tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46263756724776351062024-03-13T13:02:50.265-07:00LocavoraciousEating and drinking (like crazy), wherever you aresuper_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-60457427250210036372018-10-08T15:20:00.000-07:002018-10-08T15:23:03.217-07:00How to Do Mickey's Halloween Party If Rides Are Your First Priority<style type="text/css">
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<h3>
<span class="s1">General Info</span></h3>
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<span class="s1">Be sure to install the Disneyland App before you head to the park.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Matterhorn & Tiki Room are closed for refurbishment.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/FEE21654-21D6-4665-B62B-18D793AF8F54-59de53f3c9b6d-jpeg__880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/FEE21654-21D6-4665-B62B-18D793AF8F54-59de53f3c9b6d-jpeg__880.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot a photopass photographer by their uniform</td></tr>
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<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Your Halloween Party ticket entitles you to photopass photographs. If you see a photopass photographer walking or standing with no line, ask if they are available to take pictures. Ask them where they’d recommend and be super awesome to them and they will take amazing pictures of your family with their great cameras and the pics will be available to download in the app usually within an hour. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">Between 4 & 6pm, while the crowd is still mixed, lines will be long for everything good/fast/big. So during this time, you’ll either only be able to get on one or 2 big rides OR you can hop on smaller attractions in Fantasyland: Pinnochio’s Daring Journey, Scary Adventures of Snow White, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, King Arthur’s Carrousel, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Alice in Wonderland, Mad Tea Party, Storybook Land Canal boats.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Just open your app, zoom into Fantasyland and pick by shortest lines.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Toontown closes early because of fireworks so if this is a priority, do it before the party, between 4&6, instead of Fantasyland. In toontown you’ll find extremely long lines for character meet & greets, a bunch of playhouses to run around in, and 2 rides: Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin (which I think is overrated for the length of the line) and Gadget’s Go Coaster, which is a very short ride but cute and only worth it if the line is less than 15 minutes.</span></div>
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<h3>
Rides During The Party</h3>
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<span class="s1">The longest line will be for Haunted Mansion, second longest will be Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy or Peter Pan.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">Plan to do Haunted mansion at 8:45/9 pm, during the first parade. Once done, you can take the Disneyland Railroad from New Orleans Square to Tomorrowland (to avoid cutting across the parade/huge traffic jam) and then ride Space Mountain. OR reverse this if you’re closer to Tomorrowland just before the parade.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">To do the rides in the park most effectively, try to tackle all the things in one section of the park that you’ll want to do that day <i>before</i> moving on to the next area. If something is closed, it’s likely temporary, so just move on to the next closest ride you want to do and check back when you’re done with that ride. Especially avoid crossing the hub (the center of the park, near the castle) more than necessary on party nights, this is where traffic builds up from parades and shows on party nights.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">So this means if you start in Fantasyland before the party, then hook around behind to ride Big Thunder at 6, then keep going to Indiana Jones, Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Splash Mountain & Winnie the Pooh, you’ll be near Haunted Mansion right around 8:45 if you got some candy along the way and stopped for dinner at Zocalo or Bengal BBQ (outlined below).</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">Then you can do the Tomorrowland side of the park, where you’ll find Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, Star Tours, (if they’re into star wars, I also recommend checking out Star Wars Launch Bay, even though it’s not a ride, for some good meet and greets and neat star wars stuff to look at) Autopia, Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, Astro Orbiter, Finding Nemo’s Submarines</span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span class="s1">Candy</span></h3>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">Lines for the treat trails are long at first, so don’t bother until after 7pm. Then just jump in line for the treat trails that look less busy. They give out apples and carrots and stuff too so the adults won’t starve. BE OPPORTUNISTIC here. There are treat trails all over, if you see one and it doesn’t look busy, by all means grab candy as you pass.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
<span class="s1">Food</span></h3>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">Sitting down at a restaurant will likely take too big of a chunk out of your party time 4pm-11pm goes by VERY quickly! So stick to the quick service counter style restaurants for best food with minimum time commitments.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">I recommend getting dinner from Bengal BBQ and getting an assortment of skewers and if you go here, try the Jungle Julep. It’s my favorite little slushy drink. Could do with some rum, but hey!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Quick service restaurants I recommend:</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><a href="https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/rancho-del-zocalo-restaurante/menus/">Rancho Del Zocalo</a></b>: Mexican, better than you’d think</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><a href="https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/red-rose-taverne/menus/lunch-and-dinner/"><b>Red Rose Tavern</b><b>e</b></a>: Has some unusual options </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><a href="https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/hungry-bear-restaurant/menus/lunch-and-dinner/">Hungry Bear Restaurant</a></b>: If you’re looking for a burger/nuggets/mac n cheese</span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><b><a href="https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/bengal-barbecue/menus/">Bengal BBQ</a></b>: Don’t miss the Jungle Julep or pork belly skewer!</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">I do NOT recommend Galactic Grill or Pizza Planet, they have the most unimpressive food in the park and some of it is downright bad.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><a href="https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/08/foodie-guide-to-halloween-time-2018-at-disneyland-resort/">Here is the Halloween Foodie guide</a> (these things are only available until halloween)</span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">It looks like all candy at first, keep scrolling, there’s real food, I promise. Also pay attention to where it turns into food in Disney California Adventure (DCA), the Halloween party only gets you admission into Disneyland.</span></div>
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<h3>
Everything Else</h3>
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The parade is <i>only</i> worth seeing if you get there an hour in advance to sit on the curb along the parade route. It's great, but don't bother from a distance. The fireworks are great, but it's tough to get a good spot where you can hear the music, see the projections on the castle/buildings of main street, so I recommend if you want to see them, catch them at Small World, where the crowd is thinner and the view is still good and there are speakers to hear the music. The Disneyland Railroad is closed for fireworks, so you'll have to hoof it, and it's pretty out of the way. Skip these if they're not as important to you as rides.</div>
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<br /></div>
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There are some excellent shows and character meet and greets that are exclusive to the party. I love seeing the Dapper Dans reanimated as the Cadaver Dans, and bumping into villains, but for this stuff I just recommend rolling with it, not planning it out. So if you see something cool, like the Dans singing on the Rivers of America, stop for a couple minutes to have a listen, then continue on. Disneyland is so much more enjoyable when you stop for the little, unexpected things like this. </div>
<br />super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-56597376969356607772017-07-01T16:02:00.003-07:002017-07-01T16:03:31.690-07:00Tomato Jam<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QVDUlluxFkY/WVgQdLcl4VI/AAAAAAAAAcE/rHg3F_TrAm00PoxdVMd2CD-XwaCDfr3lQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_1034.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QVDUlluxFkY/WVgQdLcl4VI/AAAAAAAAAcE/rHg3F_TrAm00PoxdVMd2CD-XwaCDfr3lQCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_1034.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first ripe Indigo Rose tomato of the season</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I see it's been 5 years since I've published a recipe. Let's get on with it.<br />
<br />
Barrett and I grew Indigo Rose tomatoes in our 4' x 8' box at our community garden, Smarts Farm. As is so typical with beautiful things, they don't taste amazing. (jewelry, art, sunsets: do not eat) They're not awful or anything, I mean, they're garden fresh tomatoes, how bad can they be? But these won't win any taste competitions compared to many others you may grow in your garden.<br />
<br />
So why the hell did we grow them? They're gorgeous.<br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">They're prolific too, check out the background of that picture, all those shiny indigo things? We harvested about 3 pounds and after eating a pound of them as snacks, I decided to attempt to crank up their bland tomato flavor into something tomatoier and settled on jam.</span><br />
<br />
Dude, this is going to revolutionize cheese and crackers for the month of July. It is holy shit good.<br />
<br />
