tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62987142237506428732024-03-05T12:12:13.703-06:00Where's My Gravy?A blog about cooking, eating, and all things food.Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-12459134200945795082019-06-13T12:44:00.001-05:002019-06-13T12:44:12.109-05:00I'm Back BabyAfter a long hiatus I am happy to say that I am ready to get back into my blog. Why was I gone for so long? Well, a couple of different reasons and all of them are happy ones. First of all, I was promoted at work to Sous Chef. So that meant some added responsibility as well as learning the ropes of what was expected of me as well as what I needed to be done. Now with nearly three years under my belt, I feel a little more comfortable at the position. But that was not the only occurrence to happen to make writing more difficult. I also had a son! So taking care of a baby is not exactly conducive to writing. He is now two years old and a little more independent. Summer is also here is Things at work might ease up just a bit. Enough I hope to allow me to write more.<br />
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Since pausing my writing I had always missed it. But I never could tell why. I mean this blog is very much an amateur blog. It certainly does not have the polish and finish of so many food blogs out there. Certainly I am not sure who, if anyone actually reads it. But you know what, that does not matter. I write for me. I write because I enjoy it. I certainly don't do it for monetary gain or for fame. I write because I enjoy sharing my knowledge about food as much as I enjoy cooking or eating. I love a good discourse on the food of today. I could spend hours talking about what good hot spots are for this or that cuisine in town. I could tell you all day my technique for making a good pot roast or ribs. So hopefully someone out there enjoys reading what I write.Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-32253565816877235312016-03-10T01:21:00.000-06:002016-03-10T01:21:28.856-06:00Tales from the Market Part 3: Bison Quesadillas<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7BN01drJ4HhsORwg-cnn0AmzrsCJxApAxd24LAUZmQYy6pjV0yqDVRuhHcj-4xY60IUe8YS1XCx6SxyyOcjwm31IV2mMqkPuUDh7YR0yjzZKGQvKQUeERPXEz5rl-73nq3YnmXfkxno/s1600/2016-03-01+19.43.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7BN01drJ4HhsORwg-cnn0AmzrsCJxApAxd24LAUZmQYy6pjV0yqDVRuhHcj-4xY60IUe8YS1XCx6SxyyOcjwm31IV2mMqkPuUDh7YR0yjzZKGQvKQUeERPXEz5rl-73nq3YnmXfkxno/s320/2016-03-01+19.43.16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My last adventure with food from the Rice Farmer's Market yielded some very tasty results. This time around I was able to get a different set of ingredients to play with. What I got was a deliciously pungent truffle cheddar from <a href="http://www.brazosvalleycheese.com/">Brazos Valley Cheese</a>, a creamy, rich and slightly smokey chipotle goat cheese from <a href="http://www.blueherontexas.com/">Blue Heron Farms</a>, a nice flavorful cut of bison tenderloin from<a href="http://katerraexotics.com/"> Katerra Exotics</a> and some tasty old fashioned nixtamal tortillas from Nixtamal Tortillas & Sopes. I guess its not much of leap when I tell you that I decided to make some quesadillas with this set of ingredients. The only thing I added was some fire roasted red peppers for flavor and color.<br />
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To review, here are the ingredients that I used to make my quesadillas:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TcMn-X93K_yorAHUUDnRof_BLTtzlq1j23giClZgAumIvHb10GAx10HT2a2UtvlAs0XOsoLvSPwb3jRyZQM6SCGANhNt-mORn727ITVyZEa6bnylEz3jMhvN_yuOr9Siq0iTVO1AXQM/s1600/2016-03-01+19.02.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TcMn-X93K_yorAHUUDnRof_BLTtzlq1j23giClZgAumIvHb10GAx10HT2a2UtvlAs0XOsoLvSPwb3jRyZQM6SCGANhNt-mORn727ITVyZEa6bnylEz3jMhvN_yuOr9Siq0iTVO1AXQM/s320/2016-03-01+19.02.48.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10-12 oz of bison tenderloin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jYAgjpiPQ3WjOdHG2KhwxhfydIq1nUkQgoi1p58E6UZPGob8_FSo1NHOhEqeAC6doIKpo7WNH5J1WCzJmpl0LajI9TyrVTgbV2SJ6f5l8Bj05eVabkEctijBtz216hyphenhyphenhWTVuQj4Ck28/s1600/2016-03-01+19.02.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jYAgjpiPQ3WjOdHG2KhwxhfydIq1nUkQgoi1p58E6UZPGob8_FSo1NHOhEqeAC6doIKpo7WNH5J1WCzJmpl0LajI9TyrVTgbV2SJ6f5l8Bj05eVabkEctijBtz216hyphenhyphenhWTVuQj4Ck28/s320/2016-03-01+19.02.57.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 oz of truffle cheddar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiBh5b_2II_8b1NGh99g7Zy2tDLFpuN1zbKnEvMWzHcUxilSdD7kjwOWvCGMxeYC6PYlnnO_PCJVXl969Y2Qi3t6JQPqLfF4N-RA3Z8u3AZMt3MghS0sDNj_bimkSAX1e6G5H2FYEnUk/s1600/2016-03-01+19.03.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiBh5b_2II_8b1NGh99g7Zy2tDLFpuN1zbKnEvMWzHcUxilSdD7kjwOWvCGMxeYC6PYlnnO_PCJVXl969Y2Qi3t6JQPqLfF4N-RA3Z8u3AZMt3MghS0sDNj_bimkSAX1e6G5H2FYEnUk/s320/2016-03-01+19.03.05.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 oz of chipotle goat cheese</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UcCAqTuAMwTuabQcc6rfcObyjoG8qQmIbTKhhBxck3Z50sX8N820gqNyVmmlh5IuLl4c5fu072hw-clUx4vbTFNgHBcKGvGiSHDfrZAfqtW3rxbW34ShhsIQfWTTfKgKRufL2z5DgYQ/s1600/2016-03-01+19.03.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UcCAqTuAMwTuabQcc6rfcObyjoG8qQmIbTKhhBxck3Z50sX8N820gqNyVmmlh5IuLl4c5fu072hw-clUx4vbTFNgHBcKGvGiSHDfrZAfqtW3rxbW34ShhsIQfWTTfKgKRufL2z5DgYQ/s320/2016-03-01+19.03.21.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">two or three roasted red peppers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjez86RpKYtrHrb-mc9mNCunwvjyJUwdqACNBGb7ho8x9gqGInoekoOpfX3wri__0e0TEkKnIuAqDarfyFn6ktch7Bxz34OhHJ530sR36NO1NL4rk8rsZU89AWgoIHYXGc-oR5wEqqHo/s1600/2016-03-01+19.03.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjez86RpKYtrHrb-mc9mNCunwvjyJUwdqACNBGb7ho8x9gqGInoekoOpfX3wri__0e0TEkKnIuAqDarfyFn6ktch7Bxz34OhHJ530sR36NO1NL4rk8rsZU89AWgoIHYXGc-oR5wEqqHo/s320/2016-03-01+19.03.28.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 nixtamal tortillas</td></tr>
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I should also note that I used a cast iron <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comal_%28cookware%29">comal </a>to make the quesadillas. If you don't have a comal, a cast iron skillet will do. If you don't have cast iron cookware then simply any skillet or fry pan will work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGm4yNyjc69mrke900bJhdT_yTkxkD2N3OP9dUEbaOTyar-B74O2mP7vezmgZoi5tDBSxH8itNSCejKeJi7Zr5OCqqyjyz4loKDXKl174uktMysLqDIgvG-QDrO-U76io5aBjTl_PQ6k/s1600/2016-03-01+19.03.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGm4yNyjc69mrke900bJhdT_yTkxkD2N3OP9dUEbaOTyar-B74O2mP7vezmgZoi5tDBSxH8itNSCejKeJi7Zr5OCqqyjyz4loKDXKl174uktMysLqDIgvG-QDrO-U76io5aBjTl_PQ6k/s320/2016-03-01+19.03.44.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like any good piece of cast iron cookware this comal has been in the family for generations. This one belonged to my grandmother.</td></tr>
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The first step in making the quesadillas was to get the bison ready. When working with bison there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, just because it looks like beef, that does not mean you can treat it like beef. Bison meat is very very lean and will not marble like beef does. What this means for you is that bison should never be cooked to anything more than medium. If it is cooked any more than that it will become tough and chewy. Next, season simply. You want to enjoy the flavor of the bison itself so don't go crazy with rubs or other seasonings. I used plain old salt and pepper. With that out of the way I can get into the procedural stuff. I let my comal get nice and hot. You know it is ready when you drip water on it and the water sizzles. With my comal nice and hot, I began to sear my meat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGi3r0WT99zfR1iTN-Uf7Ff_daYL9o7Ky86hlCKhJPOtXIkCfLLMZOVMlesyOvwFFXaGTTnxGPSvdxZfVBmocse1RXoXSMD2W02uHrHiFtkIC1Ya4NSc3k6hvoC2aDuZBnVFN20vCI6k/s1600/2016-03-01+19.10.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGi3r0WT99zfR1iTN-Uf7Ff_daYL9o7Ky86hlCKhJPOtXIkCfLLMZOVMlesyOvwFFXaGTTnxGPSvdxZfVBmocse1RXoXSMD2W02uHrHiFtkIC1Ya4NSc3k6hvoC2aDuZBnVFN20vCI6k/s320/2016-03-01+19.10.30.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This will add flavor and color to your meat as well as cook it.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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While searing the meat it is important to keep turning it so you sear all sides. I had to turn my meat several times.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2cUgMeUQX3Tdogil-yjP-geRUKLHRCbggx1sLZ3lHhJox6IT-NIxEqyJcr3ytEnmtj83KFrJhvvkdF88REd022ix5D99uDElUvKGwR8RoMW-mU2XK1m2MmisgfhQR8H4Uw5LxuuTERQ/s1600/2016-03-01+19.13.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2cUgMeUQX3Tdogil-yjP-geRUKLHRCbggx1sLZ3lHhJox6IT-NIxEqyJcr3ytEnmtj83KFrJhvvkdF88REd022ix5D99uDElUvKGwR8RoMW-mU2XK1m2MmisgfhQR8H4Uw5LxuuTERQ/s320/2016-03-01+19.13.11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This also help assure that your meat does not burn before it is cooked all the way.</td></tr>
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I pulled my meat when the internal temperature was a little over 125 degrees. This is considered rare. I did this because I did not want my meat to overcook, especially if it was going to be put inside a hot quesadilla that could potentially heat and cook it some more.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuNbyAcRdK-st52cUeQPQ-HadOdN94vPCUEKxoJiIqXyU4dlXYv4lNj2AZT-BlfiFs3gxx_oahPSFaCI8MUGfSb_S2i9lSor9audVAzFw7VyPX-yMrH7SboQ-1Y-NC2-XUnrhX2L7-oE/s1600/2016-03-01+19.30.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuNbyAcRdK-st52cUeQPQ-HadOdN94vPCUEKxoJiIqXyU4dlXYv4lNj2AZT-BlfiFs3gxx_oahPSFaCI8MUGfSb_S2i9lSor9audVAzFw7VyPX-yMrH7SboQ-1Y-NC2-XUnrhX2L7-oE/s320/2016-03-01+19.30.17.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Once I pulled the meat off the heat I did two things: I seasoned it and I let it rest. Seasoning your meat after searing will keep your seasonings (mainly the pepper) from burning. Allowing your meat to rest means that the juices will redistribute and not immediately run out from your meat when you slice it leaving it dry.<br />
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Having the meat rest gave me an opportunity to shred my cheddar and dice up my peppers. There was no really prep needed with the goat cheese since it is already nice and soft.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_A3QjJc9D4VwmKrjIJMCaWQx3fGKb-B78aGYq7HamLycKi-PL8MSo9rdcfLmxXiCP3CxVEH5XUJI4uZzGEfyb9qDM8-ByQFEDZ9kadgIR5POd34dGgoJLBDv2_aFmL7oIFBgrwB4bQQ/s1600/2016-03-01+19.07.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_A3QjJc9D4VwmKrjIJMCaWQx3fGKb-B78aGYq7HamLycKi-PL8MSo9rdcfLmxXiCP3CxVEH5XUJI4uZzGEfyb9qDM8-ByQFEDZ9kadgIR5POd34dGgoJLBDv2_aFmL7oIFBgrwB4bQQ/s320/2016-03-01+19.07.14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I only shredded half the of the 6 oz of cheese I got.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0m4yCfarZDt4Bvi8Zas9GyOXj3wJTSwR9uzzUqJSUbZboYv-V9m1497NK16v6oAY9eV3cVo2cgGILaKt5JH8Y4gD0z4O9C7kvnUlrDkloEDgJpB89SsQjPO_dU15OZn43PBSikBe7OU/s1600/2016-03-01+19.22.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0m4yCfarZDt4Bvi8Zas9GyOXj3wJTSwR9uzzUqJSUbZboYv-V9m1497NK16v6oAY9eV3cVo2cgGILaKt5JH8Y4gD0z4O9C7kvnUlrDkloEDgJpB89SsQjPO_dU15OZn43PBSikBe7OU/s320/2016-03-01+19.22.00.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That is 3 peppers diced up.</td></tr>
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After about ten minutes I finally sliced my bison. I sliced nice and thin so that it would not be tough to cut through the quesadillas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdVNkfuopoJpfJsP1xagNfcnQGwGEyo6kD6hLWtnwf0GZFw64MIjpR-dNSTNcGW_eXMv8oKUdKH2sS5_XhD6-f1KTx4pBUWqGjekEERYaO1VgwDsBroynMzWxqThVl1J7ArS66IdAu30/s1600/2016-03-01+19.34.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdVNkfuopoJpfJsP1xagNfcnQGwGEyo6kD6hLWtnwf0GZFw64MIjpR-dNSTNcGW_eXMv8oKUdKH2sS5_XhD6-f1KTx4pBUWqGjekEERYaO1VgwDsBroynMzWxqThVl1J7ArS66IdAu30/s320/2016-03-01+19.34.44.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slicing it thin also helps stretch it out.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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With my ingredients prepped it was now time to make my quesadillas. The first step was to get the tortillas ready. Unlike corn tortillas you get from the grocery store, the <a href="http://www.tortillerianixtamal.com/taqueria-nixtamalito/83-the-nixtamal-difference/70-what-is-nixtamal">nixtamal </a>tortillas I got are in a raw state and need some cooking before being used. I turned down the fire on the comal so it would stay hot, but not as hot as I needed it for searing the meat. With the comal ready I placed a tortilla on it and allowed it to cook and brown taking about eight to ten minutes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGRk4-zn1YDmGwUrD1Ncp9QX2ECtmwSAskeXjZh07AEiilIDiGo_5rjLobl79ARWj7xpuxrGzJxr8w_jZaV_1m_yV8dN3nP87JE3fnJ7rpbuAaJmmu7gc4OT0xT6RzHT_cwCaSkqyAPc/s1600/2016-03-01+19.31.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGRk4-zn1YDmGwUrD1Ncp9QX2ECtmwSAskeXjZh07AEiilIDiGo_5rjLobl79ARWj7xpuxrGzJxr8w_jZaV_1m_yV8dN3nP87JE3fnJ7rpbuAaJmmu7gc4OT0xT6RzHT_cwCaSkqyAPc/s320/2016-03-01+19.31.31.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let it cook until you can flip it without it breaking.</td></tr>
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After flipping it I let the tortilla cook on the other side. This will help keep the tortilla's structural integrity intact. The reverse side should take slightly less time, maybe about five to eight minutes.<br />
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<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/AVvXsEjL6dYQNlEDF9i82BdaaPmxeJ1N9U2J5LqL4BWr_OA2VsqNCFsFzeBdyuOe1SauNWDOSdtn1IphuLCZWJ8-IIkX1Gz7BXhf7_LoozeSNGVuybyCtTqGjtyfR7AXRL_qhIU3rNbiIjC0rxc/s1600/2016-03-01+19.32.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6dYQNlEDF9i82BdaaPmxeJ1N9U2J5LqL4BWr_OA2VsqNCFsFzeBdyuOe1SauNWDOSdtn1IphuLCZWJ8-IIkX1Gz7BXhf7_LoozeSNGVuybyCtTqGjtyfR7AXRL_qhIU3rNbiIjC0rxc/s320/2016-03-01+19.32.58.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cooked tortillas should have a golden hue as well as some darker spots.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once the first tortilla was ready I took it off the comal and put the second one on. <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/AVvXsEimrAqP9f8B8Nuss_7Eh3LIFLX0CK81ApIdRaD6d3qnVYbynqOe4WG84bAUwWWxf4HnRLbyAf83MWI04fNIIrJ0NreQ9TgS9kNpXgV7Bhp8C7aDcJqOnZxyWTpNVbEh2YXm-4VHYHmtyEA/s1600/2016-03-01+19.35.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrAqP9f8B8Nuss_7Eh3LIFLX0CK81ApIdRaD6d3qnVYbynqOe4WG84bAUwWWxf4HnRLbyAf83MWI04fNIIrJ0NreQ9TgS9kNpXgV7Bhp8C7aDcJqOnZxyWTpNVbEh2YXm-4VHYHmtyEA/s320/2016-03-01+19.35.41.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still warm.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
While the second tortilla was cooking I began assembling my quesadilla. First I added a layer of shredded cheese and some peppers.<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/AVvXsEgzyt6kJEJYxuJy0btYywXPvUV8dE72ASx8DjWn8YI5_LcSv9KAFWjNmIRi-YpOVs8PhExUBziHPZ5u_VuXlK_AnIGv2kDQMJwViM4ybN47cQQiYGOHrG_vaVq-09NMiwKmCEnxN-WiIYo/s1600/2016-03-01+19.38.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyt6kJEJYxuJy0btYywXPvUV8dE72ASx8DjWn8YI5_LcSv9KAFWjNmIRi-YpOVs8PhExUBziHPZ5u_VuXlK_AnIGv2kDQMJwViM4ybN47cQQiYGOHrG_vaVq-09NMiwKmCEnxN-WiIYo/s320/2016-03-01+19.38.07.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The heat from the tortilla will help begin melting the cheese.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Next I added some of my sliced bison as well as some more cheese.<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/AVvXsEhPYBxAjl3jlX02mIbp8v0n5PEzRtMrGqhi5DMdiDPs6zeH6EmcEDMIWL26m4-306-fUOfF0HbzyR7tqaVm5DcVVQbxL57qebur2NEwtAlyU1xoI70oHCtZT1o08kF8TCrzUKc3vtS_R5E/s1600/2016-03-01+19.38.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYBxAjl3jlX02mIbp8v0n5PEzRtMrGqhi5DMdiDPs6zeH6EmcEDMIWL26m4-306-fUOfF0HbzyR7tqaVm5DcVVQbxL57qebur2NEwtAlyU1xoI70oHCtZT1o08kF8TCrzUKc3vtS_R5E/s320/2016-03-01+19.38.37.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting to come together.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
