tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61406463680326868362024-03-06T19:58:50.359-08:00Food.OakMonster.comQuirky Thai glutton shares recipes, reviews, and thoughts on food and booze.OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-47150490252274542042016-02-06T17:18:00.000-08:002016-02-06T17:18:03.944-08:00Moving to OakMonster.comI separated this blog out of <a href="http://oakmonster.com/">OakMonster.com</a> originally because I want to keep things separated. Life on one, and food on the other. It has become obvious to me that, considering how my life is, both should live in the same space.<br />
<br />
So, I will be moving good, relevant content from here over to <a href="http://oakmonster.com/food">OakMonster.com/food</a>. Eventually, this blog will be deleted completely.<br />
<br />
Keyword is EVENTUALLY.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, OakMonster.com is where I live now. See me over there. OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-90827585581226654552014-05-25T08:26:00.000-07:002014-05-25T08:29:20.247-07:00Hobbit Diet Day 1: Braised Chicken with Baby Artichoke<i>I'm currently working on a food challenge of <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2014/05/going-on-hobbit-diet.html" target="">eating like a Hobbit for 30 days</a>. That's seven meals a day! If there's any outstanding recipes I made during this crazy journey, I will share with you here.</i> <br />
<br />
When I scheduled a test kitchen day at <a href="http://www.friedas.com/" target="_blank">work</a>, I didn't think about it being the <a href="http://www.oakmonster.com/2014/05/01/day-1-calorie-counting-sucks/" target="_blank">first day</a> of the Hobbit Diet. Not that it would change anything but it was interesting for me to try to log what I just made into MyFitnessPal app.<br />
<br />
What was I going to test? <a href="http://www.friedas.com/braised-chicken-and-baby-artichokes/" target="_blank">Braised Chicken with Baby Artichokes</a>, originally from Williams-Sonoma blog. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBAgqM6JdhdrhXfY9n2WspD496RuQiHtT3hnctW5zfEh4Th3SSyzatFkY99YENHGlaVuIfbeZkSF5rDhtCnY80H53cCJxrnJU1pXJdriqp1xXt53-OIB5e0rZDboK_UgYq46_jEGbUYxS/s1600/braisedchicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Braised Chicken with Baby Artichokes" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBAgqM6JdhdrhXfY9n2WspD496RuQiHtT3hnctW5zfEh4Th3SSyzatFkY99YENHGlaVuIfbeZkSF5rDhtCnY80H53cCJxrnJU1pXJdriqp1xXt53-OIB5e0rZDboK_UgYq46_jEGbUYxS/s1600/braisedchicken.jpg" height="400" title="Braised Chicken with Baby Artichokes" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Fortunately, someone else made a similar recipe--actually, one of the recipes I considered testing--and added the calorie counts to the database. Surprisingly, this recipe is quite a healthy one at 280 calories per serving (if serving 6).<br />
<br />
My lab rats...I meant, coworkers...were VERY happy with the results. The sauce. Oh my god the sauce! It's just awesome.<br />
<br />
Easy one pot supper, I tell you!<br />
<br />
I made it again for on <a href="http://www.oakmonster.com/2014/05/18/day-17-rest-restoration/" target="_blank">Day 17</a> at home so Brandon could try Baby Artichokes. I served it with leftover rotini pasta, and that was a great idea. Brandon like the preparation but did not care for the artichokes...or the tomatoes (of course). That is fine because now I have all the leftover to myself.<br />
<br />
For the <a href="http://www.oakmonster.com/2014/05/19/day-18-tea-three/" target="_blank">next</a> few <a href="http://www.oakmonster.com/2014/05/20/day-19-can-sick-hobbit-eat/" target="_blank">days</a>, I ate the leftover tossed in with the pasta. I think I like that even better than the chicken by itself. OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-25960244258178690412014-05-01T22:20:00.000-07:002014-05-25T08:29:58.605-07:00Going on the Hobbit DietI haven't updated the blog since LAST YEAR? What?<br />
<br />
I guess that's what happened when most of the new recipes you made are for <a href="http://www.friedas.com/" target="_blank">work</a>.<br />
<br />
So, hello friends! I'm happy to see you are still hanging around. ;-)<br />
<br />
This year, I set <a href="http://www.oakmonster.com/2014/01/19/10-goals-2014/" target="_blank">a goal</a> to <a href="http://www.oakmonster.com/2014/04/30/hobbit-diet-journey-begins/" target="_blank">eat like a Hobbit, seven times a day, for a month</a> out of curiosity. Right. Who else would try to follow a fictional diet!<br />
<br />
The internal debate (between me and the voices) became where I should post the progress. While OakMonster.com is the main blog, it will be a little bit about the food I eat too. So, I'm thinking a compromise is in order.<br />
<br />
How about I post any new recipe I cooked during those 30 days here? Wouldn't that be nice? <br />
<br />
The journey started today. And there is a recipe I tested for work and ate for lunch. But I'll have to find a photo I can use for that since I didn't even think about snapping a photo for myself. I will update soon!<br />
<br />
Keep up with my <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23HobbitDiet&src=hash" target="_blank">#HobbitDiet</a> 30-day challenge <a href="http://www.oakmonster.com/category/hobbit-diet/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRICEAF_n6EjRoF6IMcP8V0NcudD0oRvh9Sr2jylbsBY6kIz9XqnXm2OqS58YwWqRagfoqxHxX1rLAJ01-Li7fzyLj4yfpl3JWuDn_1_4TlfQljNY7LWIsR5xtdGoDvmHsRdWveeCVQZQ/s1600/385748-hobbit-gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRICEAF_n6EjRoF6IMcP8V0NcudD0oRvh9Sr2jylbsBY6kIz9XqnXm2OqS58YwWqRagfoqxHxX1rLAJ01-Li7fzyLj4yfpl3JWuDn_1_4TlfQljNY7LWIsR5xtdGoDvmHsRdWveeCVQZQ/s1600/385748-hobbit-gif.gif" /></a></div>
OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-89900370869040820942013-05-14T21:28:00.000-07:002013-05-15T08:51:53.310-07:00Starfruit Upside Down Cake with Cardamom Rum Glaze<b>Disclosure: </b><i>At press time, I am a contracted employee of <a href="http://www.friedas.com/" target="_blank">Frieda's Specialty Produce</a>. Some products are given to me as samples, some are leftover from a photo shoot, and some I purchase from an employee sale for personal use. My opinion on this blog whether it's about Frieda's products or anything else are all my own and does not reflect that of my employer's. </i><br />
<br />
I've known <a href="http://www.friedas.com/starfruit/" target="_blank">Starfruit</a> my entire life, having grown up in Thailand. I've seen them around all the time. But frankly, I don't recall having eaten any. At least not in the past 20 years. I got to taste it for the first time in recent memory a couple of weeks ago as we tried in vain to make a Vine for Star Wars Day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://instagram.com/friedasproduce#" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Darth Stitch and the destruction of Starfruit" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpuasV567Ez5RPu4OBAxcR6yKceaIESuigTawMa1dOdBBjXihKEXkl3VBd4zd7G0nIsf1YsI5g9Z6oiy-FeGin0snLQ1qENRDHd-dDFmQiTwbbsrT5DKCZhbpHvg99FVVzFdam9txvvQy/s320/stitch_sith_starfruit.jpg" title="Darth Stitch and the destruction of Starfruit" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We're now producing the new <a href="https://www.youtube.com/friedasproduce" target="_blank">Specialty Produce 101 YouTube video</a> for Starfruit and I was tasked to see if we can make something different with them outside of blending them into a smoothie or adding them into a fruit salad.<br />
<br />
To be honest, there are not a lot of recipes out there for Starfruit that look appetizing or are simple. But then I read that Starfruit can be used instead of pineapples in some recipes. And it seems I've stumbled on a winner on <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pineapple-Upside-Down-Cake-103088" target="_blank">Epicurious</a>. <br />
<br />
The recipe calls for ground cardamom and comes with a warning that many people feel that 3 teaspoons of ground cardamom are too overpowering. I already have cardamom PODS--green AND black!--in my pantry from my faux-Indian cooking, but I thought I probably should pick up a thing of ground cardamom anyway. Then I saw the whopping $13 price tag. Never mind!<br />
<br />
There has got to be a way around this! Suddenly, I remembered my cardamom-infused bourbon I made a while ago for <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/09/apple-crisp-cocktail-recipe-union-square-cafe-apple-brandy-cardamom-bourbon-lemon-honey-highball.html" target="_blank">a cocktail</a>. So I did just that with the rum needed for the recipe. <br />
<br />
The result is just a hint of cardamom that lets a little bit of pineapple shine through, a warmth that compliments the refreshing taste of the cooked Starfruit, and something just a tad savory to cut through the chewy sweet caramel.<br />
<br />
Vacation on plate, I tell you.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/8740516786/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Food.OakMonster.com - Starfruit Upside Down Cake" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAF3y31ez8PXdIG513NHIIfb1VYmbR3ha-UhQ2GU7-fZH-wzOQ-ye2AJP1wTxtsvRmcWMP-ZwHHll5ZEEMM5mrOyUTh24b7M7xTmGWgItDds4D8Vm8zMjCdlW9fIJVQhiCss9u-h24hX49/s640/DSC_0069.JPG" title="Food.OakMonster.com - Starfruit Upside Down Cake" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Starfruit Upside Down Cake with Cardamom Rum Glaze</b></span> <br />
<i>Adapted from Epicurious Pineapple Upside Down Cake </i><br />
<br />
You'll need a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet for this.<br />
<br />
<b>Cardamom-infused Rum</b><br />
<br />
Crush 3 cardamom pods in a small bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of rum. Let stand for at least 30 minutes. Discard the pods and seeds.<br />
<br />
<b>Topping</b><br />
<br />
1 large Starfruit or 2 small ones<br />
3/4 stick unsalted butter<br />
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar<br />
<br />
Thoroughly wash Starfruit and slice it crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick
slices. Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet. Add brown sugar and simmer
over moderate heat until sugar is melted and the mixture is sticky,
about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Arrange Starfruit on top of sugar
mixture. Set aside.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/8739400703/" title="Starfruit Upside Down Cake by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="Starfruit Upside Down Cake" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7294/8739400703_14160e896e.jpg" width="500" /></a>
</div>
<br />
<b>Cake</b><br />
<br />
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1 tablespoon cardamom-infused rum (recipe above)<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice*<br />
2 tablespoon cardamom-infused rum for sprinkling<br />
<br />
*I used the juice from in a can of pineapple rings in pineapple JUICE--NOT the syrup! Brandon loves pineapples so I just poured out my 1/2 cup of juice, and dump the rest of the content into a container for him to eat later. :)<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together flour, making powder, and salt.
Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and
fluffy, then gradually add sugar, and eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla
and 1 tablespoon of cardamom-infused rum. Add half of flour mixture and
beat just until blended. Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining
flour mixture, beating just until blended. (Batter may appear slightly
curdled.)<br />
<br />
Spoon batter over pineapple topping and
spread evenly. Bake until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 45
minutes. Let cake stand in skillet 5 minutes. Put a plate over skillet
and invert cake onto plate. Replace any fruit stuck to bottom of
skillet. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of cardamom-infused rum
over cake and cool on plate on a rack.<br />
<br />
Serve cake just warm or at room temperature.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/8739401647/" title="Starfruit Upside Down Cake by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="Starfruit Upside Down Cake" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7289/8739401647_6d61692977.jpg" width="500" /></a>
</div>
<br />
I think next week I might repeat this recipe but using <a href="http://www.friedas.com/baby-pine/" target="_blank">Zululand Queen Baby Pineapples</a> instead! <br />
<br />OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-70728093613859214402013-03-16T16:31:00.003-07:002013-03-16T19:29:18.530-07:00I'm with FriedaI now work for <a href="http://www.friedas.com/" target="_blank"><b>Frieda's Specialty Produce</b></a> and loving it. It's not permanent yet, but I'm telling you guys anyway for full disclosure.<br />
<br />
This job is a foodie's dream comes true. I get to hear about exciting fruits and vegetables every day, and once in a while I get to take something home to play with. Employee sales also yield a bounty of great loot and there is always something new to discover.<br />
<br />
For example, I was sent home with some <a href="http://friedas.com/kale-sprouts" target="_blank">Kale Sprouts</a>, a hybrid of Red
Russian Kale and Brussels Sprouts. Essentially, combining Brandon's
favorite new vegetable and my all time favorite vegetable into one! I
grabbed a recipe suggestion for Brussels Sprouts from <a href="http://www.girlplusfire.com/" target="_blank">Girl + Fire Paulette</a> and cooked up these little purple-tinted beauties. A rough "add this and that for that much" recipe is below. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBBewOXaBbTiLGm0hJOxAmhTNth6WiCRn7expPw_xtkub0P1q3GlT1l5v9pQxRdpVm_v1RG-oaZKbPBOnN_qZwpLnwikTFDLqXm1GIBevojlP3fTfC3ymUNFU7WMK168xKq0iSGJP1Dsw/s1600/DSC_0323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Food.OakMonster.com - Pan-roasted Kale Sprouts with Bacon and Brown Butter" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBBewOXaBbTiLGm0hJOxAmhTNth6WiCRn7expPw_xtkub0P1q3GlT1l5v9pQxRdpVm_v1RG-oaZKbPBOnN_qZwpLnwikTFDLqXm1GIBevojlP3fTfC3ymUNFU7WMK168xKq0iSGJP1Dsw/s640/DSC_0323.JPG" title="Food.OakMonster.com - Pan-roasted Kale Sprouts with Bacon and Brown Butter" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtyte_vVlSxQygaXL2GWteCnfkBy5d7A9NlL3TWYlio14g7b1G1c-h0g20-CrhrjAUhZ3-rE9cTaU8Uqb4dj8OAnu-wsVEO8R2ohI0jkInxZtwemWstycpWe4tVctVtq8z7eRbxPgGxij/s1600/DSC_0329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Food.OakMonster.com - Pan-roasted Kale Sprouts with Bacon and Brown Butter" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtyte_vVlSxQygaXL2GWteCnfkBy5d7A9NlL3TWYlio14g7b1G1c-h0g20-CrhrjAUhZ3-rE9cTaU8Uqb4dj8OAnu-wsVEO8R2ohI0jkInxZtwemWstycpWe4tVctVtq8z7eRbxPgGxij/s640/DSC_0329.JPG" title="Food.OakMonster.com - Pan-roasted Kale Sprouts with Bacon and Brown Butter" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
I mentioned the employee sale a minute ago. The
staff in the warehouse loves me now because I'm an easy
target. With a little nudge, I'd buy the farm!<br />
<br />
My very first order for the sale, I didn't
order correctly so there was no produce set out for me to pick up. The guy in charge just had me take a peek at
all that was still available. I intended to only buy
Baby Potatoes and Lady
Apples. I walked out with Lady Apples, Meyer Lemons, Zululand Baby
Pineapples, and
Heirloom Tomatoes! The following week, I didn't have exact change, so
the same guy showed me some Rambutans, and instead of trying make some change, I ended up ordering more stuff.<br />
<br />
My safety jacket for the warehouse might as well just say, "SUCKER" on the back! LOL <br />
<br />
Needless to say, I went ahead and canceled my <a href="http://tanakafarms.com/" target="_blank">Tanaka Farms</a> CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/search/label/CSA" target="_blank">subscription</a>. I really did love that program and it was a tough one to let go of. As <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2013/01/im-not-dead-yet.html" target="_blank">I told you guys</a>, we eventually
reduced our subscription about a box a month and we still can't keep
up. There are only two people in this household, y'all, and one of them can be a picky eater at times. The produce just kept piling up. <br />
<br />
Going forward, Brandon and I can still have a culinary adventure whenever we feel like it, and we'll supplement the rest with the Farmer's Market on Sundays in Long Beach. That's good too because I really miss going to the market. <br />
<br />
Anyways. My new cooking adventures will be a very interesting one indeed. I hope you'll come along!<br />
<br />
Now, the "recipe" for a very addictive Kale Sprouts dish.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Pan-roasted Kale Sprouts with Bacon and Brown Sugar</b></h3>
<i>This recipe is not measured in anyway. Be brave and trust your judgement! :)</i><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>About 3-4 oz. of Kale Sprouts. You can get them in bulk at some places and prepackaged in the other. You can just use Brussels Sprouts for this.</li>
<li>4 strips of bacon</li>
<li>A splash of water or chicken broth</li>
<li>1 clove of garlic, minced. (Just press it through a garlic press.) </li>
<li>A pat of butter </li>
<li>A generous pinch of brown sugar - about a tablespoon</li>
<li>Salt and pepper to taste</li>
</ul>
<br />
First,
cook up your bacon in a skillet until crispy. Save about a tablespoon
of bacon dripping. (Some would cook whole slices then crumble them
later. I like to chop mine up first and fry up the bits.)<br />
<br />
While
the bacon is cooking, prep the Kale Sprouts. Give it a wash then trim
of the bottom like you'd do with Brussels Sprouts. Halve the larger
ones. Leave the little ones whole.<br />
<br />
Add Kale Sprouts to
the hot bacon dripping, season lightly with salt (bacon is already
salty!). Saute for a few minutes until the Sprouts wilt a little.<br />
<br />
[Now, if you're doing this with Brussels Sprouts, you cook until they're nice and brown.] <br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigImR5WO0cxDB6BSeULXhYZuQEMPd9bjFIP-XXg7bgtj2Sk0XfEaw50v-a7hlvVxi78HW4tTdMazmVdelP4AKNwQqOloB8wghV0mbyZtVAbkGMM1aZzOk3eSNLmQ5ks6VrxZ0Do_LTPpys/s1600/DSC_0334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Food.OakMonster.com - Pan-roasted Kale Sprouts with Bacon and Brown Butter" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigImR5WO0cxDB6BSeULXhYZuQEMPd9bjFIP-XXg7bgtj2Sk0XfEaw50v-a7hlvVxi78HW4tTdMazmVdelP4AKNwQqOloB8wghV0mbyZtVAbkGMM1aZzOk3eSNLmQ5ks6VrxZ0Do_LTPpys/s640/DSC_0334.JPG" title="Food.OakMonster.com - Pan-roasted Kale Sprouts with Bacon and Brown Butter" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
Add a splash of water/broth to de-glaze the pan. Add garlic. Once
it comes to bubbling/sizzling, let reduce a bit, [if using Brussels Sprouts, until they're fork tender]. Add the pat of butter, brown sugar, and the bacon. Toss to coat. Season to taste. <br />
<br />
Voila! (Sorry. We were so hungry I didn't stop to plate it for a photo!)<br />
<br />
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OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-76785290460981538402013-01-23T21:53:00.002-08:002013-01-23T21:58:57.951-08:00I'm not dead yetWell, just so y'all know.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UPatfgoNBRo" width="500"></iframe>
<br />
I'm still getting the CSA box but with less frequency. Even with every other week delivery, we still couldn't go through that much produce. You know how it is in this mood-eating household. <br />
<br />
Having said that, we have had some great experiments with mystery vegetables like kohlrabi, and veggies we never had before like rainbow and Swiss chard. It's been quite fun. <br />
<br />
I've taken tons of photos but I haven't blogged about them yet. I'm a horrible blogger.<br />
<br />
But...I'm getting back into it. Promise! :)<br />
<br />OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-25526845194516417352012-10-11T15:26:00.001-07:002012-10-11T15:28:04.190-07:00Farm Box Adventures #7 and #8I apologize for the lapses! Box #7 came is just as we were going away on a trip so it was a little hectic. And I had forgotten that I didn't post about it until I went to pick up #8....which I also forgot to pick up on Friday.<br />
<br />
I know. For somebody who doesn't have a job, I'm crazy busy.<br />
<br />
There are also many factors to contribute to my slight disinterest in the past few boxes. Firstly, there was not much to be excited about. The selection hasn't been all that challenging. And then there is the weather. I know for most people cooking in the summer isn't such a big deal. But to be in an apartment above the garage with a small A/C that only cools down your general living area, turning on the stove means turning up the A/C. At some point, the $200 electrical bill really doesn't justify the cooking. And finally, we had been quite busy with just about everything else we barely stayed home for dinner.<br />
<br />
With all of those factors, I found myself having to throw out a lot of produce. A head of lettuce from <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2012/09/farm-box-adventures-6.html" target="">Box #6</a> which was already a bit banged up when I got it didn't stay around long enough for me to process. Two sweet onions, one from Box #6 and one from #7, waited for French onion soup weather patiently in the fridge until mold took them along with a bunch of carrots and green beans from the same boxes. <br />
<br />
My tailgate at USC rescued my zucchinis and some of the carrots a few time as I tossed them in some zip-top bags with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a little garlic powder and salt and pepper, and the boys grilled them. I did change them from "Vegetables? What's that?" to "Wow, those were the best zucchini I ever had!" My mission here is done.<br />
<br />
From Box #6, cantaloupe got very ripe. I found <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cantaloupe-Sorbet-4119" target="_blank">a recipe to turn it into a sorbet</a> by pureeing the flesh
and added a little simple syrup, then freezing the mixture like you
would ice cream. It is really a refreshing treat to have in this heat we have. Box #7 cantaloupe is sitting in the fridge, waiting its turn any day now. <br />
<br />
Anyways. Here's Box #7<br />
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Zucchinis. Heirloom tomatoes. Green beans. Swiss chard. Cantaloupe. Sweet onion. Carrots. A jar of Tanaka Farm strawberry jams. <br />
<br />
I gave <a href="http://olainaafterschool.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Olaina</a> the tomatoes and half of the green beans. The jar of jam will be coming with us to New Mexico for Thanksgiving. Brandon loves to treat his nieces to the taste of California. :)<br />
<br />
Swiss chard was new to me. I decided to <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2012/08/beer-braised-kale-with-bacon.html">braise it with bacon and beer like I did with the kale</a>. I didn't care for the earthiness of the chard though. Brandon didn't mind it too much. Surprise! <br />
<br />
And here's Box #8 from a few Fridays ago. <br />
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Purple lettuce. Kale. Carrots. Grapes. Tomatoes. Potatoes. Apples.<br />
<br />
Olaina once again took home some tomatoes. The grapes were eaten almost immediately. They were so good! I used 2 potatoes in this wonderful <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/potato-fennel-gratin-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Ina Garten's potato fennel gratin</a> which I tweaked to do half portion and added a little garlic. Super addictive. As a matter of fact, I'm going to make some tonight!<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
Oh, and the kale. I made kale chips this time. And oh my gosh, I can NOT stop eating them! Why do I even bother braising this every again? LOL Just trim off the stems. Toss with olive oil and salt. Bake at 300F for 20 minutes. That's it. That's all. <br />
<br />
Well, there you go. Tomorrow I'm getting Box #9 and I'll be back on the bi-weekly track to post about them.<br />
<br />
God help me... OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-81461919790968629362012-09-05T17:57:00.000-07:002012-09-05T17:58:37.232-07:00Farm Box Adventures #6<b>This week's bounty:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Cantaloupe</li>
<li>Avocados</li>
<li>Sweet onion</li>
<li>Zucchini</li>
<li>Carrots</li>
<li>Corn (given away)</li>
<li>Tomatoes</li>
<li>Green beans </li>
</ul>
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<b>Box #5 Report</b><br />
<br />
Again, I stayed mostly out of the kitchen during these past few weeks of hot Southern California heat. <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2012/08/farm-box-adventure-5.html" target="_blank">Box #5</a> didn't get the love it deserved.<br />
<br />
The cantaloupe and grapefruits were the first ones consumed. Brandon is a big fan of the melon and it's so refreshing to eat, cold out of the fridge. As for the grapefruit, I experimented with a new cocktail recipe to great success. Who knew St. Germain and grapefruits were made for each other! I will post that recipe very soon.<br />
<br />
As the only consumer of avocado in the household, I use a whole one as
"spread" for my turkey sandwiches during the week, mashing them up with
garlic and onion powders and the awesome Bacon Salt. Yum, yum, YUM! <br />
<br />
I wasted broccoli and lettuce this time around before I can get to them. I managed to save carrots, green beans, and zucchini before they expired though. Carrots were glazed to go with store-bought rotisserie chicken. Green beans were once again blanched and froze. Zucchini was saved by the college football season as I tossed them with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a little salt and pepper and garlic powder and took them to <a href="http://www.psychogate.com/" target="_blank">Psychogate</a>, my usual tailgate hangout with Roy "USC Pyscho", to get grilled off.<br />
<br />
<b>Meal Ideas for This Week</b><br />
<br />
You'd think I'd have more ideas for simple ingredients like this box. But I have to tell you, I'd rather like getting the "mystery" vegetables! LOL<br />
<br />
With this batch, I probably will make French Onion soup with the sweet onion again. And I might be able to be creative with the zucchinis. Not much to get excited about, really. *sigh*<br />
<br />
What about you? What have you cooked up lately that is new and exciting?OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-29933432361780914682012-08-22T21:35:00.000-07:002012-08-25T22:17:15.099-07:00Beer Braised Kale with BaconThe fun part of getting a different Community Supported Agricultural farm box every other week is that I don't know what's in the box. Pretty much this is me on my way to pick up the box from Whole Foods.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kLDhMU5JvMk?rel=0" width="500"></iframe>
<br />
Kale made an appearance in my <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2012/07/let-farm-box-adventures-begin.html" target="_blank">CSA Box #2</a>. A fellow CSA subscriber had mentioned to me that his wife made dark beer braised kale with bacon. That sounds like a winner right there! I looked around online and couldn't find such recipe. So I found a couple of basic recipes for inspiration then just winged the rest. The result was not only beautiful but it was delicious.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/7818759494/in/photostream" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Food.OakMonster.com - Beer braised kale with bacon" border="0" height="333" width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvSKvj3PEZcw_jv2jq6MfdO4W0sjnJRLNzXEFawoEIjhXTAm5VSik96-296iukKwfulQgNiR_CK4TNU3GB6TVWMVmej5hAGgGKf_Ykaz5Wqecu9mEEwfLGM2cw3mZ0Uu6LuEbqTmJ4wSV/s640/DSC_0043.JPG" title="Food.OakMonster.com - Beer braised kale with bacon" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
<b>Beer Braised Kale with Bacon</b></h3>
<br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/braised-kale">this recipe from Food & Wine Magazine</a> and <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kale-with-Garlic-and-Bacon-233008" target="_blank">this one from Epicurious.</a></i><br />
<ul>
<li>1/2 lb. of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces</li>
<li>4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped</li>
<li>Optional: Half of a small onion or one large shallot, diced. </li>
<li>1 cup chicken stock, broth, or just water</li>
<li>1 bottle dark beer. I used Red Trolley Ale. </li>
<li>3 pounds kale, stems and inner ribs discarded, leaves coarsely chopped</li>
<li>A splash of apple cider vinegar </li>
<li>Salt and freshly ground pepper</li>
</ul>
<br />
1. Cook bacon in a large pot until crisp, then transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.<br />
<br />
2. Pour off and all but 3 tablespoons fat from pot, then cook garlic (and onion/shallot) in remaining fat over moderately low heat.<br />
<br />
3. Add kale and cook until wilted and bright green. Add beer and water/stock and simmer, partially covered, until just tender, 6-8 minutes.<br />
<br />
4.