So if you find yourself in possession of tomatoes that need to get their shit together, I recommend this Tomato Jam.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCuZta3ZX9w/WVgWj0mZBwI/AAAAAAAAAcM/zV8a9ju17wYkOCRXpVK8j_MXFcY3hSrcgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_1373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCuZta3ZX9w/WVgWj0mZBwI/AAAAAAAAAcM/zV8a9ju17wYkOCRXpVK8j_MXFcY3hSrcgCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_1373.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diced Indigo Rose, they're red inside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
Ingredients</h4>
<br />
<ul>
<li>2 lbs tomatoes, diced</li>
<li>1 c granulated sugar</li>
<li>2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice</li>
<li>1 Tbsp grated or minced ginger</li>
<li>1 tsp ground cumin</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/4 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li>1/8 tsp clove</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<h4>
Procedure</h4>
<div>
Dump all ingredients in heavy bottom saucepan or dutch oven, bring to a boil over medium high while stirring occasionally. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x1qjRRGn2yA/WVgpFSrtxkI/AAAAAAAAAcg/OBDDQLFgkN0p60MVWxXB5G30Ouw8rizyACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_1382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x1qjRRGn2yA/WVgpFSrtxkI/AAAAAAAAAcg/OBDDQLFgkN0p60MVWxXB5G30Ouw8rizyACEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_1382.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, continuing to stir occasionally for 2 hours.<br />
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super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-33204097327006691432012-04-06T16:38:00.000-07:002012-04-06T16:38:21.354-07:00Sushi ClassIts been a while since I've posted, I've been busy as hell.<br />
I did teach a sushi class though, well, technically 3 of them, and wanted to post those recipes. It was more hands on than my normal classes, that usually only have one hands-on element. Students all made their own sushi this time, I made and served just the hot food and dessert.<br />
Here's the <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/35642602/sushi.pdf">pdf of all the recipes</a>, except for the daifuku, which is below.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7192/6871279339_e345e4c3f9_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7192/6871279339_e345e4c3f9_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back row: Toro (tuna), Ebi (shrimp), Sake (salmon) and Avocado nigiri sushi, Inarizushi, Spicy California Gunkan Maki<br />
Front Row: Tai (snapper), Hamachi (yellowtail) with Yuzu Ponzu, serrano chile and cilantro, Sake Rose (salmon) Sashimi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>For hot food we made blistered shishito peppers with smoked sea salt, garlic chile edamame, and my quick and dirty miso soup.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7052002419_c6e5c7f5f6_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7052002419_c6e5c7f5f6_c.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink Daifuku</td></tr>
</tbody></table>For dessert, even though I knew I didn't have time to cover how to make them, I served homemade daifuku, a kind of mochi (sweet) that is a little unusual and class presented an excellent opportunity for me to give the students something to taste that they wouldn't normally seek out on their own. Not only is the flavor of daifuku odd for American palettes, but the texture is like nothing in our cuisine either. The best description I overheard one student give another was, "It's like gummy raw pie dough wrapped around refried beans with sugar in them." Yes, I suppose that's pretty accurate.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Daifuku Recipe</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Filling Ingredients (makes enough for 2 daifuku recipes)</b><br />
<br />
1 can Adzuki beans 14 oz<br />
1/2 c water<br />
1 c granulated sugar<br />
1 Tbsp vegetable oil<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
<br />
<b>Dough Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
1 c Mochiko (white box with a blue star on it, Koda Farms brand of Sweet Rice Flour)<br />
1/4 c granulated sugar<br />
2/3 c water<br />
Potato starch, for flouring the board (cornstarch works too)<br />
<br />
<b>Filling Procedure</b><br />
Bring water and sugar to a boil and boil until sugar is dissolved and set aside to cool.<br />
Drain and rinse the adzuki beans, and add to a saucepan over medium heat. Add oil, salt and 1/3 c of the sugar water syrup and mash the beans up with a potato masher. They should be the consistency of thick refried beans (add more sugar syrup if you need to). Heat until bean paste is hot and starts to look a little shiny. Set aside to cool.<br />
<br />
<b>Daifuku Procedure</b><br />
Mix the dough ingredients in a microwave safe bowl (if you'd like to color them, mix in 1 or 2 drops of food coloring to the water before adding it to the rest of the ingredients- green and pink are traditional colors) making sure there are no lumps and there's no dough/residue stuck to the walls of the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Take it out and mix thoroughly. Cover it again and microwave for 1 minute more. If when you open the door, the dough deflates, it's ready. If your dough didn't inflate in the microwave yet, zap it again for another minute. It should deflate when you open the door.<br />
<br />
Remove the dough from the microwave and scrape out onto a potato starch covered board. Pat the hot dough to flatten a bit and cover with potato starch (enough so it's not so sticky). Cut into 8 equal pieces, using a bench scraper or sharp knife covered in potato starch after each cut. Flatten out each piece a little more with your hands or a small rolling pin, working quickly, you want the dough to stay hot. Add a Tbsp or 2 of the bean filling to the middle of each piece and wrap the dough up around the filling, pinching together to seal well. The sealed part is the bottom of each daifuku. They can be wrapped in plastic wrap to stay fresh and freeze/thaw very well.super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-11622026439402230292011-12-27T13:22:00.000-08:002011-12-27T13:22:49.272-08:00Plum Pudding for ChristmasBefore I forget what I did here, I better write it down, because it was delicious.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6583557213_39b5b24d5c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6583557213_39b5b24d5c_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I happen to have a pudding mold (of course I do) but this is unnecessary, you can use a heatproof bowl with a tight lid</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
<div class="hrecipe" id="abw" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 50%; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; width: 984px;"><div id="abb" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.214844) 0px 10px 15px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.214844) 0px 10px 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="clear" id="abm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; zoom: 1;"><div id="abc" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: -342px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; width: 954px;"><div id="articlebody" style="margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 357px; margin-top: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><ul style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; z-index: 0;"><li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">3 c lightly packed down crumbs from good white bread with the crusts on (about one half of a 1 lb loaf of bread, crumb-ified in the food processor)</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">1 c each: black raisins, golden raisins, and prunes, chopped in the food processor</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">1-1/3 c dark brown sugar (I like Muscovado sugar from India Tree)</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">1/2 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">1/2 tsp mace</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">1/2 tsp nutmeg</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">1/4 tsp salt</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">1 c butter, melted</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">4 large eggs, lightly beaten</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">1/8 tsp almond extract</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">1/2 c bitter orange marmalade (seville orange marmalade from Trader Joe's works great)</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">1/3 c spiced rum</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">1/2 c cognac, heated on the stove before attempting to flambe</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">Sprigs of greenery like juniper and holly, optional</li>
</ul>Procedure</div><div id="articlebody" style="margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 357px; margin-top: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">Toss the bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl with the prunes, raisins, sugar, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, and salt.<br />
<br />
Then toss with the melted butter, and finally with the eggs, almond extract, orange marmalade, and rum.<br />
<br />
Pack the pudding mixture into the greased steaming container (either a pudding mold with a tight fitting lid, or a bowl with a tight fitting lid) and cover with a piece of greased foil and snap the lid over the foil. Set the container in a stock pot, or whatever you will be steaming in, and add enough water to come a third of the way up the sides of the pudding. Cover the steaming pot tightly and bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and steam about 6 hours. Check every hour or so to make sure you're not losing too much water and top off if necessary.<br />
<br />
Don't unmold it yet, it can be kept in the fridge about 4 months to mature. I made mine 2 days before and it was still delicious. Day of, bring it out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temp before unmolding the pudding. I decorated mine on a cake plate with holly and juniper, and set it out for decoration.<br />
<br />
When ready to flambe, heat the cognac in a saucepan on the stove until hot but not boiling and pour the hot cognac into a sturdy pyrex measuring cup with a spout. Grab a long match and head to the table, hitting the lights on your way.<br />
<br />
