For tonight’s James Beard featured dish, we’re going to get the blogging train back on the tracks by posting about a dish which, in Mr. Beard’s recipe, calls for a form of pasta called rotelle. What are rotelle? Sounds fancy, but it’s just Italian for “little wheels.” In his original recipe, the dish is served over what generations of Cleveland children came to know and love as “Choo Choo Wheels.” Maybe you even remember the train printed on the back of the box of Ideal Macaroni that you could cut out and glue some uncooked Choo Choo Wheels onto, if you got the chance to swipe a few before Mom used them all to make your lunch.

Well, nostalgia is fun, but given that most of our diners here at the Bistro are past the age of sitting at the table playing with their Choo Choo Wheels, we’re substituting shell pasta in our Old Fashioned Chicken Fricassee. Trust us, it’ll still taste the same. Our chicken is a mixture of white and dark meat, with some of it thigh meat still on the bone for richer flavor. And you’ll get a lot of chicken along with this rich sauce that includes butter, flour, heavy cream, onions, celery, shallots, egg yolks, and some spicing courtesy of salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg and lemon juice.

This is dinner just like Mom used to make…assuming Mom used James Beard’s cookbooks, that is. If not, you owe it to yourself to taste what you’ve been missing, especially on a day like today on which the snowflakes are starting to flutter down. Put your wheels down at the Bistro tonight, and enjoy some real comfort food.

Avgolemono soup

Last Friday I attended the Gunma JETs’ Thanksgiving dinner for more than 50 local JETs, other foreigners, and friends. As you can imagine, a Thanksgiving dinner for 50 is quite a spread. I’m pretty sure there were 6 (small) turkeys! Not wanting to waste, I volunteered, as in past years, to take the bones home for turkey soup. I’m sure we were quite a sight bicycling home with our two giant bags of turkey bones, an empty wine bottle, and a pair of wine glasses (not that we would bicycle after drinking wine, as, of course, it is illegal… that’s merely a coincidence).

So on Saturday morning I got to work removing any bits of meat remaining on the bones that filled a good part of my refrigerator. After that, I had to nest everything together as efficiently as I could to get them into my two largest pots. Onto the stove went the pots. I filled them to the brim with water and set them simmering.

After several hours the house smelled like Thanksgiving, and I had a quart of turkey meat and three or four quarts of very concentrated turkey stock–it’s like jello once it cools. Ordinarily I would get more stock from so many bones, but my pots are small so they were packed so full that there wasn’t much room for the water. I’m sure it won’t be a problem to dilute it with water before I use it.

And after making turkey stock all day, what would make a better dinner than turkey soup? After I strained the stock I managed to find enough meat still on the bones–but now fall-off-the-bone tender–to make a very meaty soup. And avgolemono is nice and easy. I just cooked up an onion and some celery (I don’t think it’s traditional, but it’s tasty and I had some in the fridge) in a bit of olive oil, added some rice, stock, and meat, and finally finished the soup with lemon juice, egg, and chopped dill. Although this soup is easy, the egg and rice make a thick soup that’s filling enough to enjoy as a main course. And that’s just what I did.

So next time you have leftover turkey bones, why don’t you get in the mottainai spirit and make turkey avgolemono? Of course this recipe is delicious made with chicken too. In fact, the picture above is actually a chicken avgolemono that I made this spring, but trust me, it looks almost the same.

Turkey Avgolemono

olive oil
one onion, chopped
half a stalk celery, chopped finely (optional)
one half cup uncooked rice
white wine or sake
about 6 cups homemade turkey stock (or chicken)
some turkey meat (or chicken), chopped
two bay leaves
juice from one lemon
two eggs or 4 egg yolks
handful of fresh dill, chopped
salt and pepper

Heat some olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion and celery. Sprinkle with some salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft. Add the rice and stir. Add a splash of wine or sake and stir again. Add the turkey stock, bay leaves, and turkey meat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the rice is very tender.Turn off the heat.

Put half of the lemon juice and eggs in a bowl and whisk together thoroughly; make sure that there are no bits of unincorporated egg white or they won’t make your soup creamy. If you use all egg yolks the soup will be more yellow and taste richer. Don’t use all of the lemon juice at first because you don’t want the soup to be too sour–you can always add more later.  Gradually stir a few cups of hot soup together with the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Once the egg mixture is warm, add it to the pot of soup and stir well.

Add a handful of chopped dill or other green herbs like parsley and green onions. Stir soup and taste. Adjust your seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

I’ve been busy with exam this week, however, I still manage to bake these muffins. Yup, it’s called procrastibaking, I came across this word on a food blog, I couldn’t exactly remember  where, though. These muffins recipe was modified from And then I do the dishes, with a small modifications. The recipe calls for rinds from 2 lemons, this apparently enough to give a lemony taste and a lovely yellow colour. I glazed the top of the muffins with a thin icing sugar + lemon juice.

