Snot What It Looks Like

 

Supper, Thursday July 15, 2021: cod fingers; limas; okra 
and tomatoes; rice.

A couple of years ago most of this meal would have been from the garden. At least this year we got the tomatoes. They are tasty. Unfortunately it looks like we are about to have a stinkbug problem. We hates them. I have found no control method other than squishing them by hand. A propane torch tends to damage the plant. Then again, you don't have to kill them with the torch just maim them enough. . .

Enough of that. I wish that okra didn't have the snot thing. I really like okra. I REALLY like fried okra and it is indispensable in gumbo. Like many people (most?) I just have a problem with the mouth feel unless it is cut by cooking with tomatoes for the acidity. (I think that is what makes it better.) At least we can fry it. I suppose that will have to suffice.

Nice Buns

 

Supper Sunday April 19, 2020: cheeseburger (with all the stuff); sweet potato chips; italian green beans. 

I'm beginning to get much better at the bun thing. Ya gotta make the loop in the knot really big, bigger than you think it needs to be. That also means that the dough rope needs to be a lot longer than you think it should.

I have got to get my raised beds put together soon. We are beginnning to get low on some of the canned goods that we regularly eat. This might be the last jar of Romas. I have to create some garden space for next season.

It's What's For Dinner

Supper, Wednesday January 15, 2020: blackeyed 

pea falafel.

I'm quite fond of this recipe for a couple of reasons. I really like blackeyed peas. The same goes for any of the beans in that family, cow peas, field peas. . . Some of these were once considered fodder so found their way into the diet of poor southerners (historically, read some whites and most blacks). My father fit the bill so I learned to like cow peas. 

Blackeyes are easy to cook. They do not require soaking and they do not take a long time on the stove. Solves the problem of "I'd like some beans for dinner. . . well I guess tomorrow." Most other beans require a much longer time investment.

Broad beans, favas, are a pain in the butt. You have to peel them. The alternative, box mix falafel is WAY too salty. OK, that's three, or maybe four. Anyhoo, I like this falafel mix.

Poop. I don't know where the recipe is. It's mostly just falafel sub blackeyed peas, but when I started writing this I was gonna put up the recipe. I'll have to look and post later. 

BTW Brass does not like January.

 

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?

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.

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. 

See What Brown Can Do

Supper, Monday October 29, 2018, Fryday on Monday: fried chicken livers; fried sweet potato chips; cranberry beans w/ sour cream

and scallions.

This is an acquired taste if ever there was one. If you like organ meat however this is a cheap way to get your fix. It's also good for making dog treats. Seriously. A  one pound tub of these things is usually under two dollars.

Put them in a colander or strainer and rinse. The whole liver is comprised of two pieces held together by a ligament.  There is a larger piece that has three lobes and a smaller piece with two. I like to separate them by cutting the ligament out. So I go through the washed livers separating the pieces and inspecting for quality. 

The first thing to look for is any gall bladders. They shouldn't be there but sometimes they get missed. They are green and about the size of a butter bean. Cut them away carefully. They are full of bile (why they are green). It tastes horrible and will ruin everything it gets on. I have been told this and never tempted fate. 

There are sometimes livers that look like they were pulsed in a blender. I pitch these. I just don't like the look. Some livers will look anemic. I don't know the reason. I've not noticed a quality difference. It just may be a difference in the amount of exsanguination. (I love that word and there are so few opportunities to use it that are not really creepy.)

After clean up I sprinkle on some salt (or seasoned salt) and then black pepper. Depending on my mood I might do a full on egg wash and breadcrumb coat, or like this time, I just rolled them well in flour. Fry them at about 350 a minute or so after they are forcing out blood. (The tissue shrinks and eventually the fluid trapped inside gushes out. Or splodes) Be careful, these things can pop violently and spray oil. 

Yeah, you have to be a pretty dedicated carnivore to go through that.

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.?"

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.

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. 