Pour some of the cognac on the pudding and ignite with the match, then pour the rest of the cognac on the pudding, allowing the stream to ignite. Don't worry if the flames crawl up into the pyrex, just keep pouring steadily- when it's empty, it will continue to burn inside the cup, but will soon go out- or you can blow it out like a big baby (me).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6583622825_7d8ece32bc_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6583622825_7d8ece32bc_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The holly catches fire. No biggie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
</div></div></div></div></div>super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-35338325585872795882011-11-29T12:49:00.000-08:002011-11-29T12:54:57.560-08:00Blistered Shishito Peppers with Smoked Sea SaltI tend to grow chiles in the garden (or Earthbox, usually) that are too hot to eat a lot of. Trouble is, pepper plants produce a TON of chiles, so I toddle outside throughout the season and collect a Serrano (or habanero or jalapeno or black cobra chile) or two for whatever dish I'm making and the rest of the thousands of chiles I grow are destined to be harvested, frozen, and eventually turned into hot sauce. Bell peppers are just okay for me, and anchos are kind of huge to just eat.<br />
A few years ago, I was at Wine Vault & Bistro in Mission Hills and the waitress recommended Shishitos, since they were in season and kind of a rarity.<br />
<br />
Holy.<br />
Freaking.<br />
Crap.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6239/6426643115_3217b456ba_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6239/6426643115_3217b456ba_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, they're not spicy. OK, it's a little like Russian Roulette- about one pepper in 50 is spicy- but that's fun, right?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
These are my favorite fried finger food type thing ever. These beat out french fries, calamari, onion rings, jalapeno poppers and anything else you can think of in this terribly guilt inducing fried finger food category. And here's the best part- they're not NEARLY as bad for you as any of those. They're not breaded, they don't need to be dipped in anything. They're like a fry that doesn't need ketchup and isn't made of starch! They're healthier and actually taste better than the unhealthy alternatives you're used to. And they're waaaaay less labor intensive to make- in fact, they whip up in about 5 minutes. When does that ever happen? Never, that's when.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
Handful of shishito peppers with stems left on (can be found readily in asian markets when in season)<br />
2 Tbsp peanut oil<br />
2 big pinches of finishing salt (whatever you like to use when you really want the salt to be special/not something you'd dissolve into food- I have an applewood smoked sea salt from Dean & Deluca that I love with these)<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span><br />
Heat the oil in a shallow saute pan until shimmering but not smoking.<br />
<br />
Add the peppers (make sure they're dry or you'll have scary hot oil spattering everywhere) and give the pan a shake so they spread out.<br />
<br />
Leave them alone for 30 seconds, then give them another shake. Leave them alone another 30 seconds, then use your tongs to check one. It should look like the skin is blistering/beginning to char a little. Once that happens, flip the peppers over and cook this way, shaking and flipping until they're nicely blistered. It should take no more than 5 minutes- you don't want them cooked all the way through to the point that they're completely floppy.<br />
<br />
Remove from the pan onto paper towels and drain. Sprinkle well with salt, plate, then give them another hit of salt. Don't eat the stems, and try not to burn your mouth. :)super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-55891046371615058502011-11-02T11:53:00.000-07:002011-11-02T11:54:11.278-07:00Vegan Agedashi TofuAgedashi Tofu is one of my favorite dishes. It's so simple and delicious. The sauce is the only thing about this that is traditionally not vegan, so it was easy to veganize without sacrificing flavor or texture or anything. The tofu should be like custard inside a light and crispy fried crust. I can never wait for it to cool and invariably burn the hell out of my mouth the first few bites.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6105/6306182579_1613a6e319_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6105/6306182579_1613a6e319_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crispy on the outside, custardy on the inside, with a delicate, savory, sweet, and salty shiitake sauce.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>1 package silken tofu (the kind that comes in the cardboard box, not the plastic water pack!)<br />
2 Tbsp potato starch (cornstarch works fine too)<br />
Salt & Pepper (my weird westernized preference, totally optional)<br />
Oil for frying (I use corn or peanut)<br />
<br />
1/2 c. vegetarian shiitake dashi (I buy granulated dashi you just add water to)<br />
2 Tbsp. soy sauce<br />
2 Tbsp. mirin<br />
Green onions, sliced for garnish<br />
<br />
Place a folded up paper towel on a plate and put the block of tofu on the paper towel. Cut the tofu with a sharp knife into cubes that you feel like you can handle without them falling apart. Small cubes are good, but they're very delicate. Gently spread out the cubes on the paper towel and drain for 10 minutes while you gather your other ingredients. Replace the paper towel by folding up another towel, laying it on the tofu cubes, place another plate on top, gently squeeze the plates together and flip the whole thing. Remove the top plate and wet paper towel that used to be on the bottom, and drain for another 10 minutes while you make the sauce.<br />
<br />
Combine the dashi (or granules & water), soy, and mirin in a microwave safe dish and nuke for 1 minute. Stir and continue zapping, 1 minute at a time until hot.<br />
<br />
Heat the oil to about 360F degrees. I usually don't check exact temps for frying, I just wait until the oil looks shimmery and then drop a test piece of food in to see if it sizzles how I like. You need enough oil to come up about halfway up the sides of the tofu cubes.<br />
<br />
Put the potato or cornstarch (and salt and pepper, if using) in a container with a lid and add half the tofu cubes. Gently toss the tofu cubes so they're lightly coated. Don't do this step early- coat the tofu with the potato starch right before you fry them.<br />
<br />
Add the tofu to the oil, try not to let them touch or they'll stick together, and fry for about 5 minutes on the first side. Then flip them over and fry for another 3-5 minutes, until they're golden brown.<br />
<br />
Remove the tofu from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Fry the second batch and drain as well. Now would be a good time to zap the sauce for another 30 seconds to reheat. Add a few pieces of tofu to a small bowl and add some of the sauce. Sprinkle with green onion and serve.<br />
<br />
Try not to burn your mouth. ;)super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-11717382613973656862011-09-15T15:32:00.000-07:002011-09-15T15:32:39.054-07:00Home-Cured Bacon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cf50PL-7rB0/TnJ73F6josI/AAAAAAAAAK0/Knw8d0CWiAI/s1600/DSCN0253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cf50PL-7rB0/TnJ73F6josI/AAAAAAAAAK0/Knw8d0CWiAI/s640/DSCN0253.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curing bacon at home is easy, don't tell anyone</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<div class="p1">2 lb pork belly</div><div class="p1">1/8 cup kosher salt</div><div class="p1">1 tsp pink curing salt</div><div class="p1">2 Tbsp black pepper</div><div class="p1">2 bay leaves, crumbled</div><div class="p1">1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg</div><div class="p1">1/4 cup brown sugar, honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup</div><div class="p1">2 cloves of garlic, smashed</div><div class="p1">1 Tbsp juniper berries (optional)</div><div class="p1">5 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)</div><div class="p1">1/4 tsp red chile flakes (optional)</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1">Put everything but the belly and the sweetener in a 2 gallon zip top bag and mush it around.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Add the sweetener you’ve chosen and mush again.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Add the belly and rub it all up, making sure it has good contact with the goodies in the bag. Push all the air out by folding/rolling the bag over the belly, zip the top and put it in the fridge. After a few hours, check it and give it another good mushing, it will be easier this time because the cure will be liquified & the belly will have released some moisture.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">I turn the belly once a day when I go into the fridge, but at a minimum, turn it after day 3, but just let it hang out in the fridge for a total of 7 days. </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">After 7 days, you’ll notice the belly will be stiffer, it’s cured!</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Take it out of the bag and rinse it off. Put it in a 200 degree oven for an hour and a half. </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Congratulations! It’s a BACON!</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">To cook a lot of slices at once, preheat oven to 400 and lay strips of bacon on a sheet pan. Cook for 8 minutes, then rotate pan and cook 8 to 10 minutes more until crispy and brown and bacony. Transfer to a pile of paper towels to drain.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ProTips</span></div><div class="p1"></div><ul><li>Pink salt is POISONOUS. For realz, don’t accidentally eat this stuff.</li>
<li>Pink curing salt is not the same as the pink colored Himalayan salt you find at fancy markets. Pink curing salt is sodium nitrite</li>
<li>If you have a smoker, swap out the 200 degree oven portion for an hour and a half in there with whatever wood you like (Maple syrup cured works well with maple wood; I like applewood with honey cured bacon; I like pecan wood with brown sugar cured bacon.)</li>
<li>Google “lardons” and prepare to weep with at beauty that is the lardon.</li>
<li>Bacon grease is fantastic to cook stuff in, don’t waste it.</li>
<li>Carve off slices as needed, rather than slicing it all up at once (unless you’re going to freeze it). Remember: less surface area = slower spoilage rate.</li>
