If the blog is still here...

Pie Day is upon us once again.

BUT, I didn't feel like making crust and baking a pie. That means it was time to go Chopped! on my kitchen and see what I could make in honor of this auspicious day.

This is what I ended up with - an oatmeal apple crumble kind thing, in about 30 minutes!

We had oatmeal, I have spices, and sweetner and we had a jar that was labelled apple pancake topping that we got from Dave's sister for Christmas. We're ready!!

This can EASILY be paleo/vegan, honestly I just didn't want to deal with opening a jar of coconut oil and scraping out the solid oil when there was butter right there on the counter. Please remember all quantities are approximate due to winging it and whatever you do, remember the salt!

Turn oven on to 425 and grab a regulation pie dish, this is quick
Ingredients

2C quick cook oats - store brand is what we had

1/3 c sweetner/to taste. I used an almost empty bag of hard as a rock brown sugar and about a tablespoon of local honey. 

1/2 c shorteneing of choice - I'd recommend butter, coconut oil(the non-smelly kind) or ghee

3T cinnamon

1t nutmeg fresh

1/4t ground clove

1/2t cardamom powder

1/2t salt

16 oz. pie filling

Take your pie dish and add butter, place in oven a couple minutes to melt(or nuke it). add everything but pie filling and mix well. The consistency should be crumble, but it you try to pack it, it sticks together. once it s evenly mixed, spread it out in the pan making an indent in the center leaving about 1/4" on the bottom center of pie dish and making edges that are about an inch wide all the way around. Add the filling and spread out, gently spoon the material from the edges all over the top and use a spatula to evenly spread it to fill the pan. What you should have is a layer of oat mixture surrounding the apple filling. Throw that in the oven for 20 minutes, not top, but upper 1/3 of oven till GB&D. This is barely sweet, really tasty with crispy and chewyness. Yum!!

Free E book October 18th

If you're a parent of an athlete who will be heading to college one day this may be helpful.

I was thinking of my sister and her swimmer

Free Ebook Athletic Scholarships

Paleo Fudge

I made a Paleo Freezer fudge last night

I brought it to work

I forgot to take photos and now it is all gone.

I kind of followed a recipe/kind of didn't

throw about 1 c coconut oil in a stand mixer bowl whip till fluffy, add 1/4t vanilla, 1 c cocoa powder and whisk till well blended, add in 3/4 c chopped walnuts 1/4 c raw cocoa nibs stir only till just mixed in.

Freeze in a pan lined with plastic wrap, bring to work. I used a plastic take out tray that's about 4" x 7"

It gets runny after about 2 hrs

My original test recipe I added goji berries, blanched sliced almonds and I salted the top with Fleur de Sel. <

Valentine's Day - A HEART-y meal?

This didn't get published in February because I don't know!

everything hearty...

pan fried veal hearts

salad of romaine hearts, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm
chicken hearts grilled on skewers

pics somewhere :)

Arabian at the Knights

We had a great event to benefit a local vets group.
Getting Arabian at the Knights was a night of fun, food, dance and music held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Charlestown.
pics and video pending

there's a Fire

For my Birthday I got a couple of Best Buy certificates and turned them into a Kindle Fire.
I love it!
Been reading like a maniac.
I had already been reading ebooks on my PC, but now I can bring them with me as well.

But the apps are what crack me up.

This is what I did today
on AutoRap
http://khu.sh/autorap_507ec275ad400&v2

New TV console

President's Day
I went to work briefly and then went and got Minstrel Krampf and ended up at IKEA where we met my sis and her posse. (The Naz and The Captain).
Our IKEA game plan is to use them to visualize a kitchen that we will likely source somewhere else. Custom solid wood cabinetry is often the same price or even less than many IKEA options and it is SOLID wood, a better value choice for the house.  So we checked out the kitchens and got the kitchen planner guides and took some pics.
I also thought I wanted to start and expedit shelf wall in the future bedroom.
After some time in that department we decided to just grab another BILLY bookcase

It was packed! I have never parked on the top deck before, and the people, oy! Crying babies ruled the day.

We also found a small leather chair that Herr Krampf liked and we were going to get one, but by the time we got to the pickup area we just weren't feeling it, so we skipped that. We did end up with a completely unplanned purchase of a glass console that was never ever on the radar. It's now the TV stand. Photo later when it's full. Got a duvet cover and a bunch of CHEAP pillows for "camping decor" and some odds and ends.

We ate smart too.
Lox, salad, meatballs with vegs. and no jelly. Not quite the same, but not quite the carbs either!

