Been a Little While

So I haven't been the most disciplined on this blog lately and with good cause for the most part.  I've been trying very hard to eliminate my extra gut as I'm tired of going out and people asking, "when are you due?"

This wouldn't be so insulting if I actually was pregnant, but rest assure, I'm not pregnant nor plan on any kids.  As a result, I upped my strategy of attending Kung Fu/kickboxing between three and four times a week.  I've also kept busy with a class at a local community college that meets once a week which is fine by me since I'm frequently in and out of town.

In any event, I did a combination of a vintage recipe and ethnic recipe in one throw a couple of weeks back.  However, for the sake of the challenge, we called this one a vintage one from the Hilo Woman's Club Cookbook (A Taste of the Islands) Over 300 Authentic Hawaiian Recipes entitled Crab Souffle.

Crab Souffle

I like souffles for their simple ingredients, complex process and delicate taste.  Though for this particular souffle, I had somewhat mixed results even though the boyfriend didn't seem to mind.  I think he was being a bit too far polite since it was kinda runny and didn't set right.

The souffle called for:
2 c cream sauce
3 eggs
1 c grated cheese
2 c crab meat
Dash of cayenne or tabasco sauce

Directions for the dish were pretty straight forward as well, or at least so I thought:
Add well beaten egg yolks, cheese and cayenne to the cream sauce which has been made quite thick.  Add flaked crab meat and beaten whites of eggs.  Back in quick oven until puffed and brown--about 25 minutes in 350 oven.

We'll try this one again and some point.  Just not this month as we decided to embark the challenge of being vegan.  I happened to be watching a documentary and thought, oh six weeks, that shouldn't be too bad, maybe I could pull of a month.  I can tell you that its only day seven, and I already miss my cheese and I think the boyfriend misses his honey as he polished off the rest of the maple syrup like Winnie the Pooh this morning.  He says there wasn't much in there but still, let's be real here.

While observing the month of veganism, the cooking challenge still remains intact.  So with that being said: Gabon will be our first vegan challenge dish.

French as in Dijon not Fries

This past week, the boyfriend drew the country France for our culinary pallets to discover.  I do have to admit that French cooking is one of my favorites to explore with since it is so delicate in many ways, but very complicated in others.

Great chefs like Jacques Pépin, use flavors that are unique to the region they are from.  So many flavors and recipes to try it was hard to narrow it down to just one.  I could have bought fresh French bread and Brie and could have called it a day (that's a treat in itself), but decided on a warmer dish since it was still on the slightly chilly side.

I opted to do a fairly quick stew, but had forgotten the French bread that would've gone well with it.  That didn't stop me though.

French Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth

Directions

1. Combine meat and flour in a large plastic food storage bag and toss to coat evenly.
2. In a 6 quart saucepan brown meat in hot vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
3. Add diced tomatoes, beef broth, carrots, potatoes and thyme. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover; and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is tender.



French Beef Stew

4. Blend in mustard and serve.

Side note: Since I forgot the French bread, I needed to make a quick bread.  I had just gone to the grocery store that afternoon and didn't feel like going out again to just get bread.  I found a recipe for buttermilk biscuits made from buttermilk pancake mix.  It didn't turn out too badly, just a tad on the dry side.

This upcoming week we'll go back in time.  Also, there will be a new twist to the blog come April, so stay tuned.

In the words of Jacques Pépin: "happy cooking."

Back Track

The last few weeks have been kinda crazy on the work front and school front.  However, not too busy to complete the last three challenges, just their associated blog entries.

Just before leaving for a week long business trip, I attempted to do a vintage recipe.  This time, it came from a cookbook that of course escapes my mind at the moment.  This is why I try to do my blog as I have cooked the dish so I remember.

In any event, these were small cakes with frosting.  The batter tasted like a cake batter right out of the box.  Which was nice though it wasn't as sweet (good for my taste buds).  The two pictured here are the only ones that came out "perfect."

Small Cakes with Frosting

 While I was away, the boyfriend drew out of the magic hat, East Timor as our country for the week.  Of course, I didn't really get a chance to research very much since on this business trip, I was required to go out all nights I was away.  Either way, I did find out quite about East Timor.

