But I did go to a magical faraway place where people cooked for me. I forgot to post before I left, but my last meal was going to have a post entitled KILLA QUESIDILLA in which I made some quesidillas with cheddar and jack cheese, chorizo, and some sauteed onions. I served them with sour cream and some homemade salsa I made up for the occasion, made of tomatoes, the last of my jalepeno, onion, green onion, a clove of garlic (I COULDN'T HELP IT) and just enough cilantro. The meal was KILLA. I started by making the salsa. Upon inspecting the leftover tortillas I was planning to use, I discovered they were stale, and thus made them into tortilla chips via some oil and a hot pan. This allowed me to snack on the salsa while I was cookin' the quesidillas, which was basically awesome. I think back on that meal fondly.
SO YEAH, updates will resume now that I am no longer living a decadent life of plenty. Hooray!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
fried rice reliably returns
Yup! Made some more because I'm boring and it's delicious. On account of my dedication to SCIENCE, though, I switched it up a bit. This time I threw in some frozen peas (note to self: allow to thaw first next time) and for the meat there was a can of tiny little shrimp. It tasted nice, though the canned shrimp entirely dissolved. This means there's a swirl of shrimp flavor in every bite!!
Yeah so I'm not doing shrimp again unless I splurge. Overall, pretty good. For completeness's sake here's all the ingredients: Garlic, green onions, red onions, peas, can of mini shrimp, leftover hotdog (CUT ON A BIAS), ginger powder, and heeeella soy sauce. Oh and lots of vegetable oil.
Another day, my friend and I also made what was later dubbed "Peasant Food for the Discerning Serf." First I took some bacon fat and sauteed up some O&G (what I'm going to call onions and garlic from now on). Having some Jalepeno left over, they were chopped and went in too (and then I was really dumb and rubbed my eye and I was reminded why I don't usually cook with Jalepeno). I threw in two eggs and scrambled, and then in went the baked beans and hotdogs. It was both delectable and affordable! I was impressed.
Deserving mention this week is the Day Of Grease. We got together and made bacon and eggs for breakfast, then used the leftover bacon to make BLTs for lunch (that we ate while watching the BLUE ANGELS, which happened to be gallivanting about the skyline while we were downtown, and which were (nerd voice) TOTALLY SCHWEET (nerd voice)). For dinner, we went to a British place, meaning our choices boiled down (hehe) to boiled or fried, and we both went with fried. Most decadent day eveeer. To my protesting innards I declared in the immortal words of Hedonism Bot (futurama) "I APOLOGIZE FOR NOTHING!! OHOHOHOHO"
Yeah so I'm not doing shrimp again unless I splurge. Overall, pretty good. For completeness's sake here's all the ingredients: Garlic, green onions, red onions, peas, can of mini shrimp, leftover hotdog (CUT ON A BIAS), ginger powder, and heeeella soy sauce. Oh and lots of vegetable oil.
Another day, my friend and I also made what was later dubbed "Peasant Food for the Discerning Serf." First I took some bacon fat and sauteed up some O&G (what I'm going to call onions and garlic from now on). Having some Jalepeno left over, they were chopped and went in too (and then I was really dumb and rubbed my eye and I was reminded why I don't usually cook with Jalepeno). I threw in two eggs and scrambled, and then in went the baked beans and hotdogs. It was both delectable and affordable! I was impressed.
Deserving mention this week is the Day Of Grease. We got together and made bacon and eggs for breakfast, then used the leftover bacon to make BLTs for lunch (that we ate while watching the BLUE ANGELS, which happened to be gallivanting about the skyline while we were downtown, and which were (nerd voice) TOTALLY SCHWEET (nerd voice)). For dinner, we went to a British place, meaning our choices boiled down (hehe) to boiled or fried, and we both went with fried. Most decadent day eveeer. To my protesting innards I declared in the immortal words of Hedonism Bot (futurama) "I APOLOGIZE FOR NOTHING!! OHOHOHOHO"
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Americana! Beans 'n Patty Melts 'n MOTORCYCLES
Ok, there were no motorcycles. The beans, that magical fruit (not a fruit, where is the 4th-grade schoolyard rhyme fact-checking board!?) were delightfully simple. Being simple folk, we emptied a can of Busch's into a pot along with the last 2 sausages (and some meatloaf that was leftover still after a week of bein' carved up fer paninis), heated, ate, and farted (TEE HEE I WROTE FARTED ON THE INTERBLOGOTUBES- I WIN HUMOUR).
That being consumed, we picked up some more amazingly delicious Rajun Cajun and prepared to go where countless short-order cooks have gone before: the patty melt (I do like melts, if you hadn't noticed). This massive undertaking was undertaken at my loyal and multiplicitable sous chef's place (the same that helped with the fried rice and hijacked the fajitas), so I made many a melt while they made hash browns. To make the patty melts was a two step process outlined in the name: make the patties, then melt them. The patties followed a classic family recipe:
For the melting portion, I used store-brand whole-wheat bread, schlepped on a patty and some cheese, another piece of bread, more meat 'n cheese, then fried 'er up good. I wasn't used to the stove, so there were... complications with the first iteration, but the later ones turned out nicely, if a little greasy.