Remove the lid, and add bacon. Cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3-5 minutes longer. <br />
<br />
5. Season with salt and pepper and a splash of apple cider vinegar to taste.<br />
<br />
Note: You can go longer with braising if you don't care much of kale's fibrous texture. It's up to you. I like it fine, just done. On the other hand, Brandon didn't want anything to do with it at this state. "It was like chewing on leaves!" he said. I guess this is one of the recipes I should aim to always
overcook. LOL OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-86909018070090305792012-08-19T14:18:00.003-07:002012-08-19T14:19:42.142-07:00Farm Box Adventure #5<b>This week's bounty:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Lettuce, of course</li>
<li>Broccoli</li>
<li>Zucchini</li>
<li>Carrots</li>
<li>Green beans</li>
<li>Avocados</li>
<li>Grapefruits</li>
<li>Cantaloupe</li>
</ul>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://instagram.com/p/OdE9-Ui2ae/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="OakMonster Farm Box Adventure" border="0" height="400" src="http://distilleryimage10.instagram.com/b39e9698e8e411e1a3361231381f344b_7.jpg" title="OakMonster Farm Box Adventure" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Box #4 Report</b><br />
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The challenge with the <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2012/08/farm-box-adventure-4.html">last box</a> was the cabbage. I attacked that with a <a href="http://eatingandliving.blogspot.com/2011/07/yangbaechu-kimchi-green-cabbage-kimchi.html" target="_blank">summer kimchi</a> recipe I found. Being a lazy bum that I am, I didn't get to the Korean market to purchase the actual Koren chili powder (gochugaru)--I experimented with my own blend with arbol chili, chili powder, cayenne, and paprika. It was a success to a degree, but after I portioned it out for a few folks to try, I decided to toss it out. Just not up to my standard. Next time, full scale recipe!<br />
<br />
I did make <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Colcannon-11710" target="_blank">colcannon</a>-- sauteed cabbage mashed in with potatoes--with frozen cabbage from a few weeks before to go with the bangers I got. I never knew that cabbage and potatoes would take THAT good mashed together! <br />
<br />
However, Southern California weather had heated up considerably these past few weeks. I barely cooked anything! The green beans and the carrots ended up getting blanched and frozen because I just didn't want to slave over the stove in this heat.<br />
<br />
<b>Meal Ideas for This Week </b><br />
<br />
I am going to test out a new cocktail recipe for the grapefruits. As tasty as the margarita has been, it's time for a change. :)<br />
<br />
I will definitely re-do the awesome beef and broccoli recipe again. This time I will take a picture of the end product and will post recipe...eventually.<br />
<br />
The carrots will get glazed. The green beans will get steamed. I'm unsure of what I'm going to do for the protein yet but that's the game plan so far. <br />
<br />
Zucchini is this week's contender. I have done <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2009/07/attack-of-giant-zucchinis.html">zucchini soup two ways before</a>, so I might revisit the hot zucchini-leek soup as I wasn't a big fan of the chilled one.<br />
<br />
Do you have any good zucchini recipe that does not involved turning on an oven? OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-74837231441468757082012-08-04T10:12:00.000-07:002012-08-04T17:37:02.475-07:00Farm Box Adventure #4I was so happy that I didn't get any cabbage last week. I knew that it was too good to be true...<br />
<br />
<b>This Week's Bounty </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Tomatoes</li>
<li>Carrots</li>
<li>Green beans </li>
<li>Oranges</li>
<li>Watermelon </li>
<li>Cilantro -- already given away so it's not pictured here.</li>
<li>Lettuce</li>
<li>...*sigh*... Cabbage</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<b><i>You gave away cilantro? Aren't you Asian and supposed to love that stuff?</i></b><br />
<br />
I <b>do</b> like cilantro. Cilantro/Coriander is almost Thailand's national vegetable! We incorporate the roots into marinades and curry bases (yes, back in our country, they sell them WITH roots.). The leaves are used like parsley here, sprinkled onto a dish or used as garnish.<br />
<br />
Heck, we even have a saying based on cilantro! When you do something poorly but you make it looks nice and presentable, Thai people call that "sprinkling cilantro on top". (ผักชีโรยหน้า) <br />
<br />
Unfortunately, Brandon doesn't like cilantro. Well, not liking is a part of it. He is also one of those people to whom <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html" target="_blank">cilantro tastes like soap</a>. Some studies said it's a genetic thing. Some people are sensitive to a certain aromatic chemical of the cilantro. And so on.<br />
<br />
I just settled at the fact that he doesn't like it. My next door neighbor was very happy to take it off my hands along with a fistful of green beans. <br />
<br />
Before we discuss this box, let's talk about the last one.<br />
<br />
<b>Box #3 Report</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2012/07/farmbox-adventure-3.html">Box #3</a> was not too big of a challenge to cook. After all, it didn't have cabbage. <br />
<br />
I gave one avocado away to a friend visiting from Colorado who has missed California avocado so much she was going to smuggle some back on their drive home. The other, I made a ghetto guacamole for a snack by mashing it with chopped tomatoes and a pinch each of garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper, and salt, and a splash of rice wine vinegar because I didn't have any lime on hand.<br />
<br />
Tomatoes are also one of the things Brandon doesn't eat. To my
delight, actually. All the yumminess is mine! Muwahahahah! :-D I have
been cooking up a whole tomatoes with eggs for breakfast on my Meatless
Tuesday for a great and filling meal.<br />
<br />
Beef and broccoli was also a major success. My dad back in Thailand sat our family's housekeeper down to get her recipe for the beef marinade. He even typed it up for me himself--a feat for someone who actually doesn't know how to type ("That's what my secretary is for!")--so I can make dinner that same night. And boy, was it worth the trouble. While I did take some pictures for you guys, I did not take picture of the finished product. We were hungry. So very, very hungry...<br />
<br />
Also as planned, I made Caesar salad, French onion soup, and that cabbage soup with some green beans and carrots in it. And I still have a quarter of frozen cabbage left.<br />
<br />
I used the carrots to make carrot cake instead because Brandon was craving some. I bought a few more carrots just in case but I actually didn't need them. I even had extra! I use <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/birthday-carrot-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting-and-cointreau-carrots-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Tyler Florence's carrot cake </a>recipe for the cake which turns out super moist and NOT overly sweet at all, and the cream cheese frosting from <a href="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2007/08/my_kind_of_birthday_cake.html" target="_blank">Nigella Lawson's Guinness Chocolate Cake</a> recipe. Should've made double batch of the frosting as my filling was a little bit on the skimpy side. But over all, it was yummy.<br />
<br />
<b>Box #4 Meal Ideas</b><br />
<br />
Carrots and tomatoes are never a challenge around here, and lettuce and green beans are not too hard to figure out either. This time around, though, I'm going to introduce Brandon to tuna-less Nicoise
salad since I have some lovely brined olives from the farmer's market in
the fridge.<br />
<br />
Aaaand we're back to the cabbage. I'm starting to feel like <a href="http://youtu.be/tsrpAt2ybtc" target="_blank">the Cabbage Guy in Avatar: The Last Airbender.</a> Instead of losing the cabbages, I keep getting them!<br />
<br />
I did buy some pork bangers on sale from Whole Foods today. So I grabbed a couple of potatoes so we can do bangers and mash with a side of sauteed cabbage. So that'll take care of half of one. I can probably throw the other half in the freezer...to join yet another quarter of cabbage...for future soup making enterprise.<br />
<br />
I also wonder if I can make kimchi out of the non-Napa cabbage. I need to do a little research on that.<br />
<br />
Any thoughts on what else I can do with cabbage? Please don't say cabbage roll. I read that recipe to B and he made a face. LOLOakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-48335712272810293882012-07-29T16:38:00.001-07:002012-07-29T17:00:00.635-07:00Knott's NomsWhen I first visited the US back in the spring of 1993 for the English immersion program, we stayed with Aunty Tim, mom's friend, in Garden Grove. One of our very first meals was a bucket on <a href="http://www.knotts.com/" target="_blank">Knott's Berry Farm</a> fried chicken and biscuits. I remembered looking at the packet of boysenberry jam, a berry I never heard of or tasted before. I didn't know then that Knott's was a theme park and home to Snoopy and his friends.<br />
<br />
A few months after the visit, I came back to attend high school in Orange County, bringing along my Snoopy doll whom I've had since I was 5 years old.<br />
<br />
And the rest is almost a 20-year-old history.<br />
<br />
When I was invited to <b>A Taste of Knott's</b> event last week with other bloggers and journalists, it was more than just "Yay! Tasting event!" but a bit of a trip down memory lane.<br />
<br />
Not only I haven't had the fried chicken in years (despite living not that far away), I haven't been to Knott's Berry Farm since, oh gosh, freshman year of
college?<br />
<br />
And of course, I'd never say no to Snoopy. Never.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/7672460090/" title="chefSnoopy by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="chefSnoopy" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/7672460090_373d74b8d4.jpg" width="375" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Flying solo at the tasting evening, I found myself embedded with <a href="http://www.diglounge.net/" target="_blank">Matt of Dig Lounge</a>, an old friend from dot com glory days, and...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/7672272584/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSC_0067 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0067" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7672272584_320d69265f.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
...new friends <a href="http://theactorsdiet.com/2012/07/21/a-taste-of-knotts/" target="_blank">Lynn of the Actor's Diet</a> and her friend Sam.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/7672274676/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSC_0073 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0073" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7255/7672274676_71ee61c71c.jpg" width="333" /></a>
<br />
<br />
And yes, you TOTALLY should check out Lynn's recap from the event. I'm amazed by the amount of food consumed between Sam and Lyn. I mean, look at this Leaning Tower of Grubs they made!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/7672276740/" title="DSC_0085 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0085" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8141/7672276740_661a47fc31.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
<br />
Most of the items at the tasting were finger foods. Most of us were also tweeting <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23knottsnoms" target="_blank">#KnottsNoms</a>. It was inevitable that our collective smart phones need a good scrub down afterward.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/7672275802/" title="DSC_0081 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0081" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7672275802_34fc84fb56.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<br />
I should probably say that the food was FABULOUS. Frankly, I don't remember eating anything that yummy while in Disneyland. And of course, there's also beer AND wine. Hooray for alcohol! <br />
<br />
First order of business, the fried chicken, washed down with Anaheim's very own Noble Ale Works Breakaway Pale Ale. Heaven, I tell you. Heaven. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/7672275276/" title="DSC_0075 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0075" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/7672275276_a3e0b660c7.jpg" width="333" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Then we continued with black bean burger from Ghost Town Grill. The vegetarian patty is very flavorful and hefty. Meat? What's that?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/7672269900/" title="DSC_0063 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0063" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/7672269900_cd003a07c3.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
<br />
I made a mistake of following the huge flavor with the chicken kabob sandwich from Big Foot Broiler. While the chicken was tender and moist, I felt it was a little bland. Ghost Town Grill Goldie's Honey Garlic Salmon and Baby Spinach Salad following that was really tasty as well. (Again, poor chicken kabob sandwich.) Now I'd also like that salmon in a sandwich! <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/7672268920/" title="DSC_0058 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0058" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8028/7672268920_cf6369214d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
I also had Spurs' Cajun lime salt riblets which were so good I inhaled them before I took a picture. If it wasn't for me leaving room for the funnel cake, I'd gotten more! Those also go really well with the Pale Ale, by the way. Finger lickin' good!<br />
<br />
