tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77547282284626971472024-03-05T09:26:28.324-08:00The HungerCulinary manifesto from the Pacific NorthwestViolet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.comBlogger248125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-58746881312354143042018-03-08T15:05:00.000-08:002018-03-08T15:08:04.096-08:00You Say Potato, I Say Solanum Tuberosum.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihF89Kst5AJXzJG-kQeAxKBWpvPPdKAxZ3S0HCYtCNBiUkasFluC8JhBe4elAhFfXknPOTK9QgXm26p58fyVMQ1gfByzVvM6KWwZQr_jQNO31Mx1jSjIFJwi1wfYNuPvFEI97X8D6RsYcR/s1600/IMG_8665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihF89Kst5AJXzJG-kQeAxKBWpvPPdKAxZ3S0HCYtCNBiUkasFluC8JhBe4elAhFfXknPOTK9QgXm26p58fyVMQ1gfByzVvM6KWwZQr_jQNO31Mx1jSjIFJwi1wfYNuPvFEI97X8D6RsYcR/s640/IMG_8665.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Why is it that it feels like you're cheating when someone asks you what your favorite vegetable is and you say potato? Why does the potato not get the veg-cred that it deserves? Is it because of the sometimes shifty but oh so delicious French Fry? Goddamn I love French fries... Fried doesn't always mean artery-clogging, salt-coma inducing, fatty goodness. If done properly, frying can be perfectly healthy-ish for you. Of course you shouldn't eat French fries for every meal. (I'm looking at you vegan!!!) You might not feel so good if you did that. You'd probably have a nice shiny coat though.<br />
<br />
Did you know that potatoes contain no fat, sodium or cholesterol? Well, did you? Did you know that a potato has nearly half your daily value of vitamin C? I bet you didn't because you're too busy ragging on potatoes to notice. Yeah, well did you know that a potato has more potassium than a banana? Or that it's a super good source of vitamin B6? Yeah well it's true. The internet told me so.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So anyways, here's a nice and easy fancy potato dish that requires no frying to impress your non-potato hating friends with:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Crispy Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Lemon, Herbs, & Pimentón Crema</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1 1/2lbs of fingerling potatoes, cut into wedges</div>
<div>
5 cloves garlic, minced</div>
<div>
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, stems removed</div>
<div>
1 Tbsp fresh celery leaves (plus some lemon verbena if you have it)</div>
<div>
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil</div>
<div>
1/2 cup sour cream</div>
<div>
1 tsp picante pimentón, or hot hungarian paprika</div>
<div>
Juice of 2 lemons</div>
<div>
kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Preheat the oven to 400F.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In a bowl toss together the potatoes, garlic, olive oil, half the thyme, juice of 1 lemon, generous seasoning of salt and pepper.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On a lined baking sheet spread the potatoes out into one layer with space between each potato wedge.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Roast the potatoes for 30-45 minutes, just stick a fork into a wedge to see if they're crispy and tender.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Mix the sour cream, pimentón, and 1-2 tsp lemon juice. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Toss the roasted potatoes with the remaining fresh herbs and that last little bit of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper if needed. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Drizzle the creme over the potatoes and serve.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's it. Give the potato your love. It's just as cool as kale. I promise. xoxo</div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OhYtaRwXHNytzYEnZgzLlBQ_-n8AcaH8z1rtQ2Gv17s1iZYI53YsK0HHNwjztzGuBQEWwbuW8VCq79r4BcdMkByCoVc-P9iUq5JgAThTKMCWWZpK84vq9wNq3qK5E_SjjBBflEqllJ6n/s1600/IMG_8663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OhYtaRwXHNytzYEnZgzLlBQ_-n8AcaH8z1rtQ2Gv17s1iZYI53YsK0HHNwjztzGuBQEWwbuW8VCq79r4BcdMkByCoVc-P9iUq5JgAThTKMCWWZpK84vq9wNq3qK5E_SjjBBflEqllJ6n/s640/IMG_8663.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-30126453964656586622018-01-12T11:53:00.000-08:002018-01-12T11:53:32.417-08:00Dough It Right.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQCMG_1feOlM_XSWHebn5w4YmzF8u4oFYmfaSp3tIsgKTrvVnK7l41NcAwddxZ2WmMq5AAYk0ruUG2KhnDOC2xjydyco1bL_sWjdJUvrqb0iL-rdt8pkbQ3IGeoKJE9qj0Fp5ioiS1Ftw/s1600/IMG_8104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQCMG_1feOlM_XSWHebn5w4YmzF8u4oFYmfaSp3tIsgKTrvVnK7l41NcAwddxZ2WmMq5AAYk0ruUG2KhnDOC2xjydyco1bL_sWjdJUvrqb0iL-rdt8pkbQ3IGeoKJE9qj0Fp5ioiS1Ftw/s640/IMG_8104.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Hey there friend, long time no see. Yeah, so the past year(s) I've been a no-show and I apologize for that. You know how it is... depression, being sick, loss of inspiration, the world becoming a "shithole", blah blah blah. Life has a way with making you feel small and insignificant. My love for food is always there, however sometimes my mind has a hard time showing it. I forget that this is a way to express that passion and express myself through food and that everything else is just a bonus. So to you I say this; Thank you for being here and sharing this love of food with me. Having readers is a very lovely bonus. I promise to try and stick around a bit more regularly this time. xoxo<br />
<br />
Sooooo..... now that we got all of those damn feelings out of the way let's talk about food. Here is a fact. I am not a good baker. I think it all comes down to the fact that I am a very sense driven cook. I like to improvise. Also, not gonna lie, I hate being dirty and covered in flour. Too damn prissy to bake. Yeah, I am that brand of virgo. Add in being slightly impatient and you have all the makings of a terrible baker.<br />
<br />
But one in a while you come across a recipe that is too damn easy to not screw up and before you know it you just baked something that doesn't resemble the usual concrete block you are so adept at making. So yeah, the night before last I had made my favorite comfort food, picadillo. Then the next day I made empanadas stuffed with leftover picadillo. Then I baked and ate them. And guess what, it was super damn delicious. They were flaky and juicy and savory. So damn good. So yeah, let's make Cuban Empanadas. Start with this:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h4>
<b>Cuban Picadillo</b> </h4>
2 tablespoons Spanish extra-virgin olive oil<br />
<div>
<span style="text-align: center;">1 large onion, peeled and medium dice</span><br />
1 large green bell pepper, seeds/stem removed and medium dice</div>
<div>
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced</div>
<div>
1 ½ pounds ground beef<br />
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper<br />
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained<br />
1 tablespoons red-wine vinegar<br />
2 teaspoons ground cumin<br />
2 teaspoons pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)</div>
<div>
2 teaspooons Goya Adobo seasoning (optional)<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
2/3 cup raisins</div>
<div>
1/2 cup pimento stuffed Spanish olives, sliced</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
In a large, heavy pan set over a medium-high heat add olive oil. Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic and stir. Cook until the onions and pepper have started to soften, approximately 10 minutes.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Move the vegetables to one side of the pan and add the ground beef. Season with salt and pepper and brown the beef. Add tomatoes, vinegar, cumin, bay leaves, pimentón, adobo, olives, and raisins and stir to combine. Lower the heat, and let the stew simmer, covered, for approximately 30-40 minutes. Adjust seasoning, remove bay leaves, and serve over white rice. Top with a fried egg if you are so inclined (aka always).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchAKTrkHRX6dwculL0NAxgtW625B8yEa_-f6842F7YeF-VcDgX5DxfaJ3sHjSHQ0D0qslVy4YXRqxaTNgGlMbxvEwn435PS6ncPAK0X2Pgm-Xl9vEL5tyduwvjegGPQC9SivrQDb96SKh/s1600/Picadillo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchAKTrkHRX6dwculL0NAxgtW625B8yEa_-f6842F7YeF-VcDgX5DxfaJ3sHjSHQ0D0qslVy4YXRqxaTNgGlMbxvEwn435PS6ncPAK0X2Pgm-Xl9vEL5tyduwvjegGPQC9SivrQDb96SKh/s320/Picadillo.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old terrible photo of my Cuban Picadillo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I make this dish whenever I am sad or feeling off. It brings me back to when I was a kid and my abuela aka Aba or mom would make this for me. I hated the raisins when I was little but now I think they are delicious. Kids are weird. I was especially weird.<br />
<br />
So yeah, make picadillo. Make enough for leftovers. Then make the empanadas dough. Here's the recipe I used and tweaked:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Empanadas Dough</h4>
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 teaspoons salt<br />
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes<br />
1 large egg<br />
1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoon ice water<br />
1 tablespoon white Champagne vinegar</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Add the flour, salt, and cold butter into a food processor. Pulse 10 or so times or until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.<br />
<br />
<div>
Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add the flour mixture to the bowl, stirring with fork until just incorporated.</div>
<div>
Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently with your hand once or twice, just enough to bring dough together. Quickly form dough into a flat rectangle and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Chimichurri</div>
<br />
1/2 cup white Champagne vinegar<br />
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper<br />
4 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 shallot, finely chopped<br />
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro<br />
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley<br />
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Pulse it all for a few seconds in a food processor. Season. That's it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGiX3UjGTYNJpv0KKYBFPH_3BtUfj7joFBdYwCrRQINg62HRa0iPM6T0VuRnUQItA_YyZN1e0Q8WGJb_O4XbvxITVdadaBcUsgWlV7pmNLwlSPJ1q_CZBF4WpPUGQEqFkJH_6Dd6p86Ic/s1600/IMG_8099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGiX3UjGTYNJpv0KKYBFPH_3BtUfj7joFBdYwCrRQINg62HRa0iPM6T0VuRnUQItA_YyZN1e0Q8WGJb_O4XbvxITVdadaBcUsgWlV7pmNLwlSPJ1q_CZBF4WpPUGQEqFkJH_6Dd6p86Ic/s640/IMG_8099.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyyxv_tp_oeJewDvOYcCrs877wgvHM9uSEeEasVaunICPMu-PjKB-VZI6n2DgeDl1HsrVt14fVEWperdSFb5mXT63qR5HrMR4PIUTFeIgjla5ZP5FCikHmkKNCfV9HOB5V4Cd1Z0eKvWl/s1600/IMG_8101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyyxv_tp_oeJewDvOYcCrs877wgvHM9uSEeEasVaunICPMu-PjKB-VZI6n2DgeDl1HsrVt14fVEWperdSFb5mXT63qR5HrMR4PIUTFeIgjla5ZP5FCikHmkKNCfV9HOB5V4Cd1Z0eKvWl/s640/IMG_8101.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<h2>
</h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2>
Cuban Empanadas with Chimichurri</h2>
empanadas dough, thinly rolled out & cut into 6" rounds (recipes above makes about 12 empanadas)</div>
<div>
leftover picadillo</div>
<div>
1/2 cup melted butter</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Preheat oven to 400F degrees. On a lightly floured clean surface roll out a dough round to thin it out a little. Add about 2 tablespoons of cold leftover picadillo to the center of the dough round. Wet the edge of one side of the dough with a dab of water. Fold the dough over and press to seal. Use a fork to press down the edges. Place empanadas on baking sheet covered with parchment. Brush empanadas with butter. Bake for 40 minutes. Eat while hot. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqC-kTFIyyoEPQBMXSqTv3MzyjDoYmEoNIrOH1NtC4nOMvAePzGk30b019nM3Zw1aJFyFE2gE59f3QR3lwhZooy8K7KBYmgghgH6TvqICKhWVN8-RNhIRMxDl2mICiTKf-voNU2Nv2KGvX/s1600/IMG_8108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqC-kTFIyyoEPQBMXSqTv3MzyjDoYmEoNIrOH1NtC4nOMvAePzGk30b019nM3Zw1aJFyFE2gE59f3QR3lwhZooy8K7KBYmgghgH6TvqICKhWVN8-RNhIRMxDl2mICiTKf-voNU2Nv2KGvX/s640/IMG_8108.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
<b><u>Hey Vegan!</u></b></div>
<div>
I sees you. Make it meatless. Here are some subs for you:</div>
<div>
* In the picadillo instead of using ground beef use a block of firm tofu that you marinated overnight in some soy and garlic powder. Also add a cup of chopped sauteed shiitake mushrooms to make it "meatier".</div>
<div>
* Use vegan "butter" for the empanadas dough.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-9871406736873578522016-07-27T16:09:00.000-07:002016-07-27T16:09:36.141-07:00Instasnacks.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Remember when food wasn't popular? I do. PBS had Julia and Jacques teaching you basic French techniques while drinking cocktails. Martin Yan was awing us with crazy butcher knife tricks and chef Justin Wilson was teaching us how to make a roux and yell like a Cajun. On many afternoons I was put to sleep by the calm humming of the kitchen vents and soothing jazz of the show Great Chefs. Then technology happened and cable arrived. The cooking channel came and chefs that actually looked like the sleepless trucker-speed abusing chefs they were cooked recipes for you to try at home. Then suddenly, Emeril happened. Now I actually like Emeril. He seems like a really nice guy, but I always hated his show (I didn't like getting yelled at when he had a hard-on for garlic or some other asinine ingredient). With his growing popularity he made people food crazy. People filled stadiums to watch the man toss a salad. Food culture was changed forever.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Good:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
People started supporting restaurants that weren't awful chains. Small farms started to flourish. People started to care about where their food came from. Locality and sustainability were no longer words that only hippies used when lecturing you about peace and love and something something... sorry I wasn't listening. Food brings people together. Food is life. Obey food.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Bad: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Everybody became a food expert. Foodies (can we please just let that term die? It's stupid.) came crawling out from their couches and people at home were calling themselves chefs because they new how to cook spaghetti that wasn't from a can. And I swear if I see another cooking show where these poor bastard have to cook using only their feet and fight to the death with a raw piece of chicken to be recognized I'm going to stick my head in the oven.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Ugly:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The gentrification of food. The gluttony of mediocrity. "Upscale" comfort food troughs. The raw food movement (I bet with all that raw fiber).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So I follow a lot of food peeps on the Instagrams. I love looking at delicious food. It inspires me and make me feel all funny inside. I use <a href="https://www.instagram.com/candyandcorpses/" target="_blank">my Instagram</a> as a diary of sorts. The thing I ate or made. The days I feel pretty cute. Adorable pics of my loved ones on our adventures. But mostly the delicious things I stuffed into my mouth. Anyways, I guess this post was just a shameless excuse to show you my not-the-greatest but-oh-so delicious food pics from my phone. You read all this so you might as well look at the photos. Yeah, thanks.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Oh yeah, follow me on Instagram.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/candyandcorpses/" target="_blank">candyandcorpses</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJQERxKbxsTqqo1HgO39PxgshaavrN5sQG4UeclfB9KJsZpp107RKebIVhvcp0swTbA-8_8Ak67QAvdbt_T71voCVwDbbXcep8mtt8gpQaAXz2TSG4Xyq0qLvGw1mAUsrD2N61Plhyphenhyphenzmf/s1600/Hunger-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJQERxKbxsTqqo1HgO39PxgshaavrN5sQG4UeclfB9KJsZpp107RKebIVhvcp0swTbA-8_8Ak67QAvdbt_T71voCVwDbbXcep8mtt8gpQaAXz2TSG4Xyq0qLvGw1mAUsrD2N61Plhyphenhyphenzmf/s640/Hunger-1.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13_HRRvFsQdOAaonU1SfWmdNdNrK1IcFNf_Qab1voXr7nQ8H8t-M3RFAV8-KYAMKNWFpe115LJv_tGJIBbyZ_FpgKfHMt37oS_g3OQ0SGyi8j8MfEze8DG3LTc8fYGh9ewAkZSTezdG0f/s1600/hunger-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13_HRRvFsQdOAaonU1SfWmdNdNrK1IcFNf_Qab1voXr7nQ8H8t-M3RFAV8-KYAMKNWFpe115LJv_tGJIBbyZ_FpgKfHMt37oS_g3OQ0SGyi8j8MfEze8DG3LTc8fYGh9ewAkZSTezdG0f/s640/hunger-2.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUMW7coc54WJ_c0TkqNHRpCwaVnCdcUvpTc-OrMg-YO97rALYlPDhhwDpA9Ejtg1EQ9VgiEFTQGkdi4S6fhmNRngI6gX2vs4qPR_0UWlnW2QoOSuY4n_sQiQY7Kz40ySH1SuuDJuvwYWB/s1600/hunger-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUMW7coc54WJ_c0TkqNHRpCwaVnCdcUvpTc-OrMg-YO97rALYlPDhhwDpA9Ejtg1EQ9VgiEFTQGkdi4S6fhmNRngI6gX2vs4qPR_0UWlnW2QoOSuY4n_sQiQY7Kz40ySH1SuuDJuvwYWB/s640/hunger-3.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOBPgoIwmRTwQGdmDv8-59WdZHjakrQj9QAFz4Mx_Cj60NKS9qaoQ8itneMl8Gvxdp4HVTL_WKUbdu3KZzwzBtoPRw9v_vA7ZtysX0Ty-WSylLll1Gh44dWkk30gVackgnQPUUNmwNxCM/s1600/hunger-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOBPgoIwmRTwQGdmDv8-59WdZHjakrQj9QAFz4Mx_Cj60NKS9qaoQ8itneMl8Gvxdp4HVTL_WKUbdu3KZzwzBtoPRw9v_vA7ZtysX0Ty-WSylLll1Gh44dWkk30gVackgnQPUUNmwNxCM/s640/hunger-4.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUJ9JBdjRcDmcDMwBIELOi8vs8h7bGUKlINeODLD1K6suMIAx20HelV4w3-0YbsCtKga_R23wfHeV_n74DnkZluAAf5D4lu62gq2N1maE1ZWPqizdO-1DANBwbXo3P1BcIKg0l3f1mXoH/s1600/hunger-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUJ9JBdjRcDmcDMwBIELOi8vs8h7bGUKlINeODLD1K6suMIAx20HelV4w3-0YbsCtKga_R23wfHeV_n74DnkZluAAf5D4lu62gq2N1maE1ZWPqizdO-1DANBwbXo3P1BcIKg0l3f1mXoH/s640/hunger-5.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaQFEQ2lukB8_Q6xzJpGeuqdrNvn4He0HqR8oc3zNL4KNbo0dELzROQXdYA7IY6uCQ6regNYDiO7Wsg1zXoOmpy5ICb88w4AjooUqFdGyqDTtlR1X93KYMDTNneSqmIKPh7MQp-9pLxOS/s1600/hunger-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaQFEQ2lukB8_Q6xzJpGeuqdrNvn4He0HqR8oc3zNL4KNbo0dELzROQXdYA7IY6uCQ6regNYDiO7Wsg1zXoOmpy5ICb88w4AjooUqFdGyqDTtlR1X93KYMDTNneSqmIKPh7MQp-9pLxOS/s640/hunger-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-53627107803780247362016-05-12T15:43:00.000-07:002016-05-13T10:34:01.317-07:00Thai Soup Is Good Food.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTEXHtmmPd3xUzZtwsVpng-n6KC8pk4zMbCt86sVgX4qE8kVNpJuHheli3Hn0Yxgg2ubCmN-_8RNzjLgkVlOOnRABsiP04KrRrGUser-89OVqazftSzKRCviG-do0e0CZZRtncXEdE7WF/s1600/IMG_4440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTEXHtmmPd3xUzZtwsVpng-n6KC8pk4zMbCt86sVgX4qE8kVNpJuHheli3Hn0Yxgg2ubCmN-_8RNzjLgkVlOOnRABsiP04KrRrGUser-89OVqazftSzKRCviG-do0e0CZZRtncXEdE7WF/s640/IMG_4440.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The first time I had Thai food was when I moved to Seattle over 20 years ago. I remember I had spicy green curry with fresh basil and lemongrass, a bowl of jasmine rice, and some tofu fresh rolls with peanut sauce. It blew my mind a little bit. Truthfully it took me a few minutes to comprehend the amazing complexity of flavors I was ingesting. The sweetness of coconut milk, the savoriness of the curry spices, and the heat from the chilies and ginger. I went back to that restaurant pretty much every day for lunch the next few weeks and tried everything off their menu. The staff was grumpy as hell but their food was so good so I didn't care. Red curry, massaman curry, pad Thai, pad see ew, larb, tom yum, tom kha gai... it was all delicious. I decided I needed to learn how to make Thai food at home so I bought a few Thai cookbooks and checked out the entire Thai selection at <a href="http://www.uwajimaya.com/" target="_blank">Uwajimaya</a>. After many years of practice I slowly but surely I built up my Thai cookery skills. I am by no means a master of Thai cooking but I can make a pretty mean tom kha gai. <br />
<br />
<u><b>Tom Kha Gai</b></u><br />
<div class="copy-paste-block">
1 lb. boneless and skinless chicken thighs, sliced<br />
1 cup oyster mushrooms<br />
1 13.5oz can coconut milk<br />
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced <br />
3 cups chicken stock<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced <br />
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3" pieces and bashed with the back of your knife<br />
4 kaffir lime leaves<br />
3" knob of galangal (or ginger) sliced into thick pieces<br />
4 Thai chilies, sliced<br />
3 tablespoon fish sauce<br />
1/4 c. fresh lime juice<br />
fresh cilantro or fresh Thai basil, lightly chopped for garnished<br />
<h5>
Method:</h5>
In a large pot over medium high heat add a little peanut oil. Add the onion, garlic, chilies, to the pot and saute until soft but not caramelized. Add the chicken thighs, season with salt, and cook through. Add chicken stock, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves into a
pot and bring it to boil. Simmer over
medium heat for a 15 minutes.
