tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46417424931720887452024-02-02T08:31:45.637-05:00of monkeys and cupcakesK8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-16240221124201062312010-05-17T10:33:00.004-04:002010-05-17T10:47:56.943-04:00Roast Beef Nori RollsFirst things first, I forgot to take a final picture of the rolls. And that is why I am a bad blogger. Needless to say these are wicked tasty and super easy. All you need is a couple sheets of nori, roast beef, sour cream, and horseradish. Mix up the sour cream and horseradish together to your liking, really up to you and your tolerance. Place roast beef on about 3/4 of the nori and spread with the zesty cream thusly.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUU2r6cl6WGdGSjv0Lw-0-M2BVIwOfjy2xfEgCiXqQ-p-cDPQMXJ2WjZ0c1E88RV1uMTf_WhPYNj08C3N16uEDYzSYpF14AAdA5N1_mkMeUuYFzU003fuTs9xlfZ4nhXvE4HzSbD7x6TM/s1600/beef+rolls+001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUU2r6cl6WGdGSjv0Lw-0-M2BVIwOfjy2xfEgCiXqQ-p-cDPQMXJ2WjZ0c1E88RV1uMTf_WhPYNj08C3N16uEDYzSYpF14AAdA5N1_mkMeUuYFzU003fuTs9xlfZ4nhXvE4HzSbD7x6TM/s400/beef+rolls+001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472249250285208834" /></a><br />Then all you have to do is roll it up, wet the nori and let them sit a bit. The sitting is not vital, but it softens up the nori a bit and lets everything meld a bit. Slice them up with a nice sharp knife and pop them in your mouth! Or in our case package them up along with oodles of IPA's for a beer tasting.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-6494061383524680572010-05-10T19:40:00.007-04:002010-05-11T06:26:38.099-04:00look at me I am a posting ninja... maple bacon snickerdoodles<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5bq6tj7aBOaxfn1r1tilR5Q4wM5Mv39mNIv4MUHMsmp3Qj62sDvOPEzB1gYEZ-IHoJxT4B-hr8xW2emZXaQHFThPDb_7wmifzEoUYgezOQKRagoDs9R45f1WpD51im_G-uALzvJvhlI/s1600/maple+bacon+snickerdoodle+002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5bq6tj7aBOaxfn1r1tilR5Q4wM5Mv39mNIv4MUHMsmp3Qj62sDvOPEzB1gYEZ-IHoJxT4B-hr8xW2emZXaQHFThPDb_7wmifzEoUYgezOQKRagoDs9R45f1WpD51im_G-uALzvJvhlI/s400/maple+bacon+snickerdoodle+002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469793156196436274" /></a><br />Soooo, I was basically over work for the week by 8:30 this morning. This bodes poorly for the rest of the week, but when that happens it does give me ample time to day-dream about food. What, you don't do that? Basically if I ever need motivation for any sort of experiment or project, just have me get a touch bored at work, next thing you know I am researching how to debone a squab. Enter these cookies, what is funny about all of this is that for the last year or so I have totally lost my sweet tooth. Random cookies or frosting are just to much, my sweet tooth may have been replaced by a high quality ice cream and potato chip tooth. So, I like the concept and flavor combo of this, but they were crunchier than I prefer and was kinda of over it after one bite. If you want the recipe, I snagged it from <a href="http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2009/03/maple-snickerdoodles.html">Closet Cooking</a> but added bacon, that kid makes some tasty grub. I did however cram the few pieces of bacon left over into my maw. On a similar note, I may have dropped a snickerdoodle dough-ball, destined for the sugar bowl for rolling, on the floor and had to retrieve the whole thing from the Saltine's mouth. FYI, I opted not to cook that one. P.S. we got a super cute dog.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0RWz5LKKmVlydt3mseBCZwPFQPB-4HoubUCQwkAyqUmdnILGad60Dv7NXPjyOHxP6Z7xbwoOHNTPpcUM8hrt61HCrt-wNLQlT9rR_A8pWKh0vB6Gqml-e40IH3-6iGHptuoSGpUYDyo/s1600/april+2010+019.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0RWz5LKKmVlydt3mseBCZwPFQPB-4HoubUCQwkAyqUmdnILGad60Dv7NXPjyOHxP6Z7xbwoOHNTPpcUM8hrt61HCrt-wNLQlT9rR_A8pWKh0vB6Gqml-e40IH3-6iGHptuoSGpUYDyo/s400/april+2010+019.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469794291564454834" /></a>K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-86691756542744380982010-05-09T07:23:00.003-04:002010-05-09T07:37:51.309-04:00Kinderhook Farm Sirloin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWz66fuk9aOtrY-caa5zHoa-BaoVKX_eEyJmNbzTRfDi6SXxdvawOdAJ5pTUjzPun6KW7txXiacepOCIdI5ySGhfGp4PbFUkxsca4wAap3xwzYb8PDQcRxEvCueSTFnwByW9hcbcthRYk/s1600/5.9.10+import+020.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWz66fuk9aOtrY-caa5zHoa-BaoVKX_eEyJmNbzTRfDi6SXxdvawOdAJ5pTUjzPun6KW7txXiacepOCIdI5ySGhfGp4PbFUkxsca4wAap3xwzYb8PDQcRxEvCueSTFnwByW9hcbcthRYk/s400/5.9.10+import+020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469230085478553666" /></a><br />We thawed out the sirloin from <a href="http://kinderhookfarm.com/">Kinderhook Farm</a> and in an effort to truly see how the meat tastes I simply tossed it under the broiler. Nothing fancy, nothing to amp it up. All I can say is holy shit, this was delicious. Super tender, very flavorful, and not at all chewy but not in that funny mushy way that some mass produced meats can be. After cooking this up I am very much looking forward to chowing down on the rest of our meats that we got from the farm. Since I was cooking up the sirloin in the morning I made a right brekkie of steak and eggs for the Hubbs. I also will not deny that I "may" have gnawed the bit of meat that was on the bone after we sliced this baby up.