Comment about success

Sorry, no photo.
Success comes in many forms.
The latest success in my kitchen was the crock-pot haggis for Dave's Birthday.
It was his big request, so he gets it. It's not like he asked for a 5 layer yellow cake with butter cream frosting and sprinkles.  Not Paleo, but at least the grains were steel cut oats and I used about 1/2 of what the recipe called for. About one cup spread between what I think will be 8-10 servings.  It still tasted great and we're thinking about even less grain in the next one because the oats really stood out. I guess one you stop eating grains for a while they become more noticeable.  Instead of Neeps'N'Tatties I smashed a cauliflower and instead of a sweet and sour jam based sauce I did a mustard cream sauce with a splash of scotch. We also had a shot of scotch - the first alcohol I've had since New Year's. That alone seems a little strange.  We usually have wine with dinner at least once a week.

Aw yeah,breakfast for dinner!

Leftovers night.
We had half a loaf of banana bread on the counter. I decided to put some out of it's misery by making it into french toast. I am a huge fan of breakfast for dinner.
This is truly the first "Paleo bread" thing that tasted like wheat based bread.
The banana bread on it's own was kind of heavy, mostly flax meal and the baking soda stood out a bit. And I used one banana in a recipe that called for 3 but that seemed like a lot of sugar and I cut back on sugar(honey) in the recipe as well, so it was weird for sure.

Added some cinnamon to egg and soaked it up, then cooked in bacon fat.
Syrup was slightly watered down maple agave that I had not tried before - WIN!
I'm going to make this bread in cinnamon raisin just for french toast now.

Dave makes Apps.

We've been trending towards Paleo eating for the past month and it is a great thing to be able to experiment with MEAT.
Tonight when we got home I declared it "leftovers night" so no opening of new food is allowed.
Since MK couldn't go for the pork rinds, he had to make something.
He rooted around in the fridge making man sounds, I made a couple of suggestions but not much.
This is the improv result.        

Photo Minstrel Krampf
These baby sweet peppers are stuffed with chicken liver 'pate' and have a sprinkle of bacon bits on them.
Like jalapeno poppers with NONE of the poppers ingredients!
Although Sweet Pepper Chicken Liver Poppers doesn't sound so super they're super yummy!
But there's a freaky twist - I think the combination tastes like straight up peanut butter.
The whole combination is great together, but strange.
Whatever - this is what I envisioned when he said what he was making.
I thought half a pepper with bacon bits.

photo Sioux

Shall I Make a Comeback?

Tomorrow is Dave's Birthday.

Yesterday, the gift that should have come addressed to him and wrapped was on the porch addressed to me.

He saw the return address name and knew what it was immediately.

Since I have a 'great-gifter' reputation to maintain and the airplane fiasco after Christmas wasn't enough, I got rockets.

Another awesome boy thing that geeky guys love!

They wouldn't be a bad thing if the weather wasn't unseasonably warm and Dave wasn't super impatient. There's a Monday holiday coming up, so I'm ready to hear about at least one rocket getting lost forever on President's Day.

These factors weren't considered when I ordered.

What happened to the RC plane merely made me certain that he'd love the rockets.

The package was a Groupon deal and had 3 rockets a launch pad and 8 'engines'.

It was a great deal and he was psyched to get it, even if there was no wrapping or waiting.

When I mathed it out the regular retail was about 4x what I paid, so that was a score.

Psyched for MEAT!

I just got a confirmation email, yay!

Sunday we're going to pick up a package of meat on Sunday from a local farm.

I am so psyched to try this. Grass fed, free-roaming and local.

And the price is great, too.

I don't want to go overboard before tasting, but the price is right, so we're gonna give it a shot.

A GREAT Soup

2/1/2012

What to make for dinner?

I am still getting over this head cold type thing so I have no desire to cook at all, but the rockets are here so Dave is not a helping hand.

Ooh, lucky me! On Monday I had chopped up red, green, yellow and orange peppers, and there was still about a cup left and a shallot, also found half a spaghetti squash and a pack of frozen fish appeared. It was looking like soup.

Heat Pan, add about 2T oil, throw in 1 rough chopped shallot-S&P, saute a minute add about 1 cup peppers(season) add 3T Tom Yum paste (I will add picture because this brand rocks!) saute about 1 minute more, as long as it takes to get the paste evenly distributed in the vegs. Add in one can coconut milk, 1 can water and the package of fish. Bring to boil reduce to simmer for 10 mins. Meanwhile I found some mushrooms and a tomato - sliced shrooms, diced tomato and added those. Heated spaghetti squash and divided it into bowls. Got an avocado and sliced it up.

Served up soup over squash noodles, garnished with avocado and a slice of lime and a dash of fish sauce.

freakin' awesome!

Arabian at the Knights!

February 11, 2012 we're hosting a medieval concert and belly dance

extravaganza!Arabian at the Knights is a benefit for the vets from Memorial Hall - Abraham Lincoln Post #11 G.A.R.

