I hope everyone had an absolutely wonderful and safe Thanksgiving this year. I know I did. I have a lot to be thankful for, and I realize this more and more everyday. My Thanksgiving morning started very early at 6am for the Turkey Chase 10K. My wonderful boyfriend came once again to support me on this VERY COLD, drizzly, foggy morning. The race site was packed an hour before the race, and more and more people just kept on coming. I couldn’t get over all the people that were signed up for this race on Thanksgiving morning. It was such a great feeling even though part of me wanted to go home and crawl back in bed. Here I am when we just arrived- please exuse the crazy hair and bags under my eyes. It was early.

Something felt off that morning. I had tossed and turned the night before the race, and my nerves were out of control. I just didn’t feel like my heart was completely there, and my ankle was bothering me a LOT. Finally the race was about to begin, and I squeezed my way through the crazy amount of people to get to my mile pace time to start. There was a wave start since there was just under 5,000 runners. It reminded me of the Baltimore 1/2 Marathon, but actually worse. I couldn’t move at the start line.

I didn’t take many pictures this morning because it was just too cold and too wet. I just wanted to get started and be done! Here I am at the start line-can you find me?

Look deep in the middle. I’m in a purple shirt and smiling.

Finally we were off. My toes were completely numb, and I couldn’t feel them until Mile 2. The roads were tiny, and everyone was crowding together to get through. I was moving at snails pace and just wanted to get through the mobs of people to get my pace going. But I never was able to get through. There were way too many people on these tiny little streets that I just had to go with the flow and enjoy the run. I ran my best considering my ankle was hurting the entire time. Finally I had one mile to go, and people started to spread out a bit. At least with the Baltimore 1/2 I had many more miles to make up my time, but I only had 6 to do so here. So I ran that last mile with all my heart and soul and gave it all I got. I didn’t do as well as I know I could have, but I was just happy it was over. Here are my stats:

Garmin:

• Time: 50:11
• Distance: 6.29 miles
• Average Pace: 7:59 mile

Actual Race Results According to Chip:

• Time: 50:11
• Distance: 6.2 miles
• Average Pace: 8:05/ mile
• Place: 823/4326
• Place in Division: 37/378

We immediately got in the car and headed home to get cleaned up and warmed up by the fire. My Thanksgiving had a slightly rough start, but turned into a wonderful day. Chris and I had breakfast while watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and then made quite a spread for lunch. Now remember it was only the 2 of us today, but we did it up big.

Pumpkin Dip with Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips

Spread of Cheeses and crackers with sweet pickles

Puff Pastries with feta and caramelized onions

And of course we had spiked Apple Cider and some Wine. Following our lunch we watched Home Alone-a classic Christmas Movie

Our Thanksgiving Dinner Prep started around 5:30 since we were so stuffed from our lunch spread. We both helped in the kitchen to make a Semi-Homemade Thanksgiving. I have to tell you, it was one of the easiest, most fun, delicious Thanksgivings I’ve ever had, and it was semi-homemade. Here was the menu:

• Top Sirloin in a beer and brown sugar sauce
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted and Glazed Sweet Potatoes
• Haricot vert with Olive Oil and seasoning
• Cranberry and Sage Stuffing
• Cranberry Sauce

I am not a fan of turkey so Chris and I decided to do steak instead, and it was the best decision I have ever made. All of the flavors went so well together. It was a fantastic dinner! The Steak, sweet potatoes, and green beans were home made, and everything else was made my Trader Joe’s. I loved the sweetness in the steak with the sweet potatoes and the stuffing. It was absolutely delicious!

We enjoyed our dinner with a glass of my September Wine of the Month. X Winery Red X Blend. It is big and plush and juicy, but has a soft finish with medium tannins. Perfect for sipping while cooking dinner, and the perfect pair with dinner.

We ended the night with my very favorite Christmas Movie: Miracle on 34th Street, and pumpkin pie. I made pumpkin pie ice cream by taking vanilla ice cream and adding pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and mixing it all up. I topped my warm pumpkin pie with the ice cream and had some Pumpkin Spice Coffee on the side.

A Perfect ending to a PERFECT Thanksgiving.

President Barack Obama with Her Honor, Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor

Today’s post is a Churrasco recipe dedicated to the honorary,  freshly appointed Supreme Court Justice of The United States, Sonia Sotomayor. An article by Sandra Guzman was featured in the Dec/Jan issue of Latina Magazine, where Her Honor graced the front cover. Sandra captures all of Sonia Sotomayor’s academic achievements and career milestones and introduces the woman behind the robe in this exclusive intimate portrait.

She also mentioned that Sotomayor is a great party host and can cook up a mean Churrasco. Sonia Sotomayor is  a thorough woman of excellence, she can cook too! How sexy! People think I am partial to her because my mom’s name is also Sonia Sotomayor . (She’s re-married, it is now hyphenated as Sotomayor- Allende.)

I am mostly in awe of her because she represents a Latina from humble beginnings who rose the ranks of her profession due to the power of her mind, which makes her sexy as a woman. Not that I believe that is what is most important. Her kindness, intelligence, perseverance and courage are to be admired. Those are attributes I aspire to attain.