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UPTKckTmiKv1ue4qMhvT2i7Sqz-3PgRSk7_n_yliBCWL7C1ayZ_XwdARugQ_CR11PmLLr-ih5dMl_kEonpCYWx3BeSqC9EQT2NIHwYFiRQjzoUk7lCADOiQX4XM6N1HwV09ne9fMY9g/s1600/5.9.10+import+023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UPTKckTmiKv1ue4qMhvT2i7Sqz-3PgRSk7_n_yliBCWL7C1ayZ_XwdARugQ_CR11PmLLr-ih5dMl_kEonpCYWx3BeSqC9EQT2NIHwYFiRQjzoUk7lCADOiQX4XM6N1HwV09ne9fMY9g/s400/5.9.10+import+023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469232317583499602" /></a>K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-81889883836365887792010-05-02T14:53:00.009-04:002010-05-02T15:20:54.796-04:00Kinderhook Farm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFt-Vlh2PO6JRaAPb-GIXC5Nfr8IH_9_J4mK2DJjuKQhNwETsqoehl30gfvBZt3hjP8OVO_L4wwh_7xfAdlrJv2Z86dWwrGmzQ8w6tTFwXOunFU-V_stE_VKvyj-J_6_J4r9u-dZcQuT8/s1600/2010-05-02+11.41.08.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFt-Vlh2PO6JRaAPb-GIXC5Nfr8IH_9_J4mK2DJjuKQhNwETsqoehl30gfvBZt3hjP8OVO_L4wwh_7xfAdlrJv2Z86dWwrGmzQ8w6tTFwXOunFU-V_stE_VKvyj-J_6_J4r9u-dZcQuT8/s400/2010-05-02+11.41.08.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466752315956585906" /></a><br />In our goal to try and have most of our meats come from local-ish and happily raised animals we took the jaunt out to Valatie NY to check out <a href="http://kinderhookfarm.com/home.html">Kinderhook Farm</a>. I was a gorgeous day and perfect for a short trip. The farm store was small, just a few freezers of meat and a fridge with their eggs. The eggs, by the way, were totally beautiful light green, browns, and tan; sadly we had just gone shopping so we had about a dozen and a half already hanging in the fridge at home. We called Georgia, one of the owners, she met us at the store and helped us out. After chatting for a bit we decided on a nice brisket, sirloin, and some marrow bones. Everything comes frozen but according to the website you can call ahead and they will pull stuff out of the deep freeze to start defrosting in advance of your visit. The super friendly and helpful Georgia took us on a quick tour of the farm where they were in the early days of "lambing" which meant there were oodles of wee day-old lambs just cold-chillin with their moms. There was also a brandy-new calf that had been born the day before as well.<br /><br />As far as the meat, we have not had any of it yet. I will definitely post on that once we bust into the stash.<br /><br />Oh, and as far as posting, which I suck-diddly-uk-at, my new goal is to wow you all with at least one post a week. This should help "goal orient" stuff a bit more. Here is hoping it works!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittosmcnQlB04vXviiEB7RGWIK8paVv2pdoDAZ53Ama22oTG_WC0dX5MFO5lxgKkhlv0_vk7To6N8nJmO29ldw_FxQhIn80JzHMtzZWnzBOJZ-zXJiOitlZGWkZA1iaT7CyWOViGGpgyQ/s1600/2010-05-02+11.40.52.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittosmcnQlB04vXviiEB7RGWIK8paVv2pdoDAZ53Ama22oTG_WC0dX5MFO5lxgKkhlv0_vk7To6N8nJmO29ldw_FxQhIn80JzHMtzZWnzBOJZ-zXJiOitlZGWkZA1iaT7CyWOViGGpgyQ/s400/2010-05-02+11.40.52.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466754303936271618" /></a><br />Mommy sheepK8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-32971177727020509192010-01-10T18:16:00.006-05:002010-01-10T18:38:15.870-05:00home made goat cheeseEven though I have made mozzarella at home, for some reason I thought the process for goat cheese would be different or more difficult. Turns out it is probably easier and with ingredients that don't involve a trip to a special market providing that you have a hook-up for goat milk or it is in your regular market. I followed <a href="http://kissmyspatula.com/2010/01/03/homemade-goat-cheese/">Kiss my Spatula's</a> recipe pretty much to the letter, except that I doubled it. doubled for no other reason than I purchased a half gallon of goat milk rather than a quart and we were not to apt to use it in coffee or over granola.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYaQWtlUrqjAJHN7m7tCa0Z8qsF1T8flo0zqaHQOte4fdr3PXlMbe0ZvT9AJBh-5Rsk21nZEiqwathHrtYgqAwXEsyCk3p0YH7D1UbGupon8FXZ4md73FLmNn4ofqO3bDTdO4CihI_C8/s1600-h/sack.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYaQWtlUrqjAJHN7m7tCa0Z8qsF1T8flo0zqaHQOte4fdr3PXlMbe0ZvT9AJBh-5Rsk21nZEiqwathHrtYgqAwXEsyCk3p0YH7D1UbGupon8FXZ4md73FLmNn4ofqO3bDTdO4CihI_C8/s400/sack.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425257524992900098" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Draining cheese looking, well, sacky</span><br /><br />We chopped up the green parts of a handful of scallions to add into the mix for some additional zing and color. To sample my freshly made cheese I went for dates with goat cheese wrapped with prosciutto. It was really hard not to make 14 of these and cram them into my gaping maw. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwnq0FQYgIvKb8rzPVdBIj-892BKt1njGKwLPFcCigCsoMOyKhyCy3gLPwoRrkU5Bylsi0zqTdoXlHj90AbvKkcehvmF83FTxKac5kOoEoHMMhHfCb5k0ZMFHMyhr9ZKVrgFXNp13PsA/s1600-h/wrapped.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwnq0FQYgIvKb8rzPVdBIj-892BKt1njGKwLPFcCigCsoMOyKhyCy3gLPwoRrkU5Bylsi0zqTdoXlHj90AbvKkcehvmF83FTxKac5kOoEoHMMhHfCb5k0ZMFHMyhr9ZKVrgFXNp13PsA/s400/wrapped.