Add mushrooms and coconut milk and simmer for 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat
and add lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and chopped cilantro to garnish.</div>
Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-23785338997048843592016-03-09T14:30:00.000-08:002016-03-09T15:20:28.628-08:00The Joy (and sometimes drudgery) of Cooking.I'm not gonna lie. Sometimes cooking is just not fun. Says the girl with daily migraines, vertigo, painful arthritis, and other fun chronic illnesses that I do not wish to bore you with. Then again, sometimes having fun is just not part of the equation. We all do the things we need to survive. I take care of my family whether I am sickly or not. It's my job. I make sure everyone is taken care of and has what they need to be happy and healthy. If I take a day off my family turns feral. Next thing you know the kitchen is on fire and someone is eating out of the trash. That's just no fun.<br />
<br />
So I thought I would write a post on how to make life easier for those of you cooking for your family or yourself when you're busy or tired or sick or sick and tired of being busy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXi8M2tY24pmO8Mb1gzZ_6oOIXOxoqM8XGQ9KPDD9CZStloId-OMMGj7r8Ss9MTgG5fHDy-YNlw3NAdteCU6w5hKTbvVUqW3jcxt73jnKrXDIr7qeXqqkqTtd1cIqyVS3hKjtpdyy4XTAw/s1600/audrey-hepburn_00257884-vintage-cooking-in-kichen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXi8M2tY24pmO8Mb1gzZ_6oOIXOxoqM8XGQ9KPDD9CZStloId-OMMGj7r8Ss9MTgG5fHDy-YNlw3NAdteCU6w5hKTbvVUqW3jcxt73jnKrXDIr7qeXqqkqTtd1cIqyVS3hKjtpdyy4XTAw/s640/audrey-hepburn_00257884-vintage-cooking-in-kichen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<u><b>Step 1. Preparation</b></u><br />
The most important thing that makes cooking easier is having a stocked pantry. Nothing makes cooking harder than not having ingredients to cook with. Try making pasta without pasta or flour. Try it. I dare you. Take a few minutes and make a list. Stock up your pantry and it'll save your butt on many occasions. Check out my <a href="http://www.thehungerseattle.com/search/label/pantry" target="_blank">Keys to Having a Bad-Assed Pantry</a> series.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Step 2. Shopping</b></u><br />
Build up good shopping habits. Such as:<br />
a) Figure out your budget prior to shopping. <br />
b) Plan meals for the week. Make sure you have back-up meals and snacks planned too.<br />
c) Make shopping lists. Don't look like a lost child taking up the entire bread aisle because you can't make up your mind.<br />
d) Eat something before you go. 10 boxes of Hamburger Helper Nacho Beefaroni and a 24 pack of Hostess Ding Dongs looks pretty damn necessary when you're hangry.<br />
<br />
Want to save some money? If you actually have a choice of where to shop see who's got better prices. Shop around. If you have the time split up your grocery needs into more than one place. I buy my veggies and meat (and Asian ingredients) at a small family owned Asian grocery nearby. Super fresh and super inexpensive. Then I go to the regular big supermarket for American/Euro items, canned goods, frozen junk, bread, dairy, etc. They both lie on a direct route to my house so it's not really that big of a deal stopping off at both. In the end, it saves us quite a bit of money.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrKIL4ZpM0DtWxMe_qbe6T-2U7HYqnntU0Yk0m97iSTmxVZ01CkHnBRrd6N1MogO6Xeh4hx4Mvj-S_R9VwIW4EBDOKloswXgYiiol0HZcKf8hm9WFxO_Zh2If7Rt_RS_4J7FWH2vuS4Fa/s1600/11401369_10206147530622266_5436351776032813554_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrKIL4ZpM0DtWxMe_qbe6T-2U7HYqnntU0Yk0m97iSTmxVZ01CkHnBRrd6N1MogO6Xeh4hx4Mvj-S_R9VwIW4EBDOKloswXgYiiol0HZcKf8hm9WFxO_Zh2If7Rt_RS_4J7FWH2vuS4Fa/s640/11401369_10206147530622266_5436351776032813554_o.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
<u><b></b></u><br />
<u><b></b></u><br />
<u><b></b></u><br />
<u><b>Step 3. Make Extra</b></u><br />
Even if you're just cooking for one person cook extra so that you have leftovers. You can bring the leftovers to work for lunch or for your kids school lunch or for next day's dinner. Heating up leftovers is super easy compared to cooking something from scratch. Sometimes a dish or soup tastes even better the next day.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Step 4. No Waste </b></u><br />
If you get tired of your leftovers you can re-purpose it into something else. Chicken Parmesan easily becomes chicken enchiladas with just a few extra ingredients. Cooked rice can become congee or fried rice. Soup can become a sauce and vice versa. Use your imagination. My uncle taught me a dish when I was little called pizza eggs. Yes, it's as easy albeit strange as it sounds. Diced leftover pizza cooked with scrambled eggs. It's actually super tasty. Lol. Use what you've got. Nothing needs to get wasted.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEupizW4TdGHTPwT4mrAyB4fmQmloTXd7ss0DPGk0yzWALu96i40HGCzS2L9PQaJ7Lzc9bq3nvRQI8mLCWwhXDtflla1W5nC-ylpI4rCtGBFrKw9KbMlTnwj6OMIEr6BKmX8CarxQ0S1g/s1600/IMG_4336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEupizW4TdGHTPwT4mrAyB4fmQmloTXd7ss0DPGk0yzWALu96i40HGCzS2L9PQaJ7Lzc9bq3nvRQI8mLCWwhXDtflla1W5nC-ylpI4rCtGBFrKw9KbMlTnwj6OMIEr6BKmX8CarxQ0S1g/s640/IMG_4336.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
So yeah, you can save yourself a lot of headache and money. It just takes a tiny bit of your time and a little bit of planning. Don't be that person that's all dead eyed and starving in the grocery store staring at $10 boxes of frozen chimichangas.<br />
<br />
Here's a few ideas to get you started:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyBHHSBclx9qHdBN61Cq_cjQI08JSqzEpCnDv8xZOsGenNPvDDaZUtMu-jl2jWiYzS53Uh75F9n713NgcYY9teLb3yj3vdFNvjQIGxVGmlv9xfSJeC-BkBbulAnU5D3GefDbP5WEXks4s/s1600/Roasted+Chicken+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyBHHSBclx9qHdBN61Cq_cjQI08JSqzEpCnDv8xZOsGenNPvDDaZUtMu-jl2jWiYzS53Uh75F9n713NgcYY9teLb3yj3vdFNvjQIGxVGmlv9xfSJeC-BkBbulAnU5D3GefDbP5WEXks4s/s640/Roasted+Chicken+02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Buy a whole chicken. </b><br />
Roast it. (Or if you're in a real pinch, most supermarkets sell rotisserie chickens. It'll do.)<br />
Day 1. Eat the cooked chicken breast with salad/chicken Parmesan/chicken salad sandwiches/with rice pilaf and veggies.<br />
<br />
Day 2. Use the legs and thighs for Arroz con Pollo/gumbo/enchiladas/chicken fricassee<br />
<br />
Day 3. Make a roasted chicken stock out of the bones and add leftover scraps of meat to soup. I make a mean matzo ball soup out of scraps.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6xDZDvjjMpxZuoY2-v-EQfGpB_FbX0EYsvSzPTuHJWzZ1VG5gyMPnoynSCw9xxDaTnPWcKo7xg1LVBidX05aoEwAC_j76-koCT6a8Ek7oGrmUUuQmuskeW3pcHTelyGJamWYoI7ddnv4/s1600/IMG_0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6xDZDvjjMpxZuoY2-v-EQfGpB_FbX0EYsvSzPTuHJWzZ1VG5gyMPnoynSCw9xxDaTnPWcKo7xg1LVBidX05aoEwAC_j76-koCT6a8Ek7oGrmUUuQmuskeW3pcHTelyGJamWYoI7ddnv4/s640/IMG_0054.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Buy a large pork shoulder roast.</b><br />
Roast it.<br />
Day 1. Pork roast sliced with pinto gallo/adobada tacos/with mango salsa and veggies<br />
<br />
Day 2. Pork and beans/pork chili/pork roast sandwiches<br />
<br />
Day 3. Pozole verde soup/pork quesadillas/pork fried rice<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIsOwaZCjgepEJGvkZ5RqOBVLvjJ69HGvibL40_WNdutlP92fzvPCsW-aeSqCjbNYGFVT_FV2ylJ65o0HD6eUYDxMuib0JXSljXGjbTiEzZgvqNTaMWTm0cRcnYYpw1nkn39MMHwKZhHN/s1600/IMG_6618-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIsOwaZCjgepEJGvkZ5RqOBVLvjJ69HGvibL40_WNdutlP92fzvPCsW-aeSqCjbNYGFVT_FV2ylJ65o0HD6eUYDxMuib0JXSljXGjbTiEzZgvqNTaMWTm0cRcnYYpw1nkn39MMHwKZhHN/s640/IMG_6618-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Buy a bunch of bulk dried chickpeas.</b><br />
Soak them overnight.<br />
Day 1. Grind some soaked chickpeas in a food processor to make falafel sandwiches or with salad.<br />
<br />
Simmer them with herbs until soft.<br />
Day 2. Chana masala/Cuban chickpea and potato omeletta/Moroccan chickpea stew<br />
<br />
Day 3. Chickpea and tuna salad/fried chickpea fritters/hummus and flatbread<br />
<br />
You get the idea. Make your life easier. You don't have to eat canned soup and microwave pizzas if you don't want to. Eat well by planning out your life. A little organization goes a long way. Now go take some aspirin and cook yourself something tasty. xoxo<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b> </b></u><br />
<u><b> </b></u><br />
<br />Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-87955426924115966422015-12-03T16:17:00.003-08:002015-12-04T09:51:48.724-08:00Rabbit Season.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_jtWjO72An03H0eWJYpxH1rd7PxrfVAZFsMivZwW7H9qPyjAKj587Jmw8z_rVFIelu9o9pECoHKcmib0P9MO9vuUe-FT5BbyntIXa5RIVWrfm223ZtQTaeF-4IxHlF3e8pr6D0WaaRX_/s1600/IMG_4129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_jtWjO72An03H0eWJYpxH1rd7PxrfVAZFsMivZwW7H9qPyjAKj587Jmw8z_rVFIelu9o9pECoHKcmib0P9MO9vuUe-FT5BbyntIXa5RIVWrfm223ZtQTaeF-4IxHlF3e8pr6D0WaaRX_/s640/IMG_4129.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
When you talk to the average American about cooking a rabbit they tend to get all frowny face at you. A few tears build up in the crook of their eyes and they immediately say something like "How could you eat <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumper_%28Bambi%29" target="_blank">Thumper</a>?" To which I reply "This was not that cute bunny from Bambi. For all you know this rabbit could've been a total jerk." I find it very interesting that our culture is super happy to eat a Mcwhopper made of franken-cow or some nice factory white chicken breast all hermetically sealed up in the grocery store but eating animals that resemble actual animals is frowned upon. Hypocrytical perhaps? Meat comes from animals. Respect that animal by knowing what it is, where it comes from, and using every single bit of it. Nose to tail cooking is what it's all about. The rest of the world (yes, I am generalizing and I'm okay with that) isn't so squeamish about their food. As Englishman <span class="st"><span class="st">Fergus Henderson said </span>"<i>Nose-to-tail</i> eating is not a bloodlust, testosterone-fueled offal hunt. It's common sense, and it's all good stuff." </span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJCd0XXaJaS-k39jKH0hyphenhyphenTDSaEMX6DWA9BR0v5qtaiSOdanimpQ5DjJtrvnGaKf54XljKykmuxPzypsMZRtA4rcP2iNRmlDl3T3KGABCLxF5nK9mZm6dN4jplYBY92_DhA-XGZJ1Ajeft/s1600/IMG_4104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJCd0XXaJaS-k39jKH0hyphenhyphenTDSaEMX6DWA9BR0v5qtaiSOdanimpQ5DjJtrvnGaKf54XljKykmuxPzypsMZRtA4rcP2iNRmlDl3T3KGABCLxF5nK9mZm6dN4jplYBY92_DhA-XGZJ1Ajeft/s640/IMG_4104.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Okay, so here is a random aside. I am a huge Catherine Deneuve fan (hence this blog's name <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085701/" target="_blank">The Hunger</a> wink wink). Okay so there is a scene in the 1965 film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059646/" target="_blank">Repulsion</a> (which I have another blag lovingly named) where Miss Deneuve slowly goes insane in her sisters apartment where she stares at a defrosting rabbit that's sitting out for days. It is very upsetting and wonderful and for whatever reason my twisted little brain simply could not make rabbit without paying homage to that film. Okay, end random crazy aside.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span id="goog_1940731225"></span><span id="goog_1940731226"></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsro67-r9zF4KAXuAZ11F-Swf8z7_j-pINwaQEaPUGTRBwaBUj300Y4iyWnzzMwVO80E1N06l5N39wbolo35enY9g3GWXd6tHlK3EK-iVP7FwUcA9OIvUGubw9D0fpIf43QxScLb8I6eGg/s1600/IMG_4121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsro67-r9zF4KAXuAZ11F-Swf8z7_j-pINwaQEaPUGTRBwaBUj300Y4iyWnzzMwVO80E1N06l5N39wbolo35enY9g3GWXd6tHlK3EK-iVP7FwUcA9OIvUGubw9D0fpIf43QxScLb8I6eGg/s640/IMG_4121.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
So I'd only made rabbit a few other times in my life. I usually cooked it French hunters style with wine and olives and fresh herbs. The other day I came across a old recipe in one of my Spanish cookbooks for Catalan rabbit stew. My family (the Cuban/Spanish side derp) originally came from Catalonia Spain so I wanted to try it. It has braised rabbit, crushed hazelnuts, tomato and pancetta. I added my touch of a little pimentón and crushed Spanish olives for extra smokey brininess. I served it with roasted baby potatoes with fresh thyme and tons of lemon. Salty and gamey and rich and rabbity. Perfect for a winter stick-to-your-ribs meal. It would be delicious with chicken too if you can't get a rabbit or just don't want to. Either way it'll be tasty. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHZ1l2Bf4l-aud7VDhDgo8nJDD-cm6Vv4oxKrXs73niMIbfHSVxZlIHdQlo26l2OI0bVaC1P97oODB-0z04XW6I9ojDSKOOgODJfX-B5uQUk8xQagi-y2n16qJDyCnx9BuLpA8jbl2e9o/s1600/IMG_4142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHZ1l2Bf4l-aud7VDhDgo8nJDD-cm6Vv4oxKrXs73niMIbfHSVxZlIHdQlo26l2OI0bVaC1P97oODB-0z04XW6I9ojDSKOOgODJfX-B5uQUk8xQagi-y2n16qJDyCnx9BuLpA8jbl2e9o/s640/IMG_4142.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<u><b><br /></b></u>
<u><b>Conill al Romesco (Catalan Braised Rabbit with Romesco Sauce</b></u><br />
<br />
1 rabbit, jointed into six pieces<br />
1 cup AP flour<br />
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, tt<br />
olive oil <br />
<br />
1 cup chicken stock<br />
1/2 cup dry white wine<br />
4oz pancetta or bacon, diced <br />
1 medium onion, diced<br />
6 ripe tomatoes (or one 28oz can of whole tomatoes) <br />
3 piquillo peppers (or one red bell pepper), diced <br />
4 Tbsp Spanish olive oil<br />
1 Tbsp sherry wine vinegar<br />
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped<br />
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped<br />
1 Tbsp pimentón <br />
1 pinch saffron (bloomed in a little water)<br />
2 Tbsp crushed and toasted hazelnuts<br />
6 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 cup crushed Spanish olives <br />
<br />
Season the flour with salt and pepper. Coat the rabbit pieces with the flour. In a large pan/dutch oven over medium high heat add some olive oil. Fry the rabbit pieces until browned. About 3 minutes each side. Remove the rabbit to a plate and set aside.<br />
<br />
To the same pot add the pancetta, onion, peppers and garlic and cook for a few minutes as the pancetta renders out some of it's fat (add a little more olive oil if you need to. Add the rest of the ingredients and the rabbit back to the pot. Turn heat to medium low and simmer for 40 minutes to an hour. The rabbit meat should be falling off the bone. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yum. Serve with potatoes or rice. Pretend you are a Spanish hunter and sit in the forest while you eat this. xoxoViolet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-23699732772464022052015-11-20T14:31:00.000-08:002015-11-22T10:58:20.932-08:00The Incredible Edible Egg.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1NU42gX4yceslJwACADIiilMnLGjIuLGdd3ppGJB9qnEmzNZkCFTSMYeFtpvWu7hnC6luiYshbGGh0hH06885mR41CtdMxlC2aJslOK5Svxpyr9L9mDZXAOsXyWlqpE1GgM6pKvDs9go/s1600/IMG_4010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1NU42gX4yceslJwACADIiilMnLGjIuLGdd3ppGJB9qnEmzNZkCFTSMYeFtpvWu7hnC6luiYshbGGh0hH06885mR41CtdMxlC2aJslOK5Svxpyr9L9mDZXAOsXyWlqpE1GgM6pKvDs9go/s640/IMG_4010.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The egg is one of the most versatile ingredients in the culinary world. Eggs are one of my favorite foods besides pizza, cheeseburgers, & hot dogs. I have been known to lurk awkwardly at social gatherings searching for the ubiquitous tray of deviled eggs. Once found I stand my ground. Mingling only with the delicious eggs. I must consume them all. "No sir or madam, you may not have a deviled egg. Perhaps you would prefer a slice of walnut coated port wine cheese ball on a fancy cracker. Don't make me tell you no again. Leave while you still can." Ahem, where was I? Oh yes, I eat at least one egg a day. I show my cholesterol who's boss. Just like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojc02OvZVo8" target="_blank">Tony Danza</a>. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3y-Zwr3-i4k" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
