But Wait There's More. . .

Supper, Sunday July 28, 2019: super salad (romaine, avocado, blackberry, red onion, cucumber, sprouts, blood orange olive oil, balsamic); fried blue potatoes; fried cauliflower.

This started out as an attempt to make something for the oil we bought. We were visiting family and while there went to one of those indoor markets that are popular in big cities right now. Big open converted space. Lots of food vendors, particularly international. Some specialty shops and groceries. One of the shops was a purveyor of infused oils. Like more than a few people I am on a little bit of a blood orange kick. We bought a couple of gifts and then treated ourselves. 

I was just going to post the picture of the salad, but then I decided that the potatoes looked too good to pass up.

Fried And Boiled, See Balanced

Supper, Monday June 24, 2019: shrimp and cauliflower. 

This ended up being a late dinner. I was going to make something more complicated with the shrimp. I had the cauliflower ready to bread early in the evening. Then two things happened. Alexis had a late/bad close to the shift. She had fires to put out that held her up an hour and a half. Even before that I started to run out of steam. So by the time I got the notice that she was going to be very late I didn't have the energy or the desire to execute anything complicated. 

Riffing on that I decided that I had enough energy for the cauliflower 'cause it is a gift from the angels. Plus some of the prep was already done. Boiling scrimps is quick and easy. If the fryer is hot and you have some water simmering then you are only a few minutes away from eating. This was beneficial since I did not know when she was going to get to leave. Finally, we both like these two foods VERY much. It would make us feel a little better.

No, we did not eat all of those shrimp. We saved some for breakfast. It was difficult to not eat all the cauliflower, but we managed to hold back enough for her to take for lunch the next day.

Silly Rabbit, That's Not Chorizo

Breakfast,Tuesday June 4, 2019: not huevos rancheros (not chorizo; refritos; cheddar and jack; scallion; romaine yogurt).

No eggs. I am honestly not a huge fan of chorizo. It is super greasy and way salty. Maybe I'm getting the cheap crappy kind? I don't know. I've talked about tortillas before. This time though I wanted them crispity so they would shatter under the fork. I left them on the flat grill until they got aaaaalmost there. When they cool off they end up crispy. 

Daisy, daisy. . .

Breakfast, Monday June 3, 2019: smoked sausage; German toast; fruit.

That's what the French call it. Seriously. 

If you don't get the title reference, watch 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is hard to believe that film was made in 1968!  

Captain Beefheart

Supper Sunday June 2, 2019: heart stew (beef heart, garlic, onion, celery, mushroom, roots).

If you are looking for a strong beefy flavor, look no further. We have a grocery that caters to the latin and hispanic communities. It has a large section of imported foods from spanish speaking nations. At one end of the meat counter is the "weird stuff." Chicken feet, honeycomb tripe. . , and heart. They are vacuum wrapped halfs (a whole heart is as big as your head).

I trim off the sinewy parts and fat. Just wait before you go off about fat and flavor. Cube the remains and toss with salt and pepper. 

The fat et al goes into the pot to render. I let the dogs have the rendered gobbets. At this point they are losing their minds 'cause the the house smells like beef blood. For obvious reasons the metallic odor of blood is strong.

Brown the meat in the rendered fat. Add oil as necessary. 

Add the onions and garlic to sweat.

Cover with water and/or vegetable stock/bullion. There is plenty of beef going on here. Toss in a little thyme and parsley. I like a tiny pinch of tarragon - been kinda into tarragon lately. Now heart is tough (duh). It needs to simmer a bit. This is why I don't flour the meat to make the roux with the browning meat. I don't want to chance the gravy sticking during the extended simmer. Time? Depends on the simmer heat, the age of the meat. . . It can take a few hours. It's like cooking goat curry. Simmer until it is starting to get tender then add the veggies. Whatever vegetable you like. I didn't have parsnips this time. I like them in this. A little barley is good too. 

Finish with a light brown roux salt if necessary.

Hit It With A Hammer

Various: salmon patties and stuff.

I have in the past called these croquettes (as opposed to croquetes which instead of eating, you hit with a hammer). That is not really correct. It sounds more appetizing than "patty" but what is pictured is held together with egg and bread crumbs. A croquette uses a thick bechamel or mashed potatoes as a binder. It's a detail, but details are sometimes important.

That's A Big Sammich

Lunch Sunday May 26, 2019: BLT.

No that was not the sandwich. I sliced the bread off of this loaf. You can see that we probably had pineapple also. Anyhoo, the only reason that I wanted to post this is to point out the rack that the bread is on. It is perfect for the boules that I bake. The funny part is that it is not the intended use. That rack, and a taller one, came with a microwave convection oven that I got last year. I was torn on whether to get a $450 microwave. Did I really need it? 

A year later I love it. I can heat up my cold coffee and bake the lovely pictured above. The little rack came with the oven as a baking rack. It does well also as a cooling rack. I like multi-use tools. Makes for less clutter.

Srsly!?

I have a small kitchen. It is in a renovated craftsman bungalow. Wait, renovated? Why is the kitchen small? Because I wanted to preserve the original floor plan and I am the only person who uses it. Small means that nearly everything I regularly use is in easy reach.