</ul>super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-17297878441479773382011-09-15T15:14:00.000-07:002011-09-15T15:15:16.589-07:00Roasted Potato Leek Hash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs8JBIuPtvU/TnJ3z2sK82I/AAAAAAAAAKw/B_mOtiGDU7o/s1600/DSCN0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs8JBIuPtvU/TnJ3z2sK82I/AAAAAAAAAKw/B_mOtiGDU7o/s320/DSCN0240.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leeks are soft, so potatoes, garlic & sweets just added</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Don’t relegate this recipe to breakfast only, it’s delicious as a side dish for lunch or dinner too.<br />
<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">1 leek, sliced thinly</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">1 sweet potato</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">1 russet potato</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">2 garlic cloves, minced</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">Olive oil</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp. Salt</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp. Pepper</div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="p1">Grate the Russet and wrap grated potato tightly in paper towels to get rid of excess moisture. Grate the sweet potato.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Heat oil over medium high, add leeks and saute for a couple minutes. Add grated sweet potato, garlic, and Russet. Saute for 15 minutes, tossing ingredients around very occasionally.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ProTips</span></div><div class="p1">Browning occurs when ingredients sit in contact with a hot pan, so move stuff around in your pan infrequently for maximum tasty brownage.</div>super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-87843636239304092412011-09-15T15:03:00.000-07:002011-09-15T15:09:11.758-07:00French Toast Bread Pudding<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--OwHlK6nKaE/TnJzJB3jknI/AAAAAAAAAKo/qiCKgnRKk0c/s1600/DSCN0235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--OwHlK6nKaE/TnJzJB3jknI/AAAAAAAAAKo/qiCKgnRKk0c/s640/DSCN0235.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't take them out before they're brown or they'll collapse too much, like souffles</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="p1"></div><div class="p1">This can be made as one big pudding, but the individual ones are very versatile and look more special.</div><br />
<div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients: </span></div><div class="p1"><i>(per 2 big muffin tins/4 regular size muffin tins)</i></div><div class="p1">1 burger bun, torn into 1” chunks</div><div class="p1">2 eggs</div><div class="p1">1/2 c. milk</div><div class="p1">1/2 c. cream</div><div class="p1">1 Tbsp. sugar</div><div class="p1">1/4 tsp. vanilla extract</div><div class="p1">pinch nutmeg</div><div class="p1">pinch cinnamon</div><div class="p1">pinch orange zest</div><div class="p1">2 Tbsp. raisins (golden is nice)</div><div class="p1">2 Tbsp. chopped pecans</div><div class="p1">Warm maple syrup </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1">Preheat the oven to 350.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Butter 2 of the muffin tin spots if you’re using giant muffin tins, or 4 if you’re using regular size.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Put down a layer of bread chunks, then some raisins, then some more bread and top with more raisins.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Whisk the eggs, spices, vanilla, and sugars together in a medium bowl. Add milk and cream and whisk some more. Pour this custard mixture over the bread chunks.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Make sure bread gets moistened completely, cover and weight down the bread a little. Allow to soak for 30 minutes.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Sprinkle pecans on top, and bake for 30 minutes, until brown and puffed.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Allow to cool a little before serving with warm maple syrup.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ProTips</span></div><div class="p1"></div><ul><li>Be careful when you press down on the bread to moisten that you don’t overflow your muffin tin.</li>
<li>Make sure these are good and browned when you pull them out. If you pull them out when they’re too underdone, they’ll collapse a lot as they cool.</li>
<li>Maple syrup is not maple flavored syrup or pancake syrup (basically flavored corn syrups). It comes from a sugar maple tree and has one ingredient: Maple Syrup. Grade B is more flavorful and darker than Grade A- kind of counter intuitive, but I prefer the Grade B syrup.</li>
<li>To turn this into a dessert, serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or creme anglaise. Melted vanilla ice cream is essentially creme anglaise, that fancy whitish custardy sauce many plated desserts are served with. The microwave and some good vanilla ice cream make a really quick creme anglaise, which is awesome on this bread pudding.</li>
<li>Variations besides raisin & pecan: dark chocolate chunks and orange marmalade, white chocolate chunks and dried cranberries, cream cheese chunks and fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries and/or strawberries)</li>
</ul>super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-76985887698195550922011-09-15T11:03:00.000-07:002011-09-15T11:05:17.175-07:00Savory Baked Egg in Tomato<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rAA3GvUgdLA/TnI9OZnPhcI/AAAAAAAAAKk/ZLBZnVehyfg/s1600/DSCN0252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rAA3GvUgdLA/TnI9OZnPhcI/AAAAAAAAAKk/ZLBZnVehyfg/s320/DSCN0252.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With a Tangeringe Mimosa, Roasted Leek Hash, <br />
House-cured Bacon,<br />
and French Toast Bread Pudding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This recipe scales really really well, so if you’ve got family coming for breakfast and brunch, this is a great choice. On the other end of the spectrum, this is an easy, mostly hands off, thing to make for one (or two; hubba hubba!) in the morning.<br />
<div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1">1 tomato with a fat bottom</div><div class="p1">1 egg</div><div class="p1">1 tsp grated Parmesan</div><div class="p1">pinch salt</div><div class="p1">pinch pepper</div><div class="p1">herbs for garnish</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1">Preheat oven to 425.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Slice the top off the tomato, and carefully scrape out the pulp, but don’t dig too deep at the bottom.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Sprinkle the insides with salt, pepper, and cheese, turning and shaking, so the cheese gets on the sides too.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Spray a baking sheet with olive oil/Pam and set the tomato on the baking sheet. Crack an egg into the cavity.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Bake for 20 minutes for soft but thick yoks, adjust by 5 mins in either direction depending on how done you like your eggs.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Sprinkle with desired herbs and serve.</div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ProTips</span></div><div class="p1"></div><ul><li>Serve these on a bed of hash to soak up eggy tomato goodness.</li>
<li>If you’re doing a big batch of these, they may take more time. Just check for doneness by jiggling the pan a little.</li>
<li>Depending on your mood or what you’re serving these with, you can vary these with the herbs you choose to add at the end. Oregano and basil are lovely for an Italian tomato egg; Mexican oregano, cilantro, and chili powder are great for a Mexi egg; thyme and marjoram make a good French egg. Fresh herbs are better, but dry are just fine for this (except cilantro- for the love of all that is holy, never buy dried cilantro. WTF is wrong with you!?)</li>
</ul>super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-76699126956788412792011-09-15T10:55:00.000-07:002011-09-15T10:56:12.331-07:00Tangerine Mimosa<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PmfQmqU1hSk/TnI7epPdQ0I/AAAAAAAAAKg/nvcGYGaYm74/s1600/DSCN0245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PmfQmqU1hSk/TnI7epPdQ0I/AAAAAAAAAKg/nvcGYGaYm74/s640/DSCN0245.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brunchy goodness</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="p1">If you like mimosas, shake it up a bit by using tangerine juice instead of the usual orange juice. You can juice your own, or buy a little container of tangerine juice in the produce section of your grocery store. If it’s too tart, add more Chambord.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<div class="p1">3 oz. Champagne</div><div class="p1">1 oz. tangerine juice</div><div class="p1">splash of Chambord</div><div class="p1">raspberry for garnish</div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1">Add to a champagne glass in this order: Champagne, juice, chambord. Garnish with raspberry and drink that sucka!</div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ProTips</span></div><div class="p1"></div><ul><li>Use Asti Spumanti (an Italian sparkling wine) for when people think they don’t like Champagne, it’s sweeter.</li>
<li>Only sparkling white wine from Champagne, France is actually “Champagne.” Everything else is sparkling wine.</li>
<li>Cava is sparkling wine from Spain and is a good value usually.</li>
<li>“Brut” means dry, and is pronounced “broot.” The opposite of that is “Sec,” or sweet. “Demi” means “a little.” So “demi sec” on a sparkling</li>
<li>wine label means it’s a little sweeter than brut. And “Extra Brut” means it’s a pretty tart/dry sparkling wine, with minimal sweetness.</li>
</ul>super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-28776371917748152392011-09-02T12:07:00.000-07:002011-09-02T12:07:09.646-07:00Margarita Perfecto<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DKN0uHSs6VI/TmEpFrYB_fI/AAAAAAAAAKc/ymIIDpX8VIQ/s1600/DSCN0028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DKN0uHSs6VI/TmEpFrYB_fI/AAAAAAAAAKc/ymIIDpX8VIQ/s640/DSCN0028.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are not for the faint of heart, it turns out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Margarita Mix is gross, and that's not how we do.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<br />