We're raising money so they can apply for 501-C-3 non-profit status and get some much needed repair work done on their hall.

The evening will have Diabolis In Musica playing and 30 of the best belly dancers from the area performing to raise some funds. It's only $15 (till 2/8 in advance, $20 at the door)for a night that starts at 7PM

and ends at Midnight at the Oasis!

21+, cash bar, lavish meze buffet with Middle Eastern goodness and a whole lot of bagpipes and shimmies. Ooftah!

Event is at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 75 West School Street, Charlestown, MA 02129 (for your GPS).

For tickets - email diabolisinmusica@gmail.com, call Joe Z. 781-648-9126 or Sioux G. 617-833-8292 or pay online at WePay here.

It is going to be incredible!

Ethiopian Food

We had Ethiopian food last night.
All homemade and easily my NEW favorite cuisine.
A ton of spices create a fantastically TASTY and generally sneaky hot meal.
Really spicy, and lots of heat but a totally different kind of burn.
Everything should have been loaded with clarified butter but I halfed it in the spicier stuff.
We agree that it was pretty much right there with what we've had in Ethiopian restaurants.
The red lentils were a slight miss. Everything else-fantastic.
Maybe I'll offer some leftovers to the guy with the store where we got the bread.

Oops, not ALL homemade.
I did not make the injera(groovy spongy-stretchy-sticky-sourdoughy flatbread that is also your dining utensil). I have nothing but big FAIL there.
I have tried 3 times now and yesterday's flavor was spot on,
but it has become obvious that the cooking requires MAGIC!
This sucks because I mail ordered Teff Flour, not cheap and it has to ferment a few days before cooking. So my 3 day investment didn't pay off. I did a ton of homework here too. I am going to have to find someone to teach me how to make it, or settle for buying it. (6 sheets for $5 = ridiculous $$)

Dishes were -
in English
Spicy chicken - basic Ethiopian started of a ton of onions and spices, saute, add tomato paste and wine, add chicken simmer till falling off the bone and delightfully yummy. This recipe was not the classic Doro Wat, but a variation that was super tasty and sneakily hot.

Collard greens - collards rough chopped with onions and spices, slow cooked till tender and sweet/spicy

Yellow lentils - big yellow lentils, mild seasoning-cardamom,cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, paprika, cumin, salt , pepper, fenugreek, clove. Simmer herbs in oil, add onions and saute till translucent,throw in lentils, add chicken stock, cook till it's a paste. Eat.
Burp.

Red lentils - tiny lentils in a really sneaky hot sauce. Insanely tasty and the heat comes on slow. Process like above but more/different spices and some red wine as well. SOooo good.

Vegetable stew - cabbage, carrot, potatoes, onion in a mild curry sauce.

Beef tartare (kitfo) - chop up meat, 'toast' cayenne in some butter without burning either, allow to cool to about room temp, mix into meat, salt to taste, eat, get glazed expression of delight.

Seasoned cheese - faked IAB with cottage cheese/greek yogurt/lemon juice/S&P.

We didn't make honey wine :(

International Bazaar

We took a trip to the International Bazaar
(Brighton, MA)
on the way back from the New Balance outlet
(Dave needed sneakers)


The main theme is Russian, but they have all sorts of food,
including a number of Turkish favorites.

Here is what we got:
1 bottle White truffle oil
1 1/2 gal tin of olive oil
3 Mac apples

8oz blueberries
3 nice big tomatoes
1 BIG brocolli crown
1 10 oz goose liver 'pate' (German)
1 lb stick of "baby" chicken bologna
1/2lb chopped chicken liver spread
1/2 lb herring and onion salad - I'd call the preparation gravlax style -salty sweet w/onions and dill

1/2 lb lardo-but russian version-not very seasoned, and very spready-

1/2lb+ Black Pudding (blood sausage)<<- this was THE BEST!
2 doz HUGE eggs
1 lb fake seafood sticks
1 liter juicebox sour cherry
chunk of smoked gouda cheese
chunk of muenster cheese
chunk of some Croatian cheese
bottle of South African 'champagne'
12oz can Sour Cherry juice - mmmmm
1 2oz package "fish lunch"
1 pint of labneh
the mega pack of Finn Crisp crackers
1 head purple cabbage

a big bunch of parsley
about 1lb of fresh beets

jar of taramsalata(cod fish roe spread-yum)
1 8oz jar of Ajvar (hot papper spread-it's HOT)
1 kilo of kasha

The price was great too. Really.

Send me a guess. You'd be amazed.

So dinner was a plate of crackers and tasting of many things

Creative Eating For Chinese New Year

Killing 2 birds with one meal...or what you do with no room to cook.

Chinese New Year "feast" was a celebrating of bizarre-fusion-asian.
The guidelines/parameters were set by the pantry, Rachel Ray's time allotment and serious lack of counter space.