Ingredients :

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 egg
1/2 cup  sugar
zest from about two lemons
1/4 cup melted butter (I used less, because I was running out of butter, and add some veg oil to make 1/4 cup)
1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese + 1 tbsp lemon juice, mix
1 tsp vanilla paste

• mix dry ingredients in  a large bowl, except the sugar
• rub sugar and lemon zest until the sugar moist and lemony, add wet ingredients
• mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients
• divide evenly into 12 greased muffins tin.
• bake for 25 – 30 min in 160 – 180 C in the middle rack of the oven.

Man, I love tea. In a boozy fit of brewpraise, my friend Finlay and I recently half-formulated the Tealeological Argument; a pseudo-theological proof, taking as its central premise the unquestionably divine contrivance of the marriage betwixt tea and toast. Certainly silliness, but borne of a love I once thought unconditional.

Whether peppermint or rooibos, green or just plain breakfast, I drink the teas I do because they taste good. Some take a little getting used to, but then so do cheese and grindcore, and where would we be without those? An existence free from high-cholesterol nightmares and astringent blastbeats would perhaps be healthier, but what manner of gurning numbskulls would find worth in such a cheating dilution of the senses? Sadly, those at Tetley.

Man, but I hate this tea. The smell alone presents a sorry narrative. An ugly, light-starved moth is squished suddenly between two Lemon Fresh urinal cakes of the brightest yellow, before being swiftly consumed, digested, and excreted from the behind of an ill cat into a perforated little sack. Steep that in hot water, sip, and what do you get? Gagging; disgraceful and ungentlemanly gagging.

As if the taste wasn’t bad enough, the whole idea is just so freaking dumb. Adding artificial lemon flavor to an already poor-quality green tea is as brilliant and effective an effort as swallowing a blob of toothpaste to freshen one’s breath. Associating the stuff with good health, ‘Zen monks’ and stress relief only maddens me further. So although it tastes like pollution, choking down this horrid sputum will allegedly revitalize my spiritual well-being, and make me totally, like, thin! Well, maybe only in combination with a daily play of the ‘Yoga Game’ on the Tetley website…

Pray reader, be ye not enticed by antioxidant claims, for ‘tis a wretched brew.

-Tom Farrington

I’ve only had a very few outstanding sandwiches in my life–the Vietnamese grilled pork on baguette at Pho Que Huong on Green Springs, and the Cuban steak sandwich from Little Miami in Lake City, Florida–and this is one of them. The combination of fresh bread, salad, yogurt, feta, and meat is sublime. As an added bonus, the leftover spread can be thinned with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and some lemon juice to make a great salad dressing for the remaining romaine and feta.

For the spread:

• ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese (4 ounces)
• 3 heaping Tbs Greek-style yogurt
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the sandwich:

• 4 pita breads
• 4 large leaves romaine lettuce, torn in half
• 1 cucumber, sliced into half moons
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, coarse chiffonade
• Sliced meat (we used steak, but grilled pork would also be good)

Combine all spread ingredients in a small mixing bowl, and mix with a fork. In each pita, put a schmear of spread, then add a couple of slices of meat, some cucumber, mint, and a lettuce leaf. Yum! (I’ve read that a couple of slices of tomato and red onion make a fine vegetarian version, but haven’t confirmed.)

Herb salt is one of the easiest things you can make and adds tons of flavor with very little effort. It can be stored for up to 6 months in an airtight lidded jar. The herbs must be fresh, but can be altered to suit your own tastes. The important thing to remember is to keep a one to one ratio of herbs to salt. Kosher and coarse grain sea salt work best in this recipe. You can add this to steamed vegetables, hot cooked pasta and rice, or use it as a dip for raw vegetables such as radishes, cucumber spears, or tomato wedges.  It is also a great housewarming, hostess, or holiday gift idea for the cook/chef on your shopping list.

Herb Salt Recipe:

1/2 cup Kosher or coarse grain sea salt
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves, minced
1/4 cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, minced
zest of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar with tight fitting lid. Seal jar and shake until well combined. Set for 24 hours in a cool, dry place to allow flavors to meld. Makes about 3/4 cup

A Few Suggestions/Variations to get you started:

• Lemon Thyme, Lemon Zest, Italian flat leaf parsley
  
• Basil, Orange Zest, Italian flat leaf parsley
• Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Italian flat leaf parsley
• Tarragon, Lemon Zest
• Rosemary, Lemon Zest, Orange Zest
• Mint, Lemon Zest, Italian flat leaf parsley
• Oregano, Orange Zest, Italian flat leaf parsely
• Cilantro, Lime Zest, Italian flat leaf parsley
• Tarragon, Chives, Chervil, Italian flat leaf parsley
• Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Italian flat leaf parsley

A work related accident has taken the life of a young man in Virginia. Unfortunetly, it happens far too often,as many workers have been mangled by unregulated, and lethal wood chippers.

Landscape trailers, chipper trailers, have no regulations and are not inspected like a vehicle is. The state requires inspections only for trailers weighing more than 3,000 pounds.

State and federal authorities will investigate the death of the high school freshman,Frank Gornik, who was killed in an accident involving a wood chipper.

Poquoson police say Frank Gornik was part of a three-person crew working to remove tree limbs and debris from a home. Frank Anthony Gornik, 14, of Smith Street, was working for Old Dominion Tree and Lawn Care at the time of his death.