<br />
The first time I had Eggs Benedict was at a Mother's Day luncheon at a fancy hotel in downtown Miami. "What is this magical creation?" I asked the man at the huevos station as I pointed to the English muffin mound covered in yellow gravy. "Eggs Benedict. English muffin, ham, poached egg, and Hollandaise sauce." With a creepy grin from ear to ear I took three of them back to my table. My mind nearly exploded. An open-faced ham and egg sandwich covered in butter sauce. Hell yes. I went home that day with a new favorite food.<br />
<br />
But then my skewed version of reality hit. Eggs Benedict was not something you could make at home. It was food you can only have on Easter or Mothers Day at fancy hotel buffets. I had never seen them anywhere else. I once asked my mother for Eggs Benedict for breakfast and she scoffed at me. "Yeah, I can't make that honey. How about a fried egg sandwich?" I would never turn down a fried egg sandwich but as I ate it I cried a few salty sad tears.<br />
<br />
Many years later the internet happened and people could find out how to make anything but by then I had pushed the Benedict out of my mind. I started culinary school in my early twenties and on the first day I cracked open my textbook and what was the first thing I see? I saw a recipe for Eggs Benedict. I was so stoked. I was going to learn how to make it myself. Unfortunately my excitement was immediately crushed learning that eggs were a second quarter subject. I waited patiently learning about the fundamentals of cookery (okay I lied, I tried to make it without instruction and I failed miserably). My time would come. Second quarter eventually came and I learned how to make a hollandaise sauce. I could now achieve what I thought was a magical gift only passed down to Mothers Day buffet chefs from some secret ancient breakfast scrolls hidden away in a mysterious mountain egg temple.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6slsVP26a9MEII0FlU9TDfUjrKNf2flfy8BjVxs6l3TKpcmzHB_pGRVPvIuyvZ6wV_kbs0qMtBF6tM7fc9Me-v_eAaQ6stQaVbU1y1F-idky8C2_ibTIs7rxJUttpgWcuI5ImSkfMbbcE/s1600/IMG_4019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6slsVP26a9MEII0FlU9TDfUjrKNf2flfy8BjVxs6l3TKpcmzHB_pGRVPvIuyvZ6wV_kbs0qMtBF6tM7fc9Me-v_eAaQ6stQaVbU1y1F-idky8C2_ibTIs7rxJUttpgWcuI5ImSkfMbbcE/s640/IMG_4019.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Many many years have passed since my culinary school days. Technology has changed. Cooking knowledge has changed. There are secrets that you learn with experience but recipes have been broken down so that even the least experienced home cook can make fancy food. Eggs Benedict may not be the secret magical dish it once was but it is still really damn delicious. And that's what matters.<br />
<br />
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<b>Spanish Style Eggs Benedict</b></div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
(serves 2)<b> </b></div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<i>Hollandaise sauce</i></div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
2 large egg yolks</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
2 tsp water</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
2 tsp sherry vinegar</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
6 Tbsp room temperature butter, cut into small cubes<br />
2 tsp pimentón (smoked paprika) </div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper tt<br />
</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<i>Eggs</i><br />
1 Tbsp white vinegar</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
4 large chicken eggs</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
lightly salted boiling water </div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<i>Benedict</i> </div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
2 English muffins, halved and toasted<br />
sweet cream butter<br />
4 slices Spanish ham or Serrano ham (or whatever ham you have)<br />
4 warm poached eggs</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
hollandaise sauce</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
celery leaves for garnish<br />
<br />
<br />
Make the hollandaise.</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
Set up a <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Double-Boiler-%28Bain-Marie%29" target="_blank">double boiler</a>. I use a pot of boiling water and place a larger stainless steel bowl over the pot so that the bowl gets steam from the boiling water but doesn't touch the base of the pot. There you go, double boiler. Before putting the bowl over the boiling water, whisk the egg yolks, 2 tsp water, 2 tsp sherry vinegar, pimentón, salt and pepper until fully incorporated and slightly lighter in color (20 seconds). Place the bowl over the boiling water and vigorously whisk while adding in pieces of the butter. If it starts to separate or scramble the eggs pull the pot off the heat to adjust the temperature. As you add the butter the sauce should thicken and become emulsified. After you've whisked in the last bit of butter turn off the heat and season if needed. </div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
Make the poached eggs.</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
In a large pot of barely boiling salted water add the vinegar. Crack an egg into a small bowl. Create a whirlpool in the pot by stirring quickly in one circular direction. Carefully add the egg from the bowl to the center of the whirlpool. The circular water motion will help keep the egg from falling apart or disintegrating. Poach for 1-2 minute or until just cooked through. Carefully remove the egg with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat the process until all the eggs are cooked.</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
Make the Benedict.</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
Place two halves of the English muffins on a plate. Spread a little butter on them. Place a slice of ham on each. Top each with a poached egg. Cover with a large spoonful of hollandaise sauce. Garnish with pimentón and celery leaves. Pretend it's Mother's day and drink mimosas for lunch. You deserve it. xoxo</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSRIwS8Mf4RqPcGcyU2q4J8CprEk6EuKx5zVX2-mbdo0zI7X6So8MX1Ebyvap7Hc5ZuVdYyQNHkbYR511FlBT9LRs8IVSIlIgsOKHokOKJhekjA1BUd5p2z4G4OLKG70iec1ULm5PNEN-/s1600/IMG_4022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSRIwS8Mf4RqPcGcyU2q4J8CprEk6EuKx5zVX2-mbdo0zI7X6So8MX1Ebyvap7Hc5ZuVdYyQNHkbYR511FlBT9LRs8IVSIlIgsOKHokOKJhekjA1BUd5p2z4G4OLKG70iec1ULm5PNEN-/s640/IMG_4022.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-32282823213406571552015-10-28T16:45:00.003-07:002015-10-28T16:45:49.367-07:00A Sandwich for the Wrong Side of the Tracks.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_7Y9mwOFjh6gbAEPMz94RrwN7JYfAPJlxdSFjoUtwZ24LK8OsUvBB6BkovOKesTiDdiG95RIaUVi1tVBlxXHfK8dkfm46TwMqib-hmyZnVmsR_Pi6PhtNw9QT2r-EE06fFLNmsILmtET/s1600/IMG_3557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_7Y9mwOFjh6gbAEPMz94RrwN7JYfAPJlxdSFjoUtwZ24LK8OsUvBB6BkovOKesTiDdiG95RIaUVi1tVBlxXHfK8dkfm46TwMqib-hmyZnVmsR_Pi6PhtNw9QT2r-EE06fFLNmsILmtET/s640/IMG_3557.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The sandwich is the greatest human achievement of all time. Meat, cheese, other stuff between bread. Let me tell you, there is rarely a sandwich that pisses me off. Now I've had some ugly bad sandwiches before but they almost always are the result of sandwich person being a cheap bastard. Don't skimp on the good stuff. Pile it on. But not too much. Like I learned in The Karate Kid, balance is the key. If I can't insert a sandwich into my mouth hole you have failed. Messy is fine and dandy but if I HAVE to use a knife and fork to eat my sandwich you have wronged me and I will have revenge. Don't be a sandwich loser. Be a sandwich winner.<br />
<br />
So anyways, I lived in good ole' St. Louis, Missouri for a while during my angsty years. I was broke and hungry and full of sad emo tears and I needed cheap food that didn't taste like garbage (or actually was garbage). There is a delightful sandwich with strange origins from Gateway to the West. It's called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Paul_sandwich" target="_blank">St. Paul sandwich</a>. It was invented in the 1940s by a guy named Steven Yuen at his restaurant Park Chop Suey in Lafayette Square, a neighborhood near downtown St. Louis. He named the sandwich after his hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota. It was cheap and filling and used up easy to get ingredients. The St. Paul is basically a egg foo yung sandwich. Egg, meat (or meatless if you're a hippy), sometimes cheese. Sometimes bean sprouts and scallion. Either way, it's really damn delicious.<br />
<br />
When I was a kid I made up a sandwich called The Hobo. I was 6 years old and imagined myself riding the rails, traveling from town to town looking for work with a hearty breakfast sandwich in my hand. I also wanted to be a pirate. So yeah, I invented a basic breakfast sandwich of eggs, sausage, and cheese. A more breakfasty version of the St. Paul. But i love the addition of bean chopped sprout and scallion. My family loved it and I felt as though I had really accomplished something. I also thought that perhaps now my mother would let me follow my train-hopping pirate dreams. Alas, she said no. It was a damn good sandwich though. So I give to you:<br />
<br />
<b>The St. Paul Hobo Sandwich</b>.<br />
(2 sandwiches)<br />
<br />
4 slices of toasted white bread <br />
4 eggs, beaten<br />
1/2 lb breakfast sausage<br />
2 scallions, thinly sliced<br />
1/2 cup chopped bean sprouts<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
2 slices American cheese<br />
butter<br />
mayo<br />
Sriracha mayo (just mix some hot sauce in your mayo)<br />
<br />
In a non-stick pan over medium high heat add a little bit of butter. Saute the garlic and scallion for 2 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Add the chopped bean sprouts. Spread the ingredients out in a single layer in the pan and pour the egg over the top. Cook for 1 minute. Cover the pan and cook for 2 more minutes or until the egg is just cooked through. Cut the omelet into four wedges. Take a slice of bread. Slather the hot mayo. Place two wedges of the egg filling. Add a slice of cheese. Slather the top piece of bread with mayo and top off the sandwich. Enjoy while you hop a train and get a job at a coal mine. xoxo <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbO1h1eO2sA1lRMpjRVZeKQs5HCyGmoNXhFslssIq3I2h79OJBVO8fqTez9TG1TFPxXFvOg3ELLFtUMHOzLwFOqPNpP8GyjCg_nnscvxXl5LK2aJiL_2vfsZ22V-tUn1WF-weGskrry5Pc/s1600/IMG_3560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbO1h1eO2sA1lRMpjRVZeKQs5HCyGmoNXhFslssIq3I2h79OJBVO8fqTez9TG1TFPxXFvOg3ELLFtUMHOzLwFOqPNpP8GyjCg_nnscvxXl5LK2aJiL_2vfsZ22V-tUn1WF-weGskrry5Pc/s640/IMG_3560.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-18815276903062822612015-10-15T15:50:00.002-07:002015-10-15T19:29:26.833-07:00You Are One Easy Chicken.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vSzPQ1oxg8YKaKK-SrYAtYMeavIsO6NANVxYQxi_X5jvJnVbwBjyuF3CpxRRL3dM1oWvvLaX0oscQt99_O7KkVVIzWQoPGKaG4Kthy-h_T6-KOsRuSPS3K2lrH-n483ce4n6mDQgx733/s1600/IMG_3178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vSzPQ1oxg8YKaKK-SrYAtYMeavIsO6NANVxYQxi_X5jvJnVbwBjyuF3CpxRRL3dM1oWvvLaX0oscQt99_O7KkVVIzWQoPGKaG4Kthy-h_T6-KOsRuSPS3K2lrH-n483ce4n6mDQgx733/s640/IMG_3178.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Listen, I like cooking away for hours like any food snob but some days I just don't have time for that kind of business. I'd like to set up lights and tripods to capture the perfect picture where the steam rises just so and the meat sweats perfectly (ewww) but some days my camera phone will just have to convey deliciousness in it's own charming but jinky way. I have a hungry family to feed and chronic illnesses to attend to. Before culinary school I learned how to cook from my grandmother and my mother. Some seriously delicious home cooking. I ain't afraid of chicken bouillon and dried herbs. Sure I know that homemade and fresh can be better sometimes but not always in my opinion. I prefer green bean casserole using canned green beans over fresh. Yeah, that's right. The gloves are off. Yeah, I'll buy a pre-roasted chicken from the grocery and it'll make delicious things out of it. Damn right I will. I happen to love Spam and American cheese and I'm not ashamed of it. I crave Doritos every night and drink Coke every day for breakfast. That being said I also love the salty mineral tannin in a perfectly braised <i>Coq Au Vin</i>. My favorite food is oysters on the half shell. I am caught between two world my dears but when it comes down to it, I just love food. Trashy food, junk food, classy food, expensive food, interesting food, comforting food, gas station food, fine dining food. I just really love to taste tasty things. Who am I to turn my nose up at how anyone cooks? I'm just a girl who loves to eat. Culinary degree or not. Just cook. Eat. Live and try to be happy while doing so.<br />
<br />
So anyways blah blah blah. The other night I was not feeling well so I bought a rotisserie chicken. For my family of three I got three nights of meals out of it. On the first night I carved the breast meat and made <b>Chicken and Bacon Caesar Salad Wraps</b>. On the second night I made <b>Cuban Fricaise de Pollo</b> out of the leg and thigh meat. On the last night I made a quick chicken stock out of the bones, wings, and back meat which turned into <b>Pasta Fagioli with Spicy Fennel Sausage</b>. Quick and inexpensive and incredibly delicious.<br />
<br />
<b>Cuban Fricaise de Pollo (Cuban Hunters Chicken)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
2 chicken thighs and 2 chicken legs (roast it yourself or buy a chicken pre-roasted to save time)<br />
1 15oz can dice tomatos<br />
1 medium yellow onion, diced<br />
2 stalks celery, diced<br />
3 cloves garlic, minced<br />
3/4 cup Spanish olives, thinly sliced <br />
2 tsp cumin<br />
1 tsp oregano<br />
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper tt <br />
<br />
parsley for garnish<br />
Spanish olive oil<br />
steamed white rice<br />
<br />
Shred the cooked chicken. Set aside. Heat some olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion, celery, and garlic for a few minutes (until soft). Add the spices, tomato, chicken meat, and the olives. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium low. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over white rice. Yum. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GqVj4xPl-4e-f_boL9uqpkSFfWFKQDODHjrNddmLHB7mJLDnnqDQSu8zmQOfZJ_x_zLK5UDk79o5qv1PFOlOBV9EhghM6XLcR-RFtcc5Wb3QtPmmEnPlk1NqkMDwusTNUi4Y6T_FYWQh/s1600/IMG_3177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GqVj4xPl-4e-f_boL9uqpkSFfWFKQDODHjrNddmLHB7mJLDnnqDQSu8zmQOfZJ_x_zLK5UDk79o5qv1PFOlOBV9EhghM6XLcR-RFtcc5Wb3QtPmmEnPlk1NqkMDwusTNUi4Y6T_FYWQh/s640/IMG_3177.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-48601324962034334522015-10-01T16:24:00.002-07:002015-10-01T16:24:53.262-07:00The Cult of Bacon.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0q9-bRnkmphachWZthWVKM5y0T8_LEzbFbG5lDgF-dYF7NUFmKF59Hb0XHh7heH9Lk1HGQ0TbK31ZAYHZJDqKpbPm4lT_FyYcVImrUL1gVBmNQpm8Gkvvv5lNH9ChXKDuASA7mI8Yecz/s1600/IMG_3323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0q9-bRnkmphachWZthWVKM5y0T8_LEzbFbG5lDgF-dYF7NUFmKF59Hb0XHh7heH9Lk1HGQ0TbK31ZAYHZJDqKpbPm4lT_FyYcVImrUL1gVBmNQpm8Gkvvv5lNH9ChXKDuASA7mI8Yecz/s640/IMG_3323.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Hello friends and enemies. In my last post, <a href="http://www.thehungerseattle.com/2015/09/the-sea-is-your-cure.html" target="_blank">The Sea is your Cure</a>, I wrote about the greasy fingered dangers of an all fried food and whiskey diet. Sure, you need healthy-ish things in your mouth once in a while but lets not get fanatical or anything. I hope I didn't scare you all into an quinoa and kelp diet. I'd rather die a happy, slightly crunchy life than a sad life of exercise and crying. It's all about some sort of balance. If you eat triple bacon cheeseburgers a few day in row perhaps chill out a little and only have single bacon cheeseburgers the next few days. Balance. It's the key to life.<br />
