WOW.
It's almost here and I am almost ready.
I am not however ready for the end of the year.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Bringing back fireplace cookery
I'm bringing it back.
That's right.
Cookin in the fireplace.
Growing up at my house during the wintertime always presented more adventure in foodland. Not only did we use our piles and piles of cut timber to burn cozy and smokey fires providing cozy heat in the family room, but we also "maximized" it by yes...cooking in the fireplace.
Most people might tell you that burning wood smoke can add unnatural levels of toxicity to cooked food. They'd tell you that you'd have to burn the wood until it becomes solely embers and then to cook atop the red glowing coals.
Well, we didn't follow that rule at my house.
You see, the unburnt portions of logs would actually act as excellent "ledges" on which we could rest the end of a bbq basket. Yeah those flat baskets with a handle that you can buy at the sporting goods store, a lot of people use them for vegetables and fish etc....we just used it for everything.
I still don't really understand how odd it is for someone to whip out a frozen steak and toss it onto a grate on the fireplace. We did everything, from chicken wings to pork chops, I even did a bit of flatbread that turned out awesome.
Tonight I'm whipping up a batch of bagels in the regular oven and then finish them in the fireplace hoping to get some serious wood smoke and char.
I'd call it a lost art....then again I don't think it was an art to begin with.
That's right.
Cookin in the fireplace.
Growing up at my house during the wintertime always presented more adventure in foodland. Not only did we use our piles and piles of cut timber to burn cozy and smokey fires providing cozy heat in the family room, but we also "maximized" it by yes...cooking in the fireplace.
Most people might tell you that burning wood smoke can add unnatural levels of toxicity to cooked food. They'd tell you that you'd have to burn the wood until it becomes solely embers and then to cook atop the red glowing coals.
Well, we didn't follow that rule at my house.
You see, the unburnt portions of logs would actually act as excellent "ledges" on which we could rest the end of a bbq basket. Yeah those flat baskets with a handle that you can buy at the sporting goods store, a lot of people use them for vegetables and fish etc....we just used it for everything.
I still don't really understand how odd it is for someone to whip out a frozen steak and toss it onto a grate on the fireplace. We did everything, from chicken wings to pork chops, I even did a bit of flatbread that turned out awesome.
Tonight I'm whipping up a batch of bagels in the regular oven and then finish them in the fireplace hoping to get some serious wood smoke and char.
I'd call it a lost art....then again I don't think it was an art to begin with.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Foods that begin with "B" = Good
As I was chomping down on a Noah's pumpkin bagel with pumpkin-cream cheese schmear I thought to myself...hmm..most foods that begin with the letter "B" tend to be pretty alright.
In no particular order, here are some delicious examples of good B's....
In no particular order, here are some delicious examples of good B's....
- Bagels - Fresh from Noah's
- Broccoli - Roasted please!
- Burger - Duh.
- Branzino - Med-fish good-fish
- Burrito - Hold the gas.
- Banana - They work.
- Brandade - Face it, mashed potatoes mixed with anything is good.
- Beans - More fiber=more ____
- Brazil Nuts - ok I'm stretching it a bit
- Bread - goes with.....
- Brie - and also...
- Burrata - which is kinda like...
- Butter
- Borscht - mmm..cabbagey
- Brunello di Montelcino (wine counts right?)
- Bourdeaux (cab sauv/claret)
- Burgundy (pinot noir)
- BEER
- BRUNCH - ok so it's not a food per say but it encompasses many types of food such as...
- Beef
- Bratwurst
- Buffalo
- Bucatini
- Beer
- Broth (soup would not be the same without it)
- Baba Ghanouj
- Bulgur
- Broccolini (different than no. 2)
- Bechamel
- Baccala/Bacalao
- Baklava
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Berries
- BBQ (ok it's a classification)
- Barley -used to make...
