tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56691005286233277522024-02-21T00:30:53.145-08:00joe-made: homemade (mostly) edible stuffmy name is joe. i like to bake and eat.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184963156721246996noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-89593522625346100172013-10-08T21:15:00.001-07:002013-10-08T21:19:25.602-07:00Tuesday dinner: Salmon with polenta, mushrooms, and green beans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpZK-gMVvictlXZoVJyqKzBa-S6epdZDniiLfwTMPEJZHOH1zb9yEaoOXKSlngGPQQ4NpH36IG29MrMyzGgHmGl_Ki4J_eH8mSSsDyFT_zKDkDkeQuMdNaYe91504B6SsRW149EJ4jk1G/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpZK-gMVvictlXZoVJyqKzBa-S6epdZDniiLfwTMPEJZHOH1zb9yEaoOXKSlngGPQQ4NpH36IG29MrMyzGgHmGl_Ki4J_eH8mSSsDyFT_zKDkDkeQuMdNaYe91504B6SsRW149EJ4jk1G/s320/photo.JPG" width="289" /></a></div>
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Made a variation on <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Barely-Cooked-Salmon-with-Parmesan-Polenta-and-Mushroom-Consomme-231565">this recipe in Epicurious</a>, which I found after searching for "coho salmon" and "polenta."<br />
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Mushrooms<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>soak a 1oz container of porcini mushrooms, two smashed cloves garlic, and four pepper cloves in water then simmer for an hour until liquid reduced by half. Strain through fine mesh sieve and set aside. (dried porcinis $3)</li>
<li>slice 1 lb crimini mushrooms, sauté in butter with 1 leek (slice lengthwise then 1/2" slices) and two cloves garlic (dice), add s&p to taste. top with some chopped parsley. (crimini $6/lb, leeks $2/lb)</li>
</ul>
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Polenta</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>bring 2c water to a boil, whisk in 1c polenta and 1tsp salt on med-low heat (I used porcini himalayan salt to tie the flavors together). Whisk until thick then add 1 c milk and 2T butter. turn heat to low and whisk occasionally until desired consistency is reached. Right before serving add 1/2 to 1c grated parmesan.</li>
</ul>
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Green Beans</div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li>trim and cut in half to roughly 2" lengths (I did enough to serve 2 people, but cook more or less accordingly). dice 3 cloves garlic. heat evoo in cast iron pan on med heat. add green beans and spread in even layer. stir after a couple of minutes and redistribute in even layer. when green beans are slightly blistered and black/brown in spots, add garlic, 2T water, and cover with lid. Reduce heat to med-low. cook salmon in the meantime. (green beans $1/lb)</li>
</ul>
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Salmon</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1 lb wild caught coho salmon fillets cut into 4 equal portions. ($12/lb)</li>
<li>*I'm really not sure that I like the recipe linked above's method for cooking salmon. It was kind of boring and led to really unevenly cooked salmon (overdone exterior and thin part of fillet, raw interior/thick part of fillet). I could see this meal working with salmon cooked in different ways (steamed, baked, sautéed on one or both sides). In any case. I partially followed the recipe. I cut the salmon into 2" strips and put the strips skin side down in 1/4" boiling water in a cast iron skillet (I don't have a baking dish that's okay to use on a burner). After 2 minutes the thin parts of the fillets looked well done so I flipped them and cooked the top for another 1-2 minutes and then pulled the fillets out. The interior of the thick part of the fillet was pretty much raw (as the recipe indicated) and the exterior was cooked. I thought the level of salt and pepper called for was a bit high and overall the fish was pretty bland. </li>
</ul>
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Serve</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Plate everything but the green beans according to the linked recipe above. I spooned two ladles of polenta onto the center of the plate and gently ladled the mushroom broth around the polenta. Then I topped with a fillet of salmon, topped the salmon with a perpendicular strip of mushrooms and garnished with parsley. I served the green beans on a separate plate so they wouldn't sit in the mushroom broth. </li>
</ul>
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Notes: a slightly pricey dish in terms of the mushrooms and salmon but cheap in terms of polenta and veggies. It also made enough to serve four, so there were plenty of leftovers and could have easily been two dinners for us instead of one. The coho salmon was good but not as salmon-y flavored as I'm used to. It was on sale but not sure if it's worth the price. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-71776630100210701082013-10-07T21:45:00.003-07:002013-10-07T21:45:55.567-07:00Monday dinner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Roast Chicken and root vegetables with quinoa</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Roast Chicken with lemon and thyme</b><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 whole fryer chicken (WF air chilled, 3lbs @ 2.49/lb)</li>
<li>1 lemon, quartered</li>
<li>1 onion, quartered</li>
<li>2 carrots, 1" chunks</li>
<li>1 parsnip, 1" chunks</li>
<li>4 cloves garlic, peeled whole</li>
<li>2 cloves garlic, thinley sliced</li>
<li>6 sprigs thyme</li>
<li>2 T butter, softened</li>
<li>olive oil, s & p</li>
</ul>
<div>
Toss lemons, vegetables, and 4 sprigs thyme with olive oil, s&p in baking dish. Strip thyme from 2 twigs, add to softened butter along with more s&p. Snip spine from chicken with kitchen scissors, press down on breast to butterfly. Pat both sides of chicken dry with paper towels. Rub chicken with butter mixture, sliding butter and sliced garlic under skin. Put the chicken on top of the vegetables and roast at 450 degrees. Remove when thermometer reads 160 degrees at a couple of points in the chicken.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Roasted root vegetables with quinoa</b></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 c quinoa (or barley, millet, wheat berries, etc)</li>
<li>2 c water</li>
<li>2 carrots</li>
<li>2 parsnips</li>
<li>1 sweet potato</li>
<li>4 cloves garlic</li>
<li>a couple dozen brussel sprouts</li>
<li>1 leek</li>
<li>olive oil, s&p</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
After chicken is in the oven put 1 c quinoa on to cook (rice cooker or pot, 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water). Dice root vegetables, trim and quarter brussel sprouts, peel garlic cloves, cut leek into half length wise and then into 1/2" strips. Toss all with olive oil & s&p. Spread on baking sheet and roast in oven next to or under chicken. Stir everything up once or twice in 15 minutes until veggies are done. Mix the roasted veggies with the quinoa (when the quinoa is finished cooking) and add more olive oil s&p to taste. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Enough chicken and quinoa salad left over for another meal and/or lunches the next day.</div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-83205083825019949142011-01-06T07:24:00.000-08:002011-01-06T09:07:57.369-08:00epic holiday bread baking<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMEfRXNy-He7jhq5eSTeQpY69IjrNOezbSmP7-xMvOCzHsMJ91bzBHIjRskBi57FRNWE669yQZB2OWQk3O8U2H0CxD4xJgbMyCXOJCiJr4Nq0uo7lkrT5IPDHuNI4FnrcVdqSTD5ej3FJ/s1600/IMG_0277.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMEfRXNy-He7jhq5eSTeQpY69IjrNOezbSmP7-xMvOCzHsMJ91bzBHIjRskBi57FRNWE669yQZB2OWQk3O8U2H0CxD4xJgbMyCXOJCiJr4Nq0uo7lkrT5IPDHuNI4FnrcVdqSTD5ej3FJ/s320/IMG_0277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559111462631115906" border="0" /></a>This year for xmas I made my family bread, lots of bread. 7 sourdough loaves, 2 stollen, 32 butter rolls, and 6 pizzas (which sort of counts as bread).<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigINFG949zi_ffviv8IX9mm8tO3jL2hl5WvLGkb5wr_eAlpaCFd6RWqgA0QBCFZgFfKuOLIVRlIB_qasW5UfbJoDYtiCFz3c99izeeLlFxbe2MIBarNfoBhyphenhyphenahnr8PuNdvkzbm_ykaGTwX/s1600/IMG_0267.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigINFG949zi_ffviv8IX9mm8tO3jL2hl5WvLGkb5wr_eAlpaCFd6RWqgA0QBCFZgFfKuOLIVRlIB_qasW5UfbJoDYtiCFz3c99izeeLlFxbe2MIBarNfoBhyphenhyphenahnr8PuNdvkzbm_ykaGTwX/s320/IMG_0267.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559111456756361602" border="0" /></a>First on the agenda was <a href="http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/">Rose Levy Beranbaum</a>'s butter dinner rolls from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Bread Bible</span>. I made a dozen for Thanksgiving and everyone loved them, so I doubled the batch and made them a bit smaller so I could distribute them to more folks.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7shIZQ5NxrzieQytR9L6bpJFWAYKy3NeN8QAuqIJ2K_sbgfliuxKn8xakfMzu-KS8cboxvf7Mvu2gnFOMIp13ZEpLIeQiZUUGgz_vt5D_YoRaJlpJRvReZ7BVdmZAFkSlKINE0EpsGUnL/s1600/IMG_0288.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7shIZQ5NxrzieQytR9L6bpJFWAYKy3NeN8QAuqIJ2K_sbgfliuxKn8xakfMzu-KS8cboxvf7Mvu2gnFOMIp13ZEpLIeQiZUUGgz_vt5D_YoRaJlpJRvReZ7BVdmZAFkSlKINE0EpsGUnL/s320/IMG_0288.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559111081653744626" border="0" /></a>I had some trouble adjusting to my parents' electric oven and the rolls came out darker than I would have liked, but no one else seemed to notice.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQdyHLCUcr0_lqrw0FxrF4CBl5AcT4vm3oWfWRimtblgtwpnGbMOSRfXrRycEphPwRo_YR1wpwoURQVNP6G1H3NxprK2YPRBaP6WtKIOtMdH4JdyOreEd-2qmnEN2T4NJpANbgGhSksGW/s1600/IMG_0269.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQdyHLCUcr0_lqrw0FxrF4CBl5AcT4vm3oWfWRimtblgtwpnGbMOSRfXrRycEphPwRo_YR1wpwoURQVNP6G1H3NxprK2YPRBaP6WtKIOtMdH4JdyOreEd-2qmnEN2T4NJpANbgGhSksGW/s320/IMG_0269.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559111076331796418" border="0" /></a><br />Next up I made a double batch of bread mostly following <a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/about/">Susan</a>'s recipe for<a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/07/08/my-new-favorite-sourdough/"> Norwich Sourdough</a>. I made boules and stuffed them with various things (as per my siblings' requests). I made 6 loaves in all, one with caraway, one with cheddar cheese inside and on top, and the rest with varying combinations of roasted garlic paste, kalamata olives, rosemary, and thyme.<br /><br />I make the stuffed boules by rough shaping into a ball, then gently flattening the ball (seam side up), placing the ingredients inside about an inch from the edge, then folding the edges in like a letter on one side, rotating, and doing the same for the other, then gathering it up again into a ball and letting it rise seam side down. You have to be careful about slashing too deep, because if you hit the "pocket" of ingredients they ooze out everywhere. <br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYRt-GAUpFoDRWMqRwib6f9IQmdXbCUoW-pzn3m1Sa8xywLqrfT_8KdIMW7eh76Z_1LfEqNCmiqTMf0bNlgHkGNCvOi1Jtj0ifsfKRaRlyU22wrV3msFCrpTZvt2sHqtp9cOJavtUAyIq/s1600/IMG_0270.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYRt-GAUpFoDRWMqRwib6f9IQmdXbCUoW-pzn3m1Sa8xywLqrfT_8KdIMW7eh76Z_1LfEqNCmiqTMf0bNlgHkGNCvOi1Jtj0ifsfKRaRlyU22wrV3msFCrpTZvt2sHqtp9cOJavtUAyIq/s320/IMG_0270.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559111070854898082" border="0" /></a>This one has roasted garlic paste, olives, and rosemary.