I am so proud of this Latina woman of strength, she is living proof that the old world belief of limitations due to race, gender and creed have finally been shattered once and for all. She has surpassed all boundaries. There are no more excuses.

Churrasco is one of my favorite dishes to make. The wonderful aromas that waft from my kitchen while cooking it causes my mouth to salivate, I can barely wait until dinner time. I usually accompany this sumptuous dish with a luscious bottle of a full-bodied Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon. But any high quality, deep red wine will bring out the hearty flavor of this mouth-watering meal.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 skirt steaks (about 1 pound each), trimmed of fat and cut in 1/2 crosswise
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• Chimichurri, recipe follows

Directions

Rub a generous amount of salt and pepper into both sides of the steaks. Rub the onion powder into the steaks, dividing it evenly. Put the steaks into a baking dish or container that holds them comfortably. Sprinkle the vinegar over the steaks and brush them with the olive oil. Marinate the steaks at room temperature for up to 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Heat a gas grill to medium-high or heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the steaks, turning only once, to desired doneness. Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes. If desired, slice the steaks thinly against the grain before serving. Drizzle some of the chimichurri over the steaks and pass the rest separately.

Chimichurri Sauce:

• 4 cups flat-leaf parsley (from about 1 large bunch)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 heaping teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

In a food processor, pulse the parsley and garlic until finely chopped. Scrape into a bowl and stir in the olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, for a spicy chimichurri.

Yield: about 1 cup

Recipe courtesy of Daisy Martinez

]]> http://gastronomyaficionado.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/bibliotheque/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:06:40 +0000 Rian Farisa http://gastronomyaficionado.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/bibliotheque/

Arguably one of the hippest place in Jakarta now. Bibliothèque is a semi formal wine and dine place with the interior elegance, a mixture between the old school library bookshelves, wooden panels, old lanterns, classic style furnitures but with the touch of modern feel and cozy lighting. Also, the grandfather’s clocks and the grand piano make this place even more lavish. Not to mention that live DJ are also heating up the night with cool remixes of lounge and nu-jazz tunes after 9 or 10 PM.

My first visit was not premeditated. All of a sudden my friends asked me out to visit this new place for wine and dine. Even though this place resided in the premises of the lavish Sampoerna Strategic Square, I assumed that no matter how exclusive it might appear, it would be still the same like the previous places I had already visited like Social House, Cork and Screw, Pastis, or Poste. We stole our way in from the parking lot to the back entrance from inside the building when the security stopped me all of a sudden. I have always been an avid user of sandals no matter where I go. Well, as you can see, I love freedom bound activities, therefore I will always have to do everything dynamically and that can be sorted out only with casual attires. At any rate, they didn’t allow me to come in. Politely. Long story short, after several peaceful arguments, we then decided to drive me back just to fetch my shoes.

This time, we came in from their front entrance. Looking good! Lavish and filled with stylish people, no wonder why my friend had to book from a week before. Judging from the trends, Jakartans will flock into new hip places like this one though that doesn’t mean that the older places will be deserted. Best to book first, that’s rule number one.

So, we were seated upstairs, a bit far from the action but if you want a somewhat pristine atmosphere, you can pick the place. I recommend though to seat downstairs around just around the corner by the window. Unfortunate for us that everything downstairs was booked.

Since we already had dinner, we decided to pick desserts and coffee. Well, from what I saw, in the food section they provide serious Middle Eastern cuisine and bit of Western. A good thing because most wine and dine concepts are serving Western only plus a little bit of Eastern, but certainly not Middle Eastern food like these. After I browsed through the dessert section, I immediately ordered the Baklava with Vanilla Ice Cream (IDR 39,000). As for the drinks, there’s not much action to be found in non-alcoholic section, but I picked the Hot Cappuccino (IDR 35,000). As for the rest and making the most of the pages in the menu, the alcohols!

Relentlessly but politely, the waiter suggested a bottle of wine for us but since we didn’t plan to drink alcohol and certainly not me, we declined the offer but my friend asked him about several brands of wine just to keep the ‘dignity’. Well, the truth is if you come into such places, you’re gonna be expected to blend into the culture of drinking wine or even spirits or at the very least, a beer. Seeing everything around you doing that, makes you somehow tempted to do so. But let me assure you that you really don’t have to get involved unless you wanted to.

Ah, I forgot about the delights we ordered before. Turned out that the Baklava was the star of the day. Accompanied with delicious cream, ice cream and a strawberry, the four small Baklava sticks were indeed very very tasty! Classy, rich, and fully flavored, the Baklava has been the delicacy originated from Turkey centuries ago. It’s rare to find such recipes around here, therefore that’s the very reason why I picked that for my dessert. Everybody seemed to be happy after tasting my Baklava and of course myself. You’ll crave for more since they only serve you little for quite a price.

As for the coffee, it’s pretty much the same but they provide you with cube sugar, brown sugar, and simple syrup to be added to your coffee according to your taste. A comfortable night we had, but until they made the lamps less illuminated, the atmosphere upstairs became darker and less pleasant but you can ask for a candle to be lit in your table. On the contrary though, it’s still pleasant downstairs. Lucky that the DJ played some good music.