It's All About The Sauce

Supper, Sunday October 09: tofu verde (seared tofu. garden tomatillos, onion, garlic, roasted chilis, chili powder, olive oil); mexi-rice (long grain rice, tomato sauce, chili powder, pinto beans, corn); olives; grilled pineapple; toast.

We had a decent tomatillo harvest this fall. I was pleased to have anything. I had trouble with my seed starts back in the spring. I finally ended up with 4 good plants. Of the 4, 3 were good producers. I canned some and I made verde sauce. We had a vegetarian friend join us for dinner so I seared some tofu well in a pan then smothered in in the verde and let it simmer a bit. It was great. I think verde sauce is to Mex/SW cuisine as vindaloo is to Indian. The protein is of little consequence, It could be braised possum, but no one would know otherwise. So, the tofu was great. 

Using fresh tomatillos is easy. Remove the husks. Rinse well. Quarter, Put in a sauce-pot with just a couple ounces of water. Simmer til they have broken down. 

Yin-Yang

Breakfast, Sunday October 26: black beans (olive oil. onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, feta); mexi-rice (wild rice, arborio, tomato paste, onion, garlic, vegetable base); scramble (eggs, parsley, chive, cilantro); fried plantain.

I have a bit of insomnia now and again. Sometimes I wake up WAY to early and then there is no going back to sleep. I think this time it was about 4 am. Alexis slept in so I had a lot of time to spend on this.

We Got A Lot Of Beans

Supper, Saturday October 14: tuscan bean soup (cannellini beans, onion, celery, garlic, olive oil, chicken stock, anise, parsley, oregano, egg yolk, crushed tomato); crusty french bread, fried okra, parm to garnish.

I have been experimenting with different beans in the garden. We have had a very good harvest of green beans for the last two seasons, so I have rather a surplus of canned beans. Next year I am only planting a limited run of green beans. I will plant more of the varieties that I have been experimenting with like the cannellinis I used in this soup. Cranberry, black, Jackson Wonder, soyasume. . . I know beans are cheap and readily available but they really are so much better fresh. There are flavors that I think age out of the bean over time. 

Beans And Squash, Beans And Squash. . .

Supper, Monday July 24: bbq sliders (smoked pork shoulder, biscuit, cheddar); squash (sunburst squash, butter); green beans; cucumber.

I would like to suggest a kitchen tool that everyone should have, but for some reason few own - the pressure cooker. No, not the behemoth that your grandmother had (with the gauges and the knobs and clamps. . .). There are small ones. I have 2 in fact. A big one for large canning projects, but the other, smaller one is the pot that I use the most. I use it frequently for cooking vegetables. 


Take the green beans above. I put a little water in my 6qt? (or is it 8? doesn't matter) pot. Drop in the steamer-colander-expando-thingy (You know the one. Looks like some steampunk adjustable radio dish.

Drop in the beans. Close 'er up (as per manufacturers instructions). bring it to full pressure for 30 seconds. Cool it in the sink. Perfect beans. 

Want perfect broccoli? Bring it to full pressure 0 seconds (in other words as sson as it comes to full pressure cool it back off).

Oh, and dietitians will tell you: faster cooking means more beneficial nutrients are preserved in the food.

It Just Takes One Whiff

Supper, Friday July 14: Thai Thing (onion, black fungus, squash, sugar peas, sesame seed, soy, fish sauce, thai basil, red pepper, smoked mussels).

I've mentioned this before but it is worth saying again, though I won't belabor the point. Thai basil is simply intoxicating (at least for me). A friend brought over a good sized sprig. Well that defenestrated my dinner plans. It's Thai basil tonight. Period.

Defenestrate is my favorite word.

Just Like Mama Used To. . .

Supper, Thursday July 13: meatloaf (ground beef, ground lamb, egg, cracker crumbs. pine-nuts, spinach, onion, black pepper, garlic powder); green beans (beans, olive oil, sliced almonds, garlic, soy sauce); garlic and parm mashed potatoes.