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqU8lMVtbjM8bQs-r6QIq5o6mEQRrSoZd5yjtLjJqhfBA4-8EvUBu4yPkHbaBClIhD38_kVyEUHUOUvIMzzTtZWDmlCxFn8h8Qyw3-3LmiBc7oV0uJqmm6V7Y5vctJQZOZzDCHkt4UR2c/s1600/IMG_0275.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqU8lMVtbjM8bQs-r6QIq5o6mEQRrSoZd5yjtLjJqhfBA4-8EvUBu4yPkHbaBClIhD38_kVyEUHUOUvIMzzTtZWDmlCxFn8h8Qyw3-3LmiBc7oV0uJqmm6V7Y5vctJQZOZzDCHkt4UR2c/s320/IMG_0275.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559111065768373362" border="0" /></a>I cut everyone's initial into the top to try to keep them all separate.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZPy8gFp425pNQ1W49eyPiecfEBbYtkjw631zqrFu-8T5PV9rIFvX9Uk8dz-lZSOcdCYM3_1j_eT0mV7zbWunjatzlohw8gQ9ACHv1f6BKKt26__Eue49VaE8cmRR3y1If7hVwHld9LeY/s1600/IMG_0278.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZPy8gFp425pNQ1W49eyPiecfEBbYtkjw631zqrFu-8T5PV9rIFvX9Uk8dz-lZSOcdCYM3_1j_eT0mV7zbWunjatzlohw8gQ9ACHv1f6BKKt26__Eue49VaE8cmRR3y1If7hVwHld9LeY/s320/IMG_0278.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559111053033887266" border="0" /></a>Here's the spread!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrIcYfm9DUWDXfQw6XHjqUD5SyrFyZfT-BwHD_iTllmqtieCSRvW9AuDq2ez23JGlZtqPxbIhYZSpkrw_a85B0O2aYcuVhkYv8xZhKyVytOmznPFPQGd4XE2NjVkPJhFtzvhyXyzd1TnU/s1600/IMG_0289.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrIcYfm9DUWDXfQw6XHjqUD5SyrFyZfT-BwHD_iTllmqtieCSRvW9AuDq2ez23JGlZtqPxbIhYZSpkrw_a85B0O2aYcuVhkYv8xZhKyVytOmznPFPQGd4XE2NjVkPJhFtzvhyXyzd1TnU/s320/IMG_0289.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559110303999499954" border="0" /></a>All wrapped and ready to go!<br /><br />Then I made another favorite from last year, stollen. I followed<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=yHGBOXSNogsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=bread+baker%27s+apprentice&source=bl&ots=tVM-d2EuI5&sig=ov-GNoBEYztCNZ4XKZCx8G4L0KA&hl=en&ei=6fUlTaKvL8mXnAe_46z1AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=stollen&f=false"> Reinhart's recipe </a>in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Bread Baker's Apprentice</span>, using raisins, apricots, and cranberries for the dried fruit (I always use dried instead of candied fruit).<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8-tiPPNDkoS7EhWB7MTZHlkqlDLA6NBmRMRnXNXCMZRhl6z27meqElHZiEkA-J7eJlOTV3UuC8A_kq4aAhUdtL7FhKyebh9VDiJEczL6t7Vb5Tl1xGiP_0lNnx3J5LluZCDsygjazP11/s1600/IMG_0273.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8-tiPPNDkoS7EhWB7MTZHlkqlDLA6NBmRMRnXNXCMZRhl6z27meqElHZiEkA-J7eJlOTV3UuC8A_kq4aAhUdtL7FhKyebh9VDiJEczL6t7Vb5Tl1xGiP_0lNnx3J5LluZCDsygjazP11/s320/IMG_0273.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559110296056915250" border="0" /></a>Shaping the "blanket" folds.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-IpnwAgUByYfm6_g0IC0JwXhxNsrg7HxD4ceBmkwysGaz-Qa9CNETzgP183Tvw-q7JDLgoCXe_YOsRnpUT0WLFchex7aBwk4LApWGEKbgU4qoMdfVB2YNUyfp_5yjlMugp_RMYSGtMk1/s1600/IMG_0279.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-IpnwAgUByYfm6_g0IC0JwXhxNsrg7HxD4ceBmkwysGaz-Qa9CNETzgP183Tvw-q7JDLgoCXe_YOsRnpUT0WLFchex7aBwk4LApWGEKbgU4qoMdfVB2YNUyfp_5yjlMugp_RMYSGtMk1/s320/IMG_0279.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559110293074033618" border="0" /></a>Finished loaves.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDo4-x3Vec9SVoBnR0WFufg6zxAwOF4Hbkw5nxMItJMKFVpdZeCOSvkfSWtY2wHiEe85HMYE4JQZjyN3PUrRp1WFWEaDA1Oq6uHvgfUVrRIlc-U47FTbIltC_WBoFZjUFRsYMmnQZiQft/s1600/IMG_0282.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDo4-x3Vec9SVoBnR0WFufg6zxAwOF4Hbkw5nxMItJMKFVpdZeCOSvkfSWtY2wHiEe85HMYE4JQZjyN3PUrRp1WFWEaDA1Oq6uHvgfUVrRIlc-U47FTbIltC_WBoFZjUFRsYMmnQZiQft/s320/IMG_0282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559110286434436610" border="0" /></a>Generously dusted with powdered sugar!<br /><br />Everyone seemed to like the bread, so I guess it was a hit despite leaving my scale at home and using a strange oven! A little late but happy holidays everyone!<br /><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-68757150131213480112011-01-06T07:01:00.001-08:002011-01-06T07:13:37.653-08:00easy savory bread pudding<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhq8Ey_zRsZUgpEsGTIObxXMb8DoPDM4yOop1QtLOEpCV3yM-dnep7OLkvcLeGykxBHY5oYRL_qoSYJPMlcSbvp6ENH-kAB_7TMmKdfqE-II1wdYDiahEOKRiabJL17UPdASqt6CqZxVpS/s1600/IMG_0315.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhq8Ey_zRsZUgpEsGTIObxXMb8DoPDM4yOop1QtLOEpCV3yM-dnep7OLkvcLeGykxBHY5oYRL_qoSYJPMlcSbvp6ENH-kAB_7TMmKdfqE-II1wdYDiahEOKRiabJL17UPdASqt6CqZxVpS/s320/IMG_0315.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559088651241018226" border="0" /></a>I've made this for breakfast a couple of times but it could easily be a lunch or dinner. It's quick and easy to make, simple but still tasty, and very filling! It's also a great way to use up stale bread, although fresher bread works too.<br />You'll need:<br />1-3 slices of bread cut into cubes (depends on the size of the slices, I often use the heels)<br />1c milk<br />2 eggs (you could probably use just one although I haven't tried it)<br />a bit of grated cheese (I usually use about a tablespoon of cheddar or gruyere)<br />pinch of salt<br />pinch of pepper<br />pinch of nutmeg (optional)<br />pinch of your favorite herb (I use whatever's on hand, usually thyme or sage)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Put the milk in a microwave safe bowl, add the bread, heat for 2 minutes or long enough for the milk to get hot and soak into the bread (alternately, leave it soak at room temp, but this takes longer). Whisk two eggs in a (cold) small cast iron skillet (or other stove top/oven safe dish). Add pinch of salt, pepper, nutmeg, herbs to eggs. Mix bread into egg mixture, stirring well. On the stove top cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the bottom is solid but the top is still uncooked. Top with cheese then switch to broiler for another ~5 minutes. Check frequently to avoid burning. It's done as soon as it's cooked through/not wet in the middle. I like to eat is right out of the pan!<br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwgqOKa3ETXT3SHRjV6aLHvWgMsv_XAfZdJ2wUceU_Ba00nmG7Hixw_pHGH0CybScgx1fWiFMtwg_x4RlXoA1XCqcRrwWXiAPQXSbMaIU_GBv5s4V9ZHfeeOrhXVDEqAtDsmSsKqIIG6h/s1600/IMG_0314.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwgqOKa3ETXT3SHRjV6aLHvWgMsv_XAfZdJ2wUceU_Ba00nmG7Hixw_pHGH0CybScgx1fWiFMtwg_x4RlXoA1XCqcRrwWXiAPQXSbMaIU_GBv5s4V9ZHfeeOrhXVDEqAtDsmSsKqIIG6h/s320/IMG_0314.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559088653282883874" border="0" /></a>Voila.<br /></div><br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_JustifyCenter" title="Align Center" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 11);ButtonMouseDown(this);"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Align Center" class="gl_align_center" border="0" /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-49321256978597794582010-12-20T12:53:00.000-08:002010-12-20T13:58:42.894-08:00mushrooms!!<div style="text-align: center;">I picked up an <a href="http://www.easygrowmushrooms.com/oyster.shtml">oyster mushroom grow kit</a> two weekends ago from <a href="http://www.a2gov.org/government/communityservices/ParksandRecreation/FarmersMarket/Pages/ezgrow.aspx">Easy Grow Mushrooms</a> at the <a href="http://www.a2gov.org/government/communityservices/ParksandRecreation/FarmersMarket/Pages/FarmersMarkethome.aspx">Ann Arbor Farmer's Market</a>. I've been interested in trying an indoor mushroom kit for a few years now, after living in a house that had shiitake mushroom logs in Massachusetts. The logs were really cool but they only produce when the weather allows for it and I tend to use mushrooms year round. After ogling the kits at the farmer's market for several months, I finally got one. We put the bag in our bathroom, since it's the most humid place in the house. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXC60k4awsQfPlQprvibuR2SCkcANDJolBIVb8cl_7CSswz9gh2AaLb6YP7PBEhMLY1amqvcAsgAzh4ks6ltGtCnLlfQMdiY3Om5oHzFDZkw3YhUqS1-EgKiq9wCyFVst7MdQ_i7CLd1C/s1600/IMG_0227.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXC60k4awsQfPlQprvibuR2SCkcANDJolBIVb8cl_7CSswz9gh2AaLb6YP7PBEhMLY1amqvcAsgAzh4ks6ltGtCnLlfQMdiY3Om5oHzFDZkw3YhUqS1-EgKiq9wCyFVst7MdQ_i7CLd1C/s320/IMG_0227.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552884227515816306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The bag exploded about a week after we bought it!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kHVahtJ7T4VvcRZYMKdQZCmbXaY3oWxMZ65-fKVgAkWOEer3BXyI87lqWlu4vaxiMl8bfxwasYD3BfL2WZzfYUMPSO964kUpnMwQNKCZoB2-7Or9BmCHqU3rrVswNBD_xISWvcsy8WRJ/s1600/IMG_0249.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kHVahtJ7T4VvcRZYMKdQZCmbXaY3oWxMZ65-fKVgAkWOEer3BXyI87lqWlu4vaxiMl8bfxwasYD3BfL2WZzfYUMPSO964kUpnMwQNKCZoB2-7Or9BmCHqU3rrVswNBD_xISWvcsy8WRJ/s320/IMG_0249.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552884221910473474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">This is the first batch I picked weighing in at 550g.</span><br /></div><br />We're trying to remember to weigh what we pick, just for curiosity's sake. My housemate and I buy heaps of mushrooms, so I'd like to see if it's more or less cost effective to buy these kits or to get them at the grocery store. If we get more than we can use, I think I'm going to try drying them out. The bag is supposed to keep going for a couple of months, and then we're going to spread it over some compost. We'll see how it goes!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-30999395067324991682010-09-17T07:44:00.000-07:002010-09-17T07:56:56.773-07:00The Sourdough Survives!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgNwtSiO6apJwFAY1VRjaYU-1yXkVdJylnIZLhNim7JfMlC28lSqUCTuBo1ET8L8Alg0Ev3vhOPbRJSA4zBU8SKboqFxVDVuzlSWdJA25EGS1SnFT7NEB54gR1QGIHXp4ea_cZJpuXk_R/s1600/IMG_0059.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgNwtSiO6apJwFAY1VRjaYU-1yXkVdJylnIZLhNim7JfMlC28lSqUCTuBo1ET8L8Alg0Ev3vhOPbRJSA4zBU8SKboqFxVDVuzlSWdJA25EGS1SnFT7NEB54gR1QGIHXp4ea_cZJpuXk_R/s320/IMG_0059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517894624836064434" border="0" /></a>When I first drove out to the Midwest from the East Coast in June I forgot my sourdough starter. Gasp! I know, how could I? It's like a pet and I was very upset about leaving it and worried it would die before I could get back to MA to get it. Luckily for me I have a very good friend (and former roommate) who was kind enough to feed it for me. About three months later it made the 12 hour trip with me in a cooler in my car in the August heat. I had fed it a few times before leaving MA and lo and behold if it didn't perk right up! The long period of dormancy doesn't seem to have harmed it much. The first time I used it here in MI it doubled on the first feeding and more than doubled with the next. It smells a little different, so perhaps some of the microbes etc have died out. I'll have to make a few batches of bread to see if it tastes or behaves differently.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_eAk2419dRLTUYJ4Bbsjeh_JQuMA-kr_Lvao1yBYv9VbxSAcSG3a3WMfhKHLKgGtrxMixz56iynb7YKi7HIoH3z1-IMxDIEka_AiclS2pP-mtp_9acy8ItJYzFdCAJFWwkkG9OPRRD7z5/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_eAk2419dRLTUYJ4Bbsjeh_JQuMA-kr_Lvao1yBYv9VbxSAcSG3a3WMfhKHLKgGtrxMixz56iynb7YKi7HIoH3z1-IMxDIEka_AiclS2pP-mtp_9acy8ItJYzFdCAJFWwkkG9OPRRD7z5/s320/IMG_0064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517894032313723874" border="0" /></a>For my first sourdough loaf in the new place I made a seeded whole wheat sourdough from <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780393057942-0">The Bread Bible</a>. It was a really hearty loaf with a great texture and nutty flavour. I think I'm going to convert my starter to whole wheat next time so I can get even more whole wheat flour in it (I think the recipe is about 50% whole wheat).