East Timor is primarily influenced by the other Southeast Asian countries and their other colony holders, such as Portugal.  Unfortunately, not many recipes listed as East Timor proper, so I found a recipe that quickly became a favorite for both the boyfriend and myself: Pastel de nata.

Pastel de Nata

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup milk 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 vanilla bean

1 cup white sugar 6 egg yolks 1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed

Pastel de Nata

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.) Lightly grease 12 muffin cups and line bottom and sides with puff pastry.
2.	In a saucepan, combine milk, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Place egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture into egg yolks. Gradually add egg yolk mixture back to remaining milk mixture, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove vanilla bean.
3.	Fill pastry-lined muffin cups with mixture and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is lightly browned on top (http://goo.gl/uI1Enz)

Immediately after exploring this recipe, we went vintage and tried to go back to our healthier eats.  Unfortunately, the boyfriend had picked the cookbook, A Book of Good Dinners, which encompasses the entire dinner, from appetizer, to main dish to desert options and what each are paired with.  For the sake of our appetite and our waist lines (which by the way are actually shrinking due to our dedications to the gym and kickboxing/kung fu respectively), we only attempted to do a salad.  And since I was back from the East Coast, it was only fitting to do a salad called "California Salad."

California Salad

1 cup crab meat

2/3 cup celery

4 small tomatoes

Remove the meat from crabs and cut in pieces of uniform size, add the celery finely cut and tomatoes cut in quarters.  Marinate with French Dressing, and garnish with Mayonnaise Dressing

Mayonnaise Dressing

1/2 teaspoon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

few grains cayenne

Yolks 2 eggs

3/4 teaspoon lemon juice

3/4 tablespoon vinegar

2/3 cup olive oil

California Salad

Mix dry ingredients, add egg yolks and when well mixed, add oil gradually, at first drop by drop stirring constantly.  As mixture thickens, thin with vinegar and lemon juice.  Add oil and vinegar or lemon juice alternately, until all is used, stirring constantly.

French Dressing

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 drops onion juice

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

Mix ingredients in order given and stir well until well blended.

Now I know that this is a lot of food to digest, but remember, we did span it over the last few weeks.  This week, we'll explore the French culinary delights.  Fortunately for me, French fries aren't on the list.  French fries are actually Belgian so no French fries on the menu, unless I decide to put them as a side dish (most likely not, we'll see though...).

Salted Pork Redeems the Danes

This past week I researched the culinary wonders of Denmark.  I can't exactly see why it was noted as Michelin star worthy for some local eateries since most of the dishes I had researched look very bland and unappetizing.  I was hoping for some flavor like the previous attempts at ethnic food, but sadly, the only thing that redeemed the dish I prepared was the salted pork.

I am not big on pork to begin with but since I wanted to end the weekend breaking my predominate vegetable diet, I figured, salted pork was the way to go.

What was worth noting was that peasant dishes are the root of the history of Danish cuisine through the Industrial Revolution.  Which was good for my budget constraints and desire to donate 10% of the remainder each week to the local food bank at the end of the year.

Stegt flæsk med persillesovs (Fried, uncured bacon with parsley sauce)

In any event, Stegt flæsk med persillesovs (Fried, uncured bacon with parsley sauce) was only tasty due to the uncured bacon even though I tried to make the parsley sauce with the bacon fat to give it a little more flavor.

It is worth noting however, the boyfriend liked this dish since he found the sauce to be tasty enough to eat with all parts of the dish.  Without the sauce, this dish had no depth we concluded so it probably won't be high on the list of repeats any time soon, though who knows, I might get bored and say, parsley sauce and potato please!  Unlikely though.  Next week, we'll go back in time and hopefully we can get a little bit of flavor back onto our pallets.

Smell of Vintage...

The smell of vintage hasn't always been of favorable smells.  Especially since the boyfriend doesn't like Brussels sprouts.  I try to introduce him to new tastes since he has claimed he has "bland taste buds" since he's from the Midwest.

I do have to admit, his pallet is kinda bland.  Then again, a pasta diet is cheap and he's also pretty frugal.  So my objective was to remain frugal (I'm not a huge spender on food or anything for that matter) and expand both our taste buds.

Unfortunately, Brussel sprouts to him are still not very tasty.  I decided to at least try Brussel sprouts in a different form to expand my pallet.  I like Brussel sprouts, yes, I said it, I like Brussel sprouts BUT not peas!!  How can I be my father's daughter?!

