Journal

2020 - Week 42 Cooking Results

Chilli Bean Sliders

I ended up using store bought salsa, I didn’t chill the beans so the min-burgers were a little fragile. I suspect the reason why they are mini, is because if you did full size they would completely crumble apart. A nice flavor, a good healthy meal. I had leftovers the next couple of days.

Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle

I only had fennel seed, so I ground it up in the spice grinder and I think I may have added too much, because it was distinctly flavored with fennel. Even though I went to a larger grocery store this time, in search of sparkling water (specifically the unflavored store brand), but their selection of pasta was lackluster, so I ended up with fettuccine. Made for a good meal and good leftovers and a good use of lamb.

Soft Corn Tacos with Sweet Potato, Poblanos, and Corn

This seems like a good way to make roasted vegetables for tacos or fajitas. It was a nice combination of flavors and textures. Topped with a bit of sour cream and salsa, it was good.

Beef and Broccoli With Oyster Sauce

We had a “Happy Hour” for the last time with our co-worker who is leaving our team. I have those mixed feelings where I understand why he is going, and support that choice, but will still miss him. After that I didn’t feel up to cooking, so we ordered delivery.

Sous Vide Carnitas for Tacos (Start Saturday, Finish Sunday)

I cut thick slices of pork off of a larger hunk, chopped up the onion and orange, salted and then when to package things. I ended up using my last “bag” and two section of the cut to fit rolls (meaning I got through the initial package of things for the sealer. As it stands right now, it has about 3 hours left before it’s ready for the next stage. I’ll pull the pork and put it away for tacos this evening.

The Start of the Sous Vide process

Additionally we, well I, joined remotely a class at The Cheese Shop of Des Moines, to celebrate the start of the Rush Creek Reserve season. It was joined by the wine maker (Iconic Wines), the cheese maker (Andy Hatch). Mr. Hatch was the reason I was excited to join. I setup a cheese plate for dinner and listened to the discussion as it ended up in a very geeky discussion of ph balance in cheese and wine. It was enjoyable.

Cheese Plate for Saturday’s remote cheese class

2020 - Week 41 Cooking Results

Egg and sausage sandwiches

Lucky George sausage, Blue Gate Eggs, Sweet to Eat English muffins. Good things.

Turkey burgers

I added a bunch of the spicy Momofuku seasoning salt to the 93% lean turkey. It was pretty good.

Classic Chicken Salad

I remembered that I worked from home. I started the chicken at the tail end of my lunch break ( I specifically walk away from the computer a bit, cause I need a break). I let run for four hours or so (the beeping continued of being “done” while I was on a conference call. I may have adjusted it a bit here or there, but it does make for a good chicken base. I suppose roasted chicken is fine too.

chicken before the sous vide

chicken before the sous vide

Chipotle Beef Chili Bowls with Lime-Cilantro Crema

Chili bowl, I guess, not really chili. I endued up using chipotle chilies and not the powder. I think it ended up a bit dryer then they intended, but with the rice, Chili-ish part and a giant dollop of sour cream, it worked out.

Korean Chicken and Rice Porridge

Thinking about this in the general frame of of risotto, which helped because I also was using Arborio rice. I get the general idea and I read how perhaps the rice grains can be ground down a bit to create I creamier outcome. I did my part of chopping the vegetables down to a small size, though not as small as they probably intended. I do like the concept of making your own version of stock (garlic, ginger, chicken), but where I became ponderous is the lack of places where salt was not suggested to be added. I would’ve thought to sweat the vegetables a bit, or in the stock, but all ad the end apparently. That is my big complaint about this. It was pretty good, simple, straight forward, strangely comforting.

2020 - Week 40 Cooking Results

Freyja has had a rough time the past couple of months. I think we finally have found what has been causing it. it seems like treating her ears like she has an inner ear infection has worked out and her behavior is really starting to finally return to normal. I may have been a bit emotional when she jumped up on my lap fort the first time in months, two days ago, she snuggled up for a nap time yesterday, and actually came up on to the bed this morning (normally she’s a fine heat thief). While giving her medication is becoming far more challenging, as she is getting back to her normal sassy self (I had to slowly chase her around the main level of the house for a couple of laps this morning). It’s good to see her become herself again.