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425258624936636178" /></a>K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-61086620752105523772010-01-03T11:08:00.003-05:002010-01-03T11:27:54.251-05:00English Muffins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZI1oO7BRRlKxa2OZVdfopT722avAVbhoUsezFM5sJ6ZfVdjZ54mXVhVYJsR8dDlK-WTiZf0rKjscaVRMX5qIqZTgHbJNprgjFA6c_mQ9W48rc1qi6rJU4WBYx_V8udJf5nECWqbddm4/s1600-h/IMG_0180.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZI1oO7BRRlKxa2OZVdfopT722avAVbhoUsezFM5sJ6ZfVdjZ54mXVhVYJsR8dDlK-WTiZf0rKjscaVRMX5qIqZTgHbJNprgjFA6c_mQ9W48rc1qi6rJU4WBYx_V8udJf5nECWqbddm4/s400/IMG_0180.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422546636996934962" /></a><br />Look at the patient muffins chillin in their rings, aw.....<br /><br />Months ago on a whim I purchased some english muffin rings in the hopes of making my very own nook and cranny filled muffins. Fast forward till a week ago and the rings were still sitting lonely in the cupboard. While prepping for the previously mentioned post-christmas brunch, I figured that it would be a nice time to test out the lonely rings. I used the recipe and directions that came with the rings and as you can see they turned out pretty fluffy and giant. I wish that I had taken a better side shot since they were seriously about 2 1/2 inches tall, at least! Our guests commented that they looked more like the "grands" style of refrigerator biscuits from the grocery store. They did taste great, but not the chewy-crunchy way that a traditional english muffin tend to be. I need to experiment with a couple of different recipes. The one that came with the rins produced a rather stiff dough and I had imagined that it would have been different with a looser more slack dough with less in the rings initially. Overall they were pretty good considering it was an early morning experiment.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-51447168090681689172010-01-03T10:49:00.006-05:002010-01-03T11:08:18.886-05:00"working with what you got" muffins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_29yV4KHHEzLw8Ty6AjQaLXpsL0CIZN7aqVORtcM5g63Jt8q2d3UMstXobkqPjm0nysI4Y3Klc_-Wmk1grjxtcPxjrUuNMMIU6cMxcQV8SmvpiVymfVmveuBWPlhTO_oizxb4RG9HCg/s1600-h/IMG_0177.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_29yV4KHHEzLw8Ty6AjQaLXpsL0CIZN7aqVORtcM5g63Jt8q2d3UMstXobkqPjm0nysI4Y3Klc_-Wmk1grjxtcPxjrUuNMMIU6cMxcQV8SmvpiVymfVmveuBWPlhTO_oizxb4RG9HCg/s400/IMG_0177.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422541621116906354" /></a><br />We found ourselves the hosts of a pot-luck brunch on the day after Christmas and since we had been traveling in the days before and would be traveling in the days after our few days at home I refused to make a special trip to the market for grub. I did however find time to hit a liquor store to procure the requisite bubbly for brunch, not to be a poor host, obviously. These blueberry cottage cheese muffins were a bit of an iron-chef-to-the-interwebs creation. I based the recipe on this one that I found <a href="http://buttermilkandpinecones.blogspot.com/2008/08/blueberry-cottage-cheese-muffins.html">here</a>. These muffins were very well received by Lady Giblet of <a href="http://ridiculousfoodsociety.blogspot.com/">Ridiculous Food Society</a> fame, and that makes them a winner in my book.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-57187899436073157182009-12-16T08:54:00.003-05:002009-12-16T09:08:02.688-05:00oh hai! I still do this from time to timeThere has been an overwhelming lack of time and motivation in the land of monkeys and cupcakes and for that I apologise.<br /><br />However, I bring you a surprisingly delicious and pretty health-full dish! Chard and spaghetti squash gratin. Yes, yes, very rarely do you see healthy and gratin in the same sentence but this fits the bill fairly well. I adapted these two recipes found <a href="http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/recipe-for-spaghetti-squash-and-chard.html">here</a> and <a href="http://askgeorgie.com/?p=1043">here</a>. I went for fat free fage greek yogurt in place of the sour cream and it worked like a dream and boosted the protein a bit. I am sure that it may be a touch richer with regular or low fat sour cream but I wasn't missing it. This is totally a make again and I really look forward to seeing what else I could mix in, hmmm mushrooms? salmon? the list really could go on.<br /><br />Glamorous leftovers at desk shot<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBjtZexLO8BA1qhj4ORDFpnN2Chc0X8gyXyRSFvn1z3p6W1GODkGkAKyq0P9sXICyx8LzKm8HpX5u_Oag5__JzDEyu-xHwma0O2uo8-JSJ_yuTSrT3_AD34PzKrNTejnoEpQSOSaOmic/s1600-h/IMG00106.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBjtZexLO8BA1qhj4ORDFpnN2Chc0X8gyXyRSFvn1z3p6W1GODkGkAKyq0P9sXICyx8LzKm8HpX5u_Oag5__JzDEyu-xHwma0O2uo8-JSJ_yuTSrT3_AD34PzKrNTejnoEpQSOSaOmic/s400/IMG00106.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415835013869777570" /></a>K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-19963452461147846792009-11-09T08:01:00.005-05:002009-11-10T10:58:52.544-05:00Dulce de Leche<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODMpZGnseJeULai0KPeWpAUnbt3K5j7EENr1huva45mS3nZoDOF1FK7SiSO6CqOEatXoHoQdSIfRNwTeXsVwI-JzF45hGyGT1wMgOhyphenhyphenGGIXZqzXbNMKIcqzEGwK2f9JY5c1mPTMtUzkQ/s1600-h/dulce.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODMpZGnseJeULai0KPeWpAUnbt3K5j7EENr1huva45mS3nZoDOF1FK7SiSO6CqOEatXoHoQdSIfRNwTeXsVwI-JzF45hGyGT1wMgOhyphenhyphenGGIXZqzXbNMKIcqzEGwK2f9JY5c1mPTMtUzkQ/s400/dulce.