Journal

2011 - Week 18 Cooking Results

Thin Crust Pizza (p8 January/February 2011 Cook's Illustrated) (veggie style for movie night, haven't decided as to what to do for toppings yet)

So the crust turned out pretty well, again I think I should have cooked it a bit longer.  The big problem, in my mind, about this one was all the vegetables.  So on this pizza, was 5 oz of onions (little more then half of one), 5 oz of red pepper (one) and 1.5 oz of jalapeno pepper (two).  The Cheese was 8 oz of smoked mozzarella and 1 oz Parmesan.  So I took the veggies and sauteed them for a bit (not that long) to get some water out, but clearly I didn't get enough out.  The topping was just a bit much so I have to go back, do it again and make adjustments.  Also, I added a bit of Frank's Red Hot Sauce (2 teaspoons) to the sauce, and that really didn't come through either.  The goal was to make it spicy warm, and I don't think I did that.  So the notes here is more Frank's, more Jalapeno and more time in the pan for the veggies and a little bit more time in the oven. It still looked good and tasted pretty good.

"Not as Spicy as wanted" veggie pizza

Spring Vegetable Pasta (minus the Asparagus) (p19 May/June 2011 Cook's Illustrated)

Why minus the asparagus?  I try asparagus every 6 months or so, we both do, and neither of us particularly like it.  It seems like something that I should like, but I don't.  So I had to make some on the fly adjustments, because, well, I kind of didn't read the recipe all the way through and threw some stuff away that I shouldn't have.  With the adjustments it still turned out very well.  It made for a nice creamy veggie dish on a weeknight.  Though it wasn't quite veggie cause I used some chicken stock (leftover) in combination with the veggie stock as well.  It was an interesting way to make pasta (kind of like risotto).  The thing I didn't find totally appealing was that there was some discoloration on the pasta by the end.

Spring Vegetable Pasta from Cook's Illustrated

Indonesian-Style Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng) (p15 May/June 2011 Cook's Illustrated)

This turned very well and was very tasty.  However, it was time consuming.  From preparing the veggies, to preparing the shrimp, to making the rice to get it all together to cook it all in the last 15 minutes, it wasn't probably quite worth the time.  Maybe I was just being slow, but it took 2 to 2.5 hours to do.  That being said, I hate to admit that this was my first real experience with shrimp.  And it turned out well.  While the shrimp I used weren't the size that the recipe called for, because they were magically on sale this week, so I bought them on their bargain day, rather then paying quite a chunk of change a pound.  I have to admit I did like the little rolled up slices of omelette were a nice touch and made for a tasty addition.

Nasi Goreng from Cook's Illustrated

Juicy Pub-Style Burgers (p11 May/June 2011 Cook's Illustrated)

I really need a real exhaust fan in the kitchen.  This can be clearly evidenced by high heat/high smoke cooking experiences.  Why doesn't my kitchen have an exhaust fan?  Well there is a chimney and I suppose that "counts" but when it comes down to it I have no idea.  I've never put one in, and neither did the previous owners.  The need of an exhaust fan was clearly evident when I made these burgers.  We ended up opening windows to reduce the smoke level in the house.  Anyways, I didn't really follow the recipe here (even though I want a meat grinder, I, as of yet, have been able to justify this purchase).  So what I did was I got some of the George's Grind from Gateway (large grind certified angus beef), which does make a better burger then the normal smile grind stuff that you get out of the store, at least in my opinion.  So I vaguely followed the recipe from there.  Added the butter, all the good stuff and followed the recipe sort of from there.  The problem that we had, and this was probably my fault, the burger kind of started to crumble a part when you started eating it. I used some of the Milton Creamery Prairie Dawn cheese and it made for a really tasty, if messy burger.

Large Grind Burger

2011 - Week 18 Cooking

  • Thin Crust Pizza (p8 January/February 2011 Cook's Illustrated) (veggie style for movie night, haven't decided as to what to do for toppings yet)
  • Spring Vegetable Pasta (minus the Asparagus) (p19 May/June 2011 Cook's Illustrated)
  • Indonesian-Style Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng) (p15 May/June 2011 Cook's Illustrated)
  • Juicy Pub-Style Burgers (p11 May/June 2011 Cook's Illustrated)

2011 - Week 17 Cooking Results

Egg Salad Sandwiches

In the spirit of colored eggs, even though we didn't have any, I thought this would be an appropriate meal for the week.  I riffed on the Cook's Illustrated Egg salad recipe I used about a month ago.  And it turned out well, as is to be expected.  It made for a good quick simple meal that seemed very time appropriate.