<br />
So anyways, bacon and tater tots. The two power foods at the top of the food pyramids. You need them to survive. I heard from the tv that tater tots and bacon, when cooked correctly, can grant you super strength similar to the powers you gain when ingesting pcp. Now, I don't know the science behind it but it was on tv so it's obviously true.<br />
<br />
I really wanted pcp super strength so I made <b>Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots with Smokey Three Cheese Sour Cream Dip</b>. Take a frozen tot. Wrap bacon around it until it overlaps. Cut the bacon. Repeat. Fill a tray sheet while the oven preheats to 425F degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the bacon is cooked through and the tots look crispy. I know that your first instinct will be to grab them straight out of the oven with your bare hands and shove them into you mouth hole but PLEASE LISTEN TO ME. They will melt your face and tongue to the base of your teeth. Let them cool a minute. I can't say I didn't warn you. <br />
<br />
For the dip I melted 1 TBSP butter in a pot over medium heat and whisked in 1 TBSP flour and made a roux. Cooked it for 2mins. Whisked in 1 cup of heavy cream. Added a large handful of shredded aged white cheddar, a big handful of grated manchego (Parmesan would work too), and a medium sized chunk of Point Reyes blue cheese. Whisked until the cheese melted and the sauce thickened. Added salt and pepper and some smoked paprika. Then I whisked in a bunch of sour cream. Yum.<br />
<br />
This dish is one of the best things to ever reach my stomach. I dream about it. I now belong to the cult of the bacon tot. You will too. Join us...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNrq_CEW1J-sR2skqHtaqgqiem63efpTgomx6nrtXpZHFRmdcvuBm8KgFHMB2_EaKVytrPs3ynlk9uVXH53gGpEzJ1-hSMHIK8v0ujJuYVpne_RG5Vds9DA0heY6VIeItTxgYHjcONkdY/s1600/IMG_3325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNrq_CEW1J-sR2skqHtaqgqiem63efpTgomx6nrtXpZHFRmdcvuBm8KgFHMB2_EaKVytrPs3ynlk9uVXH53gGpEzJ1-hSMHIK8v0ujJuYVpne_RG5Vds9DA0heY6VIeItTxgYHjcONkdY/s640/IMG_3325.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-46936194247481417742015-09-15T16:21:00.001-07:002015-09-15T16:21:46.218-07:00The Sea is Your Cure.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifURQpZlOdZ0-DSEzcpo3PPIQhe6CwzO5jq8-PtPlmFEPJsF7hsUglwwsncrZlYpM5pOZvsSDptYY4CYISkhMg4h3Ps5OvIA-dWne8-2qDynoZbtFU3z-EuL4Qp7CRshhGTEaZNoYRheq2/s1600/IMG_0233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifURQpZlOdZ0-DSEzcpo3PPIQhe6CwzO5jq8-PtPlmFEPJsF7hsUglwwsncrZlYpM5pOZvsSDptYY4CYISkhMg4h3Ps5OvIA-dWne8-2qDynoZbtFU3z-EuL4Qp7CRshhGTEaZNoYRheq2/s640/IMG_0233.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Sometimes around the seventh or eighth day of eating nothing but fried chicken and whiskey you wind up craving something that makes your heartburn a little less noticeable. You start to get that feeling where your skin is greasy and your insides repel water and it takes some serious doses of caffeine and amphetamines just to wake up in the morning. You are laying there in a pool of oil crying real greasy tears. You need actual vitamins in your body my friend. I've been there. I know what it's like. You are not alone. I've tried a fried chicken and whiskey diet and let me just tell you, it hurts real good. Apparently, your body needs other non-fried things to live happily. It's true, I read it in a magazine. You have to mix it up before you're irreversibly crispy.<br />
<br />
I went down to my fish guy. Down in fish alley. I got myself some shrimps and cod. The good stuff. Then I went down to <a href="http://www.uwajimaya.com/stores/seattle">Uwajimaya</a> and bought some bonito flakes and kombu seaweed to makes fresh dashi broth and some green tea soba noodles. Have you ever made <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashi">dashi</a>? The broth of the sea. It's very simple and adds tons of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami">umami</a> flavor to Japanese dishes. So yeah, anyways, I decided to curb my slow, greasy suicide by making <b>Poached Tiger Prawns and Ling Cod in Ponzu Scented Dashi with Green Tea Soba Noodles</b>. After eating this I felt much better better about life. I really needed that. Now I have the energy to climb right back on that fried chicken horse. By the way, that was a figure of speech, not a real chicken horse. Although if chicken horses did exist I would probably want to ride one. That would be awesome. Just saying.<br />
<br />
<b>Poached Tiger Prawns and Ling Cod in Yuzu Dashi with Green Tea Soba Noodles</b>.<br />
<br />
<i>for the ponzu scented dashi</i>:<br />6 cups cold water<br />1 oz kombu<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"> </a>(about 20 square inches)<br />1 cup dried bonito flakes<br />
2 tsp <a href="http://www.kikkomanusa.com/homecooks/products/products_hc_details.php?pf=10601&fam=106">ponzu</a> (use equal parts soy sauce and lime juice if you can't find ponzu)<br />
<br />
Bring the water and kombu to a boil. Add the bonito flakes. Turn off the heat. Add ponzu. Let it sit for 8 minutes. Strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. The end.<br />
<br />
1 lb fresh ling cod fillets, cut into 4 equal portions<br />
1 lb tiger prawns, shelled and deveined<br />
1 7oz package green tea soba noodles<br />
6 cups ponzu dashi broth<br />
sliced scallion and celery leaves for garnish<br />
<br />
Boil a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the soba noodles until soft. Drain and shock in cold water. In a separate pot bring the dashi to a simmer. Season the prawns and cod with salt and white pepper. Carefully add the seafood to the simmering dashi. Simmer for 6 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add soba noodles to a bowl. Place a piece of cod and some prawns on the noodles. Ladle hot broth over the dish. Season with salt if needed. Garnish with scallion and celery leaves. Look at your pretty food. Eat it. Drink sake. Feel great. Do stuff. xoxo<br />
<br />Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-76560214956653267732015-03-23T15:22:00.000-07:002015-03-23T15:22:01.676-07:00Meat of the Sea and Grass.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tE_dZPqJOt1qJOz_s6qLq_gYXr6Ue3epWDFEHJLLzsdjKNQVNZkuwdcEjoTPZFwnaj9F_T6eacej4dsPOWNldYywpYORW_jX034okF2SvUrImZp4SGSa0dhNLNQdRvYPfuhfeQ5TkUW0/s1600/IMG_1446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tE_dZPqJOt1qJOz_s6qLq_gYXr6Ue3epWDFEHJLLzsdjKNQVNZkuwdcEjoTPZFwnaj9F_T6eacej4dsPOWNldYywpYORW_jX034okF2SvUrImZp4SGSa0dhNLNQdRvYPfuhfeQ5TkUW0/s1600/IMG_1446.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Okay, so every once in a while I ask my adorable wife what her death row meal would be and she pretty much always says the same thing: "Steak, scallops, & mashed potatoes." It's also her stranded on a desert island meal (which would be much harder to procure, unless of course it happens to be a creepy island filled with desert cows). So I make it for her. I tell her she does not need to commit murder or hijack a yacht to scary cow island to obtain such a meal. I make a damn fine steak, a juicy seared scallop, and my Joël Robuchon style mashed potatoes are freaking bomb. We eat, make creepy chewing moany noises, and then we fall into a delicious coma. Beaten into submission by meat and fat. If my doctor ever told me that I had to cut back on these things I would tell them "Screw it, I'd rather die salty and filled with butter then sadly chewing on a carrot stick". Damn right I would.<br />
<br />
So yeah, wanna know how to make a perfect <b>Seared New York Strip Steak with a Sherry Caper Sauce</b>? Just so happens I'm going to tell you. First off, buy some nice steaks. Make sure they have a nice amount of marbling (see those little white fatty veins running through the meat?) and are bright dark red in color. Don't buy no grey stinky steaks from your crappy grocery outlet. I know it's on sale, put it down! Okay, set the steaks out on the counter an hour before cooking. Seriously salt and pepper them and just let them sit there. After an hour, preheat the over to 500F degrees. Rub the steaks with a tiny bit of canola oil. Put a cast iron (or heavy duty stainless steel) pan on the stove over high heat. When the pan in blazing hot toss the steaks on. Sear for about 3-4 minutes each side until you get a nice crust formed. Toss the pan into the oven and finish cooking about 5 mins for medium rare. Okay, now this part is super important. Take the steaks out of the pan and set them on a cutting board. DO NOT TOUCH THE STEAKS FOR 15 MINUTES!!!!! Let them rest. If you do not follow this step and cut right into your steaks they will bleed out and all the tasty juices will pour out onto the counter and floor and you will cry because your dry sawdust steak sucks. Okay, so while your steaks are resting put the pan over medium heat and add 2Tbsp sherry wine vinegar, 2tsp Dijon mustard, 2Tbsp butter, 2Tbsp capers (add a 1/4c chicken stock or water to loosen it up). Scrape up the steak fond (they tasty brown bits in the pan) and stir. Cook for 1 minute and your done. Eat. Die happy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtqT3cEC2ixeAY0o0-AvExn1YRpdFeJflHXbW5ot-1I6Ew0a7XBxTGxf-Y20Y0jyJ7JYVHEkBD5uo87LMo6S-tVHfP5EXwEa41QroQZrl6NgIhEnbUCIV0NVDgG5jJAYQZbqngW4q_Amf/s1600/IMG_1452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtqT3cEC2ixeAY0o0-AvExn1YRpdFeJflHXbW5ot-1I6Ew0a7XBxTGxf-Y20Y0jyJ7JYVHEkBD5uo87LMo6S-tVHfP5EXwEa41QroQZrl6NgIhEnbUCIV0NVDgG5jJAYQZbqngW4q_Amf/s1600/IMG_1452.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Wanna also make a perfect <b>Seared Scallop with Smoked Paprika Butter?</b> Also easy peasy. Buy some fresh sea scallops. Pat them dry. Season with salt and pepper. Put a pan over high heat. Add a tiny bit of canola oil. Sear the scallops for 2-3 minutes each side. Remove from the pan. Turn heat to medium. Add 2Tbsp butter, 1 tsp pimentón, 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice. Cook for 30 seconds. Pour over scallops.<br />
<br />
You'll have to wait for another time to hear about my potatoes. They are a secret for now. They wanted me to tell you that they are delicious and contain more cream and butter than mashed potatoes can possible fathom. Oh yeah, I also cooked garlicky wilted spinach too. They are my mashed potatoes best friend. They are tasty. I'll throw that recipe at you another time as well. I am only one person and I only have so much time to write for you. Jeez. You take and take and take... Where am I? Blacked out for a minute. Went to the dark place again. Hmmm well, until next time my dears. xoxoViolet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-26188141958444672002015-03-20T14:17:00.001-07:002015-03-20T16:17:17.627-07:00Cozy Pork Blanket.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihCJjjOxiyIhb6NbcJ5TZ0bQrBJDhxsIR74hVT4p1n5jgryymu1_8oK5satIvLRKtGgx7NL2aTJ_p6im75H0UWi2Cwnp5DK8Gk1q0EZpocfBNF4SEVp7dFVH6H5QjFhyphenhyphen4ng-4XjpWUnuj/s1600/IMG_1217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihCJjjOxiyIhb6NbcJ5TZ0bQrBJDhxsIR74hVT4p1n5jgryymu1_8oK5satIvLRKtGgx7NL2aTJ_p6im75H0UWi2Cwnp5DK8Gk1q0EZpocfBNF4SEVp7dFVH6H5QjFhyphenhyphen4ng-4XjpWUnuj/s1600/IMG_1217.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Yeah yeah, I eat a lot of pork. I really dig to dine on the swine. I am Cuban after all. I don't quite know how many times I've written about pork chops but I can tell you that it has been many times. Somewhere on this blog in multiple locations are my recipes for brined and seared pork chops. <a href="http://www.thehungerseattle.com/2011/05/pork-chop-express.html">Find them here and make them</a>. My pork chops rock if I do say so myself. I'm pretty sure I've also written about <a href="http://www.thehungerseattle.com/2012/09/soylent-greens.html">collard greens with ham</a> and stewed black-eyed peas before too. Okay, so this blog post isn't so original. It's not about making something new and adventurous. It's about making the old tried and true. Having those household favorites that comfort and nourish your brains, body, and soul. These are the meals that wrap you up in a cozy blanket of deliciousness and rub your belly until you take a nap. Think about what those meals are to you and make them. Make them now.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-35572252183963120262015-01-15T13:01:00.000-08:002015-01-15T13:01:29.549-08:00When You Wish Upon A Casserole.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFb5sjJpbh1-xhf7PBDXQHuMAYHiyxv6kXAGc7LTUYJQmS0rXKE_uk24X_6myd4gFDuY3y3PGSAQzVpHCtcSXV7rnG36OxG740ABD1zkzPtgtxhzH61nWju5O2JRPHZlE35GzbOdBqFMqR/s1600/IMG_9638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFb5sjJpbh1-xhf7PBDXQHuMAYHiyxv6kXAGc7LTUYJQmS0rXKE_uk24X_6myd4gFDuY3y3PGSAQzVpHCtcSXV7rnG36OxG740ABD1zkzPtgtxhzH61nWju5O2JRPHZlE35GzbOdBqFMqR/s1600/IMG_9638.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
My sweet little family and I took a trip to the Magical Kingdom of Disneyland not long ago. It was enchanting and wonderful and I wanted to stay there forever and ever (minus all the rude and pushy sunburned tourists). The night before we left I pulled out the old Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Cookbook to get some inspiration for a pre-Disneyland dinner. Most of the recipes in this book involve some sort of creamed can of something soup and rice and chicken. Well, I just happened to have chicken and rice and cream of mushroom soup on hand. I also had cheddar cheese and broccoli and that right there my friends is the fixins for a damn spectacular casserole. In the cookbook Mickey Mouse had a recipe for a chicken casserole but it was a little too bland for my refined caviar and Champagne taste (lol, yeah right, I'd eat chili dog soup from a creepy gas station). I asked myself "What would Minnie Mouse do?" Minnie Mouse would do whatever the hell she wants because she's a super cool mouse like that.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dtxNY9WGa0pwbXT4f7B9gciejmqSLPYKVzfluBp_KTug06F6uU5A2eshhBRqpZ5i0r36pXjkf-igdqeC9-jTrJMC-fq4RdWln6bJ4GDp0yVXtYTOVZWy6sw1GUQRAoUwCzG6QPV5pdOG/s1600/IMG_9623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dtxNY9WGa0pwbXT4f7B9gciejmqSLPYKVzfluBp_KTug06F6uU5A2eshhBRqpZ5i0r36pXjkf-igdqeC9-jTrJMC-fq4RdWln6bJ4GDp0yVXtYTOVZWy6sw1GUQRAoUwCzG6QPV5pdOG/s1600/IMG_9623.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a>So I took what I liked from Mickey's recipe and I kicked that recipe right in the taint. I made Minnie Mouse's <b><i>Super Fine </i></b><b><i>Chicken and Broccoli Casserole</i></b>. Besides, I needed to use up a bunch of stuff in my fridge so nothing went bad on out trip (I'm looking at you sad broccoli). This is the kind of Americana casserole that my mom would make when she wasn't cooking Cuban food. Something bubbly and chickeny and covered in bright orange cheese. Hell yes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VI3IectdCipbS6YSYiEZBbjZpxeHkDT7gx02W3aRWnf08stxBc0f5vwYlJNKCh4mIprrbDembq4Q3fApHG5UvPa0HGlnNdecNPythcEec3M7vMkQhoZDzVHaezE7d1sTXrKb_LK5IAgY/s1600/IMG_9628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VI3IectdCipbS6YSYiEZBbjZpxeHkDT7gx02W3aRWnf08stxBc0f5vwYlJNKCh4mIprrbDembq4Q3fApHG5UvPa0HGlnNdecNPythcEec3M7vMkQhoZDzVHaezE7d1sTXrKb_LK5IAgY/s1600/IMG_9628.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The awesome thing about these kinds of dishes is that you can feed your whole family (or yourself for many meals) for not much money and they are super filling. It's the perfect post apocalypse meal. Aside for my theory that chickens will be over 10 feet tall and carnivorous. That will be scary. Maybe use pork or beef then. Either way, casseroles usually mean more bang for your buck leaving you more money for hookers and cocaine or whatever your hobbies are. xoxo<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvRoAyN809qe6eglonSqibRG6-HaD3lhq-63MMoB35LxIEyci03ulc0fs-TyJON-AvFC5GoTT8hbqvkVjLajxN5W6iEiY4K0jJV7Uqxbf8gwwsOhxZaRy4hP-SwRVx2WGa7tWaEr2niHK/s1600/IMG_9631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvRoAyN809qe6eglonSqibRG6-HaD3lhq-63MMoB35LxIEyci03ulc0fs-TyJON-AvFC5GoTT8hbqvkVjLajxN5W6iEiY4K0jJV7Uqxbf8gwwsOhxZaRy4hP-SwRVx2WGa7tWaEr2niHK/s1600/IMG_9631.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Cheesy Chicken and Rice and Broccoli Casserole</b><br />
