Thursday, February 24, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Here's an easy dinner for ya....
Have some pork tenderloin in your fridge and don't know what to do with it? Wellllllll, here's an easy recipe for it to taste yummy. Take it out and put it in a bath of orange juice, habaneros, canned chipotle peppers (that I pureed and made a paste out of), garlic, vinegar, a spoonful of brown sugar and onions. Let it soak for a few hours or over night.
Place it under the broiler and cook for about 25 minutes or throw it on the grill.
Top it with an even easier black bean sauce for a caribbean flair....
In a food processor, put canned black beans, half an onion, green onions, cilantro, a jalapeno, and salt....
Spoon over the sliced pork tenderloin.
Cumin sour cream is also a tasty addition.
Mix together:
1. sour cream 2. cumin
.....and spoon that over the pork as well.
Place it under the broiler and cook for about 25 minutes or throw it on the grill.
Top it with an even easier black bean sauce for a caribbean flair....
In a food processor, put canned black beans, half an onion, green onions, cilantro, a jalapeno, and salt....
Spoon over the sliced pork tenderloin.
Cumin sour cream is also a tasty addition.
Mix together:
1. sour cream 2. cumin
.....and spoon that over the pork as well.
"Cabaret" International City Theatre 2008.... I miss doing musical theatre
faux hair & cigarettes
dressing room
dress rehearsal...yeah, spread eagle in the front.
Kit Kat Girls (Kelly, me, KimberlyMonday, February 21, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
I heart food memoirs....and Judith.
My best friend, being the best friend that she is, knows me all too well. Not only does she know all my innermost secrets, she certainly knows about my love of all things food related. In fact, when planning a trip to either coast (she is in NYC & I in La), the first thing we do is discuss what restaurants we have been reading about and which ones we will go to. That's how we plan our evenings. By restaurants.....(and usually our afternoons as well, although there is also some "designer sale" research we have inserted for good measure). We also trade books, music and clothing so this was super awesome when I opened my email form her tonight and received a link to this....
freeing the birds in Thailand so we are accepted
at the beach in Venice
She knows I will anticipate reading every food soaked page. And now I know that that Grant Achatz guy also has a memoir coming out. It's like Christmas! I bought Anthony Bourdain's last book and read it in an hour. The food porn pleasure of it all passing way too quickly. I need more, I NEED MORE! Apparently, I will have more. Thank you bestie, for making my night. Seriously friends, Judith is the cat's meow.
freeing the birds in Thailand so we are accepted into the afterlife.....
at the beach in VeniceSaturday, February 19, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tom & Stacey's chili cook off!
Friends Tom & Stacey hosted a chili cook off in Hermosa beach on Sunday night. My chili experience is limited to one time when I threw everything in the crock pot and hoped for the best. The results were disappointing as there weren't any discernible flavors...everything tasted the same. So, this time I was going to layer and do it right. I wanted to do something different but also do a traditional chili so I went big and made two. Aim high, right?
For the traditional, I called it "Kitchen Sink Chili", I just used everything I thought would taste good. I was also in a time crunch and had about an hour. I decided to go the canned route as I didn't have time to cook beans.....
I started with ground beef and chorizo, browned and drained, then added onions and garlic.
Added some canned diced green chilis (canned and in the mexican foods section) stirred those into the beef mixture
Added some chipotle peppers that I made a paste out of by putting them in a food processor for 30 seconds (also canned and in the mexican foods section)
Added some tomato paste and chicken stock
Added three types of canned beans...black, kidney, and another red type
Added chopped green peppers
Then I started to add spice
Chili powder, salt and cayenne
Onion powder and more cayenne
More chili powder and cumin
I let it go for about 45 minutes and kept tasting adjusting spice
Top with the usual....sour cream, chopped green onions, and cheese. To make it even more rad, add fried tortilla strips.
There were seven different chilis. And Stacey obviously had a hard time deciding.....
It was kind of amazing that none of them tasted the same even though everyone went pretty traditional (except for my "Sausage Fest Chili" recipe below)
"Minnesota Meaty" was the only one to incorporate steak and the flavors were my favorite. There was also a veggie chili with faux meat and I wouldn't have noticed the difference. Everyone tasted and re tasted each chili. Categories such as "Most Original", "Best Texture", "Best us of Spice" were on the ballot. The category with the most points was the "Favorite" chili. My "Kitchen Sink" chili won the favorite award! RAD. Especially since I sustained an injury (burning the shit out of my hand on a hot spatula) and cooked most of the way one handed. It's hard to chop with your left hand.
