu was a bit limited, but I just was not totally thrilled by the meal. The place feels a bit cavernous thanks to sharing the same ceiling as the casino, and the service was meh. The drinks were really good, and I strongly recommend a margarita. The food was just ok though. I had a fish dish with green chile rice. The rice I could have eaten for days, and the fish was well cooked, but the flavors did not mesh with me. I was also a bit peeved that I got a pretty small portion for $23. C'mon Bobby, if you like big flavors, give me a big plate. Everyone else at the table had somewhat of the same opinion, the food was pretty good, but not "oh my gosh" great.<br />
<br />
<strong>Jodi Maroni's Sausage Kingdom</strong><br />
My second weakness next to Mexican food? Hot dogs. I love hot dogs, and I get one wherever I travel. I read about this place in Frommer's, and tracked it down in a small corner of the New York New York food court. One quick side note here. I think the NYNY has the best ala-carte food in Vegas. They really stick to tradition with pizza, delis, and seafood, and it's all really tasty. Ok, end tangent, back to hot dogs. They sell Italian sausages and really good beef franks, the latter of which we all got, mine Chicago style and the others with just mustard. They were so good, nice and plump and juicy, with a little bit of crisp on the skin. And the fries were great. They double fry! Good for them, and even more so, their cheese fries have actual cheddar baked onto them. If you need a quick lunch or a snack, check this place out.<br />
<br />
<strong>Switch</strong><br />
We ate here our last night in Vegas. If I'm being honest, I would have rather spent the $40 and gone back to the Wynn Buffet and eaten. This restaurant was all about the theme. The décor "switched" every 15 minutes by moving the walls, the wall hangings, and the ceiling to create a new environment, which was pretty neat. We opted to go with the "Taste of the Wynn" menu, something the Wynn has been promoting as a cheaper alternative to fine dining. $60 for a three course meal is a pretty good deal considering that you could easily triple that in other restaurants. However, I was a bit disappointed at not only the limitation of this menu (3 oysters with a cucumber-water "dipping sauce"), but also somewhat with the portions. I feel that by ordering this menu they were purposefully trying to give us the least amount of simple food possible. My main course was a scallop and lobster pastry dish, mildly pleasant if lacking in a robust flavor profile. Em's steak was much better, cooked nicely and satisfying. The dessert was pleasant as well, and kudos for them for the personalized writing on our dishes. However, I still was bit under whelmed by the food, especially compared to the theatrics the restaurant was based on.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTmmurELdCqFct8TB54006nb7VFadu5IcBPLhzKlMxAesqywKmnBEZb15vUsCB616RQDuuGqqEBOaUys2pjLR1sgxzrbIzQT39aDhPhkV6_ugXBReHGFUD0fdbv13Ae_YqGY1Puq2F__U/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+151.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452219440900586850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTmmurELdCqFct8TB54006nb7VFadu5IcBPLhzKlMxAesqywKmnBEZb15vUsCB616RQDuuGqqEBOaUys2pjLR1sgxzrbIzQT39aDhPhkV6_ugXBReHGFUD0fdbv13Ae_YqGY1Puq2F__U/s200/Vegas+Pictures+151.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpi41bJWW0sqCjWStCGlPum0qkCD8ZiXmqjuxGVZYKH7i6Hu2B5G8CtyAlwdI_USeHD16hKr3eqeIFGaOn8S8XRypLRsUJywGmpsxJ7-jhAEErX3kHh9FK8uBvSgsFThouT_Kl0Z1k6dUX/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+149.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452219435580115138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpi41bJWW0sqCjWStCGlPum0qkCD8ZiXmqjuxGVZYKH7i6Hu2B5G8CtyAlwdI_USeHD16hKr3eqeIFGaOn8S8XRypLRsUJywGmpsxJ7-jhAEErX3kHh9FK8uBvSgsFThouT_Kl0Z1k6dUX/s200/Vegas+Pictures+149.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF2ggg6ciiBh7oywah5m8UAAcNvEFcpgHP4GYQA2_4VbguXmPdAFdM1y9IaQniYkSZ-9CFW0GJ_cQylJSOZE_NrthRT77ihjrwhBJBhn-9y1FtggcgatSzx0dskTTrTxQ-ldVbU2cJJPU/s1600/Vegas+Pictures+152.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452219448986798466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF2ggg6ciiBh7oywah5m8UAAcNvEFcpgHP4GYQA2_4VbguXmPdAFdM1y9IaQniYkSZ-9CFW0GJ_cQylJSOZE_NrthRT77ihjrwhBJBhn-9y1FtggcgatSzx0dskTTrTxQ-ldVbU2cJJPU/s200/Vegas+Pictures+152.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a> <br />
<div align="justify"><br />
I will post the rest (Rosemary's and cake) later this week. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-35587704684822728142010-03-19T07:52:00.002-04:002010-04-27T12:46:55.749-04:00Egg Tostadas with Black Beans and Salsa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9qY77wNz5q4WDXhCSX0vUkXrGi7h3g7BydylJ23mUA51NnofWURz2HOUNw31QVwS6MzbbXTgw_fX-P9burKnIMjoj2hMYpW5gDdCOkQG83jJWo0lrnZ3vSalqWWGWZHeeTyDNluILFNJ/s1600-h/New+Pictures+114.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450312003957243826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9qY77wNz5q4WDXhCSX0vUkXrGi7h3g7BydylJ23mUA51NnofWURz2HOUNw31QVwS6MzbbXTgw_fX-P9burKnIMjoj2hMYpW5gDdCOkQG83jJWo0lrnZ3vSalqWWGWZHeeTyDNluILFNJ/s400/New+Pictures+114.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Again with the leftovers! Well, when you buy tostadas, you usually have some leftover. If you don’t want to make chips with them, I would suggest breakfast. Yep, pick up and eat breakfast tostadas. It reminds me of the days I used to eat huge breakfast burritos at Viva Burrito in Tucson, a warm, spicy breakfast that kept me full well into the day.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