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402504619269392194" /></a><br />First off, I do not recommend this cooking method and it could be dangerous. Proceed at your own risk. That said, I am totally going to make this again using the same method.<br /><br />I have seen this recipe kicking around the interwebs for some time and I opted for the crockpot-you-won't-be-home-if-the-cans-explode method found <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/03/dulce-de-leche-crockpot-recipe.html">here</a>. There are tons of different ways to do this and many require much, much more attention and stirring so I went for the lazy one.<br /><br />Into the crockpot went four cans of sweetened condensed milk with the labels removed and were then covered with water. Cook on low for eight hours. The cans will be hot when you fish them out of their watery home. Be careful when you open the cans, there will be a bit of pressure and some of the delicious dulce de leche will blurp out. I urge anyone who tries this to resist consuming all of it with a spoon during this initial step. It will be hard and you may fail.<br />I served this up at two sorriees over the weekend with apples and it was very well recived.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-62649411712692842682009-11-02T17:16:00.004-05:002009-11-02T17:29:56.383-05:00Chicken liver roasted butternut squash pate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj776PrUZGo1Dy4RGdzUQcnAEHbK5S-1WMInTtO1Y_MIXIVlhgkRjfvBwAfPK9moqaXkDKp25U1Q4MwyD2vlKO5-Qw1CYPY9VNJ5BN696VGw9o0JA7YIOfHF2lS3uQ_hE5uPzIbWx06VsQ/s1600-h/pate.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj776PrUZGo1Dy4RGdzUQcnAEHbK5S-1WMInTtO1Y_MIXIVlhgkRjfvBwAfPK9moqaXkDKp25U1Q4MwyD2vlKO5-Qw1CYPY9VNJ5BN696VGw9o0JA7YIOfHF2lS3uQ_hE5uPzIbWx06VsQ/s400/pate.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399637034504911650" /></a><br />After having some amazing pate at the nearby wine bar I decided that I should try my hand at it. This was also nice since it incorporated the butternut squash which lightened it up a bit and made good use of the abundance of butternut squash that we had from our CSA. This was a hit at one of the Halloween parties that we attended this weekend, I brought wee toasts and some crackers to serve as the pate vessel, however I observed most people dunking pretzels in it. What can I say we are nothing but classy. If you want the recipe check it out <a href="http://www.greedygourmet.com/2008/11/03/chicken-liver-roast-butternut-squash-pate/">here</a>.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-1511386652020101972009-10-19T10:25:00.004-04:002009-10-19T11:00:39.442-04:00Product Review- MimicCremeNow, I don't normally do reviews but I figured why not.<br /><br />A few weeks ago I was doing my normal shopping at the <a href="http://hwfc.com/">Co-op</a> and we needed evaporated milk for a creamy soup. Turns out they were out of it and I really did not want to cave and go for the full-fat cream monty. I get enough milk fats from cheese and whatnot, I can skip it in a soup that I will not miss it in. We ended up stumbling upon a product called <a href="http://mimiccreme.com/index.html">MimicCreme</a> non-dairy milk section. It is non-dairy, soy-free, and gluten free. The ingredients are simply Purified Water, Almonds, Cashews, Sodium Bicarbonate, Rice Starch, and Non-Iodized Salt. I was a little apprehensive and concerned that it would be a watery gross mess. It was not the case at all, creamy nice looking, and worked like a dream in our soup. It even fared well when the soup was frozen and then reheated. MimicCreme gets a firm thumbs up from our household and and is a nice healthy/different option for cooking. We have totally made repeat purchases of the product. My only complaint is that the unsweetened comes in a 32 oz container and sometimes it is a bit more than we need, but I just end up using it in coffee or in other projects.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-88608489408448742792009-10-15T07:38:00.005-04:002009-10-15T08:28:38.230-04:00super oatmealAgain, I will spare you a photo of one of they most unphotogenic foods, oatmeal. To be honest I pretty much hated oatmeal unless it was in cookie form until I was well out of college. It was slimy, gross, and generally unsatisfying. Especially unsatisfying when in a lame-ass wee packet that served as a sugar delivery system. I also grew up in a cream of wheat household, my mother hated oatmeal and never offered it as a breakfast option. That brings me to about the age of 24-ish, I realised that I should give oatmeal another try, its good for you relatively easy, and relatively cheap. <br /><br />Enter steel-cut oats. These little suckers are a whole different animal. Nutty, a bit chewy, and minimally processed. The major drawback to steel-cut oats is the cooking time, if made traditionally it takes about 40 minutes of ACTIVE cooking and stirring. Yes, you can make a bunch all at once but there is nothing more boring than standing over your stove top just stirring oatmeal. Watching paint dry or counting paperclips come to mind.