We had no fresh veggies beyond onion and garlic and really no meat beyond frozen hamburger so pretty much any regular Chinese options were out
We did have a container of leftover dumplings from a previous Chinese themed dinner and a lot of Japanese stuff to go with the New Year's Resolution to make more sushi (not doing so well there). Re-Resolved with this meal which included sushi variants.

There are no process photos so...WHAT WE ENDED UP WITH

A platter of Inari, Onigiri and fake fish "sashimi" - sushi rice made in the steamer on the right side of the sink, the pan comes out when it is done. Rice seasoned in a small bowl for various purposes. Onigiri mold makes 2 at a time, inari wrappers in a small can ready to fill, 1/4 Nori sheets in a small package. All fit on the right side of sink as well. But that was it for space.










Steamed dumpling, fish cake, fish balls and shrimp - steamed in serving containers in a double decker pan on the stove
Tempura/panko shrimp and onions - prep on left side of stove, cooked in enamel apple roaster because it is so narrow at the bottom- saves oil(we only had "workhorse" olive oil) served on the lovely paper plates we have been using.

We still had half a bottle of that La Vielle Ferme from a couple days back, and it needed drinking, so we gave it a shot. I'll admit to 1/2 a glass to try it with everything, but the other half was still there later that evening after we worked downstairs. "nuff said.



PS - If you live in the Boston area and know of any places selling Kewpie mayonnaise, PLEASE let me know.
Dave works in Chinatown and can't find it anymore, Super 88 in Malden and Dorchester came up lame as well. Porter exchange is probably going to be our only hope, but they are sooo expensive and I was hoping for something closer.

On the table

Pretty basic dinner

and, of course,

a 'secret' ingredient.

I think this was Saturday.

I was tired.

Dave cleaned and steamed the beans.

I think he took this photo as well.

• Chicken thighs - Slow cooked in broth/onions/garlic and secret ingredient and assorted other stuff. From the color of the juiceness, I'm guessing there's paprika and turmeric
  
• Steamed green beans - salt and pepper
  
• Turnips - Parboiled then tossed in butter in fry pan, white balsamic, S&P
  
• Tortillas - Butter, fajita pan
  
• Pickles - Mechalaney - we *heart* these.
  

Ingredient revealed - Goya jamon...

I use this in everything; scrambled eggs, meatloaf, casseroles, pea soup, grilled cheese, whatever.

Tastes like ham.

Salami fail

We "put up" a salami near the end of the fall.

It was doomed from the start.

It's first day was snappy and cool and it went out in the shed/stairwell at Dave's apartment.

Then the weather promptly changed.

It got warm and humid. Muggy, warm, rainy, damp. All sworn enemies of the homemade salami.

So, we brought it inside and hung it in a box infront of a fan.

It started to dry out lopsided. One side shrunk really fast because it was getting the fan.

We kept turning it and flipping it and hoping for the best.

Then it was time to move.

We wrapped it in foil with the intention of finding it a nice cool dry spot int the new house.

It sat on a shelf at room temp, wrapped in foil for 2 weeks.

This morning I noticed it on the shelf and took off the foil.

Half of it was covered with mold, I won't include embarassing photos.

I cut it open for the heck of it and there was a nice moldy cavity on one side.

The fan idea probably made it dry out too fast. I also think the recipe didn't have enough fat.

Yum!

Super yummy dinner and a camera .
No recipes, but a secret ingredient revealed.

The lamb was outstanding even before the marrow bones went in...
it marinated in sioux's spice blend that smells like Turkey ovenight,
then cooked slow the next night, and on the 3rd day, we eat it.
I threw the spinach in about 5 minutes into the reheat,
since I didn't have anything to cook the spinach in separately...ugh, moving!
The bones (beef) were a last minute addition because I had bought a bunch
of them and had these already roasted and in the fridge...
marrow-y goodness.Dave loved this, so we had to have the pic--
Kashi multi grain pilaf, Moroccan flavor.
It was tasty, and comes already cooked in a vacuum pack.
I cheated.Lebanese pickles and tomatoes (olive oil, vinegar, S&P and secret ingredient).
We also had warmed up tortillas posing as pita bread,
if you don't know what tortillas look like, sorry.

Wine from Chile - we bought it pretty much because of
the Easter Island head, the under $10 price,
and the guess that a 2005 Chilean red wouldn't be a loss
based on past experience.
It was a great pick for this meal.
Dark, solid fruity and intense.
It was a great compliment to the spiciness of the food.
That's complex, intense, tasty, spicy, but not heat.
Yay, getting better at wine, with very little homework.

Table from IKEA.
Today's secret ingredient - pomegranate reduction...
I like to just mix it in water for a really tart jolt.