As with my previous enchiladas, this is recipe that you can mix and match to your liking. Want bacon instead of beans? Go for it. Add some sauce or some greens to complete anything. Use what you have on hand, and improvise. Trust me, its fun.<br />
<br />
<strong>Egg Tostadas with Black Beans and Salsa</strong>Serves 2<br />
<br />
5 eggs<br />
2 tablespoons milk<br />
½ teaspoon cumin<br />
6 oz black beans (~1/2 can), drained and rinsed<br />
1 tablespoon chili powder<br />
1 red pepper or tomato, diced<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
Shredded cheese<br />
Salsa<br />
4 tostadas<br />
<br />
In a small pot, place pepper or tomato, beans, chili powder, and some salt and pepper over medium heat. Add just a splash of water and cook until just warmed through, about 4 minutes, and remove from heat. Beat eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and cumin in a bowl. In a non-stick skillet over medium add a small amount of butter to coat the pan. Add the eggs, stirring occasionally until scrambled. Spoon eggs evenly onto tostadas, add black beans, cheese, and salsa. Serve warm.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-6608757299018393312010-03-11T09:34:00.005-05:002010-04-27T12:47:17.302-04:00Enchiladas from Leftovers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVGdBrrZnxB77GsrBuK4fxT_3Z_zlfOZxVA5CeP-IkRqIqu9PWpmRzHjw-5UdkmwvPByAxZHAwHZWw5O8-v5XAcSePKSe8SptpPDfdVVpQt3FucfJS3_1iw23LuEGrc5F3h9ZJV7dcqn6/s1600-h/New+Pictures+110.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447385786163845954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVGdBrrZnxB77GsrBuK4fxT_3Z_zlfOZxVA5CeP-IkRqIqu9PWpmRzHjw-5UdkmwvPByAxZHAwHZWw5O8-v5XAcSePKSe8SptpPDfdVVpQt3FucfJS3_1iw23LuEGrc5F3h9ZJV7dcqn6/s400/New+Pictures+110.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>With the <a href="http://boilermakerkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/03/tinga-tinga.html">pork tostadas</a> I made the other night, I certainly had leftovers. And I was feeling something a bit different. Emily suggested enchiladas. Now, I have to give a small amount of background here. I always have ingredients for enchiladas at hand (the same goes for a chocolate cake, you can never be too careful). Why? Because enchiladas offer a lot of versatility and can easily be made into dinner. Take some tortillas, wrap it around a nice warm filling, place it in a pan, pour sauce and/or cheese over it, and bake until bubbly. Boom, dinner. And you can put so much into an enchilada, that's why I like them so much. I put leftover shredded meats, rice, beans, whatever I can find that sounds good together. You could even make them for breakfast.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447386018010251442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTOCQdNfvTZmqJE0z93DSi4CqBXVB2Xu8i4Dvd49Ejsynp7zTbUHC7yrd2tqPEbrRqeFGoIkHuN2G9bifmsaOiYKVTvJ9IOQ2Xn8rYcEQFjX-JhqDi60EoEonHdawvwWLvd22yXPWEfvv/s200/New+Pictures+105.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" />For this I used the leftover shredded pork and some cooked rice. They got the thumbs up from Emily, so I'm keeping it on my list of "things I make the next night". Enjoy<br />
<strong><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447386024009580946" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE07NRLTSQ_taKYnxiMfOJzxVCdHrHz5IwdRXTb4GehMtzhehQpCTyfCcDFPmdxuJNs19DciDqtTh8LjBRkAcVcUnTz-DSD_JdBTuOjOUdhyphenhyphenAXds8I2FiQ1pNPLEOoCSgJV7AswEA-KMLn/s200/New+Pictures+108.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" />Pork Enchiladas</strong><br />
Serves 4<br />
<br />
1/2 pound shredded pork or smiliar filling<br />
2 cups ooked white rice<br />
3 cup sour cream<br />
1 teaspoon chili powder<br />
10 flour tortillas<br />
1 12 ounce can red enchilada sauce<br />
Shredded cheese (Colby jack is good here)<br />
<br />
In a small sauce pot combine the pork and rice over medium heat. Put it into whatever ratio you want, I used about ½ pound pork to 1 ½ cups of rice. Cook until warm, add sour cream, chile powder, and salt and pepper to taste.<br />
<div><div><div><br />
Preheat your oven to 375°F. On a flat surface spoon a bit of the filling evenly into the tortillas. Roll them up and place them with the edge down in a baking dish. Cover with sauce and cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the enchiladas are hot, about 20 minutes.</div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-91246132574120618632010-03-05T07:57:00.006-05:002010-04-27T12:47:26.018-04:00Tamale Pie Redux<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfiGr3-WqUmFC2o2tZJW6k4EJfigzxxYmGs92sP4x5S58cdtH605mGOiheZl2Y-9sT6kLtH3riYpkG4HERoJsPw4PWgBu3QfOA-jYHsxBDqZUlsp9_GZwNXD2InOoxgGuOfdy1v5rKywO/s1600-h/New+Pictures+116.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445137502282459442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfiGr3-WqUmFC2o2tZJW6k4EJfigzxxYmGs92sP4x5S58cdtH605mGOiheZl2Y-9sT6kLtH3riYpkG4HERoJsPw4PWgBu3QfOA-jYHsxBDqZUlsp9_GZwNXD2InOoxgGuOfdy1v5rKywO/s400/New+Pictures+116.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>I had some interesting comments on my <a href="http://boilermakerkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/11/ta-molly-pie.html">aforementioned post</a>. So while I was making this dish last night for dinner, I did alter a few things as well as clarify. Plus, this gives me a great oppurtunity to put another picture of Molly (almost a year!) on my blog. A few points.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