2 cups of diced cooked chicken<br />
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped small<br />
1 can cream of mushroom soup<br />
2 cups cooked rice<br />
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese<br />
2 Tbsp melted butter<br />
<div>
2 tsp hot sauce</div>
<div>
2 tsp garlic powder</div>
<div>
salt and pepper, tt</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Melt the butter in a casserole dish. Toss all of the ingredients together (except for the cheese) and spread evenly into the casserole dish. Cover with cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes. Eat. Ride the Pirates of the Caribbean ride again. Repeat.</div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymllRC1eIHW_gV_NnWwOiprmUO5CqLjO2dRHifRKEDMLpEbVKzFAjuDOFKXgptFlNNtSwBM8IDq_hB980hkJninDRpYmdLDkJzmFpYHhfO8_QRhC5SXFRWKfWNvCB5x3LzOC0_tkKKSkb/s1600/IMG_9639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymllRC1eIHW_gV_NnWwOiprmUO5CqLjO2dRHifRKEDMLpEbVKzFAjuDOFKXgptFlNNtSwBM8IDq_hB980hkJninDRpYmdLDkJzmFpYHhfO8_QRhC5SXFRWKfWNvCB5x3LzOC0_tkKKSkb/s1600/IMG_9639.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XQT_WprnbaRKuNkdXH7tijifXs6FFG8NwSGpDAsVqSBkEV07YbJBybvwdrrszdpOMyoVNfySEow3sSE8ng-Mt_F31llxrg7-Uphy3MOneJ6SDPhTfZhf2WeeR5zir28xrMun4pD0RPfD/s1600/IMG_9773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XQT_WprnbaRKuNkdXH7tijifXs6FFG8NwSGpDAsVqSBkEV07YbJBybvwdrrszdpOMyoVNfySEow3sSE8ng-Mt_F31llxrg7-Uphy3MOneJ6SDPhTfZhf2WeeR5zir28xrMun4pD0RPfD/s1600/IMG_9773.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-38511929645509530182014-09-26T12:21:00.000-07:002014-09-26T12:21:00.338-07:00Adventures of Fried Chicken and Pork Fat in The City of Roses.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITdw2s4fWo0j3rO2b7ZtDWimKzkXJ_g7J-sr7YkD7FF_H2_rl3MdIvPUzl4AF6WbdzW_ovuWxUjeV8EyfXCWEY1fkXURw2egC5InYZEne-zaACSKago4OmJQbjQGqjkfpiX4F7zoH8L6h/s1600/WP_003377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITdw2s4fWo0j3rO2b7ZtDWimKzkXJ_g7J-sr7YkD7FF_H2_rl3MdIvPUzl4AF6WbdzW_ovuWxUjeV8EyfXCWEY1fkXURw2egC5InYZEne-zaACSKago4OmJQbjQGqjkfpiX4F7zoH8L6h/s1600/WP_003377.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Portland Oregon is delicious. This past weekend my bestie Lucille and I took a kamikaze road trip to the lovely city of Portland for Rose City Comic Con. There was lots of cosplay and comics and oh yes, lots of tasty food. We packed up the rental Mini Coup with our costumes and beef jerky and headed out bright and early (so frickin' early) Sunday morning. Before we even made it to the highway I decided I need Mcdonalds breakfast (my addiction to fast food is my business) consisting of sausage and cheese biscuit sandwiches and an ungodly amount of their crack filled hashbrowns. I was fueled up and ready to rock (perhaps it was the gallon of Coke I drank). After a couple of hours of driving and singing Cure and Sisters of Mercy songs at the top of our lungs we finally arrived. We changed in a parking lot and stormed the convention center. I was dolled up as <a href="http://candyandcorpses.tumblr.com/post/98366906071/i-am-death">Death</a> and Lucille was <a href="http://marmaladedoll.tumblr.com/">Dream</a>, both from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sandman_(Vertigo)">Neil Gaiman's Sandman</a>. It was super fun.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After the con we checked into our fancy room at <a href="http://www.hoteldeluxeportland.com/">The Hotel Deluxe</a> (one of my fave hotels). A quick fancy cocktail in their cute lounge the Driftwood Room (it was awesome until we got swarmed with a wedding party). Then off to dinner. I was famished.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQv8tjI8Do2fAvVYWEElIQB3GXIKArBj_bFGOjpxvjcK7wWEH-a6YStDXKz5tf2l5hzZvmRmlhkkAYEJ252lekFJmKzjuhxbyu_fieH5hoVhHV816lROwqkZPpOVFANEdRH2VXM9uy49-/s1600/WP_003373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQv8tjI8Do2fAvVYWEElIQB3GXIKArBj_bFGOjpxvjcK7wWEH-a6YStDXKz5tf2l5hzZvmRmlhkkAYEJ252lekFJmKzjuhxbyu_fieH5hoVhHV816lROwqkZPpOVFANEdRH2VXM9uy49-/s1600/WP_003373.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://lardosandwiches.com/"><b>Lardo</b></a>: Sandwiches and pints of beer. Perfection. We both got the <b><i>Porchetta</i></b> sandwich. One of the best things I have ever put in my mouth. It was so simple: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porchetta">porchetta</a>, caper mayo, gremolata, crusty bread. I took a bite as the grease ran down my arm and I squealed like a kitten. OMFG. Fatty porky goodness with salty caper and acidic herbs. I contemplated buying a few more to bring back to the hotel room but by the end I was so full I thought I had died and gone to pork fat heaven. I don't think Lucille and I spoke the entire time except for the occasional "mmmmm" and "Oh my god so good". The people next to us probably thought we were creepy as hell but I really didn't care. I was having a moment. There was only sandwich. I have now changed my religion to The Church of Sandwich. Oh yeah, we got some yummy pints of cider to wash it down. I dreamt of that thing all night long. Life will never be the same. I wonder if the kind folks at <b>Lardo</b> will mail me sandwiches? I must have them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_szqjqXzddNL9Fs9sQAmsuhNKrR7uqRbZ4exGV7cVhSOJjyvP2M56YR0DOaJsUwgRUjbEcvVQMkUxTCrLdIA_RTRVG2MjedqqargsyR8tX-E1_rPjTamJQ8x31MXB9vpvzrJI1ceDBCk/s1600/WP_003378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_szqjqXzddNL9Fs9sQAmsuhNKrR7uqRbZ4exGV7cVhSOJjyvP2M56YR0DOaJsUwgRUjbEcvVQMkUxTCrLdIA_RTRVG2MjedqqargsyR8tX-E1_rPjTamJQ8x31MXB9vpvzrJI1ceDBCk/s1600/WP_003378.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZPHNhVqPbSX5pI13vqwQkRGpvik_8iTaEt0wIwmD_kaWvsXqCVV2JXdSmkbO0tpquW6cSIu-Zvn9iNGPhLY0JEcYtvHQ0U-p2AZzxEfp-gd6-0kQxI8ZmG8thLIJRyAWXqCKKt3RdQ0R/s1600/WP_003376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZPHNhVqPbSX5pI13vqwQkRGpvik_8iTaEt0wIwmD_kaWvsXqCVV2JXdSmkbO0tpquW6cSIu-Zvn9iNGPhLY0JEcYtvHQ0U-p2AZzxEfp-gd6-0kQxI8ZmG8thLIJRyAWXqCKKt3RdQ0R/s1600/WP_003376.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.pinestatebiscuits.com/"><b>Pine State Biscuits</b></a>: The next morning we headed out to Alberta street and lined up for one of my favorite breakfasts anywhere. <i><b>The Reggie Deluxe</b></i> is perfection on a plate and since I was still on my <i>Gravy & Fried Meat Diet™</i> I could not come to Portland without eating at least one of these heavenly creatures. It starts with a perfect buttermilk biscuits sandwiched around deliciously moist and crunchy fried chicken, gooey cheese, salty fried egg, and a creamy and sausagey country gravy. We also ordered a side of more gravy to pour over the top which was a total win for us. "Goddamn that's fucking delicious!" Lucille exclaimed. She then yelled to the dudes cooking behind the counter "You guys are wizards!" They appreciated the comment. I fully agree. There must be some kind of black magic involved in such a perfect breakfast sandwich. Somebody's soul was sold for sure.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BL__j9EeorF3hzMm7EhKgPcxAaagQWolrmsCCJkZJ_jZBvSG6dCw57a5lJJWwJ86ZFt1Lc4SELi2rDoF3Tlc8qrZ7CUHWxBDUcZ8VpZv4pD5SxKPNoOM682aeAIA2U59N7Ygmr_H8DdP/s1600/WP_003404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BL__j9EeorF3hzMm7EhKgPcxAaagQWolrmsCCJkZJ_jZBvSG6dCw57a5lJJWwJ86ZFt1Lc4SELi2rDoF3Tlc8qrZ7CUHWxBDUcZ8VpZv4pD5SxKPNoOM682aeAIA2U59N7Ygmr_H8DdP/s1600/WP_003404.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpTz2T6pwLSRJ6p-pzlueQDOVOtsoB5MhXUoIcpoQUQapct6wAg2-nxP4BGvq5Ecv-b3EhCxhyxm7Ons8V3oUtRBzlAjtQOT_LcdclMb4O7dWnl0RJlG4Sm5rYDC74KBaywhuaU4aJJNf/s1600/WP_003401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpTz2T6pwLSRJ6p-pzlueQDOVOtsoB5MhXUoIcpoQUQapct6wAg2-nxP4BGvq5Ecv-b3EhCxhyxm7Ons8V3oUtRBzlAjtQOT_LcdclMb4O7dWnl0RJlG4Sm5rYDC74KBaywhuaU4aJJNf/s1600/WP_003401.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
After drinking off the remaining gravy we went for a walk down Alberta and came across one the cutest little candy shoppes ever called <b><a href="http://www.candybabel.com/">Candy Babel</a></b>. The lovely owner Amani Greer was so cheerful and sweet to us. We chatted and tried candy and had a brief but wonderful time. You must go there, she will definitely put a smile on even the saddest of goth faces and make you feel like the world is not completely lost. I got a bag of mixed gummi candies including grapefruits, peaches, chicken feet, brains, and worms. Lucille got a cute vintage tin and she threw in a free chocolate. So amazing. This place is so rad and needs to exist forever.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEnguE42wZUvD7IpqZdPhOrF9fzl6KTbzpCsPM2i6EiQB_xmEUoKbvWDqEHU7cmbuX2GgcKEgPzDZeRbqmINBtYFsenHmu08DCBytmqT0SKzzleZ3CSZlkLZ_hoUlsIXsjkPtMfL8u3-R/s1600/WP_003406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEnguE42wZUvD7IpqZdPhOrF9fzl6KTbzpCsPM2i6EiQB_xmEUoKbvWDqEHU7cmbuX2GgcKEgPzDZeRbqmINBtYFsenHmu08DCBytmqT0SKzzleZ3CSZlkLZ_hoUlsIXsjkPtMfL8u3-R/s1600/WP_003406.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Portland was awesome as usual but as all fun things have to end so did our little mini-vacation. Besides, I was severely missing my adorables wife. We hopped in the car, blasted Birthday Massacre, drank energy drinks, and sped home. On the way we watched a car exploded into flames on the side of the road, made friends with a motorcycle guy who tailed us forever (we named him Derick), and most importantly, we stopped off at the strange little army base town of Lakewood, WA for some chicken.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><a href="http://popeyes.com/">Popeyes, Louisiana Kitchen</a></b> is the bomb. Southern fast food at it's best. I had been craving Popeyes since the last time I stopped to get some over 10 years ago. Why did I wait so long? What the hell is wrong with me? So good. Spicy chicken strips, Cajun fries, buttery biscuits, and tons of different sauces. Oh yeah. It was as good as I remember it being. We finished up and rolled out the door tired and full. Mission accomplished. We safely arrived home and that night I dreamt about fried chicken and pork fat. Ya know, life aint' so bad sometimes. xoxo</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb34zW7gl6YI7Yl8D3IYn7qkUF-l91tYBiNZ-nL3bkAxccPldavFnQGjLeiQPMXqOXxZxjM8eiHgMjAyerxsVSHVwKVxRLxl-JbmgBq6kyKWMWQja53RZWondr8WOiO2tE1cbHMSR1OIzL/s1600/WP_003411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb34zW7gl6YI7Yl8D3IYn7qkUF-l91tYBiNZ-nL3bkAxccPldavFnQGjLeiQPMXqOXxZxjM8eiHgMjAyerxsVSHVwKVxRLxl-JbmgBq6kyKWMWQja53RZWondr8WOiO2tE1cbHMSR1OIzL/s1600/WP_003411.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Oh yeah, at one point during the trip we drank lots of hard ciders and ate a stale bag of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Sabroso Pork Cracklings</i> that came with a salsa packet. The guy from the minimart said he just watched a guy leave with a case of beer but he couldn't do anything about it. I said "That sucks, I'm sorry that happened". He said "It's okay, at least it's better than the other day when some mean guy came in and punched me in the face." Fair enough dude. I hope your week get's better. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWI-K5PnEERJXmu7kAzJ5WuX2PH841WeiMx_10vVt_RMr8L6pLRg6HiPcn3u6JrfVeUZ0b0B1Y2erVZP-y8KCNurg8raBlaKaw-f91gqQKBLD7pRO9jHhmMpFKDSVJfSAmQV7uMX4PUPX/s1600/IMG_9416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWI-K5PnEERJXmu7kAzJ5WuX2PH841WeiMx_10vVt_RMr8L6pLRg6HiPcn3u6JrfVeUZ0b0B1Y2erVZP-y8KCNurg8raBlaKaw-f91gqQKBLD7pRO9jHhmMpFKDSVJfSAmQV7uMX4PUPX/s1600/IMG_9416.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-73956345537670444532014-09-10T15:22:00.001-07:002014-09-10T15:22:51.125-07:00My Beef is Better Than Your Beef.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Q4s3lXKYAbNfwISqdpJGSuuXp_I2hyWzxmkBhBUcSQyoefyLLnuhzxc5_KSVvS6IGt9I_ofihXEsFvhCWtlMLj8ArcGeIsyavZFt0Fr4wCDous0rAJHJ9GfD6okyi3PDUbBp6AC1CcbK/s1600/IMG_7627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Q4s3lXKYAbNfwISqdpJGSuuXp_I2hyWzxmkBhBUcSQyoefyLLnuhzxc5_KSVvS6IGt9I_ofihXEsFvhCWtlMLj8ArcGeIsyavZFt0Fr4wCDous0rAJHJ9GfD6okyi3PDUbBp6AC1CcbK/s1600/IMG_7627.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Every culture has it's own version of barbecued meat. In the states, pretty much every city (especially in the south) claims to have invented the meaty practice (I'm pretty sure Captain Caveman and the like figured it out long before that). Let's see, what kinds of BBQ are there:<br />
<br />
Texas is BOLD with their smoked beef ribs and steers, beers, and brisket.<br />
The Carolinas brings in the tangy pulled pork with vinegary dosed, nasal clearing sauce.<br />
Memphis has the spicier ribs and sandwiches serve up on a Mystery Train.<br />
Kansas City's got some sweet, saucy rib tips. Am I the only one who felt uncomfortable just now?<br />
California smokes it's chickens and makes briskets on the Santa Maria.<br />
Washington smokes salmon and trout on wooden planks. It also legally smokes other things.<br />
Hawaii roasts whole pigs wrapped in banana leaves. Sometimes, they eat fire too.<br />
etc... Don't cry because I left you out. I'm sure your BBQ is nice. Take a Valium and relax.<br />
<br />
As far as other countries, let's see:<br />
<br />
Canada: Just kidding, I love you but you're not known for your barbecue. You invented poutine though and for that you are my hero. (Also, I just wanted to give a shout out to my Québécois peeps.) xoxo<br />
<br />
Mexico: Barbacoa and Adobada and all the other delicious things that are perfect in a taco. Damn I need some tacos now. Damn you tacos, stop taunting me!<br />
<br />
Japan: Yakitori is perfect. Roasting meaty things like chicken skin and hearts over charcoal on little sticks. Yum. Skin. Hearts. Sometimes, I like to make chicken skin lamps and dresses. Oh, haha just kidding. Yeah. Oishii!<br />
<br />
Lebanon (and many other Middle Eastern countries): Shawarma and kofta and other delicious fire roasted beasts. Even <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYiZeszLosE">The Avengers love shawarma.</a><br />
<br />
Greece: Souvlaki and gyros. Food of the gods. Especially Hades. He loves gyros.<br />
<br />
Korea: Bulgogi. Sweet and spicy marinated beef seared off to delicious perfection. Sometimes at restaurants, they let you grill it yourself on a fiery pit in the middle of the table. It is dangerous and fun. The danger makes it taste even better.<br />
<br />
Okay, you get my point. There are lots of variations on meat + fire = tasty in my mouth. Everybody has a version (yes, even you Canada). When people claim they have the best this dish or that dish it annoys the crap out of me. You can't really compare it. It's all preference. I like pretty much all food. Except for the food I don't like. Catch my drift? You know.<br />
<br />
So yeah, anyways, I made some <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgogi">Bulgogi 불고기</a></b>. Korean grilled marinated beef served with grilled onions, kimchi, and steamed rice. Simple. Tasty. Aside from the marination time it only takes about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7_lSP8Vc3o"><b>2</b>ne<b>1</b></a> minutes to prep and about <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsWl1--Niyg">4Minute</a></b> to cook. Wink wink.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVANG8nKowV3zDwdDBuVeRef8UWMe4VscHk9HWUnz7dCAyl8W83jj-0nefVdpBCthrwoOaNk8iXtiuBH9U49KbHzgtoboAO1-YvIzByfbGZtjh7iW4J1hwYYmIZN9xN5Z2bDhG3QbxNRyC/s1600/IMG_7613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVANG8nKowV3zDwdDBuVeRef8UWMe4VscHk9HWUnz7dCAyl8W83jj-0nefVdpBCthrwoOaNk8iXtiuBH9U49KbHzgtoboAO1-YvIzByfbGZtjh7iW4J1hwYYmIZN9xN5Z2bDhG3QbxNRyC/s1600/IMG_7613.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Bulgogi 불고기</b><br />