In any event, vintage Brussel sprouts was only my cup of tea.

Brussel sprouts au Gratin from The Household Searchlight Recipe Book (c) 1943
2 c Brussel sprouts
1 Tbs chopped parsley
1/2 c buttered crumbs

Brussels sprout au gratin (c) 1943

1/2 c grated Swiss or American cheese (I think if there wasn't cheese, the boyfriend wouldn't have even touched this dish)
Salt and Pepper
1/2 c medium white sauce

Wash sprouts thoroughly.  Cook in boiling salted water until tender.  Fill a well-oiled casserole with alternate layers of Brussels sprouts and white sauce.  Season to taste.  Sprinkle with cheese and crumbs.  Bake in a moderate oven (375 degrees F) about 20 minutes.  Garnish with parsley.  4 Servings.---Virginia Cooper, New Orleans, LA.

On another note, I googled for Virginia Cooper and found this http://goo.gl/ZNzsr9 .  I'm not sure if it is the same Virginia Cooper listed in this book, but if it was, I'll admit to her dish being tasty, even if it was just for me to enjoy on this challenge.

Next week, we'll explore the culinary dishes of Denmark.

Congo Chicken Moambe Stew

This past week, the boyfriend drew the country of Congo for the ethnic cuisine part of the challenge of 2014.  Not much is published on the food of Congo, but from what I did research, it made me realize that I could never be a vegetarian in Congo.  Vegetarianism isn't a known commodity in Central Africa as growing any sort of fresh crops is incredibly difficult.

However, root vegetables such as cassava and sweet potato are typical side dishes to a meat dish.  For this dish, I found a Congo Chicken Moambe Stew.  This is one you certainly have to allot two and a half hours to prepare and cook.

Congo Chicken Moambe Stew -- Oalala of Food.com
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients
1-1 1/3 lbs chicken parts -- cut into serving pieces

Congo Chicken Moambe (stew)

1/4 tsp of salt
1/3 tsp of pepper
1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper
1/3 onion--minced
1/3 dash of nutmeg
1 (2 2/3 oz) can of tomato sauce
1/3 Tbs of butter
1/3 c of peanut butter -- creamy and unsalted

Directions
1. Place chicken in a 6 quart soup pot with water to cover -- add salt and pepper
2. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook 1 to 1 1/2 hours
3. Remove chicken and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth
4. In another pan, sate cayenne pepper, onion, nutmeg, tomato sauce and butter for 3 minutes
5. To the pan, add the cooked chicken and 1 1/2 cups of reserved broth and simmer covered for 15 minutes
6. Add peanut butter to thicken, place in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes, uncovered
7. Serve warm with cooked rice

Out of all the chicken dishes I have prepared, this had to be the tastiest, aside from the roasted chicken I did from Thomas Keller's toolbox.  The mildness of the peanut butter and tomato sauce really pulled this chicken to another degree.

Next week, we'll explore the Searchlight Recipe Book (c) 1943.

Throw Back to 1908...

This past week, the boyfriend drew The Inglenook Cook Book, dated 1908.  He found this book on eBay and gave it to me as one of my Christmas' presents.  Neither of us are really big on Christmas since we don't buy into the whole commercialism aspect of it so we always struggle in trying to figure out what to get the other for Christmas, even if its something photography or cooking related.

In any event, part of the challenge of 2014 is a week of vintage.  I really didn't know what to prepare out of The Inglenook Cook Book, since there are a number of different types of recipes.  Mindful of my "diet," and quest to keep things fresh, I caved.  Unnecessarily, but I was having the week where my "diet" never makes sense only that being a woman in childbearing years without the child.

I also wanted to keep the ingredients simple and perhaps out of the cabinet for this challenge since I'm sure that's what the women of 1908 would do.

Introducing, Chocolate Fudges from Sister Emma Carstensen, Elgin, Illinois.

Chocolate Fudges (c) 1908

"Take 1 cup of sugar (I reduced to 1/2 cup), 1/3 cup of sweet cream (whipping cream), and 1 heaping tablespoonful of grated chocolate; boil until it hairs from the tines of a fork.  Stir briskly till cool, pour into a pan and cut into squares."