Roast Chicken

Friday was nice out.  Thursday night after watching the weather it seemed a bit silly to have roast chicken.  So I thought, hey, I could make a chicken salad.  So a roasting I did go.  This was the last chicken I had from Fox Hollow Poultry Farm.

Roast ChickenI stuffed it was some lemon and a lime.  I only ate some of the chicken skin (so not good for you).

After the chicken had cooled down a bit I shredded it.  Made a pretty good chicken salad.  I used the rest of the chevre, I petite diced the feta I had bought.  Added some leftover relish, mayo and mustard and it was done.  It made for a good dinner and will make for a good lunch as well.

Baked Potatoes

I had some leftover potatoes from last week, and decided we haven't had the fully decked out backed potato in a while  It's an easy meal, poke potatoes with a fork, put potatoes in the oven, about an hour later...  Anyways I think it goes with a general lazy theory for the week.  Easy meals for the most part and cleaning out some leftovers.

French Toast (with Reichert's Dairy chevre)

So in reading an article somewhere, they were talking about a stuffed French toast, and I thought that sounded like a good idea.  I don't remember what it was stuffed with but part of it was chevre.  And this was a good thing.  A short while ago Lois announced that her goat milk products should start showing back up in stores (after a far to long winter hiatus).  So I was looking in the fridge and I remembered at the back of it I had some fig paste and I though hey this might make a good combination.  So I slightly headed up the chevre, and the fig paste so it was easier to manage (a little time in the microwave).  I added a little milk (should have warmed that a little to).  I had this thick mixture that I thought I  kind of should've stopped there, maybe added an egg, but I didn't.  I then think I diluted it a bit to much.  But be that as it was you could still taste the fig and a bit of the chevre.  I think I need to work on this more, and maybe just start out with figs (I do have figs) and go from there.  I should be able to buy some chevre directly from the source here in a bit.  But I think this is a good start and tasted pretty good.  As notes to myself I used ~2 oz of chevre and ~2 oz of fig paste.  I was unable to use challah bread, like I normally would, because it was thursday, and I think people make it for the weekend.

Thai Style Sausage and Mozzarella grilled sandwiches

I say the Niman Ranch Thai style sausage in the case a while back, and picked them up.  And with the mozzarella dream sandwiches I figured they could go together nicely.  Anyways, it worked out pretty well.  I should have cut the sausage a bit thinner, but other then that it was a good tasting sandwich.

2011 - Week 17 Cooking

This week, I have a middle of the week day off.  Assuming that I'll be as drugged or more so then I was earlier in the month.  The last time I had an upper GI endoscopy, I think they had to drug me twice, though I can't remember almost anything of it.  The one I had earlier this month, I remember quite a bit more, which I don't think was my goal.  So I'm going to have to assume that I'll be mostly non-functional on Wednesday.  Since I no longer have a back up at my job, it will make being on call interesting, though I did ask for and get one of the server admins to cover emergency call for me while I'm out (Thanks Mike!).  Hopefully, I won't be down for long, because I feel bad having someone else cover for me, when it is not really their job.  Though in all reality, the most likely thing to happen is nothing.

  • Egg Salad Sandwiches
  • Roast Chicken
  • Baked Potatoes
  • French Toast (with Reichert's Dairy chevre)
  • Thai Style Sausage and Mozzarella grilled sandwiches

2011 - Week 16 Cooking Results

Bacon and Leek Risotto with Poached Egg (p61 April 2011 Bon Appétit)

It has been a while since I have taken the time to make a risotto.  It turned out well, very very well.  Oh creamy risotto goodness.  With the poached egg on top, oh the deliciousness.  I also did a side by side comparison with the actual Parmigiano-Reggiano (aged 18 months I think) cheese that I buy from time to time at Gateway Market and the Hy-Vee bought 'parmesean' that I use from time to time (because it's excessively cheaper).  My first thought about it, was that I shouldn't do this comparison, cause I was afraid that I'd never want to use the cheaper stuff again.  The taste difference is vast.  And I mean across the ocean vast.  One you have that kind of hints that it's a cheese that may have been aged, and the other just dances with flavor in your mouth.  Anyways I have a big chunk of Arborio rice left, so I'll have more plans for it.  Perhaps incorporate it into my Chive Blossom Dinner.  Which could make for a great side, or a vegetarian substitute main.  On that note, my chives are budding, so the dinner will be coming soon.

