tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17845760640242884432024-03-13T10:25:09.882-05:00ForkableSlow Food for Fast LivingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-35214840685459431822009-09-30T08:56:00.003-05:002009-09-30T09:00:10.082-05:00We've moved to ForkableBlog.comHey! We've moved to: <a href="http://forkableblog.com">ForkableBlog.com</a>! All the archived posts from here have been moved and cataloged into a new, easily searchable format which makes this information much more accessible. Come check it out!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383732202506634078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-76651784636176648562009-09-29T08:47:00.005-05:002009-09-29T09:33:25.448-05:00Launching Our Massive Redesign: Wednesday, September 30!In less then 24 hours, we will be leaving this layout behind and unveiling the new face of Forkable! Our new layout will focus on being a more user friendly interface which will allow for much easier access of our archived posts. You can now browse recipes by type and ingredient, as well as search by any term with a search dialog box. Its so exciting! We're taking this digital food project to the next level! <br /><br />Here's a quick peak at our new banner. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3441/3966151310_0bfe349489_o.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 700px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3441/3966151310_0bfe349489_o.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Goodbye www.forkable.blogspot.com and hello www.ForkableBlog.com!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383732202506634078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-47380207221502075372009-09-20T13:15:00.000-05:002009-09-20T18:21:23.686-05:00Update Over Brunch: Website Redesign<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3500/3938444369_6f0622f57f.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 358px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3500/3938444369_6f0622f57f.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It may appear as though I'm being a slacker on the blog since I haven't been updating as much as usual, but I assure you, I am not. As I said in my last post, we're working on a massive Forkable redesign which will hopefully take this project to the next level from a simple food blog to functional online food resource. I'm working on categorizing posts so you can browse recipes by type and cuisine as well as adding tags so recipes will be searchable by ingredient. This is a massive undertaking so be patient with me. As long as I don't get driven insane by all the html, css, .php and other web jargon my simple mind is attempting to process, we should be up and running in the next month or so. <br /><br />Since I can never publish a post without a picture, here's the delicious brunch I've made myself to nosh on while I slave away on the behind the scenes action. Quesadillas and black beans with the fresh <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/09/canning-tomatoes-roasted-salsa.html" target="_blank">roasted salsa verde</a> I made with organic produce from my parents house.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-37703573194300859712009-09-15T08:47:00.004-05:002009-09-20T18:20:01.326-05:00Canning Tomatoes: Roasted Salsa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2625/3939219106_c4c9b372eb.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2625/3939219106_c4c9b372eb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My visit to my parents house this past weekend, produced a harvest of over 30lbs of tomatoes. I've been super busy lately (<span style="font-style: italic;">mostly working on a huge redesign of this blog which I hope to be launching in the next month!!</span> More on this later) and I'm really short on time lately. I like salsa, but I don't have time to chop the ingredients for one batch, let alone 30 lbs worth. What to do? Don't worry I have a solution.<br /><br />Check out this Instructable to see my <span style="font-weight: bold;">time saving salsa recipe along with tons of canning tips.</span> Also, check out the comments for links to tons of online resources for canning methods.<br /><br /><object align="middle" height="425" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.instructables.com/static/flash/viewer.swf"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="FlashVars" value="title=Canning_Tomatoes_Roasted_Salsa"><embed src="http://www.instructables.com/static/flash/viewer.swf" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" flashvars="title=Canning_Tomatoes_Roasted_Salsa" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" align="middle" height="425" width="425"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Canning_Tomatoes_Roasted_Salsa/">Canning Tomatoes: Roasted Salsa</a> - <a href="http://www.instructables.com/">More DIY How To Projects</a></span><br /><br />Ok, here's my cliffnotes for you lazy bones: <span style="font-weight: bold;">My shortcut to hours of chopping and slicing is to roast all the ingredients together until they are nice and soft, then blend it in a food processor.</span> And you're done! Beside being a shortcut, the roasting also helps bring out the natural sweetness of the flavors which makes for a delicious salsa! I can get it taken care of this afternoon and and I'll can it this weekend to preserve it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-68356174815673201202009-09-11T19:09:00.003-05:002009-09-11T19:14:37.725-05:00Dilly Green Beans!Dill pickles= dilly pleasure. Crunch cruch. I love dill pickles. But pickles doesn't just mean cucumbers. Pickles can be anything that's pickled! For the first post in our canning series, check out this crowd pleasing recipe (in instructable form) for dill pickles made of green beans. These are always a crowd favorite. Don't believe me. Try them out for yourself. <br /><br /><object align="middle" height="425" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.instructables.com/static/flash/viewer.swf"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="FlashVars" value="title=Canning_Dilly_Green_Bean_Pickles"><embed src="http://www.instructables.com/static/flash/viewer.swf" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" flashvars="title=Canning_Dilly_Green_Bean_Pickles" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" align="middle" height="425" width="425"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Canning_Dilly_Green_Bean_Pickles/">Canning Dilly Green Bean Pickles</a> - <a href="http://www.instructables.com/">More DIY How To Projects</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-85156663123914660112009-09-08T07:44:00.001-05:002009-09-08T10:03:32.217-05:00Canning: The Pleasure of Putting Up the HarvestThis time of year, my Dad can be found carrying overflowing baskets of produce back to the house. My Mom can be found in a steamy kitchen, lowering jars stuffed with their homegrown veggies into boiling pots of water, to thwart spoilage and preserve them for the upcoming winter. Despite the back breaking work, my Mom always talks about the pleasure she feels in putting up the harvetst to feed her family and continue the tradition of her farming heritage.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/2779262195_0f5acb9d37.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/2779262195_0f5acb9d37.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Jars of green beans to be pickled. </span><br /><br />Growing up, as I helped my Mom with our garden's produce, she told me stories of helping her Mother put up preserves from their family farm. My memory has flavored these stories with a very romantic (if not slightly unrealistic) image of the women in my family joined in loving comradory, escaping into their temporary basement kitchens, gossiping and laughing over their work together. The reality was probably more like a bunch of tired women, spending their spare time between their day jobs, slaving over the hot, boiling pots, working late every night until their pantry was full, but what is reminiscing for but to forget the hardships and romanticize the past.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/2841140211_0da75d2a9b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/2841140211_0da75d2a9b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">My parents canned tomato juices, regular, low acid and tomato basil.</span><br /><br />Although canning and preserving foods for the winter is no longer a necessity for survival, it now represents an affordable year round source of organic produce, as well as a continuation of tradition. For me, even further removed without a garden of my own, perhaps it is this lack of necessity which helps me to enjoy the tradition of this process. I can delight in my voluntary trip to the farmers market or to my parents house and get a great satisfaction looking at the jars of food I've put up which will save me money while still giving me great quality of food.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/2849291685_d0709ff1e2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/2849291685_d0709ff1e2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Canning roasted salsa</span>.<br /><br />Since its that time of year, we're gonna get all hot and steamy in here as our posts put up a harvest of digital delight chronicling our adventures with canning! Stay tuned.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-49514353344611943342009-09-03T07:02:00.002-05:002009-09-03T10:46:16.381-05:00C-BLT With Chipotle Mayo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3448/3883394544_156c936972.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3448/3883394544_156c936972.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />C-BLT? What's the "C" for, you ask? Representing the makers of my <a href="http://www.flyingarmadillosigns.com/images/billboards/14_Canadian_Mist.jpg" target="_blank">favorite whiskey</a>, <a href="http://www.kevchino.com/graffix/bandphotos/YoungNeil_bp.jpg" target="_blank">rock musicians</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zJTNOxV4Qg" target="_blank">sketch "coamody" troup</a>, eh?, its for our hockey loving <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada" target="_blank">neighbors to the north</a>! It puts the Canadian in Bacon!<br /><br />Before I get too far into my love of sweet, sweet Canadian bacon, I have to digress a bit to another love: <span style="font-weight: bold;">vine ripened organic heirloom tomatoes</span>!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3522/3882596359_03f8e68de4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3522/3882596359_03f8e68de4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When I say vine ripened I don't mean the stuff you buy at the store, I'm talking about grown by the sweat of <span style="font-style: italic;">your friend's</span> brow. (sweat is always better when its off someone else's brow). When my friend, Wendy, gave me a bag full of the most delicious, sumptuous tomatoes, I knew I had to do something worthy of their ripe beautiful bounty. I can't cook these tomatoes! They're too sweet and supple. What could make the most of this sweet seasonal treat...hmmm. I got it!! <span style="font-weight: bold;">BLT's!!</span> Nom nom.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/3883386130_ed259ef739.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/3883386130_ed259ef739.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />But it can't be just any BLT. It has to be a special BLT! Not just any bacon will do. No, for this, I need a special, supple bacon: thick and sweet but seasoned with a special kick!<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Peppercorn-encrusted Canadian Bacon</span>, made by my local Polish Deli, is sooo delicious!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2423/3882602875_554bf9ff8b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2423/3882602875_554bf9ff8b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Ok, we've got the B and the T, but we still need the L. No ordinary lettuce will do obviously. I want fresh, so fresh...so fresh its actually still alive!! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hydroponic Lettuce!</span> Yes sir, this stuff is still alive, and its up to you to go in for the kill. Rip those leaves off, and eat 'em. SO fresh, so sweet.