Well, let’s wrap it up. The place was indeed classy but somehow doesn’t have the balanced composition regarding the exterior if you comprehend what I argued earlier. The service was excellent too, the waiters have been helpful and most of all, they don’t allow casual or sandals. Well, that’s a problem for me but it’s pretty understandable judging from the place. The dessert was excellent but not with the coffee. I assume that the main dishes would be excellent as well. They don’t use foreign chefs, but since the dessert was tasty then it’s quite safe to assume that they keep such quality for the rest. This place also fit for a romantic dinner though it gets less romantic on Friday and Saturday (closed on Sunday) because of the crowd, but it’s indeed a good place to spend time with your friend.

The Judgment (based on scale of 10 score plus the comments):

1. PRICE (4/10)

Calculation Method

GT = (Principle Price + (Principle Price x Service Tax)) x Restaurant Tax

- Service Tax = 10%

The same trick Jakarta’s similar joints have in their sleeves.

2. INTERIOR (7/10)

No matter how lavish it may seem, it gets colder upstairs. Downstairs may be different. Indeed the music helps to ease that feeling but you gotta speak louder.

3. SERVICE (6/10)

Helpful and ready at all times around you though sometimes we want some privacy or just equipped us with a buzzer to call them.

4. TASTE (7/10)

Next time, I’ll be sure to check the main dishes. As for the desserts, they’re heavenly!

5. OVERALL (6/10)

Additional Information:

Location : Sampoerna Strategic Square (GF), Jakarta

While we were making the leek-rolls yesterday we heard the old Dr. Demento classic “Cows with guns” a couple of times. So… Today we had steak!

And you can’t say steak without saying sauce bearnaise, so we threw our innocent selves into the fray of the 5 great french sauces – namely the Hollandaise, the “mother sauce” (french: “mère”) of bearnaise. As some of you probably know, true Bearnaise is also as a kitchen nightmare due to the sauce’s ability to separate just, when you think you are home free, but we went an had a go anyway:

According to one of our favorite cookery books “Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Cookery” ( “Den klassiske køkkenskole” in Danish) the recipe for the perfect sauce bearnaise is as follows:

175g butter

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

3 tbsp dry white wine

10 crushed peppercorn

3 finely chopped shallots

1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

3 egg yolks

salt and cayenne

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

You melt the butter, a nice large piece, and let it cool. Remember to remove the foam:

Boil the vinegar, wine, peppercorns, shallots and tarragon until it is reducesd to about 1tbsp.

Add 1 tbsp cold water to help cool the concentrate.  Add the egg yolks and then salt and cayenne to taste.  Then you whip like mad while you warm the sauce very carefuly  until the sauce is light and “airy”.

And now comes the tricky part: Take the sauce off the heat and pour in the warm butter very gently while still whipping like mad. Don’t use the whey at the bottom of the pot! The result should be that the sauce starts to thicken.Then you strain the sauce…

… add the parsley and it’s all done.

Sounds very easy, doesn’t it

French people must have 3 hands or more, but luckily about two danes can do the same.

And so, our very first real sauce Bearnaise was made, just in time to  become the best possible companion to the biggest rare steaks, that have enteret our kitchen.. ever…

Torore is a great South American bar, grill and steakhouse in the very centre of Manchester city. It opened in June 2009 in a basement location on Portland Street that was formerly home to El Macho and the restaurant’s eclectic Mexcian décor has been retained. The food, however, is distinctively Torore with the focus on good-quality prime cut steaks which are expertly cooked by specialist chefs. There’s also plenty of chicken and seafood dishes as well as salads and burgers accompanied by a great range of cocktails, shots, wines, beers and spirits. The French restaurant manager has a wealth of front-of-house experience so you can expect friendly and efficient service. Torore is open for dinner every night and lunch from Monday to Saturday.

103 Portland Street

Manchester City Centre

M1 6DF

Tel: 0161 236 6266

Tell them you saw them on “Modern Eatery”

In a curiously-named Italian restaurant called La Barca, I ate to my little heart’s content while the bill was rung up on Dad’s client’s tab. Gotta love these business dinners I get to tag along to.

(Can’t blame me for shamelessly milking my chances before the return to student-type pasta meals)

My starter of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with buttered toast was a bit of a letdown. Not that it was bad, but when you keep thinking Ahh I could make this myself and have it taste the same, I suppose that renders it a hit-and-miss.

Ah, but the steak, the steak! I had the scotch fillet – medium rare – in a shrooms-and-red wine sauce. Glorious meat juices danced on my tongue the moment my incisors got to work on each perfectly-seared sliver of meat.
Pink = très bien!

Fully stuffed with three-quarters of the fillet but unable to resist the call of a triple-whammy of gelato, I decided to err on the side of heartburn. (I don’t have a sweet tooth so I always refuse cake, but I do seem to have a separate gut for ice-cream or gelato)

And it all ended well when this little pig rolled her way back to her father’s hotel room and hogged the telly watching trashy Brit reality shows to round off a very indulgent night.