I wanted easy storage under the range so I bought a restaurant work table, cut a big hole in the top, and dropped the range in it. If I ever move though I am going to have to go commercial. That center burner is 18,000 BTU and I still find it underpowered.

 "Please cook fully before enjoying?" So generally corporations do not do things unless it helps their brand or it is something they are forced to do by law or legal action. Ponder that.

!? = ‽

I think the interrobang should be more a part of our normal character set. 

I Think I'll Have Just One

Lotsa places have gimmicks, some are better than others. 50 in pizza? not so much. Big pancake? could be OK. This one was tasty. 

Yes that is fried bologna. If It is on the menu I am ordering it. Just me.

Paul And The Reubenettes

Late Supper, Sunday March 24, 2019: reuben sliders (corned beef; swiss; kraut; artisanal mustard; whole wheat biscuit).

Reubenettes ha. I was thinking about what to call these. Everything is a "slider" now. It is more than just a biscuit. They were really good so they needed a name. My first thought was a play on Rubenesque. That is funny iself. Then my head went

"Reubenettes, ha, that sounds like a girl band." 

"Ladies and gentlemen, The Reubenettes!"

"Oh wait no, "Paul and the Reubenettes." 

I'd go see 'em.

Ain't Nobody Got Time Fo Dat

Supper, Friday March 22, 2019: nibbles again? (sardine fillets; olives; artichoke heart; corned beef; hummus; goat cheese; grape tomato; blueberry).

I was thinking about how this evolved, why do we eat "nibbles" frequently? (You don't see all the meals, obviously, and nibbles often mundane, not worthy of comment.) I came up with two primary reasons.

It's easy. "What? Easy? Who has all that crap ready to go? Ain't nobody got time fo dat." Lemme 'splain. This is an exceptional example, but I really did have all this stuff just "layin' around." Some are staples in our pantry. Others were purchased for another meal and here are the leftovers repurposed. I keep tinned fish, olives, and interesting cheeses on hand. The corned beef was for reubens. I just make hummus periodically, we both like it a lot. We use it in some capacity for several meals. Blueberries and grape tomatoes were on sale. If blueberries are on sale I shoot first and ask questions later. I will figure out what to use them for. So yeah, I really did just throw this together. 

It's slow. It works well with our evening routine She gets home. I finish supper. She cleans up. We talk about the day. She decompresses about work. I nod and make the appropriate expression. We do the crossword. Oh, and we nibble.

Round And Round. . .

Supper, Sunday March 17, 2019: round stuff (salmon croquettes; fried green tomatoes; peas; carrots).

Round stuff on a square plate. Whatever shape, it's yum.

Soul Food. . . Ish deux

Supper, Saturday February 23, 2019: oxtails; roasted vegetables; wild rice blend; lima beans.

Oxtails*, couldn't get more soul food. OK, shiitakes and wild rice? 

See previous.

*Aren't they steertails?

Soul Food. . . Ish

Supper, Friday February 22, 2019: fried catfish; sweet potato; bok choy with lemon and feta.

If you told someone you were having soul food for dinner and they asked what specifically. The answer "Catfish, sweet potato, and greens" would be received with a nod of approval. (By anyone who knew soul food.) If you replied, "Fried catfish, sweet potato, bok choy with lemon and feta" you will likely get a different response. 

Call it soul fusion.

Na na na. . .

Supper, Tuesday February 19, 2019: nibbles (tabouleh, hummus, cheeses, mackerel,

ring bologna, naan).

Naan is an easy, unfussy way to put fresh bread on the table. If started just a little before cooking the rest of the meal it can be finished for the table. By unfussy I mean that precise attention to detail, as required by many breads, is not necessary. You don't need a tandoor oven either. A stone in a hot oven will do just fine or even a (smoking) hot skillet.

3/4c hot water
1t honey
1t  yeast or a pack
2.5c all purpose flour
1/2c yogurt
2T olive oil
1/2t salt
cilantro, diced potatoes, minced garlic, peas, or not, to add later.

Combine the water, honey, and yeast in a large bowl and let rest until it foams. This is not an absolutely necessary step but it speeds the process along. Once foamy add the flour, yogurt, oil, and salt. Mix then gently knead for a few minutes until the dough firms. (Fold down, press, rotate, repeat.) Dust with flour if necessary to keep the dough from being sticky. Let the dough rest until doubled. (For this small batch of dough, the amount of yeast and the jumpstarting means this won't take long.)  Divide the dough into 8 - 10 pieces. Form into small balls. let rest a few minutes. Meanwhile heat an oven with a baking or pizza stone to 500F or get a heavy skillet smoking hot. (In other words a drop of oil will smoke if dropped on the surface.) Roll the balls out to discs about 6-8" diameter. Press in any additional ingredients such as minced garlic or cilantro. Slap down onto the cooking surface. The dough should brown in a couple of minutes. It will easily release from the surface when ready. Flip to brown the other side.

It might seem daunting at first but after you have done this a couple of times it is pretty low effort.

Burn Baby Burn

Supper, Sunday February 17 2019, roasty grilly smoky stuff (cranberry beans with smoked habanero cheddar; roasted butternut; grilled corn).