<br /><br />Finally the last ingredient. Mayo. To me this is as much an important part as the other ingredients. I don't know why they never added it in. Well I'm going to! BMLT. Oh, wait. I get it. That's gross. Ok, so I'll leave it out of the name, but not out of the sandwich. Since all the other ingredients are going for gold, we can't just use regular mayo. We're going to make<span style="font-weight: bold;"> chipotle mayo!</span> Delish:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3476/3883388278_da35948403.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3476/3883388278_da35948403.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chipotle Mayo</span></span><br />enough for 3-4 sandwhiches<br /><br />1 chipotle pepper, (from a can: see above pic) chopped into paste<br />1/2 c. good mayo<br /><br />1) Mix together. Easy. Done!<br /><br />How was that for a recipe? You don't need a recipe for a CB-CM-LT. Fry the bacon, toast the bread, slap the mayo on the bread. Layer toppings and you're done. Lets sum this up:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/3882598375_363b8fd58b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/3882598375_363b8fd58b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This sandwhich is going to kick ass!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">B:</span> Peppercorn encrusted Canadian Bacon<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">L:</span> Hydroponic Lettuce<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">T</span>: Organic Vine Ripened heirloom Tomatoes<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">not to forget:</span> our Chipotle mayo.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2674/3883392994_160f839418.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2674/3883392994_160f839418.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />All of these round little ingredients compliment each other so nice. Time to EAT!!! NOM NOM NOM! I love BLT's!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383732202506634078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-21592786967806192902009-08-31T11:52:00.006-05:002009-08-31T12:49:18.154-05:003 Tips to Make Perfectly Mashed Yucca<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3843439776_0837c0cd3f.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3843439776_0837c0cd3f.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've always thought of yucca as being a very exotic thing. Not only is it not part of the average American diet but it also has some very strange textural characteristics which make it very weird. Yucca, similar to a potato, is often eaten boiled and mashed. Because it is VERY high in starch, if you give the yucca mash a good mix, it becomes very sticky and gooey. This paste can be very good for various things, but I've found, I often end up with this sticky paste, when all I wanted was mashed yucca.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here are 3 quick tips for getting a good mashed yucca.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2559/3843437120_9ee1feee93.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2559/3843437120_9ee1feee93.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Peel completely.</span> Remove the hard outer skin as well as the pinky underskin. The delicate white inside will be less fibrous then the outer layers.<br /><br /><a onblur=" try=" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_ricer"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3170/3842650593_561441d229.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Boil the shit out of it</span>. Cut the yucca into disks or chunks and boil in water. I always boil potatoes until you can put a knife into it, but I've found, you have to boil yucca longer. It starts to break up in the water, but it will still be hard inside. Keep boiling it until it falls apart easily to the touch. This means the fiber has broken down a bit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2049/2144545344_031d0ef726.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2049/2144545344_031d0ef726.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Potato Ricer: image courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/exlibris/" target="_blank">Exlibris</a></span><br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Use a potato ricer to mash the yucca</span>. A ricer helps separate the hard fiber from the softer mash, leaving you with a perfectly fluffy pile of mashed yucca. I know you may not have a potato ricer, its sort of an unnecessary kitchen item. However, once every decade, it comes in handy, and this is one of those occasions.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383732202506634078noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-21154992193886246492009-08-27T07:00:00.002-05:002009-08-27T09:11:37.972-05:00Afternoon Delight: Seafood and WineTo finish up our <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/08/where-can-i-find-fresh-fish-in-chicago.html" target="_blank">series</a> <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/08/free-guided-fishing-expidtion-to.html" target="_blank">profile</a> on <a href="http://www.isaacsonandsteinfishcompany.com/" target="_blank">Isaacson and Stein</a>, nothing would be better then to show a little party which sprung from a visit there. Last Friday, my friends Meena and Anki (in town from Paris) wanted to hang out, but I needed to do a bit of blog work. Well, we, at Forkable, love to multi-task, so why not hit two birds with one stone! I&S is such a fun place to visit, I brought them along with me and let them peruse the goods while I got a few photos.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2596/3843759017_999be6170a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2596/3843759017_999be6170a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Searing our scallops for a delishous afternoon treat.</span><br /><br />After I was done, we walked around and picked out a few morsels to bring home to snack on. Of course, our eyes were bigger then our stomaches and we ended up leaving with a bag full of shrimp, scallops, mussels and ahi tuna steaks. OH DELISH! We weren't complaining.<br /><br />The wonderful thing about the seafood, is it can be prepared very easily in no time at all. We got the tuna in a soy-miso-vinegar marinade and set it aside in the fridge. Anki, quite diligently worked on de-viening the shrimp, while Meena prepared a garlic butter for the scallops. Meanwhile, I got the mussels steaming with white wine and butter. Once we were ready, we got two pans fired up on the stove, we seared the scallops-rubbed in garlic butter, and the tuna with a miso rub.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/3843760003_32a9bd652b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 393px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/3843760003_32a9bd652b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Shrimp a la flambe! </span><br /><br />Once these were done, we quickly added some more garlic butter to the pan with the scallops, and did a quick saute with the shrimp. We added some lemon juice and a bit of rum (Anki wanted to start a fire!) and finished them off with a dramatic flambe. At this point, the mussels were done, we finished up the toast we had under the broiler, and we took our fest outside to nosh!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3843761785_9feef27ed0.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3843761785_9feef27ed0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Anki makes sure Meena's not running on empty. What a decadent spread! </span><br /><br />What a luxurious afternoon! Only 20 minutes of cook time in the kitchen, $12 each for the supplies, and we were eating like kings. Yum. We had so much fun working together and our Garlic scallops, Tuna steaks, mussels in a white wine butter dipping sauce, and shrimpies a la flambe were c'est magnifique! . Can you get any more decadent?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2527/3850417600_553134d5d7.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2527/3850417600_553134d5d7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Lets play the game "what would you pay for this plate at a restaurant"? More then $12. I think that's a big yes!</span><br /><br />Well we also had raddishes with salt and lime, fromage de gruyere (we're putting on french airs to impress Anki), sun dried tomatoes and my homemade pickled green beans. We had a great time from start to finish, and in true french form, quite a bit of wine was drank throughout the process. Sorry the pics are a bit blurry. What can I say. Que sera sera. Oh wait that's Spanish. Hmm. C'est la vie! There we go. Who said "Amurican's" were ignornt.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-63742213693733435542009-08-25T07:46:00.002-05:002009-08-25T08:58:57.980-05:00A Free Guided Fishing Expidtion to Isaacson and SteinsI felt really intimidated going into <a href="http://www.isaacsonandsteinfishcompany.com/" target="_blank">Isaacson and Stein</a> for the first time. I didn't want to look like I didn't know what I was doing. I was afraid of asking anyone questions for fear of bothering them, or being seen as an idiot. The piles of whole fish made me feel inept in my inability to clean them. But, it was all in my mind. People here are nice and there's nothing to be intimidated of! <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><a style="font-weight: bold;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3844541298_a78453201f.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3844541298_a78453201f.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">So you can make the most of your first I&S fishing expedition, here's </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">8 tips for smooth sailing</span>!</span><br /><ol><li><u><b>Know the hours</b></u>: They have weird hours. They're never open past 4:15 during the week, although they are open 8-1 on Saturdays.<br /></li><ol><li><b>Try to make it in during the week</b>: its worth it. Saturdays are always busy busy and the selection is picked through. I go on Fridays when its pretty low key. If they're not busy, the staff is way more willing to shoot the shit and help you pick out the right fish for your dish!</li><li><b>Go early</b>. If you go on Saturday, try to make it there as early as possible to get a good selection.</li></ol><br /><li> <u><b>Know the process</b></u>:<br /></li><ol><li><b>Grab gloves</b>: There's a box of plastic gloves on the table on your right when you come in. You'll want them to handle the fish.<br /></li><li><b>Get your fish weighed</b>: When you've decided on what you want, take your bag of fish to the table to the right of the door. Guys behind the table will weigh your stuff and give you a receipt.<br /></li><li><b>Pay for your fish</b>: take your receipt to the guys at the window on your left and pay, cash or credit.</li></ol><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3519/3843748105_20762250e6.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3519/3843748105_20762250e6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><li> <u><b>Check the signs</b></u>: Signs above the fish tell you more then just the name and price. It will also list where the fish come from, if its farm grown or wild, and if its fresh or previously frozen which guarantees you know what you're getting.<br /><br /></li><li><b><u>Don't be afraid to ask questions</u></b>. If you're not sure which fish will work for your recipe, how you want it cleaned, or what's the best stuff at the moment, ask someone. Just don't be offended if they don't give you a long answer. If they're busy, they can be brisk. It is a whole saler after all. I've always found them to be very helpful!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2467/3844546272_abe7000e2c.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2467/3844546272_abe7000e2c.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></li><li><u><b>Get Your Fish Cleaned</b></u>: Once you've paid, get in line at the two cleaning stations to the left of the payment windows. After your fish is cleaned, tipping is suggested. I have to make a confession, I never have (eek!). These guys are so covered in fish juice, with thick rubber gloves on, I don't know where to put the money. Give it to them... put it in their pocket.... I've never seen any one else do it either. If anyone has advice on this, I'll take it!!