<br /><br />I have since perfected the lazy steel-cut oat preparation- the steamer/rice cooker. I have one that I rescued from my parents house years ago it is very similar to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Food-Steamer-Tier/dp/B000E226GA/ref=pd_sim_hg_5">this</a> one. This is also the only way I prepare rice. I have only successfully ruined pots while cooking rice on the stove. Note- this oatmeal making process is no faster it is just hands free. 1/2 cup steel cut oats to 2 cups water in the little rice cooker dish, fill the water reservoir to the high line and set it for one hour. When it dings you have two hearty servings of oats that will improve immensely if they are left to chill overnight in the fridge then reheated in the morning.<br /><br />Okay, back to the super oatmeal. I have tried numerous mix-ins for oatmeal and for the most part they are totally up to you and your preferences. However this morning I stumbled upon a real winner. After the oats were done in the steamer I split them in to two containers added a spoonful of chia seeds, a squeeze of hazelnut agave, and a spoonful of cashew butter. This all got mixed together then put in the fridge to wait till morning. The chia and cashew butter gave it a bit more body and staying power for the tummy, plus some healthy fat and a fiber boost. Breakfast Win!<br /><br />Wow, this is an awful lot of talk about oatmeal....K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-39088672335908366232009-10-10T18:46:00.006-04:002009-10-10T19:10:58.669-04:00Bacon JamI generally leave all of the bacon experiments to <a href="http://ridiculousfoodsociety.blogspot.com/">Mr. Dave</a>, however when I happened upon <a href="http://www.notquitenigella.com/">Not Quite Nigella's</a> <a href="http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/10/08/bacon-jam-your-wildest-dreams-come-true/">bacon jam</a> I knew I needed to try it. Wow, just wow. First off it makes your house smell awesome, second it got me out of some of my ceiling painting shift when the Hubbs took over so that I could tend to the jam. I am pretty eager to give this a-go with some soft cooked eggs in the near future.<br />Not gonna lie it looks pretty gross while its cooking, like strange bacon soup.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBPJ3fX1H0uZggd2c8Wx7lDGY1bRRVA4Xi4_f6NZ4XSMaVU_DxLW_VVQOv4sOZkMMLV1H6soThyfGw8OpzN3KZDc5dASW2lzJDdlvqlcqR7707TC0nZt_b-ezHQp8qZHC3psC0K3Emqk/s1600-h/bj+in+progress.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBPJ3fX1H0uZggd2c8Wx7lDGY1bRRVA4Xi4_f6NZ4XSMaVU_DxLW_VVQOv4sOZkMMLV1H6soThyfGw8OpzN3KZDc5dASW2lzJDdlvqlcqR7707TC0nZt_b-ezHQp8qZHC3psC0K3Emqk/s400/bj+in+progress.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391111858859720690" /></a><br />After it improves slightly, mostly because you get to eat it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xIeKR1SzhCCN7Vdj85n-bMkB-aHZaisD6RzsHfksukAMsC5DzC0YgZvdAzkLiBMKHxLdxA9EjP4S7bnjT9vj0FpOxqnIJSnQZOkiPeK2kZhr5fdR24Edom9WuZqm4LxynLiK0IpeMko/s1600-h/Bacon+jam!.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xIeKR1SzhCCN7Vdj85n-bMkB-aHZaisD6RzsHfksukAMsC5DzC0YgZvdAzkLiBMKHxLdxA9EjP4S7bnjT9vj0FpOxqnIJSnQZOkiPeK2kZhr5fdR24Edom9WuZqm4LxynLiK0IpeMko/s400/Bacon+jam!.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391112216426911890" /></a>K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-80852564546039387062009-09-21T18:37:00.005-04:002009-09-22T05:22:54.372-04:00corn fritters aka I forgot that I really dislike frying things<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFDZ5fDNjs0ujjJIac-4LXz9avraWbbHlZVzPed2dE0atE2z0KUCFnqSlbxhltsqcsgQqkb20JVow-eAnxvkZrMvrdXoDI5s2p2M5lWM4LIvJnL0jcpa7LvuJCwYXDaWx43jZXdCKnd0/s1600-h/fritter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFDZ5fDNjs0ujjJIac-4LXz9avraWbbHlZVzPed2dE0atE2z0KUCFnqSlbxhltsqcsgQqkb20JVow-eAnxvkZrMvrdXoDI5s2p2M5lWM4LIvJnL0jcpa7LvuJCwYXDaWx43jZXdCKnd0/s400/fritter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384054056443415202" /></a><br />We have been a bit backlogged on eating our farm share, we went out of town for a weekend and really got behind, leaving our household of two with eight ears of corn. To dispense with four of those ears I tried my hand at some corn fritters. They turned out pretty tasty plated up with some wilted tat soi and some ginger garlic chutney for the Hubbs. And I was quickly reminded how much I dislike frying. eating fried sure, making it no.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-74362807575963615742009-09-06T12:52:00.003-04:002009-09-06T13:01:52.771-04:00Savory Ricotta Kale PancakesHoly yummy breakfast. I found some super fancy ricotta on sale at the coop and bought it with no real plan for it. I have been intrigued by the concept of ricotta pancakes, mostly cause it packs a bit more protein than regular pancakes. In my world pancakes are kind of a waste, they just make me more hungry.<br /><br />I based the pancakes on a recipe that I found <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/breakfast/recipe-fluffy-ricotta-pancakes-048085">here</a>, I omitted the sugar and added a touch more than a pinch of salt. Once that was all together I added one bunch of kale that I had wilted with a chopped onion and a bit of garlic. They turned our fluffy and wonderful.