<div class="p1"><span class="s1">4 parts Awesomest Tequila you can get</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">4 parts Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice (from about 4 limes save the corpses)</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">4 parts Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice (from 1 orange)</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">2 parts Cointreau</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 part Grand Marnier</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">ice cubes</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">kosher salt</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Lime wedges to garnish</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Squeeze/wipe lime corpse around glass rims and press into kosher salt. </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Fill salt rimmed glasses with ice.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Combine juices, Cointreau, and Tequila in a cocktail shaker and shake until the ice sounds different. </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Strain over ice into the salted glasses, float Grand Marnier, on the top, and garnish with a lime slice.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ProTips</span></span></div><div class="p1"></div><ul><li>Buy bags of limes and store in the freezer. To defrost, zap for 30 seconds in the microwave (maybe twice). Beware, your limes will now be very juicy because the ice crystals ruptured all the membranes holding the juice. Awesome!</li>
<li>You’ll notice this recipe has very few actual ingredients, which means it’s REALLY important they’re all the best you can get. You’re saving a bundle drinking at home already, so buy yourself some nice tequila, k?</li>
<li>If you need to make a pitcher of these, look in the produce section for fresh squeezed orange juice (to spot the real deal, it will look separated, with water on top and pulp at the bottom probably) and consider using limeade if you can find it (less added sweetener, the better), don’t use those weird plastic limes though.</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-29056520631031085902011-09-02T11:40:00.000-07:002011-11-21T15:42:02.480-08:00Obligatory Satan/Seitan Pun Here<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eGRlZbW91So/TmEhByz5MlI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/AYAnhXkruWM/s1600/DSCN0132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eGRlZbW91So/TmEhByz5MlI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/AYAnhXkruWM/s640/DSCN0132.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What are those, pork chops? No! They're vegan mock meat cutlets called Seitan, and they're very tasty.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I really like seitan but the pre-packaged stuff is pricey for something that I heard was easy to make. And so I set about making some, and found that it was super easy indeed. And delicious too. I don't think I'll ever buy it again, in fact.<br />
<br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></div><div><br />
<ul><li>6 cups vegetable broth (I make mine from scratch or using this <a href="http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyssoupbase.html">vegetable soup base</a> from Penzey's)</li>
<li>1 onion roughly chopped</li>
<li>1 cup vital wheat gluten</li>
<li>1 tsp ginger powder</li>
<li>2 cloves minced garlic (or squish in press)</li>
<li>3/4 cup vegetable broth</li>
<li>2 tbsp soy sauce</li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span><br />
Bring 6 cups of vegetable broth to a simmer and add onion.<br />
<br />
Mix gluten, ginger and minced garlic thoroughly- you'll have trouble mixing them in once the liquid gets added. Add 3/4 c. vegetable broth and soy sauce and mix to combine. I used my KitchenAid stand mixer for this, but anything less probably will struggle/burn out, so if you don't have one, use a strong spoon until it comes together enough that you can turn it out and knead it. Knead for a minute at a time, by hand, or 30 seconds at a time in the mixer, and rest for 2 minutes between and knead again. It will wind up looking and feeling like chewed lumpy bubble gum.<br />
<br />
Portion the dough into 6 pieces and roll out into cutlets about half an inch thick with a rolling pin. Focus on thinning the center of the cutlets a little more than the edges because they'll puff and swell with cooking, and don't worry that there's tears or holes in the dough.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJYIr9N3hsA/TmEhVbKad2I/AAAAAAAAAKU/kXARA-gUv0M/s1600/DSCN0124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJYIr9N3hsA/TmEhVbKad2I/AAAAAAAAAKU/kXARA-gUv0M/s200/DSCN0124.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simmering in broth</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Add the cutlets to the simmering broth, cover and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. I used a pressure cooker and cooked them for 45 minutes.<br />
<br />
Once they're done, you can use them like you would use a piece of meat. They're fully cooked, but if you want to do additional things to them, that's fine too. Once mine were done simmering, I chopped up a cutlet into cubes, sauteed them with a bit of oil in a pan to get some nice brown and crispy bits, tossed it with <a href="http://locavoracious.blogspot.com/2011/08/chile-de-arbol-salsa.html">hot sauce</a> and made myself some DELICIOUS little tacos.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xJUr6q5gLlo/TmEihD7Zq1I/AAAAAAAAAKY/b-ZJrrEeMBM/s1600/DSCN0141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xJUr6q5gLlo/TmEihD7Zq1I/AAAAAAAAAKY/b-ZJrrEeMBM/s640/DSCN0141.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicy Seitan Street Tacos with <a href="http://locavoracious.blogspot.com/2011/08/chile-de-arbol-salsa.html">Salsa de Arbol</a> and fresh homemade <a href="http://locavoracious.blogspot.com/2011/08/authentic-handmade-corn-tortillas.html">tortillas</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The cutlets also freeze very well, so just let them cool and slip into ziploc bags to freeze. Then you can pull them out and bread and fry them like chicken fried steaks, make seitan parmesan, use them as a patty on a sandwich, cube them up to make something like a curried chicken salad...whatever your heart desires.</div>super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-72190855607955800152011-08-31T13:25:00.000-07:002011-08-31T14:18:57.953-07:00White Sauce for Fish or Feesh Tacos<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W3H1fZMthLI/Tl6Ya9Ku76I/AAAAAAAAAKE/pAhQ9fHX8hk/s1600/photo-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W3H1fZMthLI/Tl6Ya9Ku76I/AAAAAAAAAKE/pAhQ9fHX8hk/s320/photo-9.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feesh Taco (fried tofu)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 part Mayo (I use vegenaise when I'm veganizing this)</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">2 parts Yogurt (I use So Delicious cultured coconut "yogurt" when I'm veganizing this too)</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">squeeze Lime Juice </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 garlic clove, minced</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">big pinch Salt </span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">dash <a href="http://locavoracious.blogspot.com/2011/08/chile-de-arbol-salsa.html">Hot sauce</a> or Adobo (Open a can of chipotle chiles en adobo and dig out a teaspoon of the sauce- that's adobo)</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">Just mix it all together and put on your fish tacos, or your feesh tacos (my fake vegan version with fried tofu replacing the fish)</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div>super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-61929619214411546932011-08-31T12:29:00.000-07:002011-08-31T12:37:34.905-07:00Chile de Arbol Salsa<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iyEOfhoZsLE/Tl6NEKXDJoI/AAAAAAAAAKA/CjPdCpVM1eY/s1600/DSCN0121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iyEOfhoZsLE/Tl6NEKXDJoI/AAAAAAAAAKA/CjPdCpVM1eY/s640/DSCN0121.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right after pouring on the boiling water, the water gets a little yellow. The water will look like tea after an hour.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="p1"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<span class="s1">1 c. Chiles de Arbol, seeds shaken out</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">2 c. boiling Water to soak chiles</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1/2 cup vinegar (red wine, white wine, cider, and rice vinegar are all good, even white vinegar will work)</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 tsp. ground Mexican Oregano</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">2 cloves Garlic</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">2 tsp. Salt </span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">The procedure for making chile paste is outlined in detailed in this <a href="http://locavoracious.blogspot.com/2011/02/chile-paste.html">post</a>, where I used Ancho chiles. But what you'll want to do, simply, is pour the boiling water over the chiles and allow them to soak for about an hour. Then drain off enough of the soaking liquid so that there's enough for your blender to "catch," and puree the chiles to make chile paste.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">Add the vinegar, oregano, garlic and salt and puree again. Adjust for consistency and taste. If it's too acidic and too thick, you can add water instead of more vinegar.</span></div>super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-11624045205249723492011-08-31T12:02:00.000-07:002011-08-31T12:02:41.616-07:00Thoughts on Taco Assembly<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c0G-1OfUtQo/Tl6E6fBWaUI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/6vFrnxIsF-Q/s1600/321118_10100425969765004_3323245_56220622_5268949_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c0G-1OfUtQo/Tl6E6fBWaUI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/6vFrnxIsF-Q/s640/321118_10100425969765004_3323245_56220622_5268949_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to Jennifer Jean Lee for taking such great photos of my class!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Taco assembly is obviously not rocket science, but there are some things that will make the process go more smoothly. </span></div><div class="p1"></div><ul><li>If you want hot tacos, don’t put them on cold plates. You can warm plates in a warm oven. </li>
<li>Get all of your toppings, sauces, tortillas and sides ready, within easy reach, in order, room temp or hot as appropriate. Mise en Place! </li>
<li>The order of operations should be: Tortilla, meat, sauce, veggies. Assemble them all the same, uniformity is more striking than each taco being a special snowflake. </li>
<li>Don’t get cute and put lettuce, cheddar shreds, or sour cream on these- Tapatio/Cholula or Arbol salsa and a squeeze of fresh lime is all that authentic tacos need. </li>
<li>If plating, you can prop two tortillas up “back to back” or wrap in non-absorbent paper. Alternatively, serve family style with tacos all in a line, using the tacos to hold each other up in taco formation. </li>
