Meat Is Our Number One Ingredient. . .

In The Garden

I bet you have seen one of those commercials that compares the family dog to a wolf. I suppose it is intended to feed some desire in pet owners to see the manatee nee bulldog beside them on the couch as a noble predator, stalking his quarry. . . Bit of a stretch.

Yes dogs are decedents of wolves, but how? Prevailing theory now is that proto-dogs self selected in the garbage heaps near ancient human communities. So dogs are opportunistic omnivores. 

The picture above is our dog in the garden nomming on a discarded ear of corn. To my knowledge he has never been given corn right off the stalk. He found it, brought it out of the picked over stalks, peeled the husk back, and ate the nibblets off the cob. Opportunistic omnivore. 

Oh, yeah. He loves crabgrass too. 

Everything Is Better With Pizza Sauce

Breakfast, Wednesday September 05: pizza omelet (egg, jalapeno, red pepper, onion, mushroom, bacon, mozzarella, pizza sauce); garden tomato; banana.

As far as Alexis is concerned everything is better with pizza sauce on it (coleslaw?). So when I said I would saute some veggies for eggs her demand was "As long as mine has pizza sauce on it." We had sauce on hand because I was out of town for a few days. "What's that got to do with it?" you ask. If I am not going to be home I usually make sure she has stuff to make herself flatbread pizza. It's not that she is incapable of cooking for herself. She works 12 hour shifts. When she gets home she is tired, but usually has some chore(s) to tend to in my stead: pick beans; water plants; tote boxes upstairs; other housework; etc. So I try to make it easy for her to make herself some comfort food.

Ed's Diner

Supper, Tuesday September 04: meat and three (pork barbecue, sweet corn, yellow Italian beans, cauliflower and cheddar).

Over the years I have had many people tell me "You should open a restaurant!" I always graciously thank them. What I don't tell them is that I worked for some time in that industry in both the corporate and independent versions.  I've done more or less every job in the restaurant business. (No I can't say that I have been officially a Poissonnier, but very few restaurants in the world have one). I can therefore say with all certainty, it is really hard work. I mean REALLY hard. Not only that, the hardest job is owner/chef of an independent restaurant. 

I cook at home or for guests for my own amusement. I do not want it to be my job. Beyond that I would also note that just about the only thing that cooking at home and running a restaurant have in common is that both use food somehow. That's about it. 

It's Octopuses

Weird road food edition

So we were traveling home from our beach condo and planned on making a stop in Savannah to eat. Alexis is always down for Mexican but I wasn't feeling it. I was more in the mood for Thai. While I was looking on the Google I was reminded of a sushi place we recently tried and liked. So I was like "What about that sushi place?" Then she was all like "Hells yeah!" So then I was like "OK then make a left up here."

Yeah, not a fan of the quotative "like." Say or say not, there is no like.

The place has a baby octopus "salad." I guess it's a salad 'cause it's got sesame seeds, soy, and sesame oil. Really it is just a bowl of chewy yumminess (assuming you're into that sort of thing). Anyhoo we shared the "salad" and some sushi and soup. A great way to start the trip.

Oh, yeah. octopuses always sounds weird to me. I have always wanted it to be octopi. Cactus? Cacti. Alumnus? Alumni. Octopus is not a Latin word. It's Greek. So it is octopuses. My position though is that we are using a Greek word in English that sound Latin-ish. Do we really need to adhere to the original plural form? We should make it an honorary Latin word. Octopi forever!

What Is So Sublime About Cheese And Eggs?

Breakfast, Friday August 17: cheesy eggs 

(eggs (DUH), medium cheddar, salsa); 

hash browns with salsa; tomato, avocado, 

Hawaiian sea salt, ev olive oil.

Seriously, take gooey eggs, mix in some cheese til it's all melty and gooier. What we should say is "Wow! This has the texture of Rhinoceros snot." We don't. Pourquoi pas? I guess it just tastes that good and we have learned to accept that texture.

I saw a news story recently on specialty ice creams. One featured had the property that it stretched like melted mozzarella. I'm not sure I could do it. The texture would be too foreign.

I Gotta Get A New Phone

Lunch, Monday August 13 homemade lunchable (grilled squash, yellow Italian beans, 

Ohio sharp cheddar, 

beer and mustard cheese, Trail bologna).

The glass over the camera on my phone has gotten badly scratched. It is making all my pictures very blurry. 
Did I mention that Alexis just adores her little bento style lunch box? Yeah, she does. She is also a fan of nibbly things. Win, win.

One Of The Greatest Combos Ever

Lunch, Monday July 16: lox bagel (sesame bagel, cream cheese, smoked salmon, tomato, 
lettuce, onion, capers).