-at least add one of the jalapenos, even if you are not a heat person. Cut out the seeds and stems, but at least have it there for flavor.<br />
<br />
-Do not skimp on the spices. They make the dish.<br />
<br />
-I increased the amount of cornmeal in mine last night to give a better crust. A great idea.<br />
<br />
<strong>Tamale Pie</strong><br />
<br />
1 pound lean ground beef<br />
1 onion, diced<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
2 jalapenos, minced<br />
2 1/2 tablespoons ancho chile powder<br />
1 tablespoon dried oregano<br />
½ teaspoon cumin<br />
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed<br />
1 cup corn, frozen or fresh<br />
1 15oz can diced tomatoes, with juice<br />
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded<br />
1 cup coarse corn meal<br />
3 1/4 cups water<br />
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil<br />
1 teaspoon smoked paprika<br />
Salt<br />
Pepper<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 375°F.<br />
<br />
In a large skillet over medium heat, add beef, breaking up and cooking until browned. Add the onion, jalapeno, and some salt, cooking until the onion is softened. Add the chile powder, oregano, cumin, and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add the beans, corn, and tomatoes into the skillet. Cook until most of the juices from the tomatoes have evaporated and the mixture is slightly thickened. (about 10 minutes). Season with salt and remove from heat.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, heat water in a pot until boiling. Stir in cornmeal, reduce heat to medium-low, and whisk until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in oil and paprika, season with salt and pepper.<br />
Stir cheese into meat mixture. Transfer to a 9x13 (3 quart) baking pan or similar vessel. Top with cornmeal mixture, spreading to the edges to seal. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and turn on broiler to high. Continue cooking until cornmeal is set and slightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-82065062453090424802010-03-01T07:55:00.010-05:002010-04-27T12:47:35.653-04:00Tinga Tinga<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqe7UHOgeTvI9YbY7qvgd9sesjrqzunIHxHTN4E4TBeQ5qc7eJnD1uKikd2ZQYEEUMFECsRxoNlq-MMPcQwSoeU1SyLycR9b2-FD8aq-S-sr-W5M_Dqjf2FmcXKUERAGawMBi_jwmKu3S/s1600-h/New+Pictures+102.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443648920443381106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqe7UHOgeTvI9YbY7qvgd9sesjrqzunIHxHTN4E4TBeQ5qc7eJnD1uKikd2ZQYEEUMFECsRxoNlq-MMPcQwSoeU1SyLycR9b2-FD8aq-S-sr-W5M_Dqjf2FmcXKUERAGawMBi_jwmKu3S/s400/New+Pictures+102.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>I'm certainly on a Mexican kick at the moment. Between discovering Rick Bayless' fantastic show on PBS and a Mexican market down the road, I have been all over this. Tacos, enchiladas, meats, beans, you name it, I'm into it. And I plan to continue that path. It's the food I truly miss from Arizona, the pure, unadulterated foods of Mexico. I'm not saying that the Midwest does not have some good food, because they do, but there is so much culture and passion behind Mexican food that I just love.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Such is the case with this recipe for pork tostadas. It's inspired from a recent recipe in Cook's Illustrated, who also seem to be on a Mexican kick lately. It's a pretty simple recipe, it makes a ton, and you can do amazing things with the leftovers (next post). I will say that I did not fry my own tostadas, I instead bought them to save time and oil. Mission seems to be the favorite in the grocery stores, but I recommend getting them from a Mexican market if you can. Just make sure to look at the ingredients. It should read something like "corn, water, salt" or be less than five ingredients. If it's more, walk away. Just walk away. Quality is everything here people. </div><div><br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443649029204225154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBhDnuDx7SYjLsjja4QA8jqZRghOOBounDj4-9aGsnNYFT6ixlYGxIELbeWtxX458Y61nTvjPehf-RI_BcllHH3-IEkqSYU8Jb_3TMq8em1rbgWa2jL4BCMkoy_6b9j-5ikLp9Hd03Mv2/s200/New+Pictures+101.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" />There is a lot more I can talk about with these, but I just hope you give them a try for dinner one night next week, you will not be disappointed. I halved it when I made it, but this is double my recipe for a family.<br />
<br />
<strong>Shredded Pork Tostadas</strong><br />
Serves 4-6<br />
<br />
2 pounds pork butt, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces<br />
2 onions, 1 roughly quartered and 1 chopped<br />
6 garlic cloves, 3 peeled and smashed and 3 minced<br />