By this time the second tortilla was just about ready.<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/AVvXsEjRFUEVbGO9bOaA1P57bIWIgFS7cY8YUm49bq7-4S92zh9nf3107B5quzJQHUH5wHwgizSqgLTFLqrDw8CXYXEEPLp47ciNm4mTJsx22MLWghqWQjCKp2iMzFcbbrVIj3-yizLxl4mVlrs/s1600/2016-03-01+19.39.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFUEVbGO9bOaA1P57bIWIgFS7cY8YUm49bq7-4S92zh9nf3107B5quzJQHUH5wHwgizSqgLTFLqrDw8CXYXEEPLp47ciNm4mTJsx22MLWghqWQjCKp2iMzFcbbrVIj3-yizLxl4mVlrs/s320/2016-03-01+19.39.06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to flip this one while assembling the bottom half.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I then placed the fresh tortilla on top of my assembly to complete my quesadilla. It was then back on the comal with the first tortilla still on the bottom. At this point all I was really doing was helping the cheese melt and warming up the middle. I only left it on the comal for about two to three minutes before flipping it over and letting the other side warm up and melt the cheese. The important thing to realize is that flipping the quesadilla over multiple times is OK as long as the cheese melts and the tortillas don't burn.<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/AVvXsEj7CHd1RW76jJhyphenhyphenW1ZhjD4zNP0u9Bi4YvD3EinlYPFwqbBMc7xKCJ8aWy2UcygcIQr-4eVmne9zNxGHI0Fr_5mjWx53XwCI5T0iEX05jy_33QGYCcnrq1NCHulaOQGpwXWIH14Z_NY-jSE/s1600/2016-03-01+19.39.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CHd1RW76jJhyphenhyphenW1ZhjD4zNP0u9Bi4YvD3EinlYPFwqbBMc7xKCJ8aWy2UcygcIQr-4eVmne9zNxGHI0Fr_5mjWx53XwCI5T0iEX05jy_33QGYCcnrq1NCHulaOQGpwXWIH14Z_NY-jSE/s320/2016-03-01+19.39.19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MMM, melty.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After it was done I simply cut the quesadilla into quarters to enjoy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakzskp1b4ZcjAHp5bnFYX395rfQinKRwAmIchJMDflTEmis-doZG5F-e0abHWTS74aJIBtbGxUE-L-LDNKRjYOi8gLsZf3jtYYKZ90HzA8oI_LAUkKwpLswZorX5a2EjEGA_C08psjNw/s1600/2016-03-01+19.43.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakzskp1b4ZcjAHp5bnFYX395rfQinKRwAmIchJMDflTEmis-doZG5F-e0abHWTS74aJIBtbGxUE-L-LDNKRjYOi8gLsZf3jtYYKZ90HzA8oI_LAUkKwpLswZorX5a2EjEGA_C08psjNw/s320/2016-03-01+19.43.19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
When I made the quesadillas with the chipotle goat cheese I followed the same procedure. The only difference I noticed is that you don't need as much goat cheese since it is softer and tends to melt faster and spread out more.<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/AVvXsEjdSA1bFw1gzMleOUy2GJ6DF-FyrTanb1kbvfp-TmAUdWWtJsCldgQt9CsUgpxrGED07azxFkGPqja_uDWlrvpjSni7HawVd9FvKKFx1c5FX0nH5dR2gEx-i9GQ9fJG_4Lr9IWsg0ZID_E/s1600/2016-03-01+19.46.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSA1bFw1gzMleOUy2GJ6DF-FyrTanb1kbvfp-TmAUdWWtJsCldgQt9CsUgpxrGED07azxFkGPqja_uDWlrvpjSni7HawVd9FvKKFx1c5FX0nH5dR2gEx-i9GQ9fJG_4Lr9IWsg0ZID_E/s320/2016-03-01+19.46.36.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First tortilla with layer of cheese and peppers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEhztUQMvrTsbvVu87PhJBlJbimlxbraCudG_89bUPOF0UXOcoJysnXy19mP9oiZeQxMlhqt088DIE_zC-ThfkqQX5xxKPLsLQ2T-u3RvqVrbTq1zAQVc7tcnULTWq8Y8RLM22s38rj6wd0/s1600/2016-03-01+19.48.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztUQMvrTsbvVu87PhJBlJbimlxbraCudG_89bUPOF0UXOcoJysnXy19mP9oiZeQxMlhqt088DIE_zC-ThfkqQX5xxKPLsLQ2T-u3RvqVrbTq1zAQVc7tcnULTWq8Y8RLM22s38rj6wd0/s320/2016-03-01+19.48.02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next layer of bison and more cheese.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEgqlfXjIXCwP9bEN-Z5cYKsMa5Kds91nSblJs6b_6L43KDk4mku8CVu9cy2PgQeAe24kKFHq2JZJ8AjkhXwoVm5cLda-qM92cpdx6R0CBEacyRoh2GGO0ayzwZ_kyfSl5M0MBAbv9CDT0I/s1600/2016-03-01+19.53.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlfXjIXCwP9bEN-Z5cYKsMa5Kds91nSblJs6b_6L43KDk4mku8CVu9cy2PgQeAe24kKFHq2JZJ8AjkhXwoVm5cLda-qM92cpdx6R0CBEacyRoh2GGO0ayzwZ_kyfSl5M0MBAbv9CDT0I/s320/2016-03-01+19.53.48.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bison quesadillas only with goat cheese instead of cheddar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There you have it. That is how I made my bison quesadillas using fresh tortillas and cheese from the farmer's market. I do have to note that while both variations of these quesadillas were very delicious I would omit the red peppers from the first variation. Between the strong flavors of the truffle cheese and the bison the peppers were kind of lost. However they played well with the goat cheese. If you can't afford or get bison you could very well make these quesadillas with beef, specifically fajitas. I hope you get a chance to try your hand at these very delicious quesadillas. Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-44698866278803626772016-02-24T01:59:00.000-06:002016-03-07T22:37:52.682-06:00Tales from the Market Part 2: Swiss Chard, Cremini Mushroom & Pork Empanadas from Rice Farmer's MarketLast week I was invited to the Rice Farmer's Market. The purpose of this visit to the farmer's market was not just to
indulge in some chit chat with vendors. I was brought along to <a href="http://wheresmygravy.blogspot.com/2016/02/from-farm-to-fork.html">write about my experience </a>and to show people what could be done with
ingredients bought at the farmer's market. When I arrived I had some
preconceived notions of what dish I might concoct. I thought I was
probably going to end up making a delicious salad with all the
vegetables I was going to get. But as I went along and started looking
at all the different ingredients, I started to tinker in my mind and and
come up with a world of possibilities, especially if I allowed myself
some ingredients from outside of the market. What I ultimately ended up
deciding to make was a Swiss chard, cremini mushroom and ground pork
empanada. The chard, mushrooms and green onions all came from <a href="http://www.animalfarmcenter.com/">Animal Farm Center</a> and the ground pork from <a href="http://shinerporkandbeef.com/">Shiner Pork and Beef</a>.<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/AVvXsEjwBgDmevqhjAB6VIxKjCm03wKHbHfQPhgNBPxdnP8RgxFWsmadWvoFy9zzSDzRJzz9uuhBOHO2waXROvNoI56GspVkoD72x0MfRoO5MqU7rkljKq3PHYj7-EyNYs4rt4KqQ1ToU-BLxSw/s1600/IMAG1645.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBgDmevqhjAB6VIxKjCm03wKHbHfQPhgNBPxdnP8RgxFWsmadWvoFy9zzSDzRJzz9uuhBOHO2waXROvNoI56GspVkoD72x0MfRoO5MqU7rkljKq3PHYj7-EyNYs4rt4KqQ1ToU-BLxSw/s320/IMAG1645.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My goodies from the Farmer's Market</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEgJ3JMOpIE0OITfCWhbJSIBipLB4b476Z9P6vq-WYJeCNa33I_yB0EAl_BtKnPugWL8fG2yplu1Iu9WhPqxpxSmbHqGAjXXab9LHzqXrKJNMmbxMG5_y355niGVHx_nVeXBAuNRoGPuSSc/s1600/IMAG1647.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3JMOpIE0OITfCWhbJSIBipLB4b476Z9P6vq-WYJeCNa33I_yB0EAl_BtKnPugWL8fG2yplu1Iu9WhPqxpxSmbHqGAjXXab9LHzqXrKJNMmbxMG5_y355niGVHx_nVeXBAuNRoGPuSSc/s320/IMAG1647.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Five buches of Swiss Chard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEgv6qGai2c1x2He1nOiQ3_5McFjyuwn1KhQeBxKfFJhcuxAa6NVzxBS5dvELt5rTp5hUo7RyBidDEt9X1Nu7je0H5EodE8X5U9cM_1gFRUBJcdFKNTgWC022TtIIxRdw5fSeYOEtTx5T-0/s1600/IMAG1649.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6qGai2c1x2He1nOiQ3_5McFjyuwn1KhQeBxKfFJhcuxAa6NVzxBS5dvELt5rTp5hUo7RyBidDEt9X1Nu7je0H5EodE8X5U9cM_1gFRUBJcdFKNTgWC022TtIIxRdw5fSeYOEtTx5T-0/s320/IMAG1649.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two bunches for green onion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEg35Z8aXY1IyrS-RQGqYERv-HNlxekKu9hUL0YMR2hF-ux5vf6V7ZdChTtexECNcnEqnL2G22Mw3QRWqKVL7a-rQ8eOYnUkubOCLllHkbNtBntnmFL5VveYeIdiA5wdJpf0jAOKF79lSoM/s1600/IMAG1651.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35Z8aXY1IyrS-RQGqYERv-HNlxekKu9hUL0YMR2hF-ux5vf6V7ZdChTtexECNcnEqnL2G22Mw3QRWqKVL7a-rQ8eOYnUkubOCLllHkbNtBntnmFL5VveYeIdiA5wdJpf0jAOKF79lSoM/s320/IMAG1651.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About two pounds of cremini mushrooms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEiqwj-Fl3KFd_tZ5VFkVD0hzaZbJjbvR5esjOm0MzRWL_5GjPSdh0FpKWu3ZhDJOQdvpyMjTKf7gt9eojqOEK2qtBgLOzYuTJ70z8HvNxFTVZv2LXjxj_5Whln0xjUE70xxN17DuRBp8JI/s1600/IMAG1654.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwj-Fl3KFd_tZ5VFkVD0hzaZbJjbvR5esjOm0MzRWL_5GjPSdh0FpKWu3ZhDJOQdvpyMjTKf7gt9eojqOEK2qtBgLOzYuTJ70z8HvNxFTVZv2LXjxj_5Whln0xjUE70xxN17DuRBp8JI/s320/IMAG1654.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three cloves of garlic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEh1zcFBgetqMqZzDP2qJNMuxQ0WpxVr3fLRNrGZb0CVjlyYgk-U5FhylUbHLP18OyznGYyTkJ_qzYCP1egKW9eaSm83KZJZJvsvlBdDGyTXbNAOhXbGrQ5_pZ4-ljOTA99gfxGhVOSD5Ok/s1600/IMAG1655.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zcFBgetqMqZzDP2qJNMuxQ0WpxVr3fLRNrGZb0CVjlyYgk-U5FhylUbHLP18OyznGYyTkJ_qzYCP1egKW9eaSm83KZJZJvsvlBdDGyTXbNAOhXbGrQ5_pZ4-ljOTA99gfxGhVOSD5Ok/s320/IMAG1655.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little over a pound of ground pork</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As
well as these ingredients I also used two sheets (one package) of puff
pastry and about a 1/4 cup of egg beaters for egg wash.<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/AVvXsEi0P5onNbxpIvdlbjpiBkgCTURUwcNkjlT3Igs8KYsmNg3VUt7FNfTqE0jzNbzOEGgVT2cv00cxBLD-gguohtsg34ThRlpA3fqz_uupl5VvFf9xbFEi0VtkxeWl8caFvicqB8W64rAF-ww/s1600/IMAG1682.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0P5onNbxpIvdlbjpiBkgCTURUwcNkjlT3Igs8KYsmNg3VUt7FNfTqE0jzNbzOEGgVT2cv00cxBLD-gguohtsg34ThRlpA3fqz_uupl5VvFf9xbFEi0VtkxeWl8caFvicqB8W64rAF-ww/s320/IMAG1682.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whisk the egg with about two tablespoons of water for the perfect egg wash.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
First I prepared my vegetables.<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/AVvXsEjn8laiMGKEu38l9FbgMZ1V1J-ce2yJSbOYbxSUZ_icHZeGhRDF2nfILJ5gwvJ8O6V2DPNPyrDTzr9GZaPm6N1K1337h-OJUU3Mz8HnRl2oaOmbp-HWk1JFU0npjQbOsNT-sT2-t_ZjI6M/s1600/IMAG1648.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8laiMGKEu38l9FbgMZ1V1J-ce2yJSbOYbxSUZ_icHZeGhRDF2nfILJ5gwvJ8O6V2DPNPyrDTzr9GZaPm6N1K1337h-OJUU3Mz8HnRl2oaOmbp-HWk1JFU0npjQbOsNT-sT2-t_ZjI6M/s320/IMAG1648.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chop and wash the chard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEhmKEandE7ka7yI2pkaRoxDcaVop0sV91Je5XjgySN5Usn4knx2i81VpVTPvgNIItAvktdbv9mBF7GBKDIdBl2xUBagYLUiyznNSkzcMtKJVyZYukVikYEFsI4eN6BczTJzm2UVLKYzBCA/s1600/IMAG1650.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKEandE7ka7yI2pkaRoxDcaVop0sV91Je5XjgySN5Usn4knx2i81VpVTPvgNIItAvktdbv9mBF7GBKDIdBl2xUBagYLUiyznNSkzcMtKJVyZYukVikYEFsI4eN6BczTJzm2UVLKYzBCA/s320/IMAG1650.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slice the green onion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEggljwRDRwFLZJeuAexoLfGHkdXOBD209L2u2cLH6x85_BhGlRDVXrdmFAY34l0nLBRUS9t3ngldrZrx7kLmzfVq5KZGmWROXWSa2TOI8p5DJXOlNgME5wk_2LVx3jU2YlHhp7nFHG0YZU/s1600/IMAG1652.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggljwRDRwFLZJeuAexoLfGHkdXOBD209L2u2cLH6x85_BhGlRDVXrdmFAY34l0nLBRUS9t3ngldrZrx7kLmzfVq5KZGmWROXWSa2TOI8p5DJXOlNgME5wk_2LVx3jU2YlHhp7nFHG0YZU/s320/IMAG1652.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slice the mushrooms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEg_KGGTnApLIj_lQPgQvwlgHPJmUwhliDV9vRS6sVywSjnTkloM2rWD-Kq93l2RG1FSP4PyQtLidwybSZv2DderajR-t6Dgpbgeb0P8CfJMjvTdJuxoLnVibR1TZpqDUHgdUEC-_89U_Lk/s1600/IMAG1658.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KGGTnApLIj_lQPgQvwlgHPJmUwhliDV9vRS6sVywSjnTkloM2rWD-Kq93l2RG1FSP4PyQtLidwybSZv2DderajR-t6Dgpbgeb0P8CfJMjvTdJuxoLnVibR1TZpqDUHgdUEC-_89U_Lk/s320/IMAG1658.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mince the garlic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next
in a large pan I added my ground pork to allow it to start browning.
Normally I would start with a little oil and saute my garlic until it
was aromatic. The pork however, had a good bit of fat, so I decided to
let that render out, then add my garlic and let it cook in that fat. I
made sure my heat was not too high as I did not want my meat to burn
before browning. I also added just a little salt and pepper to season
the pork. I was taught that when preparing a dish it is always good to
season in layers. <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/AVvXsEj_bndzK7pgtdC895_bMnicXWXafLr4KzB-BW0vVDikTOmOankWht3JlRnTA5nU5NqhftM_Y399izqd-G37Lehd9FWjGIwoaimTYGNQb_NlGEfgoRwkH6e3WzG3186nbr3jmxO1wdc4GNk/s1600/IMAG1656.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bndzK7pgtdC895_bMnicXWXafLr4KzB-BW0vVDikTOmOankWht3JlRnTA5nU5NqhftM_Y399izqd-G37Lehd9FWjGIwoaimTYGNQb_NlGEfgoRwkH6e3WzG3186nbr3jmxO1wdc4GNk/s320/IMAG1656.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allow your pork to start browning on medium heat and for the fat to render out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEiSVO4rd9QK1at62HPzMLPYxnfoKrNLk3owTl5EjQrdqklD3uW5tPPAJuDBxb_S7U0hA_V95JlFPikfyuNCvY4puIWUdVfpStVlu3NKLZhzkWUADjhk-baZGwFEbCGcV1RkLIE6GZPR1Rg/s1600/IMAG1661.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVO4rd9QK1at62HPzMLPYxnfoKrNLk3owTl5EjQrdqklD3uW5tPPAJuDBxb_S7U0hA_V95JlFPikfyuNCvY4puIWUdVfpStVlu3NKLZhzkWUADjhk-baZGwFEbCGcV1RkLIE6GZPR1Rg/s320/IMAG1661.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add your garlic and let it cook in the pork fat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next
I added my mushrooms and the white parts of the green onion. The idea
is once again to let the mushrooms and onions to cook in the fat of the
pork. I once again added a pinch of seasoning.<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/AVvXsEgMKAatwc3TWAB3HxLl5vjobjT8fLbO4cRbLuinoriI13brXRRXGQGTWmwV26hp-4OKW1mNfeFI5NXaOgcnZXvaVXmeTpgrH_viTUJRNvVfa8VK-imv9dlCe-XKSLeLqUa5M-h3bTeZM6k/s1600/IMAG1662.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKAatwc3TWAB3HxLl5vjobjT8fLbO4cRbLuinoriI13brXRRXGQGTWmwV26hp-4OKW1mNfeFI5NXaOgcnZXvaVXmeTpgrH_viTUJRNvVfa8VK-imv9dlCe-XKSLeLqUa5M-h3bTeZM6k/s320/IMAG1662.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add your mushrooms and whites of the onions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEgDO0wcBDSoGwAZk6ab9kmZbKLEH9N2SeIApw_55BtspfB-TF64paDZBfs65Mie3hosAQYLAELXalt4E_wbCYqsvVeZgg1lUqm8LOjC66ZvO2RWhZpmm7oj2LnoAdzNdAwMZHz9k2VUHjg/s1600/IMAG1663.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO0wcBDSoGwAZk6ab9kmZbKLEH9N2SeIApw_55BtspfB-TF64paDZBfs65Mie3hosAQYLAELXalt4E_wbCYqsvVeZgg1lUqm8LOjC66ZvO2RWhZpmm7oj2LnoAdzNdAwMZHz9k2VUHjg/s320/IMAG1663.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stir to make sure everything gets incorporated and cooks evenly.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After
I let the mushrooms cook for a while I finally added the chard. I let
the mixture cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally, so that
the chard could also cook down.<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/AVvXsEi9ktKCGyARu88UuwxB9Xx34xRXB-wzAqpwc_Fr-DNjhbhSHNraQWkOfrzjyQae_cLuJ-6bHxm4KkeK1Zu1eDU2Q79595HP2F4u3jbfDPkLpzI8TNkkQX-LEw6yvsKbJTwxPH1HTTQTZ68/s1600/IMAG1666.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ktKCGyARu88UuwxB9Xx34xRXB-wzAqpwc_Fr-DNjhbhSHNraQWkOfrzjyQae_cLuJ-6bHxm4KkeK1Zu1eDU2Q79595HP2F4u3jbfDPkLpzI8TNkkQX-LEw6yvsKbJTwxPH1HTTQTZ68/s320/IMAG1666.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add your chard and allow it to cook down.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEiShcKXMTUvaLXlJBSbviLz5Do2UrYpOTroe8Aahxm2JEv6uw1VStKr-_-8_OCKofRG2jKUEZGM4-_GqiOV7cLdz0VX1gaLRXtJOu3cpew5yI9tV4sqYHfli4A3bhrhseIClue7YSay_KU/s1600/IMAG1667.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShcKXMTUvaLXlJBSbviLz5Do2UrYpOTroe8Aahxm2JEv6uw1VStKr-_-8_OCKofRG2jKUEZGM4-_GqiOV7cLdz0VX1gaLRXtJOu3cpew5yI9tV4sqYHfli4A3bhrhseIClue7YSay_KU/s320/IMAG1667.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixture after stirring.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The
last thing I did was to stir in the remainder of my green onions off
the heat, taste it and adjust the seasoning. After I tasting I decided
that the mixture did not need any more salt, but a pinch more pepper.
