What did I eat this week?

I have decided to keep a food diary and recap my weekly culinary attempts.  Let's see if I can remember...I know I made a throw together kind of pasta dish. I didn't feel like marinara so I threw a couple of glugs of olive oil in a pan and added fresh tomatoes, garlic, and dried chillies, heated this up gently and added some cooked spaghetti and just tossed it around with a little pasta water and shredded parmesan cheese.  Turned out rather well and made for a satisfying meatless Monday night dinner. I am trying to go meatless at least one day a week.  On the other hand I also made some great peppery steaks with roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and garlic one night this week.  One of my favorite meals.  Because I have been sick as a dog with a horrible cold and throat infection, I spent two days eating a huge batch of chicken soup I made. My chicken soup starts with boiling whatever parts of the chicken you like to eat, but must include the bone as this makes the best base for any soup or stock.  To this chicken and water I add, salt, pepper, sliced onions, minced garlic, saffron and/or turmeric because I like that yellow color in my chicken soup.  After or when the chicken is almost done I peel my root veggies. I love to add, potatoes, batata (white sweet potato), taro (very little because my mom is the only one who eats this stuff, it tastes like rotten potatoes.  If you have ever had poi then you know), and green and ripe plantains.  The ripe plantain adds a nice touch of sweetness but it must be yellow with very few black dots, if it is too ripe it will become mush.  I boil these in salted water because I never add root veggies to boiling water.  They should always be started in cold water in order to cook evenly.  They boil in the salted water until almost done then I add them to my soup along with some diced carrots.  When this is done I shut off the heat, but leave it on the burner, and add some pasta.  That is my chicken soup and I never give quantities because I think cooking is personal and should be adjusted according to taste. It isn't like baking which has to be precise.

I made some banana muffins and these turned out great.  I followed a basic muffin recipe and just switched out some of the ingredients. I swapped the butter for oil and sour cream that provided plenty of moisture and a lovely tang to balance those overly sweet mashed ripe bananas.  I also added some mini semi sweet chocolate chips, that I always have on hand, and created a lovely crumb topping with brown sugar, flour and butter.

I haven't baked in a while and it is because it has been unseasonably hot even for South Florida and you really don't want your oven heating up the house.  So what else did I make this week...I am making burgers tonight.  I will put these lovely patties on Hawaiian sweet bread buns.  I love this stuff.  I also make my take on bahn mi on this bread it is absolutely delicious, soft and ever so slightly sweet.  I will season the ground chuck with salt, pepper, some minced garlic and onion because I find that the minced veggies keep the meat moist.  After these patties get fried I will top with lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup (food of the gods!), mustard, sliced Vidalia onion and cheese.  I will serve with oven fries both regular and sweet potato fries.  If I remember anything else I will add to this post.  Cheers! Happy eating.

Post Office Rant

Why? I sent this out and clearly labeled this "fragile" yet look at what happened to this box.  Is it any wonder the post office is becoming extinct?  They practically no longer hire any more employees and the ones they have won't do their job.  I insured the package because it is an electronic device that I can only hope will continue to function. My mailman lady messes up everybody's mail and we practically have to get together for a neighborhood mail exchange at least twice a month.  She doesn't speak English but all she has to read are numbers and names, ALL of which are in Spanish because this is, after all, Miami.  I suppose I have a point to this rant and it is that I will have to use some other method of delivery. UGH!

Samhain

Happy Halloween!  I love this holiday and everything about it.  The folklore about the slim veil that separates the living and the dead on this eve of All Saints Day.  All Saints day, isNovember 1st, and All Souls Day is November 2nd.  All Souls Day is, El Dia De Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead.  The end of harvest spawned this wonderful holiday. This day marked the end of the "lighter half" of the year and began the "darker half" of the year.  Like everything rooted in ancient traditions and times, the hardships of those times marked all occasions.  The coming of winter and cold weather put an end to harvest and the beginning of harsh winters and less food.  And like all holidays the advancement of human engineering and knowledge put an end to making people slaves to their environment and the elements and now it's a happy, fun holiday! Woo hoo!

I love the cheesy old Hammer horror movies and the few good ones, like The Exorcist, The Shining, (Stephen King never had it so good!), all the great candy and chocolate and the scary haunted houses.  I've been trying to catch all the movie marathons on the different cable channels.  I love the costumes the best.  It is fun to get dressed up in a wild costume.  Here is my cute pup, Nano, trying on many costumes.

 Finally settled for the clown, mailman, banana split and pumpkin. I will post those later.