<br /><br /></li><li><u><b>Use the Fish Bones in Stock</b></u>: If your getting your fish cleaned, keep the bones and head. You paid for it, and you can use it for <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2008/11/stock-up-but-whats-stock.html" target="_blank">stock</a>! They also usually have fish bones in the back corner you can buy for stock as well. I only use whitefish bones though, bones from salmon and other dark varieties make a really fishy stock which is definitely an acquired taste.</li><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3446/3844535384_e261fce1bb.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3446/3844535384_e261fce1bb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><li><u><b>Be Prepared</b></u>:<br /></li><ol><li><b>Don't get grossed out</b>: This place is stinky and there's dead fish everywhere. There's fish juice all over the floor. Like <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/isaacson-and-stein-fish-co-chicago" target="_blank">Cat B says</a>, "Don't wear flip flops".<br /></li><li><b>Fish can rot</b>: Raw fish and seafood are very delicate. Make sure you can go straight home afterward or carry a ice chest with you.<br /><br /></li></ol><li><u><b>Park your car!</b></u> They have parking spots out front. How lucky! Well if you have a car. </li></ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-87117764703165279672009-08-24T00:00:00.003-05:002009-08-25T08:24:30.012-05:00Where Can I Find Fresh Fish In Chicago? Hellya: Isaacson & Stein!!We get a lot of seafood sympathy from our seaboard friends for Chicago being landlocked and so far away from the coasts? (Lake Michigan grunts. Sorry Dude, you know what I mean). While its true, you'll never see lobster for $3.00 lb here, not all the sympathy is warranted. So, is it possible to find fresh, reasonably priced fish in Chicago?<br /><br />Ugh!! Did I hear you say Whole Foods? I'm sorry you've been paying so much! No, no no! The answer is Isaacson and Stein's!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static2.px.yelp.com/bphoto/ESN23ieG4wvuN-C8gq0hqw/l"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px;" src="http://static2.px.yelp.com/bphoto/ESN23ieG4wvuN-C8gq0hqw/l" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This has to be one of my favorite spots in Chicago, which the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Yelper</span>, Emily L. rightly describes as "Holy Foodie Heaven!" <a href="http://www.isaacsonandsteinfishcompany.com/" target="_blank"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Isaacson</span> and Stein</a>, a fish wholesaler in the meatpacking district (Fulton off <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Halsted</span>) which is, as it's sign reads, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!! If you've never been here, its worth a trip, just to look at the fish!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2486/3844533648_d485fa5993.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2486/3844533648_d485fa5993.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Ohh! Wild Caught Red Snapper!<br /><blockquote>"Ah, the smell of fish on a sunny afternoon. Once your nose adjusts to the waft of fish stank (if that is possible), this place is really a gem."<br />-Scott A.</blockquote>This store's one big room is a weekly <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">conduit</span> of over 10 reeking tons of the most beautiful fresh fish and seafood in the city. If its good enough for the best restaurants in Chicago, its good enough for me! I'm no snob.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3544/3844539784_fffb3ee451.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3544/3844539784_fffb3ee451.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Their selection is awesome, ranging from the exotic to local, with rare South American <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">varieties</span> next to locally caught whitefish and perch. Classic seafood options are almost always available, including my favorite fresh muscles, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">succulent</span> scallops and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">shrimpies</span> of various sizes. Most of the fish is sold whole, but as the week wears on, you'll see more and more piles of fillets all cleaned and prepped that day.<br /><br />Whole fish? Don't worry, after you buy the fish, you can take it over to the two cleaning stands and have one or their amazing mongers gut and clean everything for you, so you get to leave with the freshly cleaned fillets ready for your dinner.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2591/3843754141_45ab05ea52.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2591/3843754141_45ab05ea52.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Action shot: Cleaning an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Alaskan</span> Halibut! I'd never seen even a partially whole halibut before. This fish is huge and he filleted it in one solid quick motion. These guys really know how to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">wield</span> a knife!<br /><br />Okay, I know I sound like a paid commercial, but I'm not alone. People freak out about this place. Don't believe me? Check out their 4 1/2 star <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/isaacson-and-stein-fish-co-chicago" target="_blank">yelp page</a>.<br /><blockquote>"I LOVE this place...minus the fish juice I get on my shoes (don't go in there in flip flops!)"<br />-Cat B.</blockquote>Ha! Thanks Cat for the great tip! Speaking of tips, check our <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/08/free-guided-fishing-expidtion-to.html" target="_blank">User's Guide to Isaacson and Stein</a> so you can make the most of your I&S fishing expedition!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-87201666958529364002009-08-21T09:52:00.000-05:002009-08-21T13:16:14.836-05:00Succulent Ceviche with WhitefishCeviche blew my mind the first time I heard of it. The idea of "cooking" with no heat seemed so exciting; that because of the delicate tissue in seafood and fish, when you soak it in a high acid solution, often lime juice, the acid will break down the cell walls and "cook" the meat. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2536/3842607341_91f9bac021.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 448px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2536/3842607341_91f9bac021.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I love the delicate succulence of sushi and sashimi, and this same quality, often lost or diluted when cooking, is so wonderfully preserved in ceviche. Each bite is a burst of subtle juiciness infused with the tartness of the citric marinade. Nothing can be more satisfying on a warm summer day then this fresh cool dish!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/3840754145_8535fa9aeb.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/3840754145_8535fa9aeb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Because this dish is all about the delicacy of the meats, you want a fish which has a more subtle flavor. As awesome as this dish is, it can be made horrible with a strong fishy flavor. Gross gross gross! So stay with a whitefish and you won't be sorry. Although, we are very frugal here, this is a dish which needs good quality fish. It can be made with some cheap farm raised tilapia, but I would suggest going to your local fish monger or grocer and asking for a good fillet cut. I've made this with wild stripped sea bass as well as the Peruvian Corvina sea bass for the Polynesian meal, and the better the meat, the more beautiful this dish becomes. So don't skimp. That's my advice.<br /><br />The marinade needs to be high enough acid content in order to "cook" the fish. I tried making it with marinades higher in wine content then citrus juice or vinegar but the meat was a bit raw, even after soaking for 8 hours. SO my recipe sticks with the traditional technique of being mostly citrus juice with some additional flavors. Many recipes call for cutting the fillets up into small bite size chunks, which make the soaking time much less, but I like keeping the fillets larger because I feel as though the meat retains the fresh texture better. So with no further ado, on to the recipe.<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br />Whitefish Ceviche</span><br />30 minutes prep time, 8 hours total time<br /><ul><li>1-2 lb of fillets of whitefish</li><li>10 limes</li><li>1/2 c. white wine</li><li>1/2 c. sweet vinegar (rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, etc)</li><li>1 onion, diced</li><li>1 tomato, diced</li><li>fresh fruit, diced</li><li>salt</li><li>pepper</li><li>optional: papaya seeds, black tea</li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3841546796_68cee3ea22.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3841546796_68cee3ea22.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prep fillets</span>: Take each fillet and cut in half or in thirds (for large pieces). If the fillets have differences in thickness, trim any thicker areas to create a uniform thickness. Place the fillets between parchment paper and gently pound to lightly tenderize the meat. Don't beat it, just to slightly mush it a bit.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Soak the fish in salt water:</span> In a bowl of salt water, soak the bowl for 10 minutes or so. This will give the fish a quick brine and help infuse the salt into the meat.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tenderize the meat:</span> Remove the fish from the salt water and lay out in glass dish. Lay each piece of fish out so they don't overlap. Sprinkle fish with salt and freshly cut pepper. You can use smashed papaya seeds instead of pepper. Optional, you can also sprinkle the meat with dried black tea which helps give a nice subtle bitterness to the sweet taste of the fish. Cover the dish in syran and place in the fridge.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prep marinade:</span> Squeeze limes for fresh lime juice. Mix juice with wine and vinegar. Set aside. Dice onions, tomatoes and any fresh fruit. I used papaya and mango. The fruit helps infuse a sweetness into the fish.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3475/3840760743_d71b9bcc89.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3475/3840760743_d71b9bcc89.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Assemble ceviche:</span> Remove dish of fish out of the refrigerator. Cover with 3/4 of the diced onion, tomatoes and fruit, reserving 1/4. Pour the marinade so it just covers the fish. Recover and chill.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flip fish</span>: After 15 minutes, remove the dish from the fridge and flip the fish. Cover and chill. The fish will probably need to sit between 6-8 hours in the marinade to be fully prepared. Check back every couple hours to flip the fish, maybe two or three times.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2543/3840761963_f921614112.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2543/3840761963_f921614112.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Plate the fish</span>: When you check the fish, take a piece and slice into the center. You'll want it to be white all the way through. If its still pink at the center, it needs a bit more time. When its done, remove the fish from the marinade. Cover with the remaining fresh onions tomatoes and chopped fruit.<br /><br />Serve, eat, yum!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-63536039485749650802009-08-19T07:34:00.002-05:002009-08-19T09:10:29.512-05:00Precious in Pink: Pickled Quail's Egg in Beet JuicePickled eggs seem so nice and ol' timey. I imagine some turn-of-the-century saloons where they were available at almost every bar. They're so easy to make. Its just a matter of hard boiling and then soaking them in a brine. My brother-in-law, Jason, always has a jar of them in the fridge, and they do make a great snack; all that protein can really fill you up!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3421/3831419012_574e1edd99.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3421/3831419012_574e1edd99.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Pickled quails eggs, as garnish for the appetizer course from our <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/08/fiafia-fotos.html" target="_blank">Polynesian Meal</a>.