Simple right?  Way too simple!  In my days of making fudge, which weren't many since my family was never big on sweets, always involved using sweetened condensed milk.  Now that I know that whipping cream is a good substitute, I can replicate this to a better chocolate (like 67% coco).

In any event, I learned something new from this little venture and hopefully this upcoming week's challenge can pull us through to another vintage week with another book.

Next week, The Republic of Congo...

Monthly update of funds going towards the Food Bank: $4.02

Exploring Belgium

Last week, I was away on business again, and found myself having to research Belgian food.  I've been fortunate in my life to explore Belgium as a teenager and two things stick in my memory bank on Belgian food: beer and waffles.

Unfortunately, this challenge isn't calling for either, or at least something I didn't call for.  I also was trying to be mindful of the new year's challenge for the boyfriend and I to shed some pounds.  Belgian food is uniquely different in that it is heavily influenced by the French, hence the debate between France and Belgium as to who "discovered" fries.  Honestly, it was the Belgians!  So if you remember the argument in the last decade that we abandon French fries because they were French, obviously it was bogus!  Freedom fries, seriously?!  In any event, Belgians take the reigns as top fry.  Also, Belgian food is influenced by the Germans.  Germans influence the Belgians by the amount of food they serve: A LOT.

So with the gourmet of French food and the quantity of German in mind, my quest to find the happy medium began.

Part of my quest this year was to also make sure I kept to fresh foods made finding a reasonable Belgian dish that much harder.

Introducing Celery Root and Potato Puree from Estel's Kitchen--Live 2 Eat!

Ingredients:

• 1 celery root--peeled and cubed
• 3 medium Idaho or russet baking potatoes--peeled and cubed
• 1 c of milk
• 1 Tbs of salt
• 3 or 4 Tbs unsalted butter--at room temperature
• 3 Tbs heavy cream or additional milk
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Procedures

1. In a large saucepan, combine celery root, potatoes, 1 cup of milk, 1 Tablespoon of salt, and enough cold water to cover the vegetable
2. Cover partially and cook over medium heat until the potatoes and celery root are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain
3. Press the celery root and potato through a food mill or potato ricer into a large mixing bowl.  Use a wooden spoon to beat in the butter and cream
4. Beat until the mixture is very light and fluffy.  Season generously with salt, pepper and nutmeg
5. The puree can be kept warm in 150°F oven for up to 2 hours

I paired this side dish with a roasted chicken from Thomas Keller (owner of the French Laundry) and sauteed carrots.  All and all, it has been a great jumping off point dish. When I bought the chicken, I didn't realize there were bagged gibbets included!  As a result, I am going to attempt the other dish I was thinking of prior to the Celery Root and Potato Puree; Chicken Liver Mousse.

Next week, we will explore the year 1908 with the Inglenook Cook Book.

Correction: Apparently the dish from last week is not the New Wiggle Shrimp.  It was misnamed and is actually, New Shrimp Wiggle.

The New Wiggle Shrimp Might As Well Just Wig Out

Last week, I was on a business trip, and fortunately, I had to only pick a recipe out of one of my vintage cookbooks for the challenge.  Yet, this was a challenge in itself since there were over 1,000 to choose from, and I had to make something that was within season, within budget, and within healthy guidelines.

New Wiggle Shrimp

I first thought, perhaps since the weather is still cold, I could pull off a "rabbit stew."  It sounded tasty, but upon reflection, all I can picture is Bugs Bunny in a cooking pot.

So, I decided to test my seafood skills instead.  I found what was called "New Wiggle Shrimp."  While preparing it, the boyfriend asked, "what was old wiggle shrimp, if this is or was considered new wiggle shrimp?"  His question was relevant as we did use a cookbook dated at 1925.  I was honestly afraid to think of the worst case of why it was called "new wiggle shrimp."  I thought that perhaps, it was because the individual wanting the shrimp couldn't just go to store like I could and had to freshly catch the shrimp from the sea.  It was an English cookbook after all so it could be possible.


Also, did Bubba Blue know of this creation of the "new wiggle shrimp?"  He never did mention it in his speech to Forrest Gump when naming off the different types of shrimp.  In any event, this dish was rated about a C+ in terms of taste in my book.  There wasn't much flavor towards it so it was overshadowed by the steamed kale and broccoli we had on the side.  I give it an A- in terms of ingredients and ease of recipe.  I didn't find the jargon of 1925 too difficult to follow on this recipe.