<br /><br />I actually let the loaves proof for too long because I was ready to bake them but then had to put them in the fridge at the last minute (alas, life comes before bread), but they seemed to turn out okay anyway. I could detect some off flavours maybe from the dead yeast/overfermenting but my roommate couldn't tell. Overall it turned out well.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-65892183252522446372010-09-17T07:11:00.000-07:002010-09-17T07:43:12.943-07:00homemade pasta<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQhGFt-THTWBdymGifbCmdohC6G1UWVPsDGDIOEDLuLo9vaaJtW4__sDsStCs_cGgl_ya7FRee8FHA9XRqlMuSc14mJ3B1gXyaUPIiim40AeegFax1eBhpVJT88c7qs1m0yg4se_RutrH/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQhGFt-THTWBdymGifbCmdohC6G1UWVPsDGDIOEDLuLo9vaaJtW4__sDsStCs_cGgl_ya7FRee8FHA9XRqlMuSc14mJ3B1gXyaUPIiim40AeegFax1eBhpVJT88c7qs1m0yg4se_RutrH/s320/IMG_0052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517889100991619586" border="0" /></a>My roommate visited a friend recently who had a pasta maker and loved making pasta so much that she bought one of her own! Needless to say, I was very excited by this decision. I had never made pasta before with a proper pasta roller and as much as I love the hearty thick egg noodles I can make with just a rolling pin, they're not really appropriate for most pasta dishes.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULBBJ8B-LTgTasdAFoahC38m50HIOTylVhXV8doqqnoLwYLcRCiqOhyq4tK-oPZQVTB1Qqrzh27X7h-pbrq305v14Azr26DxrGJvX13ZmjDP4XUe8ZC4ZlXoq8Wh2nhmbcIwfYNkkJ1rg/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULBBJ8B-LTgTasdAFoahC38m50HIOTylVhXV8doqqnoLwYLcRCiqOhyq4tK-oPZQVTB1Qqrzh27X7h-pbrq305v14Azr26DxrGJvX13ZmjDP4XUe8ZC4ZlXoq8Wh2nhmbcIwfYNkkJ1rg/s320/IMG_0034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517889086845806146" border="0" /></a><br />So this is the pasta machine from Italy. It's a hand crank pasta maker, which means it's much easier for two people to make the pasta than just one. D's working on the dough here.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_0KjA6JT0XXifiwG-gtqsPX4gktIWdcqTkI0vOXP-Z-CmOIai9_IkfPgPLzFIzRqhm7sSGuDMKgtcmVpPZNnIe5iA1y_UwDldrq3868OIYDeGjAiRVL2f3dpYHYiZ-YsDWrSv5IRn995/s1600/IMG_0033.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_0KjA6JT0XXifiwG-gtqsPX4gktIWdcqTkI0vOXP-Z-CmOIai9_IkfPgPLzFIzRqhm7sSGuDMKgtcmVpPZNnIe5iA1y_UwDldrq3868OIYDeGjAiRVL2f3dpYHYiZ-YsDWrSv5IRn995/s320/IMG_0033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517889090334994546" border="0" /></a>We don't have a drying rack for the freshly made pasta, but hangers work fine for now. D made lasagna noodles first (and made some amazing lasagna the next day).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vyI-lp8nqUtXKBFT-RZj9p8e48RUyDSP3hn-LQenm71rJe0sJEtDq4l_8qPw8CPCRFDg0yEVKRdQ-n60BqR7nlUt5HNb_E0hAk-WuW21fw4ukNmDIho1l5_BRLOeZvuILihRh3jNJJ8X/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vyI-lp8nqUtXKBFT-RZj9p8e48RUyDSP3hn-LQenm71rJe0sJEtDq4l_8qPw8CPCRFDg0yEVKRdQ-n60BqR7nlUt5HNb_E0hAk-WuW21fw4ukNmDIho1l5_BRLOeZvuILihRh3jNJJ8X/s320/IMG_0037.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517887951965029970" border="0" /></a>And then we switched to fettuccine. My involvement at this point consisted of turning the crank. After just a couple pasta making sessions, D's become quite good at getting a feel for the dough in terms of moisture content and thickness. I haven't tried my hand at it yet but I plan to soon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-msuj7ImkvXID0FUykwCC_A3WwFc77bvo__HKc0mDIovF6bFO65hJA1fviPTtTd6_7nVB-iij0jWaKbdvftD2_ijSBrYchZeVONB43jDfEfYXaKcm-ueTmigtwLZTb1n80K1s6FWqFsmb/s1600/IMG_0054.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-msuj7ImkvXID0FUykwCC_A3WwFc77bvo__HKc0mDIovF6bFO65hJA1fviPTtTd6_7nVB-iij0jWaKbdvftD2_ijSBrYchZeVONB43jDfEfYXaKcm-ueTmigtwLZTb1n80K1s6FWqFsmb/s320/IMG_0054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517887942396840338" border="0" /></a>We let the pasta dry then packed in in ziplocs and put it in the cupboard. It'll keep for a while this way, which is great.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPDScss6tzZZUX-DKizB8h485MP9lfosKl_vFYLGT2dlSCbTvJ0Jastqu-a74uaTpZ_Demc40JOd7RSDF_G3G3bSVR1tMA1KrHg7Q7_a8Tai5Sh9zkTY5-37Ux_6j1Hz1RS49ZkW16VfO/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPDScss6tzZZUX-DKizB8h485MP9lfosKl_vFYLGT2dlSCbTvJ0Jastqu-a74uaTpZ_Demc40JOd7RSDF_G3G3bSVR1tMA1KrHg7Q7_a8Tai5Sh9zkTY5-37Ux_6j1Hz1RS49ZkW16VfO/s320/IMG_0052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517887938718730290" border="0" /></a>For dinner one night my housemate made this incredible ragout. She grilled eggplant (we had some trouble getting the charcoal hot enough) and then cubed it and added garlic, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes and fresh herbs (I think that's everything). The eggplant had this incredible charred flavor and was really meaty without being tough or rubbery. I'm still learning to cook eggplant well and have had my share of mess ups.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifaXXZBSfd1P6whz2dBF2KJIAQSQe2VuODFnU8Focd9stj1z5JsGwh_K3rDzzdos5T05prAm4RTyIImJ3hHyqaK4C1wf_gKv9AT6QUS12oXOOVkxKkrGsNxZ-B9Hmw22iPm4mb2dDhlqQ_/s1600/IMG_0055.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifaXXZBSfd1P6whz2dBF2KJIAQSQe2VuODFnU8Focd9stj1z5JsGwh_K3rDzzdos5T05prAm4RTyIImJ3hHyqaK4C1wf_gKv9AT6QUS12oXOOVkxKkrGsNxZ-B9Hmw22iPm4mb2dDhlqQ_/s320/IMG_0055.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517887929017930386" border="0" /></a>Here's the fresh fettuccine in some boiling water. It took longer to cook than either of us expected, but that could have been in part the pot we were using.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3d_-ltcvvsfInkZFF8Z8tavp74IzTdl4SloVl46tGtUd5_wDYthzFlRgBseGDOHxzHjkJKcuFrUIRY2CWc6biAPun8Gt-GPjGG3AO2dHcenwz3YJmIhz9aIFJ6XqORAwYwr7Bp6ftftY/s1600/IMG_0056.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3d_-ltcvvsfInkZFF8Z8tavp74IzTdl4SloVl46tGtUd5_wDYthzFlRgBseGDOHxzHjkJKcuFrUIRY2CWc6biAPun8Gt-GPjGG3AO2dHcenwz3YJmIhz9aIFJ6XqORAwYwr7Bp6ftftY/s320/IMG_0056.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517887927222048578" border="0" /></a>We put the ragout on the pasta, added some grated parmesan, and a <a href="http://www.bellsbeer.com/">Bell's Oberon</a> for an incredible summer meal!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-78684388572204200422010-09-06T19:28:00.001-07:002010-09-06T19:42:20.835-07:00great summer lunch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWDJKcxcmAlIeJvPy7GLYfZRZ-j3fGuzvRcS-05zUqU_pUE0IVt4n2Rlpq2M4G180y78OHRjvYeG4Whkneqj-WqbpghXZedOyc8nouiwHtbvFb_SHQMjQ7mpwolG0BY81vEp_D9u7SMdd/s1600/IMG_0031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 319px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWDJKcxcmAlIeJvPy7GLYfZRZ-j3fGuzvRcS-05zUqU_pUE0IVt4n2Rlpq2M4G180y78OHRjvYeG4Whkneqj-WqbpghXZedOyc8nouiwHtbvFb_SHQMjQ7mpwolG0BY81vEp_D9u7SMdd/s320/IMG_0031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513993763236106322" border="0" /></a>I made polenta for dinner the other day and (as always seems to be the case when I make polenta) was eating leftovers for days. I sauted some garlic, red onions, and red pepper in evoo, then added the water, cornmeal, & salt (whisking etc to keep it from lumping). I diced up a couple of tomatoes and various herbs and tossed them in (oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil). After the cornmeal was cooked I added about half a cup of grated parmesan then poured the mess into a lined cookie sheet to cool (put it in the fridge).<br /><br />For dinner I cut the polenta into triangles and put them on the grill (very tricky but delicious) and my housemate made a summer veggie ragout (yellow squash, mushrooms, red peppers, greens, red wine & other deliciousness) that we put on top.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUavQpLZ23USTbIeW5b5BowgROvTw82Jg1MlKAOHWako1L3X31TROr23jHZVwNaZ5b9RKgpuAZKkOu4rdekFHqGiH2czGuhc0bkuH4kWzcM1FCrw-dUvA1dSzi4TH7V0mXhJ_CirJtvNb/s1600/IMG_0029.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUavQpLZ23USTbIeW5b5BowgROvTw82Jg1MlKAOHWako1L3X31TROr23jHZVwNaZ5b9RKgpuAZKkOu4rdekFHqGiH2czGuhc0bkuH4kWzcM1FCrw-dUvA1dSzi4TH7V0mXhJ_CirJtvNb/s320/IMG_0029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513993753310161074" border="0" /></a>For a leftover polenta lunch I made a quick and light lentil soup that was a really tasty companion to the polenta. I sauteed some onions, garlic, and two jalapenos, then added 2-3 cups of water and about 3/4 a cup of red lentils (probably less, I didn't really measure). Brought the lot to a boil until the lentils were done, then added a handful of torn basil and sliced cherry tomatoes (they're super sweet). I actually spooned some of the soup onto the polenta, which was also quite tasty.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-12281995630766907612010-09-06T13:49:00.000-07:002010-09-17T07:10:50.796-07:00Ginger Beer!This weekend my housemate and I bottled the first batch of beer we brewed in our new place! It's a ginger beer we brewed on August 16th. It's not technically beer because they're no grain in it so I suppose it's more of a fruit wine. But comparable non alcoholic ginger drinks (like Reed's) are called ginger beer so I think the name calls to mind the appropriate flavour.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRMfM5aQLk4e9nyY0yr9HaSErYNetD-byLtXEd7JaFtVtL3eKJj7-Y5Ztw4i-NfQr2lkveGFNZPB6e_EtSPYXop1jHe_CgltAYoMe0k82mInGH0sTgvzUh4CRU6DEbDnFlPaFPvA3flNz/s1600/ginger+beer+002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRMfM5aQLk4e9nyY0yr9HaSErYNetD-byLtXEd7JaFtVtL3eKJj7-Y5Ztw4i-NfQr2lkveGFNZPB6e_EtSPYXop1jHe_CgltAYoMe0k82mInGH0sTgvzUh4CRU6DEbDnFlPaFPvA3flNz/s200/ginger+beer+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513984825697961666" border="0" /></a>We started with something like 1 kilo of ginger, 2 lemons, some cloves, cinnamon, and maybe nutmeg (my housemate did the recipe mostly off the top of her head so the details are sketchy).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0uiniT8kDeLg6OR1yso1fYHg50RtuNPtaDdTP_1YDo6nVJliTZkwmLlPGG_GkRkiYpRJXOCooAK0o9A8Ww4XokIovkfV-y_njoGgnj1pCR0nMHaa5CfpxLjkWFvkMJqRtr2OdZHdbWmG/s1600/ginger+beer+004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0uiniT8kDeLg6OR1yso1fYHg50RtuNPtaDdTP_1YDo6nVJliTZkwmLlPGG_GkRkiYpRJXOCooAK0o9A8Ww4XokIovkfV-y_njoGgnj1pCR0nMHaa5CfpxLjkWFvkMJqRtr2OdZHdbWmG/s200/ginger+beer+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513984817754973922" border="0" /></a>We couldn't find a good brew pot in the area that didn't cost an arm and a leg so for now we're using a Ball canning pot that has about a 5.25 gallon capacity. It's working fine so far, but the size means we can't do any all grain brews.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8f4_wNiJI_l6UI1lo4Et3s5MHb4FH-yzaon48cEKyPJLdstz0e0oRIQI6fhLBA3xbE0W2ULF2Y-Db12zTplSRrfbkclxRh4bZIrvvQlXSFcS2YSL2mS1dRc5byQli4l4HSP_PHN-RCkP/s1600/ginger+beer+005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8f4_wNiJI_l6UI1lo4Et3s5MHb4FH-yzaon48cEKyPJLdstz0e0oRIQI6fhLBA3xbE0W2ULF2Y-Db12zTplSRrfbkclxRh4bZIrvvQlXSFcS2YSL2mS1dRc5byQli4l4HSP_PHN-RCkP/s200/ginger+beer+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513984816674485042" border="0" /></a>All the ginger needed to be ground up. It was tough work for my food processor. The stringy ginger kept getting caught up in everything. The house smelled incredible though.