It was a fun night and they have decided the next category will be meatballs. I have never made meatballs before........any tips?
"Sausage Fest Chili" (inspired by a chili in Esquire Magazine created by a James beard award winning chef but named by moi)
Chop sausage (14-16 oz) and brown (the Esquire recipe uses Italian sausage but I wanted something with a bit of sweetness to counter the heat so I used Chicken Apple sausage)
Cook bacon and drain most of the fat
Add chopped onion and chopped fennel bulb to the remaining fat and cook about 4 minutes
Add garlic
Add cooked sausage
Add diced green peppers
Add chicken stock (just enough to cover the ingredients. It will cook down)
Add 2-3 cans of WHITE beans
Salt and pepper
Add red chili flakes
Cook for about 40 minutes.
Top with sour cream and some reserved chopped bacon
The flavors of the chili flakes, sweet sausage and fennel are really amazing.
Photo is of ingredients before adding stock.
Adding up the points.....
Ryan's fav chili
My favorite little dog
For the traditional, I called it "Kitchen Sink Chili", I just used everything I thought would taste good. I was also in a time crunch and had about an hour. I decided to go the canned route as I didn't have time to cook beans.....
I started with ground beef and chorizo, browned and drained, then added onions and garlic.
Added some canned diced green chilis (canned and in the mexican foods section) stirred those into the beef mixture
Added some chipotle peppers that I made a paste out of by putting them in a food processor for 30 seconds (also canned and in the mexican foods section)
Added some tomato paste and chicken stock
Added three types of canned beans...black, kidney, and another red type
Added chopped green peppers
Then I started to add spice
Chili powder, salt and cayenne
Onion powder and more cayenne
More chili powder and cumin
I let it go for about 45 minutes and kept tasting adjusting spice
Top with the usual....sour cream, chopped green onions, and cheese. To make it even more rad, add fried tortilla strips.
It was kind of amazing that none of them tasted the same even though everyone went pretty traditional (except for my "Sausage Fest Chili" recipe below)
"Minnesota Meaty" was the only one to incorporate steak and the flavors were my favorite. There was also a veggie chili with faux meat and I wouldn't have noticed the difference. Everyone tasted and re tasted each chili. Categories such as "Most Original", "Best Texture", "Best us of Spice" were on the ballot. The category with the most points was the "Favorite" chili. My "Kitchen Sink" chili won the favorite award! RAD. Especially since I sustained an injury (burning the shit out of my hand on a hot spatula) and cooked most of the way one handed. It's hard to chop with your left hand.
It was a fun night and they have decided the next category will be meatballs. I have never made meatballs before........any tips?
"Sausage Fest Chili" (inspired by a chili in Esquire Magazine created by a James beard award winning chef but named by moi)
Chop sausage (14-16 oz) and brown (the Esquire recipe uses Italian sausage but I wanted something with a bit of sweetness to counter the heat so I used Chicken Apple sausage)
Cook bacon and drain most of the fat
Add chopped onion and chopped fennel bulb to the remaining fat and cook about 4 minutes
Add garlic
Add cooked sausage
Add diced green peppers
Add chicken stock (just enough to cover the ingredients. It will cook down)
Add 2-3 cans of WHITE beans
Salt and pepper
Add red chili flakes
Cook for about 40 minutes.
Top with sour cream and some reserved chopped baconThe flavors of the chili flakes, sweet sausage and fennel are really amazing.
Photo is of ingredients before adding stock.
Adding up the points.....
Ryan's fav chili
My favorite little dog
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Adventures in cooking: Cheese Making!
Love cheese as much as I do? Wanna try making it at home? Well, friends, you can. For reals. Ryan bought me this fantastic kit that you can order online.
http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/p/167-Ricki-s-Basic-Cheese-Making-Kit.html
The kit contains rennet tablets ( rennet is an enzyme needed to make cheese), citric acid, cheese salt, a thermometer, and cheese cloth. From this kit you can make fresh mozzarella and ricotta. You can order additional supplies to make chevre, assorted soft & hard cheeses and yogurt.
The milk you use is really important. The first time I tried to make cheese, I used organic milk that was labeled "pasteurized" but turns out it was probably "ultra" because it didn't work. The curds wouldn't set up. Most milk is "ultra" even if it's not labeled as so. Raw milk is ideal. If you can't get raw you must use milk that HAS NOT been ultra pasteurized such as Clover Farms which can be bought at Whole Foods.