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcrPi_Nh8wOt-LuQHdOjmfMo5a2r9lfGPF7TayGOQrTGVkKe8XxLItOvllW-2C_hah1zWd1NUV-Gml7CUa3r7tUbsd86GBmQ8TU40u7nJ3WdDz2ZjA6dLIwsbpo7NRILdDZnwFx2CHY4/s1600-h/kale+pancake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcrPi_Nh8wOt-LuQHdOjmfMo5a2r9lfGPF7TayGOQrTGVkKe8XxLItOvllW-2C_hah1zWd1NUV-Gml7CUa3r7tUbsd86GBmQ8TU40u7nJ3WdDz2ZjA6dLIwsbpo7NRILdDZnwFx2CHY4/s400/kale+pancake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378400403508968994" /></a><br />One finished and one half-way there.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-79841008846725531322009-08-23T08:45:00.011-04:002009-08-23T09:50:58.538-04:00home made cheese and a giant sandwichI recently made the kitchen foray into making cheese. I can honestly say it was pretty cool and way easier that I would have thought. It was like a science experiment that suddenly results in cheese. Specifically a shiny wonderful ball of mozzarella. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tpFFuw5XIPKGA5ajtjMYY3j0EWcmCaB01hk25kJUZY1LZOlQ6UbGbwkHPvaclvr9vHqrysnopOik6JHq8dMhti9xUfpFBcoNlCNSUZMyxCs9qlcnNxEQy9N647cuzUaUgNVSJuWekVI/s1600-h/cheese+ball.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tpFFuw5XIPKGA5ajtjMYY3j0EWcmCaB01hk25kJUZY1LZOlQ6UbGbwkHPvaclvr9vHqrysnopOik6JHq8dMhti9xUfpFBcoNlCNSUZMyxCs9qlcnNxEQy9N647cuzUaUgNVSJuWekVI/s400/cheese+ball.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373141841758514162" /></a><br />Although the poor tomatoes in the northeast are being sadly taken out by blight, the few that have made it have been amazingly tasty and worth the hearty price tag. At the <a href="http://www.troymarket.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=63">Troy Farmers Market</a> I picked up some delicious tomato beauties from <a href="http://www.slackhollowfarm.com/">Slack Hollow Farm</a>. Those tomatoes were begging for a tryst with my fresh mozzarella, thus the giant sandwich was born. I found a nice looking loaf of ciabatta at the <a href="http://www.hwfc.com/">Coop</a>, sliced it the long way and went to town caprese style.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAhc2K-OH6Ld7FjuKC_Lg3-c_h1mkTgULvu18fUhqgO4pFbugmxdWoN1ioSWAh663mwHFoimd-hzZr_gjp4HfyBLxZeVaNqJSOXoTcwvS4XBy9ySmbmjjbz_NWDhuJXJPy7zesfM5IcU/s1600-h/sandwich.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAhc2K-OH6Ld7FjuKC_Lg3-c_h1mkTgULvu18fUhqgO4pFbugmxdWoN1ioSWAh663mwHFoimd-hzZr_gjp4HfyBLxZeVaNqJSOXoTcwvS4XBy9ySmbmjjbz_NWDhuJXJPy7zesfM5IcU/s400/sandwich.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373145800397220450" /></a><br />Giant sandwich=awesome<br /><br />side note- I was talking to my sister yesterday and she commented that her husband was making cheese, and I had to respond "oh I made some cheese this morning" Random.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-78075914480427027252009-08-14T21:26:00.004-04:002009-08-14T21:35:22.813-04:00natural habitat<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8P-AJENNM5B4JKSoC6fGH3098Iz2r2hv6aGz3hnRaAkjI7oOCqlF9lLl9zfdBSy2P2D4DtZg7yWIeaon6U_DPVm5bN2AM_HBy45ZUmHLgcsJLsQ1wYdp2dXQaxDfS_oEmjKf609RZwI/s1600-h/IMG00054.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8P-AJENNM5B4JKSoC6fGH3098Iz2r2hv6aGz3hnRaAkjI7oOCqlF9lLl9zfdBSy2P2D4DtZg7yWIeaon6U_DPVm5bN2AM_HBy45ZUmHLgcsJLsQ1wYdp2dXQaxDfS_oEmjKf609RZwI/s400/IMG00054.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369997410006633714" /></a><br /><a href="These">These</a> tried to make their way back home into the nature of center square.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-68492850186799618212009-08-06T07:46:00.007-04:002009-08-06T08:03:33.670-04:00Shrimp Boil FritattaWe definitely had a boatload of leftovers from our shrimp boil and while leftovers are wonderful this was one that really lost a little something after a night in the fridge. The Hubbs was very concerned that the shrimpy/crawfishy goodness would go to waste so he suggested a fritatta.<br /><br />After I pulled all the meaty bits of seafood out of their shells I chopped up the potatoes and cut the corn off the cob. The onions and garlic from the boil were already pretty soft and mushy so I just tossed them in as is. This mixture turned out to be about 3 cups of filling, give or take. I mixed three eggs and 1/2 cup of milk and combined with the boil mixture. I was going to add just a bit of parmesan at this point only to find out that my parm had gone rouge in the fridge. The only other cheese option was a smoked gruyere so I shredded a nice chunk in to the mix. Add 1/2 cup flour plus 1/2 t baking powder, plus what ever seasons you prefer (I went for a dash of Cayenne and a bit of old bay). Mix the whole thing together and pop it in the oven in a greased pie pan or oven safe dish. 350 ish for 40-45 should do it. This was a pretty freestyle job, as fritattas want to be. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHDg0LJefVrLuX3HyMfNpExxforH4jZasyszz8GaBwL4rA6caW-M1pWZmhX2DwJ9iGDGQzdt_nZ5bkCShdoqpy_Cg5Y2yMKCOEFR04R2YB-zbD0NvYQuNm98qNy21V56iP9mUQpL42zo/s1600-h/IMG00048%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHDg0LJefVrLuX3HyMfNpExxforH4jZasyszz8GaBwL4rA6caW-M1pWZmhX2DwJ9iGDGQzdt_nZ5bkCShdoqpy_Cg5Y2yMKCOEFR04R2YB-zbD0NvYQuNm98qNy21V56iP9mUQpL42zo/s400/IMG00048%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366818400544241778" /></a>K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-86059040517718637312009-08-04T12:23:00.004-04:002009-08-04T12:44:08.024-04:00Shrimp BoilI really cannot claim any credit for the shrimp boil or even the inspiration. That I have to give credit to <a href="http://thekitchensinkrecipes.com/2009/07/29/in-reality/">The Kitchen Sink</a>. I simply saw the blog entry and said "hey that would be tasty", and after having a crap-tastic day I was determined to try and force a good evening. The only real tweak was the addition of a few crawfish that looked inviting at the market.