New Wiggle Shrimp [Modern Priscilla Cookbook: 1,000 Recipes and Cooking Methods (c)1925]
3 slices of bacon
1 c of shrimp
2 c canned tomatoes (we diced fresh tomatoes)
1/2 c milk
1 Tbs of flour
•Dice the bacon and cook in a frying pan until brown
•Add the shrimp and the tomatoes
•Cook all together a few minutes
•Heat in a separate pan the milk to which the flour has been added, stirring until thickened
•Stir into the other mixture and season to taste


In any event, "new wiggle shrimp," is one I think we won't immediately repeat unless we are finding ourselves at a loss as to what to do with shrimp.  Then again, we might just refer to Bubba Blue's ideas. As far as the food bank fund: $.80. The shrimp and milk added up more than I had hoped.

Later this week, we explore the culture of Belgium not including the beer or waffles.

Starting off with Albanian

This year has just barely started, and already I'm finding myself busier than normal.  On New Year's Day, I made up some hours lost by working.  Not a big deal since the boyfriend put in some miscellaneous hours as well.  It was a good thing I was making up some hours lost since I found out that I'm also due to go out on another business trip next week.

The challenge of an Albanian dish, had to come sooner than expected since tonight I'll be away from the kitchen for the next three nights.

So, without further delay, even if it is a tad on the early side:  Fërgesë of Tirana with veal.

I tried my best to reduce the recipe in order to keep the portion small since we were still eating leftover roasted butternut squash risotto and freshly made sauteed arugula.  We're having to clear the fridge since we'll be gone for a few days and chances are, by the time we get back, the boyfriend isn't going to use what's left since he doesn't cook much when I'm gone.

Part of the challenge this year is to also list out the recipe I used to get the results pictured.  Also, it helps to have the cultured recipe published if it isn't easily found.  In this case, Albanian food is very close to Mediterranean food so it isn't as "foreign" as I'd hoped.  I like Mediterranean food and it isn't "unhealthy" as it were.

As far as cost is concerned, this dish came under $5 since I was using what we had in the fridge.  We had the onion, butter, flour, and Feta cheese so all I needed to purchase was the veal.  So, I'll be putting to $1.51 into the Food Bank fund.  Not a bad way to start out the year.

Fërgesë of Tirana with veal, Fergesë e Tiranës me Mish Viçi -- http://goo.gl/SpKAcr

Ingredients

Fërgesë of Tirana with veal

• one pound veal cutlets
• 1/2 pound salted cottage cheese or Greek feta cheese
• one tablespoon flour
• 1/4 lb. (one stick) butter
• 3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• one medium-sized onion

Add salt, black pepper, and chili pepper for flavor.

Procedure

Cut the veal cutlets into small pieces. Dice the onion. In a saucepan, preheat the olive oil and sauté the meat and onion for 15 minutes. In another saucepan, melt the butter and then add flour, cottage or feta cheese, and black pepper, salt and chili pepper to taste. Mix all the ingredients together (adding the sautéed meat and onions) in the saucepan and place in a preheated 350 oven for 15 minutes. Take out and serve immediately. Note: Instead of veal cutlets, beef liver can be used in the same quantity of meat and preparation/cooking instructions as above.

Serves 4 people, sometimes utilized as an appetizer.

New Year, New Challenge

Here's a brief summary of the food challenge of 2013:

• With all the hick-ups that occurred in 2013, I was able to complete 63 percent of the food challenges
• 10 dishes were picked as 10 favorites
• Two themes emerged from the food challenge of 2013 to forge the food challenge of 2014

Despite the business trips, mold infestation, and a sudden move; I think the boyfriend and I did fairly well in completing 63 percent of the food challenge.  Considering it was to occur 52 weeks, that's better than 50% :) Also, the fact we were able to pick 10 dishes as 10 favorites, that's pretty darn good.

Top 10 of 2013

Now, for the top 10 dishes as 10 favorites...

Each of these dishes had a common feel to them.  Aside from being tasty, they wanted me to dig deeper.