]]> http://imhungryletsgetsomefood.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/jacobs-and-co-steakhouse/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:52:12 +0000 jlowjlow http://imhungryletsgetsomefood.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/jacobs-and-co-steakhouse/

While my parents were in town, I found our discussion frequently turned to food.  We got into a discussion about steak and I told them about my failed attempts during the summer BBQ season.  I asked my father if he was just born with the innate ability to cook steak.  My mother laughed and said it took him years of reading through books for marinades and techniques, watching shows on TV and simple trial and error.  I remember watching him cook steak the last time I was home.  He can honestly just look at a steak on the grill and know if it is ready.  Needless to say, being born and raised in Alberta and having experienced my father’s professional level BBQ-ing, our family holds a pretty high standard when it comes to steak.

Last week we decided to try Jacobs and Co. Steakhouse.  The outside is deceiving since it kind of looks like a small warehouse (until you walk to the back entrance and see the nice entranceway).  Upon entering the restaurant you get interesting feel of the old being combined with the new.  It doesn’t have a traditional steakhouse look which I have found have an upscale wood lodge type of feel – warm, comforting and old school classy.  The lounge in the front has some trendier low and high tables situated in a room with dim lighting and a grand piano in the corner.  The front end staff is very friendly as we are shown to our table.  The dining room on the upper floor is well lit compared to the lounge.  The dark wooden tables with bright white table cloths and the beige color of the bench seats in the booths give a contrast that feels both new age classy and old school comfort at the same time.  You can’t help but notice the large glass enclosed room to the left of the stairwell where large slabs of meat are being aged to the chef’s specifications.

My mother began perusing the wine list and asked our waiter about a few bottles.  He seemed vaguely familiar with a few of the bottles but decided to bring over the sommelier to give us more details on the wine list.  My parents gave some general specifications and the sommelier returned with three bottles.  All of them sounded amazing but we decided on a Californian wine where the grapes were imported from Italy.  Like the restaurant itself, the wine was a mix of the old robust, full bodied European taste with the fruitiness you find in the new world wines.

I normally don’t comment on bread since in most cases there is nothing to comment on.  Most places serve fresh, good tasting bread with decent butter.  This place however added a bit of a twist.  The waiter brought out three pieces of bread that looked like Yorkshire pudding.  The inside contained a web of soft, delicious bread and wait for…there was cheddar baked into the outside crust.  Mixed with the garlic butter this bread stood out amongst most breads I’ve had outside of a specialty bakery.

We decided to get Caesar salads to start and also added Spanish white anchovies.  A portable cart arrived and they prepared that Caesar salads right before us.  It was an impressive display and as we watched him throw in each ingredient, we grew more excited.  He filled the bowl with a few spices and threw the anchovies in, grinding them with a fork inside the giant wooden bowl.  Next he threw in a mix of oils, an egg yolk, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and some other liquid that none of us could identify.  Then he threw in the fresh, crisp lettuce and tossed the mixture around until all the pieces were lightly dressed.  Then the salad was topped with cheese and the thick pieces of salty bacon.  The salad was incredible.  My father left saying that it was the BEST Caesar salad he has ever had.  I had to agree.  Some Caesars are too creamy, some are bland, some skimp on the bacon and cheese, some lack fresh lettuce…this was not the case with this perfect salad.  I know it looks really small in the picture but it was a lot bigger than it looks and we split one order between the three of us.

Jacobs has an impressive selection of steaks aged from 43 to 49 days and also offering some REALLY high end options.  The most expensive steak on the menu is imported from Japan’s Kobe region and runs $190 for 6oz.  My parent’s encouraged me to try it but it just doesn’t seem right paying that much for a small steak.  I told them Kobe beef alone was enough motivation for me to take a trip to Japan sometime in the near future and I would try it then (hopefully).  Instead, we decided to split the 40oz. porterhouse, aged 49 days, between the three us.  In addition to the steak we also ordered two sides, the duck fat French fried potatoes with tarragon and cracked pepper and the roasted mushrooms.

The duck fat French fried potatoes have to be one of the most unique fries I have ever had.  From the first bite, you can immediately taste the duck.  The fries themselves are crisp and nicely seasoned with pepper, tarragon and salt.  I usually find tarragon to be an overpowering flavor but in this case, the duck was the dominant flavor.  I like duck so generally speaking I really liked these fries but I don’t think it is something I would eat on a regular basis.  The mushrooms were delicious.  I find most side orders of mushrooms at steakhouses are pan-fried and too oily but this was not the case here.  There were at least three variations of mushrooms in the mix and combined with the steak, they were delicious.

Before I get into the steak I should mention the sauces and salts they brought to accompany the steaks.  I had always been under the belief that you don’t need to add any sauce or additional seasoning to a good steak so I was surprised when I saw these brought out.  Three sauces were brought out, a Japanese ponzu sauce (basically sweet soy sauce with ginger), a chimi churi which looked like green pesto with a basil/light chili taste and a blue cheese sauce with double smoked bacon.  There were also three types of sea salt, a regular plain sea salt, a smoky sea salt and a dark mineral sea salt.