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2uiQqGXWfwQK4hRPSHj4mdPIBlSKZ-W303RwlyYcaidxzXglxhCjhITjmZmAZ0t4wcxYX5SWymh7hxJR1d00Ixfp1qNhYBt5ywG-b8Ly03MBQ51oLWYbCCPbvNirN4QXAkQ_TOUJUdVv2/s1600/ginger+beer+006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2uiQqGXWfwQK4hRPSHj4mdPIBlSKZ-W303RwlyYcaidxzXglxhCjhITjmZmAZ0t4wcxYX5SWymh7hxJR1d00Ixfp1qNhYBt5ywG-b8Ly03MBQ51oLWYbCCPbvNirN4QXAkQ_TOUJUdVv2/s200/ginger+beer+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513984807888615282" border="0" /></a>The lemons were sliced and tossed in water (about 2 gallons) with the ginger and spices and about 2 kilos of raw sugar.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEH-M88QGuFExRAzPVt38k1lBiCxVIEl8J_yMIOYUM0MieqXZ7uVffdyAJcxZi1SBAW2PgFUxpG7Xba7U3QDeFFQHg1hd40GwObZROnKYEQ6Q1DgVubz-dAVG95A5QcRBeSEiO-VHZb13h/s1600/ginger+beer+009.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEH-M88QGuFExRAzPVt38k1lBiCxVIEl8J_yMIOYUM0MieqXZ7uVffdyAJcxZi1SBAW2PgFUxpG7Xba7U3QDeFFQHg1hd40GwObZROnKYEQ6Q1DgVubz-dAVG95A5QcRBeSEiO-VHZb13h/s200/ginger+beer+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513984798206662914" border="0" /></a>We boiled the crap out of it for a while.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViAH7aiWm5Gx6jvFNe14bRxDI2K-m-HUDEHoxmMxHpp42UvV_0vFOAQ7btBdET7qmAF5XlJCINajsApC13FdR0plTIgkzZG7SdkpQy_e_ZNtnI-ketC5zubxzCaiUswlo8JLjeyKIoDoH/s1600/ginger+beer+012.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViAH7aiWm5Gx6jvFNe14bRxDI2K-m-HUDEHoxmMxHpp42UvV_0vFOAQ7btBdET7qmAF5XlJCINajsApC13FdR0plTIgkzZG7SdkpQy_e_ZNtnI-ketC5zubxzCaiUswlo8JLjeyKIoDoH/s200/ginger+beer+012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513983404363392178" border="0" /></a>Then we strained it and brought the temperature down so we could add the yeast. We used a champagne yeast (another brewing first for me) so it could handle the high sugar content.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3n0BpgMjrw06t4zWLtUe5jXm75XtXWpSnrDkiKl-Fh52nWf-U45VOAGLeKEcYgQieX20v4w0HpXsUV0fgGOMEw6dXKzhGlHYHOOQaXMCxF10VD1PUOyIG-zR8oR-Zf4ovu-BdGQfihve/s1600/ginger+beer+013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3n0BpgMjrw06t4zWLtUe5jXm75XtXWpSnrDkiKl-Fh52nWf-U45VOAGLeKEcYgQieX20v4w0HpXsUV0fgGOMEw6dXKzhGlHYHOOQaXMCxF10VD1PUOyIG-zR8oR-Zf4ovu-BdGQfihve/s200/ginger+beer+013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513983403201964770" border="0" /></a>Then we let it ferment away! It bubbled quite a lot for two weeks. The lid on the top bowed out because of all of the air pressure that built up inside the bucket. We bottled it into 12oz bottles and I think we ended up with 55 bottles total, so the batch was a bit more than 5 gallons. We tasted some when we bottled it and it was really good (pre-bottling the beer is alcoholic but not carbonated or cold, so it doesn't taste quite like the finished product). It has a solid ginger flavour with a spicy kick to it. Definitely a good way to start the year.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-42935015967093616882010-07-31T08:52:00.001-07:002010-07-31T09:04:46.406-07:00pickles!My housemate brought back a bunch of cucumbers from a friend's garden so I decided to try to make pickles! I'm trying to do it via natural fermentation (lactic acid based) in a brine solution rather than canning them with vinegar. We'll see how it goes.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8dM6oGOtDxevtr5Gc6YblynYdcTX-3CitahBSFxSiS7AgDjbUer94gvIuDuoytvZztdU8cAzI4h-lgylIJFw2hwkhPExShdsKUbkbUFsJIv4Lsw9dgG13SExFHqtK_XuKYuFfuKMdd54/s1600/IMG_0653.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8dM6oGOtDxevtr5Gc6YblynYdcTX-3CitahBSFxSiS7AgDjbUer94gvIuDuoytvZztdU8cAzI4h-lgylIJFw2hwkhPExShdsKUbkbUFsJIv4Lsw9dgG13SExFHqtK_XuKYuFfuKMdd54/s200/IMG_0653.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500099541239081778" border="0" /></a>I used about 4.5 lbs of cucumbers, a bunch of fresh dill, black peppercorns, garlic, kosher salt, and some sliced jalapenos in one jar. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LfZp06DffKc7inBsR71czZAthMY7dGSccRkymuGdfHDHLuWOmAdMLjw-Y4iEMkAseOqen0rJwNNR0UH-46brrMK8mj5J4iadV4apjeB2wWexgEj6fNpRSe9CZBS6kxTDB3HEntEikMBx/s1600/IMG_0654.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LfZp06DffKc7inBsR71czZAthMY7dGSccRkymuGdfHDHLuWOmAdMLjw-Y4iEMkAseOqen0rJwNNR0UH-46brrMK8mj5J4iadV4apjeB2wWexgEj6fNpRSe9CZBS6kxTDB3HEntEikMBx/s200/IMG_0654.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500099546891915202" border="0" /></a>So there's one jar of regular pickle slices, one jar of hot/spicy slices, and one jar of slightly spicy pickle spears.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVAjcVfehn0p1kt5mHWNSJ9-isvJ5lox8BkSN2OC3_VitZsUkfsoLVMRItM6HLtr_ERRXS0d7TUqtBiPx1zLFdHmY4TrFqbTi-6jhSabHPnT7KJ2a4LfmlO-fmGUJ2WRZC54PKIdAbIWo/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVAjcVfehn0p1kt5mHWNSJ9-isvJ5lox8BkSN2OC3_VitZsUkfsoLVMRItM6HLtr_ERRXS0d7TUqtBiPx1zLFdHmY4TrFqbTi-6jhSabHPnT7KJ2a4LfmlO-fmGUJ2WRZC54PKIdAbIWo/s200/IMG_0659.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500099551015004610" border="0" /></a>It's been pretty warm and humid so I'm keeping the jars in a foam cooler with ice packs to try to keep the temp under 70 degrees (above that isn't good for fermentation). I can't find my food thermometer because all my kitchen equipment is packed up, so it's mostly guess work. I'm hoping the intense cold spots aren't a problem. I'm going to rotate everything around and swap freezer packs. Fingers crossed they come out tasting good!<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-73881630031647190732010-07-31T08:21:00.000-07:002010-07-31T08:51:45.242-07:00homemade pesto and local pizza!I made a batch of pesto today with basil from my 4 plants and several handfuls from a friend's garden plot. I sadly had to use all of my basil right away because the <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128061773">basil blight</a> had attacked my little plants, causing the leaves to yellow. I composted all 4 plants and salvaged what leaves I could. Since I'm in the midst of moving, my food processor is still in Ohio and my mortar and pestle are in a box somewhere, so I wasn't sure how exactly I was going to make the pesto. I happened up on <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001570.html">this recipe</a> however while googling that uses neither processor nor m&p. I used my own basil/cheese etc proportions, but I did try the chopping technique. It took a long time and I can honestly say that I can't taste a significant difference from how it would be in a food processor, but it worked just fine and was quite tasty pesto.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa2sX9fX2UUfhrFzlkgSw1JJLXVj84QFXjk3Zxxl6oxgntF30nJ8FKdKcaQx_f6V37yG8TE3dqAG12OuBzjg2eSFewTnQrq-EWVI3e_nf9OCcgWEid4wrQSy3dgUOQUvrgJxJFkWLQ4Fs/s1600/IMG_0658.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa2sX9fX2UUfhrFzlkgSw1JJLXVj84QFXjk3Zxxl6oxgntF30nJ8FKdKcaQx_f6V37yG8TE3dqAG12OuBzjg2eSFewTnQrq-EWVI3e_nf9OCcgWEid4wrQSy3dgUOQUvrgJxJFkWLQ4Fs/s200/IMG_0658.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500092254332161906" border="0" /></a>I decided to use the pesto to make a pizza! On Thursday I picked up a 1.5lb ball of fresh mozzarella at the <a href="http://www.westsidefarmersmarket.com/">Westside Farmer's Market</a> in Ann Arbor and yesterday I bought a couple of local tomatoes at the <a href="http://www.peoplesfood.coop/">People's Food Co-op</a>. All ingredients that demand pizza, right?<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzg6BqdtZo0mAbt9Igq_jrMiSBFErP65aDN3MF2yDFtI6kg6_cEkupO_GS9fQxzpPFtWJh6YpisUWAAqtKYLgmLrUY3NWugsYkk5p4Vt-8hvdCDDQWXzMe1r1pobM-WM7kOd3UTQa86z-/s1600/IMG_0661.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzg6BqdtZo0mAbt9Igq_jrMiSBFErP65aDN3MF2yDFtI6kg6_cEkupO_GS9fQxzpPFtWJh6YpisUWAAqtKYLgmLrUY3NWugsYkk5p4Vt-8hvdCDDQWXzMe1r1pobM-WM7kOd3UTQa86z-/s200/IMG_0661.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500091527844890482" border="0" /></a>so here's the freshly made pesto spread on the crust (I used the KAF recipe).<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisP_tl10ZzGSeCqEI03MbUt6CFlStA3C2Vfq-Ubkom1eLbHB7wkYTk2vZVUWPA_6QFu6VwCzZiaUBuz_DiPM7y57NfOx74C4EtpC0vX6LcA7z4FT0LvTkVA-0MhdD01nvhnBzohvs50Sh7/s1600/IMG_0662.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisP_tl10ZzGSeCqEI03MbUt6CFlStA3C2Vfq-Ubkom1eLbHB7wkYTk2vZVUWPA_6QFu6VwCzZiaUBuz_DiPM7y57NfOx74C4EtpC0vX6LcA7z4FT0LvTkVA-0MhdD01nvhnBzohvs50Sh7/s200/IMG_0662.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500091511949939794" border="0" /></a>sliced two medium tomatoes from the Co-op.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm25vVJmtfopyV9hnGC3UcL4Ftz-Bs5DtFXlUwSwTqnBn42wOGqyAw0ssh3HoERQkO9Morlhi1mfRCReNDe6IgpD4gg14IrgVohn9i3u_ROMMzDWdtStxPY0mmStlGpfy0EC_RauEcoXa-/s1600/IMG_0663.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm25vVJmtfopyV9hnGC3UcL4Ftz-Bs5DtFXlUwSwTqnBn42wOGqyAw0ssh3HoERQkO9Morlhi1mfRCReNDe6IgpD4gg14IrgVohn9i3u_ROMMzDWdtStxPY0mmStlGpfy0EC_RauEcoXa-/s200/IMG_0663.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500091520526087490" border="0" /></a>added the mozzarella. (I was actually rather disappointed w/ this cheese. The farm packed it in way too much salt so even after rinsing it the cheese was way too salty. The outside was mushy and the inside was dense. It didn't string/tear the way mozzarella should. Sad face. But I chopped it up and it did the trick!)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4K-XBQnPtdt-izUEloOYeAjYmcYLd4lqDwWvM-C34mm-t43B3NSiIuqyb50amW-6UpaI2da05lIxpYVw4rZbrKJkSw4TpQkTayxfW8svUApsz15PG4Tn46jxbK6L8AY73uEPYRjfqc-W0/s1600/IMG_0666.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4K-XBQnPtdt-izUEloOYeAjYmcYLd4lqDwWvM-C34mm-t43B3NSiIuqyb50amW-6UpaI2da05lIxpYVw4rZbrKJkSw4TpQkTayxfW8svUApsz15PG4Tn46jxbK6L8AY73uEPYRjfqc-W0/s200/IMG_0666.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500091506265940146" border="0" /></a>The finished pie fresh out o' the oven! It was quite delicious. <br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-23496958462259152612010-07-24T20:11:00.000-07:002010-07-24T20:34:43.688-07:00easy dinner: vegetarian hot dogs, sauerkraut, & beer<div style="text-align: center;">vegetarian hot dogs, sauerkraut, & beer.