As a result, this is how the Food Challenge of 2014 will roll out:

• There are two themes that will be present during the food challenge of 2014:
• culturally different
• vintage adaptable
• Every week, the recipe will either be of a random country or from one of my vintage cookbooks
• To be fair, the random country will be drawn by letter
• for example, all "A" countries will be written on a piece of paper and drawn by the boyfriend to be a true random draw
• all of the letters will be fairly represented even if there is only one country per letter like Qatar
• this should result in 26 culturally different recipes represented
• Vintage recipes consist of a dish from a book dated older than 50 years as of 2014
• For optimum results, seasonal (and to the region) ingredients for the vintage and cultural recipes will be used
• Total cost per dish must be under $20 and serve a minimum of 2 people
• 10 percent of the remaining funds of per dish must be put back into PayPal Account and the balance at the end of the year must be donated to the local food bank

Onward, the food challenge of 2014, is just getting started with something ALBANIAN :)

Yucca Pun Intended Last Letter and Ingredient of the Year

My final challenge of the year was yucca.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to really figure out what to do with it and with back to back business trips after Thanksgiving, it made it increasingly difficult to put the yucca on the plate.

I wasn't able to get a picture of the boyfriend's plate before he started eating this less-starch like root vegetable and so to that, picture unavailable.  I sauteed the yucca in some butter and salted it.  To add a little bit of flavor and color, I added some turmeric.

The results were well, tolerable on my end but the boyfriend liked it.  I'm almost starting to think he's being a bit too generous in likes this year.

As a result, it made picking our top dishes of the year rather difficult.

In the year 2013, I set out to do 52 different ingredients for each week of the year.  With the number of issues we faced, the boyfriend's apartment getting remodeled due to mold and a quick move, and new job of mine having to travel virtually every other week, we completed 34 of the 52 ingredients.  We narrowed it down to our top 10.

Want to know what our top 10 were? Well, that's a going to be for another blog to close our the year in style and to help us ease into a new challenge for 2014.  The theme of 2014 will be reveled at that point too.

Meanwhile, my final challenge of the year: cooking a belated Christmas lunch/dinner for my parents.

Eggnog is an Egg Not

Southern Style Eggnog from the American Women's Cookbook 1938

Thanksgiving came and went after getting back from a business trip and I found myself with the challenge of preparing Eggnog.

I have never been a fan of eggnog but since it was part of the challenge, I had to make it.  I found a recipe out of one of my vintage cookbooks (The American Women's Cookbook) that I thought I'd experiment with and to say I actually have used my investment in American culture.

That's one thing I have learned about American culture that I can truly appreciate.  There are many things but this is one of the things that I really value.

I'm an avid reader and when it comes to reading about this hobby of mine, I am overwhelmed with the amount of information that is out there.  I am also amazed at how much of the American culture is overwhelmed with the release of food trends.

In any event, written record is a great way to get an indepth look at a past culture.  I couldn't say the same of my Indonesian roots so any time I see a book designated specifically for Indonesian cooking, I'm in, but for now my shelves are filling up with American and various other cookbooks.

Blast from the past. The result of the eggnog round one was a lot better than the round two I tried to prepare for the boyfriend's brother's in-laws.  We all determined it was a bit too egg-y and too much brandy.  I also told the boyfriend I don't intend to make eggnog again due to the stress involved.  Separating eggs just ever so slightly only to get them to come back together, eh, not exactly the most least-stress involved recipe.

Twist without Stain

Pomegranate Relish

For this week's challenge, pomegranate came to mind of the boyfriend.  We still had a couple of left from our first Farm Fresh to You delivery and we thought, why not use them for the challenge.  Besides, what is there to do with a pomegranate aside from just opening one up and eating it.  That's normally how I handle my fruit, no matter how complex it is.  Pomegranate on my list of fruits that I enjoy but dislike in getting into.  Simply because when you open a pomegranate you face it staining things.

I have ruined a few things from opening up a pomegranate but it doesn't stop me enjoying one.  The juicer they are, the more trouble they are.

Anyways, as far as the challenge, it wasn't enough to just get one open and call it a day, so I found a recipe that didn't require much in terms of preparation or extra ingredients.  I also figured, it is getting close to family food gatherings so I better see what I can prepare to satisfy even the most picky of tasters.