Bacon and Leek Risotto with Poached EggBacon and Leek Risotto with Poached Egg

Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice (RC April/May 2011 Cook's Country)

Simple meal, not exactly fine dining but still pretty good none the less.  I did end up using more cheese then recipe called for, but it came out of the oven looking pretty and led for a nice crunchy cheesy dinner.  Though with the Fritos I think it was a little salty over all.  That could be just be me though.  Reheated the Fritos got a bit soggy, so it didn't make for the best leftover, though I still ate it for lunch.

Tex-Mex Chicken and RiceTex-Mex Chicken and Rice

Honey Mustard Crumb-Coated Pork Cutlets (RC April/May 2011 Cook's Country)

I used the last of the Senap Grov (whole grain mustard from Ikea) to make this.  It was easy enough and made for a nice meal.  We ended up having them on sandwiches, though it did concern me a little that the honey sweetness would be lost in the sandwich.  And it kind of did, though it did make for a good sandwich.

Glazed Meatloaf (p17 Spring 2011 Entertaining)

I'm counting this meal as the spring dinner.  Shannon wanted mashed potatoes with the meatloaf and Gateway announced that they now had Milton Creamery's newest cheese Prairie Dawn (gouda style of cheese).  Also, earlier Lois announced that her Reichert's Dairy goat cheese would be showing up in the store again.  It's certainly a sign of spring!  So I picked up a few things and brought them back.  Around 5:PM on Saturday, I started to make the dinner.  Around 3 hours later everything was done.  I admit, I under seasoned the mashed potatoes (they needed a bit more salt and less skim milk, I used a bit to much of the whole milk earlier in the work).

Glazed MeatloafGlazed meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas

Mozzarella Dream (p89 April 2011 Saveur)

This was a simple sandwich.  I thought it would have to be dressed up a little, because, well, mozzarella is a fairly bland cheese, so I followed the recipe as the instructions called for, but added some spicy mustard to them before I grilled them.  It turned out pretty well, made for a quick dinner.  Though I did buy more mozzarella then I needed, so I'll have to find something to do with it this week.

2011 - Week 15 Cooking Results

Spaghetti with Anchovy Carbonara (p86 April 2011 Food & Wine)

I did not have enough ducks in a row...I over cooked the garlic.  And it showed when we ate it.  I should try this again, but probably won't.

Thin Crust Pizza (p8 January/February 2011 Cook's Illustrated)

So I ran a little experiment.  I added some fresh ground pepper to the dough while I was making it.  I thought, perhaps it would ad a little flavor to the pizza as a whole (though with the already good flavor of the dough and the strong flavor of the sausage didn't enter my thought process).  And when you had some of the edge pieces, it was there, as a peppered dough, which was good.  However, layered with everything, it didn't add much or anything at all.  Now if it was a simpler pizza, then perhaps, but in this case it was good.  Overall I should have cooked the pizza a bit longer and perhaps drained a bit more liquid out of the sauce I made.  It still tasted good though.  I added a bit of cheddar (~3 oz) to the cheese mix and after I snacked on the Graziano sausage it ended up being probably 12 oz that went on the pizza.  I do like this, it reminds me of the sausage and cheddar pizza that we'd order in college (except not totally greasy and gross).

Graziano Hot Italian Sausage with Cheddar and Mozzarella

Hamburgers

So I talked with the neighbors (I feel all neighborly after I went over to ask why someone was moving out of the duplex and if there was something wrong with the place and found a bunch of dirt about the previous tenants) and we talked about grilling out once the weather got a bit more consistently warm and I agreed, it would be a fun time.  I just wish I could remember their names.  Anyways we had burgers they were quick and simple.