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />chopped onions (1/4 c)<br />sauerkraut (drained & rinsed if canned)<br />two soy dogs chopped<br />dijon mustard (1T)<br />black pepper (1/2 t)<br />caraway seeds (1t)<br />beer (1/3 c)<br />butter (1T)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wlnjzeM2uXL8nKgFAgNtd6ldRlg7ew7nfN2n-3sdHR4R_39mT1UC__mmup42LXK6iFfbwPA22N4vrvh8pFemAyAkPtSu4mf-Z59iFFJp7qEIq8bN2Gws0jC0BDmKtjiz1ELo0sA4Rzxt/s1600/sauerkraut+and+dogs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wlnjzeM2uXL8nKgFAgNtd6ldRlg7ew7nfN2n-3sdHR4R_39mT1UC__mmup42LXK6iFfbwPA22N4vrvh8pFemAyAkPtSu4mf-Z59iFFJp7qEIq8bN2Gws0jC0BDmKtjiz1ELo0sA4Rzxt/s200/sauerkraut+and+dogs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497679943041923874" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>melt butter in pan, add onions and saute for a few minutes</li><li>add all other ingredients and simmer in pan until most of the beer has evaporated/absorbed</li><li>taste and adjust seasoning</li><li>serve w/ a slice of rye bread</li></ul>I used <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/454/47210">Arcadia Ales Sky High Rye</a>, which seemed like an appropriate choice. It's a tasty, super drinkable summer ale, but a little lighter on the rye than I would have expected.The sauerkraut dish came out super tangy and yummy, a bit sweeter than I would have liked so I added more pepper and mustard. Definitely going to try variations of this in the fall. My homemade kraut should be ready in a few days. **Edit! I added more beer and let it simmer a little longer. This took care of most of the sweetness and gave it a nice bitter bite. Just goes to show you that <span style="font-weight: bold;">the solution is always more beer. </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wP4Hw4AKfkAcZjL0hWKc2K7JAnDhIGRRyp2RKmuT1VJ7H07Kd_5DYisKJfRIAND5EBT8srm_x5gBerVOBMot34FFfi_SMdw-XGvjn0BahN-suXeAyy-Mft_IxHfqynI_FehILv-78wMw/s1600/sauerkraut+and+dogs2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: right; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wP4Hw4AKfkAcZjL0hWKc2K7JAnDhIGRRyp2RKmuT1VJ7H07Kd_5DYisKJfRIAND5EBT8srm_x5gBerVOBMot34FFfi_SMdw-XGvjn0BahN-suXeAyy-Mft_IxHfqynI_FehILv-78wMw/s200/sauerkraut+and+dogs2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497679946686825346" border="0" /></a></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-21088640197261413002010-07-21T06:03:00.000-07:002010-07-21T06:23:01.768-07:00Curried Red Stuff (but not a red curry)<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Curried red quinoa, red lentils, and a red apple.</span><br /></div><br />This is a pretty simple one pot dinner that doesn't take very long to cook and is really delicious! In spite of many of the ingredients being red, the tumeric usually turns it an orangish-green color.<br /><br />This was also the first time I used my new (to me) cast iron pot! The pictures aren't very good, but this is what a cell phone in a dim kitchen will get you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxIKaAg8ZN_cOWBY8ecqSbN7iLzi5GSTZ8rSgQOwh3symQTDzpwkKW0LabIUFPqGfHGFL8QaEQVRdz5nJm4bnPQtIgQ7KRurvhUsUroViyelU-5kToiVFQdJttQgusmuxqsLEjcc9voRs/s1600/IMG_0617.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxIKaAg8ZN_cOWBY8ecqSbN7iLzi5GSTZ8rSgQOwh3symQTDzpwkKW0LabIUFPqGfHGFL8QaEQVRdz5nJm4bnPQtIgQ7KRurvhUsUroViyelU-5kToiVFQdJttQgusmuxqsLEjcc9voRs/s200/IMG_0617.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496345160079045010" border="0" /></a>Half an apple diced (should have cut this smaller). Minced ginger (1T), garlic (1T), chili pepper (1t), and chopped onion (1/2c). Red quinoa (3/4-1cup), red lentils (not pictured, 1/2-3/4c). Curry powder, tumeric, salt. As per usual, I didn't exactly measure things. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JreLMreYyYKf7E7k2ljkvBYLLYA4tCX-2emyNASJsKmIkrbR1IGZCwuu-e1jieMUGR_-Qa7OV4-BtwrcPt63m61m-rSbOrGMjGdgh01hDP0BtNgYyJiOirfmc17GjTDhHqIXi9w5xeth/s1600/IMG_0618.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JreLMreYyYKf7E7k2ljkvBYLLYA4tCX-2emyNASJsKmIkrbR1IGZCwuu-e1jieMUGR_-Qa7OV4-BtwrcPt63m61m-rSbOrGMjGdgh01hDP0BtNgYyJiOirfmc17GjTDhHqIXi9w5xeth/s200/IMG_0618.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496345171252909378" border="0" /></a>Saute the onions in some veg or olive oil. Check out the<a href="http://joemade.blogspot.com/2010/07/cast-iron-pot-resurfacing-project.html"> cast iron pot!</a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZ06KaBbk8ZnnkuOkUKARcMNYUDjK7Wp21pBnPzUgSq4fKS-HzkgFm5TUUpME7oflBxUzrZkZOw-1-AYiAWkaBzrCozr2ySUeOiCBZnuQVjFOlbvvtBXwqGZiN38NjAgLV9skf7zhuto4/s1600/IMG_0619.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZ06KaBbk8ZnnkuOkUKARcMNYUDjK7Wp21pBnPzUgSq4fKS-HzkgFm5TUUpME7oflBxUzrZkZOw-1-AYiAWkaBzrCozr2ySUeOiCBZnuQVjFOlbvvtBXwqGZiN38NjAgLV9skf7zhuto4/s200/IMG_0619.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496345173502075842" border="0" /></a>Add the garlic, ginger, and chili.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAM14eKXML-J_rBwxQQf_EPtx7pK3a1c8JTp33lon4rXSLFmmOlzWv9IneA4xRl4RtBYylt_BfB_4lD4s51bk7TxFEI9RZmMEmyuDoIOrnHwZrdVPaKzxbvyKur4XIgVUT3LD4zp0zI8UK/s1600/IMG_0620.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAM14eKXML-J_rBwxQQf_EPtx7pK3a1c8JTp33lon4rXSLFmmOlzWv9IneA4xRl4RtBYylt_BfB_4lD4s51bk7TxFEI9RZmMEmyuDoIOrnHwZrdVPaKzxbvyKur4XIgVUT3LD4zp0zI8UK/s200/IMG_0620.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496345178961472482" border="0" /></a>Then the apples and spices.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiFws7sLo8mV46fUZRs04nJTU8yy7wbLP2BXUDSQHrNDRdhbAfp70xEGlwG7L4_toubravC9D79AH6X_Szc6WLeh0NzFAvMBcFdOKWke9KuhzgB1Yg05-RFAlxHMc4FnYOuPXk-6B13EY/s1600/IMG_0622.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiFws7sLo8mV46fUZRs04nJTU8yy7wbLP2BXUDSQHrNDRdhbAfp70xEGlwG7L4_toubravC9D79AH6X_Szc6WLeh0NzFAvMBcFdOKWke9KuhzgB1Yg05-RFAlxHMc4FnYOuPXk-6B13EY/s200/IMG_0622.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496345188842694530" border="0" /></a>I like to saute the quinoa briefly before adding water. Don't know why, just habit.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ76dB-XbQUyyF5Yw_kMII4QvDvKqJ2IlgnAbgfcO7RQn_zqKqeGWfZPfPscIYoGz-DBOyKwVsxYF3E1nMMdCsAAANVX8rWThrA-J7rGCx7o3xrx0CGxJMFGHNZ7BzjpfTZbej-W_Jyrqp/s1600/IMG_0623.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ76dB-XbQUyyF5Yw_kMII4QvDvKqJ2IlgnAbgfcO7RQn_zqKqeGWfZPfPscIYoGz-DBOyKwVsxYF3E1nMMdCsAAANVX8rWThrA-J7rGCx7o3xrx0CGxJMFGHNZ7BzjpfTZbej-W_Jyrqp/s200/IMG_0623.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496345536321376114" border="0" /></a>Add water and red lentils.<br />Cook partially covered until quinoa is soft and apples dissolve (if you use a different kind of lentil you might have to cook it longer, but red lentils tend to dissolve fairly quickly).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHTUrR_j-HUpVAWB5XoS2RT0jRQ0fH5Y5xnnO9s9qlHNbGtWyEpAGpw72ldlSVxkJE2gxCvw35v6iSvnPPmZ-uAQ4Q5WgwF-SmGfZqhPLZPu036r4cs1eju3zx0bJxepPu3YMPS2i_ExH/s1600/IMG_0625.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHTUrR_j-HUpVAWB5XoS2RT0jRQ0fH5Y5xnnO9s9qlHNbGtWyEpAGpw72ldlSVxkJE2gxCvw35v6iSvnPPmZ-uAQ4Q5WgwF-SmGfZqhPLZPu036r4cs1eju3zx0bJxepPu3YMPS2i_ExH/s200/IMG_0625.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496348606112393330" border="0" /></a>I served it with a scoup of greek yogurt (which was delicious) and on top of a couple of corn tortillas (not so delicious). Probably would have been better with rice or just by itself.<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-7338670330417457852010-07-21T05:44:00.000-07:002010-07-21T06:03:21.555-07:00Cast Iron Pot Resurfacing Project!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiyNCloeYw18Qux_QlJ4Md-jf-KZN0khynUedYgQrVOuq2aFd6J4y3nGQXsPsCmfxQOCa-UXtCCmym1beBeF9pl1awtJ6r2yWFWp0kZkkavtiCi3zRwqf2remH4-U0u0noeP-pSyRYRvp/s1600/IMG_9406.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiyNCloeYw18Qux_QlJ4Md-jf-KZN0khynUedYgQrVOuq2aFd6J4y3nGQXsPsCmfxQOCa-UXtCCmym1beBeF9pl1awtJ6r2yWFWp0kZkkavtiCi3zRwqf2remH4-U0u0noeP-pSyRYRvp/s200/IMG_9406.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496343214805739026" border="0" /></a>Right before I left Massachusetts a friend gave me an old cast iron pot that had seen better days. It was covered in rust and the surface was flaking in places. Since I was moving across the country and all, what better thing to acquire than a large heavy pot that needed to be refurbished? Right?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmB0OvPjWcsJ3JXmAX3H_m_ZbcLMzpJPCtI2Bjuv3lYPjR_NaZEqNOZwHm4_CZas6i6bCXSnHc3MbhpBJigMPYXxFRGGLLQDAs7iwoyjTNL4E4Kn9bGA-QrMtE5nY4myiMUoQvx7unLEZ/s1600/IMG_9407.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmB0OvPjWcsJ3JXmAX3H_m_ZbcLMzpJPCtI2Bjuv3lYPjR_NaZEqNOZwHm4_CZas6i6bCXSnHc3MbhpBJigMPYXxFRGGLLQDAs7iwoyjTNL4E4Kn9bGA-QrMtE5nY4myiMUoQvx7unLEZ/s200/IMG_9407.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496343224045846914" border="0" /></a>Stripping it down was a trial and error process but a lot of fun. I had a Dremel with an assortment of tips, a power sander, and another air compressor powered rotary tool of my dad's. The first few Dremel bits I tried were too harsh and cut into the pot's surface too much. The power sander was great for an even grind over a large surface, but I could only get at the flat parts with it. The air compressor rotary tool worked pretty well but I only had 2 attachments for it, one of which worked well and the other not. All in all I tried a lot of different approaches and you can see that in the finished surface, but now that I've done it once I think the second time around would go much quicker.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wcy694M68oF2VZEs-_ruL-euGu8jIDFzeqlTsq-Qs72mZO3F7fe4V0Rfbt1DBY-JobyROqUdV4ZYr5e1Bl25dB7NY9cC23sXHKnompU_Oxj11pOgf67xJJ75BZxqLmwK2F-311wFDFjY/s1600/IMG_9408.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wcy694M68oF2VZEs-_ruL-euGu8jIDFzeqlTsq-Qs72mZO3F7fe4V0Rfbt1DBY-JobyROqUdV4ZYr5e1Bl25dB7NY9cC23sXHKnompU_Oxj11pOgf67xJJ75BZxqLmwK2F-311wFDFjY/s200/IMG_9408.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496343232046074962" border="0" /></a><br />After resurfacing:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGSzJmiiCuXDA3HLJ1UXgUuA9r-QXTp-SHRXNXvtBMLHylHpSK7sBy8Ykg6VnufbahFmuJKa1J-T7wGe4rF0Y26HuNxnAbfIwGhUlJIW37feyZBvKGp9PBC34vvvUll_xy8ifV9Ok0QDS/s1600/IMG_0550.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGSzJmiiCuXDA3HLJ1UXgUuA9r-QXTp-SHRXNXvtBMLHylHpSK7sBy8Ykg6VnufbahFmuJKa1J-T7wGe4rF0Y26HuNxnAbfIwGhUlJIW37feyZBvKGp9PBC34vvvUll_xy8ifV9Ok0QDS/s200/IMG_0550.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496343727277645986" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTj49ZxS0MZFf28tcZNHpfd_Cq5Dm8_PHXmUDvoHQHcRb8Sw_fl3cDot1IrJ_g27TAPUsac14i5wGfX2qur2FnvH_B5Psysq0AXSeXTOH7Xr3QVUo5mbxmixDO2VPnnSJfas3vWMhEAgdF/s1600/IMG_0549.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTj49ZxS0MZFf28tcZNHpfd_Cq5Dm8_PHXmUDvoHQHcRb8Sw_fl3cDot1IrJ_g27TAPUsac14i5wGfX2qur2FnvH_B5Psysq0AXSeXTOH7Xr3QVUo5mbxmixDO2VPnnSJfas3vWMhEAgdF/s200/IMG_0549.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496343721937275266" border="0" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14769562508810050556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-64540846277047525622010-05-09T19:25:00.000-07:002010-05-09T19:25:47.870-07:00Thanks Mom!Happy Mother's Day, mom! I just wanted to say thank you for being such a great cook and baker while I was growing up (not that you've stopped since then, but you get what I mean) and for giving me the tools and inclination to pursue cooking now that I have my own kitchen so many miles away.<br />
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It wasn't until I reached college that I found out how unusual it was for people my age to have grown up with parents who cooked most meals at home and sat down to dinner each night. I took it for granted that everyone knew how to boil pasta, chop an onion, and roll out cookie dough (not to mention doing laundry and cleaning one's room!). Boy was going off to a small liberal arts school on the east coast quite the wake up call! I can't even count the number of times I helped out housemates who were perplexed by a box of mac and cheese or a roll of premade cookie dough.<br />
