Recently in Cooking Stuff Category

First, let me point out that real, pure coffee is not in any way unhealthy in normal, moderate usage.  Caffeine addiction is a totally different story.  Nevertheless, if you have (or know someone who has) issues with regular coffee (high acidity, for example) or if you are just looking for new ways to sneak some antioxidants into your diet, I think you should check out healthy coffee, which is coffee mixed with Ganoderma Lucidum powder.  Even if you're a hidebound coffee snob, there is a good chance that you will like some of their mixes.  I personally like the premixed coffe-sugar-cream stuff, because it is super convenient to have at the office.

If you've never heard of gano coffee you may want to do some quick research on ganoderma to satisfy your own curiousity.  All I have to say is that it doesn't taste bad at all, and doesn't taste like mushrooms or dirt.  In fact, the coffee really overpowers it but if you are a coffee connoisseur you will be able to tell there is an additive.

The company that I brought it from years ago no longer sells it.  Does this mean I have to go to France to find the perfect box of fine powdered cocoa for making hot chocolate?  Also, I need a chocolatier.  I gave the one I had to my brother since he is addicted to hot chocolate (more proof that we are descended from French nobility, obviously).

I'm glad it is getting closer to autumn, I can justify hot chocolate and cider again.  And make apple cider donuts.  Yum.

Remember the key to making proper french hot chocolate is to count all the calories, and then hurl the number out the window.  You're supposed to use real, whole milk and sugar.  Lots of sugar.  And cream.  Heavy cream, unless you can find crème fraîche, in which case you should use that.  If you feel fat because of drinking it, just think of all the starving peasants out there with no cake.  You can feel sorry for them if you want to, after you finish your hot chocolate.

Actually, that isn't true.  She left me some, but still, she went through four pounds of coffee while she was here!

Oh, sure I drank some... but that's not the point!

Also, she made me two sets of curtains, put up new curtain rods, fixed the toilet paper holder, cleaned the kitchen and part of the living room, and I forget what all else she did.

No, you can't have her, she's mine.  Get your own Super Mommy.

At any rate, I love my Mommy and her coffee addiction.  Now I need to go get some coffee.  And finish this hat I'm crocheting for her.  And mail these packages.  And finish this handkerchief.  And ... and... stuff.

Coffee.

Oh wups I forgot I have a doctor's appointment today!  CRUD!

COFFEE!  Gotta get dressed!

Must resist urge to make bad cannibal jokes....

But seriously, I like to cook (you may have noticed) but I'm not the best at writing professional recipes.  I write recipes like the people of the Middle Ages write recipes, only I don't make up words.

Usually.

Anyway, anyone who loves to cook knows that recently (among other problems) there's been a lot of overfishing, and some people don't want to use domestic raised/farmed seafood because they think it doesn't taste as good.  That's ridiculous.  Domestic seafood is fresher, and has more uniformity of taste and usually an overall equivalent if not superior taste.  Also, it's less likely to have unwanted substances in it, and domestically harvested seafood won't contribute to the risk of extinction for a species (have you seen the state of sturgeon lately??) so at the very least we should turn to domestic seafood to give wild species a chance to recover some ground.  So bravo to the creators of the www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com for sponsoring a cook off with some great American Chefs and promoting sustainable, domestic seafood.

I voted for the chef from Colorado, John Anders, and his delicious looking Colorado Striped Bass and Panzanella.  Unfortunately, I can only make this during the Farmer's Market season which is rapidly ending.  This is a recipe that calls for the freshest, best produce you can find and if you've never compared food from a locally grown farmer to the regular vegetables you get at your local gigantic supermarket, you are missing out.  My mom sometimes talks about moving to a farm and growing real food, but I would just rather marry a farmer, and make him do all the work.  :D

As for the recipe, I would probably replace the Crispy Eggplant with some Crispy Potatoes, because I loathe eggplants.  They don't like me either tho, so it's all okay.  It's too late to vote for the top Chef, but you can still enter the contest until the end of October and you can get all the recipes - not just the top 5 - by clicking on 'Chefs and Recipes.'

Equal parts:
Ice cold water
Yogurt

To Taste:
Lemon juice
Rosewater
Sugar
Salt

Stir together yogurt and ice water - the colder the water, the better the consistency.  Add rosewater or lemon juice to suit your taste, then sugar or salt - I personally never add sugar, but instead use vanilla yogurt or Greek yogurt with honey.  And I like my lassi sweet rather than tart so I never add lemon juice or salt.