<li>You are not 5 and your foods can touch each other, food looks stupid segregated on a plate.</li>
</ul><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div>super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-81137305809923400762011-08-31T11:31:00.000-07:002011-08-31T11:59:25.118-07:00Apartment-Style "Grilled" Mahi-Mahi<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ErTVkCcZ3A/Tl59OeWqclI/AAAAAAAAAJo/C6NSaAk6WME/s1600/228993_10100425969460614_3323245_56220612_7124903_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ErTVkCcZ3A/Tl59OeWqclI/AAAAAAAAAJo/C6NSaAk6WME/s640/228993_10100425969460614_3323245_56220612_7124903_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resting the fish lets it complete its cooking</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">If I’m making this, I’m almost certainly making fish tacos, but there’s no reason you can’t just eat these puppies as a fish dinner with some veggies and a starch. And the “Apartment-style” means we’re not even grilling, technically- it’s just an easy differentiation between a battered and fried piece of taco fish.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1/4 lb Mahi Mahi per 2 people</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Olive oil</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Salt</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Pepper</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Paprika</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Lime juice</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Take the fish out of the fridge and drizzle on some olive oil, sprinkle on plenty of salt, pepper, and a little paprika. Rub the goodies into the fish.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Spray with non-stick spray if you’re chicken, (but if you were generous with the olive oil, this is unnecessary) and add the fish. DO NOT COVER IT and don’t move it once it hits the pan, play it where it lies.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Cook for 4 minutes, and look to see that the edges are turning opaque. Gently prod to test to see if the fish is still stuck to the bottom. If it releases easily, flip it. If it gives you any resistance, quit your prodding and leave it alone for another minute and before checking again.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Once it’s flipped, cook it for half the time it was on the first side. So if it took 5 minutes for the first side, give the second side 2 and a half minutes and prod to see if it releases. Check again every minute. When it releases, it’s ready to come out.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Take the fish out of the pan and let it rest on a plate or cutting board for 3 minutes to complete cooking. </span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ProTips</span></span></div><div class="p1"></div><ul><li>Be ready to add the fish immediately after you add non-stick spray or it will burn and taste terrible. Fish ready in one hand, spray with the other.</li>
<li>Fish doesn’t need to be cooked all the way, so if it’s flakey throughout, it won’t be moist. Don’t do that. Undercooked fish is almost always better than overcooked fish.</li>
<li>If your fish smells fishy, it’s going to be gross. Mahi-mahi especially is a virtually odorless fish- it should smell like the ocean. If you can’t get fresh fish from a real fish guy (not the supermarket), buy flash frozen fish. These were caught and frozen immediately, so are technically very “fresh.” Defrost in the fridge TWO nights before using.</li>
<li>A splatter guard over your pan will greatly help with your place not smelling like fish at all. It’s those little splatters of oil that are to blame, not the fish itself.</li>
</ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yoVMwACTANg/Tl6EStSh36I/AAAAAAAAAJw/LiyVHqlkJoc/s1600/DSCN0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yoVMwACTANg/Tl6EStSh36I/AAAAAAAAAJw/LiyVHqlkJoc/s640/DSCN0048.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Quintessential San Diego Summer Meal </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>For Authentic Fish Tacos, assemble in this order:</b><br />
<br />
<div class="p1"><a href="http://locavoracious.blogspot.com/2011/08/authentic-handmade-corn-tortillas.html">Tortilla</a></div><div class="p1">Fish</div><div class="p1">White Sauce</div><div class="p1">Cabbage</div><div class="p1">Onion</div><div class="p1">Tomato</div><div class="p1">Cilantro</div><div class="p1">Serve with lime wedge</div><br />
<br />
<br />
super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-45976624115267270032011-08-31T11:25:00.000-07:002011-08-31T12:39:52.817-07:00Apartment-Style Carne Asada (Tacos)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GoLz008_628/Tl571vuWFVI/AAAAAAAAAJk/07JV6QDfdJc/s1600/IMG_4714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GoLz008_628/Tl571vuWFVI/AAAAAAAAAJk/07JV6QDfdJc/s640/IMG_4714.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">You may not have a grill, but you probably have a broiler (you may not know where it is, but that’s a different problem) and can use it to great effect to make delicious meat.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 lb. hanger steak, flat iron steak, or ask your butcher what they've got for you if you're making carne asada </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1/4 c. olive oil</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">2 cloves garlic, minced</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Juice of 2 limes</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 Tbsp salt </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 Tbsp dried oregano</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 Tbsp ground coriander</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 Tbsp ground cumin</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Many grinds of Pepper</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Pinch cayenne</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><br />
<div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Toss everything but the meat in a big ziploc, and mush to combine. Open the bag and insert meat. Zip up most of the way, then roll to push out air and zip closed. Marinate overnight or for as long as you have, you non-planning ahead slacker!</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Preheat your broiler for a few minutes, and while that’s happening, line a BROILER SAFE pan with foil. Lay the meat out on the foil and broil for 7 minutes or so (you want some charred bits, more than you think are reasonable), then take it out, flip it and broil for another 6 minutes, until it looks awesome.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Take it out and leave it the F alone. Seriously. Don’t touch it, don’t even look at it for 5 more minutes. Think this step isn’t necessary? Why’d I write it then? Your meat is still cooking, this is part of the cooking process, so if you bothered to follow the directions and cook it, freaking DO this.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Chop it up into desired shapes and sizes and OMNOMNOM.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dyqJ-L7Po6Y/Tl6HcuRXtQI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/3xOLAZS94Jc/s1600/310323_10100425969540454_3323245_56220616_1907435_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dyqJ-L7Po6Y/Tl6HcuRXtQI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/3xOLAZS94Jc/s640/310323_10100425969540454_3323245_56220616_1907435_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a first pass at slicing against the grain on the bias</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ProTips</span></span></div><div class="p1"></div><ul><li>Slice against the grain. Always. If you’re going to cut in both directions, use a diamond pattern, rather than square, so you’re never cutting directly with the grain.</li>
<li>If you do have a barbecue, by all means, use it. Instead of the broiler, just grill over high heat (covered) for 6 minutes per side. Flip it once and don’t poke it or smash it.</li>
<li>For your carne asada tacos, toss diamond shaped chunks with arbol salsa to make a spicy delicious meat mixture.</li>
</ul><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IzRdFu96L-g/Tl6GQEaKu3I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/csGsnawAfMY/s1600/304813_10100425969635264_3323245_56220619_2698219_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IzRdFu96L-g/Tl6GQEaKu3I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/csGsnawAfMY/s200/304813_10100425969635264_3323245_56220619_2698219_n.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tacos 101</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>For Traditional Carne Asada Tacos, assemble in this order:</b><br />
<br />
<div class="p1"><a href="http://locavoracious.blogspot.com/2011/08/authentic-handmade-corn-tortillas.html">Tortilla</a></div><div class="p1">Carne Asada (I like to toss the meat with the onion and salsa before putting in the tortilla)</div><div class="p1"><a href="http://locavoracious.blogspot.com/2011/08/chile-de-arbol-salsa.html">Chile de Arbol Salsa</a></div><div class="p1">Onion</div><div class="p1">Cilantro</div><div class="p1">Serve with lime wedge</div>super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-7896690061791531452011-08-26T16:37:00.000-07:002011-08-26T16:37:05.815-07:00Authentic Handmade Corn Tortillas<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s33X-cfkfOw/TlgtZljNg1I/AAAAAAAAAJg/fxqAxcyb-8U/s1600/DSCN0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s33X-cfkfOw/TlgtZljNg1I/AAAAAAAAAJg/fxqAxcyb-8U/s640/DSCN0043.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For neater edges, add more water and be sure to wet your hands before rolling dough into balls</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="p1"><span class="s1">If you think you don’t like corn tortillas, it’s because you’ve never had a handmade tortilla that’s still too hot for any sane person to eat. I don’t like packaged corn tortillas either, they taste like cardboard with a texture like sand. They’re cheap and quick to make at home- faster than going to the store for tortillas.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Maseca brand masa flour</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Salt</span></div><div class="p1">Water</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">This is stupid easy. You follow the directions on the bag with some minor modifications. Double the salt and use boiling water instead of warm. </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Mix your dough with a dough scraper or spoon and then switch to kneading by hand until it’s smooth and not sticky. </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Roll it into a log, then cut into even pieces for the batch you’re making. </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Once your log is cut into discs, wet your hands a little and roll each piece into a ball. Cover your collection of balls with a damp paper towel. </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, and if you’ve got more than one, fire ‘em up! You can cook a whole batch in no time at all.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">I don’t have a tortilla press, honestly every time I’ve used one I’ve screwed it up in some new and different way. Just use a gallon ziploc bag, cut so it opens like a book and 2 big heavy hardback books. Put the first book on your counter, then lay the ziploc on top and open it up like a book. Put one dough ball in the center of the ziploc, close your ziploc “book” to cover, then top with the other heavy book and press down hard! Or move the whole setup to the floor and stand on it. Take off the top book and peel one side of the ziploc off the dough, then peel the other side off the dough.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Toss your uncooked tortilla in the pan and cook for 1 minute, flip (quit your whining and just use your fingers, everything else sucks.) and cook for 1 minute more.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ProTips</span></span></div><div class="p1"></div><ul><li>Don’t try to peel the tortilla off the ziploc, peel the ziploc off the tortilla or it will rip! </li>