<br />1lb thinly slice sirloin<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />3 Tbsp soy sauce</div>
<div>
1 Tbsp Gochujang, Korean chili paste (or use Sriracha or something similar)<br />1 Tbsp sugar</div>
<div>
1 Tbsp honey<br />1 Tbsp fresh Asian pear juice (put peeled/seeded pear in a blender and strain)<br />1 Tbsp Mirin, rice wine<br />1 Tbsp sesame oil<br />3 green onions, thinly sliced on bias<br />1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thoroughly mix all of the marinade ingredients. Thinly slice the beef against the grain. Marinate overnight.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On an outdoor grill or grill pan over high heat. Sear the beef for 2-4 minutes or until fully cooked. Serve with rice and kimchi and listen to K-Pop and drink a few Hite beers. Oh yeah. xoxo</div>
Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-57946908731676973962014-08-14T13:45:00.000-07:002020-06-03T14:23:43.692-07:00Sovereign State: Burma<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jFD-WAxsOdLDgLKD9sTccdAXLeVncqwFX9AB6r_9AmUpS5sC4uxnxMLtx0YxuuCw9G4cn8k27yZSedWPpHpk5nJzlDqZNZScm3XVuMloD2s5AryQnXGYdwhM_41Fvb5CrwB4XkvUmmFd/s1600/IMG_8422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jFD-WAxsOdLDgLKD9sTccdAXLeVncqwFX9AB6r_9AmUpS5sC4uxnxMLtx0YxuuCw9G4cn8k27yZSedWPpHpk5nJzlDqZNZScm3XVuMloD2s5AryQnXGYdwhM_41Fvb5CrwB4XkvUmmFd/s1600/IMG_8422.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma"><b>Burma</b></a><br />
<br />
The Menu:<br />
<b>Ngapi Kyeik</b> (Shrimp paste condiment with fried garlic, scallion, and green chilies)<br />
<div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Thanhat</b> (Cold cucumber salad with sesame and lime)</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Ohn-No Khao Swè</b> (Spicy coconut chicken curry over egg noodles)</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Jet-U Jhet</b> (Blistered hard-cooked eggs with chilies, tomato, and fish sauce)</span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Okay I'm skipping quite a few countries on my super fancy, new and improved <b>Sovereign State</b> tour fun time show for this one here. It was time sensitive and we'll be returning to your regularly scheduled program shortly (aka don't get your undies in a bunch). As a wise man named Frankie once said: "Relax". See this: <b><a href="http://www.thehungerseattle.com/search/label/sovereign%20states">Sovereign States</a></b><br />
<br />
My best friend Lucille is Burmese. Her parents were Burmese rebels who along with many other students, scholars, and free thinkers fought back against the tyranny of the military dictatorship that has ruled the country for decades. Long story short, they fled being captured and killed by walking through the mountains and escaped into Thailand. (Flash forward 20+ years later.) A few years back, my wife and I met the charming little creep called Lucille at her work while shopping for spooky monster dresses. She was sad but cheerful at the same time and apparently surviving off of undercooked lentils and Batman cartoons. She realized that I made tasty food and had a steady supply of vodka and before we knew it she was at our flat everyday, just in time for dinner. Not long after that she brought over everything she owned and happily formed a nest in our dining room. We've all become a very close little family. Her mother always says "Without Violet, you dead." Life can be very strange sometimes.<br />
<br />
Sadly, when you say the word Burma, most people have no clue what or where it is. It's a whole country. In South-East Asia. Between India and Thailand. People need to look at a map once in a while. It's a big world we live in. There's more than "Merica and that country below us with the tasty tacos and that country above us with all the hockey. Burma has officially changed it's name to The Republic of Myanmar to escape the ill thoughts of bloodshed that people associate with Burma. The government may have changed the name but most of it's people haven't.<br />
<br />
Anyways, this year on the 8th of August we decided to celebrate Burma and to pay homage the brave people fighting for freedom in the infamous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8888_Uprising">8888 Uprising</a> and still today. I researched as much as possible on Burmese cuisine and racked Lucille's brain for her mothers recipes. I cooked a feast and made her a t-shirt based off the 8888 protest flags and then we watched the amazing film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1802197/">The Lady</a> (2011) based on the story of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi">Aung San Suu Kyi</a>, leader of the Burmese National League for Democracy. I cooked all day in the sweltering summer heat and we ate until our stomachs nearly exploded. After dinner Lucille got teary eyed and said "It tasted like my mom's cooking." I was so glad everything turned out delicious. Not that I enjoy making Burmese girls cry (well, maybe sometimes) but I was excited to help her connect to the country that runs through her blood. Okay enough with the sentimentality. Let talk food, shall we?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwGEKonP4wgJJUAwO1SlEBqqmuLzFZUqzzH5ndaEO7GuSwZI4cd-hpXPPmOgRP7HhPGiS_ohu76Hxb8N7VuGseQ6_xR-u7FP4X_e5c8MXAdgVt5rwYyEz7NG3rSRceKKUwWx1WTncVDb7/s1600/IMG_8366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwGEKonP4wgJJUAwO1SlEBqqmuLzFZUqzzH5ndaEO7GuSwZI4cd-hpXPPmOgRP7HhPGiS_ohu76Hxb8N7VuGseQ6_xR-u7FP4X_e5c8MXAdgVt5rwYyEz7NG3rSRceKKUwWx1WTncVDb7/s1600/IMG_8366.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I always cook with a martini in hand. Just in case.</span></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ngapi Kyeik</b> (Shrimp paste condiment with fried garlic, scallion, and green chilies)<br />
I was seriously surprised how much I like this condiment. It's salty and sour and not fishy at all. Hell, I'd put it on everything. Pizza, cheeseburgers, ice cream. Everything.<br />
<br />
<b>Thanhat</b> (Cold cucumber salad with sesame and lime)<br />
<div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">This salad was probably my least favorite dish I made. It was tasty but a little too sweet for my palate. Plus I hate when sesame seeds get stuck between my teeth. Then I spend the rest the night picking my at my mouth with a steak knife. It's dangerous. It was nice to have a cold refreshing bite while eating the other hot salty foods though. </span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTABTBWWGpttxZjlMuc84oubyjDupc3ai_dQSNReN-dHrYq2WTUlDtMCHTEGcvahpt3QXrB9tEikTK1_PYRuu6Mn9NN4zZsNo3K9S2yRk5rB_KAY3DX5kphXMFcpOCui1lXlEnT9VtYx2h/s1600/IMG_8388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTABTBWWGpttxZjlMuc84oubyjDupc3ai_dQSNReN-dHrYq2WTUlDtMCHTEGcvahpt3QXrB9tEikTK1_PYRuu6Mn9NN4zZsNo3K9S2yRk5rB_KAY3DX5kphXMFcpOCui1lXlEnT9VtYx2h/s1600/IMG_8388.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"><br /></span>
<b><b>Ohn-No Khao Swè</b> (Spicy coconut chicken curry over egg noodles)</b><br />
<br />
<span class="s1">My favorite dish of the night. It was super velvety and savory like a cozy poultry blanket. I kept calling it coco-sghetti (coconut spaghetti, get it?) because it was comfortable and familiar like a bowl of spaghetti but with Burmese flavors. Sourness from the lime and fresh coriander, salty from the fish sauce and chicken stock, spicy from the paprika and chili flakes, chickeny from the yummy chicken thighs, and a hint of sweetness from the coconut milk. I wanted to eat it forever until I die. So good.</span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgST_fsvIs8M1jL7Mu_6bDnVLpVlPcg5ULvsxE9oFqjFE0c8umEsL10ymrUIld9F7lmAsfk8SwOjZJhYEoajeiM5o-nPi_giyGpAO5XRJrn9jSy5VdV-IVLpSluI4z3My2b44y0kf4SNBcz/s1600/IMG_8420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgST_fsvIs8M1jL7Mu_6bDnVLpVlPcg5ULvsxE9oFqjFE0c8umEsL10ymrUIld9F7lmAsfk8SwOjZJhYEoajeiM5o-nPi_giyGpAO5XRJrn9jSy5VdV-IVLpSluI4z3My2b44y0kf4SNBcz/s1600/IMG_8420.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Jet-U Jhet</b> (Blistered hard-cooked eggs with chilies, tomato, and fish sauce)</span><br />
<span class="s1">Hardboiled eggs deep fried until the whites get all blistery and then simmered in a salty spicy tomato sauce. Hell yes. Sign me up. This was a perfect accompaniment for the </span>Ohn-No Khao Swè. I loved the crackly skin of the eggs soaking up all the salty goodness. Yum.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcxY4dBsmLJYXV_1gYvam4hQ2kGuIndm6CLF_lEBowRHDiKRdqEZeQRLA2RVAD5feyPs2kmHULE9ALe_BW2ehWtfZ3hLDbrYPTohpBRvmEfD2knIgl4r-PnVGTyGAdF9bmi5SGnb-CoJ0/s1600/IMG_8396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcxY4dBsmLJYXV_1gYvam4hQ2kGuIndm6CLF_lEBowRHDiKRdqEZeQRLA2RVAD5feyPs2kmHULE9ALe_BW2ehWtfZ3hLDbrYPTohpBRvmEfD2knIgl4r-PnVGTyGAdF9bmi5SGnb-CoJ0/s1600/IMG_8396.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
So yeah, Burma is freaking delicious. I have a feeling I'll be cooking a lot more of it in my future.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtb2p-n-4xjFak3_RPriD-DKEfKLw5j0GtGcrtHpPBjNHAljUa0KmpE0wQ8MKECB6Rujg96oPBN2AmuLzME7xTySlseSqTzkhPZ-or-G3yKwq7hIyk1YLK5fzO3BfwwF2deIkKJfssySc/s1600/IMG_8429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtb2p-n-4xjFak3_RPriD-DKEfKLw5j0GtGcrtHpPBjNHAljUa0KmpE0wQ8MKECB6Rujg96oPBN2AmuLzME7xTySlseSqTzkhPZ-or-G3yKwq7hIyk1YLK5fzO3BfwwF2deIkKJfssySc/s1600/IMG_8429.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Ohn-No Khao Swè (Coconut Chicken Noodle)<br />
1 large white onion, halved and sliced<br />
1 inch chunk of ginger, peeled & minced<br />
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced<br />
2 shallots, minced<br />
2 spring onions, sliced<br />
16oz package egg noodles (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rose-Brand-Gourmet-Chinese-Noodles/dp/B0006B4IHO">I used these</a>)<br />
2lbs de-boned chicken thighs, thinly sliced<br />
2 tablespoons chickpea flour <br />
14oz coconut milk <br />
3 tablespoons chili flakes <br />
3 tablespoons paprika <br />
1 lime, sliced into wedges <br />
2 eggs (I just used the eggs from the Jet-U Jhet)</div>
<div class="p1">
2 cups chicken stock (or bouillon)<br />
1 Tbsp fish sauce <br />
1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)</div>
<div class="p1">
crushed peanuts</div>
<div class="p1">
peanut oil <br />
<br />
Heat a 1 Tbsp peanut oil to a large saute pan over medium high heat,.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Add the white onion, garlic, ginger, and spring onions to the oil and cook until translucent (5 mins or so).</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Transfer to a blender or food processor and pulse until it forms a paste.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Add another Tbsp of peanut oil to the hot pan and saute the chicken thighs (season with a little salt) until cooked through and slightly browned.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Stir in the chili flake and paprika and stir until fragrant (1 minute).</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Add the onion paste and stir.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Whisk the chickpea flour with the chicken stock and then add to the pan. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Add the fish sauce and coconut milk. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Bring to a simmer and turn down the heat to medium. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour uncovered. Add water if it thickens too much. Season with more fish sauce if needed.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Meanwhile in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the noodles until soft. Drain.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Thinly slice the shallots and soak in a little cold water. Drain.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br />
To serve place the egg noodles in bowl, then ladle the coconut chicken over. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Top with the sliced shallots, Hard cooked eggs (cut in half), crushed peanuts, fresh coriander and lime wedges. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Kan kaung ba zay! Good luck. xoxo</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuDkiCL0RPBkN1OjhLYXbi9wBAqWBEYVKoHanJ5RZFBSPlRdLWCCl22cTQeGne8CSuJebFka4LK-dYQYPcS9s_2w1joscfV1Zke7YEH79B2DWF8ML_MVRWR_Tp5Fr2SAQIAnhl-xgVWxk/s1600/IMG_8439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuDkiCL0RPBkN1OjhLYXbi9wBAqWBEYVKoHanJ5RZFBSPlRdLWCCl22cTQeGne8CSuJebFka4LK-dYQYPcS9s_2w1joscfV1Zke7YEH79B2DWF8ML_MVRWR_Tp5Fr2SAQIAnhl-xgVWxk/s1600/IMG_8439.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="t1" style="width: 553.0px;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="td1" valign="top"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-7610054779659522282014-05-21T14:02:00.000-07:002014-05-21T14:02:21.882-07:00She's Chopping Broccoli.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibopVKvq_k3FFQDSLjoUQOcGMSIg7hyphenhyphenwSjxuUznpPbikReL_h9UFEf0yXfB0Zua7oqxwN3aryK7tX2WIB5e5opxamom8t7R0JctUfkhTzWkVcxBlU7KWqxpFrqkJwYeJbu8RbKShFxDtt/s1600/IMG_7194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibopVKvq_k3FFQDSLjoUQOcGMSIg7hyphenhyphenwSjxuUznpPbikReL_h9UFEf0yXfB0Zua7oqxwN3aryK7tX2WIB5e5opxamom8t7R0JctUfkhTzWkVcxBlU7KWqxpFrqkJwYeJbu8RbKShFxDtt/s1600/IMG_7194.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
When I was little all I ever wanted to eat was meat. I had no time for vegetables. I was like a wild little wolf cub gnawing on cold hot dogs and lunch meat. It's not that I disliked vegetables but I just craved carrion. Sometimes I would walk on all fours and growl at my mother. "I need more meat!" I'd say in my raspy little voice. She would just give me that motherly "what the hell is wrong with my child?" sort of look and pull out some more ham slices from the fridge. I'd snatch it from her hands and run laughing out of the room. She knew that it was better to indulge me rather than stir up even more insanity on my end. I truly am amazed that she didn't smother me lifeless or drop me off in the middle of the Georgian Blue Ridge mountains and leave me to be the crazy little beast that I was. Though I must admit that it was my dream to live in the wilderness and live off the land like a wildling. I would make friends with wolves and bears and we'd hunt together. It would've been great.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to lie. I still eat the occasional raw hot dog though I rarely scurry around on all fours while growling anymore. Now I eat my cold meat products all sophisticated and lady-like (delicately with pinkie in the air). Speaking of sentient creatures I also eat the occasional cold plant/vegetable (do pickles count?). I mostly prefer cooked veggies to raw ones (except for tomatoes and radishes). Every two weeks I get a <a href="https://newrootsorganics.com/">New Roots</a> delivery of small farm, organic vegetables delivered right to my door. I love it. It challenges me to cook with things I don't normally go out of my way to purchase. I try to have the same principals with vegetables as I do with meat. Nose to tail or tip to stem. Use it all. Waste not and all that. We hit broccoli season a little early this year so we started getting it in our bin. Most people just use the end little florets but the stems are so delicious it's a shame to waste them. Peel them, slice them, and cook them. Yummy.<br />
<br />
So the other day I was standing in the kitchen, eating a slice of ham wrapped around a pickle while staring at my abundance of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mXIL_LKvvI&feature=kp">broccoli</a> and I thought "I'm going to make something super fucking delicious out of you". And I did so. I made <b>Yakisoba with Broccoli Pesto and Steamed Broccoli Florets with Pickled Egg.</b> It's pretty easy and super tasty. Your vegan (if you leave off the egg) friends will be impressed and your meat eater friends with look at you sadly but then be pleasantly surprised that broccoli can be so delicious.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIEpn3ilWs9MiASoWfzzsyUf-FCmVB96iZaC1R2z523vSg9N-HxQOnOxzutsmic0PxhlqW8s0RO_zeeifQqQ9FjI7QreIQB73sD1qDqnLpllNJSb63wi7F3gm4dOmWFYzaVbIWrnfvRE0/s1600/IMG_7199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIEpn3ilWs9MiASoWfzzsyUf-FCmVB96iZaC1R2z523vSg9N-HxQOnOxzutsmic0PxhlqW8s0RO_zeeifQqQ9FjI7QreIQB73sD1qDqnLpllNJSb63wi7F3gm4dOmWFYzaVbIWrnfvRE0/s1600/IMG_7199.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Yakisoba with Broccoli Pesto and Steamed Broccoli Florets with Pickled Egg</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i>8oz package of dried yakisoba noodles</i><br />