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Now that I'm all of 25 I think I can safely say that knowing how to cook, eat right, and take care of myself is more important (and perhaps scarcer) than having a college degree. So thanks Mom! You taught me so much more than any of my professors, with or without a PhD!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184963156721246996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-81426008242560943492010-02-13T19:54:00.000-08:002010-02-13T19:54:46.191-08:00roasted acorn squash and caramelized onion tart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmYKT1toe5ayCOJqg7RbpO70thmPKwNzbegqwn010GDH5TwCI86FwIVDKLq4AGGLuwRmRWkFyQWZIvh7BZCXsTAYIKYwx5kzTKSTemAFy4G7qXtqCqLATIqx3-jPh3uInmFmNevejwtbE/s1600-h/IMG_9250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmYKT1toe5ayCOJqg7RbpO70thmPKwNzbegqwn010GDH5TwCI86FwIVDKLq4AGGLuwRmRWkFyQWZIvh7BZCXsTAYIKYwx5kzTKSTemAFy4G7qXtqCqLATIqx3-jPh3uInmFmNevejwtbE/s320/IMG_9250.JPG" /></a> </div><br />
I had some leftover pie crust dough in the fridge, so I made a tart and a mini blueberry pie for dinner tonight.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Recipe</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"> caramelized shallots (2 medium, thinly sliced)</div><div style="text-align: center;">roasted acorn squash (remove seeds, slice, toss w/ evoo, roast until soft)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 c shredded gruyere</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 eggs</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 c milk</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 tsp thyme</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 T parsley</div><div style="text-align: center;">black pepper</div><div style="text-align: center;">salt</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">I didn't really measure anything, so amounts are an estimate. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDu2N9QXNBF2NodxPy5GCCYdPoj6nW97e68Zs6E8wOCf6jJcO2iQVJRkB-lOkcOXpUNdUc7AhScUIflTElvXzAQ9f8CHUmMTzX2f8NGdZcIljHY-IKjtyU4cmKsNAu-V7umW2_iBBBog_/s1600-h/IMG_9237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDu2N9QXNBF2NodxPy5GCCYdPoj6nW97e68Zs6E8wOCf6jJcO2iQVJRkB-lOkcOXpUNdUc7AhScUIflTElvXzAQ9f8CHUmMTzX2f8NGdZcIljHY-IKjtyU4cmKsNAu-V7umW2_iBBBog_/s320/IMG_9237.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I pre-baked the shell for 5-8 minutes at 350 before filling. I half tore/half smooshed the acorn squash and layered it on the bottom of the crust then layered the shallots on top. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOOrLmyPTf2BDTr5GggkyMFSQVYiw5W9O4jzePGTtNCEVr5IbfhsDHSoQpEhP8GUJZGs8ys4Pu16dzj41A9-LWXbvWGBHqH-BS03lYWmttPLUIwLTw6wlyYWzlz5Vz_5QXXzGmlXWNvjf/s1600-h/IMG_9241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOOrLmyPTf2BDTr5GggkyMFSQVYiw5W9O4jzePGTtNCEVr5IbfhsDHSoQpEhP8GUJZGs8ys4Pu16dzj41A9-LWXbvWGBHqH-BS03lYWmttPLUIwLTw6wlyYWzlz5Vz_5QXXzGmlXWNvjf/s320/IMG_9241.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ground some pepper and sprinkled a bit of salt over the top along with 1/2 tsp or so of dried thyme and fresh chopped parsley.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMybTSyFxz1cJTsYHbkJ5YIWHOHNACrEXriCfJGFvOzcSnMT80rxCDHiaXVgnctNRjJA22gdsnYOPQ78kfmgGpcGAMNs8nYGZnmaGlCgxzHsvMD1RDC1AXc5k3XMBo78wwpAOFT_T1Lem3/s1600-h/IMG_9242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMybTSyFxz1cJTsYHbkJ5YIWHOHNACrEXriCfJGFvOzcSnMT80rxCDHiaXVgnctNRjJA22gdsnYOPQ78kfmgGpcGAMNs8nYGZnmaGlCgxzHsvMD1RDC1AXc5k3XMBo78wwpAOFT_T1Lem3/s320/IMG_9242.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sprinkled the cheese on next.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLZZf_PfmGhbB9BPVl9vqjFozufw-ZkbGetyIjOZOzGedLOXrh2aDPB0YMJqbFFuuACmZJUkhNQZRshMhyphenhyphenaF3dMtDPIt9ctlvc1PNmL-EeaNplc0ekJsaDTLjKOjeRkgwBj1fIh_k8811/s1600-h/IMG_9244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLZZf_PfmGhbB9BPVl9vqjFozufw-ZkbGetyIjOZOzGedLOXrh2aDPB0YMJqbFFuuACmZJUkhNQZRshMhyphenhyphenaF3dMtDPIt9ctlvc1PNmL-EeaNplc0ekJsaDTLjKOjeRkgwBj1fIh_k8811/s320/IMG_9244.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Whisked 3 eggs with some milk then poured it evenly over everything. Topped it with an acorn squash round, put it all into the oven for about 20 minutes until a knife came out clean. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbP4c-7stZj1lX24_21oiw5CG6H-3qtmLriMzLkk9VbsmBiDQ9rZPioVEOw8qohZ_mtXYRSaI5q2OF8CYZPp19WSNWp5rdUPlKhpsW-tL3eETwYpE2wP4XAtVpLHfApOeol6w8kq3sfYK/s1600-h/IMG_9247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbP4c-7stZj1lX24_21oiw5CG6H-3qtmLriMzLkk9VbsmBiDQ9rZPioVEOw8qohZ_mtXYRSaI5q2OF8CYZPp19WSNWp5rdUPlKhpsW-tL3eETwYpE2wP4XAtVpLHfApOeol6w8kq3sfYK/s320/IMG_9247.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cheese browned a little, topped with more parsley, let it sit for 10 minutes to cool and settle. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4u3ClOQcx2tAq278hPQ6ivb7aEt8RYG0cEFZUXypKnPeJWToJS6eY4wjo3QYB2Zaop2wYtfaEi1vGpuSZXjrg39Viu0-f5r30MN9sxH_qRSr0JEb3RH3szBJqatld1Vz6ubvAh3PuJ5a/s1600-h/IMG_9249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4u3ClOQcx2tAq278hPQ6ivb7aEt8RYG0cEFZUXypKnPeJWToJS6eY4wjo3QYB2Zaop2wYtfaEi1vGpuSZXjrg39Viu0-f5r30MN9sxH_qRSr0JEb3RH3szBJqatld1Vz6ubvAh3PuJ5a/s320/IMG_9249.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Had a slice with some sauteed kale and the blueberry pie for dessert. Super tasty! </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184963156721246996noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-1652475903155578942009-12-25T20:16:00.000-08:002009-12-25T20:18:41.222-08:00Stollen: Holiday bread part I<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZ2V1ivcvimuf1qEz9e4VcaWxX2ACsR3s1qLNDmT6Q-pOOSZSxSmJHWFWUTIelnfCZz64DBGgAY7DXxgNRXf2asKkW_RvEKNxfEeq2Mf2n3-1eRq0PnREsSab-5v3JC_6HwBckiEN494y/s1600-h/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZ2V1ivcvimuf1qEz9e4VcaWxX2ACsR3s1qLNDmT6Q-pOOSZSxSmJHWFWUTIelnfCZz64DBGgAY7DXxgNRXf2asKkW_RvEKNxfEeq2Mf2n3-1eRq0PnREsSab-5v3JC_6HwBckiEN494y/s320/IMG_0148.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">my stollen and my mom's nutbread <br />
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My older sister gave me two amazing books for christmas, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=yHGBOXSNogsC&dq=peter+reinhart+bread+baker%27s&source=gbs_navlinks_s">The Bread Baker's Apprentice</a> and <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=nxEPNQAACAAJ&dq=bread+bible&ei=FoE1S-bLNo3-M4rH-KMB&cd=2">The Bread Bible</a>. I celebrated by making stollen this morning from BBA. I was going to make cinnamon rolls, but the stollen recipe seemed more appropriately festive.<br />
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It's an unusual recipe for me; I prefer savory to sweet breads and generally use levain instead of instant yeast, but I think these new books will be great for pushing me beyond my comfort zones.<br />
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Stollen has an<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stollen"> interesting history</a> and apparently a wide range of variations. I was amused and intrigued by the idea that the bread's shape references the baby Jesus wrapped in a blanket and the fruit/nuts represent the gifts of the wise men. My mom might not have been as amused however, as I kept dancing around the kitchen referring to the rising dough as my "baby Jesus bread". Anyway!<br />
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The stollen starts with a milk-based very short preferment of sorts, which is then mixed in with more flour, eggs, butter, citrus zest, and bunch of dried fruit. Oh, and the dried fruit is soaked in alcohol (I used dark rum). The whole thing smelled pretty intense while I was mixing it up! I was also nervous about the tackiness of the dough and thought there would be too much fruit+raisins in it. In the end both things turned out just fine! The loaf was really large; we sliced half of it for Christmas dinner at the grandparents' and kept the other half home.<br />
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</div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184963156721246996noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-83562503121322979182009-11-23T09:42:00.001-08:002009-11-23T11:07:28.871-08:00Sunday night dinner partyMy roommate Lauren's best friend from home was in town visiting and I'm currently dog sitting in the middle of nowhere in a house with a much nicer kitchen than mine, so obviously we needed to have a dinner party.<br />
<br />
For six people the meal plan was:<br />
<ul><li><b>mushroom risotto</b></li>
<li><b>fennel, leek & cheddar frittata</b></li>
<li><b>steamed lemon asparagus</b></li>
<li><b>salad</b></li>
<li><b>and ginger green tea ice cream for dessert <br />
</b></li>
</ul><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">---<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Dessert</b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I started the ice cream in the afternoon so it would have plenty of time to freeze before dinner. I read a dozen or so recipes for ginger ice cream and green tea ice cream, but could only find one that had both. I ended up half winging it and sort of following <a href="http://thekitchensinkrecipes.com/2008/03/28/ginger-ice-cream/">this recipe</a>. In retrospect, I should have thought more about color. The tea turned it a little grey and the ginger turned it a little brown, which I think was saved by Tom's nutmeg addition. Here's how I made it:<br />
</div><br />
<b>Ginger Green Tea Ice Cream</b><br />
<br />
<br />
Ice Cream<br />
<ul><li>4 egg yolks (I saved the whites for the frittata)</li>
<li>1/4 cup coarsely grated peeled fresh ginger root<br />
</li>
<li>4 teabags of fresh green tea</li>
<li> 2 tablespoons water</li>
<li>1.5 cups whole milk</li>
<li> 1.5 cup heavy cream</li>
</ul><br />
Ginger Syrup Swirl<br />
<ul><li>1 tablespoon water</li>
<li>1 tablespoon honey</li>
<li>1/4 c sugar <br />
</li>
<li>1/4 c coarsely grated peeled fresh ginger root</li>
</ul>Instructions:<br />
<ol><li>Whisk yolks in small bowl. </li>
<li>In medium pot cook sugar, ginger and water over medium heat, stirring until everything dissolves and most of the water cooks off</li>
<li> Add the whole milk and bring to a simmer. </li>
<li>Remove tea from tea bags (or use loose leaf) and add to mixture, let steep 5 minutes</li>
<li>Strain ginger and tea out through fine mesh sieve. </li>
<li>Temper in egg yolks, add vanilla and heavy cream and return all to pan</li>
<li> Bring mixture back to barely a simmer</li>
<li> Transfer ice cream to ice cream maker</li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Ginger Syrup Swirl<br />
<ol><li>Crush the shredded ginger in the bottom of a small pan with the back of a spoon </li>
<li> Add sugar, water, honey, simmer until thick.</li>
<li> Gently swirl mixture into ice cream when it is nearly frozen</li>
</ol> **Freshly grated nutmeg before serving. (Tom's addition. Really balanced the other flavors). <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">---<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Dinner</b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">A note on timing: I prepped all of the veggies and eggs before cooking. Since everything I was making needed to go from stove to plate as quickly as possible, I waited to start the risotto until everyone was here and snacking on cheese, crackers, figs, & jam in the living room. Then I timed the frittata and asparagus according to when I thought the risotto would be finished. I turned out to not have enough hands and my friend Tom stepped in to do some of the final stirring while I took care of the asparagus and frittata. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">---<br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Fennel, Leek & Cheddar Frittata</b><br />
</div><br />
<br />