I didn't need to get my own funnel cake after I saw what Sam and Lynn procured. They shared the monster with me.<br />
<br />
After I tried my damnest to polish it off, I gave up and texted the hubby to let him know I was heading home. It's no fun to be at an amusement park by yourself, especially when you also don't do thrill rides anyway. <br />
<br />
As I approached the exit, I figured I might as well walk a lap through Camp Snoopy. Not knowing my terrain, somehow I ended up at the very back of the park by the Boardwalk. I looked at the map and somehow still took all the wrong forks in the road possible.<br />
<br />
Another text update to the husband ("I'm lost in the effin' park!"), he lovingly suggested that I should ask for directions or just spend the night at Camp Snoopy.<br />
<br />
No funnel cake to-go for you, sir. None. You're lucky I didn't buy this whole shelf full of Snoopy because I was really, REALLY tempted!<br />
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Thanks for a wonderful time, Knott's Berry Farm. I'm looking forward to coming back to enjoy the park and your yummy grubs later!<br />
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<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=109615" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Foakmonster%2Ftags%2Ftasteofknotts%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Foakmonster%2Ftags%2Ftasteofknotts%2F&user_id=65381308@N00&tags=tasteofknotts&jump_to=&start_index=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object>OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-89869185851753172932012-07-21T18:33:00.000-07:002012-08-03T21:16:32.644-07:00Farm Box Adventure #3<i>Box #3?! But you just <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2012/07/let-farm-box-adventures-begin.html" target="">wrote about the boxes for the first time</a> a few weeks ago?!</i><br />
<br />
True. But remember, that box was box #2 already. I just didn't write about the very first box. Are you on the same page now? Good!<br />
<br />
<b>This Week's Bounty:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Romaine lettuce</li>
<li>Tomatoes</li>
<li>Avocados</li>
<li>Carrots</li>
<li>Broccolis</li>
<li>Green beans</li>
<li>Sweet onion</li>
<li>Grapefruits</li>
</ul>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://instagram.com/p/NUpXPFi2e4/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="CSA farm box #3" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8oPmVVJOWFuaDcE_02hS9dKYHBCSotETn_gp3RC1m3la9WjRXECx0IEnGQ5LkU4Ka5WVcTkHJCIvjVPiUqYezyfzURKCicvzd6DSHIkWM_c56RXvEJmqWKMh0UOmdFkGcVd2vNAN8iMc/s400/00f829a8d2ca11e19cf6123138204346_7.jpg" title="CSA farm box #3" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
What makes getting CSA box more adventurous for my household is that Brandon is a particular eater--not picky per se but specific. He can eat just about anything as long as he doesn't have to eat things he doesn't like, like fresh tomatoes, raw onion, most mushrooms, corn, and avocado. So, when I get a box like this, I have to figure what I can do that he can also enjoy.<br />
<br />
Yes, meal planning can be a challenge around here sometimes. But
Brandon does embrace the culinary adventures we're embarking on, and is
game to try something different.<br />
<br />
For example, guacamole is out of the picture for him, but that will come in handy for me on Meatless Tuesday. I never cook with the giant sweet onion before, but I know for sure Brandon likes French onion soup. Alton Brown actually uses sweet onion to make <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/french-onion-soup-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">his version.</a> (But it's so hot...I don't know if I'd want a bowl of gooey, melty cheesy soup!) Brandon also said that he'd be game to try a stuffed onion. So we shall see.<br />
<br />
There will be some interesting experiment with this box, I can tell ya!<br />
<br />
<b>Box #3 Meal Ideas</b><br />
<br />
Caesar Salad. Glazed carrots. Steamed green beans. French onion soup or perhaps stuffed onion? Broccoli beef.<br />
<br />
Yes, I'm cooking Asian food. Those of you who've been following along a while know that this little princess does not do much Thai or Asian food in the house. I'm calling up my nanny/housekeeper in Thailand for her recipe. Her beef marinade is pure magic!<br />
<br />
As for the grapefruits, we both don't care for them. I guess I'm going to make <a href="http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-grapefruit-margarita-s,0,1215777.story" target="_blank">margaritas...</a><br />
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<b>Report from Box #2 </b><br />
<br />
We did good with <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2012/07/let-farm-box-adventures-begin.html">the last box</a>. Fortunately for me, I threw a barbecue for our little apartment complex and we got to grill the summer squash and made <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1314837/Jamie-Olivers-30-minute-meals-Spinach--feta-filo-pie-cucumber-salad-tomato-salad-coated-ice-cream.html" target="_blank">Jamie Oliver's cucumber and olive salad</a>. <br />
<br />
I also put some cucumber slices into a pitcher of water so I have flavored water to drink all week. And the last little bit of it went into <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/tomato-onion-and-cucumber-salad-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Rachael Ray's tomato and cucumber salad</a> a few nights ago.<br />
<br />
The kale was a bit of a challenge. I looked up a few recipes and went with my own take of a beer-braised kale with bacon. While I couldn't stop eating the thing, Brandon didn't care for the fibrous leaves. I think I undercooked it a bit. <br />
<br />
The cabbage, surprisingly, was the last one to go. I used half in a pot of mixed vegetables (cabbage, carrots, baby potatoes, green beans, and green peas...again, <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/lamb-recipes/spring-lamb-vegetable-platter-mint-sauce" target="_blank">a la Jamie's</a>) with a side of my "<b>ghetto aioli</b>"--mayo, a few cloves of crushed garlic, a little squeeze of lemon, and a little drizzle of good olive oil. I still have half a cabbage left that I finally tossed into the freezer. If I have any green beans left, I'll probably bring that out to make chicken vegetable soup adapted from a <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/ww-0-point-weight-watchers-cabbage-soup-128956" target="_blank">Weight Watcher recipe</a> I got from someone's mom years ago.<br />
<br />
<b>But where are the pictures?</b><br />
<br />
I know! I know! I promise I will start blogging the recipes soon. I'm still getting used to a new schedule I'm setting myself on. I will try to get them up as soon as I can.<br />
<br />
And now, share your thoughts! Do you have any good stuffed onion recipe?OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-75202356777550503702012-07-06T19:23:00.000-07:002012-07-06T19:23:04.741-07:00Let the Farm Box Adventures begin<span id="listingbody">Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a new concept to me, having heard about it from watching Food Inc. a few years ago. According to LocalHarvest.org, the program has been around for over 20 years. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="listingbody">Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the
public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm
products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a
"membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of
seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.</span> (Read more <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/csa/" target="_blank">here</a>.)</blockquote>
<br />
I have been looking for a program that has a pick up schedule that would work for me, but for a while I couldn't find one. They were all in the mid-afternoon at some schools. Not at all convenient.<br />
<br />
Then a friend signed up for one that delivers to your house. Just as I was looking into that service, my other friend Wyatt posted about <a href="http://www.tanakafarms.com/CSA.html" target="_blank">Tanaka Farms CSA boxes</a> on his Facebook.<br />
<br />
Most of us Orange County residents have grown up knowing of Tanaka Farms for their strawberries and their farm tours. When I first visited the U.S., my aunt took my mom and I to their farm stand down the street in Garden Grove. I had never seen strawberries so BIG in my life! For many years, I would smuggle containers of strawberries and cherries back to Thailand as gifts. Long story short, Tanaka Farms is the name I trust when it comes to good produce.<br />
<br />
And then I found out that they have pick-up location at Long Beach Whole Foods from 4-8 p.m. on Fridays. Talk about a perfect match! I signed up almost right away for a small CSA box, every other week.<br />
<br />
My first box was picked up at the end of June. I didn't know what to expect but yet I was very excited of the possibilities. For a household of two, the small box every other week was more than enough. I had to throw a few things away because I couldn't get to them fast enough, and I traded/gave away a few other items that Brandon doesn't like to eat. e.g. corn.<br />
<br />
No knowing what's coming in the box keeps you on your toes for sure. And it also makes grocery shopping and meal planning exciting.<br />
<br />
For example, there were some Red Russian kale in the first box. I didn't know what they were except that they looked like kale. So I had to look them up. Then I looked up a recipe to cook them because I had never cooked with kale before. Voila! We found out that we DO like kale around here!<br />
<br />
As I picked up my 2nd box today, I thought I should probably bring you guys along my cooking adventures. The photos may not be perfect and the results might be disastrous. But at least I can keep you guys entertained.<br />
<br />
And hopefully, I would inspire you to join a CSA program in your neighborhood.<br />
<br />
Without further ado...<br />
<br />
<b>This week's bounty</b> <br />
<ul>
<li>Kale</li>
<li>Cabbage</li>
<li>Lettuce</li>
<li>Carrots</li>
<li>Cucumbers</li>
<li>Summer squash (aka Pattypan squash)</li>
<li>Oranges</li>
<li>Corn -- will be given away...so don't worry about that </li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://instagram.com/p/MwsD2Di2SF/" target="_blank"><img alt="Tanaka Farms CSA Box" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsVHhaqehoZ5UJM23zJ0OrscXBR7TdUHmBqLZDyELVh9dUti8ZXQSbqWkgn6gxQSzIItZKeadD2Op7K1bxcvt4U7N4yQKPyKv-R8P7c6wP2Ja_bs_ECj_YWyEiBNNlF_nQ5mld1TeC2sF/s400/CSA_070612_instagram.jpg" title="Tanaka Farms CSA Box" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Tonight's dinner:</b> Roasted carrots and pork chops. (Jamie Oliver's <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/roasted-carrots-beets-with-the-juici" target="_blank">recipe</a>).<br />
<br />
<b>Tomorrow night's dinner: </b>Chicken Caesar salad. (Another Jamie's <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/wood-fired-ovens/community/recipes/chicken-caesar-salad?lightbox=1" target="_blank">recipe</a>. Yes, I'm just a wee bit obsessed with Jamie these days. Don't get me started on the 30 Minute Meals series. Hee.)<br />
<br />
<b>Veggie I've never cooked before:</b> Summer squash.<br />
<br />
What would you do with this CSA box? Do share some good recipes and ideas...especially for the summer squash. lol <br />
<br />OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-28078702763246024182012-04-30T21:55:00.000-07:002012-04-30T21:55:04.229-07:00Feast of Freebies: A Night of Wine, Chocolate, and Tandoori<br />
<i>Full disclosure: I have been sent Chateau Ste. Michelle wines by Thirsty Girl and Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk chocolate from another PR firm to try. The opinion about the products are mine and my friends'. While we are grateful for the freebies, we hold no punches when it comes to our opinion of these products.You'll see...</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://thirstygirl.com/" target="_blank">Thirsty Girl</a> team, with whom I collaborated with the <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2011/09/chocolate-wine-and-boobies.html" target="_blank">Ghirardelli Intense Dark event</a> last year, wanted to send me some <a href="http://www.ste-michelle.com/" target="_blank">Chateau Ste. Michelle</a> Rieslings to try. Coincidentally, just a week before that, a box of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Ghirardelli?sk=app_150853878301825" target="_blank">Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk</a> chocolate arrived. To top it off, the deadline for a <a href="https://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/196223/voteable_entries?view_entries=1" target="_blank">Fresh&Easy recipe contest</a> was fast approaching so I need to make my <a href="https://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/196223/voteable_entries/49242823" target="_blank">7 Layer Dip</a> soon...and I need some help eating it. What's a girl to do with all these goodness happening all at once?<br />
<br />
She called her friends and planned a dinner, of course! <br />
<br />
I had a great mix of guests for this wine tasting dinner: my newbie wine drinker husband Brandon, blogger <a href="http://girlplusfire.com/" target="_blank">Paulette of Girl + Fire</a>, photographer <a href="http://www.davidmoyle.com/" target="_blank">David</a> (who just came from a day of shoot so I didn't have the heart to ask him to shoot the dinner too), moms on their respective night off Aurora and <a href="http://olainaafterschool.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Olaina</a>, Aurora's sister Lee, and Brandon's friend Greg and his girlfriend Heather. Not a wine snob in the house! So, proceed to read our review with caution. ;-)<br />
<br />
The three Chateau Ste. Michelle Rieslings were <b>2001 Dry Riesling</b>,<b> 2010 Eroica</b>, and <b>2011 Harvest Select Sweet Riesling</b>. All are recommended to pair with Asian dishes, Indian curries, crab, scallops, and mild cheese. I just hoped that they would all go well with the 7 Layer Dip.<br />