Gornick and two other men were removing storm debris from a Poquoson residence when Gornick, who apparently was using a shovel to push debris into a commercial wood chipper, was pulled into the machine and killed.

The wood chipper is designed to grab,pull, and grate large wood objects,usually tree limbs and branches, and slices them up into fine granulated chips.

 The operator is not supposed to stand close the opening of the chipper, and definitely one should let go of any object one is holding on to, if at all possible, if it gets caught in the pulling system of the wood chipper.

When this is not done, tragic results will happen.

Ron Melancon runs the Web site http://www.dangeroustrailers.org/, devoted to increasing regulation of small trailers, including wood chippers. Melancon noticed there are few rules when it comes to operating a wood chipper. http://www.wvec.com/news/local/Safety-advocate-focuses-on-wood-chippers-72925682.html

The law says anyone over 18 can do it without a license and without formal training. OSHA regulates wood chippers but only after a complaint or a fatality…

.…Now they can start to investigate this complaint, since a death has occurred.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Loving-Memory-of-Frank-Gornick/182987404478?v=feed&story_fbid=183006112874

The Department of Labor and Industry inspects landscaping workplaces, but not specific machinery such as a wood chipper.Poquoson Police Chief Cliff Bowen said the investigation into the incident is proceeding, but there was no new information available.

 A memorial service for Gornik was held at 1 p.m. on Friday at the Tabernacle United Methodist Church, 831 Poquoson Ave.

A charitable fund has also been established in Gornik’s memory by Wanda Hendron, owner of a Newport News tree service. Donations to Gornik’s family may be made, in care of Wanda Hendron, at any Old Point National Bank branch in Hampton Roads, a bank spokeswoman said.

Grief counselors will be available for students at local schools starting on Monday.

Follow story by clinking on the links to my trusted sources below…

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34108491/ns/local_news-rochester_ny/

http://www.dailypress.com/news/york-county/dp-now-poquoson-woodchipper.n23,0,3503773.story

I send my condolences to the family of Frank Gornik…may he rest in peace, and live forever in your hearts.

Citrus Limon - lemon

It’s hard to limit  essential oils to such a small number since there are literally well over 100+ to select from.  If you are just starting out and want to limit your initial investment you can get started with 10 basic oils which make a great introduction to the world of aromatherapy.   Aromatherapy is the art of using select essential oils from plants & trees to both protect and enhance your health.  It’s fun to experiment and make your own “DIY” recipes.

Chamomile, Clove, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Lemon, Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, Tea Tree & Thyme are great to start with.   Ylang-Ylang is another oil that frequently appears on top 10 lists.  Remember, the best essential oils are made from natural – preferably organic sources.  Synthetic or adulterated oils do not duplicate the therapeutic abilities of pure essential oils derived from extracts of plants, trees and flowers.  I’ve used oils that are synthetic or adulterated and believe me, you can tell the difference between the real deal.  Save your money and don’t settle for inferior oils as the results will not be the same.

Of course, you will quickly find your own favorites as you start to experiment with different oils and their various benefits.   I also love all of the citrus oils like Bergamot, Sweet Orange & Tangerine – to name a few.  For example, I put a few drops of each of the citrus oils on a cotton ball and throw it into my vacuum cleaner.  Infuses the whole house with a cheerful and fresh uplifting scent.  I’ve also used Lavender directly on my skin when I’ve had a minor burn.  It really does seem to help the area heal more quickly. And when I need a quick “wake me up” and don’t want caffeine,  I use Rosemary and Peppermint oils.  I simply apply the oils to a tissue and inhale.  Guaranteed to give you a jump start and help with concentration.  I’ve even had one of my friends who was feeling a little blue inhale Rosemary while we were talking and she started to feel the effects before she left.  I’m not saying we fixed her ”blues” just by inhaling a few drops of Rosemary essential oil, but it certainly helped her feel better termporarily and she didn’t have to take a pill to “get happy”.  Listen, if you have a serious depression that won’t go away, seek medical help.  Don’t fool around because it’s better to deal with depression sooner than later. Aromatherapy is a wonderful solution for temporary blues that are related to increased stress levels like holidays or heavier than normal work or school loads.

There are a multitude of recipes you can make using your ten basic oils. For more detailed information on aromatherapy and essential oils visit your local library or book store.  Many of these publications also have great resource sections in the back of the book which can be quite helpful in furthering your own research.

Enjoy!

To your health-

Pam Tirado, Organic Skin Care Tips+, Luminoso Salon & Spa

This week I decided to go for a real challenge and selected a Lemon Tart from delicious. magazine that required me to make my own pastry – something I’ve never done before.

I took the recipe from delicious, which frustratingly doesn’t give any indication as to how easy (or not) the recipe is going to be, so I just read the method and it seemed doable so I thought I’d give it a shot.

And the results were mixed.

Surprisingly, to me at least, my pastry making went without a hitch. Loading the pastry into tart case was a bit problematic as my case is slightly smaller than the one recommended in the recipe so I had too much leftover. I thought it would be best to put extra pastry in the case, which ended up with it looking a bit uneven and taking slightly longer to cook than suggested.