I didn't put this together. There is a new coffee shop down the street that I really like. They have a small menu of sammiches and other tidbits. Most importantly, they always have shortbread, one of my favoritest thingses.

This is also a nice example of the penchant for Americans to create culinary mash-ups. Scandinavians devised the method of preserving salmon in salt. Native Americans smoked it. The capers are Italian. Cream cheese probably originated in Britain. The crusty chewy ring of manna probably started with Uigher merchants on the silk road.

New Yorkers put them all together.

I Got Inspired

Supper, Friday July 13: ceviche (scallops, shrimp, yellow fin, lime juice, scallion, cilantro, salt); cucumber salad (cucumber, sun dried tomato, miracle whip, rice vinegar); yellow italian beans; swiss.

We visited St Augustine FL recently. The main reason for the visit was to attend a concert there, but really we will take just about any excuse to visit there. Our favorite activity is what we like to call the "Sangria and ceviche tour." We walk about window shopping and duck into any place that looks like they have sangria and ceviche.  

So, I got inspired.

Ceviche is really easy. Prep the seafood (peel, dice, whatever) combine the ingredients. let it steep for an hour or two (this depends on the seafood and the size of the pieces.) Enjoy! The acid in the lime juice "cooks" the seafood and does a good job of killing bacteria.

This was a hot day and I had no intention of eating hot food, so even the beans are cold. Eaten this way they are yummy with a little ranch.

Too Much Lettuce

Lunch, Sunday June 24: bean soup; cheese, lettuce, and cucumber wrap; olive; stuffed pepper.

Not much to say. We have a lot of lettuce from the garden so instead of a salad "how about a wrap.?"

It Doesn't Get Any More Southern Than This

Supper, Saturday June 16: smoked pork; mixed greens; fried squash, fried taters.

I have ranted on BBQ before. I don't need to right now. I'll come back to it later. 

The greens of my youth were chopped, and boiled with smoked pork, jowls or hocks, until you could almost eat them with a straw. 

I exaggerate, but they most certainly were cooked until soft. Now if that was mustard or turnip greens then that would not take too long, but if it was kale or collards then it could be an all day affair depending on the season (winter collards ate more tender, and sweeter to boot). As for now I tend to cook greens with a little tooth left, but that does depend on the culinary context. In this instance we have a very traditional accompaniment so I cooked them a little soft. On the other hand If I were going to serve them as the centerpiece under a salt block seared piece of grouper I would likely leave them a bit al dente. 

I play around with seasoning too. Traditional is OK. A little chopped onion is good with a little vegetable base. Sometimes I will add a little crushed tomato or crushed red pepper. Coarsely chopped kale sauteed in olive oil with garlic and sesame seeds is great. 

There are a bunch of new approaches to be found on the interwebs. Greens are a "superfood" dinja know? Who knew? We've been eating healthy in the south all along.

Where's The Psgetti?

Supper, Saturday May 26: stir fry pods (snow peas, garlic, chopped cashews, soy sauce, mirin); meatballs (ground beef, ground pork, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper); marinara; shredded parm.

I REALLY like pasta. The low carb thing is a little difficult for me. I can see the logic of it: lower the thing that is most of your diet. That doesn't make it easier though. This was a good combo though. Meatballs and sauce with a side of something that is chewy and saucy itself. 

I do have an admission: it's not really parm. There is a local creamery that makes fantastic cheese. This selection started as a cheddar process then was further treated and aged so that it came out similar to Argentine Parm. I tasted it at the shop and knew immediately that I needed some for the meatballs I had recently made. (Actually we are just suckers for cheese, but that is my story and I am sticking to it.)

The Perfect Avocado?

Friday, May 25: Weird Food Thing

Somebody stole the seed. 

The skin of what should be a seed is there, but inside that is nothing. The bonus here is the size. Look at how much smaller the center is than usual. We got a lot more avocado than usual. Wouldn't seedless avocados be awesome?

When Life Gives You Lemons. . .

Lunch, Saturday May 5: spinach and carnitas enchiladas (leftover burrito filling, corn tortillas, habanero cheddar verde sauce); mixed greens; avocado; yogurt.

When life gives you a burrito, make enchiladas! I like it when I can re-task some leftovers so that I end up with something at least as good as the original. The mexi-cali restaurant we frequent has, like most of its kin, burritos bigger than your head. When we get our plate (it is tempting to call it a platter) the first thing we usually do is cut the burrito in half. We eat half there then take the other half home. 

The problem is that the flour tortilla turns into mush from the moisture in the filling and topping. I've been avoiding this by removing the filling(s) and placing them in new flour or corn tortillas. It's no longer leftovers but a new dish as good as the original.