</span><br /><br />Tiny things are always so precious. You could fit 3 or 4 quails egg inside the shell of an average chicken's so of course, its hard not to adore them. Don't judge them by their size though, although small, once cooked, these eggs are surprisingly tough. Their egg whites are not as soft as their larger counterparts which gives for a surprising texture when bursting into the center and finding a soft, delicate yolk. They are a bit exotic in our culture, but quite common in various Asian cuisines, so are not impossible to find pickled if not fresh in Chinese, Korean or Thai grocery stores.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2556/3830624015_fa88224b86.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2556/3830624015_fa88224b86.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So lets pull out our cauldron, and with a little of toil, toil, boil and bubble, we'll mix together 1 part exotic, to two parts precious, a pinch of ol' timey, and a bit of beet blood for pizzaz and we'll concoct the perfect pickled quails eggs!<br /><br />(oh come on, I don't mean blood- its beet juice. Sheesh!)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">PICKLED QUAIL EGGS</span></span><br /><ul><li>3 dozen fresh Quail eggs, or 2 cans of preserved eggs*</li><li>4-5 medium sized beets, washed and quartered</li><li>2 c. vinegar (white wine, cider, rice, or any mixture of these)</li><li>1/2 c. sugar</li><li>1 tsp. salt</li><li>bay leaves</li><li>black peppercorn</li><li>whole cloves</li><li>fresh mint</li><li>1 clean quart jar with lid</li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3831412928_ba5618ed23.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3831412928_ba5618ed23.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3831375440_fa08f6e7a1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3831375440_fa08f6e7a1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />* I suggest getting fresh, as the canned eggs are a bit rubbery. However, the longer fresh eggs sit in a brine, the more they will become a bit rubbery as well. They are best eaten within two weeks. However if you plan to store yours for a while, it doesn't matter if you start out with canned or fresh.<br /><br />Make beet juice. We'll add beet juice to the brine to give added flavor but most importantly a nice purple color. Clean and wash your beets. You don't have to skin them if you don't want just get all the yuck off. Quarter and place in a pot with water covering about 1" above beets. Cover, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes, until you see dark red liquid. Drain and reserve 2 c. of juice for your brine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3560/3831416188_e3ddba3a82.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3560/3831416188_e3ddba3a82.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />While beets are cooking, we'll prepare the eggs. If you're using canned eggs, you can skip to step 4. If using fresh eggs, we'll need to hard boil them. Place a cloth napkin or towel at the bottom of a pot, place the fresh eggs on the cloth and fill the pot with water. Place the pot on a the stove. Cover and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, remove the pot from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes with pot still covered. While its sitting, prepare a bowl of ice water. Take eggs from hot water, and place into the ice water until they cool. This will make peeling them easier. Because they are so small, its easy to damage them while peeling. Peel eggs and set aside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2656/3830620943_15d6c19da5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2656/3830620943_15d6c19da5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Create your brine. In your cualdron, I mean in a pot, mix all ingredients, including the beet blood, ahem...juice, but excluding the eye of newt. Ok, joke taken too far now! Excluding the eggs, put everying into a pot and bring to a boil. If you have a pickling spice mix, feel free to use that instead of the whole spices I listed above. Once the brine is boiling, remove from heat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2509/3831407022_7a606ca9df.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2509/3831407022_7a606ca9df.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Assemble your jar of pickles. Place your eggs in your quart jar. Pour the hot brine over the eggs, whole spices and all. Fill jar with as much of the brine as possible, place lid on jar and allow to sit. Once cool, you can add in some fresh mint if you want and place in the refridgerator.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2423/3831410372_02f3009c99.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2423/3831410372_02f3009c99.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Your pickled eggs will be at full potency in about a week and will remain good indefinitely if kept chilled.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383732202506634078noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-72079818114164594182009-08-16T03:08:00.001-05:002009-08-16T03:08:00.405-05:00How To Roast A Leg of Goat and Be Awesome!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/3818713306_d650f88bd8.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/3818713306_d650f88bd8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Goat is a bit exotic. If you want to impress people. Exotic always works. So, roast a leg of goat and you'll be awesome. Guaranteed. That's a Forkable promise. You can also go off about how difficult it is to make goat and how its often tough, and then when people bite into the moist juicy meat this recipe will easily provide you, everyone's brains will explode. Maybe that should be the title of this post: How To Make Everyone's Brains Explode with Goat. Hmmm Anyway, onto the recipe.<br /><br />If at any point during this recipe you ask Why? - <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-i-figured-out-how-to-roast-leg-of.html" target="_blank">here's your answer</a>.<br />_________________________________________________________<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Roasted Leg of Goat</span><br /><blockquote><li>a 4-5 lb leg of goat, bone and all</li><li>seeds from a large mature papaya</li><li>1-2 Tbs kosher salt</li><li>2-3 large onions for roasting<br /></li>-for the marinade-<br /><li>20 limes, juiced</li><li>1 c. rum</li><li>1 c. white wine</li><li>2 c. olive oil</li><li>1/4 c. brown sugar</li><li>2-3 large beets</li>-for the dry rub<li>2 Tbs dry ginger</li><li>2 Tbs cumin</li><li>1 Tbs coriander<br /></li><li>1/4 c. brown sugar</li><li>1/4 c. kosher salt</li><li>1 Tbs sumac</li><li>chopped fresh mint</li><li>head of garlic</li><li>fresh ginger knuckle- 2" or so.</li></blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3817896369_736fb2bd01.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3817896369_736fb2bd01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />1) Go out and purchase a fresh leg of young goat from your butcher.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The night before you serve:</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) Trim the roast.</span> The roast may be covered by a hard white surface tissue. If so, you'll want to trim this off. I found this to be a bit difficult, but just do your best to remove as much as possible without hacking apart the roast. Put your fingers underneath the tissue and see if you can work it away from the flesh and cut it off that way. Trim off any extra fat deposits. <span style="font-style: italic;"> Reserve for later</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3496/3821325122_9329e6c661.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3496/3821325122_9329e6c661.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) Rub smashed seeds and salt on the leg to prepare it for the marinade</span>. Take your papaya and cut in half. Take the seeds from half the fruit and using the flat end your knife, smash them until you can see the white insides. Mix with a few tablespoons of salt and rub over your meat. Chill while you make your marinade.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2558/3817900651_1ca9038469.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2558/3817900651_1ca9038469.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2568/3817899663_0e49659e4f.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2568/3817899663_0e49659e4f.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) Assemble your marinade. </span> Freshly squeeze your limes. Mix lime juice together with your rum, wine, olive oil and brown sugar. Place your leg roast in your roaster and pour the marinade over the leg. Wash and peel your beets, slice and place the slices in the marinade with a few slices on top of the roast.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3461/3818707322_d00226ca7a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3461/3818707322_d00226ca7a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5) Cover the roaster with cellophane and chill overnight.</span> Check your roast every few hours to flip over. You don't need to get out of bed in the middle of the night. Relax. It'll be ok, just don't forget to flip it at least once or twice. Now, go have a drink. You need it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The Day You Serve:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6) Figure out what time dinner is and schedule cooktime.</span> Once you have dinner time scheduled, figure out the timing of your meat. It will take about 3 hours with the dry rub, 20 min. or so on the bbq and ~90 minutes in the oven. It will be fine to sit for up to an hour after removing from the oven and still be warm. You'll want to get the dry rub on your meal about 5-6 hours before dinner time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7) Remove the leg from your marinade.</span> Reserve about 4 c. of the marinade for later.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8) Insert your lardoons.</span> Wait, what are lardoons? Well, I can see you <span style="font-style: italic;">didn't</span> read my previous <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-i-figured-out-how-to-roast-leg-of.html" target="_blank">goat article</a>. That's okay. I forgive you. Lardoons are just a fancy way of referring to the fat we trimmed off earlier. Take your roast, and make a few deep incisions into the meat- an inch or so. Stuff these incisions with any trimmed fat as well as a garlic clove and a thin slice of fresh ginger each.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2533/3821327474_6d54252c06.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2533/3821327474_6d54252c06.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9) Get your dry rub on.</span> Mix your ingredients for the dry rub. Feel free to edit or substitute any of the seasonings on my dry rub. Its not that important, just the salt, sugar and some spice. Take the seeds from the second half of the papaya and smash them the same way you did above. Mix the seeds in with the dry ingredients. They will bind the spices together into a paste. Smear that stuff all over the meat. This is always my favorite part!! Wrap it up in cellophone and chill in the fridge.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10) Heat up the grill.</span> 30-45 minutes before you're ready to start this roast off, get your grill fired up. Figure out your timing based on your grill. We have a very small smokey joe which takes forever! But you may have a fancy stainless BBQ with burners, sinks and an attached swiveling lazy boy. If so, recline back and press the fire button on your remote control.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2675/3817904765_1cb47eefe4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2675/3817904765_1cb47eefe4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11) Preheat Oven.</span> While you're messing with the grill, have the ol' ball and chain preheat the oven to 325. If you don't have an ol' ball and chain, do it yourself, dummy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3557/3817901985_27c410483c.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3557/3817901985_27c410483c.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">12) Grill it! </span>Once that fire is HOT: get that roast on there, face down first. We're grilling it first to sear it, so only give each side about 10 minutes, more or less until the surface is blackened.