Tuna Melt, perhaps following this

I did mostly follow the recipe, at least as much as I could. The packages of tuna that I had were not similar to the size they wanted to use, so even halving the recipe, I had to 6/10th it. It was pretty good. I used processed cheese, since it said to do so. It was a cleaner melt, but didn’t taste as good as it could’ve. As a note, Loki was insistent on getting some of the sandwich, but was not around when I was actually making it, when I would’ve actually given some tuna out.

Korean Chicken and Rice Porridge

I decided to delay this, since we already have a lot of leftovers from this week, so I don’t want to make another large leftover item (also it takes a bit, and it’s warmer than expected). I think next Saturday will work out well.

Smoky Tomato & Red Pepper Soup with White Beans

Made early in the week before it got warmer again. Soup season, in theory, being back in full force. I was pretty good, a thicker soup with a bit of paprika toasted white beans floating on the top. Pretty good. I actually ended up putting bit of it on top of the leftover pasta.

Pasta c'Anciuova e Muddica Atturrata

So I think this ended up being trying then it probably intended, but I also skipped a few steps because I replaced the bread crumb process with panko to save time. I used a very nice jar of anchovies to create the sauce for the pasta, and over all I think it turned out pretty well, if a bit dry. Certainly as we started eating the cats, mostly Loki, realized there was something delicious in the air.

Sloppy Sammys

Good as always.

Possible: Cranberry Apple Shrub

Ingredients not found.

2020 - Week 39 Cooking Results

Italian Sausage with White Beans and Kale

I ended up using baby spinach, and half as much as was called for. Even with all that these are quite good and hardy. I, at some point, ran out of Italian sausage from my local pork purveyors and ended up using Graziano for this. It was filling and easy to do.

Supe Me Domate

The previous week was too warm, but this past one was very much in the season of Fall. I suspect if I was able to use rendered chicken fat, it would’ve added to the overall flavor, but that being said it was a simple soup , but tasted pretty good. I added a bit of the habanero sauce to my leftovers over the next day or two.

Meatloaf Reloaded

I have misplaced my probe thermometer. Perhaps I have another place to look, but I ordered a new one. I liked the though that went into this and the mole style of a glaze. I like the use of the pan to form the loaf, but not actually using the pan, so you get better sauced edges. This was really fantastic, easy to follow and other then prop thermometer being missing (probe I found, reader, not so much), it came off real easy. I made some mashed potatoes to go with them, they weren’t my best attempt to be sure (I forgot to buy cream for them), but they were ok.

I’ll have to make this again, it was quite good.

Moroccan-Style Spicy Carrot Dip with Flat Bread

I thought this would make a dinner, I changed my mind. I will make this for a snack sometime.

Egg Sandwich with sausage

Maple Sausage from Lucky George, English muffin from a local bakery, and I fried eggs from Blue Gate. Good things, easy meal.

Extra: Habanero Hot Sauce

I think I had a double problem here. While two carrots is a meaningful reference and large is a reference, when making a sauce, the weight would end up being an easier method to figure out the right ratio. I ended up using twice the number of habaneros (because what else was I going to do with them). I made sure to use my latex gloves when handling the peppers. I have been adding the hot sauce to things and it does have a decent heat, but not as much as I was expecting. I’ll have to try this again, take notes and iterate until I am happy.

Possible: Cranberry Apple Shrub

Couldn’t find sage or fresh cranberries. I suspect sage will be coming in as we get closer to the Thanksgiving season.

2020 - Week 38 Cooking Results

BLT (last of the season)

Blue Gate tomatoes, some nice bacon and a bit of spinach. Good things.

Taco Salad

Always Good.

Lamb Burger

It was mutton, I used the Momofuku savory salt, as a seasoning. Good things.

Italian Sausage with White Beans and Kale

It got warm. So it didn’t make a ton of sense to do this.

Supe Me Domate

It was still warm, and I was tired after mowing the lawn, so delayed!

Extra: Habanero Hot Sauce

I’m going to make this today.