Spring Means Greens

Supper, Friday May 17: salad-n-stuff (mixed garden greens, avocado, mustard and ale cheese, mixed olives, marinated mushrooms, boiled shrimp, 

poached salmon).

Greens are coming in so we are going to be eating a lot of salad.

I Meant To Put It Inside

Supper, Tuesday March 13: salmon quesadilla (tinned salmon, green pepper, scallion, feta, smoked habanero cheddar, cilantro); chard with feta and lemon juice; salsa; avocado; salsa yogurt.

I actually meant to put the avocado inside the tortillas, but I simply forgot. I was looking to give Alexis a normative experience. See, there is a local mexi-cali place we like and she frequently gets the avocado quesadilla. She really likes avocado and they put a LOT on, but the last couple of times the avocado has been sliced so thick so that the tortilla was browned but the cheese inside wasn't melted. I had hoped to put the avocado inside and ensure that everything was all melty. 

Oh well, inside, outside, upside down, doesn't matter it made for a decent presentation. 

Supper, Saturday March 10: stir fry (cubed pork, shiitake, oyster mushroom, black fungus, carrot, green pepper, water chestnut, onion, sesame seed, soy oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, hot banana chili, mirin); wild rice and quinoa. 

So we are still going with the low carb thing. just 1/2 cup of the wild rice and quinoa. It would have been jasmine rice but I had this in the fridge. You gotta watch that black fungus when it is in hot oil. It pops rather explosively. A spatter screen is a good idea. I have seen that stuff launch itself out of the pan. 

Where's The Cranberries?

Lunch, Saturday March 10: cranberry beans (home canned cranberry beans, salt, pepper, ground habanero, roasted garlic powder, horseradish cheddar, yogurt); onion strings; slaw.

That's cranberry BEANS. They are awesome. Earthy like a pinto (which they kinda look like), creamy like a cannellini, with some floral high notes. They can be found with dry beans in a store that has a large selection. We grow them every year. They are a great producer and the fresh beans have more of the floral and grassy notes. (Who'da thunk you could talk about beans like wine).

I've made my yogurt routine more complicated. I had been straining plain nonfat yogurt to make "greek" yogurt. I read recently that a moderate amount of dairy fat is a good thing. So I decided that Low Fat yogurt would be the ticket.

NOPE.

Not available, at least for a reasonable price. So now I get nonfat and whole milk, strain and blend. Tadarrrr. Low fat "greek" yogurt.

Just Half

Breakfast, Saturday March 10: salsa eggs, bagel, apple. 

I'm s'posed to cut back on the carbs. I am not eliminating. I'm not into that level of self-denial. So HALF a bagel and HALF an apple. Plus I'm going to the gym after breakfast.

It's Just Gonna Have To Be An Occasional Treat.

Lunch, Friday March 09: monkfish medallions (fresh monkfish, salt, pepper, clarified butter); lima beans; slaw.

Lemme tackle the sides first. The limas are about as simple as they get: a little pork stock, diced onion, butter, salt, pepper, and soaked large limas. There is a special something that happens when well soaked dry limas are simmered. They make a sort of gravy that is as good or in my opinion better than the beans themselves. They are really easy to make. They just require planning. Soak the beans overnight with a little salt. Next day saute onion in butter. Drain the beans. add the beans and pork stock (I suppose chicken or a vegetable base would also work) Simmer til tender. Watch for scorching as that gravy develops.

What can I say about slaw? Nothing actually. Slaw is one of those small class of foods that is regional down to the resolution of family tradition. It is very much like the meat that it often accompanies, namely barbeque. In both cases, one persons delicacy is the next's unpalatable refuse. So all I should say is: We had slaw.

Now for the sad news of the day. I went to the grocer 2 days ago. While cruising the seafood counter for no particular reason I saw they were offering monkfish at a moderate discount. I love monkfish. Alexis loves anything that has the word fish in it or near it. Add to that the realization that I have not eaten any for many years then the offering was to great a temptation to resist. I purchased about two thirds of a pound with the intention of sauteing medallions in clarified butter with some salt and pepper. One important note about using butter to saute: even clarified butter is not temperature stable enough to get hot enough for a proper saute. One should add some flavorless high temp oil like canola or soy to stabilize the butter. Also don't overpower the fish with seasoning. let the flavor shine on its own.

So what is the sad news? In seeking a little more info in the actual fish. (I like to be able to recognize my food.) While reading up on them I learned the current fishing technique is not sustainable. Dammit! Harvesters use the "beam trawling" method which damages habitat. Monkfish will have to remain a rare treat. 