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">13) Roast it! </span>Have the roaster ready to go at the side of the grill. Fill the roaster with 2-3 large onions quartered to rest the roast on so the meat doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan while its in the oven. Once the meat is done on the BBQ, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and get that pup into the oven. Keep an eye on the thermometer. Once it gets to 130 degrees, probably after 90 minutes or so, remove from the oven.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2572/3818711576_acc333e513.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2572/3818711576_acc333e513.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">14) Let it rest! </span> After it comes out of the oven, tent it by taking a sheet of aluminum foil and loosely folding it over the top of the leg roast. Let it sit for about 20 minutes. While it sits, you'll notice it will go up to about 140 degrees, which is EXACTLY what we want. Nice- medium rare!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/3817903825_ac65710b8a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/3817903825_ac65710b8a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15) Carve it.</span> I wish I could give you better instructions on how to carve, but I can't. I suck at this! I'm told the only way to learn is to practice, so I'll just have to keep at it. Its sort of depressing to make such a beautiful food item and then hack it apart, but oh well. Here's a <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/how-to-carve-a-leg-lamb-10000001037974/" target="_blank">guide to carving a leg of lamb</a> which may help you. I wish you luck.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eat it sucka! </span> This of course is always the easiest part. Hopefully you have some people to eat it with. Make sure you tell them how long and hard you worked on this thing. Well, I hope it wasn't actually hard, but make them <span style="font-style: italic;">think</span> it was. Its great when people drool all over you with compliments. Suck it up. You've earned it. You just made a goat! Ha!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2566/3818708552_66b10581f6.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2566/3818708552_66b10581f6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />-<span style="font-weight: bold;">PS- Don't you </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">dare</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> throw that bone away! Stick it in your freezer to save for stock.</span> There's another long hard winter in front of you and you'll need some broth. I guarantee it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-90056124532935270222009-08-14T13:38:00.007-05:002009-08-16T11:10:02.087-05:00How I Figured Out How To Roast A Leg of GoatThe first time I tried to cook with goat, it was HORRIBLE!!! I'd never prepared goat until a few weeks ago when I fearlessly listed it as the entree for our <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/08/fiafia-fotos.html" target="_blank">Polynesian meal</a>. As our entree, I not only had to figure out how to make it, I had to <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-roast-leg-of-goat-and-be-awesome.html" target="_blank">make it awesome</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3496/3821325122_9329e6c661.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3496/3821325122_9329e6c661.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">My second attempt at making goat, a leg roast is coated with papaya seeds to tenderize the meat.<br /><br /></span>When my first attempt (braised goat in coconut and rum) came out of the oven, I was staring at lumps of grey meat bathed in a curdled gray sauce. This was definitely <span style="font-style: italic;">NOT</span> awesome! Tasting it only made it worse. I hate throwing food away, but that was the only place fit for this dish! I didn't take a picture because I was too stressed out and embarrassed, but I wish I would have because it was DISGUSTING!<br /><br />I knew goat was a lean meat which could be tough, so it would be best to slow cook it with a liquid to help it keep moist, which was the impetus of my first attempt. For an island effect, I chose rum and coconut milk. Well, I'm still not sure what part of the body those cuts came from, but they were tough grisly and grotesque. The rum was not acidic enough to help tenderize the meat and coconut milk, upon continuous cooking, apparently curdles. I guess goat has a tendency of turning gray when cooked and the white cooking sauce, surely didn't help its color. It looked horrible and tasted disgusting. This recipe SUCKED! I was a bit stressed out.<br /><br />It seemed the obstacles I needed to work around for this recipe was:<br /><ul><li>keeping the meat tender and avoiding tough chewy meat</li><li>avoiding the gray color which is <i>unappetizing</i>!</li></ul>To tackle the main problem of tough meat, I decided I needed was a good cut from a real butcher. Although I'd never done one before, not even with lamb, a leg roast would probably be the best way to go. I found a <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/halsted-packing-house-chicago" target="_blank">great spot</a> in the warehousing district and picked up a fresh leg of young goat which would be more tender with a milder taste then an older goat. An average leg roast from a young goat (leg in) weighs about 4-5 lbs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3817896369_736fb2bd01.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3817896369_736fb2bd01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After my last fiasco, I wasn't taking any chances with texture problems, so I decided to marinate it overnight AND apply a dry rub for a couple of hours before cooking to ensure a moist tender roast. I had previously marinated my first attempt in rum only, which I figured wouldn't be enough. I decided to add fresh lime juice which would pump up the acidity, and I added olive oil, to help infuse some fat into the lean goat meat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3456/3818708040_0a4770c0ef.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3456/3818708040_0a4770c0ef.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />But now color. Gray meat just looks gross. If I was doing a red wine marinade that would give it color, but I wanted to stick with tropical flavors (rum, lime etc). I started thinking of other things I could use for color, and I finally thought of one of nature's most powerful natural dyes: beets! Although not authentic to Polynesia, I added beets to the marinade to give this meat some color.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2573/3817898967_db22996f87.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2573/3817898967_db22996f87.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Leg roast for the event on the grill. You can see the ginger, garlic and lardoons sticking out in areas around the roast. </span><br /><br />It worked. The morning after its marination, I found what looked like a tandoori leg of goat! Even more so, it was purple! Well, I thought the meat would definitely not be gray. Ha!<br /><br />I had also been instructed by my Aunt to cut away the thick white fat around the edges of the leg and reserve them. I now pulled them out of the fridge. With my paring knife, I cut slits an inch or so into the flesh of the roast and inserted the fatty deposits, which we can be all fancy and refer to as <i>"lardoons"</i>. I also stuffed some garlic cloves and ginger into the pockets with the lardoons to infuse a bit of awesome. I finished by applying my dry rub, which used papaya seeds as a binder. I wrapped the pup up and put in the fridge, to chill for 3 hours or so.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3563/3818712360_6cb17b71d7.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3563/3818712360_6cb17b71d7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />To trap all the juices which I had been obsessing about infusing into the meat, I decided to sere the roast first. You can start the roast in the oven at a really high heat like 450 and turn down to 300. But I wasn't sure that was enough. I wanted to make sure this meat<span style="font-weight: bold;"> SEARED</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2675/3817904765_1cb47eefe4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2675/3817904765_1cb47eefe4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3557/3817901985_27c410483c.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3557/3817901985_27c410483c.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />SO Ira and I set up our small BBQ with a huge pile of coals red HOT! By starting the roast off on the BBQ, not only were we able to sear it, but also infuse a bit of smokey flavor and give the surface of the roast a nice blackened look. I gave each side 5-10 minutes on the grill (15-20 min. total).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2659/3818712942_09514eab39.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2659/3818712942_09514eab39.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After the grill, I inserted the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Putting my blackened purple leg roast back into a roaster pan over some chopped onions to keep it from burning to the bottom, I quickly got it into the oven at about 325 to finish cooking. I spooned some of the marinade over the top for good measure. At this point, I just waited with fingers tightly crossed until the thermometer registered 130.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2572/3818711576_acc333e513.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2572/3818711576_acc333e513.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Roasts will continue to cook after its taken out of the oven, so by removing it at 130, I could ensure to end up at my preferred temp of a medium rare 140 degrees. I thought the roast would take a few hours as did the recipes I had read online, so I was a bit surprised when I hit 130 after only 90 minutes. I guess the BBQ really put a jump start on the cooking. I took the roast out of the oven, and "tented" it by loosely covering it up with aluminum foil to rest, about 10-20 minutes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/3817903825_ac65710b8a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/3817903825_ac65710b8a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When I finally carved into the roast, I was jumping for joy. It was the most moist, delicious meat I had ever seen and tasted. The beautiful mild flavor was not overpowered by the marinade. Although purple on the outside, the meat had a delicate pinkish color which only added to its appeal. Thank you beets! A sigh of relief, I had my entree recipe figured out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3556/3810521684_c70b74e4e4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3556/3810521684_c70b74e4e4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It was a close gross call, but the dish we ended up with was filled with absolute goaty awesomeness! <br /><br /><a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-roast-leg-of-goat-and-be-awesome.html" target="_blank">Here's the recipe</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-17249277558348204532009-08-11T09:02:00.006-05:002009-08-11T16:11:01.675-05:00Polynesian Pictures: Fiafia Food Fotos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3520/3809941794_8d695e20bb.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3520/3809941794_8d695e20bb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Knocking on wood almost always works, (knock on wood), and I give my superstitions total credit for helping to keep <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/08/fiafia-final-preperations.html" target="_blank">the weather at bay</a> so our collaborative <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/07/forkable-fiafia-post-war-polynesian.html" target="">Polynesian supper club event</a> could go off without a hitch. The 90 degree weather at least insured it was sultry! We, at Forkable and <a href="http://www.beingtotallysweetinchicago.com/" target="_blank">Being Totally Sweet In Chicago</a>, promised to create a paradise of authentic dishes recreated with a splash of bygone glamor for the present pallet. I think we delivered.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2424/3809938792_712246877c.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 333px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2424/3809938792_712246877c.