If I make this again I’d reduce the amount of pastry to create a more even pastry base – you’ll see the uneven results in the pictures – it’s not a disaster, but then again it’s not perfection.

My smaller pastry case coupled with a thicker layer of pastry again meant I had too much filling (I estimate that I could probably make another tart with the extra filling I’ve got leftover), but I suppose it’s better to have too much than too little. Making the filling was pretty easy, the only fiddly part being the grating of 3 lemons and the juicing of 4.

It’s worth noting that this recipe is not for someone who is time conscious. The recipe describes it as taking “40 minutes to make”, and “1 hour to cook” but with a not unsubstantial 2 hours cooling time (2 half hours cooling the pastry at various stages and 1 hour (at least) cooling the finished tart – I ate some about 90 minutes later and it was still warm), this is not something that can be whipped up in a hurry.

Most importantly however is the taste test, and this tart does not disappoint. The lemons are zingy, but not overpowering and the pastry has just the right amount of sweetness without straying into sickly territory. Definitely one I’ll try again and hope for slightly better pastry results.

Difficulty level: 3/5 Lots of waiting around and fiddly pastry making may put off the casual baker.
Recipe amendments: None, although next time I would make less filling and pastry for my tart tin.
Taste: 4/5
Chance of remake: 4/5

You can find the recipe in the July edition of .delicious magazine, or find a similar recipe on the delicious. website (the recipe I used didn’t include almonds).

Alright, last night I was able to knock out one more Iron Chef from my list as Yuki’s parents took us along with her sister to Iron Chef Italian Masahiko Kobe’s restaurant, Ristorante Massa. It’s located in a very cool neighborhood of Tokyo called Ebisu tucked away off a main street. It’s a simple little restaurant that seats only about 25-30 people. It was full when we were there, and probably is most nights due to his celebrity status and fantastic food.

There were two pre fix menu options. The one we opted for was the less expensive of the two (approx $65 compared to $85) as it offered one less dish than the other. Since none of us are fat Americans it seemed like the right choice. We could chose one from each category of Antipasto Freddo (3 choices), Antipasto Caldo (three choices), Primo Piatto (5 choices), Secondo Piatto (4 choices), and either a Dolce (5 choices) or Formaggio Plate (pick two out of 4 cheeses) followed by either tea or espresso. We washed down the meal with some Chianti Classico. I have pics of everything, but I’m only going to mention what I ordered otherwise this post will be way way way too long. This is already one of the longest introductions I’ve written. So, on to the food!

We each started off with the Oyster starter that was not part of the Pre Fix. It is probably the largest oyster I’ve ever eaten in my life! So fresh and clean it was simply served in its own juices with a little squeeze of lime and some rock salt. What more does a good oyster need?

Then they brought out an amuse bouche. Baked pasta filled with ricotta cheese, a little slice of pear, and an Italian parsley leaf. It almost reminded me of matzoh with cream cheese, a treat dear to my stomach for one week out of the year.

The Antipasto Freddo I ordered was a foie gras terrine with chamomile. It was served with smoked Ishikawa potatoes, a yuzu consomme jelly, Italian Arugula, and sprinkled with flaked red pepper.

My Antipasto Caldo of choice was a bit of a mis-translation. I thought I was getting duck confit, when it showed up we thought is was duck balls, but it turned out to be chicken gizzards. I actually preferred it to be balls since I’ve never eaten bird balls, but it was still outstanding! The gizzards were served on top of a kabocha puree with thinly sliced red onions that were soaked in cold water, a shishito pepper, and a pea pod.

The Primo Piatto, pasta course, I ordered was chitarra with cremini sauce. The sauce was as simple and delicious as could be…olive oil, garlic, and minced cremini mushrooms. There were big slices of sautéed cremini in it as well. With Kobe being the “Prince of Pasta” it was easily the best pasta in my life. Cooked to perfection, nice and al dente.

For the Secondo Piatto I got the beef, of course. I perfectly grilled strip loin to medium rare covered in a light mustard sauce and served with asparagus, a shiitake, a pea pod, and a slice of red pepper. Uichiro, Yuki’s dad, ordered his with black truffles on top. I wish I knew I could do that. He gave me a few of the truffles and they made an outstanding steak even better…as truffles always do.

I opted for the Formaggio instead of a Dolce. I chose the parmigiano and taleggio. He served it very typically with some dried fruits and sliced nut bread. I washed it down with lemon tea instead of espresso as I wanted to sleep later on.

Maki, Yuki’s sister, couldn’t finish her Tirimisu so I took it upon myself to not waste any food. It was served with kiwi sorbet and fresh fruit. Of course, it was the best tirimisu that I’ve ever digested.

Overall, this was by far the best Italian food I’ve ever eaten, hands down. And I’ve been to Italy. I’m sure there are places as good in Italy, but when Yuki and I went there we couldn’t afford any of the top restaurants. We ate some pretty damn good food there, but nothing as refined as this.