<br /><br />Steamy<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBDG0UwXyNBmE29oOnbYVskbDfqI31waa160WKyCwUSDhBI-5LTpu1I-lVR6EAZUZOKxVMUBIWJ8vO_z6L55AdGPfAaKJqaT_ttjkjdb3MKz0eu4qzgs0PMwyQh_NWY33FSYd8eL5aqI/s1600-h/IMG00365%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBDG0UwXyNBmE29oOnbYVskbDfqI31waa160WKyCwUSDhBI-5LTpu1I-lVR6EAZUZOKxVMUBIWJ8vO_z6L55AdGPfAaKJqaT_ttjkjdb3MKz0eu4qzgs0PMwyQh_NWY33FSYd8eL5aqI/s400/IMG00365%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366148330753719682" /></a><br /><br />This was enjoyed with a few glasses of asti on our stoop to celebrate summer FINALLY arriving in the northeast. The Hubbs and I determined that this was tasty, messy, and did in fact improve the evening. Next time we would probably add in some spicy sausage as well and more people; we have a ton left over (but the Hubbs has a banner idea, so keep an eye out....)K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-6516537596755155742009-07-29T18:35:00.004-04:002009-07-29T18:51:31.307-04:00MargaritaSome of you who know me know that for most of my drinking years, I often passed on tequila. That was unless I was terribly tipsy and it was 1. bought by someone else, 2. rack, and 3. utterly gross. Given those factors I thought I hated tequila. Much like how I thought I hated wine because I had only ever stolen white zinfandel from a box that my Mom stored under the kitchen table.<br /><br />Needless to say I decided to take it back about a year and a half ago. I gave tequila another chance and it has been a wonderful affair since then. Again, to those who may know me know that I also do not drink rum, spite my love for it. Rum however is a foul tasty temptress in my world. She makes me irrationally angry and frankly, batshit crazy. For the sake of my marriage and friendships I will not be giving rum another go.<br /><br />Margarita:<br />This is my recipe made to my preference and is not what everyone likes, but it has gotten some pretty encouraging reviews from my attorney.<br /><br />2 oz Tequila (whatever brand you prefer, but really don't totally cheap out)<br />2 oz triple sec (feel free to cheap out here, unless you are going for Grand Marnier don't bother in my book)<br />2 oz lime juice.<br /><br />pour over ice, no salt, and most certainly do not turn that shit into a watered down snow cone.<br /><br />CheersK8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-3324019257797006092009-07-27T09:36:00.005-04:002009-07-27T09:47:18.255-04:00New Asian MarketMr. Dave of <a href="http://ridiculousfoodsociety.blogspot.com/">Ridiculous Food Society</a> fame recently visited and reviewed the newest addition to the Asian market family in the Capital District. His review is far more comprehensive so please feel free to check it out <a href="http://ridiculousfoodsociety.blogspot.com/2009/07/much-lauded-new-asian-super-market-on.html">here</a>.<br /><br />It is bright and clean, although still has that "Asian market smell", but that is just how it goes. I really look forward to spending a bit more time there and taking advantage of their fresh meats and fish. One thing that very much surprised me was this........<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ty2hmmXkH9W7SZle5dA5ns-kHKHPIXDPG5aONTfbGMeDRHZvnviyLZ2CusNrzHt79apeG5qLID7T70kwpMVJAUNNoS8byk6v2K52Bx8L0otLJw8MVGEBpvMKd2ZlTj03gqyxWz89KSQ/s1600-h/IMG00043.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ty2hmmXkH9W7SZle5dA5ns-kHKHPIXDPG5aONTfbGMeDRHZvnviyLZ2CusNrzHt79apeG5qLID7T70kwpMVJAUNNoS8byk6v2K52Bx8L0otLJw8MVGEBpvMKd2ZlTj03gqyxWz89KSQ/s400/IMG00043.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363134961519040802" /></a><br />Yes, Durian. I admittedly was to chickenshit to buy one. It was too far away from trash day to purchase a supposedly delicious fruit that stinks of dead bodies. I am still intrigued and may heed the siren call soon. Plus I loved that it was tucked unassumingly in a cooler next to green tea ice cream and an impressive assortment of dumplings.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-40510093450219058372009-07-27T08:30:00.005-04:002009-07-27T08:52:13.294-04:00picture purposely omitted- sesame ginger nufu saladOur household has been known to purchase a tub of the tofu salad from the <a href="http://www.hwfc.com/">co-op</a> and gobble it up almost instantly. This goes the same for both versions of the tofu salad, Matt's and the curry cashew. A few weeks ago I got some flavored and seasoned tofu when it was on sale and stashed it in the cheese drawer to await inspiration.<br /><br />Yesterday morning that inspiration struck! Leaving the flavor decision up the the Hubbs, tofu salad was going to be made. After choosing sesame ginger I looked down at the package and realized I had in fact not purchased two packages of tofu I purchased one package of tofu and one package of nufu. specifically <a href="http://www.veganstore.com/sunergia-nufu-peanut-tofu/Page_1/625N.html">Sunergia nufu peanut tofu</a>. Apparently nufu is soy free "tofu", I had never heard of it nor really knew that it existed. It is virtually identical to tofu except that the soybeans are replaced with peanuts. Although this is seasoned lightly, it still tasted a lot like tofu straight out the package. However after jazzing it up a bit hoooboy! tasty stuff.