<i>1 lb. broccoli, florets and stems separated, stems trimmed and peeled</i><br />
<i>1/2 c fresh basil</i><br />
<i>3 cloves garlic</i><br />
<i>2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice</i><br />
<i>2 Tbsp soy sauce</i><br />
<i>1 tsp sesame oil</i><br />
<i>2 tsp rice wine vinegar</i><br />
<i>1 Tbsp fermented chili bean curd (if you can find it don't worry about it)</i><br />
<i>1/2 cup olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp</i><br />
<i>kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper</i><br />
<i>pickled eggs (or thousand year eggs or basic hard cooked eggs)</i><br />
<br />
<br />
In a large pot of boiling salted water add the yakisoba and boil until tender (5 mins or so). Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.<br />
<br />
While the noodles are boiling saute the broccoli stems in 1 Tbsp olive oil until tender Add the whole garlic cloves and saute a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
Steam the broccoli florets until just cooked and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.<br />
<br />
In a food processor pulse the cooked broccoli stems, garlic, basil, lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, fermented bean curd, and 1/2 cup olive oil and pulse until pureed. Pour through a fine meshed sieve (use a spoon or spatula to push it through) to strain out the fibrous bits. Season with salt and pepper if needed.<br />
<br />
Toss the yakisoba with the pesto. Top with steamed broccoli and chopped pickled egg.<br />
<br />
Enjoy. FYI: This dish may taste even better if paired with a raw hot dog eaten in the forest. xoxox<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<br />Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-67984415540578252542014-05-02T14:10:00.000-07:002014-05-02T14:10:12.705-07:00Summer is Coming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEIhVGZcw22lrs8hsy1lQw_FZeNMwrPAEfDR-6Yg1V4gPgpNisYsBjMg4JCzNICIAbtUNOfBa_8Z2AyjsFPbUv7pZpi4tRKrcr-m3W21H6_TdRhjkZFOIPqaZPL_L8ThTjZ8vJt1_0uef/s1600/IMG_6344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEIhVGZcw22lrs8hsy1lQw_FZeNMwrPAEfDR-6Yg1V4gPgpNisYsBjMg4JCzNICIAbtUNOfBa_8Z2AyjsFPbUv7pZpi4tRKrcr-m3W21H6_TdRhjkZFOIPqaZPL_L8ThTjZ8vJt1_0uef/s1600/IMG_6344.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I got the summertime, summertime sadness. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVjsGKrE6E8&feature=kp">S-s-s-summertime, summertime sadness</a>. Yesterday was nearly 90F degrees here in Seattle. It's barely May. As I sat in the Chateau de Batcave (our apartment) with the worst migraine ever had, the blinds and curtains shut, crying and stewing in a puddle of my sweat I realized that I wasn't going to cook a single frickin' thing for dinner. Hell, the idea of even eating food in that kind of heat my me wanna barf and barf again. I tried to picture myself floating in a nice cool heart-shaped pool under the shade of palm trees, wearing a cute pink bathing suit and drinking a nice cold Tom Collins. Sadly the daydream would quickly skew into me sitting in a boiling hot tub while wearing a sad wool snuggie and drinking warm sandy salt water. There is no escape from that kind of ickiness. Sunny days are all fun and games until you start trying to remove your skin just to get a little bit cooler.<br />
<br />
In the heat of Summer, salad is your friend. Fruit salad, Cobb salad, chopped salad, fried meat salad, any kind of salad that has minimal cookery and maximum tastiness. Okay, yes I cook during the normal not-trying-to-kill-you-with-hot Summer days. If you can, become one with the bats and cook nocturnally in the dark when it's cooler. You can prep for your meals so that when the sun is out full blast you don't even have to look at your oven. That infernal devil machine wants to make your living space even hotter than the nine hells. "Cook something in me." it says. "I want you to die." I hate that awful oven. I know it's plotting my demise along with the sun. They hate me and want me dead.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-a6tj4AWcglIoFOEoPPLoRSg-I7iB7GUlKUE6plhoyEntch_SVRXCbRBmVej_qN8Rf6QbPZlwVGUKZzw7C_LfcZp3tLa5CzxkeGHEpovSx3EnkIp4P9_4j_Erntc68OP6jgYgw850JsZ/s1600/IMG_6339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-a6tj4AWcglIoFOEoPPLoRSg-I7iB7GUlKUE6plhoyEntch_SVRXCbRBmVej_qN8Rf6QbPZlwVGUKZzw7C_LfcZp3tLa5CzxkeGHEpovSx3EnkIp4P9_4j_Erntc68OP6jgYgw850JsZ/s1600/IMG_6339.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So anyways here's a lovely salad you can make with a little cooking (nocturnally).<br />
<b>Pan Seared Za'atar Lemon Chicken and Roasted Romanesco Salad</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
For the salad use my recipe for my <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"><a href="http://www.thehungerseattle.com/2014/03/show-me-green.html" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Roasted Cauliflower and White Bean Salad with Truffle Parmesan Dressing</a></span> but replace the cauliflower with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesco_broccoli">romanesco</a> (or use broccoli or cauliflower).<br />
<br />
For the chicken breasts (or thighs) make sure you brine them overnight (equal parts salt and sugar about 1tbsp ea. dissolved in 2L water). Wipe them off. Dust them with za'atar (or you can go another route with curry powder), cayenne, cumin, & fresh cracked pepper (they should already be nice and seasoned with salt from the brine so no need for extra). Olive oil, hot saute pan, 3-4 minutes each side. Finish with fresh lemon juice. Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve with the salad. Yum!!!<br />
<br />
Share some salad with your new nocturnal bat friends. Be safe. Survive the Summer. xoxoxo<br />
<br />
P.S. I know I am the princess of run-on sentences and comma misuse. Shut up. I don't come to your house while you're sleeping and point out your faults. Well, actually I do. But at least I have the courtesy to stay in the shadows and do it quietly. xoViolet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-16916575215463801732014-04-24T14:09:00.000-07:002014-04-24T14:09:00.532-07:00Fried Rice is Twice as Nice as Regular Rice.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZFjrrUL8FcDZB_HXobcaR05EzkhPo7hJq245jpBZVRySl9Xi86s6pXCd3GU0I11MeMpCNwadL9eZnAEwXhMCyEPwlSfIVZFZEk4U_NS5k4v3Re4xh0BW8_UwrIX6pPccB0LB9_Yi091J/s1600/IMG_6746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZFjrrUL8FcDZB_HXobcaR05EzkhPo7hJq245jpBZVRySl9Xi86s6pXCd3GU0I11MeMpCNwadL9eZnAEwXhMCyEPwlSfIVZFZEk4U_NS5k4v3Re4xh0BW8_UwrIX6pPccB0LB9_Yi091J/s1600/IMG_6746.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I don't know about you but I always have leftover rice in my fridge. I love rice. Sometimes I'll just make a simple gravy or sauce and throw it over a microwaved bowl of leftover rice and top it with a fried egg. I hate brown rice though. Never liked it. No, I'm not a racist. I just hate the flavor and texture and existence of brown rice. You gots to mill that coat off. It's like eating a banana with the peel on. Ick. My favorite rices are jasmine, basmati, sticky, calrose, and good ole plain whitey white long grain rice. Although never buy that pre-boiled crap that smiley Uncle Ben tries to pass off as rice. Mushy maggots. That's what I think of when I eat minute rice.<br />
<br />
Wanna make perfect rice? Of course you do. Here's how you do. In a pot cover the rice with running cold water and scrub with clean hands until the water gets cloudy. Drain in a colander. Repeat 3-4 times until the water is not longer cloudy. In a heavy bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid cover the rice by 1/2" with cold water. Place on stove over high heat. Add salt if you like. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat to very low. Leave it alone for 17 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. That's it. You are now one with the rice gods.<br />
<br />
So I had some leftover calrose rice the other day and decided to make South-East Asian style fried rice. I sauteed up some celery, scallions, garlic, and ginger in peanut oil. Then I added some sliced lap cheong (spicy sweet Chinese sausage) and cooked until the fat was rendered out. Tossed in the rice. Added soy sauce, chili garlic sambal, fish sauce, lime, sesame oil, and black palm vinegar. Cooked for a few more minutes and dumped it in a bowl. Topped it off with sliced avocado, pickled egg, scallions, and cilantro. It was freaking delicious and pretty easy. So the next time you have leftover rice, don't just let it sit there and make your fridge seem sad. My mother used to say "There are people starving in China." when we were kids and didn't clean our plates (although I pretty much always cleaned my plate and the plates of those around me). To which I would reply "Even though they have all that rice?". I didn't know any better. Anyways, there are people starving everywhere so use up your leftovers. Be creative. Don't be a lazy wasteful jerk. You can make delicious things out of almost everything that's slowly rotting in your fridge! Yum! xoxoxViolet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-92039419435231084242014-04-10T13:53:00.000-07:002014-04-10T13:53:27.823-07:00All Aboard The Gravy Boat!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEU7B7pdbFVJOkkcGi-SOUT6zQl789gzCTfP381SPIZT8pbuUFg-InZxgFb8YjTvgDUlfrIPN0Frm4Kxsu73EZKS7AAeW703YfUEd7ctKlojjDyosbdlmGvRp91izY4bc1sC4CYeGKTczn/s1600/IMG_6634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEU7B7pdbFVJOkkcGi-SOUT6zQl789gzCTfP381SPIZT8pbuUFg-InZxgFb8YjTvgDUlfrIPN0Frm4Kxsu73EZKS7AAeW703YfUEd7ctKlojjDyosbdlmGvRp91izY4bc1sC4CYeGKTczn/s1600/IMG_6634.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I love ugly food. Beige plates of beige food swimming in beige gravy. That's my jam. Comfort food rarely looks pretty. Even after you put a sprig of parsley on top it usually still looks like crap, just a little fancier. You know the saying "Never read a book by it's cover". Well, I never judge a plate of ugly food until I know what's hiding under the gravy. A bunch of the "chefs" on television turn their noses up at comfort food. "Oh wow, that sure looks comforting." they say fully meaning "What the hell is this pile of unsophisticated shit doing in my presence. I only eat farro and monkfish fermented with lemur urine presented in a hollowed out coconut." I hate those people. Yeah, I like fancy food too but I'm no snob. I'll happily eat a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_potatoes">funeral casserole</a> any day of the week.<br />
<br />
But Violet, gravy is fattening you say. Yeah, it is. I'm not telling you to drink gravy for every meal. Use some common sense. Learn how to find balance in your damn life. Drank a boat of gravy for breakfast? Eat a salad for dinner. Easy peasy. I can't hold your hand your whole life. Life's too short to never eat anything fattening. You can diet when you're dead. Okay, maybe you're dead because you ate nothing but gravy your whole short life but who's fault is that? Like I said, common sense.<br />
<br />
Everyone has their own version of a sandwich that is open-faced and dosed with some form of gravy. In Kentucky it's the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Brown">Hot Brown</a>. In St. Louis it's the <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/prosperity-sandwich-is-a-longtime-favorite-in-st-louis/article_3f359743-d572-5a84-a502-1b164e44c1a5.html">Prosperity Sandwich</a>. France has the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croque-monsieur">Croque-Madame</a>. When I was young my dad taught me a sandwich from his Marines/Nam days called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipped_beef">Shit on a Shingle</a> which is essentially chipped beef on toast covered in gravy. I was so obsessed with it I wanted it for every meal. However, my mother did not share my excitement so it was a rare treat when my dad would cook for me and my brother. I would yell "shit on a shingle!" and my dreams were often made true.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqdnhGPi-0H24Y__ZUfT7gZKAahp8CIWrNQx6ooMY70pUpRn69zpgbmIwdvYkLeKhwd0iLLsCc-QgU1UUi4EKHrAsUzTx1Z5B5_2icZ7N23RPYeL7_RD8FHja7-pFljijoEms4X3VUpkS/s1600/IMG_6631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqdnhGPi-0H24Y__ZUfT7gZKAahp8CIWrNQx6ooMY70pUpRn69zpgbmIwdvYkLeKhwd0iLLsCc-QgU1UUi4EKHrAsUzTx1Z5B5_2icZ7N23RPYeL7_RD8FHja7-pFljijoEms4X3VUpkS/s1600/IMG_6631.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Here's my version of an open-faced turkey sandwich, hot brown, prosperity sandwich, croque-madame, and shit on a shingle all rolled up into one sandwich.<br />
<br />
<b><u>To make it. Layer these things in order on the plate. Eat. Be happy.</u></b><br />
<b>white toast</b><br />
<b>sliced Cajun turkey</b><br />
<b>Swiss cheese</b><br />
<b>brown gravy</b> <i>(1Tbsp butter + 1 Tbsp flour in a hot pan. Make a roux. Cook 3 minutes. Slowly add 2 cups beef stock. Add salt, lots of fresh pepper. hot sauce. Cook until gravy)</i><br />
<b>fried egg</b><br />
<b>parsley </b><i>(for pretty)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
xoxoViolet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-49899921134073112132014-03-27T15:13:00.002-07:002014-03-27T18:07:50.479-07:00Hey There my Little Chickpea.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcxjmYWQhjgaKKl8YCf9OpUNH4oCNhqzecYY8I0bnR7HE3xFCx2zsvvt7V7Y6S3euIp-88Ou0zK3qvi1OCJwPeJY8oOgzItHQmO7EI-bdNZWwyLYgGVitBM8QsQS36lCJNn5XMePy8hse/s1600/IMG_6597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcxjmYWQhjgaKKl8YCf9OpUNH4oCNhqzecYY8I0bnR7HE3xFCx2zsvvt7V7Y6S3euIp-88Ou0zK3qvi1OCJwPeJY8oOgzItHQmO7EI-bdNZWwyLYgGVitBM8QsQS36lCJNn5XMePy8hse/s1600/IMG_6597.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
When I was little I'd invite my friends to come over to my house to play D&D, video games, throw rocks at each other, and watch horror movies until my mom yelled at us to go to bed. "Normal American kids" pretty much, whatever that means. I lived outside of Atlanta, Georgia at the time and the few friends I had, had deep Southern drawls. But I remember it always being a little strange the first time a new friend would come over and hear my mothers hardcore New York (where I was born) accent and my grandparents Cuban accents. "Are you a Mexican?" they would ask with confusion and a hint of displeasure. "No asshole. I'm Cuban." would usually be my reply and then we'd awkwardly play by ourselves until their parents picked them up and we'd never hang out again. It wasn't the fact that they though I was Mexican. Or even the fact that they were young racists in the making. I was just proud to be Cuban (among other things). I wasn't going to let anyone make me feel bad about who I was. I had one or two friends that didn't care where I came from though.<br />
<br />
I had one friend named Brian who came from a stingy, fat-shaming Baptist family. We became really good friends. I hated going to his house to play though. He was a bit husky and I remember his parents making him drink diet soda and they would order a medium pizza for the whole family of four plus me to share. Fuck that. One slice of sad cheese pizza and diet coke. What is this, prison? I told my mom how terrible it was over there and now whenever I'd go she would pack my backpack full of snacks. However the majority of the time he came to my house to play. I think he especially liked coming over because he could eat as much as he wanted. My family always shoved food on anyone who came over. It was kind and giving. Always trying to make everyone feel taken care of and included. A trait I still try to uphold.<br />
<br />