Then I let it cool off a bit.<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/AVvXsEjooYwnSZdnZWLfpuHjsgVuq0kfNL3Hy1KOrmc4gxpedVUh4wAnTTNGLYphjyIDLTPvQNqX2BK7q6dOpaAsvc_NKcAWCAJrxAhXw58xYLv4BtqS3tYINUDCsuGBVcCC90lkUbR84bhVM94/s1600/IMAG1669.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooYwnSZdnZWLfpuHjsgVuq0kfNL3Hy1KOrmc4gxpedVUh4wAnTTNGLYphjyIDLTPvQNqX2BK7q6dOpaAsvc_NKcAWCAJrxAhXw58xYLv4BtqS3tYINUDCsuGBVcCC90lkUbR84bhVM94/s320/IMAG1669.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add remaining green onions and taste. Adjust seasoning accordingly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While I was cooking my mixture I made sure to pull out my puff pastry and allowed it to thaw out.<br />
<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/AVvXsEi4pt3YHv4rJhRkIGwDJw-3HO-RZzeChsc-yV4iJb_-p35xFR3V9G5IupUqFa9wgWR30jlz12ZWDSnexf1x3X0GAZX1Z6GjFCBEwrXW4bW9rJoA4avfwWWVC3LPxao6S3ponef6gasoT60/s1600/IMAG1672.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pt3YHv4rJhRkIGwDJw-3HO-RZzeChsc-yV4iJb_-p35xFR3V9G5IupUqFa9wgWR30jlz12ZWDSnexf1x3X0GAZX1Z6GjFCBEwrXW4bW9rJoA4avfwWWVC3LPxao6S3ponef6gasoT60/s320/IMAG1672.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thaw and stretch out your puff pastry.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While the mixture was cooling off, I stretched out my puff pastry and cut each sheet into six squares.<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/AVvXsEiVLI8YHTD7_6N4uDGpEG1w24sDZk0p8BfIosFWbSklWtBg4TXlW9Ehg4j4G1odcA-bJIpTdLpioohfZLetqoa-l2gygO1RDf51gF7HJTjF6fUmWpumg75MCtgaUQSHvCS_KBm_9DYJuQ8/s1600/IMAG1675.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLI8YHTD7_6N4uDGpEG1w24sDZk0p8BfIosFWbSklWtBg4TXlW9Ehg4j4G1odcA-bJIpTdLpioohfZLetqoa-l2gygO1RDf51gF7HJTjF6fUmWpumg75MCtgaUQSHvCS_KBm_9DYJuQ8/s320/IMAG1675.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tip: add a little flour to the surface you are cutting the pastry on so it does not stick.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next, take I took a couple of baking pans and sprayed them with cooking for baking spray.<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/AVvXsEhIpiqes7LpRKfLz5k8eBv-264fOw1acQq-PriJEwybBWmwHhKtjCY4aH7rCljn6eaAXeKa5sh_F4zoC6CVV4Qy0GCK5KfZGIMUM7FuZbjWlxsfgMozAIsnXdEJtrEBfFByXQ56N51CzMY/s1600/IMAG1673.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpiqes7LpRKfLz5k8eBv-264fOw1acQq-PriJEwybBWmwHhKtjCY4aH7rCljn6eaAXeKa5sh_F4zoC6CVV4Qy0GCK5KfZGIMUM7FuZbjWlxsfgMozAIsnXdEJtrEBfFByXQ56N51CzMY/s320/IMAG1673.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This makes sure that the empanadas don't stick after baking.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I then lined the squares on the baking pans so I could make my empanadas. I lined up the squares as evenly as possible.<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/AVvXsEg7Jp_G0RCzOVv26lVPJbLohRv0yO3pEuhEYzR5tBrJQ2pXWWT5vqpDWx2LKEQ04DBoqqKAfhqGohm1Z2PxCiOSXWDPpbDu0QqNnnYgaaVv-kb5QomWtnisELg5ibPkbtFwCiXK4S5hDbI/s1600/IMAG1678.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Jp_G0RCzOVv26lVPJbLohRv0yO3pEuhEYzR5tBrJQ2pXWWT5vqpDWx2LKEQ04DBoqqKAfhqGohm1Z2PxCiOSXWDPpbDu0QqNnnYgaaVv-kb5QomWtnisELg5ibPkbtFwCiXK4S5hDbI/s320/IMAG1678.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the most even, I know.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then I spooned about a tablespoon of the mixture into the middle of each square then I brushed the edges with a little egg <span id="goog_979738984"></span><span id="goog_979738985"></span>wash. After that I simply folded the squares in half to form a triangle and pinched the edges shut using a fork.<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/AVvXsEhvzrJQlyQ7nqdOLTfWSnKerLMUl_-IGhuB8Ykusl16JbUDZrVKC7ja4ET2wpYS8BfV0nfFC6wG57ayGuZa_vffk4H0tRJbVkoqiw5h2C2j6K04z0wQndE2A0_FZUwjISiOhAaOo9AgkKo/s1600/IMAG1680.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzrJQlyQ7nqdOLTfWSnKerLMUl_-IGhuB8Ykusl16JbUDZrVKC7ja4ET2wpYS8BfV0nfFC6wG57ayGuZa_vffk4H0tRJbVkoqiw5h2C2j6K04z0wQndE2A0_FZUwjISiOhAaOo9AgkKo/s320/IMAG1680.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spoon about a tablespoon's worth of mixture in the middle of each square.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEhhNrfIUrVGhcAjxwKsTZP-COkDJjy-rBc5TRuVFveG5mkd_jMz-H72fhbpTJNDeNkMrKUtF7kX2tnDIv6uAZ9C87FHm3LQRrKqirbBDOTxz7KVRUMuMeauYgcCEOYSfvurBTW84zJ-QWg/s1600/IMAG1681.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNrfIUrVGhcAjxwKsTZP-COkDJjy-rBc5TRuVFveG5mkd_jMz-H72fhbpTJNDeNkMrKUtF7kX2tnDIv6uAZ9C87FHm3LQRrKqirbBDOTxz7KVRUMuMeauYgcCEOYSfvurBTW84zJ-QWg/s320/IMAG1681.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fold each square in half and pinch the edges closed with a fork.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the empanadas were assembled I simply brushed each one with egg wash before going into the oven.<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/AVvXsEirSrJZsZ6ATLjP8PA9yx4yaP6H-6nBuabKFb5ZZrFbEwGiF2q3OOFcft8pH1dIVPcGGvm9xkb9M1N_Na9V4LeE2Z-M6kwOWHFz5XJ1j2dO-fIdZdRnXaCv8_A_SstWpMfWl1gYpyTWook/s1600/IMAG1683.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSrJZsZ6ATLjP8PA9yx4yaP6H-6nBuabKFb5ZZrFbEwGiF2q3OOFcft8pH1dIVPcGGvm9xkb9M1N_Na9V4LeE2Z-M6kwOWHFz5XJ1j2dO-fIdZdRnXaCv8_A_SstWpMfWl1gYpyTWook/s320/IMAG1683.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brush each empanada with egg wash before going in the oven.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now
all I had to do was bake my empanadas at 350 F for about ten minutes
until the puff pastry was golden brown and puffed up. Once they came
out of the oven I let them cool down, then arranged them on a platter to
look nice.<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/AVvXsEhuePtG3V9MQY41zhDXExoRTvixq63fLqbiE2whSphMhsTtNbzl8KZK8WFTBcBXV-AtphK8oi_3aSwKryxRwn38Y-UUifoJ73yRe1byLwzp1CBgg6tS5-6eWUJaXxn0khODs9y8laKskmU/s1600/2016-02-20+19.59.04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuePtG3V9MQY41zhDXExoRTvixq63fLqbiE2whSphMhsTtNbzl8KZK8WFTBcBXV-AtphK8oi_3aSwKryxRwn38Y-UUifoJ73yRe1byLwzp1CBgg6tS5-6eWUJaXxn0khODs9y8laKskmU/s320/2016-02-20+19.59.04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bake until golden brown and puffed. Allow to cool and enjoy!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
An
alternative to using puff pastry is to use pre-made pie dough. Since
pie dough usually comes in circles, it would be a good idea to use a
circle cookie cutter to cut the dough into circles. Simply follow the
same procedure as if you were making the empanadas with puff pastry.
The only real difference is that if you are using pie dough you need to
poke small holes in the empanadas to allow steam to vent as they cook.<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/AVvXsEg5aVostffpcerEVz0-j4Zi_Xvxq7FqHMxUz9y-8bP6iQ6-GD2OMxlzGovJpgpsuAl104Djab-2_cT8Bawg8UM_QR7yWA1_xlRPQ8_reFBlPCt5tTcUukPCr7JO4Mij0D9qagXn9cjA6ZM/s1600/2016-02-22+20.53.11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aVostffpcerEVz0-j4Zi_Xvxq7FqHMxUz9y-8bP6iQ6-GD2OMxlzGovJpgpsuAl104Djab-2_cT8Bawg8UM_QR7yWA1_xlRPQ8_reFBlPCt5tTcUukPCr7JO4Mij0D9qagXn9cjA6ZM/s320/2016-02-22+20.53.11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made with pie dough instead of puff pastry.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My experience with making this dish was that since I was experimenting I did not have all the amounts perfected. That being said, if you make these empanadas the way that I did be prepared to have plenty of leftover mix. I had enough to make a dozen empanadas from puff pasty, about twenty from pie crust and still have some left over. That is not necessarily the worst thing in the world to happen. I will simply freeze what I have left over and use it again at a later date. I hope this recipe inspires you to forge your own culinary masterpiece using your local farmer's market!<br />
<br />Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-80155987669001694072016-02-23T01:50:00.000-06:002016-03-07T22:37:21.447-06:00Tales from the Market Part 1: From Farm to ForkThere is a phrase that has been circulating in the food circles for a while now. It is popular with chefs, trendy restaurants and even foodies. You may have heard it before. That phrase is "from farm to fork". The first time I heard it was back in 2008 when the chef I worked for assigned me to the gourmet salad station. But what does this phrase mean? It is quite elegant in its simplicity. The phrase simply reflects that the food one consumes goes directly from the farm where it was produced/grown/harvested to the plate of the person eating it with little to no go betweens. This is a nice idea in theory, in practice it is much harder to achieve. What I mean to say is that not many people (including chefs) have a direct line to farm to get the food they want. A good way to get that connection is via a local farmer's market. At a good quality farmer's market you will find a variety of vendors that can satisfy your need for a local connection to your food.<br />
<br />
Last week I had the pleasure and privilege of being taken to the <a href="http://dining.rice.edu/farmers-market/">Rice University Farmer's Market</a> by Rice Dining where I had the opportunity to speak and interact with several vendors there. This was not my<a href="http://wheresmygravy.blogspot.com/2013/11/sweets-by-belen-peruvian-sweets.html"> first time here</a>, but this was my first time to really explore and see just what the market had to offer. One of the first vendors we talked to was Chef Chandler Rothbard from<a href="http://www.animalfarmcenter.com/index.php"> Animal Farm Center</a>. We chatted about what produce he had brought with him as well as what Animal Farm was all about. I, along with other chefs from work, were able to procure some choice produce. We got some beautiful <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=watermelon+radish&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8">watermelon radishes</a> as well as some edible flowers. I personally got some Swiss chard, green onions and some cremini mushrooms. <br />
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<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/AVvXsEi8L24GCB2FGlyPF7avjgNcp9BsBSMY_x6MNgKZqIetmxYofdKLhWkNSb4WdlLjhbZL0yJbK3GmzpmpasXnzLR9SEcAjzDbxHdvZenrXy46lmLECWk8aB3zuY5DpmeV9Zev0KjP4dJ-aPY/s1600/IMAG1636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8L24GCB2FGlyPF7avjgNcp9BsBSMY_x6MNgKZqIetmxYofdKLhWkNSb4WdlLjhbZL0yJbK3GmzpmpasXnzLR9SEcAjzDbxHdvZenrXy46lmLECWk8aB3zuY5DpmeV9Zev0KjP4dJ-aPY/s320/IMAG1636.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: Watermelon Radishes, Romanesco, Broccoli, Cremini Mushrooms.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEiC-KCaDLemI1nx_zZJSbHxLvyPpzzMrGnux4tSS5pL6e_FUIdLeJWhGKMZxzW_j22E0aeHmFPn1a7IJUuXiKNLda55sQYhX0h5F_Gwo0v6duRXDSUl7-bwp43m9647ITfOe7btl3tEKkg/s1600/IMAG1638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-KCaDLemI1nx_zZJSbHxLvyPpzzMrGnux4tSS5pL6e_FUIdLeJWhGKMZxzW_j22E0aeHmFPn1a7IJUuXiKNLda55sQYhX0h5F_Gwo0v6duRXDSUl7-bwp43m9647ITfOe7btl3tEKkg/s320/IMAG1638.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with Chef Chandler and our haul.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Right next to the Animal Farm stand was one from <a href="http://shinerporkandbeef.com/">Shiner Pork and Beef</a>. I decided to see what they had to offer and maybe pick something up. At first I wanted some delicious pork belly, but all that they had brought was already accounted for. I tried bacon next, but it was the same situation. Fortunately they did have some ground pork for sale, so I snatched up a package.<br />
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<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/AVvXsEinsE8DESjPE09mKrJBA7I8w0jfSGO4rJW-WVQs833b1qJuTCupXOeNKsW0L19Y1nm6fsyh41MlgFkaiUOi9pfhTLKTnF4Lv62rDLQwv8jUwMmxAE2Ket7O4SD3h-4BHs5tW8XR-JLRTt8/s1600/IMAG1641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsE8DESjPE09mKrJBA7I8w0jfSGO4rJW-WVQs833b1qJuTCupXOeNKsW0L19Y1nm6fsyh41MlgFkaiUOi9pfhTLKTnF4Lv62rDLQwv8jUwMmxAE2Ket7O4SD3h-4BHs5tW8XR-JLRTt8/s320/IMAG1641.jpg" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooler for of deliciousness.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<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/AVvXsEjaD7wpy6Gf39TxdwAULaDzkkwi72cLZeGmD-LgUOnR5-FXSiyQx785gSEbq6iwCYBeJ2xfxROCwvZs5bGLA0J0WruCDqGge5qOUwg-gVYrMH4uyFOoDnLMi3V6HU9WtpTZUCxVY1QH-co/s1600/IMAG1640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaD7wpy6Gf39TxdwAULaDzkkwi72cLZeGmD-LgUOnR5-FXSiyQx785gSEbq6iwCYBeJ2xfxROCwvZs5bGLA0J0WruCDqGge5qOUwg-gVYrMH4uyFOoDnLMi3V6HU9WtpTZUCxVY1QH-co/s320/IMAG1640.jpg" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ground pork I was able to get.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I spoke to several other vendors including Patrick Bierschwale from <a href="http://www.katerraexotics.com/">Katerra Exotics</a>, Jim from <a href="http://www.jimsworldofworms.com/">Jim's World of Worms</a> and someone from <a href="http://angelasoven.com/angelasoven/Welcome.html">Angela's Oven</a>. They were all very pleasant and very knowlegable about their particular products. Patrick informed me of how they raise their animals, the bison in particular. Jim provides sprouts for several of the chefs on campus and I learn about the sprouts themselves. During my time at the farmer's market I also tried <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha">kombucha </a>for the first time from <a href="http://www.3rdcoastkombucha.com/">3rd Coast Kombucha</a> and even had a delicious lavender lemonade from <a href="http://ripe-cuisine.com/">Ripe Cuisine.</a><br />
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<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/AVvXsEh9VgKOp5nA4ThtrQzsn2zt_XB9XRkzCwzniBpp7lGLgLBHxC7vTNuP4qEv6g5Ni9IwcEgvvG-BnfPspuYfshelnM0WZg2wWFXiAmaHTUkSg8A2S12siHJqxA_jRvcdJRVOd3FjoAqy6-Y/s1600/IMAG1642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VgKOp5nA4ThtrQzsn2zt_XB9XRkzCwzniBpp7lGLgLBHxC7vTNuP4qEv6g5Ni9IwcEgvvG-BnfPspuYfshelnM0WZg2wWFXiAmaHTUkSg8A2S12siHJqxA_jRvcdJRVOd3FjoAqy6-Y/s320/IMAG1642.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread from Angela's Oven</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when visiting a farmer's market. You can't go to one with a super market or recipe mentality. What I mean by that is that farmer's markets don't have a specific set of things that will always be for sale that day. The thing they sell are often seasonal and dependent on many other factors. So if you are looking for something very specific there might be a chance it is unavailable. Keep an open mind and maintain flexibility. It is better if you let the market dictate what you want to purchase and therefore, what you want to create.<br />
<br />
Next, take advantage of the people selling you their wares. More often than not they had a direct hand in growing, making, cultivating what is in front of you. Don't be shy and ask questions. They probably relish the opportunity to talk to someone about what they have. Be adventurous and try new things. If you don't know what something is or what to do with it, don't hesitate to ask. This ties back into my previous point. Don't be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone.<br />
<br />
Lastly, be prepared to spend a little money. I will say this, as awesome as farmer's markets are, they are not cheap. Most of the vendors don't have the luxury of mass producing what they are selling. That means they have quality premium stuff, but it also means you have to pay a little more than what you might normally be accustomed to. While a farmer's market might not be an every week shopping trip for everyone, the every once in a while splurge is totally worth it. Houston has several markets throughout the city. Go out there and experience one. After all its the only real way to experience the "farm to fork"!Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0Rice Farmer's Market29.715903699999991 -95.41270780000002129.715849699999993 -95.412786800000021 29.71595769999999 -95.412628800000022tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-9989915804241921962016-02-16T00:24:00.001-06:002016-02-16T00:24:37.552-06:00The Incredible Eddible Egg..plant<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/AVvXsEg8p3wc-M4IE6TnzAOGqrG6o9o8MeSgup1HXBL-UFO0IKh8_vfVgbFq1UAmzylsJDoWp2p8jHSMb6DtrBpkAENd23hynq-xqhTt2HT_TfNzpWXfXAYSEFZ8Q9BgRo4DLF8upt83doaqIe8/s1600/eggplant-65298_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p3wc-M4IE6TnzAOGqrG6o9o8MeSgup1HXBL-UFO0IKh8_vfVgbFq1UAmzylsJDoWp2p8jHSMb6DtrBpkAENd23hynq-xqhTt2HT_TfNzpWXfXAYSEFZ8Q9BgRo4DLF8upt83doaqIe8/s320/eggplant-65298_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Eggplant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I used to think that I was not a big fan of eggplant. I used to think that I did not like the taste and that eggplant was one of those vegetables that only vegetarians and hippies ate. Like most things I did not like to eat it was only I had never experienced them prepared well. It was not until I shared a meal at a Chinese restaurant that I experienced eggplant in a way that I not only liked, but loved. The dish was simply Japanese eggplant stir-fried with the "chef's special sauce". I tried the dish if only for curiosity sake and my life has not been the same since. While the sauce of the dish was a large portion, I fell in love with eggplant itself. It was soft and almost creamy with an earthy flavor to it and non of the bitterness that I usually thought accompanied eggplant.<br />
<br />
So what exactly is an eggplant? The eggplant, also known as an aubergine, is a fruit (technically a berry) that is consumed like a vegetable that comes from a plant originating in India. The eggplant has been known to Asia for over two millennia and been cultivated in China since 500 B.C. Arabs and Persians introduced it to Africa before the middle ages and it was from there that the eggplant was brought to Italy around the 14th century. The first varieties of eggplant were so bitter that Europeans initially thought it caused insanity and kept it mainly for its ornamental purposes. Only after years of cultivation and selective breeding has the eggplant improved in flavor. <br />
<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/AVvXsEjaPSoVxNskKzcSSWUbSRC6293UDg0D382lklvaq6sDCiLh2nRaYYZnD7yKJhAIRWkmTRh7wEmTz-Wxywv0h2x0j9YhGidP-5dNOq5FwJ5dGjNcjx5C6TRAY2y5IG91jWEN17CdodJDKSc/s1600/Three_Types_of_Eggplant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPSoVxNskKzcSSWUbSRC6293UDg0D382lklvaq6sDCiLh2nRaYYZnD7yKJhAIRWkmTRh7wEmTz-Wxywv0h2x0j9YhGidP-5dNOq5FwJ5dGjNcjx5C6TRAY2y5IG91jWEN17CdodJDKSc/s320/Three_Types_of_Eggplant.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese, white and common Western Eggplants</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEhc_xi_WbNBceqeVKTkUGVwWho8bmsaXtfMafJQP2yTLa4_2pEnVTSeYSfosDAyZ0XAWRS3KiXwej8vk9ENSg_xq92NhidkKm6FzsqZx_lB8piL1J6yhidlSbNW6e5xx7auwSBDhFxhfQo/s1600/Eggplant_display.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_xi_WbNBceqeVKTkUGVwWho8bmsaXtfMafJQP2yTLa4_2pEnVTSeYSfosDAyZ0XAWRS3KiXwej8vk9ENSg_xq92NhidkKm6FzsqZx_lB8piL1J6yhidlSbNW6e5xx7auwSBDhFxhfQo/s320/Eggplant_display.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are multiple varieties of eggplants.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
There are many different varieties of eggplant with Asian and western being the most commonly available. Asian varieties are either long and thin or round with skin colors ranging from creamy white to deep purple. Western eggplants, the more common one in the US, are shaped like a like a big pear with shiny lavender to purple-black skin. The eggplant grows on a three foot high plant that bears purple-blue flowers. The yellowish flesh of the eggplant is dense and spongy with a bland flavor that absorbs other flavors well. Eggplants contain small brown seeds that are edible. The skin is also edible, but can be quite bitter in certain varieties. Younger and smaller eggplants have less seeds and tend to have skin that is more tender and less bitter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-GGzkHpYnPng2IG1pXwZGzwkB-8jQlxx1SIwhDDRqPhLgEwcta15U-wH6h4_DjMtA2Hs-dPZS7A8CWYOKaOjG_rH-wE5JYIid8qZo_xZQ-ZkcseGvlZ7HsxOLsfTD6VloLLuts9PVF4/s1600/flower-882751_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-GGzkHpYnPng2IG1pXwZGzwkB-8jQlxx1SIwhDDRqPhLgEwcta15U-wH6h4_DjMtA2Hs-dPZS7A8CWYOKaOjG_rH-wE5JYIid8qZo_xZQ-ZkcseGvlZ7HsxOLsfTD6VloLLuts9PVF4/s320/flower-882751_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eggplant flower</td></tr>
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In order to choose a good eggplant look for one that is plump, firm, and heavy. It should be free of blemishes with smooth shiny skin. Fruits with wrinkled or spotted skin are likely to be old and bitter tasting. Press the skin lightly to check for ripeness. If the imprint remains, then the fruit is ready. Asian eggplants tend to softer than western ones. Eggplants are available all year long, but their peak season is during the late summer. <br />
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Now that you know what an eggplant is and how to pick one, what do you do with it? Eggplants are wonderfully versatile and lend themselves to all manner of dishes and cooking methods. Eggplant can be grilled, baked,stuffed, au gratin, purred, steamed, fried, or sauteed. It is delicious hot or cold and makes a wonderful addition to any dish or serve as the main ingredient. Eggplant plays a pivotal role in Asian and Mediterranean cuisines where it is often paired with tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil. Some of the more commonly known eggplant dishes are <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=moussaka">moussaka</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ratatouille&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=ratatouille+food">ratatouille</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=baba+ganoush+&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8">baba ganoush</a> and <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=eggplant+parmesan&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8">eggplant Parmesan</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5rTdS25ejhf7GqEE4obM3bpWLN2SRbFBTr6wOM-gVpAz0y1DRzHjtEkn-vS5Of6p2IpQ4heeBAGjDtSP7BzSlcIbwsuNQaDsUfJjbv-8sV06R7A59I8tUA7Rdti8dWvM6lXAhJxm8iQ/s1600/barbecue-884253_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5rTdS25ejhf7GqEE4obM3bpWLN2SRbFBTr6wOM-gVpAz0y1DRzHjtEkn-vS5Of6p2IpQ4heeBAGjDtSP7BzSlcIbwsuNQaDsUfJjbv-8sV06R7A59I8tUA7Rdti8dWvM6lXAhJxm8iQ/s320/barbecue-884253_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eggplant Hors D'oeuvres </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlsipvQkAXVeNphpn-4P1wmpVRiWajJ1e_J-gq0hfa0iySzAKW9LQVRNx3RTowjZeNjiKCS6HeMmB7iCrvTwGm2vTPeriJ_PVRjWAj_zU385mtrmuSrodfiJeSErdmvwkh0tqU1xgmxY/s1600/dry-stuffed-812667_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlsipvQkAXVeNphpn-4P1wmpVRiWajJ1e_J-gq0hfa0iySzAKW9LQVRNx3RTowjZeNjiKCS6HeMmB7iCrvTwGm2vTPeriJ_PVRjWAj_zU385mtrmuSrodfiJeSErdmvwkh0tqU1xgmxY/s320/dry-stuffed-812667_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuffed Eggplant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4gkPxd4LT7MLwnreOj34QgSUTFTVmh2BKxsQ-bKjUxqySPOsTnjSaz0H4wz7-36x_WxmACEMsCjZdGUSoRwflLf7xAebBD0-xhyXyzUr0ZxdAHxlgXc4W6E_2ojeNXJTKD64bz5pfJo/s1600/eggplant-935715_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4gkPxd4LT7MLwnreOj34QgSUTFTVmh2BKxsQ-bKjUxqySPOsTnjSaz0H4wz7-36x_WxmACEMsCjZdGUSoRwflLf7xAebBD0-xhyXyzUr0ZxdAHxlgXc4W6E_2ojeNXJTKD64bz5pfJo/s320/eggplant-935715_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whole Eggplant Being Grilled</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTqEZyZ82v6qZdVcUBam0hBDoIIjdxZTDD9NShtRU2U3a-Lp-ajX3C_d9bhf-TB_vVryxSM2Tll7ujTWMLU5Ha6Dr7JOSsefjyUQpy4rMeFe-tyfHxog-aP64dXdrRiCkVuINcoIf1Hs/s1600/food-719704_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTqEZyZ82v6qZdVcUBam0hBDoIIjdxZTDD9NShtRU2U3a-Lp-ajX3C_d9bhf-TB_vVryxSM2Tll7ujTWMLU5Ha6Dr7JOSsefjyUQpy4rMeFe-tyfHxog-aP64dXdrRiCkVuINcoIf1Hs/s320/food-719704_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moussaka</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-cmWLuQADytX66jQTSFyCzsJQA5PxdvBvk8ybG7ljB3JbuMxMUYW2_6yeB10HCV8o7ENTHJBb4MYNsmU4ry1wBuA8pH4HsAUdleGSA5MmSzKXiDU9whW3KT6rU0RzytakJX_HsD59pM/s1600/eggplant-838314_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-cmWLuQADytX66jQTSFyCzsJQA5PxdvBvk8ybG7ljB3JbuMxMUYW2_6yeB10HCV8o7ENTHJBb4MYNsmU4ry1wBuA8pH4HsAUdleGSA5MmSzKXiDU9whW3KT6rU0RzytakJX_HsD59pM/s320/eggplant-838314_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roasted Eggplant</td></tr>