<br /><br />Sesame ginger nufu salad<br /><br />1 package Sunergia nufu peanut tofu<br />half of a vidalia onion chopped small<br />4 green onions chopped<br />1 T natural peanut butter<br />approximately 2 T warm water<br />few shakes soy sauce.<br /><br />Crumble up nufu and mix with both onions. In a separate bowl combine peanut butter and warm water and mix till fully incorporated and smooth. Add a bit of soy sauce to the mixture and combine. Pour the sauce into the nufu and onion mix; stir it all up and enjoy.<br /><br />This really was super tasty and would be great in a wrap or over some greens. We just kind of chowed it on its own. Pictures were graciously not taken since tofu/nufu is really not the most photogenic of foods to begin with and once you smash it up you really are not doing it any favors.... but trust me this was delicious and quick.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-3782528334109632882009-07-20T09:42:00.006-04:002009-07-21T06:37:40.275-04:00easiest "fancy" salad ever<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObYdQSY566BnJIbwITVMaoxYcfFuxdT-wf9-5LbRdjRQz-ydoDAbJWYxGy4A8Oj1kfUJoFLsJ2VDd6GefDHqHeGLQ48HI1H7KYKHnzmYns_n2qj4KojtInU3Qptg-birY972uHZ4hY4g/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObYdQSY566BnJIbwITVMaoxYcfFuxdT-wf9-5LbRdjRQz-ydoDAbJWYxGy4A8Oj1kfUJoFLsJ2VDd6GefDHqHeGLQ48HI1H7KYKHnzmYns_n2qj4KojtInU3Qptg-birY972uHZ4hY4g/s400/001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360860683607228370" /></a><br /><br />Ooolala, is that a course from a swanky tasting menu? Nope, just my lunch on Saturday. After a busy morning that included an awesome run with my sister, the <a href="http://www.troymarket.org/">farmers market</a>, <a href="http://www.hwfc.com/">the co-op</a>, and an unsuccessful trip to <a href="http://www.rolfsporkstore.com/">Rolf's Pork Store</a>; I was totally ready for lunch.<br /><br />I took some nice fresh spinach from our CSA, topped it with tangy goat cheese, fresh figs, a splash of balsamic vinegar, and cracked pepper. Wicked easy and enjoyed while sitting on my stoop taking in the neighborhood.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-23037176374736731342009-07-20T09:24:00.006-04:002009-07-21T06:35:23.739-04:00edamame dip AKA "holy shit there is sunshine in my mouth"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUETurV_tcLTTIQzWUEGWGAdvjo76xsKqj3gtsyBWX784FAVBmRHpQ2lR7DKXEbUbEd7uNv3-ssLQOl1ehcQQTcR6pRD8rUJLaoDkZSiNhRV6sm0-4mAU6f-xPmQ_0-GOidrblurDCf1Y/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUETurV_tcLTTIQzWUEGWGAdvjo76xsKqj3gtsyBWX784FAVBmRHpQ2lR7DKXEbUbEd7uNv3-ssLQOl1ehcQQTcR6pRD8rUJLaoDkZSiNhRV6sm0-4mAU6f-xPmQ_0-GOidrblurDCf1Y/s400/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360860042792023074" /></a><br />There us no way this picture will ever do this dip justice, unless I photo shop a halo and ethereal lighting into it....<br /><br />I stumbled across the recipe for this wonder-dip at <a href="http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2009/07/edamame-dip.html">Closet Cooking</a>, I tweaked it only slightly. My edamame was already cooked, I used fresh lemon juice in place of lime, and I tossed in a garlic scape for good measure. Wowzer is this tasty! It really is like an amazing summer day that you can eat with veggies, or chips, or on a sandwich. I highly recommend giving it a whirl for yourself.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641742493172088745.post-76815023918989594472009-07-13T10:06:00.005-04:002009-07-13T11:25:29.393-04:00BelgiumHa ha! I have a reason aside from laziness as to why I have not posted.... We were visiting Belgium. The land of beer, chocolates, mussels, and fries!<br /><br />There were some definite winners that we were able to sample throughout our journey. The beers (not surprisingly) were wonderful, we really did not encounter any real duds at all. Similarly any chocolate we encountered was delicious and in a totally different category than most chocolate you find stateside. <br /><br />You can get giant steaming pots of mussels every way imaginable. I am admittedly a bit of a mussel slut and will accept them any way that I can get them and will always be pleased. So, me liking the mussels was a bit of a sure thing.<br /><br />Our firm recommendation on the fries. Skip them if they are at a restaurant or part of your meal they will be lame, pretty standard, and they will serve them to you with just about everything. Go to a stand or a cart. That is where the pom frits action is. They will be hot, greasy, and with a bounty of dipping sauces that can be slopped all over them.<br /><br />Oh, and if you ever find yourself in Antwerp check out a place called <a href="http://www.thebistro.be/">The Bistro</a>. One of the best meals I have had in a long time.<br /><br />A P.S. to Belgium- Your cities will smell way less like piss if you actually have bathrooms. Just seems like a safe bet when your culture encourages consumption of multiple liters of beer in a given sitting. Just an observation.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.com1