Steak Picadillo Soft Tacos (p36 April 2011 Bon Appétit)

I don't know why skirt steak is so hard to find.  Yes it is often used interchangeably with flank, but apparently it's not the same thing (you misled me hy-vee guy).  Anyways, I ended up using flank steak and it did actually make for some tasty tacos

Grilled Cheese and Fried Egg Sandwiches (p36 April 2011 Bon Appétit)

So it calls for pancetta and what would I use?  Certainly not the over priced nonsense they generally stock at my normal grocery store (though they have had what I would buy from time to time).  So I went out of my way to find the La Quercia Pancetta I wanted to use.  It is so lovely and delicious.  It made for a good sandwich too.  Though the sourdough bread I found was...meh.  I did have a conversation this month with Brandon about sour dough and he pointed out that it is kind of a pain to keep a good sour dough culture going, which I agree, but given the choice it certainly does play in my mind as a possibility.  Though I only have had sour dough bread 2 times, probably, in the last year and both of them have been this month.  Anyways, these were delicious (how could they not be?).

Grilled cheese and fried egg sandwiches with La Quercia Pancetta Americana

2011 - Week 15 Cooking

So I'm a big fan of mustard, some may even state that I have an obsession.  I have even come to a compromise with my wife that there will be a maximum of 3 mustards in the fridge at a time.  Usually I have a Yellow (sometimes it goes how I feel or what I have a coupon for), Maille Dijon Mustard (I also like Edmond Fallot, but it tends to be a bit too pricey) and then something else.  When we made our trip up to Ikea, I picked up two mustards there including Lars Own spicy brown.  This is also quite a delicious mustard and I was thrilled when I saw them at Gateway.  So that why I don't have to conserve the usage so much, because I can just go get another bottle.

2011 - Week 14 Cooking Results

Turkey Burgers

Stuffed them with some jalapeno peppers a bit of cheese and put them in the pan.  They turned out with a nice color and taste.  It made for a pretty sandwich.  I had a couple of these long rolls left and used them.  Turkey burgers with swish cheese works pretty well.

Turkey Burger

Bratwurst

The frustrating thing about this meal was that I was all looking forward to having a little spicy pasta salad from Gateway, for my last meal, but it had tomatoes in it.  And since I had to expect that there may be a seed or two in the tomato part, and I wasn't able to eat seeds....during that time period.  It made me sigh a bit, and then pick up their potato salad, which is also quite ok.

Stovetop Mac and Cheese with Cheese Crisps (p76 April 2011 Food & Wine)

Sometimes I wonder why we as a country allow for such mediocre cheese to be cheese to be a standard.  Maybe it is just prices that are driving us into such mediocrity.  I knew I should have gone out of my way to get a better quality of cheese, but I didn't.  Oh well.  This turned out pretty well, the cheese flavor was kind of bland, but I guess that's to be expected from Kraft's normal line of products.  The Cheese Crisps turned out pretty well and the mac and cheese it self was pretty ok.  Other then my complaints about the cheese flavor.  Oh well what can you expect.  I try to reduce my food budget and then have to expect something to fall in quality.  It still looked good.

clearly I should've cleaned the bowl a bit...

The New American Grilled Cheese (p78 April 2011 Food & Wine)

This was stunningly good and I don't say that lightly either.  It also gives me a new thought at a better method to make grilled cheese sandwiches.  The issue I had with my ingredients.  First and foremost, even thought the bread I bought was labeled sourdough, it was more of a loaf with garlic cloves in it.  Unless it was on purpose and if it was then the sourdough taste wasn't really there.  But even so, the sandwiches turned out very well.

Very good color on the sandwichesMelty deliciousness

Spaghetti with Anchovy Carbonara (p86 April 2011 Food & Wine)

It was Saturday afternoon, a nice warm spring day.  I spent the second half of the day trimming the hedges and lopping some of the low hanging branches from our tree.  After doing that, the idea of cooking let alone eating this, struck me as not the grandest idea.  I'll make it next week.

2011 - Week 14 Cooking

48 hours before examination:  Stop eating corn, lettuce, popcorn and food with seeds (cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries).

I guess I didn't have any ideas how many items we eat contain tomatoes or other items on the list.  Anyways we are doing turkey burgers today (that way I can use leftover hamburger buns for lunch the next day, since, normally, I would use a bread that often has seeds in it.