I Got Told

Breakfast, Friday March 09: savory oats (steel cut oats, vegetable base, sausage, habanero cojack); egg; fruit. 

I thought that this was a fairly balanced meal, mostly grain, some protein, fruit. It loosely fits in the FDA guidelines. Then I went to the doctor.

I  must qualify by stating that I have a condition for which I take prednisone. It has helped my condition BUT at a cost. It has given me diabetes and I have put on a lot of weight. I need to lose quite a bit. 

I was told to get rid of the oats. 

But wait, isn't oatmeal good for you? Sure. I need to lose weight though, not maintain. I was told to reduce or eliminate carbs. Important note: This should not be interpreted as "eat more protein." That is the mistake many people make. The message is "eat less carbs." This is an important distinction. Eat less carbs means lowering overall calories as well as those that are easily converted to glucose. That is the culprit with respect to diabetes, pre-diabetes, and obesity in general. 

Dammit.

They Were On Sale

Breakast, Thursday March 08: salsa eggs (green pepper, scallion, salsa, eggs, cream, habanero jack);  hashed browns (with onion); sausage; guacamole-ish substance, yogurt.

It was the Avacados. It's their fault. Funny thing is that they are a small part of the meal. just the inspiration. They have been pricey lately, three bucks apiece. Yesterday they were 4 for 5. Alexis loves avocado so. . .

I make this guacamole-ish thing that is not quite guacamole and more like a pico. I use a commercial salsa that we like, add some more heat from one of our sauces, throw in some extra cilantro, onion, olive oil, maybe garlic powder, whatevs. Finally, add a bunch of DICED avocado. You want to be able to bite into unadulterated avocado. This means of course that you have to catch the avocado during the 15 seconds in which it it perfectly ripe.

I've taken to buying avocados when they are green and hard as the countertop. I keep one or two around to let them ripen at home. This prevents the "5 people squeezed this avocado in the store to test or ripeness and bruised it" phenomenon. This does mean that you are now in a long term commitment. 

Anyhoo, the rest o the meal just developed because of the avocado purchase.  I am rather proud of the sausage. Boston butts were recently deeply discounted. I bought a couple. I canned some, cubed and froze some, and made sausage. The nice part is I can control the spices, lower salt and hot.

I know the potatoes look burnt but they were just VERY brown. Alexis likes then very dark and crispity.

Jalapeno Relish is Da Bomb

Breakfast, Friday February 23: french toast (home made multi-grain, egg, milk, cream, toasted pecan); yogurt and marmalade swirl, apple, jalapeno relish.

Two important things to emphasize: orange marmalade and jalapeno relish. Orange marmalade is not like other jams or jellies. Its preparation is even easier. That is a little surprising in that jellies are not that complicated. I will allow that they are tedious, timing is important, but the steps require no special skill. Just follow that instructions in the pectin pack. The instructions for marmalade on the other hand are basically: slice; boil; sweeten. Obviously I am oversimplifying, but the point I meant to make is that precise timing and measurement are not as much a concern. Making marmalade is not as tedious as other jams. A great treatment of the details is delivered by Chef Brown. Just follow this link.

I wish I could claim the jalapeno relish 'cause it is REALLY good. It is a gift from the mother of dear friends of ours. Sweet, but not overly, a touch of heat but accessible to nearly anyone, big pepper flavor, deep rich color. I used it for the first time last night to make thousand island dressing for reubens. Best Dressing Evar! I only hope that she is willing to share the recipe. 

If It Weren't For The Picture

Lunch, Tuesday November 16: Plowman's (mixed pickles, pineapple, mixed cheese, baguette).

It's kinda a crappy picture but I like it (very J. J. Abrams) otherwise I wouldn't have posted it.

Nooks And Crannies

Breakfast, Tuesday November 16: seared lamb chop; mixed fruit (apple, pineapple, dates, pecans); pumpkin bread; English muffin.

I find it a little amusing how the average American (whatever that means) wants bread that has a soft and very light crust with a crumb that is uniform and extremely soft, yet I recall an advertising campaign for a brand of English muffins that touted the "nooks and crannies." Now I understand that is so one can load up with more butter, but the demand doesn't go the other way. Hand most Americans a roll or loaf with a similar crumb and they would scoff.

Don't believe me? Sure there is an "artisan" bread section in most grocers. Sales there paltry compared to the "regular" bread aisle. Not only that but consider that artisan bread itself. My favorite example is the bagel. Bagels should be firm chewy and have an almost leathery crust. Most grocery bagels are kaiser rolls with a hole in the middle. I like to call them bageloids.