I have also said before that I didn’t think modern Italian food existed. I said that due to the lack of creativity and refinement of Italian food in Chicago (although, I have yet to eat at Spiaggia). At home it’s mostly humongous bowls of pasta with thick rich sauces that weigh you down. Nothing like Ristorante Massa where the portions were clean, fresh, perfectly sized, and creative modern takes on classics. I have a newfound respect for Italian food.

While I have eaten at Sakai’s, Michiba’s, and Chen’s restaurants, this is the first time that an Iron Chef has actually cooked for me. It was very exciting to see Kobe back in the kitchen when we walked in. I think there are two reasons Kobe was cooking for us. First, he only has one restaurant while the others all have numerous. So you know where Kobe will be when he cooks as opposed to it being a crapshoot for the others (I missed Sakai by 4 hours back when Yuki and I went to La Rochelle). Second, he’s still young at only 40 and still wants to create. Michiba is an old man and doesn’t cook anymore and I don’t think Sakai cooks too much anymore either.

No more Iron Chefs this trip as we head back to cold Chicago tomorrow. Next trip I’ll visit Iron Chef Japanese Nakamura Komei and maybe Honorary Iron Chef French Ishinabe Yutaka. Morimoto will have to wait as his Teppanyaki restaurant here in Tokyo starts at approx $300 a head!

Citrus & Jars

It came about simply enough. Invention out of necessity. We needed preserved lemons and couldn’t find them anywhere in the city. The Moroccan tagine just wasn’t the same without them, and so we decided to do a little shopping. For lemons, for jars, for spices and for fun. And since we were going to be preserving the lemons anyway, it seemed only natural to experiment with a few other citrus fruits as well. Namely limes and oranges. It’s been two weeks now and things are looking great.

Each jar received the basic initial treatment, as previously set out by David Lebovitz and Simply Recipes. We were probably more generous with the salt content, added additional spices to each jar and opted to leave them sit unrefrigerated for the initial four weeks. White peppercorns and cinnamon sticks were added to the lemon jar. Coriander seeds and chili peppers to the limes. And the oranges got star anise and some ground black pepper as well. Each fruit was prepared the same way: sliced, generously salted and jam packed into the jars. Additional juice was added when needed to cover all the flesh and rinds. Spices were sprinkled or crushed in intermittently. Simple really.

A Little More Detail / A Lot More Waiting

Recipes are meant to be trashed and added to and forgotten about, but in the interest of general interest, the ratios of fruits, juices and spices we used are as follows (note that measuring usually takes a backseat to other things like feelings, instincts, etc). For the first jar, we used three whole lemons and one extra for just juice. Maybe a tablespoon of peppercorns and one crushed cinnamon stick. For the limes, we used eight limes, salted and halved, with two extra for juice. About a tablespoon each of coriander seeds and white peppercorns. One cinnamon stick and two small chili peppers. Lastly, for the oranges we used three whole and one juiced. A large dash of ground black pepper. A few pieces of star anise. One cinnamon stick. White peppercorns. Coriander and one chili pepper.

The basic hope is that the lemons will be a more traditional, simple recipe, with a little extra kick added by the white pepper. Great for tagine, couscous and roast chicken, to name but a few. The limes will have a bit more of an exotic flavor, from the coriander and chili, and hopefully go well in some fusion Thai or South American dishes. The oranges we’re hoping will go well with duck, or will be able to sit alongside the lemons in some other recipes. If everything works out, we’ll post some additional recipes in the future. We’ll see in a few weeks.

A Thanksgiving treat, Mom’s fresh cranberries.

Source: Mom

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces of fresh cranberries
• Orange juice
• Lemon
• Orange marmelade
• Sugar

Method:

• Mix cranberries, orange juice and rind of 1 lemon in a pan over medium heat
• Simmer until cranberries pop
• Add 1/2 jar orange marmelade
• Add sugar to taste

Ok – so this isn’t the “traditional” chicken – lemon – rice soup, but arguably a healthier adaptation. This was always a staple in our house growing up and was often accompanied by a loaf of fresh hot bread. It’s in my top 3 for sure. So, for the recipe:

Source: My adaptation of Mom’s

Ingredients:

• 4 Cans vegetable broth
• 2 Eggs
• 3 Med. lemons
• 1 Cup instant brown rice
• 1 Medium potato
• 1 Large carrot
• The heart of the celery bunch – leaves and all

Method:

• Heat broth in large soup pan
• Chop one carrot and potato into small pieces and add to pot
• Dice celery and add to pot
• Add rice
• While soup is cooking, combine juice from lemons and three eggs in a large mixing bowl
• When rice and vegetables are done, remove pan from heat
• Ladle hot broth from soup pot into mixing bowl as you whisk
• Continue until there is no broth left
• Transfer mixing bowl contents slowly back into soup pot as you stir while making pucker sounds with your mouth (an old Greek tradition so the egg doesn’t curdle)
• Bring the pot back up to a slow simmer stirring constantly until soup achieves desired thickness (1 – 2 minutes)

HOORAY ok so happy Thanksgiving and I’m about to post everything I’ve written since november 1st. I think I’m missing a few from before that but they’re just going to have to chill and be added later…if ever.