We ordered a medium rare steak and that is exactly how it came out.  Our family has a bit of a pet peeve about overcooked steak.  The steak was really thick with a bright red center.  It came pre-sliced off the bone which saved us the trouble of having to cut up the pieces ourselves.  In terms of taste, the steak was great.  The steak lacked seasoning and spice taste but had a solid beefy taste.  The steak was well marbled and very tender.  Adding the sea salt really brought out the flavor and the sauces were a nice addition to the flavor of the meat.

How does that steak compare to the other high end steak houses in Toronto is a question I’m sure to get.  Hy’s produced a solid steak with a lot of flavor but I found it was a little overcooked.  Ruth Chris had the fattiest steak which had a lot of flavor but ended up doing a number on my stomach due to the high fat content.  Barbarian’s was good but kind of unmemorable.  I remember the classic steak house ambiance but very little about the steak itself.  I would put Jacob’s steak above these three places but in terms of taste I would have to say that my favorite is still Harbor 60.

For dessert we had the apple crumble.  The apple slices were nicely seasoned with cinnamon and brown sugar but neither flavor was overpowering.  The crumble was delicious and lightly toasted to give it a real crunch.  The ice cream on top was refreshing and worked wonderfully with the warm dessert below it.

In addition to the dessert, they also brought another plate of sweets with a couple pieces of rich dark chocolate and a ginger sugar cookie. 

When the bill arrived, the staff also sent us off with three muffins.  This would be breakfast for my parents in the coming days.  Jacobs and Co serves up a tasty steak with delicious sides.  For a pan seared steak that is then put in a 1800 degree oven (and not BBQ-ed) it is pretty damn good.  I think this place has also ruined me for Caesar salads… I’m not sure if I’ll have any better and it will haunt my dreams… and yes, I often dream about food.

http://www.jacobssteakhouse.com/

For those of you who didn’t see it, I already have a review of San Pedro Wine Bar here.  Well I went back for lunch again and had an even better food experience this time.  I ordered the Flank Steak Salad and it was made to perfection.  The steak was tender and flavorful, and the tangy salad dressing was a perfect compliment while not overpowering the rest of the dish.  From now on, this may be the only thing I order from this place because I can’t get enough of it!

One can probably guess a common ingredient after walking around the market in Budapest – paprika! There are a lot of stew and soup dishes, usually a bit spicy.

This is commonly seen everywhere in Budapest. It’s usually a chicken or beef stew cooked with vegetables and some paprika.

The picture does not do this justice! This is langos – and it’s SO DELICIOUS! I found a small langos shop near my hostel. The owner had a big bucket of dough on the side. After I made the order, she rolled the dough out and put it into the oil for frying. It turned out crispy outside and soft inside (but sort of elastic too). I had cheese and sour cream for the topping. Mmmm so yummy.

I found the stuffed cabbage roll in the Great Central Market. There was meat, rice, vegetables stuffed inside. The balance between the paprika and sour cream was just right.

G and D took me to this really nice Hungarian restaurant. We had halászlé - the traditional fish soup for the appetizer. Again, it’s spicy but the paprika doesn’t overpower the taste of the fish stock.

Hungarian style steak. Again marinated with paprika. The cabbage on the side is also cooked with paprika (but obviously more complicated – I just don’t really know the recipe).

I know my descriptions aren’t too interesting because everything seems to be about paprika, but everything I tried was so delicious! I really like Hungarian food now. G gave me a bag of paprika along with a nice bottle of Hungarian wine as a gift. I was so excited to cook some dishes with the paprika! Unlike regular hot chili pepper, paprika’s spice is subtle but it really brings out flavors in different ingredients.

Last night I made steak for dinner. I sure most of you have noticed that steak is not cheap. I figured I would splurge a little and Corvette loves steak.

I made potatoes and a salad to go along with it. It was all done and sitting on the counter. I went outside for just a minute. Corvette was in the bedroom.

That is when it happened. I walked back inside to find Lucie, my big red dog licking her dog bed. There was a brown stain were she was licking. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach at that point. I walked to the kitchen and looked at the counter and nooooooo! Actually yes, Lucie had helped herself to the steak.

As much as I did not want to do it I had to break it to Corvette. He took it pretty well. No blood was shed. Mostly he had a few choice words for the dog.

Note to self: Make sure food is not reachable by big red dog. Stop at store and get another steak.

Where is The Dog Whisperer when you need him?

After being poorly (I feel a lot better more of the time now) I have had the urge to clean the house meticulously and start creating decorations and presents for Christmas. I am rather excited about Christmas this year; I am never really over-the-top excited about it, but this Christmas will be the first in our new house! I put the tree up last night… a lot of people have said that it is far too early, but my family is coming to celebrate Christmas a week early, so why cant I put the tree up a week early!? It is just inspiration standing in the corner now, I cant wait to start putting presents under it.

Yesterday Ryan came home with a new frying pan, which was on sale in Debenhams:

So this led me on to looking at all the kitchenware that Debenhams sell… There are quite a few things that I love, which I am sure you can get elsewhere too, just they are all bundled together in one shop! Here are my selections:

1. Dark grey Roast ‘n Rack by Maxim – I love making roast dinners so much, but I still dont really have the roasting trays for all the ingredients.