Makes about 1 cup

8 to 10 garlic cloves, peeled (use more if it isn't garlicky enough - I've gone up to two heads, but the original recipe started with this much so I will too)

Kosher salt

1 extra-large egg yolk - egg substitute is not recommended

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil - if you can't lick it right off your fingers, you can't use it

White pepper in a mill - well, you can use black or red or a mixture, but it will change the color

1 to 2 teaspoons hot water, if needed (not boiling, just hot - microwave a cup and then let it wait until needed and just measure it out from there)

Half a lemon or pure lemon juice concentrate to taste

 

Sprinkle the garlic with salt (cover with a fine layer) and grind the garlic, crushing it against the bowl to break up the larger pieces, until it is nearly liquefied. Add the egg yolk and mix it with the garlic until a thick paste is formed. Begin to add the olive oil a few drops at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and continuing until all of the oil has been added. More garlic will need more oil, but you probably won't need more than one egg yolk.

Taste the aiöli, season with salt and pepper, and if it seems overly stiff, mix in a little hot water to thin it just slightly. Taste it again and if you notice any bitterness, add a few drops of lemon juice and mix it thoroughly.  Or if you like tangy aiöli, add a few drops anyway like I do.

Taste again and add a little more lemon juice if the sauce needs further correcting. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes before using. This aiöli will keep for two to three days, but is at its best the day it is made, with a plate of pomme frites fresh from the oil.

1 part rice
1 part water

rice vinegar
water
soy sauce
sugar

seasoning

strips of nori

rinse rice.  cook rice in rice cooker.  rice should be sticky.

boil rice vinegar, water, soy sauce, and sugar.  let sit while rice cools a bit.

add mixture to rice, and add seasoning.  stir.  fill mold 2/3 to top.  let set (shouldn't take more than a minute).  remove from mold, and wrap with nori.

eat immediately or chill and eat later.  yum.

red potatoes, bite sized pieces
yukon gold potatoes, bite sized pieces
fresh trimmed green beans, bite sized pieces
sun-dried tomatoes, bite sized pieces
minced red onion
organic mayonnaise (I like spectrum natural, your mileage may vary or better yet, make your own)
greek yogurt
dijon mustard
seasoning to taste

boil equal quantities of potatoes until tender.*  cook proportionate amount of green beans in separate water until desired tenderness (I like them just cooked, and still crunchy).  drain potatoes and green beans, mix together, and add tomatoes and onions until a pleasing color arrangement is achieved.

*alternate: coat the potatoes in olive oil and toss with a little sea salt and maybe some minced garlic or some other seasonings.  bake in oven at 400 degrees until color is good and outside is crunchy looking.  a nonstick tray works best.

now add equal parts mayonnaise and yogurt, and enough mustard to achieve a pleasing color and taste.  add seasoning of your desiring to taste.  I usually use Adobo and garlic powder.  chill and serve.*

*alternate:  serve warm.  warm roasted potato salad would require less of the mayo/yogurt coating and more seasoning.

Fresh green beans (like, you should be tempted to eat them out of the bag fresh)

Olive oil

Seasoning (I've done this with Mrs. Dash, Adobo, Cape Herb & Spice mixes, and just plain garlic.  Seasoning.  Whatever you feel like using.)

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese or Brie or Goat Cheese (whatever strikes your fancy; you may see a trend here)

Breadcrumbs (I prefer French, my mom prefers Italian)

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Trim the green beans, and blanch them by inserting them in boiling water for one minute, then quickly remove from heat.  Toss the green beans with oil and seasoning.  Arrange half in an ovensafe baking dish, cover with a layer of cheese and breadcrumbs, then put in the other half and cover again with cheese and breadcrumbs.  Bake for about 40 minutes or until as tender as you desire.  Devour.

*Warning.  Not for the low of cholesterol.*

6 Yukon Gold potatoes

1 stick of butter (at least)

4-8 cloves of garlic

2 cups of whole milk

Salt to taste

 

Scrub the potatoes but leave the skins on.  Take the skins off the garlic, but leave the cloves whole.  Put the garlic and the potatoes in a large saucepan with sufficient water to cover them entirely.  People with no doctor's notes can add salt to the water.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.  Go do something else for a while.  Come back in about 30 minutes; the potatoes should be fork tender and the garlic should be soft.  If not, keep boiling and check again in a little while.  When they are done, roughly quarter the potatoes.  If you are going to do this in the same pan, leave the heat at simmer and add the butter to the pan so that it will melt while you work.  Now break out the potato ricer.  Rice the potatoes with the garlic back into the pan, being sure to bring in the skins periodically.  Once all the potatoes are mashed, add the milk and if you haven't already, melt the butter (preferably in a butter warmer; failing that, the microwave) and add that too.  Stir gently to incorporate all the ingredients.  Season to taste.  Devour.