6 sprigs fresh thyme</div><div>2 tablespoons olive oil</div><div>1 teaspoon dried oregano</div><div>1 (15oz) can tomato sauce</div><div>1 tablespoon ancho chile powder</div><div>1 teaspoon cumin</div><div>2 bay leaves<br />
1 cup water<br />
<br />
For the tostadas<br />
tostadas<br />
shredded cheese (queso fresco, cojita, or mild feta)<br />
cilantro</div><div>sliced avocado</div><div>sour cream<br />
salsa</div><div><br />
</div><div>In a large pot, bring pork, quartered onion, smashed garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 6 cups water to a simmer over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam that comes to the surface. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium low, partially cover, and cook until pork is fork tender, 60-80 minutes. Drain pork, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Discard the onion, garlic, and thyme. Return pork to pot (no heat) and smash with a potato masher until roughly shredded. Set aside.</div><div><br />
</div><div>In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, cook for about 30 seconds, then add pork and dried oregano, mixing and then pressing the pork down into the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally (flip the pork over) until the pork is well browned and slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Stir in the tomato sauce, reserved cooking liquid, chile powder, cumin, and bay leaves; simmer until thick and most of the liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes. Discard bay leaves, season with salt.</div><div><br />
</div><div>To serve, spoon pork onto tostadas, top with avocado (or guacamole), cheese, cilantro, and any other fresh toppings you desire. Enjoy.</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-17616756001511097692010-02-28T09:48:00.002-05:002010-03-01T09:49:59.574-05:00Back in the Kitchen Again<span class="Apple-style-span" style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;" >Writing is difficult.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>There, I said it.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Finding time to write in addition to the job, planning a pseudo-wedding (more on that later), working, taking care of a puppy, and the holidays is just not easy.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>And I know, some people work 3 jobs, have kids, and read this and go "you sir, are weak".<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Well, its not just about time with this, its about motivation.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Have I been cooking?<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Of course, but writing about it just kind of took a back seat.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>I needed to ask myself what my goals where for writing a food blog and if I really wanted to keep jotting everything down I did and having people stare at me when I took pictures of my food in restaurants.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>But I digress, I have found my voice, and while sometimes I may be more inspired than others, I hope you enjoy the collection of rambling and recipes to come.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Back tomorrow with some fun stuff.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-55958432141470299302010-02-08T12:05:00.001-05:002010-02-08T12:07:08.591-05:00Back soon...I realize I have taken quite the hiatus from blogging lately. With holidays, sickness, and getting married happening right now, I just have not felt the urge to write about food. My motivation will return, and I will be back with lots of new recipes, posts and thoughts. Thanks for your support. Stay tunedAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-8865117205276741162009-11-20T13:40:00.004-05:002009-11-20T13:48:15.640-05:00The Apple of My Pie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kaNhYaTP9mWUPi6tUBJh-JueE-citW-yajt7ZCiHtgM9JTgNKkfcOqoHh3rlT86IhD8Q0wME4bS9HmNI_dT4gEfXiQvco2VDQfKW_bM5Do93TCgIbUsFZIjNZIdXkMP3Q6iDtfOLt_c4/s1600/100_1565.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406258752245827282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kaNhYaTP9mWUPi6tUBJh-JueE-citW-yajt7ZCiHtgM9JTgNKkfcOqoHh3rlT86IhD8Q0wME4bS9HmNI_dT4gEfXiQvco2VDQfKW_bM5Do93TCgIbUsFZIjNZIdXkMP3Q6iDtfOLt_c4/s400/100_1565.jpg" border="0" /></a>I have not been making apple pie very long, but I have learned a lot in the time I have been baking it. In fact, next week will probably break my record of "most pie made in one time" by a long shot. Em and I are traveling back to Connecticut to have Thanksgiving with her parents, a somewhat annual tradition. This means a lot of pie. Apple, first and foremost. John (Em's dad) makes some of the best apple pie this world has ever seen, and I'm willing to put money on that. He makes pie for pretty much any occasion, because, hey, who doesn’t like pie?<br /><br />Apple pie is really to separate entities, the crust and the filling. For the crust, I have become a huge fan of the Cook's Illustrated "add vodka" pie crust. As a scientist this greatly appeals to me. Water in crust causes gluten formation, which leads to a chewy and not pleasant crust. Well, vodka is only 40% water, so by adding this in addition to water you are under-hydrating the dough, allowing for an easier roll out. When the pie bakes (for quite some time), about 95-98% of the alcohol will burn off, leaving you with a wonderfully flaky crust. Also, as I previously stated in a post, using lard or shortening is important. Its fat structure allows for a better crust, where butter brings mostly flavor. Don't be afraid! I did back down a little on the fat because I feel it makes the pie slightly greasy, but not much.