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When preparing your eggplant is is important to keep in mind that the flesh of the fruit quickly discolors when cut. Cooking it soon after it is cut or sprinkling it with lemon juice will help avoid that. If the eggplant is large sprinkling the pieces with salt and letting it sit for at least thirty minutes will help draw out some of the moisture from it as well as some of the bitterness. This process also helps to keep the eggplant from absorbing too much oil during the cooking process. Soaking the fruit in water will also draw out some of the bitterness as well as peeling it since most of the bitterness is concentrated just under the skin. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs22jvupp4gk2grFh10DQ_Pwv1xkUH74JGvPqI8KVq6KJP4IWIVtqTwzwFL9-UFUiabWQbqhKw0_yPsF6TumsZUhLicK65YVTmIdvx9-2kXpEw-y3bwht9SHkbFz8kV4SPXjvUDBLP5HU/s1600/eggplant-356165_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs22jvupp4gk2grFh10DQ_Pwv1xkUH74JGvPqI8KVq6KJP4IWIVtqTwzwFL9-UFUiabWQbqhKw0_yPsF6TumsZUhLicK65YVTmIdvx9-2kXpEw-y3bwht9SHkbFz8kV4SPXjvUDBLP5HU/s320/eggplant-356165_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sliced Eggplant Being "Salted"</td></tr>
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Eggplant bruises easily so it should be handled carefully. It is also sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Fresh eggplants should be stored in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator where they will keep for about a week.<br />
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Hopefully this post inspires someone who has not had or has not prepared eggplant to get adventurous with this versatile fruit/vegetable. Not only is it delicious, it is good for you. So get out there and try the incredible, edible, eggplant! Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-87152521873830025502015-11-26T10:50:00.000-06:002015-11-26T10:50:55.572-06:00A lot to be thankful forToday is one of the great culinary holidays. People spend time with friends and family and shove copious amounts of food down their collective gullets. While that is all fine and good, it is also important to keep in mind what we are all thankful for. This world that we live in is such a dichotomous place filled with both wonderfully beautiful and horrific things. Every time I am ready to write off humanity as a lost cause I see something in the news or via social media that helps restore my faith in it. So I just wanted to remind everyone that while you are enjoying your food and football remember what you are truly grateful of. <br />
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I am personally grateful of my family, my friends (many whom I consider extended family), my health, my job and the fact that I can enjoy such things without too much worry. I wish everyone could enjoy these things that most of us often take for granted. I will also say that we should try to be thankful of these things for longer than just the one day we are reminded to do so. It is certainly difficult, but it is something that is worth doing. <br />
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<br />Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-11448426343790868222015-11-10T00:36:00.000-06:002015-11-10T00:38:45.836-06:00Fall Flavors More Than Just Pumpkin Spice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Igw1F3mgsKtLFI25gD3xSP19UJkuLYDzvOTPBqkknBZP9ZYdBeC8zDWLTrG6ZUkDXqgcWqynGbS50c3qgNAxvQ5PRMzeFX2lkPXKfIwuZ3c3tT4tnPUoWwcz2YH9kX9_eEWWH2VuCZM/s1600/fall-flavors-wedding-menu-w800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Igw1F3mgsKtLFI25gD3xSP19UJkuLYDzvOTPBqkknBZP9ZYdBeC8zDWLTrG6ZUkDXqgcWqynGbS50c3qgNAxvQ5PRMzeFX2lkPXKfIwuZ3c3tT4tnPUoWwcz2YH9kX9_eEWWH2VuCZM/s320/fall-flavors-wedding-menu-w800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We are right in the thick of the fall and with the season's biggest holiday right around the corner. So I am sure by now everyone has had their fill of pumpkin spice. It began simply enough with the now infamous pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. But has really gotten out of hand now. I've seen pumpkin spice hand soap for goodness sake! Enough is enough. The really sad thing about it is that fall has so much more to offer than just pumpkin and pumpkin spice. Don't get me wrong, I like a slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving and all, but I just want people to realize there is so much more out there than that.<br />
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With the pumpkin dominating the scene now we have forgotten about an important staple of the fall food entourage. I'm talking about the apple. With over 7,500 varieties known to exist the noble apple is as versatile a fruit as they come. They can be eaten raw, cooked, dried or candied. They can be made into jelly, jam, butter, sauce or marmalade. Certain varieties of apples are prefect for pies, cakes, muffins and other desserts. They are also made into beverages such as juice and alcoholic and non alcoholic cider. Although the apple is traditionally in season during the fall, a diversification of sources as well as modern technology have made apples available all year long. So don't overlook the apple this fall. Doing so would be un-American.<br />
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Next on my list of fall flavors is mushrooms. Although mushrooms are available all year long, many of the more exotic varieties are at their peak in fall and winter. Mushrooms can be purchased fresh, dried, canned or frozen. They are usually sold whole or sliced. Fresh mushrooms should be cleaned before being consumed as they are grown in dirt. In order to clean mushrooms it is best to rinse them clean and then immediately use them. Mushrooms can be prepared with just about any cooking method. Mushrooms are a perfect addition to a variety of dishes. They go well with meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish. <br />
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Another classic fall flavor that has been relegated to the background or is just an afterthought at your Thanksgiving meal is the cranberry. Because of their high acidity, cranberries are rarely eaten raw. They are best when cooked and incorporated into dishes or made into sauces or juices. Cranberries are great for the bakery, often made into muffins, pies and cobblers. Cranberries work well when paired with other fruit that is less tart. Cranberries also work well paired with meat, especially poultry and pork,<br />
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Dark leafy greens are also on my list of foods available in the fall. Things like kale, greens are chard are grown in warmer climates during the colder months of the year. These vegetables are great for a variety of different uses and packed with all sorts of nutrients and vitamins. I go into more detail in an article I have <a href="http://urbanswank.com/urban-swank-talks-to-the-experts/item/697-greens-with-envy-lets-start-with-the-basics">written earlier</a>.<br />
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Although they are sometimes the stuff of children's culinary nightmares, Brussels sprouts can be quite tasty if prepared the right way. These sprouts are in the peak of their season from September through February. Brussels sprouts, unlike other members of the cabbage family are only eaten cooked. That being said, Brussels sprouts lend themselves well to a myriad of cooking methods, including frying, sauteing, roasted, or even steamed. Brussels sprouts are best when cooked in some kind of fat (especially bacon) and paired with something sweet to counter the their bitterness. <br />
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Although these tubers are available all year long, they are best in the fall when the fresh crop comes in. Sweet potatoes (even if they are not really a potato) are great because of their versatility. They work well for both savory and sweet dishes. They can be just another ingredient or be the star of the show. Sweet potatoes can and are cooked exactly like their non sweet counterparts. They can be boiled, baked, fried, steamed or sauteed.<br />
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Next on the list is a fruit most people would not have thought about. The pomegranate is one of the world's oldest fruits. Its peak season is from October to January so it is important to take advantage while they are available. If it is not the seed of the pomegranate that is being eaten, then it is the juice of the fruit. The seeds are usually eaten raw are are a way to add color and sweetness to everything from salads, soups, sauces, fruit, vegetables, cheeses, poultry, to fish and seafood.<br />
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We have our neighbors to the north to thank for our next fall flavor. Maple syrup is basically just the sap of certain species of maple trees that has been reduced down and purified. The sap is collected at the end of winter, between January and April, when the days are warm enough to melt snow, but the nights are cold enough to keep the trees from budding. Maple syrup's most iconic use is over pancakes. However it can be used as a replacement sweetener for sugar or as a flavoring. Maple syrup's uses are not limited to only desserts and other sweet applications. Maple syrup can be an additive or flavoring for certain savory dishes and it pairs well with pork and poultry.<br />
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While pumpkin receives the majority of the attention this season it is important to not forget that there are other gorgeous gourds out there worthy of our attention. Collectively known as winter squashes, this group includes butternut, acorn, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabocha">kabocha</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delicata_squash">delicata </a>as well as other varieties. Winter squash hit the markets around late September and stick around through early March, although they are at their prime during fall and winter. Winter squash needs to cooked before being eaten and has tough outer skins that are inedible. Winter squash can be roasted, sauteed, steamed, or boiled. Squashes are excellent for making soup. Another squash I want to include is the spaghetti squash. It is technically not a winter squash, but it is in season during the fall and winter. Spaghetti squash gets its name from the fact that its flesh can be separated into spaghetti like strands after it is cooked. Spaghetti squash is best baked until tender. The separated flesh can than be seasoned and served as is, or it can be further cooked by sauteing it.<br />
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I would be remiss if I did not at least bring up spices. I know the general premise of this post is about not falling into the trap of believing that fall is all bout pumpkin spice. But that does not mean we can abandon all the spices from fall. Most of our favorite foods would "fall" flat without them. So indeed, fall is much more than pumpkin spice which is really just a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and ginger in a 2:1:1:1:1 ratio. These spices can be cast into such larger roles. They should not just be pigeon holed into being only for pumpkin pies or pumpkin flavored foods. Spices seem like such a generic fall flavor, but spiced drinks and foods
are comforting and warming. And sugar doesn’t always have to accompany
the spice. These spices work just as well with savory sides and main dishes. So just because you are over the whole pumpkin spice trend, don't give up in these spices altogether.<br />
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There are so many more fall flavors that I could write about. In fact I am sure there are entire <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flavors-Fall-Cookbook-Seasonal-Collection/dp/193189020X">books</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/autumn-in-a-jiffy-cookbook-gooseberry-patch/1120894496/2671710160377">cookbooks </a>dedicated to the subject. The point of this post was just to get people to realize that fall has such a great potential for delicious food when you get past the pumpkin spice and especially when you start combining some of these fabulous fall flavors!<br />
<br />Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-62375129866087226882015-07-29T18:53:00.000-05:002015-07-29T18:53:07.855-05:00Sweet & Spicy Summer Slushy<br />
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We right smack in the middle of summer and in case you have not noticed or been away at Antarctica, IT IS HOT! One of my favorite ways to cool off and have a delicious and healthy snack is to make myself a sweet and spicy slushy. What I love about this recipe is that it is highly customizable. If you don't like any aspect of it (such as the fruit used, or the spicy seasoning) you can omit or change it! Here are some of the things you will need:<br />
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FRUIT!! Pretty much any fruit you enjoy can work for this. You can mix and match as you like. For this version I used fresh peaches, blueberries and strawberries. Another popular mix I like to use is oranges, pineapple and mango. If you don't want to bother with fresh fruit or it is not in season you can always use frozen fruit. <br />
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You will also need to use some kind of liquid to help make your slushy, well, slushy. I like to use juice that compliments the fruit. In this case I used a blueberry pomegranate acia. If juice is unavailable, plain water is always an option. Just keep in mind it will not add an extra flavor. <span id="goog_1166877455"></span><span id="goog_1166877456"></span><br />
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For the seasoning I love to use just a bit of sweetener (I use Splenda to avoid added sugar) and a combination of the salty spicy condiments called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamoy">chamoy </a>and <a href="http://www.tajin.com/">Tajin</a>. These last two are completely optional if those flavors are not your thing. The sweetener helps bring out the flavor of the fruit.<br />
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As far as hardware goes, you will need a blender, a long spoon, and several glasses to pour your slushy into.<br />
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So, to review, here is what you need to make your slushy:<br />
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approx, 2 cups of fruit fresh or frozen.<br />
1- 1 1/2 cups of liquid<br />
1-2 tbsp sweetener<br />
1-2 tbsp each of Tajin and chamoy<br />
1-1 1/2 cups of ice<br />
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These ratios are not set in stone. You can play around with them to your own personal tastes. If you want a sweeter slushy, then add more sweetener. If the idea of adding the Tajin or chamoy does not suit your tastes, then you can leave it out. The point of this is to find your slushy flavor profile. These are just guidelines. <br />
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The first step to make your slushy is to put your fruit in the blender. I like to add it first because it it soft and will blend well at the bottom vs the hard frozen ice. If you are using frozen fruit, I would use less ice and perhaps a little more liquid. It is also a good idea to cut the larger fruit into smaller pieces as they will blend better.<br />
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Next add your sweetener as well as the Tajin and chamoy.<br />
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After that add the liquid as well as the ice.<br />
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Now just blend away!<br />
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Make sure to check the consistency of your slushy. The long spoon serves this purpose as well as giving you a way to taste test your concoction. If the slushy is too stiff and hard add more liquid. If it is too loose, add more ice.<br />
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The last step is my favorite. After you have gotten your slushy how you want it, serve and enjoy!<br />
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Lastly I will leave you with some suggestions for variations on this simple treat. My personal favorite is using the <a href="http://www.dole.com/Products/Frozen-Fruits/Wildly-Nutritious-Tropical-Medley">Dole frozen tropical fruit blend</a> with orange juice as my liquid. Berry blends also work really well together. Lastly, I have found that for the more adult readers out there, this is a great way to make a delicious frozen sangria. Just use your favorite bottled sangria with maybe a little bit of orange juice and whatever fruit you would normally enjoy with said sangria. Give it a whirl in the blender and there you go!<br />
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<br />Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-78150131585856085652015-07-03T16:15:00.000-05:002015-07-03T16:15:34.979-05:00July Fourth: What Would George Washington Eat?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tomorrow people around the country will celebrating the anniversary of the USA's birth as a country. In today's culinary tradition many of these good folks will fire up their grills and cook up the grilling season's standards such as burgers or hot dogs. For the more "adventurous" types some chicken or even sausages might find their way onto the grill. I myself will be cooking up some tasty fajitas. But have you ever stopped to consider what food was consumed during the pre-colonial and post independence United States? The stuff they ate was very different than the out door feasts we have now. <br />
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Food back then was quite varied. Just like now region played a part in what you were eating. However, there were some common threads throughout the colonies and subsequent young country. To start off with meat was used to supplement meals than as a main feature. Meat was either expensive or had to be hunted. Large cuts of meat in were usually reserved for special occasions and large parties. Some of the most common meats came from wild game such as venison or other small woodland creatures. One affect of the revolutionary war was that cattle raising had begun on a small scale during the French-Indian War, but when the American Revolution came, farmers were able to increase their cattle holdings and increase the presence of beef in the American diet. Turkey was a plentiful and popular mainstay in colonial America. It was a free and easy source of food for the colonials since they roamed wild in the forests. It was so beloved by Benjamin Franklin that he wanted to make it a national symbol! <br />
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Seafood was another popular source of protein. Given the access to bodies of water, both fresh and saltwater, it is easy to see how seafood of all types was enjoyed. One of the most popular items was oysters. They were so plentiful that some streets were paved in oyster shells. Martha Washington's cookbook included multiple recipes for oysters. Trout and salmon were other mainstays of the colonial culinary palate. Fish was abundant and could be obtained from the rivers and oceans found in the country. Fishing in areas used for salt water fishing became dangerous during the war. That coupled with the fact that many of the boats used to fish were put towards the war effort caused these areas to be unused. Before the war,
there was often talk about the excess of lobsters and cod off the shores
of New England. However after the war most fishermen found that they had migrated away from these areas. Even with all these problems seafood stayed as a staple of the new United States' diet<span style="font-size: small;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Farming in the colonies varied by region. The middle colonies were known as the breadbasket colonies since they grew mainly grains such as wheat, barley, oats, rye, and corn. They also raised crops such as pumpkins, squash, and beans. In the south they developed large plantations exporting corn, vegetables, grains, fruit, and livestock to the other colonies for food. The northern colonies produced </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">number of vegetables
were grown in the northern colonies, including turnips, onions, cabbage, carrots, and parsnips, along
with pulses and legumes. These
vegetables stored well through the colder months. Farming in New England for
crops like wheat was impractical due to the poor soil. One of the most popular vegetables grown was green beans since it was also one of the easiest and sturdiest to grow. Thomas Jefferson mentions growing them several times in his "Garden Book". What is curious is that even with all these crops, colonial Americans did not enjoy eating raw veggies. They preferred them boiled.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fruits were also common amongst the colonials. Especially popular were apples and cherries. Apples were plentiful and grew in most regions. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson cultivated cherry tree orchards. Fruits were grown seasonally so in order to eat these fruits out of season they were preserved as jams, sweetmeats, or just dried. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Desserts were an important part of any colonial meal. They gave an extra bit of calories in the form of sugar and fat. One popular dessert was fruit pies. Not only were pies a dessert, but they also were a manner of preserving fruits. Another common dessert was the pound cake. </span>Nearly every cookbook in colonial America had a recipe for pound cake.