It is also the start of my baking season.  I begin with cookies and cakes and move on to more complicated stuff as the season progresses.  I entered a baking contest and ended up third. Blah! I think that it was because I submitted a chocolate cupcake.

I always try to keep my focus on who will eat what I am baking, but I lost to a pumpkin cheesecake smothered in dulce de leche and a nut torte thing with marshmallow-y topping.  My cupcakes were good but could not beat out the über sweetness of the first and second place winners.

I hope to get lots of baking done this season, let's see what happens. Time to return to my cheesy horror flicks and maybe squeeze in some yoga!

FTBG Chocolate Festival 2011

Today is the final day of the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens Chocolate Festival.  I try to make it every year and made it this year on the last day.  I was so bummed that I would, yet again, miss my chance to eat from a food truck called the GastroPod.  But there they are, like a mirage!

First I got there early and manage to snag a parking space right next to the entrance.  The thrill of this set the tone for the rest of my day.  Walking through the lush green foliage I come upon the old 1962 gleaming silver Airstream shining bright in the beautiful sunlight of a clear cool day.  It was like a mirage in the desert tempting a poor soul dying of thirst.   YUM!  All this and chocolate too?  Too much for yours truly.  I simply had to stay until noon so I could have lunch.  I ordered the banh mi pork tacos and the short rib sliders.  My sister and I tried this and the highlight of both of the sandwiches were the delicious pickled veggies.  The tiny pink orchid plant below actually emits a smell of chocolate!  It is called...the chocolate orchid plant.  And believe me, it smells like chocolate.  What a wonderfully scented plant and I can't wait to get one for myself. It was a nice crowd and picked up some lovely spices and teas to round out my day.  I actually didn't buy chocolate. Just wasn't in the mood but I can't wait to make some strawberry dream tea!  Wonderful day with perfect weather!

 

Cooking Vs. Baking

It's been a while since I last blogged about anything. I have been cooking but I never seem to give my savory dishes the same attention that I give my baked goods.  I think it is because I see cooking savory dishes as something much easier than baking. I have always believed that cooking is something intuitive and driven solely by each and every person's individual tastes experiences and exposure to flavors when they were growing up.  There is nothing wrong with that because it makes us unique individuals.  Baking is a science. I am of the opinion that the sciences deserve a special respect and attention.  Sciences are the backbone of life, all matter and living; and must come together precisely in order to be able to provide life and living and a normal organism.  This is what baking is about.  All ingredients must come together exactly in order to yield a finished product and there is no forgiveness.  If one thing isn't right then the final product will be...off. I made cookies for Christmas and immediately ran for my camera.  I made some savory dishes and others had to take pics because I completely dismissed it.  I need to get on the ball!

Le Croque

I saw a recipe for a croque madame and simply had to try it.  I made it for a brunch for family on Christmas  eve and I do believe it was a hit.  Thick slices of artisan sourdough bread filled with ham, bechamel sauce, gruyere cheese and topped with a lovely fried egg.  One of the egg yolks got a little more firm than I would have liked but...I didn't have to eat it :-)  The other 3 were perfectly runny.  This classic was simply served with a side of warm spinach salad.  I enjoyed trying this recipe as I have never attempted to make this sandwich before and those who ate it thought it came out quite nicely so it was a success!

I hope to make some nice nibbles for New Year's Eve along with various drinks.  I don't know what it is about those around me lately, but nobody drinks.  I have never been a drinker and now it feels as though everyone around me is dry as well.  How odd.  I have all this alcohol and nobody wants it.

I think I'll start drinking.

Whipped Cream

Whipped cream is everywhere lately. It is my friend's birthday today.  His favorite dessert is tiramisu.  I had to make this for him but also do not like to serve raw eggs to people.  Most of the recipes called for folding raw egg yolks into softened mascarpone and sugar.  So I made the egg yolks, sugar and some chocolate liqueur into a zabaglione and that was it.  I made a chocolate zabaglione and folded in whipped cream.  The rest is a traditional tiramisu with the espresso soaked lady finger-style cookies and topped with coffee and rum flavored whipped cream unsweetened cocoa and shaved dark chocolate.  He tried it and and seemed happy!

I made powder puffs a few weeks ago.  They are almost like tiramisu except for the chocolate and coffee. Lady finger-like cookies (homemade this time), filled with sweetened whipped cream and raspberry jam.

I want to make different desserts now because with the holidays approaching traditional desserts will grace my table.