- Beer...again
- Barolo
- Basil
- Basmati Rice
- Bearnaise
- Beets (always remember when you eat them...don't freak out)
- Beignets
- Bellini
- Braised anything
- Bechemel
- BROWNIES
- Bittersweet
- Biscotti
- BEER
- BLUE cheese
- Blini
- Bourbon
- Bok Choy
- Butterscotch
That's about all I feel like listing now.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
My Owner Needs A Job
If you all didn't know, Jody is my owner.
He needs a job right now.
Not a real real job, just a part-time one, or one that is flexible enough to let him continue with classes at the school.
Please help! Save the Wombats!
He needs a job right now.
Not a real real job, just a part-time one, or one that is flexible enough to let him continue with classes at the school.
Please help! Save the Wombats!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Jacques Pepin, does he understand what fast means?
Fast food my way....
So I'm sitting here scouring the job market on the computer and just happen to have Jacques Pepin on the create channel.
He describes his "new" show as being Fast food his way.
It truly makes me wonder how long his non-fast food takes to cook. Granted he does finish a complete meal in 30 minutes....while utilizing every single pan and dish and technique ever known to man. And of course, I believe the actual cooking time takes 30 minutes...but the clean-up will most likely take at least another 30..(sorry Rachel Ray, but you can't even cook and clean in 30 minutes alone!).
I really wish that when I came home that all my ingredients were laid out and perfectly prepped for the daily meal....and not only that but having three different prep areas with three completely separate cutting boards and knives would be nice too.
So I'm sitting here scouring the job market on the computer and just happen to have Jacques Pepin on the create channel.
He describes his "new" show as being Fast food his way.
It truly makes me wonder how long his non-fast food takes to cook. Granted he does finish a complete meal in 30 minutes....while utilizing every single pan and dish and technique ever known to man. And of course, I believe the actual cooking time takes 30 minutes...but the clean-up will most likely take at least another 30..(sorry Rachel Ray, but you can't even cook and clean in 30 minutes alone!).
I really wish that when I came home that all my ingredients were laid out and perfectly prepped for the daily meal....and not only that but having three different prep areas with three completely separate cutting boards and knives would be nice too.
No disrespect Jacques...I know you're the guy who has truly revolutionized the way people think about food (ode to Howard Johnson days), but Baked Clams Madison, Black Olive tapenade encrusted cod, peeled and tournedoed roasted broccoli, and hazelnut-chocolate creme mousse....in 30 minutes. I'd like to see him turn that out in a kitchen 1/5th the size (which I truly believe he could do with one arm tied behind his back and half-drunk on a bottle of Cotes Du Nuites while batting off his once-perky but now overly-annoying and cliche side-kick daughter).
Back to searching.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
False Advertising
Drove around today in the rental car....all things considered, the weather was awesome, I woke up early...AND it was my day off...who knew!?
Jody was driving and was incredibly un-impressed with his new GPS. Turn where? back there? aw bloody hell.
We went to Mukilteo where we saw....expensive houses....and cheap crack houses. We saw the ferry terminal...and a really run-down looking brew-pub called Diamond Knot. Mind you the website for Diamond Knot makes it look somewhat more glamorous than a suped up Denny's...but c'mon...this place was like a beat-down shack waiting to implode. I was expecting to see $5 streetwalkers rolling up their pantyhose and drug dealers lookin to sell their smack. And even they wouldn't go there.
Ended up exploring Mill Creek/Bothell. Ripper.
McMenamin's is famous in Oregon, and especially to Oregon afficianados...in fact one could say that it literally could replace that other McRestaurant in popularity with pasty faced teenagers and crack whores from Mukilteo...(besides the Diamond Knot).
Their properties in Portland are outstanding, the bars...amazing, and the beer perfectly satisfying...however this McMenamin's in Mill Creek must have been the brew-pub that time forgot.
Built into what appears to be the leftover Hollywood video spot in a stripmall, one could only wince as you sit in your wood booth looking out into the desolate strip-mall parking lot. The view, merely a Safeway, a busy gas station, and of course the various cars driving in and out un-ceremoniously visiting the local Department of Licensing office just next door.