It was a simple and long-lasting cake, which made it a great option for
dessert.<br />
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As far as drink options went in colonial America, there were quite a few. The one thing missing was plain water as it was often times considered unsafe to drink. Instead colonial Americans enjoyed things such as coffee, tea, rum, whiskey, cider and beer. Hard apple cider was the most readily available and cheapest option. It was easier to make than anything else and was often produced locally. A farmer could even produce it for his own consumption. Beer, however, was also quite popular. Beer was such an important consumable to Americans that they would closely watch the stocks of barley held by farmers to ensure quality beer production. John Adams in letters to his wife Abigail asks about the barley crops to ensure enough for the production of beer. Even George Washington was known to brew his own beer. Hops,
essential to production of beer, did not grow well in the colonies. It
only grew wild in the New World, and needed to be imported from England
and elsewhere. Even children drank small beer.<br />
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There you have it. A small sampling of what may have been eaten during that very first Fourth of July! Its a far cry from the backyard cuisine of today. Maybe next year I will have roasted turkey with boiled green beans, a nice pint of beer and a slice of cherry pie. On second thought, maybe not! Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-40515741450163739412015-05-05T02:16:00.000-05:002015-05-05T02:17:43.195-05:00What is Cinco de Mayo really?<br />
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So today is May fifth... So what? To a lot of people it is an excuse to have a good time, throw a "fiesta" and imbibe some margaritas. However I am willing to bet that most people don't know, don't care, or are misinformed about significance of this day. It is NOT Mexico's independence day. That falls on September 16th. Cinco de Mayo (known as <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo">El DÃa de la Batalla de Puebla</a> </i>in Mexico) is the celebration of the Mexican army unlikely victory over the army of France in the Battle of Puebla. The funny thing about this holiday is that it is not really a major holiday in Mexico. It is really just a regional holiday celebrated primarily in the state of Puebla. You are probably asking yourself why is this history lesson in a food blog. Well, I figured that since Cinco de Mayo is really about Puebla, why don't we get to know some of the wonderful cuisine from this great state in Mexico.<br />
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The most famous dish coming out of the state of Puebla is mole Poblano. As I have discussed in a <a href="http://wheresmygravy.blogspot.com/2013/12/in-honor-of-national-chocolate-day-try.html">previous entry</a>, there is a wide variety of mole sauces in Mexico. However, mole Poblano is the one that is most distinguished and well known. It is the prototypical mole sauce everyone imagines when thinking of mole. This mole typically has a rust red to dark brown color with well over twenty ingredients including several types of peppers, peanuts and most notably chocolate.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Mole_Poblano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Mole_Poblano.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another typical dish of Puebla is the Chiles en Nogada. This dish consists of a poplano pepper stuffed with meat (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picadillo">picadillo</a>) much like a typical chile relleno. However, instead of being topped with tomato sauce after being battered and fried, the stuffed poblano is topped with a white walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds. The green chile, white sauce, and red seeds give reference to the colors of the Mexican flag. Even though Chiles en Nogada was born in Puebla this dish has been adopted as a source of national pride.<br />
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Mexico is filled with small dishes called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_street_food">antojitos</a>. Puebla is most well know for its chalupas and molotes. A chalupa is made by pressing a thin layer of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masa" title="Masa">masa</a> dough around the outside of a small mold, in the process creating a concave container resembling the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalupa_%28boat%29" title="Chalupa (boat)">boat of the same name</a>. They are then deep fried to produce crisp, shallow cup which is then filled with a variety of ingredients.<br />
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Molotes are small masa based stuffed antojitos slightly resembling a small <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empanada">empanada</a>. Molotes are filled with basic ingredients such as meat or potatoes to more exotic ingredients such as corn fungus or squash flowers. <br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/001_Molotes_rellenos_de_cangrejo_con_salsa_de_aguacate_y_tomatillo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/001_Molotes_rellenos_de_cangrejo_con_salsa_de_aguacate_y_tomatillo.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Puebla is also well known for its sweets. The most well know candy coming from Puebla is the Camote Poblano or sweet potato candy. These candies are made with pureed sweet potatoes mixed with sugar
and a variety of flavorings. They are hand-rolled and wrapped in wax
paper. Dulces de camote also date back to the colonial period in Puebla.<br />
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Another great candy is know as jamoncillo. This candy comes in different varieties depending on what part of the country you are in. However in Puebla the jamoncillo is referred to a candy made with pumpkin seed paste and usually comes in a bar form with a red stripe.<br />
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<a href="http://www.midulcepuebla.com/envios/fotoenvios/jamoncillo%20big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.midulcepuebla.com/envios/fotoenvios/jamoncillo%20big.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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And what would a good Cinco de Mayo celebration be without libations? Puebla has some great offerings in that department at well. First off is the classic nevado which is most like a margarita. A nevado is frozen cocktail comprised of fruit juice and a little liquor.<br />
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Another drink native to Puebla would be the acachul. This drink is derived by fermenting local wild <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_serotina">chapulin cherries</a>.<br />
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So now that you know a little more about the history of Cinco de Mayo, do yourself a favor. Instead of just eating the typical fare of guacamole, enchiladas and margaritas, go and find some excellent cuisine from the state of Puebla!Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-42854666573178516202015-04-26T01:26:00.001-05:002015-07-22T11:25:08.336-05:00Wine Bottle Opening: A How To<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wine is good. A lot of people enjoy wine. But how many know how to properly open a bottle? This thought occurred to me while I was attending a function hosted by a friend of a friend. During this great social event we sampled a great many wines from different countries. As more and more bottles were opened it became very apparent that our gracious host had no idea how to properly open a bottle of wine. Not wanting to be rude I kept my mouth shut and at the end of the day the bottles were opened and we were able to enjoy the wine. But I was still amazed at the lack of this simple knowledge.<br />
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Before we get into the nuts and bolts of how we have to review hardware. Nowadays there is a multiplicity of options to get your bottle open. The basic corkscrew is just a piece of metal twisted in a helix fashion (known as the worm) fixed to a handle.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Korkenzieher_01_KMJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Korkenzieher_01_KMJ.jpg" height="200" width="159" /></a></div>
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Next we have the wing corkscrew. It is also known as the butterfly or angel corkscrew. The name is due to the dual levers that resemble a pair of wings.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Corkscrew_P1150886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Corkscrew_P1150886.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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A more complicated wine opening apparatus is known as the<span class="mw-headline" id="Sommelier_knife"> sommelier knife, waiter's friend, or wine key. This corkscrew resembles a small pocket knife with the worm being folded into the handle when not in use. The wine key also has a metal arm that folds to cover the worm and serves as a lever when opening the bottle.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKQ2IhMwSA8CQ-tLuq5gCk1jQm-Hxy24o7vmXHoNhrd_NkDFRO6UhxbwXtPi10KUMs0kK48wYv4ymBg8kVCqdxV-agYOk4Pn7C6W9sDELvFxVTRaXxweYk9o3jxU3sBu_JnlfOFGn4r0/s1600/2015-04-05+18.06.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKQ2IhMwSA8CQ-tLuq5gCk1jQm-Hxy24o7vmXHoNhrd_NkDFRO6UhxbwXtPi10KUMs0kK48wYv4ymBg8kVCqdxV-agYOk4Pn7C6W9sDELvFxVTRaXxweYk9o3jxU3sBu_JnlfOFGn4r0/s1600/2015-04-05+18.06.44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Sommelier_Knife2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Sommelier_Knife2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="mw-headline" id="Sommelier_knife"> </span><span class="mw-headline" id="Sommelier_knife">The last device I will be discussing is a lever or rabbit corkscrew. This device uses a p</span>air of handles which are used to grip the neck of the bottle, and a
lever which is simply pressed down to twist the screw into the cork,
then lifted to extract the cork.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Korkenzieher_BMK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Korkenzieher_BMK.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></div>
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First lets take a brief look at the anatomy of a bottle. The bottle consists of a neck, shoulder, body, and the heel or punt. The parts we are concerned with are from the neck up. The neck is narrower than the rest of the bottle so it may hold the stopper, often known as a cork due to cork being the primary material used to make the stopper in the past. The opening is also called the finish and often has a slightly wider ring known as the collar. The collar is an important part to opening a bottle of wine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCsRyVPqdqMLkBGk29Xa0noQE3qdQdwzvVxA6t1mOqXQ8Sq73glN7Vx_nPJN7tuAWtWENLJMIO_obdJAvOhlHgkfaRmtj7iOI7h0WcRLVoB8vDDVN_EMhhsohZ1vEVBvPU2moSmSaucQ/s1600/bottle+diagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCsRyVPqdqMLkBGk29Xa0noQE3qdQdwzvVxA6t1mOqXQ8Sq73glN7Vx_nPJN7tuAWtWENLJMIO_obdJAvOhlHgkfaRmtj7iOI7h0WcRLVoB8vDDVN_EMhhsohZ1vEVBvPU2moSmSaucQ/s1600/bottle+diagram.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>
The first step to opening a bottle of wine, no matter which device you use is to remove the foil covering the neck. More specifically it is only necessary to remove the part covering the finish, or just from the collar up. Completely removing this foil allows the wine to flow easily from the finish of your bottle. The best way to remove the foil is to simply use a run a small knife around the bottle at the tip of the collar. This will score the foil so that it may be peeled off. A wine key more often than not has a small blade attached to it for this purpose.<br />
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<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/AVvXsEhsfCoyFFclZRsrwBwDgS7KZhA4fJqggJmDiwThKAyXIGV_l3jV_glrhLcQhf46QgIIAXY99PM5VXJNdZeqBiklAoIZw2YR7OucU43DaqNIIITDuMD0TBe1M-fdOQPKFnn2R1rIqcCUDOE/s1600/2015-04-05+18.07.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfCoyFFclZRsrwBwDgS7KZhA4fJqggJmDiwThKAyXIGV_l3jV_glrhLcQhf46QgIIAXY99PM5VXJNdZeqBiklAoIZw2YR7OucU43DaqNIIITDuMD0TBe1M-fdOQPKFnn2R1rIqcCUDOE/s1600/2015-04-05+18.07.14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This model has two small teeth imbedded in the body.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Once the foil has been removed it is time to extract the stopper. The basic corkscrew requires that the user grips the handle and screws the metal point into the stopper then use brute strength to pull out the stopper. The wing corkscrew facilitates this by using a mechanical means to remove the stopper. As a person screws the worm into the stopper, the levers, or wings, lift up due to the dual gears. Once the worm is fully inserted the user simply needs to pull down the levers and the stopper will lift out of the bottle. The gadget that is probably the easiest, fastest, but also the most cumbersome and expensive is the lever corkscrew. To use this device a person simply need to place the worm over the stopper, lower the lever and then lift. The corkscrew does the rest.<br />
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The device that requires the most skill to use, but which I consider to be the most elegant, is the wine key. It is a nuanced mechanism that combines form and function. It is small enough that it can be carried in a pocket. That is why is also known as a waiter's friend, since waiters will carry one on their person with ease. Its design is simple enough that it can be made inexpensively. The "key" is knowing how to use one. The truth is that it is really not that hard once you know what you are doing.<br />
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After the foil has been removed the first step is to open the key so that it resembles a basic corkscrew.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceBE7D9vSTR3b3akkzyF_A7UB16Nn8w0wQQYLR-9XKFyleSPcBHQSKdfYzv33kjJU6gSiigbUgorEwJv3DBCf1ic6VWDwR5FZndJ2XhqP2ihTnd-Yl2ztJFQJPZM5vrWU7WIFnWven48/s1600/2015-04-05+18.08.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceBE7D9vSTR3b3akkzyF_A7UB16Nn8w0wQQYLR-9XKFyleSPcBHQSKdfYzv33kjJU6gSiigbUgorEwJv3DBCf1ic6VWDwR5FZndJ2XhqP2ihTnd-Yl2ztJFQJPZM5vrWU7WIFnWven48/s1600/2015-04-05+18.08.45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next screw the worm into the stopper until it is firmly embedded in the stopper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYIWevzzZo7ABbGsn3g3q9GFOUT3e2yDaw3qNwbXu8jIKVzxC4Cn5PSc4-PQfj0Xuyj-g7kaMxhfCYnbdcZklBE4iNtTpFvZVMDpDDaUWHXxTX0lZyBrgIaFZDMfbkuEk4ByZaVuOYqw/s1600/2015-04-05+18.09.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYIWevzzZo7ABbGsn3g3q9GFOUT3e2yDaw3qNwbXu8jIKVzxC4Cn5PSc4-PQfj0Xuyj-g7kaMxhfCYnbdcZklBE4iNtTpFvZVMDpDDaUWHXxTX0lZyBrgIaFZDMfbkuEk4ByZaVuOYqw/s320/2015-04-05+18.09.13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.lifeinitaly.com/images/img/wine-opening-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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This is where a great many people go wrong. Once the helix is in there, most people would just pull on the wine key as if it were just a basic corkscrew. Buy doing this they are eliminating the advantages of the wine key. No, the next step is to tilt the body of the wine key so that the metal tab lines up with the collar of the bottle. If the bottle happens to lack a collar, it might be possible to align the tab with the opening.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLNOjf9v8jXPbc20venFMj7nRtOHWAKRiUzrNByhRLyCIP5ixgQ70bjNfF0emQQhZt7OgL6l70_x65XSmIAbGhyEpE3RJwpBqul2kKjpqkXpnLaUYwv5RiTjgO8jWOjWE1QyIVfuMW08/s1600/2015-04-05+18.09.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLNOjf9v8jXPbc20venFMj7nRtOHWAKRiUzrNByhRLyCIP5ixgQ70bjNfF0emQQhZt7OgL6l70_x65XSmIAbGhyEpE3RJwpBqul2kKjpqkXpnLaUYwv5RiTjgO8jWOjWE1QyIVfuMW08/s1600/2015-04-05+18.09.25.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now use the metal tab as a lever to pull up the stopper. This is done by lifting on the opposite side of the wine key. If necessary use both hands: one to apply the levering action and the other to hold the metal tab in place.<br />
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The cork should clear the opening, but if it does not it should be far enough out of the bottle that it can easily be pulled out the rest of the way.<br />
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Now that you have your bottle open the next step, which is the easiest, is to simply enjoy your libations! <br />
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Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-50068521743042337042015-03-20T11:28:00.000-05:002015-03-20T23:24:55.562-05:00Cutting Up Bell Peppers: Updated<!--[if !mso]>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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Bell peppers, also known as sweet peppers,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are a great and dynamic vegetable giving us
multiple ways to use them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From simply
stuffing them, to dicing them as a garnish, to cutting them into slices it all
depends on what the intended use for the peppers is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The most common way for people to prepare their peppers is
to simply slice them down the middle and scoop out the seep pod, stem and some
of the white veins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this method
is not terrible, it does make making precision cuts a bit more difficult. There
is another method that is much more elegant and gives you greater adaptability
with your peppers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixd3kkHXWNc4zdA5P8S75hZbTmgV9dkZmmEo3qLz5aF3WGbuFlU_g4S-kzmHswQXB5_RwfxBadaBKfPVBgKYHpzlH8Eajacbmli2sUpgHy5yfhqzSGTIYXRx1Xzadlx-UWAVdoKRjXcSY/s1600/2015-02-24+12.36.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixd3kkHXWNc4zdA5P8S75hZbTmgV9dkZmmEo3qLz5aF3WGbuFlU_g4S-kzmHswQXB5_RwfxBadaBKfPVBgKYHpzlH8Eajacbmli2sUpgHy5yfhqzSGTIYXRx1Xzadlx-UWAVdoKRjXcSY/s1600/2015-02-24+12.36.06.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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The first step to cutting your pepper is to remove the stem
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply cut about a fourth to a
third of an inch from stem end. This serves the purpose of partially removing
the stem while still taking advantage of the pepper around the stem.</div>
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Now you have a stable surface to continue cutting from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next step is to start cutting the sides
of the pepper into flat surfaces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
easiest way to do this is to cut a line at the obvious edges, then detach the
sides from the seed pod by cutting the white membrane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After this is done cut the bottom piece off
the seed pod. You will be left with three or four flat sides, the bottom
surface and the seed pod intact without any messy seeds all over your bell
pepper.</div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFGeY4soMhSSJe2tKhQZJFQhqsBMVixH2Kj3yiCPEHTyHHfY2N0JcEUhFAjrlnhdBiL7nESgA-8fXvWKZEDXlUlq0TMkaJ_jMpdzG8L1xsoyfHWcIiVSPhNaYyJg7wESy7h8vjBk-F4E/s1600/2015-02-24+12.32.49-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFGeY4soMhSSJe2tKhQZJFQhqsBMVixH2Kj3yiCPEHTyHHfY2N0JcEUhFAjrlnhdBiL7nESgA-8fXvWKZEDXlUlq0TMkaJ_jMpdzG8L1xsoyfHWcIiVSPhNaYyJg7wESy7h8vjBk-F4E/s1600/2015-02-24+12.32.49-2.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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If you want to get really fancy, you can always remove the
excess white membrane left on your pepper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is kind of an advanced technique and not absolutely necessary. To
remove the membrane simply lay your pepper flat and run your knife along the
inside removing the membrane.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTLrWa3w8R1RF_gw-excV1OklvNc_r6qdzlZ8pgIHP47K0gs12afituRG73wwQqiLSX-IhhhXV0uH-bWmZyjqe9R2YHHDGenol5DpifM0Lb1YKsxrFg_o3AX8n87hxhkvXXqDZ4EkKi8/s1600/2015-02-24+12.34.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTLrWa3w8R1RF_gw-excV1OklvNc_r6qdzlZ8pgIHP47K0gs12afituRG73wwQqiLSX-IhhhXV0uH-bWmZyjqe9R2YHHDGenol5DpifM0Lb1YKsxrFg_o3AX8n87hxhkvXXqDZ4EkKi8/s1600/2015-02-24+12.34.23.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now with your peppers deconstructed you have the freedom to
do what you need. You can leave the sides whole as they are perfect for
grilling. You can simply cut them into strips for a julienne. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP5akvXyijjSVzHMAMums6OLswlW7cPEC7ggDvfFFTVQzokzvcrV4kvHdqfgzsxvrwWhcaE3qZ1Al7hfIRh8zISo8Sf7Fk8L1vdGiTCvS-VrLoJF1hyLUkEKIBWDJ0YkX0OKzXaGLPgA8/s1600/2015-02-24+12.34.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP5akvXyijjSVzHMAMums6OLswlW7cPEC7ggDvfFFTVQzokzvcrV4kvHdqfgzsxvrwWhcaE3qZ1Al7hfIRh8zISo8Sf7Fk8L1vdGiTCvS-VrLoJF1hyLUkEKIBWDJ0YkX0OKzXaGLPgA8/s1600/2015-02-24+12.34.04.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or take it a step further and dice them up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ring leftover from the initial cut serves
perfectly for this purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In either
case you can decide how big or small your cuts are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9ll7wBIa8WHTZOG_hl9BJqe60mwlrYlCJI4tloyJqvozTl1r1WAF9IrYWE1c-xG-pLdGhQKwbImlvJkGjyKyYE1lAtYlYiEo6kt33RnwBCl137rOpz0zddmViJ_gAzPiGA0xvid1ZIY/s1600/2015-02-24+12.33.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9ll7wBIa8WHTZOG_hl9BJqe60mwlrYlCJI4tloyJqvozTl1r1WAF9IrYWE1c-xG-pLdGhQKwbImlvJkGjyKyYE1lAtYlYiEo6kt33RnwBCl137rOpz0zddmViJ_gAzPiGA0xvid1ZIY/s1600/2015-02-24+12.33.41.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnT7hMVgW-TsFtvXxk5qXGrIgrjGRR2TCl4jnnHptNU5GaTFyk4zvKUy2ShLwqcWJvuA0Ak3Qjkt0BYXBzHCB7I8e9aOooSVlzY9Tov1nhyphenhyphen1-PPtrFxLCz0pwcaLCZe9TxQYTR7CralFY/s1600/diced+bell+peppers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnT7hMVgW-TsFtvXxk5qXGrIgrjGRR2TCl4jnnHptNU5GaTFyk4zvKUy2ShLwqcWJvuA0Ak3Qjkt0BYXBzHCB7I8e9aOooSVlzY9Tov1nhyphenhyphen1-PPtrFxLCz0pwcaLCZe9TxQYTR7CralFY/s1600/diced+bell+peppers.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
Using this method of cutting bell peppers gives you a more
elegant and cleaner way of preparing them then the traditional way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beauty of it all is that it really does
not take any more effort than before and you have more control and get a higher
yield from your peppers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This method
works great not only on bell peppers, but on most fresh peppers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So give this technique a try and see if your
peppers come out looking beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<![endif]-->Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-48883485297289474742015-03-18T01:31:00.001-05:002015-03-18T23:49:54.255-05:00The Unsung Heroes of the KitchenThey go by many names. They have many jobs. These jobs are often the lowliest, crappiest, most overlooked and easily forgotten ones in the kitchen. I would bet that most people outside of the profession have never even given these hard workers even the fleetest thought. I would be willing to bet even most cooks and others that work in the kitchen don't think about them. Who am I talking about? Sometimes they are called utility staff or stockers. More often than not they are simply known as the dishwashers. This group of people is absolutely indispensable for any working to kitchen to function as a cohesive unit.