2. Cream plate with glass dome lid – I just love the aesthetic of having this in the kitchen with cakes under it!

3. Teal rectangular stoneware dish by Le Creuset – maybe for pasta bakes

4. Cream stove kettle by Prestige – I adore the lines and the shapes that make up these retro-style kettles. I even love the fact you have to put it on the stove, so amazing! There are some of the same/similar style that are electric, but its not really the same thing is it. We also need an upgrade from the £6 kettle I bought a few years ago from Woolworths haha!

5. Azure cast iron casserole dish By Le Creuset – for casseroles of course. Winter is drawing in and I am always a sucker for homemade comfort food. For some reason all the Le Creuset items I have picked here bar one are in blue; I actually like all and any of the colours in the range that they make.

6. Ken Hom 5 piece Wok set by Tao – because I dont have a wok, and I really feel like trying to make stir fry and chinese style chicken.

7. Teal cast iron 26cm square grillit by Le Creuset – because it would make amazing steaks, and you can pour out the juices from the pan afterwards… mmmmm!

8. Spring form cake pan by Kitchen Craft – because I have none!

9. Volcanic regular cast iron grill by Le Creuset – I believe you can either put this in the oven, or as a hot plate on the stove… I love that idea.

10. 5 piece stainless steel set by Prestige – because all of my pans are leaving black flakes in my pasta yuk! Not necessarily this set, but something similar that wont ruin my food.

11. Blue Icona 4 slice toaster by De Longhi – so yummy looking! And blue again… why!?? We need an upgrade from the £5 toaster from Woolworths I bought 3 years ago…

12. 14cm microwave saucepan – when I saw this I thought of Ryan. He always eats beans, and always cooks them in Tupperware pots without handles or spouts, and it looks like a very awkward process to try not to burn your fingers, so this could be ideal!

13. Assam teapot by Bodum – I am never any good at judging how long to leave teabags to steep in the water before pouring, and it either comes out too weak or too strong. So… if I can see what is going on inside the pot I will be ok! It also has a plunger to stop the process when it is right for you, and you can use teabags or leaves and it works!

14. Cream food mixer by KitchenAid – how gorgeous is this machine! We have one in the kitchen at the bar that I work at, I might see if they will sell it to me as it is not really in use.

.

I am also in the process of designing some quilted Christmas stockings for myself and Ryan, to hang on the wall (where the mantel should be if the house still had one), some knitted presents for my grandparents, maybe some other presents too, and some decorations for the house! I am thinking garlands, and wreaths, and paper chains of course.

Ryan is dying my hair for me tonight, so if I think I look semi-unpoorly afterwards I shall take a photo and paste it to the end of this blog.

[Edit - photo!!!]

Jenn xx

P.S I am now down to 4 hamsters… It seems to be a sad time in Hamsterville. I have not changed anything about their living conditions… maybe it is just that time of year Rest in peace crazy dude who bit me really hard…

Liekitettyä härkää konjakkikastikkeella

• härän ulkofiletta
• mustapippuria ja suolaa
• oliiviöljyä
• konjakkia liekittämiseen
• purkki ruokekermaa
• Dijon -sinappia

Viimeisestä härkäpihvin liekityssessiosta onkin jo vierähtänyt reippaasti aikaa. Viskifanaatikkona nöyrryin kuitenkin hoitamaan liekityksen perinteisemmin konjakilla, jonka jälkipoltoista syntyy erinomainen kastike. Tänään pihviin saatiin luonnetta ja asennetta – Nemanja!

Ota liha lämpiämään n. tuntia ennen paistamista ja leikkaa n. parin sentin paksuiset pihvit. Päälle öljyä ja mustapippuria sen verran, että tuntuu! Painele pihvejä jonkin verran öljyssä ja pippurissa, jätä odottamaan pannun kuumenemista. Paistetaan mieltymysten mukaan pannulla, n. 3/4 min + 3/4 min = medium. Ota pannu pois tulilta ja anna pihvin hetken huilata. Lorauta sekaan konjakkia ja liekkiä perään. Liekityksen kanssa on syytä olla varovainen. Liekki leimauttaa helposti karvat käsistä, eikä keittiön savuefekteiltä pahemmin vältytä. Kauhukeittiön touhulistan ykkössuosikki “näin testaat palovaroittimen toimintaa”. Ethän myöskään tuikkaa settiä tuleen liesituulettimen alla – saattaa tulla rapeampi lopputulos, kuin oli tarkoitus. Ota pihvit pois pannulta lämpimälle lautaselle ja anna vetäytyä folion alla sillä aikaa (n. 4-5 min), kun päräytät kastikkeen.

Konjakki -kastike pippuripihveille

Kaada ruokakerma pannulle paistonesteen sekaan. Lisää reipas mälli sinappia ja mustapippuria, sekä ripaus suolaa. Loraus vielä konjakkia ja annetaan muhia n. 5 min. Maista ja mausta tarpeiden, sekä mieltymysten mukaisesti.

Kasaa koko komeus lautaselle ja nautiskele tuhdin punaviinin kera. Kylkeen liekitettyä sipulia ja astetta rouheempia uuniperunoita. Taitaa Carterin poikakin liekittää pihviä!