Day 76: Stovetop Ecstasy Two Ways

Yesterday I was blessed with a package containing real crabmeat, salmon, blueberry muffin mix, brownie mix and pesto (among many other delicious things).  I can’t wait to start massacreing its contents. Also yesterday, I bought two pieces of precooked chicken from the chicken & rice place in Navrongo—two measly pieces for GhC 1.60! Not doing that again.  The idea was to use them in a recipe calling for cooked chicken pieces. Now to find one upon which to bestow the honors of the mad-expensive poultry.

Following are instructions for what can only be titled Stovetop Ecstasy Two Ways:

1. Prepare focaccia as directed in the DOC, adding a few tsp. each of Italian seasoning and garlic powder to the dough. I used half sunflower oil and half EVOO; it could’ve done with just half the oil total.

2. Stretch out half (or less) of the dough to fit your skillet and cook over med-low heat, 10-15 min per side till crunchy on the outside and golden.

3. Meanwhile, slice a red onion. When the bread is done, set it on a rack to cool, then sauté the onion in EVOO till caramelized and set aside.

4. Sauté another sliced red onion, ½ green pepper, minced garlic clove, and a pulled-apart precooked chicken leg from a chop stand. Cook a few minutes, then add a few shakes chili powder & one shake cumin. Now, with some fresh tomato, you’ve got fajitas.

5. Place the first onion atop a section of the focaccia and sprinkle with salt. Eat the fajitas, too—but don’t put those suckers on tortillas. Put the filling on the focaccia. SO GOOD.

Day 77: Root Vegetable Mash

In Bolga, I bought one of those baked potatoes off a lady’s head and took it home.  I ate half of it plain yesterday, and while I wouldn’t call it a sweet potato, I wouldn’t call it a regular potato either.  It’s a weird mix of the two, but tastes good. It was kind of dry, and since it’s been in the fridge I figured I’d add some boiling water and milk powder and mash it up. Then I got the bright idea to grate some carrot in, and also to add a roasted garlic clove. With some s&p, it wasn’t bad, but was really sweet and not quite what I was hoping for.

Day 78: Super-lemony Goodness

Tonight I made Erin’s Indonesian Chicken from Allrecipes.com (only to discover later that it’s basically the same as Gado-Gado, in the DOC). I substituted green pepe & cabbage for the green beans, pepe/chili powder for the chili paste, and used the meat from the other chicken leg. It’s really good. I squeezed two whole baby lemons into the sauce, which may have been too much, but the extra lemon made it quite multi-dimensional and delicious. I highly recommend it.

For south Indians, tamarind is a must for making sambar. Locallly called puli (L as in lion, if L is pronounced lightly as in love, it means tiger!), it is extensively used in pulisatham, rice mixed with tamarind, in travels, as it remains fresh for two or three days.

Some chemical in tamarind dissolves excess fluoride in the bones and allows it to pass through urine, according to today’s Indian Express!

Salt obtained from the sea (containing iodine, calcium, potassium etc. in traces), turmeric, asafoetida, curry leaves, green dhanya leaves, green chillis, mint leaves, lemon, curd etc., routinely used by Indians, are all healthy food ingredients.

Some useful tip for our Western brothers.

Hopefully with a title like that it’ll be easy to find in the archives How was your Thanksgivings?(if I haven’t already read about them on your blogs). Mine was pretty fantastic I’d have to say. But why take my word–the proof is in the pictures!

Firstly, the relatives were running “a little behind”. This is absolutely expected every time. So it didn’t really change anything. I knew Thanksgiving lunch wouldn’t be for a few hours, and I had no plans to touch the appetizers, so I got a head start on dessert.

Deep Chocolate Vitatop With Cocoa Greek Yogurt

Can you tell I had a chocolate tooth? I just mixed cocoa powder and sweetener with the yogurt and voila–it was so thick I think had it been frozen for 30 minutes it would have been like ice cream. At around 1:15 the relatives showed up(which impressed us who thought they wouldn’t be here until 1:40). They came bearing gifts.

Organic Balsamic Vinegar And Lemon Pepper Oil

Maple Syrup From Berlin

*Swoons* Something tells me my relatives are finally starting to “get” me; the maple syrup actually was on my Christmas list!! Now I need something to take its place, right? As predicted, my little cousins had one thing on their mind: video games. They aren’t allowed to have game systems besides a computer(they’re only 8 and 3) so my house is like gold. When they were doing that, the adults had appetizers:

Homemade Meatballs, Whole Food Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms, Cheese Platter, Trader Joe Chicken Wontons

I’m pretty much the opposite of a grazer, and was still satisfied from my vitatop, so I was fine skipping all this. My mom’s meatballs are kind of famous within the family; maybe some day I’ll steal borrow the recipe and make it with bison and organic sauce. I don’t think I’ve seen someone attack appetizers like my grandfather on those wontons. Apparently he’d been “saving” calories all last week for today. Probably not the healthiest thing but when you’re 75 who’s to say you can’t do what you want.

Carved Turkey

The turkey rested while people chatted and then we got to carving. Notice how on the left it’s pulled like pork and on the right it’s nicely carved in tact. Guess who did the right My mom was anally organized about the table and had labeled everything a place so set up was fast.