When a kitchen is running as a well oiled machine, these men and women
are the oil that makes it all happen. Some may be asking why this is
the case. It is not a simple answer. <br />
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The utility staff often takes roles that are time consuming but still vital to the entire operation. Lets start simply with the function that they are normally hired to do: wash the dishes. This may seem straight forward, but you have to keep in mind that washing dishes in a professional kitchen is not like washing dishes at home. You don't just simply wash a couple of pots and pans and the dishes from after a meal. OH NO! Here they must keep up with a pile of dishes that usually starts piling up from the beginning of the day until well after the doors close. Some times they are dealing with leftover dishes from the night before. It is non stop. First it starts with the pots and pans used by the cooks. More often than not as soon as one cook is done with a certain pot, another cook will need it due to not having another one in the kitchen of that particular type. Dishwashers must constantly keep restocking the kitchenware. This includes pots, pans, serving dishes, as well as any and all utensils. Not only do they have to do this all day, but they have to do it in a timely fashion. It is not unheard of for a cook to come into the dish area asking for a particular item to be cleaned "on the fly". And oh unlucky is the dishwasher that ends up on the receiving end of a cook's screw up. What I mean is when a cook burns or scalds something it is usually the dishwasher who ends up scouring and cleaning it up. Even if the chef makes the cook clean it up or the cook himself offers to do the work, most dishwashers will rather do it themselves for the simple fact that they can do it better and faster. Once meal service starts dishwashers now also have to contend with all the dishes, utensils, and drinkware that is being used for that meal service. And if that were not enough, they will also start to wash any and all cookware and serving dishes used during the meal. That is a lot to keep on top of, even with the use of warewashing machines.<br />
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<a href="http://www.richscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/dishes1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.richscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/dishes1.gif" /></a></div>
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In most cases just because a person is hired as a dishwasher that is not the only role they will play. This is especially true if they fall under the job title of utility worker. What that means is that the chef can then call on them to fill in any number of holes, from prep cook (peel a whole lot of potatoes) to cashier (usually with a little more training). Utility workers are often the ones that take out the trash during shifts. They are also sometimes the ones who clean the equipment between uses and at the end of the day. More often than not they are also the ones who put up the orders from the produce and meat as well as other purveyors. If you can't find something usually the utility staff will know where it is or if there is any in house because they put it away. This versatility means that they can do these mundane tasks while those with the specific skills to actually operate and execute the menu are free to do so.<br />
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As stated previously, most of these jobs are boring at best, unpleasant more often than not and sometimes down right gross. Washing dishes and dealing with other people's left over food on a plate is not anyone's idea of a good time. Taking out the trash at all hours of the day with God knows what in there is nasty. Having to put away 150 cases of frozen food from Sysco after having put away easily over a hundred pounds of produce is not easy.<br />
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What really makes the people who work these positions is that it is very uncommon for them to complain. In my experience most utility workers have a good attitude, are happy to do the job and go well above the expectations put on them. When asked to so something I usually get a "sure, let me just finish what I am working on right now!" <br />
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Ask any chef who are the most crucial people working in the kitchen and chances are they will point to the dishwashers/utility staff. Without them, the kitchen be thrown into disarray and grind to a halt. When someone like that is missing all those tasks must fall to someone else to get done. So the choices for a chef at that point are to assign one of his cooks so that the line suffers, or just do it himself. The next time you are in a restaurant or dining facility of any kind keep your eye open for these heroes of the kitchen. <br />
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<br />Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-17688964344111729502014-11-29T19:40:00.001-06:002014-11-29T19:40:52.595-06:00The Truth Behind Leftovers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let me preface this post by saying that I am not writing this as a warning or an expose. I am just writing this as an informative piece on the business that is running a professional kitchen. I just want to provide a little insight into how things work behind the scenes give everyone a little peek. So, with that being said, I want to address leftovers. On more than one occasion I have been asked by a patron at many of the places I have worked at what exactly happens to all the food that is leftover at the end of the day. The truth is that the answer is not cut and dry. There are a variety of things that can and do happen to leftover food depending on many factors. <br />
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At the end of the day most kitchens are part of a business that is trying to make money. One of the biggest expenses that a culinary operation has is that of food cost and anyone running a kitchen is always trying to keep that food cost down. A chef will try to take advantage and squeeze out as much production out of all food products purchased. A very easy way to do that is to use up leftovers as much as possible and in as many creative ways as possible. Now when I say use up leftovers there are a couple of things you must understand. A good chef will never sacrifice safety or quality for the sake making money. The leftovers being used must be up to the standards of anything that would be served as if it were being prepared that day. Those leftovers must also be safe to consume. All decent establishments with a good record of safety and sanitation will have a use by date for their leftovers (usually 3-4 days). If leftovers don't meet these quality or safety standards they will not be used and will be thrown out.<br />
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When leftovers are being used the easiest way to use them up is to reheat and serve them as is. However there are a few problems with doing this. First of all you have the problem of possibly compromising the quality of the product upon reheating. Proteins have a tendency to dry out when reheated. Vegetables tend to overcook and just not look as appetizing. So if the plan is to just reheat and serve, special care is taken to reheat so as to not compromise that quality. The second problem with just reheating and serving is that someone might recognize the food, especially if the customer base is daily repeat customers such as at a cafeteria or a dining hall. Some observant guest might recognize the meatloaf you are serving today as the same one you had yesterday. A great way to avoid this predicament is to hold off on serving those leftovers and/or serve them at another station. <br />
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<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/AVvXsEhz_sL0_F-EQK50nSH2RnCT_P-B-yUfYNA8IzgXz8D4brwlsAvzVi3LVY0RKtEBsqCg7Kpbn6rpSZ8bAQmHu9q89yXon1WdvjuLN7ugVy_s5fEzFLeFY9lBtr8pZh-X3z9ecQ9WDioLU7U/s1600/2014-11-20+12.11.29+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_sL0_F-EQK50nSH2RnCT_P-B-yUfYNA8IzgXz8D4brwlsAvzVi3LVY0RKtEBsqCg7Kpbn6rpSZ8bAQmHu9q89yXon1WdvjuLN7ugVy_s5fEzFLeFY9lBtr8pZh-X3z9ecQ9WDioLU7U/s1600/2014-11-20+12.11.29+(3).jpg" height="320" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French toast that was reheated and served the next day.</td></tr>
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Of coarse the easiest way to avoid those pitfalls of using leftovers is to just reappropriate them and use them for something that was not their original use. Soups are probably the most common way to do this. Soups are cheap to make and very versatile. They can use up most leftovers, including vegetables that normally would not be good for anything else do to the poor quality that they were in. Chicken or beef that would dry out of reheated can easily be put into a soup. Leftover rice or pasta also works well in a soup. That soup of the day you love so much at your local eatery is probably made mostly from leftovers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thenourishingcook.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/minestrone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://thenourishingcook.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/minestrone.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leftovers make great soup.</td></tr>
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Soups aren't the only way to use up leftovers. Another common destination for leftovers, especially meats, is the deli or as a sandwich filling in general. Most of the time when assembling a sandwich it will be served cold and if it is not, there will be enough accompaniments that if the meat is a little dry it will not be too noticeable. Sandwiches can also use up any unused sauces or cheeses from different dishes. Sandwiches are just a great way to disguise leftovers as a completely different thing. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7R4z5Yx3F63bXEMvZBP6oS_PrpGqhxy49PHXQ0K45TFEiBf929LORgEIgBnzpgV4b2Ea5bWN7kkt9xzS7_38uTXl5UPOeTbB17cibZnd1o7Pao7A0bnr6-4jqUdL3d6sZueivKx0k2M/s1600/2014-11-20+12.11.37+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7R4z5Yx3F63bXEMvZBP6oS_PrpGqhxy49PHXQ0K45TFEiBf929LORgEIgBnzpgV4b2Ea5bWN7kkt9xzS7_38uTXl5UPOeTbB17cibZnd1o7Pao7A0bnr6-4jqUdL3d6sZueivKx0k2M/s1600/2014-11-20+12.11.37+(2).jpg" height="320" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leftover Pork Loin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGt1f7txycl2h3oO6r3evlGqMKx49jdjJDeidG7dQyZRuinXIwyHJt2V5BshN4c8tjeHJbQuGZy0DIsfgZiYy9UwzX2WcDRjTHMWpPAZnJzT7yxuRq3Q7Dx8BaGvNnS2mi53DNafkCtY/s1600/2014-11-20+12.21.02+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGt1f7txycl2h3oO6r3evlGqMKx49jdjJDeidG7dQyZRuinXIwyHJt2V5BshN4c8tjeHJbQuGZy0DIsfgZiYy9UwzX2WcDRjTHMWpPAZnJzT7yxuRq3Q7Dx8BaGvNnS2mi53DNafkCtY/s1600/2014-11-20+12.21.02+(2).jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turned into Cuban sandwiches</td></tr>
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The truth is that leftovers can and are used all over an operation. The way the chef sees it is just free money, or at the very least money has already been spent and can still be taken advantage of. It is just a matter of being creative and finding different ways to use up what is already there. I have seen leftover grilled salmon mixed with capers, lemon juice, and mayonnaise and turned into a salmon salad that was then served from the salad bar. I have seen unused meatballs chopped up and then added to a meat lovers pizza. I recently ordered some seafood enchiladas from a restaurant. When I asked the waiter what seafood was in them he told me a little bit of all the different seafood they served. To me that indicated that more than likely they were just using leftovers to make the enchiladas. But ultimately that is ok because I know that as long as the quality of the food was still good (they were quite tasty) and my safety was not at risk then the restaurant is just trying to be profitable. Really that is what using leftovers is all about. Kitchens are just trying to use up and take advantage of what they have on hand. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ny_z_v7kV5PM3N13EahVpNRJtGKvHyY7JQqygLhWGWVIuegNXottJR8hyNMAYRc4LF2gCmTB1fXomR9eBcDzUE6wcgYWAVakUPjljQPb_LY4LgeVbBACzThP7lEgaddr7ykVpV9pLRo/s1600/2014-11-19+12.54.44+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ny_z_v7kV5PM3N13EahVpNRJtGKvHyY7JQqygLhWGWVIuegNXottJR8hyNMAYRc4LF2gCmTB1fXomR9eBcDzUE6wcgYWAVakUPjljQPb_LY4LgeVbBACzThP7lEgaddr7ykVpV9pLRo/s1600/2014-11-19+12.54.44+(3).jpg" height="320" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty sure these were made with leftovers.</td></tr>
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Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-31535056083612613302014-11-12T16:56:00.000-06:002014-11-19T14:59:49.752-06:00Two Hour Ribs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALAg4m1z-5i2MoIRYhV_ky5uETNMT3FAn5XBbRqPtnlNwp2Hh_cj2NaJgWfLt0X_3Sf04xwn6ZU3EogLLGzWIoDBLwTDyJ2lhOqyt_zb2KjV8pEPEM7cYkriAKwLASnjLETqLvcj56o4/s1600/2014-08-10+20.02.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALAg4m1z-5i2MoIRYhV_ky5uETNMT3FAn5XBbRqPtnlNwp2Hh_cj2NaJgWfLt0X_3Sf04xwn6ZU3EogLLGzWIoDBLwTDyJ2lhOqyt_zb2KjV8pEPEM7cYkriAKwLASnjLETqLvcj56o4/s320/2014-08-10+20.02.41.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now that the weather is turning cooler some might think that BBQ season is over. I mean who wants to stand out in the cold over a grill for hours? Well, for the most part I would agree with them. BBQ is definitely more of a Spring, Summer, and here in Texas, Fall activity. But what if I told you you could still achieve some measure of BBQ goodness without leaving the comfort of your own heated kitchen? It is possible to make ribs with only your oven and in only two hours no less. Now these are not truly BBQ ribs since neither smoke nor a grill are involved. But they are a good cold weather substitute. They are so easy you can make them any time of year you feel like having some delicious ribs.<br />
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This technique works well with either<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_ribs#Spare_ribs"> pork spare ribs</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_ribs#Baby_ribs">baby back ribs</a>. I usually buy them when they are on special at the grocery store and just freeze them until I am ready to cook them. When I am feeling like making ribs, I just take them out of the freezer (usually two days ahead of time) and let them thaw.<br />
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When you are ready to start preheat your oven to 375 degrees.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOwbzpYZcXQR2d5oaGUhSZ4Umi37w0u59264l8-Qa9oiZrW6K6LzFolIpswEDS31bq-20JCwygH-JEjFsW58iWWjKILqxQMLysJxpI78KlJ3V6j00GbQv4yyPMwprHoaVNMQEW8bfXtU/s1600/2014-08-10+19.00.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOwbzpYZcXQR2d5oaGUhSZ4Umi37w0u59264l8-Qa9oiZrW6K6LzFolIpswEDS31bq-20JCwygH-JEjFsW58iWWjKILqxQMLysJxpI78KlJ3V6j00GbQv4yyPMwprHoaVNMQEW8bfXtU/s320/2014-08-10+19.00.00.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caliente!</td></tr>
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While the oven warms up you can prep your ribs. Some will say you need to trim off access meat and fat, but I find this
step unnecessary. I like my ribs as meaty as possible and I find the
fat adds more flavor. The first thing you have to do is to score your ribs. There is a membrane on the back of the ribs that you can either remove entirely or, what I do, is just cut cross hatched marks on the back of the ribs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://americanlife.fr/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Score-Ribs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://americanlife.fr/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Score-Ribs.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know what the score is.</td></tr>
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After the ribs have been scored you want to season your ribs. You can keep it as simple as salt and pepper or use your favorite rub. I have used a wide variety of rubs including a Southwest, Cajun and BBQ rubs. Make sure your ribs are well seasoned.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://aramon65.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/seasoned-pork-spare-ribs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://aramon65.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/seasoned-pork-spare-ribs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Season with abandon.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Once your ribs are ready you will need to place them in an aluminum roasting pan with a rack to hold the ribs. The rack will keep the ribs elevated above the cooking liquid.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3JvxfW_V7Di0oLevb5DlRrnIMz_EFVKtcki1pxsr0_EZ9d1bGbPndHPUx88avwEYGrgzygtcHnjwUlrpbaqWGmMnD_p4nUEi5-YabISL2CqLjRuD03UoaDtav7829LIOoNesVfRf4Bo/s1600/wire+rack1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3JvxfW_V7Di0oLevb5DlRrnIMz_EFVKtcki1pxsr0_EZ9d1bGbPndHPUx88avwEYGrgzygtcHnjwUlrpbaqWGmMnD_p4nUEi5-YabISL2CqLjRuD03UoaDtav7829LIOoNesVfRf4Bo/s320/wire+rack1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hardware.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Place the ribs in the roasting pan. Depending on the size of your pan I would do two to three so that there is minimal overlap. I usually only do two racks of ribs so I only really need one pan. After the ribs are in add enough liquid to the bottom of the pan so it come up to but does not cover the wire rack. You can simply use water, but I like to use beer for some extra flavor. Shiner Bock Beer works really well. Once this is all assembled, simply cover your roasting pan with aluminum foil (make sure it is sealed tight) and put it in the oven for an hour. <br />
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<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/AVvXsEj6LX9u1dnDd7q166Xej37HQ9vw2RNIZbVtB4Ku3z_szT73DjXoquxlJ-Xihc7ZOVcU7HmlN4GHSXJLKOmZpOj5alXeuBAACZlKaVbEcw3JASdJS910UyCBGcdEVuzUEE1I5xKKsGN1-9Q/s1600/2014-08-10+18.56.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LX9u1dnDd7q166Xej37HQ9vw2RNIZbVtB4Ku3z_szT73DjXoquxlJ-Xihc7ZOVcU7HmlN4GHSXJLKOmZpOj5alXeuBAACZlKaVbEcw3JASdJS910UyCBGcdEVuzUEE1I5xKKsGN1-9Q/s320/2014-08-10+18.56.37.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tasty package!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<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/AVvXsEgxI_HlXnMPOLW1H2XrWJsjnl7C1n6eHsmnivzpb-N-Mwd83M8yxKU5AJf_pq9m_3siVQqxrViljYd0JfN0MvqAStavQt-m4nYRX1A44IewO0ocPhZ0CNwNiF09OSSHBod7p6-qlzO0k2k/s1600/2014-08-10+18.56.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxI_HlXnMPOLW1H2XrWJsjnl7C1n6eHsmnivzpb-N-Mwd83M8yxKU5AJf_pq9m_3siVQqxrViljYd0JfN0MvqAStavQt-m4nYRX1A44IewO0ocPhZ0CNwNiF09OSSHBod7p6-qlzO0k2k/s320/2014-08-10+18.56.39.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My wife being a goof!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the hour is up remove the pan from the oven and uncover it. Be careful as steam will have accumulated with the cooking process!<br />
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<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/AVvXsEhLyTcvzok_2RsoxXK1lW4ksR-kzdfiWnCSwNQPiEAq9tJ2t6G2AbH2MYC7ccDNQbSmtmEcMu8QBptFkZdvvCqJAauyeD2CwLIEB3o3ucd1YIaXYQZk-bmmSZoMwy6pxi-VORebjgQVlkg/s1600/2014-08-10+18.56.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLyTcvzok_2RsoxXK1lW4ksR-kzdfiWnCSwNQPiEAq9tJ2t6G2AbH2MYC7ccDNQbSmtmEcMu8QBptFkZdvvCqJAauyeD2CwLIEB3o3ucd1YIaXYQZk-bmmSZoMwy6pxi-VORebjgQVlkg/s320/2014-08-10+18.56.59.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steamy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<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/AVvXsEi_iM5Nrf720Cf_l2ufkkObQ5AZvJh6W0yBP9i182GtZKhuRbANHSzWTMPyC5-eKO5E1330vlJkOCijc_r_VkgqFbJeJWG4mE9ysz1ukJxgeGSolo8mDdJTFK-BxwyO0HBcQUhp3kTixYg/s1600/2014-08-10+18.57.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iM5Nrf720Cf_l2ufkkObQ5AZvJh6W0yBP9i182GtZKhuRbANHSzWTMPyC5-eKO5E1330vlJkOCijc_r_VkgqFbJeJWG4mE9ysz1ukJxgeGSolo8mDdJTFK-BxwyO0HBcQUhp3kTixYg/s320/2014-08-10+18.57.20.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These ribs just got out of the sauna and are not dressed. Do you mind!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Next you will need a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. I personally love <a href="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/237519/4719726/%20_Stubbs_ALL%20BBQ%20c%202.jpg">Stubb's BBQ Sauce</a>. Simply brush on the BBQ sauce liberally. The ribs are not done yet, but they will look and smell delicious! Now just put them back in the oven.<br />
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<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/AVvXsEgttQ7ZMn5s5c9N8obuLEN5VqsU9sA7PlQ0utA59_6F5Fe4SDNyHJl7QcEPkfhuDgCA7-NSjmB3znPxoPxGAt960UwXU609gxAloWNjKCDVskUnHqKqkwc0PRwu62R2S1NDhlLOCJNbox4/s1600/2014-08-10+18.58.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttQ7ZMn5s5c9N8obuLEN5VqsU9sA7PlQ0utA59_6F5Fe4SDNyHJl7QcEPkfhuDgCA7-NSjmB3znPxoPxGAt960UwXU609gxAloWNjKCDVskUnHqKqkwc0PRwu62R2S1NDhlLOCJNbox4/s320/2014-08-10+18.58.01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like Picasso or Michelangelo. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<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/AVvXsEgA68mpZFOKzSCsYOtOrzHkRtHeJM7PYRQ1R796dkoByAXIbKf6H1B6_g3dylv3mbD7kXy1RfFSc5m8zzJ9CY6t3H1QabdRMHLSpdqVIt1MBhEo2-zYWa1UCtQFPVn9m1GXhjpdsy4LjJA/s1600/2014-08-10+18.59.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA68mpZFOKzSCsYOtOrzHkRtHeJM7PYRQ1R796dkoByAXIbKf6H1B6_g3dylv3mbD7kXy1RfFSc5m8zzJ9CY6t3H1QabdRMHLSpdqVIt1MBhEo2-zYWa1UCtQFPVn9m1GXhjpdsy4LjJA/s320/2014-08-10+18.59.34.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back in the hot!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
At the half hour mark you will want to take them out and reapply more BBQ sauce, and back into the oven for another half hour.<br />
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<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/AVvXsEiT1oAiJC80p5jTIGaZkl__z5mcxbnlEmmmyaO3BgtMObrI2y9cyH27wTN0p_8FtT7t_r5kdxNPL3p2kJos0Y2pd1nCQeYYhQPfB0YpU0UE8-nqJKci1LSE79rAkGek1xNcwW8KBnby3AM/s1600/2014-08-10+19.30.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1oAiJC80p5jTIGaZkl__z5mcxbnlEmmmyaO3BgtMObrI2y9cyH27wTN0p_8FtT7t_r5kdxNPL3p2kJos0Y2pd1nCQeYYhQPfB0YpU0UE8-nqJKci1LSE79rAkGek1xNcwW8KBnby3AM/s320/2014-08-10+19.30.40.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting close.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<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/AVvXsEi6exCNW3UHesRijjPMi0u_62yPn9Wf7KlQhUdnWOj3O9TOKmXsIV_Dz6FIgxWPQaDT-a91W1GKlAGMmLQMK7wMRyJuX69IVAuIKEFeQZIUNc3N24-seKXNrBm19MIcbfVmdtLKmjSJFh0/s1600/2014-08-10+19.31.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6exCNW3UHesRijjPMi0u_62yPn9Wf7KlQhUdnWOj3O9TOKmXsIV_Dz6FIgxWPQaDT-a91W1GKlAGMmLQMK7wMRyJuX69IVAuIKEFeQZIUNc3N24-seKXNrBm19MIcbfVmdtLKmjSJFh0/s320/2014-08-10+19.31.38.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saucy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Once the next half and hour goes by pull out your ribs. They should be done. What I mean by this is that they should be nice and tender and juicy. That being said not all ribs and ovens are created equally. If you find out your ribs need a little more time, just pop them back in the oven for in fifteen minute intervals until they are done. When your ribs are done you have two choices. You can cut them as is, or if you like your ribs extra saucy, just apply another coat of BBQ sauce. Either way I would let the ribs rest for about fifteen minutes before cutting them.<br />
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<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/AVvXsEjALAg4m1z-5i2MoIRYhV_ky5uETNMT3FAn5XBbRqPtnlNwp2Hh_cj2NaJgWfLt0X_3Sf04xwn6ZU3EogLLGzWIoDBLwTDyJ2lhOqyt_zb2KjV8pEPEM7cYkriAKwLASnjLETqLvcj56o4/s1600/2014-08-10+20.02.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALAg4m1z-5i2MoIRYhV_ky5uETNMT3FAn5XBbRqPtnlNwp2Hh_cj2NaJgWfLt0X_3Sf04xwn6ZU3EogLLGzWIoDBLwTDyJ2lhOqyt_zb2KjV8pEPEM7cYkriAKwLASnjLETqLvcj56o4/s320/2014-08-10+20.02.41.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost ready.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It is now time to slice up your ribs! The easiest way is to flip them over so the concave side is up towards you and follow the bone. This can get tricky sometimes, especially on the ends, as the bones begin to fan out.<br />
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<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/AVvXsEg-OQhDSowd7haiM1YcJ6nlowFRhtKtcro1RodstznmkfQzrRQ-8UuEtRrWVBOGS_fm2jy2VLquyA12CYXqIfeo0wzpBIsycQRELaN2N8x9u-EifNijdvDzdSI8JXyYdC-b1YQj74qYVHY/s1600/2014-08-10+20.12.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OQhDSowd7haiM1YcJ6nlowFRhtKtcro1RodstznmkfQzrRQ-8UuEtRrWVBOGS_fm2jy2VLquyA12CYXqIfeo0wzpBIsycQRELaN2N8x9u-EifNijdvDzdSI8JXyYdC-b1YQj74qYVHY/s320/2014-08-10+20.12.31.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Use a sharp knife.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<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/AVvXsEhou1KuDYRZcjg2WihkJK5rNEq4dHC9cIAJoq7tyy3Kp3YUG7OIitua9lboqSS7sOkdVcqrNkwlPKUcfCCdSFkLulgJbmH8W1dVDjCelQQELVo7hbXyUnMuJgegYCQQ97FABOV9VNxoOlo/s1600/2014-08-10+20.12.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhou1KuDYRZcjg2WihkJK5rNEq4dHC9cIAJoq7tyy3Kp3YUG7OIitua9lboqSS7sOkdVcqrNkwlPKUcfCCdSFkLulgJbmH8W1dVDjCelQQELVo7hbXyUnMuJgegYCQQ97FABOV9VNxoOlo/s320/2014-08-10+20.12.28.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for consumption!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Now that you have cut your ribs make yourself a plate and enjoy!!<br />