I recall one of our favorite things that my grandmother would make us was the garbanzo and potato omelette (called omeletta). There were no eggs involved, just mashed chickpeas and potatoes with garlic and lots of spices. We would eat like three of them and drink regular cokes and eat bags of chips and candy and watch R-rated movies and life was good. Anyways, the last time I saw the guy we had all grown up (well he did I guess) and it was awkward and kind of unpleasant. He smoked a pipe and thought my mohawk looked "childish". After dropping him off I went out and bought some whiskey and cranked Minor Threat in the car. If growing up means getting all judgmental and boring then you can count me out. All I know is that I'm happy and I will never again be starved by Baptists.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfxUXm2eWfZ3ybhFzpf9IuEHBehexE1fT_o_yIJB-QYOPjv4ajORUDfjxPwFPuTSbycUIdE9BcNyAWvPs3iHpUGtf6EgQ3xym5E0C8W7x7ZeALznS-tHDo11XP7lOvJ8Pu1BekL9DX3oo/s1600/IMG_6618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfxUXm2eWfZ3ybhFzpf9IuEHBehexE1fT_o_yIJB-QYOPjv4ajORUDfjxPwFPuTSbycUIdE9BcNyAWvPs3iHpUGtf6EgQ3xym5E0C8W7x7ZeALznS-tHDo11XP7lOvJ8Pu1BekL9DX3oo/s1600/IMG_6618.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Omeletta (Garbanzo Bean and Potato Omelette)<br />
<br />
1 19oz can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained<br />
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and small diced (1/4"x1/4")<br />
1 bunch scallions, sliced on the bias (separate the white from green)<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 tsp cumin<br />
1/2 tsp dried oregano<br />
1 tsp pimentón (smoke paprika)<br />
1 tsp <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Goya-Adobo-Seasoning-8oz/dp/B0005YX1BG">(Goya) adobo seasoning</a> (you can just use a little seasoning salt if you don't have)<br />
1/4 cup Spanish olive oil (plus an extra Tbsp)<br />
kosher salt and fresh cracked clack pepper tt<br />
parsley for garnish<br />
<br />
sour cream (leave it out to keep it vegan)<br />
hot sauce (I use Tapatio)<br />
<br />
In a large non stick pan over medium high heat. Add 1/4 c. olive oil. Add the white parts of the scallions, garlic, and diced potatoes to the pan.<br />
Saute until the potatoes are mostly tender (about 5 minutes).<br />
Toss in the garbanzo beans, spices, and 1/2 cup water (or chicken stock/veg stock to make it even yummier). Cook for 5 more minutes until the liquid is mostly dissolved and the veggies are fully tender.<br />
Pour half of the mixture into a large bowl and mash it until it become a chunky paste. Pour in the rest of the mixture into the bowl and gently stir to combine it.<br />
Wipe the pan clean and add a Tbsp of olive oil. Spread the garbanzo and potato mixture into the pan so that it even and flush against the sides of the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 6 minutes until the bottom becomes golden brown.<br />
Lay a large plate over the top of the pan and carefully flip the omeletta onto the plate. Then slide the omeletta back into the pan to brown the other side. After 5 minutes flip it back onto the plate.<br />
Mix a few dashes of hot sauce into some sour cream.<br />
Slice the omeletta into quarters. Garnish with the hot sauce/sour cream, green scallion and parsley.<br />
Eat as much as you want. Enjoy life. Don't be a jerk. xoxo<br />
<br />Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-65397792717954561352014-03-05T15:12:00.001-08:002014-03-05T15:12:55.078-08:00Show Me The Green.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDDLwWKdLTJEQwQL5gCl5gZUuFsmC6slpRoKtH6CLiM1WQRhP29T7WY60IlUtSF-EQnCaE9nw4otGouVAJdJfFvKfrVfaC4YJixd4dllUSA9O01YRCVponek9Nci2-R4pC3YakKRB3UWW/s1600/IMG_6184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDDLwWKdLTJEQwQL5gCl5gZUuFsmC6slpRoKtH6CLiM1WQRhP29T7WY60IlUtSF-EQnCaE9nw4otGouVAJdJfFvKfrVfaC4YJixd4dllUSA9O01YRCVponek9Nci2-R4pC3YakKRB3UWW/s1600/IMG_6184.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Winter salad. The words just sound wrong together. Like mortal enemies being forced to paint each others' nails. Salad may not sound like something you want to stuff your hibernating belly during winter but Spring is upon us my dears (well in Seattle the weather's been so screwed up this year that Spring started last October and skipped right over winter. ie: the apocalypse). It's time to start filling your mouth with green leaves that don't start with K and end in ALE. Screw kale. I'm frickin tired of kale. I swear if my small farm CSA sends me one more box of kale i'll seriously lose it. I just need a few months of a kale free life and perhaps I can come to love it again come next winter.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So yes, winter salad. We've started to get some really nice heads of lettuce (butter, red leaf, romaine) in our veggie box and I decided that it was time for a salad. My belly is full of cheesy warm casseroles and my blood has been replaced by soup. I need something light and not 100% beige in color. My body had officially shut down and it refused to function until I put some fresh vegetables in there. The circles under my eyes reverted back to the usual lovely greenish black color versus the sunken-in weird yellow grey they had become. My over bloated stomach went back to it's usual slightly pudgy but happy self. My teeth felt a little less loose in my mouth and my gums stopped crying tears of blood. This salad made me feel alive again. It was either that or the massive amounts of PCP I smoked prior to eating dinner. I think it was the salad though. I really do</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><i>Roasted Cauliflower and White Bean Salad with Truffle Parmesan Dressing</i></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1 19oz can white beans, rinsed and drained</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1 head romaine lettuce (or what ever greens you want), washed, dried, chopped</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, halved longways, seeded, thinly sliced</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1/2 red onion, peeled, thinly sliced</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice<br />1 Tbsp <a href="http://www.worldspice.com/blends/zaatar-syrian">Syrian za'atar</a> (if you don't have it you can sub a mix of cumin, coriander and a tiny bit of cinnamon)<br /><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(the dressing)</div>
<div>
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated<br />1/2 cup olive oil<br />1/4 cup sour cream<br />2 tsp Dijon mustard<div>
1/2 tsp white truffle oil<br />2 tbsps white wine vinegar</div>
<div>
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper tt<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Preheat the over to 375F. Chop up a head of cauliflower and spread it out on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and Syrian za'atar. Toss to coat and roast the cauliflower in the over for about 30 minutes or until tender (toss them once or twice while cooking so they don't burn). Set aside to come to room temp. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In a bowl whisk all of the dressing ingredients until emulsified.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In a large salad bowl toss the beans, lettuce, cucumber, and red onion and enough dressing to coat until combined. Add roasted cauliflower and gently toss one more time. Add more dressing if needed and season with salt and pepper. Eat it as a meal or serve with some roasted fish or chicken. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Side note. I don't smoke PCP. Especially not when I'm eating a healthy salad. That just seems counter-productive. xoxo</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WTqyH15wuUFKiPCvWX33XkMxH5JXsvw2YSj-az1ziiEKyT1LTe-aUHtHeLsczEzL7ES-0LFHzz3sGD5dxxkAjDvwU0x9YgcA9hDs3hT6wNWRIfw0JC3vXb1U3TkuI32gnp-Q18xzoqYy/s1600/IMG_6179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WTqyH15wuUFKiPCvWX33XkMxH5JXsvw2YSj-az1ziiEKyT1LTe-aUHtHeLsczEzL7ES-0LFHzz3sGD5dxxkAjDvwU0x9YgcA9hDs3hT6wNWRIfw0JC3vXb1U3TkuI32gnp-Q18xzoqYy/s1600/IMG_6179.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-14385935914842690662014-01-09T17:09:00.000-08:002014-01-09T17:09:41.533-08:00Waiter, there's a potato in my soup.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KR4wMsKHSXkZyexCpW1ufznN7MCNp2E6UvjlfqGfRaFz8jYUdRwGupOcnJX3eXnQEhROHW17TYam4RJE6-p2WnxWocLGFIa0xIQSyx8yIIw0Z_kGuJHsCKfqvtuwaQiiSy5_nIy0wuME/s1600/IMG_4612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KR4wMsKHSXkZyexCpW1ufznN7MCNp2E6UvjlfqGfRaFz8jYUdRwGupOcnJX3eXnQEhROHW17TYam4RJE6-p2WnxWocLGFIa0xIQSyx8yIIw0Z_kGuJHsCKfqvtuwaQiiSy5_nIy0wuME/s1600/IMG_4612.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
One of the things I love about Winter is all the damn soup. I love soup. I'm pretty sure soup runs through my veins. I dislike the word soup though. It sounds creepy. Hmmm. I wonder why that is? When I was a kid I used to get cans of the Campbells cream of potato and bean and bacon soups all the time. You were suppose to add water or milk and heat them up but I would not add anything and eat them cold out of the can. I like salty. Yummy salt sludge. Now, I can't eat those soups without tasting the chemicals. Those chemicals are still nostalgic though and when I'm sick I crave them. Chicken and stars helps the flu every time. It probably kills the virus with it's salt content.<br />
<br />
So now I make my own soups. It's better, cheaper, healthier, yummier, and most likely isn't preserving my internal organs with canned salt glue. In these cold months, I'll make a giant batch of whatever soup and eat it until I start crying because I need to eat something that tastes different. So I'll freeze half of it and have the rest at a later date. Nobody wants dinner time to be "let's play were in prison and eat soup and bread for every meal for the rest of our lives until we die" time. Three days of a soup diet is perfect for me though. Especially when it's one of those soups that you love to death. "I'll give up whiskey and the ability to walk for this soup." "I'd go blind for more soup." Those kinds of soups are rare but there are a few.<br />
<br />
My <b><i>Leek and Potato Soup with Bacon</i></b> is one of those soups. I'd kill a nun for this soup. It's that good.<br />
I made like ten gallons of this soup but it only lasted two days. It was like I lived in a potato junkie rehabilitation center. You couldn't say the word potato without somebody crying in a corner.<br />
<br />
<b>Leek and Potato Soup with Bacon</b><br />
<div>
1 lb. bacon, diced</div>
<div>
2 Tbsp butter</div>
3 large leeks, cut in half lengthwise, washed, and chopped. (Use the white and light green part only. Save the green for stock.)<br />3 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced<br />4 cups seasoned chicken stock<div>
2 cups milk (or half and half)</div>
<div>
1 bunch of scallion, thinly sliced<br />kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper</div>
<div>
2 tsp cayenne (less if you do not spicy)<br /></div>
<div>
In a large pot of well salted water, boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and set aside.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In a large pot over medium heat render the bacon until crispy and browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the rendered fat and set aside on a paper towel. Add the butter and the leeks to the bacon fat and saute until tender. (5-6 minutes)<br /></div>
<div>
Add the broth and cooked potatoes to the pot. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or carefully using a regular blender), puree the soup and return to pan (I like mine smooth and creamy but do as you like). Add the milk and cayenne and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The soup should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but not too thick. Serve in a bowl and garnish with crispy bacon and scallions. Add hot sauce if you like (I like). Sleep in the soup. Brush your teeth with the soup. Join a soup cult. xoxo<br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSTKcx6fYZ_RdztvpNnV1EOGigYDIWuwVpeKxLChilbtMxkDsqosSvtkAoX2mxSpF8O5ViCa_y2YMt2MtplJu5APwHkOoukP4olraoP-LU5QF3qlzdJC_hOGI8W_XItkT1eFysKd7Y-gq/s1600/IMG_4616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSTKcx6fYZ_RdztvpNnV1EOGigYDIWuwVpeKxLChilbtMxkDsqosSvtkAoX2mxSpF8O5ViCa_y2YMt2MtplJu5APwHkOoukP4olraoP-LU5QF3qlzdJC_hOGI8W_XItkT1eFysKd7Y-gq/s1600/IMG_4616.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754728228462697147.post-49386692628794094302013-11-14T15:23:00.000-08:002013-11-14T17:14:00.334-08:00Delicious Brick of Chemicals.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iidlnnwOANfJmrSUFq1ZvqFlArZbGJ91YwTz3Mgil9MCE-roRoOQLulM-RBDlIhSAt49eHRHzgVwvcRd3XRQo8VDmBGKUCblHT5Ot3GewKac0GCI3_466GgP0dT5XSyVmJFgI0fT1LcY/s1600/IMG_3658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iidlnnwOANfJmrSUFq1ZvqFlArZbGJ91YwTz3Mgil9MCE-roRoOQLulM-RBDlIhSAt49eHRHzgVwvcRd3XRQo8VDmBGKUCblHT5Ot3GewKac0GCI3_466GgP0dT5XSyVmJFgI0fT1LcY/s640/IMG_3658.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
America has a knack for turning beautiful, artfully crafted foods into cheap, fast, over-processed shit. We turned the lovely hamburger into a quarter pound of bone sludge, sawdust, and "meat droppings" with processed plastic cheese between a bleached bun. Yum!!! Don't get me wrong. I'm as addicted to those chemicals as everyone else and when you're broke, some loose change for a meal (whether or not it actually sustains your body) is nothing to sneeze at. I'm a fast food whore. I can't say no. I know that I can feed deliciously fresh cheeseburgers to my family for not much more money than the drive-thru crap but I have a problem. The junk (soon to be in my trunk if I eat too much of it) calls my name. I allow myself fast food once in a while. I have too or I will die. It's a fact. I need my tasty, beefy drugs!!!<br />
<br />
Anyways, one of those foods that we have turned into a brick of chemical is the amazing noodle dish <b><i>ramen</i></b>. In Japan and Korea they have mastered the art of making pre-packaged ramen with quality. It's not just for college students or half elf mages who cant pry their lazy asses away from their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Warcraft">WOW</a> session. The good stuff is only par-cooked and dried and when cooked has a springy chew to it (unlike the icky version which is fully cooked and dried and the second you hit it with water it becomes mushy). They are actually quality noodles. Not melty, low class cardboard strings. Ick.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7ALO3ZaT5MX5qEKtheFVB5sjWB22hBRyn18p7cpADn_2ulofeeleNPYZrNPK2-7l6AIoI-pjqfvF8SDEJOvLiBJ-yzMD0D1qDKgaVtmO5zRxs4klmJQsAvYXi9gpOGve_QXwh7V-FGB-/s1600/img_prd_noodle_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7ALO3ZaT5MX5qEKtheFVB5sjWB22hBRyn18p7cpADn_2ulofeeleNPYZrNPK2-7l6AIoI-pjqfvF8SDEJOvLiBJ-yzMD0D1qDKgaVtmO5zRxs4klmJQsAvYXi9gpOGve_QXwh7V-FGB-/s640/img_prd_noodle_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="text-align: start;">One of my favorite ramens is the Korean </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_Ramyun" style="text-align: start;">Shin Ramen</a><span style="text-align: start;">. It's spicy and beefy and pretty complex for an instant </span>noodle. I always add an egg and some scallion and if I have it a few slices of fish cake called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamaboko">Kamaboko</a>. It's the perfect snack or meal when you're in a hurry. See, you don't always have to resort to a bag of scary mystery. Sure there are a few chemicals in shin ramen but at least I know what they are and that they are not so bad for you. xoxo</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxutaK6QvBJAU4tAHV9A5i0xVfNYfMKaYFiuRqtT7NeK7kLJ9NeXhy7XOr0MfLHR7duD78qGIWe3Qsmtopzom_vzwOfszs3f9yN2eMF3STmC5ff0potyMTd4tPUVB_3_BnYP_MYwwgnz4/s1600/IMG_3649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxutaK6QvBJAU4tAHV9A5i0xVfNYfMKaYFiuRqtT7NeK7kLJ9NeXhy7XOr0MfLHR7duD78qGIWe3Qsmtopzom_vzwOfszs3f9yN2eMF3STmC5ff0potyMTd4tPUVB_3_BnYP_MYwwgnz4/s640/IMG_3649.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Violet Séverinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284304221192176285noreply@blogger.com1