Alexis likes bitter and earthy flavors. she likes the earthyness of beans. Here are some cranberry beans, one of our more recent favorites. What we have even more recently discovered is red cargamantos. They are the mother bean of the cranberry bean. Instead of the cream with red flecks of the cranberry bean the cargamanto is deep red with cream flecks. The flavor is similar but the skins are thinner and the texture is creamier.

I had not thought of it until now: Alexis likes smoked things because smoke is bitter. If you don't believe taste the very outside of smoked meat. Unless there is sugar of some form applied the smoke flavor is very bitter. Is that why so many BBQ sauces are super sweet? I think so. We are trained to overpower bitterness with sugar. Think cola. There is an obscene amount of sugar in a regular cola, a little over 9 tsp in a 12 oz can. Without that sugar, cola is just NASTY. We normally think of coffee as bitter. I only put about a teaspoon of sugar in my coffee. By comparison coffee is downright sweet compared to cola.

Bitter flavors are important though, and when balanced properly they lend a great deal of complexity to foods. Gouda and cheddar are yummy. Smoked gouda and cheddar are suuuper yummy. There is just enough sweetness and lots of saltiness and umami to balance the bitter.

That's Gonna Take Some Heavy Duty Rolling Paper

Supper, Monday February 11, 2019: eggplant parmish kinda thing (fried eggplant, bolognaise, parmesean, smoked cornmeal polenta);

pickled artichoke.

Where Alexis is from, north central Ohio, there is a very kool bulk foods store that is almost also a tourist attraction. For me the beauty is that I can find items that are rare in regular groceries AND at very reasonable prices. A good example is rye flour. I can get it at our regular grocer but it is from a specialty mill and is kinda pricey. In Ohio I can get five pounds for the same price as a pound at home. When we visit family I like to stock up. 

On the last visit I came across roasted corn meal (not really smoked but it is smoky) . I thought "This might make good polenta." I was right. Pretty damned good.

Reddnekkt Lite

Breakfast, Thursday February 7, 2019: small eggs reddnekkt; sausage; fruit.

I have talked about this dish before, just follow the link. In this case I made a smaller version 'cause I didnt have the biscuits for the regular size.

Rut Roh Raggy

Supper, Monday February 4, 2019: mystery dish (rice, I think, with verde sauce) grilled shrimp 

and pineapple.

The biggest problem with getting behind on this has been forgetting exactly what some of the meals actually were. This is a case in point. That is a homemade verde from tomatillos that we grew but I am not sure what is under there. 

A trick I learned many years ago in the restaurant biz was to skewer shrimp then marinate in cheap italian dressing. It provides a little acidity and fat along with the flavors so lemon juice and butter are in my opinion not necessary. 

Fried Fartiflower

Supper, Friday January 25, 2019: fish fry (fried catfish and cauliflower, black eyed peas).

I have mentioned before that I have something akin to a physical addiction to fried okra. I could almost say the same for cauliflower. Something magical happens to it when it is breaded then fried. It may have at least a little to do with the fact that I use seasoned salt on the florets before breading. What is especially rewarding is that the grocer I use in Savannah always has an abundance of cauliflower and it is almost always very reasonably priced. I am also not afraid to buy the marked down heads that have a little mold in some spots. (There is a limit to my tolerance for this. As long as it is superficial and not widespread I am OK with it.)  I just shave off the blemishes. I don't care what the appearance is since I will be breading anyway. 

I will also mention here that we often get the "catfish nuggets." They are actually the belly pieces left from filleting the whole fish. They are oddly shaped and sometimes require a bit of trimming but I am no stranger to a knife. The biggest difference is that the bellys come with the peritoneum (lining of the body cavity) still in place. It might appear that it would be tough like the pleura that must be removed from ribs. It is not. I don't detect it in the finished product. It might make the end result have a stronger flavor but that for us is a bonus.

Oh yeah, I'm not sure that beans AND cauliflower is a wise choice. 

Demon Squid From Hell

Multi-meal entry circa Tuesday January 22 2019: variations on a squid.

I like shopping at the little asian grocery near our Asheville home. It is fun to poke around looking at the odd (for the western palate) ingredients that would not normally be available in our "normal" grocery. I have also found that some foods are substantially cheaper. Sesame oil for example is much less expensive than if purchased from our usual grocery. We also like trying some of the weird snax, garlic shrimp chips, say no more. 

On this visit they had squid. A lot of squid. So I bought a lot of squid, in the form of one really big squid. 

I made some nabeyaki with some of it. We had squid and grits the next day for breakfast. I also made a seafood stew not pictured. 

My initial concern with a squid this large was that once cooked it would take on the consistency of a wet rawhide. It CAN do just that if not cooked properly. Overcooking is the best way to ruin a good squid. For fried calamari you want to pull it from the oil just as it starts to brown. Unfortunately this means that the breading is sometimes not well bonded to the squid. A bit of lost breading is just the price you have to pay. 

For the stew and the nabeyaki I add the squid after I turn off the stovetop. The latent heat in the liquids are enough to cook til tender.