<br />
Since I have folks who are allergic to dairy and seafood, the dinner choice went to <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/tandoori-chicken-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Aarti's "Tandoori" chicken recipe</a> I saw on <i>Best Thing I Ever Made</i>. The recipe has a lot of components and takes some time to prep but it is easily adaptable to feed my 10 guests. (Will blog about that later).<br />
<br />
Well, except for the fact that I forgot that the bulk chicken I bought are bone-in and her recipe used boneless. Let's just say that I had to recommend that my guests eat a lot of dip and put more rice and veggies on their plates.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxyv24RhL3Or7cg0V4UJMXWE40Ma-MSIyWn0t2lGSqUXIVogTZZi44OktoLpYedE2M-v4acango7LNt4CoIJhmDSvM7PweltYcDKn-jfBXzlvTZeRVfx2lONJbsFiZ3m-8An98CYObyEa/s1600/tandoori_paulette.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxyv24RhL3Or7cg0V4UJMXWE40Ma-MSIyWn0t2lGSqUXIVogTZZi44OktoLpYedE2M-v4acango7LNt4CoIJhmDSvM7PweltYcDKn-jfBXzlvTZeRVfx2lONJbsFiZ3m-8An98CYObyEa/s400/tandoori_paulette.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to Paulette, the only person with the frame of mind to snap a photo. <br />
This is pretty much the only image from the entire night. LOL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lee suggested that I should have all of my guests enter more <a href="http://thehungergames.wikia.com/wiki/Tessera" target="_blank">tesserae</a> for the last piece of the chicken. (A <i>Hunger Games</i> reference for those not in on the joke.) The thought of having folks fight it out <i>Hunger Games</i> style did cross my mind. I mean, after all, we do have bow and arrows in this household...<br />
<br />
Anyway. To wrap up the meal, we would do the tasting of Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk chocolates: <b>Gourmet Milk Creamy Devotion™</b> with rich and creamy 32% cacao milk chocolate; <b>Gourmet Milk Sea Salt Escape™</b> with sea salt and roasted almonds; and <b>Gourmet Milk Coconut Rendezvous™</b> which features toasted coconut flakes. I was sent 2 bars of each. But not all of those survived to dinner that night. (I couldn't help myself!)<br />
<br />
First wine we tasted was the <a href="http://www.ste-michelle.com/wines/columbiaValley/release/309" target="_blank">2001 Dry Riesling</a> which I served while folks were still noshing on the 7 Layer Dip, giving me a bit more time to line up the buffet in the kitchen.<br />
<br />
The tasting note from winemaker Bob Bertheau calls the wine “a dry, crisp, refreshing style of Riesling with beautiful fruit flavors, crisp acidity and an elegant finish. It exudes beautiful white peach and floral aromas with a clean finish.” The wine was a little underwhelming against the strong flavors of the 7 Layer Dip, but it was a nice, neutral wine to sip with tandoori chicken. <br />
<br />
Aurora took a sip. "Wow. This wine reminds me of Indian food."<br />
<br />
"Honey, you're smelling the tandoori chicken from the kitchen," quipped Heather.<br />
<br />
Lee said the Dry Riesling tasted like grape juice and lemonade. She doesn't usually like dry wine but this is fruity enough for her. Brandon on the other hand didn't care much for the dryness while some of us who prefer red actually appreciate the crispness and acidity.<br />
<br />
Paulette immediately called out the fruitiness of the aroma. Upon tasting, she thought that this would be a great base for a white sangria. Heather agreed.<br />
<br />
Once everyone had their plates, I poured the <a href="http://www.ste-michelle.com/wines/eroica/release/280" target="_blank">2010 Eroica</a>, named for Beethoven’s Third Symphony. (Naturally, "The Erotica" was what the gang came to call it for the rest of the evening.) Tasting note says, "The 2010 Eroica Riesling exudes mandarin orange and sweet lime aromas and flavors with subtle mineral notes."<br />
<br />
"How do we like it, folks?"<br />
<br />
A round of applause.<br />
<br />
Talk about a perfect pairing! The wine's hint of lime and subtle sweetness was a perfect match for our tandoori chicken with lime and honey in the sauce along with other Indian spices. Lee didn't like the wine by itself as it was too sweet for her taste, but she did like it paired with the food.<br />
<br />
On that sweet note, Greg compared the wine to a wine cooler--that it's easy to drink and refreshing. Heather liked that "nice, wet finish." David just called it juicy.<br />
<br />
I saved the <a href="http://www.ste-michelle.com/wines/columbiaValley/release/241" target="_blank">2011 Harvest Select Sweet Riesling</a> for last as I wasn't sure if the sweetness would interfere with food. It wasn't meant to be a dessert wine and I didn't serve it as such. It was the "Drink this while I clear the table and fetch your dessert" wine.<br />
<br />
At this point, I should probably mentioned that in addition to these great Chateau Ste. Michelle wines, we also drank a bottle each of Firefly Ridge Chardonnay and the effervescent New Age, served with a slice of lime. Oh, and also most of the dinner party were around the TV with Lee as she watched Blade Trinity for the very first time. Hey, no girls should ever go through life without having seen Ryan Reynold's glorious abs…and a vampire Pomeranian! <br />
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So, between being nicely sauced and the movie in the background, the colorful reviews I elicited earlier was no longer. While the tasting note suggests that the wine "offers beautiful crisp Washington Riesling
character with rich flavors of ripe pears and peaches," all I got from the crew was "Yeah this is tasty!" and a moan of approval ("Wow…yummyyy…") from Aurora who sipped hers while nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie.<br />
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Since nobody threw the wine in my face for interrupting the movie/dessert, I would say that the Sweet Riesling was also a hit. The star of the evening though was Eroica.<br />
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Now, onto the chocolates. I found Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk chocolates to be incredibly creamy and flavorful. Milk chocolate tends to be overly sweet sometimes but these weren't. Not even <a href="http://ghirardelli.com/products/chocbars_gourmet-milk_32.aspx" target="_blank">Creamy Devotion</a> aka the plain one. These are so good I would ditch the beloved Intense Dark for especially the <a href="http://ghirardelli.com/products/chocbars_gourmet-milk_sea-salt.aspx" target="_blank">Sea Salt Escape</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/6896872136/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Ghirardelli gourmet milk by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="Ghirardelli gourmet milk" height="375" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5194/6896872136_39c4c08885.jpg" title="" width="500" /></a></div>
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The surprise winner of the evening was the <a href="http://ghirardelli.com/products/chocbars_gourmet-milk_coconut.aspx" target="_blank">Coconut Rendezvous</a>. Heather said that it tasted like Hawaii. Olaina and Paulette who are already fans of the chocolate and coconut combination absolutely love it and were debating as to who get to take the leftover home. Even Lee and I, who absolutely abhor this combination, had to agree that it was probably the least offensive coconut chocolate we ever had.<br />
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A few pours of tawny port, a few more sips of homemade <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2009/12/diy-limoncello.html" target="_blank">Limoncello</a> and vanilla-brown butter infused rum, and a whole bunch of dead vampires later, the party rolled out. After all, this was a Wednesday night. <br />
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The next Feast of Freebies will be for the <a href="http://thirstygirl.com/blog/2012/04/25/tgtaste-villa-maria/%20" target="_blank">Villa Maria wines from New Zealand</a>. We'll be doing it on the weekend this time.<br />
<br />OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-9523089792410101252012-02-11T16:32:00.000-08:002012-04-21T23:19:57.984-07:00Making Macarons with Mira<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/6859427409/" title="DSC_0042 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0042" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7192/6859427409_d1be3ccfde.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
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Of all the things I've cooked and baked, I'm most afraid of macarons. The notoriously temperamental French confections made with a meringue base and almond flour, sandwiched together with some kind of filling. Oh, the horror stories I've read! Things can go wrong if the eggs aren't aged right, the syrup is too hot, the oven is too hot, it's raining outside, or a butterfly in China decided to fly counterclockwise.<br />
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So, no. I wasn't going to touch macarons without professional supervision. Yes, I'm a big culinary wussy when it comes to something that delicate. <br />
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So when my friend <a href="http://highheelgourmet.com/" target="_blank">Mira</a> who has perfected her macaron recipe, asked if I want to come learn how to make them with three of her friends, I jumped to the chance. The timing, after all, was perfect. I was freshly unemployed once again again after a 5-month freelance stint. <br />
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To document Mira's process, I took pictures of the important steps, like what the aged egg whites should look like when it's ready. Meanwhile, others were deciphering Mira's handwritten recipe and notes which was part Thai and part English.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/6859422863/" title="DSC_0021 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0021" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6859422863_5490ca654b.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
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We had so much fun hanging out with each other that I had to leave before the macarons were baked off and assembled. Hey, when you get five Thai girls in the same room, it's all
about eating and chatting! I mean, Mira kept whipping up something for
us to eat even before we get to the actual lesson. And of course, it didn't help when I kept refilling people's mimosas. Hee.<br />
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Look at our lunch of Korean-inspired, "I'm going to throw this together" dish she made for us with potato noodles, beef, pickled mustard greens, and secret sesame sauce. Oh, what a delicious digression... ;-)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/6859280703/" title="DSC_0011 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0011" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7044/6859280703_f2f7088fa1.jpg" width="333" /></a>
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Back to the macarons, though. So I spent the whole day at Mira's and went home empty handed. However, my belly was pretty darn full.<br />
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Fortunately for me, Mira gave me a box of them for Christmas.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/6859428405/" title="mira's macarons (1) by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="mira's macarons (1)" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7038/6859428405_1ee1d92077.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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And fortunately for all of us, Mira decided to share her secrets. She's reviving her long dormant blog with <a href="http://highheelgourmet.com/2012/02/02/valentine-macaron/" target="_blank">recipe and tips for her famous macarons</a> just in time for Valentine's Day.<br />
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So, head over there and learn something new!OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-12843689808970181532011-11-06T11:56:00.000-08:002015-12-16T09:14:49.323-08:00Ragu NapoletanoIt wasn't difficult for me to fall in love with Italian cuisine. One of the restaurants we frequented growing up was Thailand's first Italian establishment owned by a Thai guy. My dad's friend, to be exact. My mom also made some killer bolognese in the slow cooker and I was always envied when I brought spaghetti to lunch at school.<br />
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As you know, when I first started to cook when Brandon and I got married, it was Rachael Ray who got me into the kitchen, but I quickly graduated from her onto Giada DeLaurentiis.<br />
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I can see some of you hard core food nerds rolling your eyes right now. But hey, like bacon to a former vegetarian, there is always a gateway. Giada got me interested in Italian cooking, cultures, and language. (I'm currently on my second year of casually learning Italian, made more difficult by being a third language learned on a second one.)<br />
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Naturally, I paid a lot of attention to Anthony Bourdain's No Reservation when he visited Italy once again in search of the origin of the Red Sauce. [ETA: Gah...video has been removed. Gotta find another copy.]<br />
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I took notes of all the ingredients mentioned in this video and paid close attention to what was being put in the pot. There isn't a recipe laying around or anything, so I just went for it.<br />
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The video more or less tell you everything that goes in the ragu: <br />
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<blockquote>