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<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/AVvXsEjZf8RL85okLnFSpTpS9MEfy6jgrefNHF9Ae3Tb0TZkK40LcB32lK8ZYX-DxP01HggCGik_5khECG42CHUEUXiqlfrmYfS5XK1qMj8r-wP33wg3LLdXw1rPahUCg0HRGqi_fQKqMs-iUk0/s1600/2014-08-10+20.17.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZf8RL85okLnFSpTpS9MEfy6jgrefNHF9Ae3Tb0TZkK40LcB32lK8ZYX-DxP01HggCGik_5khECG42CHUEUXiqlfrmYfS5XK1qMj8r-wP33wg3LLdXw1rPahUCg0HRGqi_fQKqMs-iUk0/s320/2014-08-10+20.17.28.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know you want some!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_1571253088"></span><span id="goog_1571253089"></span><br />Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-58616180882302597292014-10-15T00:55:00.000-05:002014-10-15T00:55:03.706-05:00On Being A Sous Chef<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilr2PF9HhBe7Qsv6ClEbL-c3mNucoHJ6rwZJz-op74JHuPeJVwWVfq5Q1CBSortQM8Yk-AJHMfOdqfLC6ImiSzpkLjnFiaT_1tvns0cv1RpNnI5TOkwU-1XvNXtiNFLz9sNHtr1J0VSgE/s1600/2014-08-19+15.27.45-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilr2PF9HhBe7Qsv6ClEbL-c3mNucoHJ6rwZJz-op74JHuPeJVwWVfq5Q1CBSortQM8Yk-AJHMfOdqfLC6ImiSzpkLjnFiaT_1tvns0cv1RpNnI5TOkwU-1XvNXtiNFLz9sNHtr1J0VSgE/s1600/2014-08-19+15.27.45-2.jpg" height="320" width="181" /></a></div>
First let me start by apologizing for such a long time between updates. The reason for my extended lapse was due to a change in jobs. For those of you not in the know I recently was hired on at the University of Houston as a sous chef. This is a big deal for me as this is my first job as a sous chef. I was very excited when I got my first chef coats with my name sowed in. Well this happened back in mid August and it seems as things have finally settled down. My schedule has been hammered down into a predictable pattern and I am finally starting to get a handle on all that I need to do as a sous chef. I just want to share with you some thoughts as a first time sous chef.<br />
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The first challenge I had was getting used to my "boss legs". What I mean by that is that when you come from a place that you are on equal footing with all of the other employees and you are suddenly put in a supervisory role it is a bit of an adjustment. I was just not used to telling people, "hey you need to do this" or "no, don't do that" with the authority of being a supervisor. It is not a role that I naturally take to. But with this job comes some of that and I am still getting used to it. I also know that I cannot lord that authority over people because no one response well to that. My personal philosophy is to try to let everyone know that ultimately we are all on the same team and I am there to help them as much as possible.<br />
<br />
Another aspect of being a sous chef I am noticing is that you have to pay attention to so many more things. It is all about the bigger picture. When I was just a cook all I had to worry about was my area, my station, and my food. As a sous chef I have to over look everyone and make sure that all the cooks and stations have everything they need and if they don't then what can we do about that. How are we going to fix the situation? I once joked that the reason the sous chefs were given red coats was because we were more like fire men than chefs, putting out fires where ever they popped up. When I was just a line cook I knew that the chef and sous chef were ultimately dealing with more than what I was, but it is a very different experience knowing that and actively dealing with it.<br />
<br />
As a sous chef it is also important to know your crew. Every person is different. Every person has their strengths, weaknesses, good attributes and flaws. As I get to know the people I work with better I am starting to differentiate what those qualities are. I know which people on which nights will need some help and which can function on their own. I am starting to learn that in some cases you might have to pay closer attention to someone less they wander off and leave their area unattended. It is also important to make sure everyone is executing the menu correctly. I have had one instance where the menu called for fajitas and my cooks were making quesadillas. <br />
<br />
I am also doing a lot more administrative tasks. I am usually the one who is doing the produce order for our location. That is a challenge in that you have to take into account what you have on hand, what you need to maintain par levels and what you need for the next day. These values could vary greatly from day to day. That is not even mentioning that you have to get a feel for what you actually need versus what is called for. What I learned and mean by this is that even though your needs list may call for 200 lbs of beets, the fact of the matter is roasted beets as a side dish will probably not be very popular amongst college kids. Therefore, you could probably get away with only half of that. Besides ordering there is also the task of checking coolers, temperatures, making sure everyone has soap and sanitizer, and making sure everyone has all that they need to actually make the food.<br />
<br />
This position has also forced me to keep thinking ahead. Just because this meal period is running smoothly does not mean I can take it easy. I have to start thinking about dinner during lunch or start thinking about tomorrow's service during dinner. By thinking ahead we can do things like pulling frozen product out of the freezer to make sure it thaws out or if I know there is something that is labor intensive during the next meal period I can jump in and get a head start for the people who have to execute it. I am also always looking in what we call the over production cooler where we keep all of our leftovers from previous meal periods to see what and where we can utilize some of that product.<br />
<br />
Some of the challenges I have come across as a sous chef are just being on top of everything constantly and maintaining my skills. When you are a cook and you have a bad day or you miss something it only really affects you. Chances are you have someone else with you to give you a hand. As a sous chef if you miss something or screw something up, it is affect others and their ability to do the job correctly. Luckily we have a strong team and I am not the only sous chef. But I would still rather not depend on others for my success or that of my team. As far as maintaining my skills go... Well, as they say practice makes perfect and when you stop practicing your skills degrade. I don't want that to happen to me so I rather enjoy the opportunity to get back "in the trenches". At my previous job I worked with a man who was being hired on as an executive chef for another location. While I don't doubt his skills, his hustle and sense of urgency was gone. It was a challenge to work with him that day. That is the worst case scenario for me in the future.<br />
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Being a sous chef means you have to be as sharp as your knives and pay attention to fifteen different things all at once. It means going to do one task and end up doing five before you are done. It is demanding and stressful and exhilarating and aggravating and fulfilling all at once. It is a job I hope to be doing well and I am ever grateful for the opportunity<span id="goog_1795588905"></span><span id="goog_1795588906"></span> to do it!Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-38683198970555544662014-08-06T18:14:00.000-05:002014-08-06T18:14:07.004-05:00InspirationLet me start be saying that great cooks, either professional or home, are made not born. But why? What gives someone that drive to learn to cook. What makes someone say, "I could just boil this and eat it, or I could parboil it, then saute it in butter and it will taste amazing!" The truth is that there is no easy answer to that. Every person that has ever put on an apron and taken on the mantle of meal maker has different reasons for why he or she does that. For some it is personal drive to be the best at what they do. For others it comes from their past. For me my love of food and cooking comes from my family.<br />
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<br />Growing up my family was never well off. We struggled, but I am happy to say that I never lacked in having what I needed. And I most certainly never went hungry. But what does all this have to do with the love of food and cooking? Even through the tough times my parents always found a way to show me and share what it was to eat well. My parents were very adept at finding things that should have been expensive at less than expensive costs. It was this ability to obtain fancy foods at a deal that let me experience a full and rich culinary palette from a young age.<br />
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It was because of this that I was able to experience things such as smoked oysters or squid cooked in its own ink. One of my parents favorite things to do, especially when watching some kind of sporting event, was what they called "<a href="http://www.mexicoguru.com/mexican-slang-meaning.php?date=120904">botanear</a>". What this means is to eat a variety of small snacks. So my mom would reach into the pantry and pull out all the various tins of different morsels she and my dad had collected over time. She would lay them out on a tray, usually with some crackers and some assortment of cheeses and we would just eat our fill as a family.<br />
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I remember the first time they introduced me to brie. I had no idea cheese could be so rich and creamy and delicious. I was only about 6 or 7 years old. Normally at that age most kids would scoff at the notion of this weird cheese with a hard outside and gooey inside! But my parents had taught me from an early age that in order to get on in this world you must learn to eat well. And in order to eat well you must try things. You don't have to like everything you try, but you have to try it first then make up your mind. So I was already accustomed to trying new and different things. That first bite was sublime. OK, at the time I would not have described it as sublime, I would have just said that was super good, but the idea remains the same. <br />
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It was this exposure form an early age that really opened up my culinary world. I was used to trying things that for some might be off putting because they were strange. Food never scared or intimidated me. This I believe is vital for a chef. So when I decided that I wanted to go to culinary school I'd like to think I had a small advantage, especially to those who were squeamish. <br />
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Both my mom and dad encouraged me to eat well and try new things. My mom, however, is the single biggest reason for my love of cooking. She is the one who first taught me what it meant to turn raw ingredients into something delicious. She is that one that taught me how to season said ingredients and to just "feel it" when I asked her how much I needed. She also put up with me when I was staunchly against the use of salt because I thought it made everything salty. She is the one who could reach into the pantry and pull out three or four random items and make it into an amazing meal with the same ease and skill as an old seasoned chef doing a mystery basket. <br />
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At first I really wanted to learn how to cook as a practical life skill. After all, I new I would eventually grow up and have to feed myself. So when I was about 11 or 12 years old I approached my mom about learning the secrets of the kitchen. She gladly accepted me as her protege and started showing me about the preparation of food. Some of the first lessons I remember are that you need to stir your ingredients in the pot, otherwise they will burn even if you have oil in there as well or that you need to patient with your food. Water does not boil instantly, no matter how much you want it to. As I referenced earlier seasoning to her was something you just had to have a feel for. You couldn't measure, you just knew when it was enough or if you needed more spices. She also taught me some tricks such as if you want to thicken a sauce or soup quickly, add some bread crumbs or that if you over salt that sauce or soup, throw in a chunk of potato to help absorb some of that salt. <br />
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My mom has a whole catalog of dishes and recipes that she has made a thousand times before. Some of them were taught to her by grandmother. Some of them she has learned on her own. And some she has just come up with on the fly with nothing but her own sense of taste as inspiration. I'd like to think that I have that same sense in me. I'd like to think that I can come up with appetizing meals on the fly with nothing but a few ingredients and my own ideas as inspiration. In any case I have my mother to thank for putting me in the kitchen. Thanks mom for helping me do what I love. So to all of you preparers of food, you makers of meals, no matter what your inspiration is, I hope it serves you well to help make the best food you can!<br />
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<br />Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-87283128114164084762014-07-28T17:50:00.001-05:002014-07-28T17:50:21.930-05:00Delicious Homemade Tortas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let me start this post by saying that I LOVE sandwiches. They can be eaten at home or on the go. They are easily customizable, easy to make and absolutely delicious. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torta#Mexico">Mexican torta</a> is no exception. I grew up eating all sorts of tortas whenever I would visit Mexico City. Some came from restaurants, some from little shops or huts and some were made at the local market. As good as all those were my favorites were always the ones prepared by either my grandmother or my mother. Those always seemed to have the extra something and personal touch that made them stand above all others. <br />
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Before jumping into how to make your own torta, let's take a look into what a torta really is. At its most basic a torta is just a sandwich, in other words, it is two pieces of bread that have a bunch of tasty ingredients wedged between them. What really differentiates a torta from other sandwiches is the type of bread used to make it. A torta is made with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolillo">bolillo</a>, which is an oblong crusty white bread with a soft interior. <br />
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A variety of the bolillo is the telera though it has a more rounded shape, is divided in three sections, and is usually softer.<br />
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The bolillo is the foundation of a good torta, so having a good bolillo is essential. Luckily finding good bolillos is not difficult, especially if you live somewhere with a significant Hispanic population. Here in Houston I have a lot of choices. I can always go to the <a href="http://www.arandasbakery.com/">panaderia (Mexican bakery)</a> right down the street. Or if I am doing my weekly shopping I can just pick some up at my local HEB in their bakery. Heck I am even lucky enough to have<a href="http://www.lamichoacanameatmarket.com/en/"> La Michoacana</a> (a local grocery chain catering to Hispanic clientele) that sells both bolillos and teleras. If you are not lucky enough to have any of these resources at hand and simply cannot find bolillos or teleras, use French rolls or Italian bread. My mom says even a baguette can be used in a pinch. <br />
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Like with anything in life, there is a great variety in the types of tortas made. Usually they are simply classified by what they are made with. For example a tora de jamon is a torta made with ham or a torta de huevos is one made with scrambled eggs. Besides the main ingredient and the bread itself tortas vary by just how they are prepared. Some are served cold or prepared simply while others are made hot on a griddle. In Guadalajara there is a variation call the " <i>torta ahogada" </i>or drowned torta due to the fact that after the sandwich is made it is then smothered in a red sauce. <br />
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Making your own torta is as easy as making a ham sandwich. As stated earlier you will need some bolillos to start with. Since bolillos come in whole pieces you will then need to split them in half. Once the bread has been cut it is important to remove some of the migajon, or soft white part from the upper piece of the bread. This will give you a concave piece of bread that will help hold the sandwich together.<br />
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Once you have your bread ready you can go ahead and leave it as is to make your sandwich or you can toast it in the oven. We choose to toast our bread in a 350 degree oven for about 5-10 min.<br />
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While the bread was toasting my mom and I gathered up our sandwich fixings which included refried black beans, mustard, Mexican cream, queso fresco, sliced pickled jalapeno, ham, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_cheese#In_Latin_America">head cheese</a>, fresh tomatoes, avocado, and red onion.<br />
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After the bread was done toasting, we were ready to build our tortas. First thing we did was spread our cream on the concave side of the bread. We then spread the black beans and mustard on the bottom half of the bolillo. <br />
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Next we started piling on the meats. First the ham, then the head cheese. After the meat was arranged so it would lie flat against the bread we added the queso fresco. Now we cut the cheese into slices, but it is possible and acceptable to crumble it and add it to your sandwich this way.<br />
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Then we started to add the veggies such as the onions, tomatoes, and avocado. It is important to try to add the veggies in a manner to keep them flat so that they won't slide off your sandwich. <br />
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The last thing we added to the torta before topping it off with the other piece of bread was the pickled jalapenos. The jalapenos add little kick as well as a nice tang to the overall flavor profile of the sandwich. <br />
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All that was left to do was put the lid on the sandwich and enjoy. The sandwiches were so massive that we simply had to cut them in half just to handle them. They were a great lunch and so delicious. They reminded me so much of my visits to Mexico City.<br />
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The beauty of the torta is in its simplicity. A torta is so easy to assemble and to make it just how you want it. For instance I know head cheese may not be the most popular ingredient. If that is the case with you then just simply leave it out. Are you a vegetarian? Then make yourself a torta de aguacate (avocado)! The choice is yours. Hopefully this inspires some of you to just go out there get yourself some fresh bread and go nuts! <br />
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<br />Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-61327188208478067412014-07-17T19:07:00.002-05:002014-07-17T19:10:57.876-05:00Fonda Santa Rosa<br />
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A co-worker once asked me that if I had to choose just one type of food to eat the rest of my life what would it be. My natural response was Mexican food. I mean I grew up eating pretty much nothing but Mexican food. I always loved my mom's cooking and I have very fond memories of both my grandmothers' tantalizing cuisine. So when ever I find a place that comes close to replicating it I am more than happy to give that establishment my patronage. Luckily I have found such a place in <a href="http://www.fondasantarosa.com/">Fonda Santa Rosa</a>. My wife actually discovered the restaurant when we were looking for a place for dinner. She found out that Fonda Santa Rosa was owned by the same people who are responsible for <a href="http://tamalesdonatere.net/">Tamales Dona Tere</a>, a favorite place of ours for breakfast. Naturally we were intrigued and as it turned out we loved the place. <br />
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FSR however has not really worked into heavy rotation of our places to go out to eat. Not for any real rhyme or reason. Therefore, my latest trip to FSR was with my mom. She is currently living with us and it was just her and me for dinner. After weighing some options close to the house and trying to determine what type of cuisine we wanted for dinner, I remembered that FSR was not too far away and quite delicious. I also figured that my mom being a Mexico City native would appreciate a taste of home.<br />
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Of the multiple time that I have dined at FSR I have never experienced a full or busy restaurant. This night was no exception. The dinning area consist of several tables in an L shape around what is an open and very visible "kitchen". This area was occupied by a large family at one end and a couple of gentlemen at the other. As we walked in we were greeted and invited to sit anywhere we liked by a friendly waitress. My mom and I sat kind of in between the two parties. The fact that it was so quiet gave the place a much more intimate feel. <br />
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While looking over the menu my mom and I had a hard time deciding what we wanted. The choices were so many and they all sounded tasty. So to help give us some more time we decided to order some guacamole to start as well as some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aguas_frescas">aguas frescas</a><span id="goog_1449812281"></span><span id="goog_1449812282"></span> to drink.<br />
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The guacamole was served in a small plastic molcajete with some freshly made tortilla chips. Not only were the chips fresh, but the guacamole was also exceptionally fresh. I think it may have even been made only after we order it. The flavor of the guacamole was quite exceptional. It was well seasoned as well as very balanced. The flavor of the avocados was dominant with undertones of sourness from the lime and spiciness from the chile. It was just the right consistency, not being so smooth that it would seem derived from an avocado paste. <br />
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The aguas frescas were a mixed bag. My mom got the <i>Jamaica </i>(hibiscus) and I got the pineapple. My mom's was just right. It had the flavor that I have come to expect from that drink. It was naturally tangy balanced out with sweetness derived from the added sugar. My drink was not quite as flavorful as I would have expected. It seemed quite bland and insipid. I was hoping to get a bolder pineapple flavor. My mom also made the comment that the pineapple tasted as if it was on the verge of going bad.<br />
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While looking at the menu we also noticed that they offered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_water">agua mineral</a>. Since we both hand not had one in a while we ordered one for each of us. They brought us the typical 12 oz glass bottle of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topo_chico">Topo Chico</a> which we both loved.<br />
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At that point my mom and I had finally made up out minds about what we were going to have for dinner. My mom decided on the Molcajete Mixto which is basically a small <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molcajete">molcajete </a>filled with a combination of beef, chicken fajitas and chorizo in a spicy sauce with
tender cactus, Panela cheese, onions, and cilantro. It was served with rice and refried beans on the side as well as a compliment of corn tortillas.<br />
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My mom absolutely loved this dish. She was enthralled with the presentation as well as the flavors of the different meats. She quickly ate up the tender cactus and enjoyed making tacos from the meats and the plethora of corn tortillas given to us to accompany our meal. She also remarked that the chorizo tasted like real authentic Mexican chorizo. She was also impressed with the quantity of food. She had enough to eat her fill and take some home.<br />
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For my dinner I chose the Tampiqueña, which is a plate consisting of juicy grilled tender beef accompanied by mole enchilada, fire-roasted
Poblano pepper rajas, fresh guacamole, Mexican rice and refried beans. The beef was a thin piece of steak resembling a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecina_%28meat%29">cecina</a>. It was excellently seasoned and tender as advertised on the menu. It was great for eating with the tortillas. The enchilada was sublime. It was some of the best mole I have had in a long time. My overall plate was portioned just right so that I ate everything without feeling as if I had over eaten.<br />
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As we were wrapping up dinner, my noticed the coffee and asked if it was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_de_olla">cafe de olla</a>, which is a coffee prepared with cinnamon and piloncillo. The waitress informed us that it was indeed cafe de ollo and asked if we wanted to sample it. My mom accepted. As soon as she sniffed the coffee my mom's face was an expression of absolute joy. The coffee was beyond good. It was delectable with the spiciness of the cinnamon and the sweetness of the piloncillo. It was so good, I ordered one to go. I was unable to finish the coffee that evening, but saved it for the next day. It was excellent even the next day drinking it cold. My mom also mentioned that if it was this good, after having sat all day on a warmer, imagine how good it would be when it was freshly made.<br />
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The waitress told us about the buffet during the weekends from 11AM to 2PM. They have pretty much all of their menu available for you to partake. It sounds delicious but dangerous. I could easily see eating myself into a food stupor. I highly enjoy this quaint little restaurant and would encourage anyone who wants a taste of truly authentic Mexico City cuisine!<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/8/182358/restaurant/Westwood/Dona-Tere-Mexican-Restaurant-Houston"><img alt="Doña Tere Mexican Restaurant on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/182358/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; width: 104px;" /></a>Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com09908 Beechnut Street, Houston, TX 77036, USA29.689945 -95.55530199999998329.686501500000002 -95.560344499999985 29.6933885 -95.550259499999981tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-32769776766098833662014-06-11T17:03:00.003-05:002014-06-11T17:07:28.679-05:00Middle Eastern Chicken and Chickpeas with Eggplant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes the best ideas come from a whim. Such is the case for this recipe. My wife and I had taken out some chicken for dinner and had no idea what to do with it. We also had some eggplant and kale in the fridge as well as a can of chickpeas in the cupboard. So we just decided to through it all together with some Middle Eastern spices and see what came of it. Here is how we made it:<br />