To make the cheese you dissolve 1/4 rennet tablet in 1/4 cup filtered water. Mix citric acid (1 1/4 teaspoon) and 1 cup cold filtered water.
Pour a gallon of milk in a pot and add the citric acid mixture while stirring and heating the milk to 90 degrees. Take the milk off the burner and add the rennet and stir for 30 seconds.
Cover the pot and just let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
When you take the lid off, it should be firm and the curds should form a custard like appearance. Cut the curds with a knife and place the pot back on the stove.
(If the curds didn't set up and the milk is still liquid and didn't form a curd, it's probably because the milk is ultra pasteurized and just won't work. )
You are heating the curds again. This time to 105 degrees which takes 3-5 minutes.
While heating, stir the curds slowly (it should look almost like ricotta cheese)
Once you have reached 105 take the pot off the heat and keep stirring for another 3 minutes or so.
Now here is where I have screwed up. The book doesn't mention using the cheese cloth but it is essential. Dump the pot into a colander so the whey goes "a whey" ( sorry, I couldn't resist ;) and the curds are left. You want them dry with no whey or liquid left. Put the curds in the cheese cloth and strain all the liquid out. You pretty much have a ball of cheese.....almost there.............
Heat a pot of water to about 180 degrees, just under a simmer. Put the cheese ball into a bowl and pour the heated water over it. Ps, wear gloves ( I wear three pairs) water is hot!
Knead the ball until it becomes stretchable. If it doesn't stretch, the water isn't hot enough. The water is essentially melting the curds. Do it again and continue stretching.
It should look like taffy and become shiny. Add salt or herbs to the cheese and form into a ball. Then place in an ice water beth so the cheese keeps its shape and doesn't get grainy. Store in some water. Done. Cheese.
http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/p/167-Ricki-s-Basic-Cheese-Making-Kit.html
The kit contains rennet tablets ( rennet is an enzyme needed to make cheese), citric acid, cheese salt, a thermometer, and cheese cloth. From this kit you can make fresh mozzarella and ricotta. You can order additional supplies to make chevre, assorted soft & hard cheeses and yogurt.
The milk you use is really important. The first time I tried to make cheese, I used organic milk that was labeled "pasteurized" but turns out it was probably "ultra" because it didn't work. The curds wouldn't set up. Most milk is "ultra" even if it's not labeled as so. Raw milk is ideal. If you can't get raw you must use milk that HAS NOT been ultra pasteurized such as Clover Farms which can be bought at Whole Foods.
To make the cheese you dissolve 1/4 rennet tablet in 1/4 cup filtered water. Mix citric acid (1 1/4 teaspoon) and 1 cup cold filtered water.
Pour a gallon of milk in a pot and add the citric acid mixture while stirring and heating the milk to 90 degrees. Take the milk off the burner and add the rennet and stir for 30 seconds.
When you take the lid off, it should be firm and the curds should form a custard like appearance. Cut the curds with a knife and place the pot back on the stove.
(If the curds didn't set up and the milk is still liquid and didn't form a curd, it's probably because the milk is ultra pasteurized and just won't work. )
You are heating the curds again. This time to 105 degrees which takes 3-5 minutes.
While heating, stir the curds slowly (it should look almost like ricotta cheese)
Once you have reached 105 take the pot off the heat and keep stirring for another 3 minutes or so.
Now here is where I have screwed up. The book doesn't mention using the cheese cloth but it is essential. Dump the pot into a colander so the whey goes "a whey" ( sorry, I couldn't resist ;) and the curds are left. You want them dry with no whey or liquid left. Put the curds in the cheese cloth and strain all the liquid out. You pretty much have a ball of cheese.....almost there.............
Heat a pot of water to about 180 degrees, just under a simmer. Put the cheese ball into a bowl and pour the heated water over it. Ps, wear gloves ( I wear three pairs) water is hot!
Knead the ball until it becomes stretchable. If it doesn't stretch, the water isn't hot enough. The water is essentially melting the curds. Do it again and continue stretching.
It should look like taffy and become shiny. Add salt or herbs to the cheese and form into a ball. Then place in an ice water beth so the cheese keeps its shape and doesn't get grainy. Store in some water. Done. Cheese.
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