The Hash Browns were made by shredding the potatos, heating up a pan with some oil, coating the bottom with potato, then lidding and waiting. At this point they were also flavored liberally with salt and pepper. They were flipped once, then the process was repeated for maaaaaany potatoes. Add in some store bought cole slaw and you have a delicious and horribly non-nutritious meal for the eatin'. Om nom nom.
That being consumed, we picked up some more amazingly delicious Rajun Cajun and prepared to go where countless short-order cooks have gone before: the patty melt (I do like melts, if you hadn't noticed). This massive undertaking was undertaken at my loyal and multiplicitable sous chef's place (the same that helped with the fried rice and hijacked the fajitas), so I made many a melt while they made hash browns. To make the patty melts was a two step process outlined in the name: make the patties, then melt them. The patties followed a classic family recipe:
Meat
Garlic (lots)
Worchestershire sauce
(Onions, garlic's steadfast companion, can be added but we didn't. Also, someone was all "throw in teriyaki sauce!" so we did.)
For the melting portion, I used store-brand whole-wheat bread, schlepped on a patty and some cheese, another piece of bread, more meat 'n cheese, then fried 'er up good. I wasn't used to the stove, so there were... complications with the first iteration, but the later ones turned out nicely, if a little greasy.
The Hash Browns were made by shredding the potatos, heating up a pan with some oil, coating the bottom with potato, then lidding and waiting. At this point they were also flavored liberally with salt and pepper. They were flipped once, then the process was repeated for maaaaaany potatoes. Add in some store bought cole slaw and you have a delicious and horribly non-nutritious meal for the eatin'. Om nom nom.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Y fajitas tambien!?
(I didn't even need babelfish for that- gogo highschool spanish!)
This was another bunch of ingredients I brought to a friend's, and they supplemented with their own (Chicken was on sale at the local grocer so we'd had the same idea). I forgot the avacados and we also needed more lime, so I was sent out on a collection mission. Upon my return, I had been completely supplanted as head chef, and was pretty much relegated to table-setting duty. As such, I cannot tell you what occult culinary rituals went down in there; I can only tell you the result was absurdly good. I'll be in contact with the usurpers- so fear not, dear reader (almost a palindrome!)!
Anyway, since we devoured all the chicken in the great fajita caper, the next night I moved right on to the next meal on my big ol' list 'o things to cook: the quintessential Spaghetti! I picked up some super-cheap sausage to serve as the meat, then followed the recipe from the Godfather when Michael is in the kitchen and Clemenza tells him how it is. As such, you (DEAREST READER) don't get a blockquote because you can (and should!) just go watch an American classic. Unsurprisingly it was delicious, though a tad watery (too much stewed tomato). Also cheap sausage is cheap (/repackaged hotdog). Overall though, as one taster noted, "Good enough for a gangster."
It would be cool to continue along the mediterranean and make something Greek- but then again, fajitas aren't remotely spain-spanish, and similarly the spaghetti (in the form I made it) is as much an American classic as the Godfather itself. As such, next time: "BAKED BEANS AND CHEAP SAUSAGE: the only way this could get classier is if we invited a teacher"
This was another bunch of ingredients I brought to a friend's, and they supplemented with their own (Chicken was on sale at the local grocer so we'd had the same idea). I forgot the avacados and we also needed more lime, so I was sent out on a collection mission. Upon my return, I had been completely supplanted as head chef, and was pretty much relegated to table-setting duty. As such, I cannot tell you what occult culinary rituals went down in there; I can only tell you the result was absurdly good. I'll be in contact with the usurpers- so fear not, dear reader (almost a palindrome!)!
Anyway, since we devoured all the chicken in the great fajita caper, the next night I moved right on to the next meal on my big ol' list 'o things to cook: the quintessential Spaghetti! I picked up some super-cheap sausage to serve as the meat, then followed the recipe from the Godfather when Michael is in the kitchen and Clemenza tells him how it is. As such, you (DEAREST READER) don't get a blockquote because you can (and should!) just go watch an American classic. Unsurprisingly it was delicious, though a tad watery (too much stewed tomato). Also cheap sausage is cheap (/repackaged hotdog). Overall though, as one taster noted, "Good enough for a gangster."
It would be cool to continue along the mediterranean and make something Greek- but then again, fajitas aren't remotely spain-spanish, and similarly the spaghetti (in the form I made it) is as much an American classic as the Godfather itself. As such, next time: "BAKED BEANS AND CHEAP SAUSAGE: the only way this could get classier is if we invited a teacher"
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Fiesta Quiche!
This week we take a sojourn south of the border with a spicy pepper-pepper-cheese-green onion-cumin-chili quiche! I would say that this was probably my most adventurous quiche so far, and I made several errors. For one, I made the always bad choice of going shopping 1) hungry and 2) sans list. As a result, the quiche lacks things like cilantro and jack cheese (I did impulse buy Ben and Jerry's, though- om nom nom). It still tastes pretty good, though, so you don't see me complaining (much). The recipe uses the same base as always (Next time (there will be a next time in several weeks), I might go cuh-razy and use a tortilla as the bottom), along with:
as I said, it turned out tolerably well. Status remains incomplete, though.