<li>If you preheat your oven to its lowest setting, then turn it off, you can stack your tortillas in there as they come off the stove and they’ll stay warm. Cover them with a damp paper towel.</li>
<li>These are fantastic with butter, but Chili honey butter is AMAZING (butter, chili powder, honey, nuke in microwave for 10 seconds and stir together)</li>
<li>To freeze, stack between pieces of parchment, allow them to cool completely, then slide into a big ziploc and freeze flat. To defrost, nuke tortillas for 10 seconds at a time, flipping after each zap, until hot (about a minute). A big batch can be wrapped in foil and heated in the oven.</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-49871438631163759972011-08-26T16:33:00.000-07:002011-08-26T16:33:23.156-07:00Quick and Easy Black Beans<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IC94ScCbsiE/TlgsluqZayI/AAAAAAAAAJc/nM5bmFY2stI/s1600/DSCN0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IC94ScCbsiE/TlgsluqZayI/AAAAAAAAAJc/nM5bmFY2stI/s640/DSCN0046.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm ashamed to call this a recipe</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Delicious, but embarrassingly simple. Mumble about how complicated they are to make when you bring these to a party and get asked for the recipe.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 can of black beans</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1/2 c. of your favorite salsa from a jar</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">2 Tbsp Panela cheese (omit to make vegan)</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">thin strips of red chile (optional)</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Dump in can of beans and salsa and stir to combine. Cover, and heat until bubbling, stirring occasionally to make sure beans are not scorching at the bottom. When bubbling, turn heat to low and check consistency- if you want beans thicker, remove lid and cook until desired consistency is reached. If thinner/looser beans are required, add water and stir until heated through again.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Transfer to plates or a serving dish and garnish with crumbled Panela. Top with vibrant red chile strips, if using.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ProTips</span></span></div><div class="p1"></div><ul><li>Alternative salsa suggestions: Tomatillo (green), Chipotle, Peach Habañero</li>
<li>Also good garnished with cilantro</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-18030361227160696742011-08-26T16:29:00.000-07:002011-08-26T16:29:15.056-07:00Enselada de Elote<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kmbtm2S3Qco/TlgrbpRjwOI/AAAAAAAAAJY/W-vSQ7CImRI/s1600/DSCN0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kmbtm2S3Qco/TlgrbpRjwOI/AAAAAAAAAJY/W-vSQ7CImRI/s640/DSCN0045.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For easier eating than on the cob, try this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="p1"><span class="s1">Elote means “corn,” but it’s synonymous with how corn is prepared at markets and fairs all over San Diego. If you’ve seen the tables near the corn on the cob at the fair, covered in condiments and wondered what they hell they were for, they were for dressing your corn up, Mexi-style. Now in a salad!</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1/2 c. mayo (use vegenaise if that's your thing)</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 lime, juiced</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 Tbsp. chili powder</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 garlic clove, minced</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1/4 c. grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (omit to make vegan)</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1/2 bag of frozen corn (thawed)</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1/4 red onion, diced</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Salt to taste</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><br />
<div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">In a large bowl, add mayo, lime, chili powder, garlic and cheese. Stir to combine.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Add remaining ingredients and gently toss to mix through and coat with mayo mixture.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Transfer to plates or a serving dish and AAAAAAAWWWWWW YEEEEEEEAAAAAH!</span></div><br />
<div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ProTips</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"></div><ul><li>Great to make up to 1 day ahead and take to parties.</li>
<li>Trader Joe’s sells awesome frozen grilled corn, highly recommended for this application.</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-53960063049911630592011-08-26T16:24:00.000-07:002011-08-26T16:24:44.587-07:00Restaurant-Style Guacamole<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CMWUSheemjY/Tlgp9WHVZ-I/AAAAAAAAAJU/BYdTTiKGz_w/s1600/DSCN0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CMWUSheemjY/Tlgp9WHVZ-I/AAAAAAAAAJU/BYdTTiKGz_w/s640/DSCN0033.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little plate on big plate for much improved presentation over plastic tub and bag of chips</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="p1"><span class="s1">Great guacamole doesn’t need a lot of fussing, or mystery flavor packets from the supermarket, just a little prep and you too can be making authentic and delicious guac just like you’d get for ten bucks at a nice restaurant.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>For each avocado:</b></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 Tbsp. small dice tomato, drained</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 Tbsp. small dice red onion</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 Tbsp. small dice red pepper</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 tsp. fresh squeezed lime juice</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1 garlic clove, minced</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1/2 tsp. salt</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">1/2 tsp. finely minced serrano/jalapeno (optional)</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Procedure</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"> </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">As you prep ingredients, put them in a bowl (not the serving bowl, you savage!): Dice your onion, add to the bowl; dice the pepper, add to the bowl; and so on, until the LAST thing you add is the avocado. </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Avocados should be sliced through their poles to the pit, and twist to separate. Set aside the half with the pit, and get to work on the other half- slice through the fruit along its length, to the skin, but not through it. Turn the avocado in your hand and repeat through the width of the fruit. You should be slicing a crosshatch pattern in the fruit, while leaving the skin intact. Set that half aside. Position the other half on the counter and give the seed a good whack with your knife, so it embeds in the pit. Pick up that half and twist to remove the pit. Repeat cross hatching pattern with your newly pitless avocado half.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Fold the avocado in half over the bowl and squeeze out the chunks, like you’re squeezing toothpaste from a tube- squeeze from the bottom. Now all you have to do is mix it all up with a fork, mashing any chunks that are too big for your liking. Just keep mashing until you like what you see. Taste it and add more salt, cilantro, or lime juice as necessary (if you don’t know what it needs, it needs salt!), when it’s good, and only then, spoon it into the serving dish.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ProTips</span></span></div><div class="p1"></div><ul><li>Recipe is designed to scale! Big party = big guac </li>
<li>Salt, lime, cilantro and onion are key- everything else is nice to have. </li>
<li>Eyeball this one, don’t bust out measuring tools.</li>
<li>For max juice from citrus, zap in microwave for 30 seconds before you cut them in half OR roll them on the counter to squish and free juice.</li>
<li>To get leaves without stems from a bunch of cilantro, shave that puppy!</li>
<li>To remove the pit from your knife, pinch the blade behind the pit and it will pop right off. </li>
<li>To drain diced tomatoes, salt them and throw them in a little bowl on a folded paper towel to soak up the liquid. I usually prep them first so they have maximum drainage time so they don’t make the guac watery.</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
<br />
super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-64275740328852134792011-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:002011-08-22T11:12:41.372-07:00Vegan Katsu Dinner<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lp52OaDA-og/Tk7S8OlPIZI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/my5CFgh4DkM/s1600/IMG_3503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lp52OaDA-og/Tk7S8OlPIZI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/my5CFgh4DkM/s640/IMG_3503.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese dinner comes together quickly if your freezer and pantry are well stocked</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