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1 lb chicken thighs <br />
1 white onion <br />
1 -2 medium eggplant<br />
1/2 bunch kale or about 2 cups chopped<br />
2-3 tbsp <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Za%27atar">za'atar</a> seasoning<br />
1 tbsp garlic powder<br />
1 tbsp cumin<br />
2 tsp marjoram<br />
2 tsp coriander<br />
1 tbsp dried oregano<br />
1 can of chickpeas drained <br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
2 tbsp olive oil<br />
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The first thing you need to do is dice your chicken. This recipe is a very good way to stretch out your protein. A pound of chicken really only has about 4-5 thighs.<br />
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Next cut your vegetables. Dice the onion. The eggplant can be cut into quarters then cut into smaller pieces.<br />
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The kale is simply chopped.<br />
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Gather up your spices.<br />
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Add the oil to your cooking vessel and allow it to heat up. Once the oil is hot, add your onion and eggplant. It is ok if some of you kale goes in as well. Allow the vegetables to start cooking.<br />
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After the onion starts becoming translucent and the eggplant starts to soften, add your chicken and allow it to brown.<br />
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When the chicken begins to gain some color, add in your seasonings and stir. Let the chicken cook in the spices for a couple of minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.<br />
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Finally throw in your kale and chickpeas.<br />
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Give the kale time to cook down. This will also give time for the chicken to thoroughly cook.<br />
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As soon as the kale has cooked down, season the dish with salt and pepper. All that is left is to serve and enjoy!<br />
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<br />Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-67727600746870996582014-04-23T16:50:00.001-05:002014-04-23T16:50:57.280-05:00Chicken and Barley Stew<br />
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As a chef I often find myself having a craving for a certain thing for dinner, then looking for a recipe online and coming away wholly unsatisfied with any of the choices. That is usually when I just kind of go and make up my own thing. Such was the case the other night when I wanted to make a chicken and barely stew. The recipes I found online were either too boring or uninteresting. In the end I knew I was going to have to make my own dish especially since I was using a bunch of vegetables that I just happen to have in the refrigerator. So this is what I came up with.<br />
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What you will need:<br />
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1 lbs uncooked skinless, boneless chicken thigh, diced<br />
1 can mushrooms, sliced<br />
2 each chicken bouillon cubes<br />
4 cups water<br />
1 cup uncooked kale, chopped<br />
1/2 lbs uncooked asparagus, cut into short pieces<br />
1 small onion, diced<br />
2 each cloves of garlic, minced<br />
4 ribs of celery, diced<br />
8 oz baby carrots<br />
2 tbsp dried thyme<br />
2 tbsp dried rosemary<br />
1 1/2 cups uncooked barley<br />
1/2 - 1 bunch of parsley, chopped <br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
cooking spray<br />
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<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/AVvXsEjXhIcUaAnUny8uAlsUDlNB1i7TpGizErx6xxINH1_k0mVjEXi-tLk1_R8swttxoUboPfkP4QJUxgb8YzJdauCHyE8gY0-ywHGpVNYQS67tdCn89tan6jZJ2WHaK6s5ll2tj-D4Bg-I-Rc/s1600/2014-04-07+17.53.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhIcUaAnUny8uAlsUDlNB1i7TpGizErx6xxINH1_k0mVjEXi-tLk1_R8swttxoUboPfkP4QJUxgb8YzJdauCHyE8gY0-ywHGpVNYQS67tdCn89tan6jZJ2WHaK6s5ll2tj-D4Bg-I-Rc/s1600/2014-04-07+17.53.21.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The asparagus should be bite sized.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<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/AVvXsEgRGUNtb4kUvi2vlEVr4mKjfubV3CQsK0We-PWLRR9OCabgNy7vcno_3pAtr-lXFcVRiEjXfXoUEXxPltuVIOrFa88hnS9SSjEdCNerqrsjSYsCdpu1IShjbkBhUMcPT56-FmbaE9usMmw/s1600/2014-04-07+17.53.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGUNtb4kUvi2vlEVr4mKjfubV3CQsK0We-PWLRR9OCabgNy7vcno_3pAtr-lXFcVRiEjXfXoUEXxPltuVIOrFa88hnS9SSjEdCNerqrsjSYsCdpu1IShjbkBhUMcPT56-FmbaE9usMmw/s1600/2014-04-07+17.53.24.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MMM, aromatics!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEhejGFWPYOHHBGyJUnnQk4c9i0h2_QPQmuTWFnOlDkrGBSL5VE39xqSkRUqYCrUxk4VPiKvsap4OYpWQ0y_Pmk7Hi17CzIzxwHI4ZkIdfoxEbHEfsPft2tnzMc89TrOoWt6sU-veofrEck/s1600/2014-04-07+17.53.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejGFWPYOHHBGyJUnnQk4c9i0h2_QPQmuTWFnOlDkrGBSL5VE39xqSkRUqYCrUxk4VPiKvsap4OYpWQ0y_Pmk7Hi17CzIzxwHI4ZkIdfoxEbHEfsPft2tnzMc89TrOoWt6sU-veofrEck/s1600/2014-04-07+17.53.45.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make sure to rinse your kale.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEguV1zDtpYU-wdieOs0cxG-FtkiTxjzRCtFTRM1S5X7B5HEzC0AIM5-fVB0MBlJHd2-JGoriWYaG4c679rYEN4iaYbQ0qJ7WDFZGNAq7NfG6ZkUExA1qcGPzuCoUwy-xPDPptqZWgVUYhs/s1600/2014-04-07+17.53.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguV1zDtpYU-wdieOs0cxG-FtkiTxjzRCtFTRM1S5X7B5HEzC0AIM5-fVB0MBlJHd2-JGoriWYaG4c679rYEN4iaYbQ0qJ7WDFZGNAq7NfG6ZkUExA1qcGPzuCoUwy-xPDPptqZWgVUYhs/s1600/2014-04-07+17.53.41.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your favorite brand will work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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You will need a pan large enough to hold all your ingredients. Keep in mind that this recipe will make quite a bit! Start by sauteing your onions, garlic, and celery until they are translucent and you can smell them. Once they reach this point add your dried herbs and chicken and allow it to brown a bit.<br />
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Next add the barley and saute it for a minute, as if you were making a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilaf">pilaf</a>.<br />
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Add the water, bouillon, carrots and mushrooms.<br />
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Bring it all up to a boil, then down to a simmer. Cover your pot and allow the mixture to cook until the barley is tender. If the barley absorbs too much liquid, just add some more water.<br />
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When the barley is almost done, add the kale and asparagus. These are delicate vegetables and will not take long to cook. Essentially you want the asparagus to be tender and the kale to wilt down a bit.<br />
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Once the kale and asparagus have been incorporated, season the stew to your taste and top with the chopped parsley. Now just serve and enjoy!<br />
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<br />Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-76711962980329312562014-04-08T17:12:00.000-05:002014-04-08T17:12:06.269-05:00Blackened Pork Chops with Creole Peppers, Onions, Okra and Tomatoes<br />
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My wife had defrosted some pork chops for dinner, but we were unsure of what to do with them. Fortunately my cast iron skillet had been left out. That served as the inspiration for me to make <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackening_%28cooking%29">blackened</a> pork chops. As a vegetable/sauce, I thought that a Creole themed vegetable would make perfect sense. Here is what you need:<br />
<br />
4 4oz pork chops<br />
Blackening spice<br />
2-3 tbsp high smoke point cooking oil <br />
1-2 can diced tomatoes <br />
1-2 green bell pepper julienned<br />
3-4 ribs celery, sliced <br />
1 white or yellow onion julienned<br />
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped <br />
1 cup frozen okra<br />
Creole seasoning<br />
4 cups cooked white rice<br />
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The first thing you want to do is to preheat your oven to 350 degrees as you will finish the pork in the oven. Next season both sides of the pork chops with the blackening spice. For the spice you can either <a href="https://www.google.com/#q=blackening+spice&tbm=shop">purchase one </a>or <a href="http://bbq.about.com/od/rubrecipes/r/bl90515b.htm">make your own</a>. <br />
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After the pork is seasoned you are going to want to sear it in a very hot pan. A cast iron skillet works best for this. However, if you don't have one, just use a regular saute pan.<br />
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Next you nee to get your pan nice hot. A good way to test the pan is to drip some water into it. If it sizzles and skips right away the pan is ready. Add about a tablespoon to a tablespoon and half of oil to the pan, just enough to cook the bottom of the pan. Traditionally blackening is done with butter, but I find butter has a tendency to burn, especially if you are not used to working with it at such high temperatures. For this same reason you will want to use an oil with a high smoke point such as canola, corn, or grape seed. DO NOT use olive oil. It is too delicate and will burn! When the oil is also hot, which should not take too long, add your pork chops to the pan. The pork will want to stick to the pan. This is OK as this is part of the sear and you are developing flavor and color. You will know hen it is time to flip the chops over as they will no longer stick to the pan and will have a beautiful color. If all the pork chops don't fit into the pan, then sear them in batches.<br />
<br />
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<br />
After the chops have been seared just place them on a sheet pan with a rack so that they can go into your preheated oven. The chops should take about 15-25 min., depending on how well done you want them.<br />
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While the pork is cooking in the oven you can work on the sauce. First step is to heat a pan large enough to hold all your ingredients and add the rest of the cooking oil. Next saute your <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_trinity_%28cuisine%29">onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic</a>. As they are cooking season them with some of the creole seasoning. As with the blackening spice, you can <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=creaole+seasoning&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb#channel=sb&q=creole+seasoning&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=shop">purchase some</a> or <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/creole-seasoning-blend/">make your own</a>. <br />
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After the vegetables have softened a bit, add your frozen okra. Stir it and allow the okra to thaw a bit.<br />
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Once the okra is incorporated, add your canned tomatoes.<br />
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Stir and allow to simmer while the pork is finishing in the oven. Taste it and adjust the seasoning. <br />
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<br />After the pork is done (I like to pull my pork out at 135-140 degrees) you are ready to serve your meal.<br />
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To serve simply place a cups worth of cooked white rice on your plate. Lay a pork chop over the rice and top with about a cups worth of sauce/vegetables. If you like spiciness, just add some Tabasco or Cajun hot sauce to your dinner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt1MuLWT0fRCiazyUXaqcmPkorkebexLGQCcvU2Y7nABC1NoyJ5R8O93eWOwMKMEP2tbmnvVdyZ70fjwvDx4_S_j7-rNJ8M1qB1A9IuFcuRc1rX2So5eYDGhzpUpXmCEHdZ5JjDU8Gi8/s1600/2014-03-04+19.05.13-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt1MuLWT0fRCiazyUXaqcmPkorkebexLGQCcvU2Y7nABC1NoyJ5R8O93eWOwMKMEP2tbmnvVdyZ70fjwvDx4_S_j7-rNJ8M1qB1A9IuFcuRc1rX2So5eYDGhzpUpXmCEHdZ5JjDU8Gi8/s1600/2014-03-04+19.05.13-1.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Now just enjoy!Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-81913890033235074052014-03-28T16:57:00.001-05:002014-03-28T17:01:23.460-05:00The Malady That is the Modern Cooking Show<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.foodtv.co.nz/images/site/foodTv-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.foodtv.co.nz/images/site/foodTv-logo.png" /></a></div>
I recently read an interesting <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-spiegel/food-tv_b_4957588.html?utm_hp_ref=tw">article from the Huffington Post</a>. In this article, the author explains and espouses her belief that food TV is a terrible way to be a fan of food. I could not agree more. Most of the programing that makes up today's food TV takes the focus away from the food and squarely on the people around the food. When I was in culinary school I remember at the orientation the chefs telling us that if we watched and enjoyed watching the Food Network that chances were we would change our minds by the time we were done. How right they were.<br />
<br />
The food TV that I have most problems with can be categorized into three categories: food wars (competitive), food porn (voyeuristic), and food celebrity. For the sake of full disclosure, I will say that I don't dislike all food TV and enjoy some shows such as actually cooking shows or anything done by Anthony Bourdain. It is just that today's food TV seems to be more about flash than substance. It is all insincere, fake and more often than not feels forced. It plays out like bad TV.<br />
<br />
The category I dislike the most is the food wars. Shows like Hell's Kitchen, Next Food Network Star, or even Chopped eliminate everything that is good and beautiful about preparing delicious food. They place people in artificial environments with the goal of outdoing each other for the ever slight chance of riches or glory. It brings out and showcases the worst of people. It also destroys one key element of working in a real kitchen. Teamwork. A real kitchen cannot and will not function if the attitude is everyone only looking out for themselves. The kitchen can only work if everyone is pulling towards the same goal. While you might not always get along with your kitchen makes at all times, teamwork is fundamental for producing your food. You all have one objective and are pulling in the same direction. Without this you might as well just shut down your kitchen.<br />
<br />
Another reason I really dislike food wars is because of the ultimately subjective nature of the judgement. I am not saying things can't be appraised, especially absolutes such as if chicken is undercooked and still pink. What I am saying is that more often than not it comes down to peoples opinions. I have seen two judges on the same show having the exact opposite critique about a dish. Now I know that someone is always judging food, whether it be the executive chef at a real kitchen or ultimately the customer eating the food. What bothers me about the judgement levied on these shows is that they are trying to quantify things with made up values. More often than not these judgements are passed down by people who have an air of superiority that really should not be there. All of this is done to once again add the dramatization of the show which feeds into the artificiality of it all.<br />
<br />
Food porn is more about the spectacle of eating than the food itself. Shows like Man vs Food or even Bizarre Foods fall into this category. The food in these shows only serves as a vehicle for outlandish characters and circumstances in which the food is eaten. It is never about look at this food and how delicious it is, but rather about look at how ridiculous this is due to the shear quantity of food or because it is something that the viewers don't normally eat.<br />
<br />
Last we come to the celebrity food. In this case, the food takes a back seat to the person who is making/presenting the food. Here it is all about the celebrity in front of the camera. What they make does not matter as long as they have a great catch phrase, eccentric hair, or an outlandish personality so big it has its own trailer on the set of the show. The fact that the show they are in happens to be about food is just happenstance. Big personalities of people making cooking shows is nothing new. Just look at Julia Child. The thing is that with her you never got the impression that she wanted most of the attention. She just wanted to show people how to make good food. The roles of her and the food are reversed than what you find on most cooking shows now.<br />
<br />
Do I hate food TV. No, I really don't. I just dislike what it has become. I still enjoy shows that focus on the food. Shows that are informative and leave me feeling like I learned something are also great. Unfortunately in today's world of reality TV I'm afraid the good food shows are just becoming harder and harder to find.Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-19720229546004199992014-03-03T17:48:00.000-06:002014-03-03T17:49:15.066-06:00Simple But Tasty: Strawberries with Balsamic and WalnutsWho does not love dessert? I certainly do. I can't deny it. The
struggle has always been to come up with something that is both
delicious and not terrible for you. I mean sure, the occasional splurge
is OK, but what about the rest of the time? The simplest answer is to
eat something that is naturally sweet, good for you, and won't bombard
you with a barrage of empty calories. As it turns out I had gone to the
grocery store and bought two pounds of strawberries (gotta love those
HEB specials). However, I was not quite sure of what to do with them. I
remembered that when I worked at Central Market I once made <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macerated">macerated </a>berries
with balsamic vinegar and mint. I decided that this would be a perfect
use of my strawberries. So I picked up some good quality balsamic and
some walnut pieces and went to town! Here is what you will need:<br />
<br />
2 lbs fresh strawberries<br />
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (Splenda works well for this for the diabetics or anyone counting calories)<br />
1-3 spigs of mint <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiffonade">chiffonade </a><span id="goog_671793156"></span><span id="goog_671793157"></span><br />
2 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar per serving<br />
2 tbsp walnut pieces per serving<br />
<br />
This
recipe is so easy, but amazing good. The first thing you are going to
want to do is prepare your strawberries. Just cut off the ends with the
green leafy bit and half or quarter them. This task is best done with a
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paring_knife#Paring">paring knife</a>. Once the strawberries are cut just rinse them off well in a colander.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Next
move your strawberries to a container big enough to hold the berries
and some liquid. Add your sugar and mint and gently fold them into your
berries so they are completely coated.<br />
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<br />
Now
put your berries in the refrigerator and wait at least 20 minutes if
not a full half an hour. This will give the sugar time to do its job
drawing out the juices of the berries as well as giving all the flavors
time to mingle and get to know one another.<br />
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<br />
Once
the berries are ready all you have to do is portion them out into
individual serving and drizzle them with the balsamic vinegar. I do
want to make one note about the balsamic vinegar. You really want to
have a good quality vinegar because the cheap stuff is often too harsh
or sour to compliment the fruit the way its supposed to. Good balsamic
vinegar has a nice balance of sweet and sour. If you are feeling
adventurous you can try to make your balsamic vinegar into a syrup. All
you need to do is heat up your balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan on
low heat an allow it to reduce slightly until it becomes more viscous.
If you are not that brave just stick to the liquid vinegar.<br />
<br />
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<br />
The
last step to making your berry dessert is to sprinkle on the nuts and
enjoy! This dessert works really well with all berries, so mix and match
your favorites.<br />
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<br />Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298714223750642873.post-6384675873938659382014-01-31T16:16:00.000-06:002014-01-31T16:17:09.895-06:00No Velveeta? No Problem<br />
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As you may have undoubtedly already heard, according to Kraft there is a <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/business/not-stunt-velveeta-confirms-shortage-2D11887843">Velveeta shortage</a> this year. And of course this comes at the most inopportune time of Super Bowl Sunday. Well, what if I told you that you need not worry. There are plenty of ways to still make a cheesy delicious dip that does not require Velveeta but instead just a little know how. And if you don't want a cheesy dip, then let me offer you some alternatives as well.<br />
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A simple cheese sauce is not hard to make. It also give you the freedom to make it how you want to. Purists will probably stick to cheddar or American cheese, but for the more adventurous you can try different cheeses or even cheese combinations. To make a simple cheese sauce you will need:<br />
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1 quart whole milk<br />
3 oz AP flour<br />
3 oz butter<br />
8 oz cheese, shredded<br />
Salt and White pepper to taste<br />
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The first step is to heat your butter and add your flour. Allow it to cook slightly to make a <a href="http://wheresmygravy.blogspot.com/2013/08/thickening-agents.html">roux</a> on medium to medium low heat. Once you have allowed the roux to form, add your cold milk to the sauce pan stirring the entire time to avoid lumps. Once the roux and milk have been completely incorporated and the mixture has thickened turn down the heat to low. Now you can start to mix in your cheese. The key here is to add it SLOWLY. Don't dump it in all at once as this will make your cheese sauce grainy. Add a little cheese, mix and allow it to melt, then add some more. After you are done adding your cheese then add your seasonings. This allows your to adjust to your tastes. If you want to make your cheese sauce fancy, you can always try adding a dash of Worcestershire sauce, some dry mustard or some hot sauce. To make a queso dip, try using <a href="http://www.ehow.com/facts_5747432_asadero-cheese_.html">Asadero</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oaxaca_cheese">Oaxaca</a>, or<b> </b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queso_Chihuahua">Chihuahua</a> cheese as well as some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pico_de_gallo">pico de gallo</a> or your own favorite salsa.<br />
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Now if you don't want a cheese sauce or you want something else to accompany it, here are some alternatives:<br />
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How about some delicious guacamole to accompany your queso dip. All you need is<br />
2 medium ripe (soft) avacados<br />
1/2 white onion diced or minced<br />
2 jalapenos or serranos stems and seeds removed and diced<br />
1/2 cup cilantro chopped<br />
2-3 tbsp of lime juice<br />
1 large tomato diced<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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First just mash the avocados to your desired consistency. If you like your guacamole chunky don't mash them up so much. For a creamier guacamole you can even use a food processor if you'd like. After that just fold in all of your other ingredients and season to your liking. If you like you can even add a tablespoon of cumin for extra flavor. Oh, and if you are truly lazy or pressed for time, just take the avocados and mix them with pico de gallo or salsa. I once made a "guacamole" with nothing but some under ripe avocados, a blender, and the contents of my friend's spice rack. <br />
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Now one dip you might want to give a chance is hummus. It is not hard to make and so adaptable and customizable it might as well be a Honda. What you will need is<br />
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2 cans of cooked chickpeas, cooked<br />
1/4 cup <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahini">tahini </a>(sesame seed paste)<br />
2 garlic cloves minced<br />
2-3 tsp cumin<br />
1/4 cup lemon juice<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
paprika for garnish<br />
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Just combine the first five ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. While processing, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Reserve about a tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the hummus into a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. If you want to give your hummus a little kick, add a bit of cayenne pepper to it. Like I said earlier, you can really customize your hummus. Add anything from roasted red peppers to a Mediterranean olive spread. Or get crazy and add black beans, or even feta cheese. Yum.<br />
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Hopefully this will leave you better prepared for Super Sunday, even without the Velveeta!Where's My Gravyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10905461049623059298noreply@blogger.com1