Thanksgiving Table

Like usual, my mom and I were the first to the table with the old people behind only because they’re… slower. And the uncle, aunt, and cousins were running around enthralled with video games, haha. My cousin wanted me to help him on a level but I told him I was hungry, and when my grandmother said I’d need to prioritize with my own children I assured her that’s a ways away. And then there was food.

Turkey, Stuffing, Roasted Brussels, Organic Jellied Cranberry

Delicious. The turkey, from Whole Foods, was free-ranged so I felt perfectly fine digging right into it. Ironically, I probably took less than 2oz of meat! I think meat being absent so much while I’m at school makes a little seem like a lot and have me appreciate it more. My “strategy” going in was just to take 3 or 4 foods, even though there were plenty more on the table. I didn’t want to do a “sampler” of everything; I knew I’d have all this for leftovers so I’d rather eat what I did take and ignore what I didn’t. No regrets here or in the foods I did choose. I’ve loooooved cranberry sauce from a can since being a boy and am so happy that this didn’t have HFCS in it. Here are my 3 living grandparents also enjoying the meal:

Enjoying The Meal

We swiftly started heating up pies, defrosting desserts, and cleaning plates. I completely failed on taking a picture of the dessert line up but there was my pie, Trader Joe lemon bars, homemade berry pie from my grandmother, store bought cheesecake, chocolate and vanilla ice cream, and a Carvel birthday cake.

Blowing Out The Candles

Tuesday was my grandfather’s 75th birthday. Happy birthday! Hopefully he doesn’t eat like that everyday or there’s no way he’s hitting 76, haha. There was also another unique item welcomed to the table.

TruWhip

This week I received a coupon from TruWhip to try and review their product. Could you think of a better time than Thanksgiving? Unlike its competitors, TruWhip is 100% natural, 70% organic, with no hydrogenate oils or HFCS. Not only was I happy to try this but it felt great to serve to my family. I took plate of the natural goodies that fit my hunger.

Pumpkin Pie, Trader Joe Lemon Square, TruWhip

What a sweet way to end the meal. The pumpkin pie came out as good this time as last time. The lemon square from Trader Joe was good but not superb; it was definitely better than any lemon bar I could’ve made from scratch. The real shocker here was the TruWhip, which everyone seemed to enjoy. It really tasted just like the competitor to me. I must admit there are some things I miss since eating all-natural so it’s always fun when groceries like this come along. It was light and airy, sweet with a hint of cream. I think the only one who wasn’t convinced it was an identical match was my mom, who went in with a slanted opinion to begin with. I think a carton is only 4 or 5 dollars, and since it can be refrozen for another holiday, this is completely worth buying and keeping around for a naturally special event.

Everyone had a good time and piled out by 5 o’clock. I think the most tired of the day was Montana, who was already sleeping on the couch. We tried passing off as much leftovers as we could but in the end our fridge was full. At least what we have is real food we can work into any meal over the next few days. By 5:45 I was feeling munchy.

Raw Vegetables

I started to work on the leftovers with the raw veggies. My mom couldn’t understand how anyone would still be hungry after Thanksgiving; I believe it’s called not eating 3 slices of Carvel cake? I was happy with eating until I was comfortably full and knowing how much was enough–I absolute despise that “overstuffed” feeling. Right like clockwork I had a dinner for one made and ready for 7.

Brussels And Tempeh Bacon With Maple Syrup, Grand Marnier Sweet Potatoes, Lightlife Breakfast Sausages

3 delicious meals in one day–how lucky am I! I wasn’t quite up to real meat for the time, so instead I let my protein be soy sausaged and tempeh bacon. I steamed and then pan seared some brussels to add some crust, and drizzled maple syrup at the end. The sweet potatoes were one of the dishes I passed over at lunch because I knew there’d be leftovers, and I rather liked this because it made it feel like I was eating a completely new meal! They were pretty good, but I think my mom had a heavy hand with the alcohol because these were pungent, haha

You know I was right there for the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special(it helped that Survivor was just a clip show, too). After a cup of coffee for good digesting, I got to work on more leftovers.

Plain Soy Yogurt With Cranberry Sauce

I will never understand how something like cranberry sauce has become accepted with dinner and not as dessert but I’ll just be thankful for that We got 365 organic and it is perfect. Not only does it not have HFCS but it’s and also a little less sweet so that the tartness is evenly balanced. Between the textures of jellied cranberry soy yogurt and the flavors this was just to die for.

I was also thankful for NBC’s People Of The Year special. I really hope it wasn’t just me. I think I’m becoming old, because in my head I thought of this as “The Today Show + 60 Minutes + Miracle Grow” and practically wet my pants in anticipation. It lived up to what I hoped. I’m really tired of the Octomom and balloon boy, but I could never get tired of hearing praise for Taylor Swift. Right before I went to bead I had what my day was lacking–whole grains.