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Our usually drab urban <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%22http://www.flickr.com/photos/forkableblog/3595420574/%22" target=" _blank=">gangway</a> was transformed into a sumptuous tropical retreat. Silky curtains blocked the sidewalk and the alley, golden lights twinkling overhead and surfaces festooned with tropical flowers and candles helped create a magical intimate effect.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2579/3810959363_7d43171f7d.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2579/3810959363_7d43171f7d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A true collaborative effort, Ira and I worked tirelessly over this event, to make sure all the details were perfect. Our courses were ambitious, heavily researched and painstakingly tested. You've seen the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/forkableblog/3805246572/" target="_blank">menu</a>. Here's the food.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Appetizer: Masa Shrimp Bun steamed in a Banana Leaf</span><br />served with a Sesame dipping sauce and accompanied by a freshly pickled quail's egg.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2511/3810005640_4728ac6aef.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2511/3810005640_4728ac6aef.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2585/3809939530_56e8c6e2eb.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2585/3809939530_56e8c6e2eb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Unwrapping the banana leaf revealed a bun of rice flour and corn meal surrounding the smokey sweet filling of diced shrimp and bacon. The bun was nicely complimented by the salty sesame oil dipping sauce. A freshly pickled quail egg helped finish this taste sensation with a bit of tart sweetness and a smooth creamy texture.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Soup Course: Lemongrass Leek Consume served with Papaya Seed Crusted Pork</span><br />garnished with fresh papaya and lime.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2448/3809126869_8589df58fa.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2448/3809126869_8589df58fa.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This course fused preparation and presentation to create a fresh delightful soup in which each ingredient complimented each other without losing itself in the chorus.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2596/3809127137_3e4f897480.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2596/3809127137_3e4f897480.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Bowls of ingredients were brought out to each guest and the dish was finished with a steaming broth poured into the bowls table-side to create a fresh fusion of smell and taste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First Course: Peruvian Corvina Ceviche with Champagne Vinegar infused with Earl Grey</span><br />served on a fresh bed of epazote with a salad garnish of fresh fruits.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2554/3811513353_589ea5e867.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2554/3811513353_589ea5e867.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Ceviche, a technique of "cooking" fish in citris and vinegar, creates a supple delicate texture lacking in dishes which have been heated. This dish married the mildness of this Pacific seabass with the tart ceviche marinade and the fresh sweet fruits to create a light cool flavor perfect for a sultry summer night. (We just "married" three things there. Oh well, theres no problem with bigamy in food)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Palate cleanser: Sauvignon Blanc Sorbet with Ginger and Lemon</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3424/3809706177_b128e40427.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 333px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3424/3809706177_b128e40427.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A light crisp spoonful of icy cold sorbet helped cleanse the palette and cool the the body in preparation for the entree.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Entree: Roasted Leg of Goat served with a Coconut Beet Sauce</span><br />sided with Guava Plantain chips topped with a Manioc Puree.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3556/3810521684_c70b74e4e4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3556/3810521684_c70b74e4e4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />To prepare this goat, it was marinated for 16 hours, brined in a dry rub for 3 hours, placed over a hot BBQ to sere and finished off in the oven. The result was a sumptuously moist roast complete with the delicate sweet flavor of young goat and complimented with the smokey flavor of the grill. The salty plantain chips, given a rub of sweet guava paste were finished with a buttery puree of manioc (the local word for yucca). Our local word for this was DELISH!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dessert: Samoan Po'a </span><br />garnished with Lemon Balm, and sided with a light sea salt cracker.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3534/3809944500_b993cc021c.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 333px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3534/3809944500_b993cc021c.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Samoan Po'a is a medley of fresh fruits including mango, papaya, pineapple and banana , thickened and baked to create a custard like texture. The thin crispy cracker created an excellent counterpoint to the sweet smooth sensation presented in this final dish.<br /><br />Oh, is that it? Well... not quite. No Polynesian dinner could be said to be complete without at least one tiki drink!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">After Dinner Appertif: The Beachcomber</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3809945666_81dccba6a2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 333px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3809945666_81dccba6a2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Beachcomber, a take off a traditional daiquiri, features rum, fresh lime, a bit of tripple sec and a few other secret ingredients. This was solely Ira's mix, so if anyone wants the recipe, you'll have to <a href="http://www.beingtotallysweetinchicago.com/" target="_blank"">check with him!</a><br /><br />All the photos in this post (with the exception of the blurry second picture) were beautifully shot by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dumptruck/" target="_blank">Andrew Golding</a>. Check out the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dumptruck/sets/72157621880119955/" target="_blank">full flickr set</a>.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383732202506634078noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-87449151094263302572009-08-09T14:21:00.005-05:002009-08-09T14:33:00.643-05:00Fiafia Final PreperationsWe're in the heat of it with our final preparations. Literally. Its 90 degrees outside, and who knows what in the kitchen. But I <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> take the heat, so I will (and have to) keep plugging away. We want to serve dinner outside, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for it to cool down and for the 50% chance of thunderstorms to pass us by...I'll also knock on wood for good measure. If our luck goes bad, I've got the AC on in the house as a backup. Oh well, consider this sultry island living. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2675/3805246572_2840d2a132_o.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 535px; height: 761px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2675/3805246572_2840d2a132_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Here is a copy of the final menu with all my last minute changes. Pictures and recipes to follow, I promise!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-54715641759440791642009-08-06T01:17:00.002-05:002009-08-06T01:17:00.422-05:00Papaya SmoothieMy <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/08/forkable-food-fixations-papaya-seeds.html" target="_blank">current obsession for papaya seeds</a> has left me with tons of papaya fruit with the middles scraped out. Its hot outside and I've got tons of fruit. What a predicament. I'm sure I can find <span style="font-style: italic;">something</span> to do with it! Luckily, my blender tapped me on the shoulder to give me a quick hint. IT'S SMOOTHIE TIME!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2619/3792282870_f4c0b8d097.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2619/3792282870_f4c0b8d097.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Papaya and Mango Smoothie</span></span><br /><ul><li>2 papayas</li><li>1 large mango</li><li>1 can of coconut milk</li><li>lychees: optional</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">I know you don't need directions, you just cut the fruit apart and mix it together! </span> You can make it any ratio of fruit you want. I had a lot of papaya, so I was able to make a whole pitcher. I've been pouring it out and adding a bit of white wine or sugar water to thin it down a bit. One way or the other I've been having fun.<br /><br />So this post isn't a complete waste, here's a video on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvLdPjpELyU" target="_blank">how to cut a mango</a>. You can skip to the 35 second mark to skip all the mango chef's credentials. ENJOY!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-8189554465200932412009-08-03T15:14:00.006-05:002009-08-03T20:17:10.531-05:00Forkable Food Fixations: Papaya Seeds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3786408844_644887bc50.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3786408844_644887bc50.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I always find myself becoming obsessed with a new food which I then shove into every recipe I make. Last winter it was toasting spices in oil, recently I've been putting sumac into everything from soups to on top of my bagels. While doing research for our Polynesian meal, I discovered the amazing properties of the papaya seed. And now... I'm hooked.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"What can you use papaya seeds for</span>", you ask? Well, lets show you in a bulleted list. Papaya seeds:<br /><ul><li>make a great meat tenderizer, </li><li>have been used as <a href="http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:gyi5Bvn6eqUJ:www.royalthai-cuisine.com/cooking/spices.htm+edible+%22papaya+seeds%22&hl=en" target="_blank">a pepper substitute</a> by various Southeast Asian cultures for thousands of years,</li><li>can help you <a href="http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-178220978.html" target="_blank">eradicate any intestinal parasites</a> you may have (nice!) </li><li>apparently have proven scientific effects for and when used as <a href="http://www.malecontraceptives.org/methods/others.php" target="_blank">a male contraceptive</a>**</li><li>or make a <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Papaya-Seed-Dressing-10571" target="_blank">salad dressing</a> for a more pedestrian approach<br /></li></ul>**Ok, well only proven on monkeys and <a href="http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/112278939/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0" target="_blank">mice</a>, but still. Interesting.<br /><br />Crunching into a fresh seed releases a tart bitter flavor which is nice and fresh especially with the mellow sweet papaya flavor of the pulpy flesh surrounding the hard inner core. Its so good, I've been integrating into all my sample recipes for our Polynesian fest.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/3786425848_bd13a41279.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/3786425848_bd13a41279.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3541/3785603155_36670169f7.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3541/3785603155_36670169f7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">papaya seeds used as a tenderizer on striped bass ceviche and for a leg of goat.</span><br /><br />I remember back when I found the slimy seeds to be an annoyance when cutting into a ripe papaya, but now, I've been buying the fruit just for the seeds. Now the question is what can I do with all this left over fruit??Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383732202506634078noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-65941455490742359772009-07-31T18:22:00.000-05:002009-07-31T21:26:08.112-05:00Don't Do The Dishes: Banana Bread in Pork RoasterWaste not, want not. I believe that. Also, I <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> be lazy. These are the pillars of this post.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3462/3776021349_ca63d5250e.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3462/3776021349_ca63d5250e.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've been testing recipes for our <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/07/forkable-fiafia-post-war-polynesian.html" target="_blank">Polynesian supper club</a> coming up next weekend. As part of our <a href="http://forkable.blogspot.com/2009/07/forkable-fiafia-menu.html" target="_blank">soup course</a>, I need to prepare a roast pork shoulder with a papaya seed rub. This past Monday, I was experimenting with my recipe. And I was left over with a glass baking dish with some delicious drippings and grease. I swear, although its horrible for you, there is almost nothing which smells and tastes as delicious as pork fat. You think there is...prove it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2615/3761440543_3a0d1f3397.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 275px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2615/3761440543_3a0d1f3397.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3592/3772374942_ea2461ea0f.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 275px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3592/3772374942_ea2461ea0f.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Pork shoulder roast with papaya and sea salt rub. Soooo good!</span><br /><br />Anyway, I also had two bananas going bad which I needed to use up. I decided to make banana bread. But...I only have one loaf sized pan and it was currently being used with the small test pork roast. Hmmm....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/3771570743_4d7b2c49fb.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/3771570743_4d7b2c49fb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Yes, I had two bananas, but I already smashed one before I thought to take their pictures. Oh well. </span><br /><br />To be lazy, I don't like doing dishes. (WHO DOES??) To waste not, I wanted to use both the delicious pork flavor on the glass dish and the bananas which were going bad. Why not put them together!! I decided to make a banana bread and just put the batter right into the glass dish once the pork roast was done!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2445/3771569803_57de863980.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 275px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2445/3771569803_57de863980.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3559/3772377424_01e26855c8.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 275px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3559/3772377424_01e26855c8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">A detail of the caramelized pork drippings on the glass dish (left) and the batter in the pork fat (right).</span><br /><br />I left some of the pork grease in the bottom and put my banana bread batter right into the dish to bake and fuse with the caramelized porky yum.<br /><br />The result: banana bread with a slight hint of the savory salty sweet flavor of pork. I also added a lemon glaze. Delish!<br /><br />Here's the basic banana bread I used:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Basic Banana Bread</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3542/3771573957_8cbba3af75.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3542/3771573957_8cbba3af75.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li>2 brown bananas</li><li>1/2 c. butter</li><li>3/4 c. sugar</li><li>2 eggs</li><li>1 tsp salt*</li><li>1 tsp baking soda</li><li>1/2 tsp nutmeg</li><li>1/4 tsp allspice</li><li>1/4 tsp cloves</li><li>3/4 c. sour cream</li><li>1 tsp vanilla extract</li><li>1 tsp whiskey</li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lemon Glaze</span></span><br /><ul><li>1 c. confectioners sugar</li><li>2-3 tbs lemon juice</li></ul><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3540/3772376926_67de91b3d8.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3540/3772376926_67de91b3d8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><ol><li>Preheat oven to 350.<br /><br /></li><li>Mash bananas in a bowl.<br /><br /></li><li>Cream butter and sugar together with a stand or hand mixer until light and fluffy.<br /><br /></li><li>Add eggs 1 at a time to butter and sugar and mix.<br /><br /></li><li>Mix dry ingredients together.<br /><br /></li><li>Add to butter/sugar/eggs and mix together.<br /><br /></li><li>Add bananas, sour cream, vanilla and whiskey.<br /><br /></li><li>Pour into your pan greased loaf pan (the pork fat is not manditory).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2483/3771573175_352eeafd5a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2483/3771573175_352eeafd5a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></li><li>Bake until tests clean with knife or skewer test. About 45 - 60 minutes.<br /><br /></li><li>Prepare glaze by mixing together two ingredients.<br /><br /></li><li>Spread glaze over cooled loaf.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3596/3771574393_846ec84727.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3596/3771574393_846ec84727.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></li><li>Eat it, obviously!</li></ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-18044556143771427132009-07-29T01:41:00.003-05:002009-07-29T10:05:23.923-05:00Forkable Fiafia Menu<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/199/3162441134_183f4d1354.jpg?v=0"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 467px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/199/3162441134_183f4d1354.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span><span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Dinner jacket and boufant encouraged, but not required.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Photo: </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/my_vegas/3162441134/">Vintage Vegas</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> c/o</span><span><span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.beingtotallysweetinchicago.com/" target="_blank">BTSIC</a></span><br /><br />The menu for our <a href="http://beingtotallysweetinchicago.blogspot.com/2009/07/forkable-hosts-polynesian-adventure.html" target="_blank">Polynesian Fiafia</a> fest fuses traditional Oceanic recipes with contemporary style, combining the best ingredients, flavors to bring you a paradise of authentic dishes recreated with a splash of bygone glamor for the present pallet. The word "fiafia", used throughout the Pacific Islands, can mean celebration, get-together, and happy. Our fiafia will combine all of these, with a discerning splash of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/swapatorium2/3630184934/" target="_blank">kitsch</a> which leaves the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/crackthenut/539956713/" target="" _blank="">tacky tiki</a> at the door.<br />___________________________________________<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Our Polynesian Fiafia Menu</span></span><br />presented by <a href="http://www.forkableblog.com/" target="_blank">Forkable</a> and <a href="http://www.beingtotallysweetinchicago.com/" target="_blank">BTSIC</a><br /><div class="im"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Appetizer</span><br />Pickled Quail Egg Dumpling Steamed in a Banana Leaf<br /></div>served with a ginger sake dipping sauce<br /><div class="im"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Soup Course</span><br />Lemongrass Leek Consume served with Papaya Seed Crusted Pork<br /></div>finished a garnish of fresh papaya and lime zest<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First Course</span><br />White Fish Ceviche with Earl Gray-infused Champagne Vinegar<br />served with a salad garnish of fresh fruit and sweet basil<br /><br /><div class="im"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Entree</span><br />Rum and Coconut Braised Goat<br /></div>served with manioc puree and sided with guava plantain chips<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dessert</span><br />Samoan Po'a<br />accompanied by a sea salt cracker finished with a garnish of mint and lime </blockquote>___________________________________________<br /><br />This event is BYOB. As always our supper club events are hosted in an intimate urban space and seats are extremely limited so <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/74190">reserve your spot</a> right away!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-2884245730846252942009-07-27T09:44:00.002-05:002009-07-27T11:13:48.663-05:00Questions From the Readers: Can You Save Chicken Drippings?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2582/3760250745_f340cb558d.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2582/3760250745_f340cb558d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Breakfast fried in chicken drippings.</span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrea, I just roasted my first chicken and I have a pan full of drippings. Can I save them for future use? What can I use them for? Can I freeze them?</span> -Katie </blockquote>Awesome! I love chicken grease! Its almost the best part of the chicken. Your question was well timed in that, although I didn't roast a chicken this weekend, I did need to finish up some chicken thighs we were BBQing in the oven when it started to rain on us friday night. Boo hoo about the rain, but we ended up with a small pan of chicken drippings which I used Saturday morning to make us a decadent and delicious breakfast!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3761034414_3864ddf349.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 275px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3761034414_3864ddf349.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3497/3761044994_954302acf3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 275px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3497/3761044994_954302acf3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Using the chicken grease in my cast iron pan, I first fried up a pan of potatoes to golden crispy deliciousness. Then I threw in some eggs and fried them up in the same grease. This grease puts the chicken back in the egg. (hmm that sounds sort of weird, but its true!) The whole house smelled deliciously chickeny and we had a breakfast which will definitely put meat on your bones.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now in answer to your question</span>,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> if you don't plan on using the drippings to </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.finecooking.com/videos/how-to/make-gravy-pan-drippings.aspx" target="_blank">make a gravy</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">, I would still save them for sure.</span> This stuff looks and tastes like liquid gold. Besides using the grease for frying up deliciousness, its also a great way to punch up a quick soup or sauce if you don't have time to make a chicken stock. Depending on the amount of grease, you may want to separate the two so you don't make your soup or sauce too fatty.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In terms of saving it, you can definitely freeze the drippings</span> in a jar or Tupperware container until you need to use it. I prefer glass since I can easily throw it into the microwave to quickly defrost it when I want to use it. Some people like to separate the grease from the drippings when freezing, but again, depending on what you want to use it for, you may not need to.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2545/3761050704_f174601515.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2545/3761050704_f174601515.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Delicious pan fried breakfast in chicken drippings</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In short, Chicken drippings are great to use in soups, sauces, stocks or for pan frying and can be frozen to keep for future use. </span><br /><ul><li>separate the grease from the juice if you plan to use the juice in a quick soup or sauce.