<br /><br />For the filling, make sure to acquire a good type of apple. Granny Smith, Northern Spy, or Golden Delicious are all very good pie apples. Try to cut them into uniform slices to allow for even baking. And eat some of it. This will tell you how much sugar you will need to add (I have learned that making apple pie is really more of an art than a recipe). John and I differ slightly in our method of preparing the filling. I like to mix the apples with the sugar mixture before placing them in the crust (I feel it makes the pie more evenly distributed), he prefers to layer the apples and sprinkle the sugar mixture as he goes. Either way is good.<br /><br /><strong>Crust</strong><br /><br />2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />2 tablespoons sugar<br />½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices<br />2/3 cup cold lard or vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces<br />1/4 cup cold vodka<br />1/4 cup cold water<br /><br />Add 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, 15 seconds. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.<br /><br />Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. Using a spatula to mix, fold dough by pressing down on dough until slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two roughly even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.<br /><br /><strong>Filling</strong><br /><br />6-8 apples (Northern Spy, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, or a mix), approximately 3-4 pounds<br />2/3-2/4 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of apples)<br />Pinch of salt<br />2 tablespoons flour<br />1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />1/8 teaspoon nutmeg<br />1/8 teaspoon allspice<br />2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces<br />2 tablespoons cream or milk<br />Additional sugar or cinnamon sugar for sprinkling<br /><br />Preheat oven to 425°F and arrange rack to lower part of the oven.<br /><br />Peel and core apples. Slice into even slices approximately ¼ inch thick. Place apples in a large bowl with enough water to cover and about 2 tablespoons lemon juice (prevents browning). In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Drain apples well (I recommend patting them dry with a kitchen towel) and transfer to a large bowl. Add sugar mixture and coat apples well.<br /><br />Roll out one pie crust disk on a lightly floured surface and arrange in a 9 inch pie dish. Arrange apples in circular layers, mounding slightly more in the middle. (Alternatively, layer apples with the sugar mixture if you don’t want to mix it ahead of time.)<br /><br />Dot the butter on the top of the apples. Roll out the other crust, making it slightly larger than the first (you want a little bit of overhang). Brush the edges of the bottom crust with milk (helps adhesion). Fold the top crust in half and make two small cuts for vents. Arrange top crust over pie. Using a paring knife, cut the excess crust so that about ½-1 inch is left hanging below the lip of the pie. Using your thumb, pinch together the edges of the dough, sealing the bottom and top crust. Tuck the crimped edges back underneath the crust (essentially rolling it into itself so it is even with the pan edge) and flute with fingers or fork. This gives you that pretty pie crust look.<br /><br />Brush the top with milk or cream (I find egg causes too much browning, but you can use egg white). Sprinkle sugar or cinnamon sugar over top<br /><br />Bake for 50 minutes or until the pie is deep golden brown and the apples are bubbling (might have to go a few extra minutes). Let cool for 3-4 hours before slicing.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-43812541158994365202009-11-18T07:55:00.002-05:002009-11-18T08:04:22.563-05:00Ta-Molly Pie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDov8ucK-2acAjKh-WneWw7iGdBxbT7vCEFnApFrGlTB0cZ4APs7xxR-x_08_o1TjydDOn1A24_RluTW0X5-o1Ao8xfV-gO9phQc50Cu4cOlKyaiTrcmXxOxpfqkQ9-Y9r0Je9u_aWv5N/s1600/New+Pictures+022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405427924461612530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDov8ucK-2acAjKh-WneWw7iGdBxbT7vCEFnApFrGlTB0cZ4APs7xxR-x_08_o1TjydDOn1A24_RluTW0X5-o1Ao8xfV-gO9phQc50Cu4cOlKyaiTrcmXxOxpfqkQ9-Y9r0Je9u_aWv5N/s400/New+Pictures+022.jpg" border="0" /></a>Did I alter the title of a dish just to put another picture of my dog on my blog? You betcha. This has become Em's new favorite dish, causing me to refine the recipe rather quickly as well as get my cooking time for an hour total. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405428257519887154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70L_cRopCj18RacvCSQR4m3gH6PAWZ5Hhs3EgGbYXT3M27AB1yuCQnGNWfe8S7WWPvuN_4O2ubUbrfpXVsocKY3s8VWt1lmD2OjoGp-qrhsd-HCwAl5_-kR2n2Sv0FHlCnUSnQRNXd8mc/s200/New+Pictures+024.jpg" border="0" />Tamale's are something I have a deep, deep fondness for. I remember getting from people selling out of their car on the weekends. I would bring home tamales, tortillas, make some beans, and that would be dinner. For anyone who would find this odd, I never got sick, and they were always delicious. Think of it this way, if the guy who sold me that food did make people sick, no one would buy his wares and he would not be selling (word travels fast). I miss food opportunities like this, I feel our society frowns upon the homemade and homegrown unless strictly regulated. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405428267004591202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkTOzhtt-o6aIUDmfqMv6-HboYSPnb810mfZ3NKaCCxswQKesl3Vusg7RAqwgNkdE50g1ZkYUD-zte41sKGFgxzpIpMKjMfnILNwq2JboQwZ2GovJ29HvzDsZeRp9GanaMT2buFp5qWjE/s200/New+Pictures+027.jpg" border="0" />Back to tamales. I do not have time to make tamales themselves, but I can make a pie. With tamale ingredients. I tested out the Cook's Illustrated version, and made some improvements (in my eyes). It’s a great dish to feed a crowd, and works nicely with turkey or vegetarian (just add rice or more beans).<br /><br /><strong>Tamale Pie</strong><br /><br />1 pound lean ground beef<br />1 onion, diced<br />2 garlic cloves, minced<br />2 jalapenos, minced<br />2 tablespoons ancho chile powder<br />1 teaspoon dried oregano<br />½ teaspoon cumin<br />1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed<br />1 cup corn, frozen or fresh<br />1 15oz can diced tomatoes, with juice<br />4 ounces cheese (Colby jack or Monterey jack)<br />¾ cup coarse corn meal<br />2 1/2 cups water<br />1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil<br />1 teaspoon smoked paprika<br />Salt<br />Pepper<br /><br />Preheat oven to 375°F.<br /><br />In a large skillet over medium heat, add beef, breaking up and cooking until browned. Add the onion and some salt, cooking until the onion is softened. Add the jalapeno and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add the chile powder, oregano, cumin, beans, corn, and tomatoes into the skillet. Cook until most of the juices from the tomatoes have evaporated and the mixture is slightly thickened. Season and remove from heat.<br /><br />Meanwhile, heat water in a pot until boiling. Stir in cornmeal, reduce heat to low, and whisk until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in oil and paprika, season with salt and pepper.<br />Stir cheese into meat mixture. Transfer to a 9x13 baking pan or similar vessel. Top with cornmeal mixture, spreading to the edges to seal. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and turn on broiler to high. Continue cooking until cornmeal is set and slightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-86491954754522544902009-11-12T12:30:00.004-05:002009-11-12T12:34:02.423-05:00Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ79dFbxUNIpaptcbjfrLzcNgo7qCMoVgYQKJ6VfcGz14Dyf6tj1DxawOta-RcC2WTQqh_IDvIEQpekZgUn5Rv821UVlrFdn7UWkzGxTuKvQoRu6DwZVSdUl-jpz0ysR6Vpkk1LndGZW68/s1600-h/New+Pictures+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403271389064253762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ79dFbxUNIpaptcbjfrLzcNgo7qCMoVgYQKJ6VfcGz14Dyf6tj1DxawOta-RcC2WTQqh_IDvIEQpekZgUn5Rv821UVlrFdn7UWkzGxTuKvQoRu6DwZVSdUl-jpz0ysR6Vpkk1LndGZW68/s400/New+Pictures+006.jpg" border="0" /></a>After the success of my banana pancakes, I decided to twist it a little bit by incorporating my favorite banana accompaniment, peanut butter. Honestly, if scientists could make a banana with a slight peanut butter flavor, I'm thinking it would solve 95% of potassium deficiency in the world. Well, I can dream, right? <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403271583259174866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAqXAew85yagJpSElDxYr-pUr8iEjmZ1R1PI0GMllXjeoSFo5csTYN1WwgDmvDbWESEC2IBVcNSGe6cJ5HjX-23al0xnXh7R2wNN6Hn8mBdGLBevHkjbL3EoEY0kzsZVTQkbZHpxh048O/s200/New+Pictures+001.jpg" border="0" />Same process pretty much as before. Since I was adding peanut butter, I removed some of the butter to compensate for that. I also found out I could probably eat my weight in these.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403271585110318866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD05IYp_ic0hsYUWZAWdFf6cA5bNNU83Im_KvEqoxn77dSFS-zmj1VLVB0N3SjXYQB-whZ-KjfswtFcwP1rGHpWJ6gM1v3bE_ita6owi8RmK8eEC85hSZx_d5KwixaLEebAUm1MmuHBfYG/s200/New+Pictures+005.jpg" border="0" /><strong>Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes</strong><br /><br />1 cup flour<br />1 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />2 tablespoons sugar<br />½ teaspoon vanilla<br />1 egg<br />1 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled slightly<br />3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter<br />1 cup buttermilk<br />1 banana, mashed<br />2 bananas, sliced thin<br /><br />Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until combined. In a separate bowl combine the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, mashed banana, peanut butter, and butter. Slowly add the wet to the dry and fold using a spatula. Once most of the batter is combined and a few lumps remain, set bowl aside and let rest for 5-10 minutes. If the batter is too thick, add a bit more buttermilk. Batter should be slightly thin but not pourable.