Aside from the switch in cheese, I followed a recipe from the <a href="http://nosh-nosh.blogspot.com/2009/01/goat-cheese-leek-and-fennel-frittata.html">have a nosh!</a> blog (she uses goat cheese, but I didn't have any on hand). (Sidenote: There are a ton of other great looking recipes on that blog).<br />
<br />
<br />
I prefer to make frittatas in a cast iron skillet, sauteing the veggies in the same pan before adding the eggs and then popping the whole under a broiler. A good cast iron skillet evenly distributes the heat perfectly and the egg comes away from the pan edge cleanly and much more easily than any glass dish or other frying pan I've tried. The fennel in this recipe was totally a shot in the dark for me. I don't cook with fennel much, but there was some in the fridge so I thought I'd give it a go. I also used a New Zealand cows milk cheddar I picked up from Trader Joe's. It had a really rich flavor to it that I had worried would overpower the leeks and fennel, but luckily it turned out to be a great balance.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Mushroom Risotto</b><br />
</div><br />
I followed <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/mushroom-risotto-recipe/index.html">this recipe for Mushroom Risotto</a>, with only a few alterations. I used vegetable stock instead of chicken (duh I suppose, since I'm a vegetarian). I used a kind of buttery chardonnay for the wine because that's what was open (and it tasted just fine). I also used a different combination of mushrooms. Jay had a bag of some unidentified mushroom in the fridge. I'm 75% sure they were <b>chanterelles</b>, but they could have been something else. I also used about 4 oz of <b>baby portabellos</b>, 8 oz of <b>white button mushrooms</b>, and then the 1 oz of <b>dried porcini mushrooms</b> (which I always forget need to be wiped of grit... they're so tiny that I'm not sure how one would even go about doing that, but then I sometimes end up with a bit of sand in my risotto, which is so not the right texture). I also used dried thyme instead of fresh.<br />
<br />
I really like making risottos. While they are time consuming, I always think that the heartiness of a good mushroom risotto is a great center for a vegetarian meal. This recipe made way more than we could eat. For six adults, I would cut it down in the future to 1 1/2 c rice if it's the main dish or to 1 c rice if it's a side (and adjust the other ingredients accordingly).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Asparagus with Lemon Butter</b><br />
</div><br />
When I first saw the title of <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/steamed-asparagus-with-lemon-butter-recipe/index.html">this recipe</a> I thought it involved making lemon butter, but it did not. Delicious and simple anyway. I made this right before everything else was ready to go on the table. And I actually followed this entire recipe for once in my life.<br />
<br />
<ul><li>1/2 lb asparagus, rough ends snapped/cut off</li>
<li>2 T butter</li>
<li>1 tsp lemon zest</li>
<li>1 T lemon juice</li>
<li>salt to taste <br />
</li>
</ul><br />
Steam the asparagus in a pan with some water, strain water and then toss with butter, zest, lemon juice, and salt.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Salad</b><br />
</div><br />
Pretty much your standard salad. I think we used red leaf and green leaf lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, cured black olives, feta cheese, and I made a mustard vinaigrette. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">---<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">All in all it was a super fun evening and the meal turned out well (aside from forgetting about the fritatta long enough to let the top get just a little too overdone). <br />
<br />
</div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184963156721246996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-41316598772581633812009-11-08T18:37:00.000-08:002009-11-08T18:37:12.171-08:00pizzas & congratulations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqCbJSaTb2YU4pakNvhRCKIdfyfEPs4b6mIj-Er75M309XHVQH_VscU1g7UyGI1o6J22mczBbgGgoA8ZSGY-2Eoo0VOdvlxI9NqZBIsQBhDNTCR4GfVnxOImLGDgbiI-I4zzKeOUorQbm/s1600-h/pizzas+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqCbJSaTb2YU4pakNvhRCKIdfyfEPs4b6mIj-Er75M309XHVQH_VscU1g7UyGI1o6J22mczBbgGgoA8ZSGY-2Eoo0VOdvlxI9NqZBIsQBhDNTCR4GfVnxOImLGDgbiI-I4zzKeOUorQbm/s320/pizzas+003.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
I almost dropped one of these pizzas this evening. I was taking it out of the oven when my sister called to tell me she was engaged (!!!!). I should probably have known better than to answer the phone while opening a 500<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 10" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 10" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cjo%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><style>
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</style><span style="font-family: Arial;">°</span> oven, but I didn't want the pizza to burn and, you know, it was my sister calling and all. I didn't drop the pizza, but I did have to wait to set it down before I could give a more enthusiastic response. Anyway. Dinner was delicious and my sister is engaged.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkwqJa_uf-E9kdGGgdgn5pwm9peLu4SsITq1ELNHXG7XHyFohMylntcH6xCScfQ3ewOKf-I4dIsw1jw1ETbqXRE4u9Zl6jLW6V7O75fHamwW4zHMfEcYmP3Dpc5KHVFh-EK8ATAz-9lD3/s1600-h/pizzas+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkwqJa_uf-E9kdGGgdgn5pwm9peLu4SsITq1ELNHXG7XHyFohMylntcH6xCScfQ3ewOKf-I4dIsw1jw1ETbqXRE4u9Zl6jLW6V7O75fHamwW4zHMfEcYmP3Dpc5KHVFh-EK8ATAz-9lD3/s200/pizzas+005.jpg" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Pizza #1 </b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">sauteed onions + garlic, added cumin, oregano, lime zest, mixed in black beans and garlic tomato sauce. topped with cheddar cheese and avocado.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBHqlQDiphME0bm0BMN-lFM9SMMSlUDoRsvIyatTIFIw8XwiZR1XvQbtZz3fDznNjoP1WezYKq4DBHBS-eBEoizn-wUftrPFpl_WbbsopldOj21JWhM9pin9hFb8O3IMAo-MifS38x26h/s1600-h/pizzas+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBHqlQDiphME0bm0BMN-lFM9SMMSlUDoRsvIyatTIFIw8XwiZR1XvQbtZz3fDznNjoP1WezYKq4DBHBS-eBEoizn-wUftrPFpl_WbbsopldOj21JWhM9pin9hFb8O3IMAo-MifS38x26h/s200/pizzas+001.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Pizza #2</b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">sauteed onions, garlic, mushrooms, swiss chard (red and white), red bell pepper, added crushed red pepper, fresh basil and parsley, roasted garlic tomato sauce. topped with parmesan cheese.<br />
</div><br />
<br />
Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184963156721246996noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-20356947920718067202009-10-30T11:17:00.000-07:002009-10-30T11:17:40.109-07:00Chicken pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESgLvB8V0faDGIUPOGgalhoUhENKZU3a_8S4npcUyEHoQMPgItwhWnWGfMWteezJ0WHeGsIvkYH1y6xnwbLiwl70TBbCGtqh20hZk5-cOJJeLEc6Ix-6N31SYK8VGlCoQOAuseqRQ9kjb/s1600-h/chickens!+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESgLvB8V0faDGIUPOGgalhoUhENKZU3a_8S4npcUyEHoQMPgItwhWnWGfMWteezJ0WHeGsIvkYH1y6xnwbLiwl70TBbCGtqh20hZk5-cOJJeLEc6Ix-6N31SYK8VGlCoQOAuseqRQ9kjb/s320/chickens!+001.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The chicken coop. <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5MUbmj6-d8RXXpcT9tEJOdTb5fhvuk_Pymf2UgzjK1llkIMpUDmCVV-YhE2j9dqTbst9p3X9RgJRtHBqsMBTyWl-Nif4dHtJ3t81try9e819th4KiynbXLcdfSkdHBa5ckuCuslKvHRb/s1600-h/chickens!+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5MUbmj6-d8RXXpcT9tEJOdTb5fhvuk_Pymf2UgzjK1llkIMpUDmCVV-YhE2j9dqTbst9p3X9RgJRtHBqsMBTyWl-Nif4dHtJ3t81try9e819th4KiynbXLcdfSkdHBa5ckuCuslKvHRb/s320/chickens!+023.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the run.<br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">their first day in their new home!<br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">inside the coop.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the ramp between the coop and the yard.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIcPgKNtJhOiwwysrTjIO312EmmrPeApp1yIFeOmYudv6zcCRuYr2KFMSqZph1kNFZ2EWhjLXPyhM5dUINiawvVY6_8fGhZG5zayg_bkIvRs3FGkAPT7O6CpjHkt2Ehpl-N6RGX4XqQiJ/s1600-h/chickens!+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIcPgKNtJhOiwwysrTjIO312EmmrPeApp1yIFeOmYudv6zcCRuYr2KFMSqZph1kNFZ2EWhjLXPyhM5dUINiawvVY6_8fGhZG5zayg_bkIvRs3FGkAPT7O6CpjHkt2Ehpl-N6RGX4XqQiJ/s320/chickens!+017.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the nesting boxes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11eGXZqt_4V7NDZrhd9RHsMmSiV0Rv9OYp1zF8mVrBYkKfrliv6leDE5gU6JRJTlmawHpuRnotsycKU2rA-zSaIvJarBThjgKAyYR9r73UK6yocoySXW620CCsYgS4UATbugmLv5jZObY/s1600-h/chickens!+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11eGXZqt_4V7NDZrhd9RHsMmSiV0Rv9OYp1zF8mVrBYkKfrliv6leDE5gU6JRJTlmawHpuRnotsycKU2rA-zSaIvJarBThjgKAyYR9r73UK6yocoySXW620CCsYgS4UATbugmLv5jZObY/s320/chickens!+006.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">chickens in the run.<br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I try not to play favorites, but if I did it would be this hen.<br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">fierce. <br />
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</div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184963156721246996noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-84605398972284748182009-10-30T09:16:00.001-07:002009-10-30T10:37:08.532-07:00chickens!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sC5tmc9KfJpQSggmESfDvbw2sXrH17RunYLAKxCzGvTwJilnPRSGC6Fj8UeIwfmSia9_sx1o5iskya3ElfgXzL8uJ8fC8Xqe0eS8OjkxM6kUOmf427ojLKREW2hsY3IKmS0eaDgV0w1S/s1600-h/headshot!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sC5tmc9KfJpQSggmESfDvbw2sXrH17RunYLAKxCzGvTwJilnPRSGC6Fj8UeIwfmSia9_sx1o5iskya3ElfgXzL8uJ8fC8Xqe0eS8OjkxM6kUOmf427ojLKREW2hsY3IKmS0eaDgV0w1S/s200/headshot!.jpg" /></a><br />
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We finally got the chickens! It took a while but it was worth the wait. I had wanted to get chickens last year, but my roommate Lauren thought it would be a bad idea. Imagine my surprise when I returned from India this summer and one of the first things she said was, "Let's get chickens!".<br />
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<b>Plans: </b>I spent most of August looking at plans for chicken coops and researching chicken breeds. My parents came to visit in early September and my dad was kind enough to bring me a bunch of tools that I don't have here in Massachusetts. We were able to get some of the wood and all of the chicken wire from freecycle and additional wood from a fencing company in Northampton that gives away scraps. We did have to buy some sheets of plywood, the insulation, screws, staples, insulation glue, and hinges.<br />
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<b>Costs: </b>The total cost for the whole project was $175.68. That's $10 each for the chickens, $11 for feed (which should last for 3+ months), hay for bedding and food, and building supplies. The eggs we usually buy from the store are $2.99 a dozen, which is $.25 per egg. That means the hens will have to lay 702 eggs for us to recover our costs. They can lay up to 3 eggs a day (one egg each) and have been averaging 2 eggs a day. So if they continue to lay 2 eggs a day, we should hit 700 eggs in just under a year. The hens will lay for 2-3 years, so in the end we should get back at least twice the cost we put in. <br />
