Journal

2011 - Week 27 Cooking Results

Barbacoa Pizza

So this is what I was talking about.  We got the dough, sauce (instead of oregano, I used red pepper flakes), the last of the barbacoa, uncooked tomatoes and onions and topped with a mixture of sour cream and Juan O'Sullivan's Tamatillo Salsa de Mesa.  I cut down the nozzle on the squeeze bottle so it was wider so I didn't have the clogging problem like I did last time around.  Put together, this added up to be quite the delicious combination.  I think maybe I need to adjust the salsa de mesa and sour cream mixture (more salsa de mesa), but I'm pretty happy over all, it was really the flavor profile that I was looking for.

Barbacoa Pizza

Yeasty Waffles (p30 July 2011 Food & Wine)

So I made the batter the same night that I made the pizza dough, and the let it wait for Wednesday.  Then fed Joseph (up for the Matisyahu concert).  So I stuck them aside and left them for Shannon.  I think it turned out pretty well, but I would like to try them again, just for the soul purpose of not doing the fridge thing, just letting it rise on its own for less time.  They turned out pretty good though.  I think I'll add the book they're from to my want list.

Frittata with Goat & Pork Sausage, baby arugula

So I left work a bit late (Thursday (my birthday)) because I wanted to get something of my plate, so I wouldn't forget it for the next day (as it sometimes happens).  So when I got home, I figured I wouldn't have the time to make the pizza, as I planned (since the dough wouldn't have enough time to warm up, by the time that we would eat.  And I didn't really feel up to making a frittata, so I took some of the quark that I had bought from The Cheese Shop of Des Moines.  So I mixed 'em together, and ended up with some good and tasty scrambled eggs.  The Goat and Pork sausage tasted more goaty this time around, so maybe there is a nice mixture in there.  combined with toast, and it made for a good, if simple birthday dinner.

Perfect Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs (p42 June 2011 Bon Appétit)

So I've made chicken thighs like this before, but I have to say the minutes on the recipe seem a bit messed up, especially on the frying.  So two of them turned out a delicious golden brown and two (the ones I ate) were a bit over done on the skin.  The skin on the two I made for Shannon was divine, mine, not so much.  With a simple salad of Feta and a mix of greens from the farmers market.

Perfect Pan Roasted Chicken ThighsSo a few weeks back I made some mocha frosted chocolate cupcakes for Holly's birthday (after making a disastrously ugly, yet tasty cake).  So in thinking about the process last time around I thought I could add the instant espresso powder to the cake as well.  So they're made, but I haven't tried them yet (I'll probably split one with Shannon here in a bit), but they sure look pretty (I didn't use any fridge time in the frosting, which seems to have nice consistency).  So we'll see how they turn out.

Double Mocha CupcakesLast week's Farmer's Market, I bought some quail eggs.  After learning how to open them (thank you internets, you cut them with a knife, and I'm not kidding), I put them on some grass feed beef from Coyote Run Farm.  First of I have to say that the quail eggs are just beautiful.

Beutiful quail eggs from Fox Hollow

So it took me 9 eggs to get 6 unbroken yolks, but when I made just fried quails eggs on toast later, 6/6 were unbroken.  I used the broken yolks and combined them with the beef.  I have to say that this turned out great and looked great too.

Grass fed beef, quails eggs, Prairie Dawn cheese, greens, tomatoes, and pickles.deliciousness contained inside