“If Your having girlproblem I feel bad for You son. Igot 99 problems, but bitch ain’t one”

]]> http://griffsblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/steak-night-at-military-school/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:17:48 +0000 Mark Griffith http://griffsblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/steak-night-at-military-school/

The rumors had been running rampant in the mess hall as they always have. But this… this was different… something about a steak night… and real steak!

Cannot be true… certainly not in the kitchens of Washington Hall where Mystery Meat reigned supreme along with its morning cousin, SOS.

Still, the noise on the rumor mill continued… and then started to increase… something was happening.

Suddenly, there they were… announcements scotched-taped to several locations at the entrance area of the mess hall:

STEAK NIGHT

TUESDAY, 2-15

NY STRIP

POTATOES/CORN/ETC.

“Impossible!” we exclaimed. “Probably some anemic, sickly cattle that were run up from Argentina… donated to VF as part of some trade agreement with the States.”

The discussions were many and sometimes heated but the night had arrived and it was hard not to get just a little bit excited.

There was a definite buzz at the daily third mess formation. Some cadets proudly confessed that they had sworn off their care packages for two days just so they could savor this very special evening of taste and satiation.

The Band’s bass drummer was “steak-motivated” as well and resulted in a record speed-march down to the mess hall… a record that still stands today.

One could smell the aroma of onions and meat when we arrived and for once the cooks walked around with their heads up proudly… a few had actually shaved that day.

Grace was given as was a warning regarding our behavior. Steak was no excuse for a disciplined corps of cadets to act as if they were eating on a pirate ship.

Well, the time finally arrived for us to sit and eat and I recall looking around the table as eleven fellow cadets began struggling as they attempted to cut into their redwood steaks. It was like witnessing a group of determined lumberjacks who were being paid for piece work.

Some of us successfully broke through to the bottom of our steak and was able to get a piece into our mouth. It was like chewing an empty rubber balloon that tasted like an onion that was badly abused by the cook.

Most of us returned to our barracks hungry and irritable… steak night was finally over.

The mess hall never made any future attempts to produce palatable food and returned to its own depressing tradition of serving consistently horrifying dishes.

I totally have a crush on Alton Brown.

I mean, I don’t want to kiss him or anything, but I would love to sit down at the dinner table with him and listen to him expound on why the green beans taste so good steamed. So anyway, DH and I watched the episode “Steak Your Claim” after which I made DH stop by the store on his way home from work a few days later and pick up some steaks. An expensive meal, 18 dollars to feed seven. But, if you divide it by plate, it’s only like, three dollars a plate.

DH and I love steak, but it’s always a hit and miss event. Until Alton Brown walked us through it.

We actually bought a cast iron skillet in preparation for the meal. This is what you do.  Season your steaks with a little canola oil (it has a high smoke point) and kosher salt and pepper. The kosher salt is jagged and sticks to itself and the meat, making for a nice texture. Your skillet has been heating up in the 500 degree oven. You transfer the skillet to your burner, put it on high heat, and sear your steaks about thirty seconds on each side, without fussing with them. Then you put the skillet and steaks into the 500 degree oven and leave in for four minutes, if your steak is about an inch thick.

We couldn’t believe how perfectly cooked they were! I love medium rare, and that is exactly what I got. The steaks were juicy, hot, flavorful…sigh. Thank you, Alton.

I’ve just returned from a weekend away with my family. It was great, despite The Worst Weather In The World™, but I realised something: my sister and I may be in our mid-twenties, but some things will never change when we go away en famille. There are recurring themes.

1) What is billed as a “pleasant stroll” will turn into an epic hike

Dartmoor: it's bleak up there

Some of my fondest, but also most painful, childhood memories come from family walks. They usually involved Dad pretending he knew where we were going (he didn’t), and my sister and I asking “are we nearly back at the car yet?” every five minutes.  Dad would say “it’s just round this corner” for about two hours, before having to admit defeat in the face of us refusing to go any further. He would then run along the road to get the car. There was no rescue party this weekend. Instead we braved The Worst Weather In The World™ - think the sort of rain that hurts when it hits you, coupled with gale force winds. To make it

Consulting the World's Crappest Map

worse, we were on Dartmoor, possibly the bleakest place ever. It was cold, wet and our paper map disintegrated. Then there were fears that the clapper bridge (a bridge made of stone, apparently) would be submerged – Dad’s from Cumbria, think he got a bit carried away with all the flooding stories. It was all looking very bad, until it turned out the the bridges were not underwater, and we were so wet and cold we stopped noticing. Suddenly it all became quite funny. I look forward to the next one.

2) Inappropriate clothing will be worn

The perfect outfit?

When I was younger I think I definitely went through a stage of only wanting to wear heels, a la Victoria Beckham in those wedge-heeled trainers on the baseball pitch. These days, I like to think I’m quite practical. This trip I came armed with walking boots, socks and a waterproof jacket. Pity I forgot to bring any other trousers apart from my skinnies. Unsurprisingly they were too tight to walk in. Every step cut off my circulation a little more. My sis fared no better, she was rocking a pink wellies and leggings combo. Only Dad managed to look the part (and a bit of a twat) in waterproof trousers.