Onion, garlic, good extra virgin olive oil. Pork sausage, veal, pork ribs, and braciole (pieces of veal wrapped around parmesan cheese, garlic, basil, parsley, raisins, pine nuts). You brown the meats in the pan, then cover it with tomato puree. Put it on super low, just so it barely bubbles, all day. Skim of the fat. Toss the sauce with the pasta as your first course, then serve the meat as main course with wild greens sauteed in garlic and pepperoncino.</blockquote>
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A good testament to a solid base recipe is this: even I took off running with the ingredients and put my own interpretation to it, the result is still fantastic. I may have really been Italian in my past life after all! </div>
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For my Sunday supper, I didn't go to the length of doing the sauteed greens, but I did separate the meats from the sauce. However, I did provide plenty of s<i>carpetta</i> to mop up the sauce at the end.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ragu Napoletano della Oakley</span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Inspired by this awesome Italian momma on No Reservation.</span>This recipe can easily feeds 6...or 4 really hungry people. :) Obviously, I winged the whole thing. So there's really no measurement to much of anything. Trust your judgement!<br />
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<ul>
<li>Extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>Salt and pepper</li>
<li>1 lb. Italian mild/sweet pork sausage, kept whole</li>
<li>3-4 lbs. pork ribs (I prefer short ribs but country style will do too, whatever is available).</li>
<li>1 small onion, chopped </li>
<li>4-5 cloves of garlic, sliced</li>
<li>A palm full each of pine nuts and raisins, roughly chopped</li>
<li>Strained tomatoes in a can, box, or bottle. I used a box of Pomi (Trader Joe's) or a bottle of Bionaturae (Whole Foods) </li>
<li>A palm-full of chopped Italian parsley</li>
<li>Parmesan cheese rinds -- if you have some. You can buy them from Whole Foods too now.</li>
<li>Accompaniment: grated Parmesan and crusty bread to mop up all the goodness</li>
</ul>
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1. Heat the EVOO in a pot on medium-high. Liberally season the pork ribs. Brown all the meats, starting with sausage (yup...the whole thing goes in), one batch at a time. Set aside. Keep the fat in the pan.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/6340218333/" title="DSC_0001 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0001" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6032/6340218333_28bb750141.jpg" height="333" width="500" /></a><br />
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2. Turn the heat to medium, add onion and garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook until soft. Add pine nuts, raisins and tomato paste. Cook a few more minutes.<br />
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3. Add the meat and juices back to the pot. Add the tomatoes, water, and parsley. Move the meat around to get the sauce all the way to the bottom and sneak the cheese rinds into there.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/6340969722/" title="DSC_0011 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0011" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6111/6340969722_6041bcf1b7.jpg" height="333" width="500" /></a><br />
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4. Bring it to bubbling. Then turn the heat down as low as it's going to go. Let simmer. It'll look like soup the first few hours. But don't worry, we're going to get that reduced.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/6340222669/" title="DSC_0024 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0024" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6120/6340222669_95883c660d.jpg" height="333" width="500" /></a><br />
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5. Keep the sauce on slow bubbling at least 4 hours. (See the video of how low the bubbles should be!). At least 5 hours from my experience. I've gone to 8 before...<br />
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6. About 30 minutes before serving, skim the fat off the top of the sauce. And there will be a LOT of it. (Still have the empty can? Good! Use that.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/6340223907/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5aYBsNJkE2u11My4VvmyRTurhzaekMsqvk7qe42smR_KUBBykAT5LNrGdebT7ikz5SWzbXa26aiCuLIFzVjXTUVSXJ8VxKvMND0SmTHKCRlElydzRFjbfJ3pHxKjgKfEkOEDrsuccjKG/s1600/ragu.jpg" /></a></div>
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7. Remove the meat from the sauce. Be careful as they're all falling off the bones. Discard bones and cheese rind at this point. Put the meat on a platter and keep warm. <br />
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8. Cook your pasta (I used rigatoni) in a pot of boiling salted water. You can reserve a cup or so of the pasta water then drain over the sink or, what I did, fish out the pasta from the pot and put it on the sauce directly so I have all the pasta water in the world to add to the sauce to loosen things up. If your pasta water is nicely salted, you won't have to worry about it diluting the seasoning of the ragu. Toss to coat.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/6340225645/" title="DSC_0036 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0036" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6117/6340225645_a003b7dd4f.jpg" height="333" width="500" /></a><br />
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10. Serve your pasta with a drizzle of really good extra virgin olive oil and side of grated parmesan cheese and the platter of meat.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/6340979356/" title="DSC_0051 by TheOakmonster, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0051" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6041/6340979356_b765dde66f.jpg" height="333" width="500" /></a><br />
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Buon appetito!</div>
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OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-87687153937002584622011-09-20T07:18:00.000-07:002011-09-25T14:10:09.953-07:00Chocolate, Wine, and Boobies<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Posts on this blog and twitter about the Ghirardelli Intense Dark Pairings event are based on an advertising relationship. I have been paid to host and promote the Intense Dark Pairings event for Ghirardelli. I also received a discount from District Wine along with a bottle of wine as a raffle prize. However, the opinion about the Ghirardelli products and the District Wine are all mine. Mine!</span><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPdrG-fX9aq6OzD02Dh1qRHiYSo_4JPa0wS6Q7dBtrFOtN2b_kf1TsyS5mE6ip5IQHOQSibpQWFJqz9JRgeqMqVj4-MZ7ADri5FFACH_XcldoW74z0aeC-EIiw8iw4GpjGzTo_7cnyX-Y/s1600/ghirardelli-giftbags.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPdrG-fX9aq6OzD02Dh1qRHiYSo_4JPa0wS6Q7dBtrFOtN2b_kf1TsyS5mE6ip5IQHOQSibpQWFJqz9JRgeqMqVj4-MZ7ADri5FFACH_XcldoW74z0aeC-EIiw8iw4GpjGzTo_7cnyX-Y/s400/ghirardelli-giftbags.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654448232037854322" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Ghirardelli is supporting <b>Breast Cancer Awareness Month</b> by donating $1 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation for <a href="http://bca.ghirardelli.com/" target="_blank">each code entered</a> from the specially marked Intense Dark chocolates. As a part of this promotion, I was contacted to host an Intense Dark Pairings party, tasting the Intense Dark chocolates and pairing them with food and wine.<br /><br />I lost my mother and a good friend to cancer. Any fight against any kind of cancer is my fight. Instead of just calling a few friends over to my house, I wanted to help spread the word as much as I can. So I reached out to my blogger friends and tweeps. But now I'd need a cozy venue for all my fabulous guests.<br /><br />A wine tasting party that feels like it's being hosted in someone's (really nice) living room? Naturally, I called Mark and Angela at <a href="http://www.districtwine.com/" target="_blank">District Wine</a> in Downtown Long Beach (@districtwine). They were more than happy to play host to an all-girl afternoon out. (Well, almost all-girl. We did have a Token Male...) They even threw in a bottle of wine for my raffle.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcOJFUKPJq84zr8LX4v3vk1XveXy_wK497pSl0MW67LCDaM4B5tQCW9tFMoc40dyWgudTt8DObq9O3UgELFAL2Yzt0Cpt_VuZO5XPegUfaB_mktQbEzX1yiZzsqHOZYHM8qho0zjCr5SP/s1600/dananner_districtwine_jop.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcOJFUKPJq84zr8LX4v3vk1XveXy_wK497pSl0MW67LCDaM4B5tQCW9tFMoc40dyWgudTt8DObq9O3UgELFAL2Yzt0Cpt_VuZO5XPegUfaB_mktQbEzX1yiZzsqHOZYHM8qho0zjCr5SP/s400/dananner_districtwine_jop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654448607324966994" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Annette (@dananner) is a happy camper!</span></span><br /></div><br />Some of us started the party started a little early with District Wine’s Sunday special, $9 bottomless mimosas. Mark mentioned that the orange juice was just for color, and he wasn't kidding. The pour was generous and the glasses were never once empty. I'd definitely come back some other Sundays for this!<br /><br />What made our tasting party even more special was that my friend Melissa (@melissakeyes), a breast cancer survivor, shared her story.<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rjbB5kClndw?hl=en&fs=1" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" width="425"></iframe><br /></center><br /><br />For the pairings, I received a guide of food and wine pairing suggestions which were put together by Leslie Sbrocco of <a href="http://thirstygirl.com/">Thirsty Girl</a>. You too can host one of these tasting parties at home. The party planning kit, and tasting guide and videos are on <a href="http://www.intensedarkpairings.com/" target="_blank">this website.</a> I am also giving away a mini tasting kit. Read on for more details.<br /><br />Anyways. I passed Leslie's list along to District Wine along with some chocolate samples, and they came up with their own selection of wines. And here is our menu.<br /><br /><b>Ghirardelli® Intense Dark™ Evening Dream: 60% Cacao</b><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#741b47;">District Wine's Pick: Frogmore Creek Iced Riesling, Tasmania</span></b><br /><i>Food: Dried apricot</i><br /><br />While the Riesling goes well with the wine and the apricot, it brings out so much of the apricot that the chocolate was more of the supporting actor. Still good though. One of the crowd's favorites.<br /><br /><b>Ghirardelli® Intense Dark™ Twilight Delight : 72% Cacao</b><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#741b47;">District Wine's Pick: Taft Street Zinfandel, Russian River Valley<br /></span></b><i>Food: This would've been paired with fresh raspberries but I forgot to bring them. Boo...</i><br /><br />Another pleasant pairing of chocolate and wine here. But neither was memorable for me.<br /><br /><b>Ghirardelli® Intense Dark™ Midnight Reverie: 86% Cacao</b><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#741b47;">District Wine's Pick: Layer Cake Malbec, Argentina</span></b><br /><i>Food: Salted almonds, parmesan, and water crackers</i><br /><br />Home run all around! The high cacao content makes the chocolate almost savory. Something magical happens with the chocolate, the parmesan, and the Malbec. Red wine fans all agreed this would be the wine they'd drink any day of the week. I would also suggest that you try this chocolate with some prosciutto. I had some at <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2011/05/few-good-pork.html">Cochon 555</a> and it was wonderful. I was thinking about bringing some for the tasting but I didn't want to scare my friends. LOL.<br /><br /><b>Ghirardelli® Intense Dark™ Toffee Interlude: Toffee bits and caramelized almonds</b><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#741b47;">District Wine's Pick: Taylor Fladgate 20 Years Tawny, Portugal - OR - Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout</span></b><br /><i>Food: Plush Puffs Vanilla Bean Marshmallows</i><br /><br />The surprise hit of the evening was the Plush Puffs (found at <a href="http://templeoffreshandeasy.blogspot.com/">my favorite store Fresh & Easy</a>). Folks were nibbling on them even before our tasting began and there was nothing left afterward. I can only imagine what the toasted Puffs and this chocolate would taste like inside a S'mores! They're already magical in their respective raw form without the Graham crackers. Mark and Angela gave us a choice between a port or a beer here, and I chose the port. It just brought it all home perfectly.<br /><br />My friend Jennifer also took fabulous photographs of the event. You can find the rest on her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jenniferowensphotography" target="_blank">Facebook album</a>.<br /><br />It was a great afternoon of discovering flavors of Ghirardelli Intense Dark chocolates, finding new wines we love, making new friends, and raising awareness for breast cancer.<br /><br />Look on twitter for <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23tgtaste" target="_blank">#TGTaste</a> and/or <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23intensedark" target="_blank">#IntenseDark</a> for great coverage. I will update this post with links to the coverage from my fabulous guests as I get them.<br /><ul><li>Our cancer's butt kicker Melissa: <a href="http://mkeyesdesign.blogspot.com/2011/09/wine-and-chocolateghiradelli-intense.html">Wine and Chocolate: Ghiradelli Intense Dark Chocolate at District Wine</a><br /></li><li>Paulette (@girlplusfire/@pfont): <a href="http://www.girlplusfire.com/2011/09/fighting-like-girl-ghiradelli-vino-at.html">Fighting Like a Girl: Ghirardelli & Vino at District Wine.</a> </li><li>Rachel (@theartmuse): <a href="http://theartmuse.net/2011/09/21/intense-dark_breast_cancer_awareness/">Intense Dark</a><br /></li><li>Tamara (@divacowgirl): <a href="http://divacowgirl.net/?p=1347">Hope</a> </li><li>Veronica (@lbcshopper): <a href="http://http//veronicacidblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/wine-chocolate-pairing/">Intensely Delicious Wine Pairing</a></li></ul><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1InDb-zcj1oD7XyAioBzwbtk7GA0sPTzLXPKYYH_RKz1_DJc1VZwVmfOhfzBCXLTKCChckthOHsIFNFwyog1nFsFAcELWMin1aKQI77pYszKUjw9THKe3oLeL3EG4SI9X9ybUW76N6eOS/s1600/melissakeyes_districtwine_jop.