</li><li>don't waste time separating the grease for stocks because you'll have to skim grease from your bones off the surface anyway.</li><li>use separated chicken grease for pan frying or deep frying (if you collect enough!)</li></ul>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383732202506634078noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-90349087782456367492009-07-24T16:52:00.004-05:002009-07-24T18:11:03.275-05:00Goodbye Kelvinator, Hello Kenmore<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/3753603656_cf4b20c1cc.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/3753603656_cf4b20c1cc.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There's no easy way to tell you this, my old friend Kelvinator, but this relationship is over. I won't deny we've had good times together. I was a little scared that you were stalking me, when I left you behind in my last old, run down apartment, only to find you lurking in the corner of my new apartment, but we've made it work. You have pretty much kept everything nice and cool. But the party's over now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2568/3753621602_3165b3e893.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 287px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2568/3753621602_3165b3e893.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I wasn't lying to you when I told you how much I love vintage antique housewares! I do, just not in a refrigerator. We've had fun together for sure, but you hemorrhage cold air at all your seams. You're a dirty old man inside and out. I hate to say this, but you're really too small. I know they say size doesn't matter but it does.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2581/3753605146_bbcbf81586.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2581/3753605146_bbcbf81586.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've gone for a newer, younger and bigger model. There, I said it. I'm sorry. And one last final indignity, but I need back all those magnates and decorations I've given you over time, because I want to give them to your replacement. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2431/3752803291_001ab1d88d.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 275px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2431/3752803291_001ab1d88d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2599/3752804939_49138078c2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 275px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2599/3752804939_49138078c2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Whats crowded in the Kelvinator looks like nothing in the new Kenmore.</span><br /><br />So you know, I won't be here when you go. I've asked a bunch of guys to have you evicted when I'll be out, because, although I sound blase, I know it will hurt. I don't have the courage to see you, slumped and decrepit, a burned out has-been, waiting in the alley for that junk truck to pull up and have someone half-haphazardly throw you in the back of the trash pile for your last ride to the scarp yard.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2499/3753594678_58baf5ce07.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2499/3753594678_58baf5ce07.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />But, its time to move on. I've got a new big Kenmore waiting for me now. Energy efficient, twice the size with glass shelves instead of wire. Beer bottles will never fall over in this one. I'm ready. This is it. Our final goodbye.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-28310287704270827542009-07-21T19:03:00.005-05:002009-07-22T09:04:47.573-05:00A Forkable Fiafia Post-War Polynesian Supper Club.Although I like to control my kitchen with an omnipotent hand of steel (just kidding, well...sort of), yielding complete control of the reigns to collaborate with others can be such sweet surrender. I'm excited to announce, we'll be teaming up again, this time with one of Chicago's premier social scensters, Ira Cox, of <a href="http://www.beingtotallysweetinchicago.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Being Totally Sweet In Chicago</a> fame, to bring you the next event in our series of clandestine culinary events for foodies, fashionistas and other adventurous urbanites.<br /><br />Presenting...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/38/123030551_45307994d8_o.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/38/123030551_45307994d8_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Forkable Fiafia Post-War Polynesian Supper Club.</span></span><br />presented by Being Totally Sweet In Chicago<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday, August 9 at 6 p.m. </span><br />5 course pre fixie<br /><br />Our next <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/74190" target="blank">dinner event</a> will be a time machine re-imagining of American Polynesian food as haute cuisine. Polynesian restaurants in Mid-century America were a swanky, exotic treat. While 1940's Tiki restaurants were famous for wild approximations, our <a title="fiafia" target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiafia" id="e_:j">fiafia</a> menu will fuse traditional Polynesian recipes with contemporary style, combining the best ingredients, flavors and smells to bring you an alternate edible history. Our collaborative menu will surf the islands to bring you a paradise of authentic dishes recreated with a splash of bygone glamor for the present pallet.<br /><br />This event is BYOB. Suggested contribution of $60.00 for online preregistration. As always our supper club events are hosted in an intimate urban space and seats are extremely limited so <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/74190">reserve your spot</a> right away!<br /><br />Check out our official <a href="http://docs.google.com/View?id=dpsq8d8_57d9s7z4cq" target="_blank">press release</a> for more details.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784576064024288443.post-39464939768498635412009-07-19T11:31:00.006-05:002009-07-21T16:48:05.436-05:00"Healthy" Camp Cobbler With Double Acting Alka Seltzer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3616/3723796469_9fcb215ac2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3616/3723796469_9fcb215ac2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Imagine this: While vacationing with a bunch of friends, you've snagged a bunch of cherries from a ripe cherry tree. You really want to show-off by whipping up an awesome cherry cobbler on the fly. You've got just the recipe in mind, but you soon realize your friend's cabin does not stock baking powder? Is this the end of your grandstanding dreams?<br /><br />If you say <span style="font-weight: bold;">yes</span>, turn to page 5, where you will die a gruesome death.<br /><br />If you say <span style="font-weight: bold;">no</span>, continue to read on.<br />_______________________________________<br /><br />Congratulations, you said "no", this isn't the end to your grandstanding dreams. You will live on to be the obnoxious braggart that you are. But first, you need to put your money where your mouth is and figure out a way of this no-baking-powder-pickle. Think about what you can use instead. What does baking powder do for the recipe and what else might create the same effect.<br /><br />Okay, you know baking powder reacts while baking, creating bubbles which lighten baked goods and make then fluffy. Baking soda can be mixed with vinegar (similar to the volcano science fair project) for the same results.<br /><br />Sorry, you don't have baking soda either, but thinking on this reminded you of the packets of alka seltzer you always carry in your bag to counteract your nightly binge drinking.<br /><br />Cobbler with alka seltzer? This is brilliant you think! What a way to cure all your aches and pains. What a tasty treatment. Practice your swagger; its time to self medicate while baking!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2492/3721678796_d5f5ed5af8.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2492/3721678796_d5f5ed5af8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">crushed alka seltzer to substitute for baking powder.</span><br /><br />Here's the recipe I came up with when faced with the exact same situation last weekend at my friend's cabin. We all ate it, and many people burped to show their appreciation and gratitude!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cherry Camp Cobbler</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">in a 9" x 12" pan, 16 - 20 servings</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3452/3720865057_7a41421a10.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3452/3720865057_7a41421a10.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li>2-3 c. bing cherries, pitted</li><li>1 c. butter, melted</li><li>2 c. flour</li><li>3 c. sugar</li><li>2 c. milk</li><li>3 packets of alka selter (6 tablets) </li><li>9" x 12" baking dish</li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2652/3720865287_d5be483db7.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 465px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2652/3720865287_d5be483db7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">pitting the cherries by pulling the stems. </span><br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Preheat oven to 400 degrees.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rinse cherries and pit them</span>. To pit these, fresh from the orchard, I was able to extract the pit by pulling the stem while squeezing the cherry. The pit stayed attached to the stem and I could basically pull the cherry off the pit.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">In a sauce pan, place the cherrys with 1 cup of sugar and bring to a boil</span>. Boil for a couple of minutes and then remove from heat. Drain cherries and reserve Bing cherries are very tart so we need to precook them with a bit of sugar to infuse some sweetness into the fruit. This will also help cook some of the juice out of the fruit so the cobbler won't be too soupy.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Drain cherries, reserving 1/4 c. of juice</span>. Set aside cherries and 1/4 c. juice. Use the rest of the juice to make a kick-ass <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Fashioned" target="_blank">old fashioned</a>. (although it may appear to be, this drink is <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> optional.)<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Melt the butter </span>on the stove top or in a microwave if you have one. <span>Pour melted butter into the bottom of your 9"x12" baking dish or pan.</span><br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Crush alka seltzer tablets</span> in a bowl or cup until they are a fine powder, set aside.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Measure all your dry ingredients: </span>Mix dry ingredients together including the crushed alka seltzer. Mix your milk and reserved 1/4 c. cherry juice. Have your cherries in a bowl along with all your other mixed ingredients ready to go along with your baking dish with the melted butter. Because we're using alka seltzer instead of baking powder, its going to react immediately so we want to mix it at the last possible minute and pop it into the stove as soon as possible.<br /><br /></li><li style="font-weight: bold;">Quickly assemble your cobbler: <span style="font-weight: normal;">Mix the dry and wet ingredients and pour them into the pan with the butter. Spoon the cherries into the batter. Try to distrubute evenly. </span><br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bake for 30-45 minutes</span> or until toothpic/knife can be poked into cobbler and come out clean. </li></ol><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2560/3720865577_299c306abc.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2560/3720865577_299c306abc.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">A delicioulsy fluffy cobbler ready to eat. </span><br /><br />This cobbler recipe is always delicious but the addition of the alka seltzer only makes it better! I would say this qualifies as a healthy snack. Though its <span style="font-style: italic;">definitely not</span> low-fat, it does make you feel way better after eating (it has aspirin in it)!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">**Sorry the pictures are not as good as usual, they were taken by Ira's iPhone while we were on vacation. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3