Pumpkin Oatmeal With Almond Butter And Smart Balance Peanut Butter

That brought me back to my roots. I’m liking the double nut-butter topping now as opposed to the nut butter and a topping(like chocolate). Not sure why, maybe I truly am just nuts for nuts

This morning there were plans to maybe attack Target for Black Friday sales with my dad, but my parents had to leave for a funeral at 8:30(irony) and the sales just weren’t as appealing as last year so we called it off. Today it’s planned raining all day so it will, by all likelihood, become a rest day, and I will be between the kitchen baking and my computer studying. Again, hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Now get to work on them leftovers

Alright, it’s a posh Italian title, but it’s basically pasta, prawns and a silky carbonara-type lemon sauce. More importantly, it’s super quick and easy to make, and it’s really really tasty!

I reckon it took me about 15 minutes to throw together. If you’ve got prawns that are  pre-cooked, that’s OK, and if you wanted to you could happily substitute them for chicken or pork, or leave them out altogether for an even quicker meal.

I added courgette strips and experimented a bit with how to cut them. In the end it comes down to time. You can use coarsely  a speed peeler and get strips which you then slice into linguini sized lines. Alternatively, to save a few minutes, you can simply grate the courgette, trying to get the longest strips you can. I think it’s worth just squeezing a bit of the water out of these strips though, otherwise they tend to stick together a bit. Perhaps coating them in a tiny bit of olive oil might help this also? Ideas?

The egg yolk gives a richness to the sauce and cooks with the heat from the pan (a la carbonara) but isn’t essential.

So go on, crack a nice bottle of white, stick a candle on the table and impress the other half. Then get them to do the washing up….

Linguini Gamberi al Limone Cremoso

Serves 2

You’ll need

• 200g linguini (spaghetti’s OK too, of course!)
• 3 1/2 tbs creme fraiche (I used half fat, as I’m healthy – yeah)
• 1 courgette, cut/grated into strips (see above)
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 200g raw king prawns
• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 egg yolk
• A handful of grated Italian cheese, such as parmesan, pecorino or gran padano
• Salt & freshly ground pepper
• Olive oil

Do it!

1. Get a large pan of water on the boil and season heavily with salt.
2. Check the timing instructions on the pasta and get it cooking in the water.
3. Place the egg yolk, creme fraiche, cheese,  and plenty of black pepper into a bowl and combine. Then mix in half of the lemon juice and half of the zest.
4. When the pasta has only 5 minutes to go, heat a glug of olive oil in a hot frying ban and saute the prawns. They should only take a minute or so on each side. Season them with salt and pepper and the chilli flakes as you go, and watch for them to turn pink.
5. Add the courgette strips and the rest of the lemon zest to the pan and cook for a further 30 seconds.
6. Using tongs or a spaghetti spoon, remove the pasta from the water (it should still have a little bit of bite to it) and add straight to the pan. Add a little bit of the salty water and the remaining lemon juice to loosen up the pasta and mix well with the contents of the pan.
7. Take the pan off the heat. As soon as the sizzling has stopped add the creme fraiche mixture and shake it into the pasta and prawns. There should be no lumps, so stir very gently if necessary.
8. Serve immediately – yum!

1 lb cranberry

1/3 lb sugar

1/2 lemon

1 tbsp brandy

wash cranberry and put in the pan

add sugar and lemon juice(squeeze lemon), and then medium heat it

when it is boiling, reduce heat low and cook till cranberry becomes soft

when it is cooked, add brandy

serve it with Thanksgiving meal, or…with cake.

I use this for that and sometimes mix with cake dough…it is very good!

If you made too much, then save the extra in a canning jar. It is OK to save it for a long time (put sauce into the jar, seal it. boil water and put jar in it, boil it for a few minutes, take it out from boiling water, and then turn it upside down.)

I hope you enjoy!

click please

The secret to good meringue is FRESH eggs. Hopefully, you have access to some very tasty local eggs. If you’re getting them from the store, separate eggs in a small bowl just to make sure you have no broken yolks or bad eggs. My sister is the best meringue assistant. Having an extra set of hands might help you too.

For the lemon curd:

2 lemons, zested and juiced
1 lemon, juiced
5 egg yolks
1/3 Cup sugar
2 TB corn starch
water

Wash your lemons before zesting. When using zest, it is imperative you use organic citrus to avoid pesticides. Place all ingredients in your blender. This is the best way to ensure smooth lemon curd. Add water to the blender carafe to the 2 Cup mark. Blend on low to remove all lumps. Frothy is a-okay.

Pour the curd mixture into a sauce pan and heat over medium, whisking. The mixture will suddenly begin to thicken. Whisk rapidly to prevent lumps. When curd firms, remove from heat and set aside.

For meringue:

5 egg whites
pinch salt
1/3 Cup sugar

Beat egg whites with salt to frothy. As peaks begin to form, add in sugar. Whip to glossy firm peaks.

To assemble pie:

Use any pre-baked crust you prefer. Blind baking the gluten free pie crust for 12 minutes is perfect. Pour curd into shell. Spread in evenly. Gently top with meringue. If you want to get really fancy, you can pipe it on with a pastry bag for extra pie sexiness, go right ahead.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 12 minutes, until meringue top is golden. Cool before serving.