For this pomegranate relish, it took only a shallot and some cilantro to add an extra boost of flavor to the pomegranate.  It also was a relatively quick dish to "cook" once all the pomegranate was extracted from the fruit itself.

Hopefully the challenges for the remainder of the year will be one of less mess.  Fortunately, the mess of this dish was minimal since the pomegranate was just under full ripeness and wasn't too juicy.

We've All Gone Bananas!

Roasted banana with brown sugar walnut glaze

In the spirit of the return of the weekly food challenge, the boyfriend picked the magical ingredient: banana.  I could have done banana bread or banana walnut muffins, but I wanted to go beyond the standard banana fare of taste.  I also wanted to keep the dish light since it was also the night the boyfriend cooked.  He is known for at least one dish: pasta with pasta sauce.  Fortunately for me, and for him, he didn't cook his standard of when I'm out of town or before I moved into his life.

He prepared chicken with shredded carrot and mushroom served over mash potatoes.  Now before the carbohydrate police get onto me about the amount of carbohydrates the standard amount of mash potatoes, he put the remainder of the leftover low sodium vegetable broth from my experiment of broccoli cheddar soup (broccoli and spinach with minimal cheese, gluten free and vegetarian) instead of cream or milk.  See, we can be healthy when it comes to certain foods.  Especially now that I'm gone nearly every other week and my choices of "fresh food" come close to nil.

Anyways, for the banana.  I chose to do a roasted banana and roasted walnut brown sugar glaze dish.  The low amount of brown sugar was quickly masked by the amount of lemon juice and minimal butter coating the roasted walnuts.  The roasted banana also heightened the sweet taste factor, so if you were to do this recipe, make sure the bananas are ripe but not ripe enough to want to make banana bread or banana muffins ripe.  The banana should be firm not overly squishy since it has to hold up to 450 degrees for 5 minutes.

Farm Fresh to You: apples, pears, grapes, oranges, kiwi, pomegranates 

This week was also the first week our "Farm Fresh to You" delivery showed up to our door.  I picked out the smallest box, and since the delivery date doesn't come around until Wednesday, we opted for the fruit box.  I just didn't expect as many apples in the box.  Either way, about a 1/4 of the contents within the box is already gone.

My $9.99 do-it-yourself brew kit

What's also cool about this box is that there's a recipe within the box for one of the contained items in the box.  Maybe upon the next delivery, I'll try out the recipe and it can be part of the challenge of the week.  We shall see, what the boyfriend decides, because he's still the guinea pig in all of this.

On another note, the boyfriend took my parents and I to brunch last weekend.  Which was a nice "welcome home," and it also meant no dishes for either of us to do.  It takes a bit to get my parents to get out of the house during the 49ers football season, or at least my dad anyways.  We also had to meet the mom's friend's daughter later in the day in Oakland so we decided to make a day outing.  Between brunch and the bookstore, the boyfriend and I had to get back to the apartment to take care of the pups.  But before we headed back, we all hopped into Beverages and More.  I picked up a beer brewing kit.  Now before I have the anti-drinking wagon on me, hear me out a little.

I enjoy my beer and wine on occasion and my brother took up the hobby within his one bedroom apartment.  My brother-in-law and sister decided to open a hard cider brewery.  So perhaps it is in the blood.  Though my taste buds on beer isn't that refined compared to the boyfriend or the brother or the brother-in-law, so I refused to invest so into a kit when I'm not so sure if I had the gene or the blood to do it.  The average 6 pack of beer costs $8-9 USD, so I took that into consideration when buying the brewing kit.  The listing price was $42.  Absolutely RIDICULOUS if you ask me!  So I am happy to announce this Do-It-Yourself kit was only $9.99 for Beverages and More Club members!!!!

So, I figure, why not?  It will take 2 weeks to brew, and if I put it to set tomorrow (Friday), by the time I have to leave on Tuesday, it'll be ready to set.  Who knows, maybe by Thanksgiving we'll have our own IPA microbrew to present to the families...to be continued.

Farm Fresh to Begin Soon

In spirit of keeping things fresh, local and in challenge requirements, I finally signed up for a service that should be fun: Farm Fresh to You (http://goo.gl/clbMZV).