 3) I will argue with my sister

For the record, I love my sister, but, like all siblings she can be very annoying. She’s only two years older, so we’re quite close. We also share similar taste (and size) in clothes. Recently she complimented me on my top and asked where I got it from. I told her and thought nothing else of it. Mistake. As we were unpacking our bags on the first night, she got out an outfit to wear the next day. There was MY top, or rather, her new top that was exactly the same as my one. Yes, she had intentionally bought the same one as me.  She then declared that she was going to wear it, and that I couldn’t do anything thing about it. It was that weird sibling hierarchy thing, where the oldest is in control. It was like when we were younger and mum would buy us the same things but different colours, usually pink and purple. My darling sis would always get the pink one and I’d be left with the more boyish, purple one. (A disaster for a pink-loving, boy-hating girl.)

So, this weekend, tradition prevailed and she wore the top. And later, when we were choosing bedrooms in the holiday home, guess who got the biggest one? I’ll give you a clue..not me..

4) Mum will think she knows best

It usually happens when I order steak. I say I’d like it medium rare. Without fail, in front of the waiter, Mum says “are you sure? It will be bloody” . Yes mother dearest, I know. That’s the way I like it. She forgets it’s her who doesn’t like rare meat.  She does the same thing when I try and order chardonnay – it tastes “like nail polish”, apparently. (God knows how the mothership knows what nail varnish tastes like.) V.annoying yet faintly endearing. 

 5) It will end in a board game

Everyone claims to hate them (except my sister who has a sadistic love of Boggle), but somehow we always end up playing them. The oldies but goodies tend to work best. Think Pictionary or Taboo, nothing too complex, the parentals can’t take it. We tried Cranium once, it was a disaster as there were too many different materials to work with. Whatever happens, my sister and I always win and the parents become convinced they’re descending into senility. Fun times all round.

November 2009 Exercise – Kimberly Austin, Executive Chef, Chattanooga Community Kitchen, Chattanooga, TN

Surf and Turf – steak au poivre and garlic shrimp

To participate in the next exercise, please send an e mail to: jeffrey@bauscherinc.com

See all your favorite chefs’ collections of past submissions at the Deep Plate page on Facebook.  Please become a “Fan”. 

http://deepplate.wordpress.com and “Deep Plate” on Facebook

Have you ever seen what happens when a man is force fed a succession of steaks and copious amounts of Malbec until his sytem shuts down and says “No more!”? I have because it was staring back at me from the mirror last night in a Buenos Aires hotel room. Think of the opening scene of Apocalypse Now and that´s pretty much it, but with pathetic groaning and unjustified sense of self pity.

I´ll spare you the details, but nothing was staying down and I lay on the bed staring at the ceiling begging forgiveness and offering to make a pact with the great cow deities in the sky that I´d never touch a steak again and turn my West Byfleet back garden into a bovine refuge. Just as long as they could take the spins and nausea away.

Clearly I wasn´t convincing enough because it simply got the full force of their wrath and, with my stomach in ferment, I contemplated writing my will and leaving it all to The Vegan Society.

Up until that point it had all been going so well, though I can´t help feeling that a flight to Ushuaia, a catamaran tour in polar regions with free flowing booze and DJs, followed immediately by a party till dawn in a disused prison, endless cocktails, almost zero food (except for one obligatory steak the size of…er…a cow!), and then a flight back from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires all in the space of 24 hours may have been a contributing factor, but I´m firmly blaming Daisy moo moo for my condition.

J&B, the world´s number one party whisky, certainly do know how to throw a party and I am not just saying that from a professional capacity. I did have to pinch myself that I was on a boat listening to Fela Kuti´s ´My Lady Frustration´, whilst sipping a blue whisky based drink exchanging suspicious glances with a penguin colony.

I also couldn´t help wondering if this was the exact setting Fela Kuti had in mind when he cobbled together his tunes in Lagos, among his forty wives, in the 1970´s, that some PR type would, nearly four decades on be having a moment in this polar setting, but it did me fine at the time. The penguins, however, were thoroughly underwhelmed and it may take some time before Afrobeat catches on amongst them.

So, the J&B bandwagon has now moved on and left me alone with the fear, shakes and nil by mouth in Buenos Aires. Earlier I stepped out for a wander and to drink water in a cafe where I witnessed a mugging in the affluent city centre. It was a hashed attempt and the assailant was swiftly apprehended. Presumably whatever substance he was abusing (and hoping to abuse more of with the proceeds of his haul) had numbed his senses as he mugged a guy straight in front of a policeman and when collared looked every bit as bewildered as the penguins did to My Lady Frustration.

In a couple of hours I transfer to a suite n the 1930´s art deco Sofitel the other side of Buenos Aires. The plan is this: check in, sleep, read book, eat salad, drink water, explore the Recoleta and Palermo districts, stay out of trouble.

If this feeling doesn´t subside, I´m getting the next flight back to Ushuaia, chartering a boat to that isloated rock and join my newfound soul mates in their colony. Life is so much simpler when you´re a penguin