OK so maybe not just like mom's but the intent is the same. All the basic ingredients are there but this has the flavors turned up a bit. If you are like me your parents had relatively simple tastes. A dish was "spicy" if there was too much black pepper in it. Affluent tastes have filtered down the socioeconomic ladder. The mention of eating raw fish would make my mother shudder. I'm not exaggerating, a genuine physical reaction. Alexis and I have sushi for Christmas dinner. Really. Been doing it for years. 

So embrace your comfort food. Just update it a little (not too much) and make it your own.

Oh yeah, meatloaf. Say meatloaf today and most people think ground beef. There's a reason it's called meatloaf not beefloaf. Look for older or more traditional recipes, they often call for some combination of beef, veal, lamb, and pork. MEATloaf. Using just ground beef means missing out on the complexity and depth of flavors provided by the other cuts. Just sayin'.

Fritter Away The Hours In An Offhand Way. . .

Supper, Monday June 19: mexi-rice (arborio rice, veggie bullion, peas, tomato sauce); kinda verde pork (onion, squash, shredded pork, verde sauce, chili powder to taste); kohlrabi fritter; sour cream; lime.

Kohlrabi was still in season. The garden gave up the last few bulbs. Alexis likes these little pancakes. It's like eating a potato pancake but with less starch and more fiber. In fact you get pretty good results from just substituting in a potato pancake recipe.

I home can meats. With pork I like to get a Boston but or two when there is a sale. I trim and cube the meat then pack it in jars. Follow the recommendations in the "Blue Book" (the Ball company canning bible). When it is done I also have enough trimmings to make a little sausage with the stand mixer grinder attachment.

The larger point is. . . I have home canned meat on hand that allows me to whip up something tasty like the above verde pork quickly. I didnt have to braise the meat in tomatillo sauce for 6 hours. Now is it as good as a traditional verde? No. was it close and easy to prepare? You betcha. Saute the veggies til just starting to get tender. Add the rest. Simmer a little. Yum.

Next time I make up some jars I'm gonna post it.

A Match Made In Heaven

Supper, Sunday April 16: chicken liver; beet chips; avocado; green beans.

Just your normal meat and three. OK just a little twist. The beans are just straight up. Some of our garden beans from last season. They taste like summer. The Avocado might seem a little weird, but hear me out. Avocados have an earthy flavor along with their fruitier notes. Both the beets and the liver are very earthy so the avocado brings something in common and something new to the plate. There is also a pairing in texture. The avocado, when just ripe, has a tiny bit of tooth that gives way immediately to its softness. The livers are the same, only more so. If you think that is just rationalization, OK, Alexis likes avocado. There.

Now let's look at the livers. There is a restaurant near our house that has on the menu fried chicken livers. Their twist is with caramelized onions and shiitakes. Now I only had dried shiitakes. Their texture is a bit rubbery when they are re-hydrated so I didn't want them here. The combo of the pumpkin seeds and the caramelized onions has that tooth/soft palate again. 

Drain the chicken livers well. Hit them with a dash of salt and some fresh ground black pepper. Dredge them in plain flour. Deep fry or pan fry in a half inch of oil. In either case turn them to cook evenly. Slice the onion very thin caramelize in a little butter. I like to add a little Marsala. When the onions are nearing completion add the pumpkin seeds. When the seeds are toasted toss in the livers. 

The Age Of Asparagus

Supper, Thursday April 6: beans; fried okra; beets greens and feta; asparagus.

We have a small asparagus patch. It is just big enough to have a little bit every few days for a few weeks. This was only four spears for the two of us, but cutting it into pieces made it seem like more. I just simmered it in a little water for a few minutes so that it was softened but still had a little tooth.

The beet greens are pretty easy. Chop the greens and sauteed in olive oil til tender. Add a little onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper in the last  couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and sprinkle some crumbled feta and gently fold in.