<br /><br />Preheat your griddle or pan to medium-high. Spray with a small amount of cooking spray or butter. Using a scoop or ladle, add small amount of batter to pan. Place sliced bananas in a single layer on the top of each pancake. Cook for 3-4 minutes until bottoms are browned. Flip pancakes over and continue to cook until bottom is browned and pancake is firm, about 2 more minutes. Serve with syrup.</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-89349828958622000982009-11-04T15:19:00.002-05:002010-05-18T10:51:28.869-04:00The Great Chili Cookoff Part II: The Showdown<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA13y7TPBLrZR6TGk-t67OerbjCu5WfLsGFH9uE3B2NZxEkGedTO5mhfiuwIkLw6WgFcGZI_RbjH53mBz4dmuxvu6ThsuybJvVDKegbX49DLrm_zEQ_vIhghesn7QW-irNmGaKNbg1bJLc/s1600-h/New+Pictures+032.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400344423359434450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA13y7TPBLrZR6TGk-t67OerbjCu5WfLsGFH9uE3B2NZxEkGedTO5mhfiuwIkLw6WgFcGZI_RbjH53mBz4dmuxvu6ThsuybJvVDKegbX49DLrm_zEQ_vIhghesn7QW-irNmGaKNbg1bJLc/s400/New+Pictures+032.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> The showdown is upon me! Or rather, it was. The chili cookoff went down at work today. It was lots of fun and I ate way too much.<br />
<br />
My chili recipe went through a few more iterations before I settled on a final version. I now have both a quick and easy version, as well as a deep delicious flavor version. For whatever reason, the grocery stores have apparently heard my plea and now carry Anaheim/Hatch chiles in the produce section. Nice!<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400344956936262162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVnz6orJyYZFw2LGmqs0DicvS2JODFFWbAxC_Zw6sGAj0OLQeP-YlGQtcA0Kw3TIqkz9Nnpe0cqUPwRIfMEe04CCFtIfZ3ip0qxpynHtr04eYv2VqoN4U6OItXHJUekmivbGbaI1L6dOZ/s200/New+Pictures+030.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" />When shopping for a lot of the ingredients in this dish, I paid a bit of attention to the price when shopping. I bought most of this stuff at a Mexican grocer, and then compared that to what my local meg-mart had to offer. As I thought, a grocer that specializes in a region is WAY cheaper than what the big store are offering, and the quality is much better. Case in point: tomatillos are 99 cents a pound at a Mexican grocery, they are usually $3 per pound at the store. So shop smart (shop S-Mart!!)<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400344963472953970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs5uWTzIZOwBT2Pw06Gxq2xnvaV_TDS1zLsTKBAOL_Y7VqWe8Wh-7gaDWgVyHXFon4AHtTB5kL6jAVYkkgozeYOhUt-_uMpy-O35xE-_QfXNKK09TOQdFmWOmF2TcdAGGFXsVUYN907Ez/s200/New+Pictures+033.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" />In the end, my chili came out much to my (and my coworkers) liking. I placed second, raising $84 in my jar for charity. Which is awesome! The organizer of the event placed first, so yeah, maybe I'm a little competative. That's ok. I hope you enjoy the recipe.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400344967613107250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuLMfUe39-kbm4MaPpOswcdi0oi61Dhahttby95Kk5MXBva7YgiQhwq3yLGYvKdvjfVAbFWSTBPKn_9OGbTl94hDEaqaRaAgZx9xNVXrm8bWFTcFyEn-2JgzTPL3J-RzMO3YE-ef5kMn8/s200/New+Pictures+040.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /><strong>Southwestern White Chili<br />
</strong><br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
1 pound ground turkey (at least 90/10, I like 95/5)<br />
1 onion, diced fine<br />
4 cloves garlic, diced<br />
2 chipotle peppers in their adobo sauce, diced<br />
8 oz green chiles, stems removed<br />
1-2 jalapeno's, stems removed<br />
1 10oz can green enchilada sauce<br />
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks and stems removed<br />
1 jalapeno<br />
1/4 cup cilantro<br />
1 teaspoon sugar<br />
1 cup dry pearled barley<br />
4 cups chicken stock<br />
1 15oz. can cannellini bean beans, rinsed<br />
1/2 tablespoon cumin<br />
1 tablespoon chili powder (go for the Ancho kind, its smokey)<br />
Salt<br />
Pepper<br />
1 tablespoon cornmeal<br />
1 tablespoon tomato paste<br />
Sour cream<br />
<br />
Heat broiler to high. Toss tomatillos, jalapenos, and green chiles in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange tomatillos (stem side down) on a foil lined baking sheet along with jalapeno and green chiles. Place in middle of oven, roast for 5-8 minutes or until slightly charred. Flip and continue to roast until charred on other side. Remove from oven can cool slightly. Peel and seed jalapeno and chiles, remove stem part from tomatillo. Place tomatillos, chiles, jalapeno, cilantro, sugar, green enchilada sauce, and some salt in pepper in a food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth.<br />
<br />
Heat about olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onion and cook until slightly wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute longer. Add turkey, breaking it apart and cooking until it has lost its pink color. Add the chipotles, cumin, chili powder, and some salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. Add the tomatillo mixture, cook for 5 minutes, then add the pearled barley, followed by chicken stock. Stir, bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add beans and cook 10 more minutes, or until barley becomes only slightly chewy. Remove lid, stir in cornmeal and tomato paste, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve topped with a bit of sour cream.<br />