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1InDb-zcj1oD7XyAioBzwbtk7GA0sPTzLXPKYYH_RKz1_DJc1VZwVmfOhfzBCXLTKCChckthOHsIFNFwyog1nFsFAcELWMin1aKQI77pYszKUjw9THKe3oLeL3EG4SI9X9ybUW76N6eOS/s400/melissakeyes_districtwine_jop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654451584580172242" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Melissa and I with Mark and Angela, owners of District Wine</span></span><br /></div><br /><b>INTENSE DARK CHOCOLATE GIVEAWAY!</b><br /><br />Be ready to join the <a href="http://www.thirstygirl.com/index.php/crave/article/ghiradelli-intense-dark-chocolate-comes-to-tgtaste1/" target="_blank">Intense Dark Tweet Chat</a> on October 5 at 5 p.m. PST hosted by Thirsty Girl (@beathirstygirl / #TGTaste). Enter to win your own mini tasting kit! Leave a comment down below (make sure to leave your valid email address) to throw your name into the hat to win a Ghirardelli Intense Dark Pairing kit with a pairing guide, wine charms, samples of Evening Dream, Twilight Delight, Midnight Reverie, and Sea Salt Soiree.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ETA: </span>Congratulations, <a href="http://writercize.blogspot.com/">Alana</a> (@AlanaGarrigues)! You've won the little pairing gift box! :)OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-1264961936275490322011-09-03T07:13:00.001-07:002011-09-13T10:16:45.614-07:00Playing Hostess<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgip-uNHYkahMbGhyStNYWumvGABDrH9nEwVlUymTrD6B689MI8eesy-syghRMXxoerc7bf2GnW4IOtUw3aAk_qfdAQVaj_7NRoIvqBdJlSjc_XTlfAxadNrN6QWcc3Na2FMXWhIKZLhwq_/s1600/intensedark.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgip-uNHYkahMbGhyStNYWumvGABDrH9nEwVlUymTrD6B689MI8eesy-syghRMXxoerc7bf2GnW4IOtUw3aAk_qfdAQVaj_7NRoIvqBdJlSjc_XTlfAxadNrN6QWcc3Na2FMXWhIKZLhwq_/s400/intensedark.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648722618419946370" border="0" /></a><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >EVENT IS FULL! THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST! Come back later to see our recap. :)</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm honored that <a href="http://www.ghirardelli.com/intensedark/#">Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate</a> is partnering with me in putting together chocolate/wine pairing event in recognition of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.<br /><br />Come sip some glorious wines, nibble some luscious Ghirardelli Intense Dark chocolates, and talk about boobies with me! <br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Disclosure: Posts on the blog and twitter about the Ghirardelli Intense Dark Pairings event are based on an advertising relationship. I have been paid to host and promote the Intense Dark Pairings event for Ghirardelli. I am also receiving a discount from the "Awesome Location" to host this event there. However, the opinion about the products and the "Awesome Location" are all mine.<br /></span></span></div>OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-72972626559830530722011-08-01T14:53:00.000-07:002011-08-01T14:56:11.407-07:00Craft Beer Drinkers UniteI'm a lightweight. Since I can't drink a million beers like everyone else, my 1-2 pints must count. And the other stuff just don't cut it like the craft stuff.<br /><br />Okay, I still like my Guinness occasionally, but the craft stouts and porters out there these days are damn tasty.<br /><br />So, here's to you, craft beer drinkers and brewers!<br /><br /><object height="272" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xh2oDdTHXQU?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xh2oDdTHXQU?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="272" width="425"></embed></object>OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-6177341444514389462011-06-28T17:37:00.000-07:002011-06-28T17:47:19.136-07:00Honey, I shrunk the Bacon-wrapped Meat LoafAnother one of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Family-Dinners-Mark-Peel/dp/0470382473/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277081579&sr=8-1">Mark Peel's "New Classic Family Dinners"</a> recipe that has become my household staple is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">bacon-wrapped meat loaf. </span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/5883003652/" title="meatloaf-plate by Oakmonster(TM), on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5883003652_f32894548d.jpg" alt="meatloaf-plate" height="333" width="500" /></a><br /><br />There shouldn't even be a question as to why it has. Just look at the first two words in the title, man.<br /><br />Bacon. Wrapped.<br /><br />It was more "bacon-lined" than "bacon-wrapped", but hey, there's bacon INSIDE the meat loaf too. I'm not complaining<br /><br />So the first time I made it, I went full scale but instead of 1 lb. each of ground beef, pork, and veal, I did 1.5 lb. each of pork and beef. I looked at the mixture in the bowl and there was no way ALL of that was going to fit into the one loaf pan. The recipe did say it would make 10-12 servings, but this seemed excessive...<br /><br />I ended up with TWO very full loaf pans and a small free-form loaf. I took some to eat for lunch at work and had leftover party. Twice.<br /><br />Obviously, this girl didn't learn from her past experience with the <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2010/06/best-gift-for-new-moms.html">meatballs recipe from the same cook book. </a><br /><br />Well, here's yet another adaptation of Chef Peel's recipe, scaled down to serve 2-4 people. And also simplified for easier clean-up.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bacon Wrapped Meat Loaf for Four</span></span><br /><ul><li>8-10 thin-cut slices bacon to line the pan, 2 extra slices for the meatloaf.</li><li>1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (or if you're lazy like me, I crumbled a few slices of day-old bread to come up to just about the same amount onto a baking sheet and set it in the oven while it preheats.)</li><li>1/4 cup whole milk</li><li>1 large egg, beaten</li><li>1 TBS canola oil</li><li>1 small onion, diced</li><li>2 stalks celery, diced</li><li>2 garlic cloves, minced</li><li>About 2 TBS chopped Italian parsley</li><li>1.5 lbs. ground pork</li><li>1.5 lbs. ground beef (20 percent fat)</li><li>Ketchup</li><li>8-10 sage leaves</li><li>Salt and pepper to taste</li></ul>1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Slice 2 bacon strips into 1/4-inch pieces and set aside. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with the remaining slices, alternating the fat and thing ends.<br /><br />2. In a large bowl (you'll be adding half of the meat mixture and the veggies into this), soak the bread crumbs in the milk for a few minutes, then squeeze out and discard excess milk. Beat in the egg. Set aside.<br /><br />3. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add bacon, onion, celery, and garlic. Season with salt. Cook until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley. Let cool for a bit.<br /><br />4. Add a little bit of the still warm mixture to the egg and breadcrumbs, tempering the egg a bit. Then add all of the veggies into the egg/breadcrumb bowl. Combine well.<br /><br />5. In a large bowl, combine the meats and season with salt and pepper. Kneed to combine.<br /><br />6. One handful at a time, add half of the meat to the egg-veggie mixture, and combine well. Now plop all of this back into the meat-only bowl and combine well.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/5882440237/" title="DSC_0004 by Oakmonster(TM), on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5107/5882440237_d4f764c6bb.jpg" alt="DSC_0004" height="500" width="333" /></a><br /><br />7. Take up handfuls of the meat mixture and slap between your hand to expel air, then fill the loaf pan. Using a spoon, make a depression down the center of the loaf and fill that with ketchup. Garnish with sage leaves, pressing them into the top of the loaf.<br /><br />8. Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet (in case of fat spill-over) and place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake about 45 minutes or (until temperature gets to 140F). Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. Some of the juices will be absorbed back by the meat loaf.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/5883002778/" title="DSC_0018 by Oakmonster(TM), on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6033/5883002778_b85edd4d35.jpg" alt="DSC_0018" height="333" width="500" /></a><br /><br />9. Tip the remaining liquid into a bowl, then strain and skim off the fat. (In my case, there was nothing but fat. I use a little bit of that to drizzle anyway!) Slice and serve meat loaf with the juice and/or more ketchup.<br /><br />I served mine with skin-on mashed potatoes made with cream, butter, and a bit of bacon fat I have sitting in the fridge. (Just a little bit!)OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-84078258886781929172011-06-15T17:14:00.000-07:002011-06-16T09:14:52.797-07:00The Adventures at Starry KitchenCrack Den Mother. That's what I called myself as a customer of <a href="http://www.starrykitchen.com/">Starry Kitchen</a> in Downtown Los Angeles. Before I got too busy with my last job, I would be at SK at least once a week.<br /><br />I've called Thi's (aka Kitchen Ninja) food crack. I'm sooo addicted!<br /><br />So, SK is a crack den. And because I would drag EVERYONE to SK with me, so, I'm the Crack Den Mother, bringing in new Crack Babies.<br /><br />Nguyen, the husband half of the SK team, loved it.<br /><br />Now that I'm no longer working Downtown, I've been missing my at-least-once-a-month Starry Kitchen treat. Today I had a chance to pop into town, so I did.<br /><br />It would've been about a year now that I first set foot at the place. My two friends who have heard about SK's underground origin and wanted to go, so I went with them.<br /><br />It was seriously love at first bite. And first board slam.<br /><br />A very energetic and animated Nguyen gave us the schpiel of how to order which accompanied by the slapping of his menu board and a surprise F-Bomb.<br /><br />"We change our menu every week. We don't fuck around," said Nguyen.<br /><br />Well, hell, since we're at it. I was fucking loving this place already, and I hadn't even eaten the food yet!<br /><br />(I know, some people were offended/off-put by Nguyen's antics, but, just as he'd tell you, swearing is a part of him. You don't like it, then move on. He does tone it down in the presence of children, though.)<br /><br />Oh, and he wasn't kidding about not fucking around either. There are 2 rotating "proteins" on the board, and each of them get 2 weeks on there alternately. So, yes, every week, one item is changed out.<br /><br />Pair that with 5 different ways you can have your main course: in a wrap, a Vietnamese sandwich, a chopped salad, a Thai Cobb salad, or a lunch plate. Then you choose a side which could be a salad, a noodle of some kind, or a special fried rice. LOTS of variations to keep you interested!<br /><br />The food totally sealed the deal. Pan-Asian food that tastes like a home-cooked meal. Thi works her magic over these dishes. It may not be a traditional Vietnamese/Thai/Korean etc. food, but the flavor profiles are unmistakably Asian. And yummy. Oh so yummy.<br /><br />Then I tweeted. And Nguyen would tweet back. And back and forth we went. He does the same with his other foodies and bloggers and tweeps who came through the door.<br /><br />It was the food that keeps bringing me back but I have to say it's also because the "TWEETment" Nguyen gives to his customers. We do feel like family at SK.<br /><br />I mean, would I be able to go into any other joint and get this photo with the owner? (Thanks <a href="http://annetteholland.com/">Annette</a>!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://yfrog.com/h234rbgj"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 493px; height: 377px;" src="http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg614/scaled.php?tn=0&server=614&filename=34rbg.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Or this. (Thanks <a href="http://www.twitter.com/munke">@munke</a>!)<br /><br /><a href="http://twitpic.com/5c8cqc" title="Share photos on twitter with Twitpic"><img src="http://twitpic.com/show/thumb/5c8cqc.jpg" alt="Share photos on twitter with Twitpic" height="150" width="150" /></a><br /><br />I rest my case.<br /><br />And because the menu changes all the time, I keep coming back for different things. My favorite things are Taiwanese Pork Chops, Spicy Korean Pork/Belly, Crispy Tofu Balls, Spicy Vietnamese Salad, Shallot Fried Rice, Kimchi Fried Rice, Garlic Noodles, Chicken Wing Beer Soup, and Thai Cobb Salad with Lemongrass Chicken (substitute wonton skins for bread). I got to try a few things from their dinner menu over Dine LA week, fried chicken wings were awesome. I haven't had anything there that was bad.<br /><br />Oh yes, they also do dinners on the weekends. This summer, they're doing a "fooding" event, <a href="http://bistrolq.com/LQ/SK/Foodings/">a collaboration with Laurent Quenioux</a>, which is:<br /><blockquote>"a combination of unique culinary offerings and art inspired by feelings and beautiful fresh seasonal ingredients - food creating one of a kind event for each weekend offering. The Chef cooks what he wants, the Starry Kitchen team provides the atmosphere, service and soundtrack and the entire LQ @ SK team lends verve and style to each weekend event."</blockquote>I'd better book my reservation. Like a girl can say no to limited menu items like Mushu foie gras and Squab, Veal Feet, Ginger Cone Boudin Noir.<br /><br />Now, as a final note.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tips on making the most of your Starry Kitchen lunch visit</span><br /><br />1. Get there just a little before 12 or a little after 1 and you won't be crushed in line. 11:45 and 1:15 seems to be the magic numbers.