I ordered the smallest possible fruit box for both the boyfriend and myself.  I also ordered it for the frequency of every other week since I'm still learning a new job and not always around to enjoy the fruits of my labor (pun intended).  This doesn't mean however that the challenge halts, just makes it even more challenging, I think.

Budget wise, I think it will be okay since I don't spend a lot of superfluous or access on stuff.  At $25.00 every other week, I think it is going to be a nice treat and bargain.

Progress not Perfection

Since moving into a new place, I have been trying to get everything organized to where I know where things are, including my numerous spices.

The OCD of Spices, err, I mean my spice collection thus far

I tried to label them with masking tape, but the masking tape didn't quite stick very well to the jars on hand.  As a result, the boyfriend bought me some dot stickers to put on top of the spices.  Fortunate for the both of us, I have the small and neat handwriting.  At the same time, my OCD took over me a little with the multicolored dots. I almost wanted to say, the purple mean this type of spice, the yellow this type and the green another type.  Sadly, my OCD didn't kick into overdrive.  The different colors don't signify any difference in spices, just the labels themselves.  If you look carefully, the writing is actually legible.

Cornstarch Pudding Pie

After about a two month forced break from the food challenge of 2013, I think we are back.  I was to do lychee before the whole mold and moving apartments fiasco, but by the time things got settled within the new apartment, fresh lychee became nonexistent here and canned lychee was not a favored option to me or the boyfriend.

Cornstarch Pudding Pie

As a result, the boyfriend sent me his grandmother's cornstarch pudding pie.  I have to admit, cornstarch pudding doesn't exactly entice me much.  If we added a little bit of rum, I think I would've been okay with the taste of it.

The results of this brought back a number of memories for the boyfriend.  Which I think is ultimately the point of the food challenge.  The memories he has growing up in the Midwest before moving to Washington D.C. for Graduate School then back to the Midwest to now the San Francisco Bay Area, result in him opening up a little more.

We are both onions when it comes to our emotions.  Every layer that is peeled is every layer exposing our inner selves.

Either way, the food challenge of 2013 is back for the remainder of the year.

Fresh Japanese Eggplant from the Garden of a Friend

Today I had lunch with an old friend of mine from school and with her gluten allergy, we had to determine what she could and couldn't have.

I am fortunate that I don't have food allergies and my friend is fortunate that she is able to manage her food allergies with her a lot of better and a lot more places know a lot more about gluten intolerance than they use to.

We chose to have Vietnamese food and even though things were rice based, sauces tend to be a concern for the one with allergies.  Fortunately, the sauces predominately used in Vietnamese food are gluten free.

After lunch, we went by her house for her to get ready for work.  She showed me around her newly landscaped yard and had me sample some of the goodies that the yard produced.  I tried out a couple of different varieties of strawberries, super sweet, and took home some of the overabundance of Japanese eggplant from her yard.

Fortunately, I don't mind Japanese eggplant and it is one of the few veggies with a high protein content that allows vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike to take part in a tasty vegetable.  That is assuming one likes vegetables or eggplant.

As far as this batch of fresh Japanese eggplant is concerned, I'm at a loss as to what to do with it for now.  Fortunately, the boyfriend is at class tonight so I took off cooking detail so I have some time to figure it out.

Return of the Waistline...

After about a month of no cooking challenges due to the mold in the boyfriend's old apartment and getting settled into our apartment, yes that's right, we moved in together, the return of the challenge is to start next week.

I spent a good deal of the afternoon resorting the cabinets in the kitchen for easy access of spices and other kitchen essential items.  It isn't perfect, but for the time being and sanity sake, it will work for both of us.

I'm still looking for the "perfect" spice rack that will make my challenges a little bit easier since as of now, we are using an old lazy Susan to host the 20+ spices with have.

I might also add that with the sorting of the "pantry" I found the maple syrup that my parents gave the boyfriend from their quick trip to Canada.  For awhile, it had gone missing into the forest of disorganization and I had been making fresh fruit compote as a substitute for syrup for the pancakes.  We've  been good and only eat 2 medium sized pancakes per week so our waistlines aren't expanding because of it.

I've also been reading more into my friend's textbook (Le Cordon Bleu's Professional Cooking) to better enhance this blog.

Onward, the more I talk on food, the hungrier I'll get to want to experiement and my food intake for the night is done.

Until next week, Silly Beans will have her nose in the books.