<br />
-To simplify the recipe, replace the tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro, sugar, and green chiles with-<br />
<br />
2 4 oz. cans diced green chiles<br />
1 can tomatillos, drained and chopped<br />
<br />
Add these ingredients, along with the enchilada sauce, directly to the chili. The depth of flavor will lessen, but it really speeds up the prep time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281099757155848750.post-63717520451949909032009-10-25T18:16:00.008-04:002009-10-26T21:30:05.285-04:00Chicken Provencal (In a slow cooker)<div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoCyJ5qZvMeb6ns8ie9ZtK71o9nz9p2r8vC34ttytHPxRz2n5T5HsBU-A2O0HrzWinWF1dITJrGcfDuHYplTaqrBqy5NeZQSghHBDAR3eAfpOwClx8urU7F46g23yU9M91Caom4DicMbv/s1600-h/Picture+039.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396966283971694674" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoCyJ5qZvMeb6ns8ie9ZtK71o9nz9p2r8vC34ttytHPxRz2n5T5HsBU-A2O0HrzWinWF1dITJrGcfDuHYplTaqrBqy5NeZQSghHBDAR3eAfpOwClx8urU7F46g23yU9M91Caom4DicMbv/s400/Picture+039.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>A combination of writer's block, an FDA inspection, and my lack of inspiration at the moment (thanks crazy weather) has decreased my output on the blog lately. Sorry about that. But apologies get me nowhere if I cannot produce some food!</div><br /><div>I enjoy my slow cooker. I love beef stroganoff and slow cooked beans are consistently a favorite. However, leaving something to heat all day is not always a good idea in the summer months. Thanks to a dip in the temperature lately, I can pack up the ice cream machine and unpack the slow cooker. The first thing I decided to make was chicken Provencal, a fantastic recipe I adapted from the Cook's Illustrated cookbook. </div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396966615762712706" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; height: 150px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBkQnU5UFsQVIRnVuBqvnjP2_J4FeuH_knd8xfKIPGGckATH-dNfFsx93O26qCVvLTfuB4AscsAxbr8RPiN-1vR5QIcajzyGA6GHabiO4ragjrawBYfMNKbYF2Hb2fHCWEikiol7ULXkZ/s200/Picture+025.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>Starting with the chicken, I am very pleased that boneless, skinless chicken thighs have percolated into my super market. They are stupendous and almost more flexible than chicken breasts. They also stew very well.</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396966623576897122" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; height: 150px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Vzcaazrs6frC5BDwUl-F3zd3t524e13WFpvVlrMzWdDF6gyMnhFsISA4pMloPZQpAjtYqYFVJlbHDmMTUg6d5aQl5u5tFWRIYov97qOVE-o12zm33Bk91ecNbZjMcLDBswcV2c9y8gLW/s200/Picture+030.jpg" border="0" />I discovered this recipe while searching for a good putanesca recipe. I'm not extremely versed in French cooking, but this preparation is actually pretty simple. You can mix and match certain parts (like more olives) to match your tastes.<br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396966629049299650" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; height: 150px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pA_hPUasy3Sc5x0ynu8ofN6W-YXF3yO0mWZUf0SgI_82ma1yQMDlgeBPH7FO7huR9DIiMqh4d2Y1rctY4qtX3S9gsgfB9I6FBJT0h-FrwckxzWGCsKIDq4pdKm_WBCnfZ1ZKZOh3suA2/s200/Picture+036.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chicken Provencal (adapted from Cook's Illustrated)</span><br /><br />8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts<br />1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />3 onions, chopped medium<br />14 cloves garlic, chopped<br />1 1/2 cups white wine<br />28-oz crushed tomatoes<br />1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth<br />1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh)<br />1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)<br />2 bay leaves<br />2 tablespoons corn starch<br />4 oz. Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped<br />1/4-1/2 cup chopped parsley<br />1 tablespoon grated lemon zest.<br /><br />Heat 2 teaspoon of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat until smoking. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place in hot skillet. Brown on both sides, about 10 minutes, and transfer to slow cooker. If the pan is too crowded brown in batches. Add remaining teaspoon oil and onions and a bit of salt, cooking until the onions are wilted, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add wine, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the slow cooker, followed by the bay leaves, thyme, oregano, tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cups of the chicken stock. Cover and cook for about 4 hours or until the chicken is very tender.<br /><br />Remove chicken from cooker and transfer to plate, covering with foil. Turn slow cooker to high, whisk remaining 1/4 cup chicken stock with cornstarch and add to the mix. Cover and cook until thickened, about 15-30 minutes. Stir in the olives, parsley, and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve sauce over chicken, passing additional sauce at the table.<br /><br />Serve over rice, egg noodles, or soft polenta. Serves 6. Enjoy! </div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479310504056590352noreply@blogger.com1