An insipid and un-inspired bowl of macaroni and cheese...taking 10 minutes to bring out to my table, consisting of boiled macaroni and a liquid cheese "soup"...then sprinkled with about a teaspoon of panko bread crumbs. Oh how demeaning....to pay $9 for instant or was it frozen mac and cheese.
Where was the love? Where was the careful attention to pure food that Oregonians are famous for....it definitely was not swimming in my soupy bowl of macaroni. Nor did this level of detail come out of the pepper shaker...which by the way definitely did not taste like pepper or anything much at all....probably the same pepper from when it was a Blockbuster video store...yeah I know.
I tried the beer sampler, knowing that one of my most favorite beers of all time is the Terminator Stout. The Ruby (a horrendous raspberry ale) was disgusting, absolutely undrinkable and now I know why it's one of their best sellers...the Bud/Miller/Coors crowd would have a heyday with this one. Just like when we use to mix beer and orange juice for breakfast at the University.
Their pale ale was drinkable, their IPA was pretty much the same, the seasonal was a bland irish red ale that needed more malt but was the clearest of the 6. Their Porter...much better than I remember. In fact it was better than the Stout.
Consistency seems to be a problem for a lot of businesses these days. I just didn't expect it to show up in a bowl of mac and cheese.
Jody was driving and was incredibly un-impressed with his new GPS. Turn where? back there? aw bloody hell.
We went to Mukilteo where we saw....expensive houses....and cheap crack houses. We saw the ferry terminal...and a really run-down looking brew-pub called Diamond Knot. Mind you the website for Diamond Knot makes it look somewhat more glamorous than a suped up Denny's...but c'mon...this place was like a beat-down shack waiting to implode. I was expecting to see $5 streetwalkers rolling up their pantyhose and drug dealers lookin to sell their smack. And even they wouldn't go there.
Ended up exploring Mill Creek/Bothell. Ripper.
McMenamin's is famous in Oregon, and especially to Oregon afficianados...in fact one could say that it literally could replace that other McRestaurant in popularity with pasty faced teenagers and crack whores from Mukilteo...(besides the Diamond Knot).
Their properties in Portland are outstanding, the bars...amazing, and the beer perfectly satisfying...however this McMenamin's in Mill Creek must have been the brew-pub that time forgot.
Built into what appears to be the leftover Hollywood video spot in a stripmall, one could only wince as you sit in your wood booth looking out into the desolate strip-mall parking lot. The view, merely a Safeway, a busy gas station, and of course the various cars driving in and out un-ceremoniously visiting the local Department of Licensing office just next door.
An insipid and un-inspired bowl of macaroni and cheese...taking 10 minutes to bring out to my table, consisting of boiled macaroni and a liquid cheese "soup"...then sprinkled with about a teaspoon of panko bread crumbs. Oh how demeaning....to pay $9 for instant or was it frozen mac and cheese.
Where was the love? Where was the careful attention to pure food that Oregonians are famous for....it definitely was not swimming in my soupy bowl of macaroni. Nor did this level of detail come out of the pepper shaker...which by the way definitely did not taste like pepper or anything much at all....probably the same pepper from when it was a Blockbuster video store...yeah I know.
I tried the beer sampler, knowing that one of my most favorite beers of all time is the Terminator Stout. The Ruby (a horrendous raspberry ale) was disgusting, absolutely undrinkable and now I know why it's one of their best sellers...the Bud/Miller/Coors crowd would have a heyday with this one. Just like when we use to mix beer and orange juice for breakfast at the University.
Their pale ale was drinkable, their IPA was pretty much the same, the seasonal was a bland irish red ale that needed more malt but was the clearest of the 6. Their Porter...much better than I remember. In fact it was better than the Stout.
Consistency seems to be a problem for a lot of businesses these days. I just didn't expect it to show up in a bowl of mac and cheese.
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