(If it seems this post is less delightfully wordsome than usual, it is on account of me having recently switched to dvorak layout on my keyboard, and I can painstakingly type around 20 error-laden wpm with it so far, which is hell after being able to consistently pound out over 90 on qwerty...)
1/2 red pepper
1/2 jahl-epeno pepper (no seeds because I am WEAK)
some o' that cheddar cheese
3 bunches of green onions
and to the eggy batter I added a bunch of cumin and chili powders and mixed 'em in thar good.
as I said, it turned out tolerably well. Status remains incomplete, though.
(If it seems this post is less delightfully wordsome than usual, it is on account of me having recently switched to dvorak layout on my keyboard, and I can painstakingly type around 20 error-laden wpm with it so far, which is hell after being able to consistently pound out over 90 on qwerty...)
Monday, August 4, 2008
Meat-a-loafer!
So this has been a weekend of culinary delights.. with a mishap or two along the way. We went out to a local indian food/soul food fusion type restaurant (Rajun Cajun), which produces food that is just unbelievably delicious. Their samosa are filled like normal samosa, but the dough is about half an inch thick of delicious fried-ness. They're great folks, and it's a real nice place. I can't believe I've lived here as long as I have and never gone before now.
On another night, I got home very... tired, and decided I would (as is my custom) make french toast stick type things from the leftovers of my quiche which I had sitting around the refrigerator. It usually goes as such:
This time I got 'creative' and added ginger and soy sauce (French asian fusion?), and then while cooking the first batch of crusts I got bored and dumped the whole bowl in and made a huge mess of oil and eggs and cream and wooooow was it horrible. Terrible. I regretted it very much in the morning.
ANYWAY so tonight I made meatloaf! I briefly debated doing it swedish chef style:
But I decided against it on account of worrying swedish people would think I was racist (bork indeed!). Instead I went with another solid solid recipe from the ol' "Cooking with friends" church cookbook:
It turned out great, and 2 pounds of meat means it'll do me for quite a few dinners and sandwiches. To go with it, I made up some mashed potatoes with garlic and green onion, which I think the fair reader can figure out how to do without a blockquote. One interesting thing I am probably going to do is make super meatloaf sandwiches, which is where you put meatloaf AND mashed potatoes in a sandwich and grill it panini-style (I had it at a restaurant once!). To do this right without a panini grill available, though, I should really find myself a brick (Alton Brown style- you wrap the brick in tinfoil and put it in the oven, then put it on top of a metal rack on top of your panini- all the press without having to buy an expensive one-use piece of equipment!). Time to start loitering around construction sites! Wish me luck.
On another night, I got home very... tired, and decided I would (as is my custom) make french toast stick type things from the leftovers of my quiche which I had sitting around the refrigerator. It usually goes as such:
2 eggs
Whatever half + half is left
cinnamon
vanilla
crusts from the bread
Mix everything but the crusts in bowl, put in crusts, pick out one by one and cook in skillet, consume
This time I got 'creative' and added ginger and soy sauce (French asian fusion?), and then while cooking the first batch of crusts I got bored and dumped the whole bowl in and made a huge mess of oil and eggs and cream and wooooow was it horrible. Terrible. I regretted it very much in the morning.
ANYWAY so tonight I made meatloaf! I briefly debated doing it swedish chef style:
Find loafer
Stuff meat in loafer
???
Profit
But I decided against it on account of worrying swedish people would think I was racist (bork indeed!). Instead I went with another solid solid recipe from the ol' "Cooking with friends" church cookbook:
2 lbs meat (any 2 lbs of meat will do, it is in the book as 2 lbs groud beef but at home we changed it to 1 lb beef, 1 lb turkey so it's a bit leaner. It also tastes better that way)
2 eggs
1 c water
1 package Stovetop stuffing
Ketchup
Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl, add the water, the stuffing mix, and the meat, mix it around with a meat mixer thing (Or, if manly like me, YOUR BARE (BEAR ALSO) HANDS!), shape into loaf and bake at 375 for 1 hour (if clever, put tinfoil inside the pan you use so you don't have to do as many dishes)
It turned out great, and 2 pounds of meat means it'll do me for quite a few dinners and sandwiches. To go with it, I made up some mashed potatoes with garlic and green onion, which I think the fair reader can figure out how to do without a blockquote. One interesting thing I am probably going to do is make super meatloaf sandwiches, which is where you put meatloaf AND mashed potatoes in a sandwich and grill it panini-style (I had it at a restaurant once!). To do this right without a panini grill available, though, I should really find myself a brick (Alton Brown style- you wrap the brick in tinfoil and put it in the oven, then put it on top of a metal rack on top of your panini- all the press without having to buy an expensive one-use piece of equipment!). Time to start loitering around construction sites! Wish me luck.
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