<br /><br />2. Read the menu before you go. Figure out what you want to eat in what kind of combination. If it's your first time, Nguyen will give you a quick lecture anyway...because it's fun! ;-)<br /><br />3. If you have 3 orders or more, you can call ahead! It works out perfectly for me several times.<br /><br />4. If you're there with a buddy, take your friend's order and send him/her out to secure a seat. Better be safe than sorry, yo!<br /><br />5. If you're like me and never finish your plate, order your food "To Go Sit". They'll bring your food in to-go container to your table. That'll save them plates to wash and save you time to box everything up later.OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-10317323833667769872011-05-18T13:00:00.000-07:002011-05-18T14:13:45.296-07:00Vegetarian ConversionOh, the controversy around Chef Suvir Saran's grandstanding at <span style="font-style: italic;">Top Chef Masters</span> competition a few weeks ago.<br /><br />Yes, I know. I'm so totally current. LOL.<br /><br />For those who didn't watch, this was what happened. The challenge was to make a lower calorie meal for the <span style="font-style: italic;">Biggest Losers</span> contestants based on their high calorie favorite dish. Chef Suvir's diner liked bacon cheeseburger. Suvir made her a vegetarian "burger", more like a pita with some stuff inside it. She didn't like it.<br /><br />There was a speech accommodating this dish about health benefits of vegetarian diet and harms from red meat that got a lot of people uncomfortable and even angry.<br /><br />When asked why he didn't make his diner a healthier dish with meat in it like she had requested, he stuck to his principals--it's a change of lifestyle he's trying to get her to make.<br /><br />Now, while everyone flipped out about him apparently cooking for himself and not for his diner, I have a counterpoint to make.<br /><br />There are ways to make GREAT vegetarian burgers that would turn a meat eater into a believer. I know it for a fact, because I'm one of those converted.<br /><br />Some of you know that I am a once-a-week lacto-vegetarian for religious purpose. I say yes to dairy but no eggs if I can avoid it. So I have been eating different vegetarian dishes on those Tuesdays. Once in a while, I'd run into something new and delicious that I would order even on the day that I eat meat.<br /><br />For examples, I adore Soyrizo burrito and vegetarian bacon BLT at Mendocino Farms in downtown Los Angeles and I still sometimes dream about the homemade veggie patties at Crazy Burgers in San Diego.<br /><br />All it took for me to pick a veggie burger over a beef one is the fact that it was tasty and satisfying. It didn't taste like soy or cardboard. It's so good that I don't feel like I was missing the beef or the bacon.<br /><br />Such lifestyle changing burger exists.<br /><br />It just wasn't what Suvir made that day. His pita creation failed to vow the diner and the critics alike. Unfortunately for him, that hurts his cause.<br /><br />He could've made a veggie burger that tastes meaty and added some bacon substitute for the texture. (I don't know, fried coconut dusted with smoked paprika?) His diner would've been satisfied and his point proven correct.<br /><br />Having said that, while people are up in arms about Suvir's message about vegetarianism, I applaud him for sticking to his gun.<br /><br />Lifestyle can change, people. The man had a point.<br /><br />Now, go out there and find yourself a gateway vegetarian burger. Then come back to talk to me about it. :)OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-25054263317792750942011-05-03T21:02:00.000-07:002011-09-19T14:14:36.926-07:00A Few Good Pork at Cochon555Thanks to my friend and former contributor Chef Jay, I was alerted to <a href="http://www.cochon555.com/">Cochon555</a> in Los Angeles a few months back.<br />
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5 chefs face off cooking 5 heritage pigs with 5 wineries providing wine to pair. Such a glorious event befitting to be held in a former church in Downtown Los Angeles, Vibiana.<br />
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Chef Jay told me to volunteer, probably thinking they might let civilians into the kitchen to help. Of course, they were using local culinary students for that. But I volunteered nonetheless. And I dragged Aaron of <a href="http://www.savoryhunter.com/">Savory Hunter</a> with me. And what a sport he was too, since he doesn't eat pork. But he did get to have the wine.<br />
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Octavio Becerra of Palate Food & Wine cooked a popular Berkshire. Chad Colby of Mozza nose-to-tailed a Hampshire. Tim Goodell of Public Kitchen & Bar served up succulent Spotted Poland China. Ben Ford of Ford’s Filling Station showed off the all American Hereford. And Joshua Whigham of The Bazaar went to town with the rare Red Wattle.<br />
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Wines were provide by the Scholium Project, Alysian, Arnot-Roberts, Copain Wines, and Red Car Wine. None of which I got to taste.<br />
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If you came through the gate on Sunday, you probably have talked to me or seen me. While I didn't know a lot of people there aside from Matt of Dig Lounge (<a href="http://www.diglounge.net/food/food-coma-cochon555/">his recap here</a>), I got to marvel at all the people Aaron knows and was chatting with like LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold, and Erika Nakamura and the Lindy & Grundy's butcher shop gang.<br />
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Oh, and you guys would be so proud of me that I didn't scream and faint and/or beg for photo op when <a href="http://www.voltaggiobrothers.com/">Michael Voltaggio</a> turned up with his posse.<br />
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Clare, the volunteer organizer, did tell us to relief each other so all 6 of us could experience the event better. 2 volunteers went off into the event, and we never really saw them again. And I'm not a kind of gal who'd abandon ship when I made the commitment to come to WORK the event. Naturally, I was working through the whole thing and didn't get to enjoy the event the way it was meant to be enjoyed.<br />
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And I didn't bring my D40. You know, I didn't want my DSLR slathered in pork fat. It's just getting in the way of things. ;-)<br />
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But I did get some good pics from my phone and also get to sample some great stuff though. In the VIP area, I snagged me a sample of beer from Eagle Rock Brewery when we weren't too busy. Then after the rush, I answered Clare's plea that all of the GIANT oysters be eaten and cheeses from the Cheese Store in Silver Lake be consumed.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/5686233242/" title="Iberico Fresco by Oakmonster(TM), on Flickr"><img alt="Iberico Fresco" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5292/5686233242_f70f49f2b0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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When I got a chance to do the round in the main event, all the lines were so long that I didn't want to get in one because I wanted to be fair to other volunteers. So I ended up sampling around the place, not at the chef's stations.<br />
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I had my first taste of technically raw pork--seared Iberico Fresco. It's the same pork that will eventually be cured up to that famous Jamon Iberico de Bellota. It was almost like tasting sushi, sweet and delicious.<br />
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Then I had more than my share of Devil's on Horseback, one with smoked bacon and one with prosciutto. And there was this blue cheese and bacon shortbread things that I would eat by the bucketful. I also fell in love with the odd pairing of prosciutto from Gourmet on Wheels with Hazelnut Orange Cinnamon chocolate from H3 chocolate. I hung around their table so much I was given 3 hunks of chocolate to review later. LOL.<br />
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Oh, and I got some mercifully strong samples of Johnny Appleseed cocktail from the fantastic St. Germain's cocktail too. Addictive!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/5686230922/" title="St. Germain booth by Oakmonster(TM), on Flickr"><img alt="St. Germain booth" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5068/5686230922_ab851dd588.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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While Aaron posted at the gate once the event started, I went into relief the poor couple that was manning t-shirt sales inside. Lance went around to get himself and his wife Sheila some food, and at some point he got me a plate too (I didn't know from which chef) but overzealous wait staff took it away while I was busy selling shirts.<br />
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By the time I got to do my final walk around, most stations have run out of food and/or were packing up. From Chef Tim Goodell's station, I got just a sampling of the pig's head and trotter sausage and posole and a shot of some really earthy but delicious cocktail to wash that down. While the sausage blew my mind, the posole was missing salt in a big way.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/5685662055/" title="Samples from Chef Tim Goodell by Oakmonster(TM), on Flickr"><img alt="Samples from Chef Tim Goodell" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5064/5685662055_475279d0f2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Then I moseyed over to see what was left at Chef Chad Colby's station and there was a few big chunks of sausage left uncut as the chef and crew were cleaning up. I told the chef that I was sad I didn't get to taste his food today. He told me to take the whole chunk of his nose-to-tail salami. Before he changed his mind, I stabbed it with a fork and walked away. I went around the rest of the party gnawing on my pork lollipop.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakmonster/5679897319/" title="Chef Chad Colby's Pork Lollipop by Oakmonster(TM), on Flickr"><img alt="Chef Chad Colby's Pork Lollipop" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5189/5679897319_fb449e0d1d.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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I almost missed Chef Neal Fraser's Porcelet de Lait pig roasts too. But I cruised by right before they rolled the cart out and was invited to pick up the pieces. Since I didn't have plate, with salami lollipop in one hand, I shamelessly dunk my other hand into the carcass and picked on all the morsels soaked in delicious pork fat. These little milk-fed piglets yield buttery, juicy tender meat--best I've ever had. I peered around to find a piece of skin when one of the chefs tossed me an ear which I quickly shoved in my mouth and happily gnawed away. I didn't care about the pork fat running down my arm. I was such a happy girl.<br />
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And happier yet when Chef Chad Colby won the competition that night. Pork karma!<br />
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As people rolled into the party bus heading to the after party at Public Kitchen + Bar, Aaron and I said our goodbyes and headed off to each of our own blissful evening. Sleep for him. And belly full of pork for me.OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140646368032686836.post-67448292827907184522011-04-22T21:36:00.001-07:002011-04-22T21:54:55.845-07:00Happy Accident: Chocolate Cake Shot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.frangelico.com/img/pics/coctails/cake-shot.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 310px;" src="http://www.frangelico.com/img/pics/coctails/cake-shot.gif" alt="" align="left" border="0" /></a><br />Having just hit my scotch newbie wall (read: about half of the Glenlivet on the rocks), I was pondering what else to drink next.<br /><br />I watched curiously as the blond bombshell bartender at the Green Girl Saloon in Westminster pour Frangelico Hazelnut liquor and vodka into a shaker. What is she making? That's gotta be something creamy and delicious. But I didn't see her put any milk or anything in that. She repeated the mix a few times. It must be shots she's making, I thought. Interesting...<br /><br />Then the girl shook this carton--is that salt or sugar?--to get the clumpy granules loose, ended up breaking the bottom off the carton and poured it everywhere. The carton looked like sugar.<br /><br />But then I saw her served the shots up to that corner of the bar. With a wedge of lemon each.<br /><br />WHAT?!<br /><br />Hazelnut and lemon?! What the heck? Eew?<br /><br />I let the mystery stewed until I got home. The research shows that somehow the combination of sugar, vodka, Franglico, and lemon makes a taste of chocolate. <a href="http://www.frangelico.com/recipes/Frangelico-Chocolate-Cake-Shot.asp">The Frangelico Chocolate Cake Shot</a>, to be exact.<br /><br />Same method as a tequila shot but change the ingredients: lick the sugar, take the shot of equal part vodka and Frangelico, suck the lemon.<br /><br />I had to see for myself. While I don't have any lemons on hand, I have PLENTY of <a href="http://food.oakmonster.com/2009/12/diy-limoncello.html">homemade Limoncello.</a> As past cooking has proven, once in a while, I can use my homemade citrus liquor as a stand-in for lemon juice. Very sweet, very boozy lemon juice.<br /><br />So here I went. Lick the sugar. Take the shot. Sip the Limoncello.<br /><br />Hmm. Wait. I'm tasting chocolate. And then...Nutella?<br /><br />HOLY SHIT IT'S A NUTELLA SHOT!<br /><br />Who would've thought lemon and hazelnut liquor would put the chocolate taste in your mouth! The human taste buds never fail to amaze me.OakMonsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13642913606085031710noreply@blogger.com0