This dinner was made up of a bunch of little things. I prefer to eat this way, with just a few bites of each dish and lots of variety.<br />
<br />
The revelation for me was using spicy boca chick'n patties as my katsu (cutlet). Once I heated the patty up in a skillet, toasting the breading in the process, and sliced it up with katsu sauce (kinda like a bbq sauce, recipe follows), this dish was exactly like regular ol' tonkastu- maybe lighter and less greasy!<br />
<br />
I served my katsu with:<br />
<br />
<ul><li><b>Zaru cha soba</b> - cold green tea buckwheat noodles. Be sure to rinse/wash well with plenty of cold water after cooking. This was simply tossed with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. </li>
<li><b>Inarizushi</b> - the two pouches made of fried tofu skin, stuffed with sushi rice. (recipe follows)</li>
<li><b>Seasoned Tomato</b> - fresh tomato slices sprinkled with <a href="http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysbuttermilk.html">Penzey's buttermilk ranch</a> herb mix- a weird choice, I know</li>
<li><b>Seaweed salad with cucumber and red onion</b> (recipe follows)</li>
<li><b>Edamame with smoked sea salt</b> - nuke frozen soybeans and a Tbsp. of water in a covered dish in the microwave</li>
<li><b>Gari</b> - young sweet pickled ginger, like you'd get with sushi</li>
<li><b>Umeboshi</b> - pickled plum with a strong flavor- I like to nibble a little before taking a bite of inarizushi</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Katsu Sauce</span><br />
Mix together:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>1/2 c. Ketchup</li>
<li>1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce</li>
<li>2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce</li>
<li>1 tsp. Dry Mustard Powder</li>
<li>1 tsp. Sriracha sauce</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sushi Rice Dressing</span><br />
Mix together:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>2 Tbsp. Rice vinegar</li>
<li>2 Tbsp. water</li>
<li>2 tsp. agave nectar </li>
</ul><br />
Pour over 2 cups of cooked white short grain rice (I use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=botan+calrose+rice&x=0&y=0">Botan Calrose</a>) and toss gently to coat each grain of rice with the dressing and cool it down quickly.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Seaweed Salad with Cucumber and Red Onion</span><br />
<br />
<ul><li>2 Tbsp. sliced wakame or seaweed of your choice, reconstituted in cold water (5-10 minutes)</li>
<li>1/2 inch of cucumber</li>
<li>red onion</li>
<li>1 Tbsp. rice vinegar</li>
<li>1 Tbsp sesame oil</li>
<li>1 tsp. soy sauce</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. agave nectar</li>
<li>salt to taste </li>
</ul><br />
Shave red onion with the thinnest setting of a mandoline/japanese slicer until you have about 1 Tbsp of onion ribbons. Microwave on high for 30 seconds in a dish full of water. Drain and pat dry. This process takes a lot of the harsh bite out of raw onions.<br />
Shave cucumber on the same setting.<br />
Stir together remaining ingredients to make dressing and toss with seaweed, onion and cucumber.super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-84244641053037104122011-08-19T13:20:00.000-07:002011-08-19T13:51:42.285-07:00Fettuccine Arrabiata with Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms and Mock Mozzarella<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jEGzXTVd6gY/Tk7AKdiFnQI/AAAAAAAAAJM/oZbhgXbJutU/s1600/IMG_3472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jEGzXTVd6gY/Tk7AKdiFnQI/AAAAAAAAAJM/oZbhgXbJutU/s640/IMG_3472.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch of the gods</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<ul><li>1 serving Cooked Fettuccine</li>
<li>1/2 c. Marinara Sauce (recipe follows)</li>
<li>2 oz. Mock fresh mozzarella cubes (recipe follows)</li>
<li>1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced</li>
<li>4 shiitake mushrooms </li>
<li>2 asparagus spears, sliced into 1 inch pieces</li>
<li>1 tsp. red chile flakes</li>
<li>1 Tbsp. olive oil</li>
<li>salt and pepper to taste</li>
<li>Fresh basil garnish</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
Heat a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Saute mushrooms until well cooked, about 5-10 minutes. Add jalapenos and asparagus and saute until barely cooked/still crunchy, about 3 minutes. Stir in red chile flakes and marinara sauce and heat through. Add cooked pasta and stir to combine and heat through. Add mock fresh mozzarella cubes and heat through. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper. Serve with fresh basil garnish.<br />
<br />
<b>Marinara Sauce</b><br />
1 14 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes<br />
1/4 c. finely diced onion<br />
1 big clove garlic, minced/pressed<br />
2 tsp. Dried Italian Oregano<br />
1 tsp. Dried basil<br />
1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme<br />
olive oil<br />
salt<br />
<br />
Heat a skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom with a little olive oil. Add onion and saute until translucent (3 minutes). Add garlic and herbs and stir to combine. Stir in tomatoes and raise the heat to bring to a boil, stirring often. Once boiling, lower heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and add salt.<br />
<br />
<b>Mock Fresh Mozzarella</b><br />
1 block firm tofu<br />
2 tsp. salt<br />
juice from 1 lemon<br />
1 c. cold water<br />
<br />
Press firm tofu for 30 minutes between plates, cutting boards, whatever. Combine water, lemon juice and salt in a ziploc bag, add tofu, and marinate for 30 minutes. Slice into 1/2 inch cubes.super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626375672477635106.post-88782650381013643612011-08-19T12:36:00.000-07:002011-08-19T12:36:06.450-07:00First, locate the teats on your cashew...<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s1_mNJSuKEM/Tk64ZOO12_I/AAAAAAAAAJA/10OBY5OM9KY/s1600/IMG_3524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s1_mNJSuKEM/Tk64ZOO12_I/AAAAAAAAAJA/10OBY5OM9KY/s200/IMG_3524.jpg" width="149" /></a>I've been buying almond, coconut, and/or soy milk instead of milk for quite some time now. Recently I concluded that making nut milk shouldn't be that hard and googled around for guidance. I think I have this process pretty streamlined, have stuff to say, and am ready to document it, so here goes:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Cashew Milk</span><br />
Cashew milk is flipping delicious and easy to make, so if you want to try making nut milk, I highly recommend starting with cashew. If you have a kick ass blender (vita-mix, blendtec, etc.) you won't even need a nut milk bag/fine mesh to strain it, because you won't need to strain it at all.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3R4GKdj1_M/Tk657MldByI/AAAAAAAAAJE/KAbmNFniUNI/s1600/IMG_3520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3R4GKdj1_M/Tk657MldByI/AAAAAAAAAJE/KAbmNFniUNI/s640/IMG_3520.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<ol><li>Get RAW un-dicked around with cashews. No salt, no whatever else. I buy them in the bulk bin now. You will need about 1 cup of cashews to make 3 cups of cashew milk.</li>
<li>Soak them in plenty of water for a few hours or even overnight. You can soak them in the pitcher of your blender, so you don't dirty another thing in the kitchen. </li>
<li>Strain and rinse them off.</li>
<li>Add them back to the blender pitcher and add just enough fresh cold water to cover. I use filtered water from my Brita for this.</li>
<li>Blend on your blender's juice setting (my Blendtec starts out slow, then beats the crap out of them for maybe a minute and a half on this setting).</li>
<li>Behold your cashew cream! Depending on what you're up to, you might need to stop here. More on that later.</li>
<li>Add in the rest of the water (up to the 3 cup mark is a good place to start) and put the lid back on securely. I shake the pitcher at this point to basically wash down the sides.</li>
<li>Blend again on the whole juice setting.</li>
<li>Check it out! It looks like milk! </li>
</ol><br />
At this point it tastes very very neutral, so give it a taste and adjust for the consistency you like. If it's too creamy, just add more cold filtered water. I also like to buzz in a pinch of sea salt, a tiny bit of maple syrup, a tiny bit of vanilla extract, and a tiny pinch of cinnamon. If you go overboard on that stuff, it tastes like Horchata, which is damn awesome, as well.<br />
<br />
If you find, as I have, that you'll want to make a 3 cup batch of this every week, I recommend soaking a big batch of cashews all at once, then portioning them out into ziploc bags for the freezer. If you don't want to wait 20 minutes while they thaw a little, they can be zapped in the microwave for 30 seconds when you're ready to make milk, so the whole process from using pre-soaked, frozen cashews takes only five minutes.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Other ideas</span><br />
<b>Double Honey Nut Cheerios </b><br />
Flavor your nut milk with honey and a pinch of salt and pour over your Honey Nut Cheerios. OMG Sweet Jesus.<br />
<b>Honey Nut Semi Freddo</b><br />
Make honey nut semi-freddo by flavoring the cashew cream with plenty of honey and a good pinch of salt and freezing it. It should be too sweet to eat before you freeze it because freezing dulls the sweetness quite a bit. I stirred it once or twice as it was freezing too. This was amazingly good. I think I'm going to try this with hazelnut cream and chocolate next.<br />
<b>Coffee Cream</b><br />
Coffee cream can be made by adding less water than when making milk, and can, of course be flavored however you like.<br />
<b>Chocolate Cashew Milk</b><br />
Mix 1 Tbsp. agave nectar with 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder and a pinch of salt until it looks like Hershey's chocolate syrup. Add a little cashew milk to thin and stir until dissolved. Add more cashew milk until it tastes the way you want.<br />
<b>Delicious Cashew Spread</b><br />
Start with 1 cup of extra thick cashew cream and add 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast, chopped fresh herbs, cracked black pepper, and garlic (or any combination of that stuff- this combo tastes a lot like Boursin cheese). Awesome on crackers, crudite, and baked potatoes.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNjv1yi9cHs/Tk66O7CzNEI/AAAAAAAAAJI/03RQ6b6jvk4/s1600/IMG_3526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNjv1yi9cHs/Tk66O7CzNEI/AAAAAAAAAJI/03RQ6b6jvk4/s640/IMG_3526.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creamy coffee!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
super_luminalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13190075653917910042noreply@blogger.com0