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<b>Food: </b>We really didn't do this to save money though. I am increasingly invested in understanding where all of the food we eat comes from and knowing exactly what it is we're putting in our bodies. We've had a farm share for the past two years, which is really great for June through October. The winter months are harder, but we might get a winter farm share this year. Winter farm shares are primarily root vegetables and greens (lots of kale!). That's all an aside. I am a vegetarian and rely on eggs as a near daily source of protein. I hate standing in front of the egg case at the store and debating over organic feed, free range, hormone free, etc eggs. The fact that these labels aren't regulated by the FDA pisses me off. Anyone can put "free range" on their egg carton. "Cage free" eggs might just mean that the chickens get a few more inches of cage space than some of their less fortunate counterparts. Additionally, free range doesn't necessarily mean that the chickens are eating any better than if they were in cages.<br />
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The fact is that what the chicken eats, I eat. If the chickens are cramped into a tiny space eating manure and sawdust along with their hormone laced feed, then that's what's being transferred to the eggs I eat. I'm lucky enough to live in an area in which local eggs from farmers I can talk to are readily available. I could go see how the hens live and what they're eating before I decide to purchase their eggs. I'm incredibly fortunate to have that. However, those eggs come with an increased price tag, sometimes upwards of $5 a dozen (which is the case at our farm share). That's incredibly expensive to me! Even though I am an advocate of spending more money for quality whole foods and probably spend a larger percentage of my income on food than your average 24 year old, I'm not willing to drop $5 for a dozen eggs. Keeping my own hens requires a little bit of labor on my part and ensures that I know exactly what's going into my chickens, and thus into their eggs. I also know if they're healthy, happy, and being treated well. That and they're pretty fun to have around. So it seemed like a win win situation.<br />
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<b>Work?</b>: So how much work is it to take care of hens? Not a lot really. Building the coop took a while. We did it piecemeal, an hour here and there after work before the sun set. In the end, the coop we have may not look as fancy as some of the ones you can buy, but it was a lot of fun to build! And it works just fine. Comparable coops available online or from farm supply stores in this area start at about $1000 if you can believe it, with most in the $1500-$1700 range and some even more. That's insane. Insane. Day to day care for the chickens involves raising and lowering the ramp to their coop (optional really until cold weather sets in), collecting the eggs, refilling their water dish daily, refilling their food dish when it's empty, and cleaning out the manure/putting in clean hay. All in all, maybe 5 minutes a day and another 15 minutes every few weeks. Not much in the grand scheme of things. Way easier than having a dog or a cat. Also, cats don't lay eggs. Too bad.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Pictures to follow. The end. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>P.S. Now I just need to work on convincing Lauren to move to a house where I can have goats!</b><br />
</div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184963156721246996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-7814634991534847322009-10-28T13:48:00.001-07:002009-10-28T13:48:48.557-07:00an orange + chipotle powder = surprisingly delicious.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184963156721246996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-37594093807117533412009-10-27T21:13:00.000-07:002009-10-28T13:50:13.663-07:00Apple Onion Cheddar Thyme Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyYar_bZS-xOaoVAyGGTaj4xDONmGAl6kfXlB7MSbmdXtlqGwbe1WUBmSCUYA_3d4-ye6ypqD6DKkKkvflfFiY_JxbnJLVI8iQdhyAAb_ICNpmntoAh5mb6Ne2br1rPOUZnSyfZV9c8eo/s1600-h/apple+onion+cheddar+thyme+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyYar_bZS-xOaoVAyGGTaj4xDONmGAl6kfXlB7MSbmdXtlqGwbe1WUBmSCUYA_3d4-ye6ypqD6DKkKkvflfFiY_JxbnJLVI8iQdhyAAb_ICNpmntoAh5mb6Ne2br1rPOUZnSyfZV9c8eo/s200/apple+onion+cheddar+thyme+034.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b> This might be my new favorite bread.</b><br />
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I've been working on variations of this recipe for a while and I think that I might have finally figured it out. I wanted to put all of my favorite things into one loaf of bread. I've done onions and cheese, apples and cheese, thyme and onions, etc. but they often didn't rise well enough or I would put too much stuff into the dough. My most recent loaf turned out well and I think I'm going to stick with this combination in the future.<br />
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First I made a basic sourdough bread at 67% hydration. Then I kneaded the apples, onions, cheese, thyme, and salt into the dough.<br />
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After about two hours (with folds every hour) I shaped the loaf and let the dough rise overnight in the fridge. The next morning I pulled the dough out of the fridge and turned the stove onto 500 to preheat with a stone. I baked the bread for about 40 minutes.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">The apple slices I put on top unfortunately burned on the edges. I think I'll skip that step next time. But the loaf turned out okay and the inside was really light and soft. <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">It was yummy.<br />
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</div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184963156721246996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-7070212485822153142009-10-09T19:04:00.001-07:002009-10-09T19:37:44.577-07:00delicious sandwichI posted about the Apple Walnut Sourdough bread I made the other day so I thought I'd post about the delicious sandwich I made for dinner after the loaf came out of the oven.<br /><br />My carnivorous roommates frequently cook bacon in our house, for breakfast or dinner, and although it's been many many years now since I've eaten bacon, the smell always makes me crave that certain salty flavor that I've never found replicated in vegetarian fare. I've had the kind of vegetarian fake bacon that you can get at the store, usually by Morningstar or one of those brands, but they always have a strange plasticy texture and smell that reminds me of dog treats. Not appetizing. However, I once went to a vegan brunch my current <a href="http://lastinterview.blogspot.com/">roommate Liz's</a><a href="http://lastinterview.blogspot.com/"> </a>former apartment for which she made "vegan bacon" from tempeh. It was really delicious. It was crispy and salty and a little bit smoky, and while it was definitely NOT bacon, I loved it and immediately asked for the recipe. Well, that was nearly a year ago now and I've forgotten whatever it was Liz told me, but while the Apple Walnut Sourdough was rising and baking and the sweet nutty aroma filled the house, I began to think about how well apples, cheese, and bacon go together. Thinking back to Liz's brunch, I began to search for recipes that might replicate that smoky salty flavor I've long missed.<br /><br />I came across several variations on what seemed to be the core ingredients:<span style="font-weight: bold;"> soy sauce and liquid smoke</span>. Several recipes added nutritional yeast and a few threw in some heat by means of chili powder or hot sauce. I decided to start simple and complicate things from there. I sliced a package of <a href="http://www.bridgetofu.com/">Bridge Tofu</a> (the best available around here, in my opinion) into inch wide, quarter inch thick slices, that I spread out on paper towels to dry off. I heated some vegetable oil up in my cast iron skillet. I used enough to coat the bottom, but not so much that it would cover the tofu. You want to brown it, not deep fry it. Once the oil was hot I laid the tofu strips in, cooked until brown and crispy on one side, then flipped and did the same for the other.<br /><br />Once the oil has cooked off and the tofu is crispy, pour a mixture of soy sauce and liquid smoke over it while it's in the pan. Proportions differ, so do it to taste. I mixed 2T soy sauce, 1T liquid smoke, and 1/4c water. The water turned out to be a bad idea, but I had trouble seeing how 3T of liquid would evenly coat all of the tofu in the pan. The soy sauce/liquid smoke mixture should be absorbed into the tofu while the water cooks off (as I learned, if you use too much water, the tofu gets a little spongy and wet on the inside, which definitely isn't a bacon texture). Once the liquid is gone, pull the tofu out of the pan and voila!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTW-RUiEjbCch2nUsEd5jlzWKb8mzzfhfTdK2UB6V8vkNXt42N2GbnckUVFqv4Lt2x3DjMyinrLN2UdpqSEW_f1vbA4lpmhzTeDJ0LsFKZyQK-JksgizjsjCpVtn8JUHPDvvNrnj3KsBZf/s1600-h/food+089.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTW-RUiEjbCch2nUsEd5jlzWKb8mzzfhfTdK2UB6V8vkNXt42N2GbnckUVFqv4Lt2x3DjMyinrLN2UdpqSEW_f1vbA4lpmhzTeDJ0LsFKZyQK-JksgizjsjCpVtn8JUHPDvvNrnj3KsBZf/s200/food+089.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390793740787722146" border="0" /></a><br />For the sandwich, I sliced up some of the Apple Walnut bread, some Vermont cheddar, and put it all together with the tofu "bacon". I grilled it a little to brown the bread (the heat of the tofu mostly melted the cheese before I even put the sandwich in the skillet). I ended up adding mustard after I'd grilled it, which was tasty. I had also roasted some beets and cauliflower with garlic (all from the<a href="http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farm.php?farm=2021"> farm share</a>!) while the oven was hot from the bread. Put it all together and my roommate and I had a really great dinner!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrrOiU7nwQ4Sn8Gm5iv0W7MyEzaf38xX_ErnVkrWoSn69CjskzWBhDE0AR87ArGzDD7sWEdggmvIuOSGd3u-mj2hacu0EI2BpmbtkurPFn0mJAXcmiVRXNXRayFouPn42OD3cxbLXojq_/s1600-h/food+099.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrrOiU7nwQ4Sn8Gm5iv0W7MyEzaf38xX_ErnVkrWoSn69CjskzWBhDE0AR87ArGzDD7sWEdggmvIuOSGd3u-mj2hacu0EI2BpmbtkurPFn0mJAXcmiVRXNXRayFouPn42OD3cxbLXojq_/s200/food+099.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390793751240475858" border="0" /></a>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184963156721246996noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669100528623327752.post-27569945596395561802009-10-08T08:16:00.000-07:002009-10-08T08:17:33.015-07:00World Bread Day 2009<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://kochtopf.twoday.net/stories/announcing-world-bread-day-2009-yes-we-bake/" title="world bread day 2009 - yes we bake. (last day of sumbission october 17)"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2427/3925329115_cff2df43c9_o.jpg" alt="world bread day 2009 - yes we bake.(last day of sumbission october 17)" width="130" height="200" /></a><br /><br />Okay, so I'm going to bake something for World Bread Day. Thoughts? Suggestions? Favorite breads that I've made in the past?<br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184963156721246996noreply@blogger.com0