tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70122939145430158862024-03-04T20:37:51.491-08:00Tonight's MenuMark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-73974329334365353102023-03-07T22:15:00.000-08:002023-03-07T22:15:58.146-08:00Pasta Machine<p>Recently, friends of mine tried making ravioli from scratch - meaning pasta dough, a countertop, filling, a rolling pin, and some sort of cutter. They made a valiant effort, but were not, let's say, satisfied with the results. Reading of their experience on social media, I offered my opinion that this is the kind of thing that Italian nonnas learn at their bisnonnas' knees, and only really get the hang of about the time that they start figuring out that boys have different - let's just say goals, strategies, and objectives - than girls do. So, the rest of us really need to have a leg up on this kind of thing.</p><p>I hope I didn't offend, but I did promise to share with them my fresh pasta kit. Here it is. This is the basic pasta machine:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4m3Fxqys2plCix9sw7YHyyVCbq6AhJ8Pgc1yI8jvqAheWrVulvEdyPzXkAA1jbQYS6wzwwyfahu-6DMS8Z087PBa63hjDdlJtoWQLoMkX3JH89b5ui4Ct_VhicKG91oxM6HQ6Fx222GXeogknu2WO5VdcZ0gvs6VUUW9FCLYgwZpEQ1pSjf6EBqNjA/s2880/BasicMachine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2880" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4m3Fxqys2plCix9sw7YHyyVCbq6AhJ8Pgc1yI8jvqAheWrVulvEdyPzXkAA1jbQYS6wzwwyfahu-6DMS8Z087PBa63hjDdlJtoWQLoMkX3JH89b5ui4Ct_VhicKG91oxM6HQ6Fx222GXeogknu2WO5VdcZ0gvs6VUUW9FCLYgwZpEQ1pSjf6EBqNjA/s320/BasicMachine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span>The roller is the important part. This is what Nonna learned when she was old enough to see over the edge of the counter: you need to roll your pasta into very thin and very even sheets. If you can do that with a rolling pin, you're there. If not, this thing is your savior. </span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span>The dies came with the machine (Past-A-Fast). After getting your sheets thin enough, you let them rest a bit and then cut them into fettuccine or some sort of square long pasta that I don't know the name of, and either nest them or hang them to dry a bit.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XLmBj7MlY6n5CG23Rt5Bis8_2DNZXn55evsQsuejvZuArV6EvUB85LI2zR4rgBi8H291nRFD5VpSuUSnoJU5RFnfu0mn4EGdZX-FkJdxjfX7qLtyQXt7IMh_qSMKMHwVkHoGISZCEl3Gq6pY68BLVAFAZPCKR8ERywsesjTzJI9OFpYYP0RafkBDWg/s2880/Dies_LinguineSquareSpaghetti_alsoAccessories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2880" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XLmBj7MlY6n5CG23Rt5Bis8_2DNZXn55evsQsuejvZuArV6EvUB85LI2zR4rgBi8H291nRFD5VpSuUSnoJU5RFnfu0mn4EGdZX-FkJdxjfX7qLtyQXt7IMh_qSMKMHwVkHoGISZCEl3Gq6pY68BLVAFAZPCKR8ERywsesjTzJI9OFpYYP0RafkBDWg/s320/Dies_LinguineSquareSpaghetti_alsoAccessories.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>This is another couple of sets of dies that fit on the same machine. The one on the left has one setting for the same sort of square pasta that came with the machine, and the other is for linguine. The one on the right is for spaghetti (a bit thinner than I personally care for, but whatever). The other tools are a roller thing to cut pasta sheets to a specific width for ravioli, a brush for cleaning flour out of the machine, and an allen wrench for some purpose that escapes me at the moment. Hey, if you need an allen wrench, just get one out of the garage, no?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I should point out that the die attachments fit into the same position on the machine, so whoever designed this thing got that right.</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/AVvXsEj731WYayHExi2JuxGctKmuW484_kSgFq-pMFh7yO_fxBHRVebdbqS9yWiFzCdpg8o37NGAFENkEfAQcakmvlWVH5GwFIlMt5bCp6z4jEq057R-vTJOfvbSe47-Ay31UJUoXkeAZRB3CJGsnlW6P0CEakA8NX_udJ_7zv6BPLIIZWhqpXGIStH0MT3UBA/s2880/RavioliTools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2880" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj731WYayHExi2JuxGctKmuW484_kSgFq-pMFh7yO_fxBHRVebdbqS9yWiFzCdpg8o37NGAFENkEfAQcakmvlWVH5GwFIlMt5bCp6z4jEq057R-vTJOfvbSe47-Ay31UJUoXkeAZRB3CJGsnlW6P0CEakA8NX_udJ_7zv6BPLIIZWhqpXGIStH0MT3UBA/s320/RavioliTools.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These are several attachments or accessories for ravioli. The two on the left (the die and the wooden roller thing) are intended to feed pasta sheets into the machine and deliver ravioli out of the bottom. The big flat thing and its companion white plastic form is for pressing pasta sheets, filling ravioli, and pressing again for cutting.</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/AVvXsEhvsBbwck_e7WJSOnN0T40l-ciBl2St0aDAlzci_EkAEWOsciWq4yx1AUFTl27viJ5nsvJjB6IuQld0LR8EJez9Ji_sWs4jgYtRk4YwTCmrl6guYPARK6HpRCQCQWFtQzumT4qmiACX5JfZy2Zo5VpNSALVN3XtWE4dj8RQDTmn24OtQSt7gLUm7GAhGw/s2880/CloseupRavioli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2880" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsBbwck_e7WJSOnN0T40l-ciBl2St0aDAlzci_EkAEWOsciWq4yx1AUFTl27viJ5nsvJjB6IuQld0LR8EJez9Ji_sWs4jgYtRk4YwTCmrl6guYPARK6HpRCQCQWFtQzumT4qmiACX5JfZy2Zo5VpNSALVN3XtWE4dj8RQDTmn24OtQSt7gLUm7GAhGw/s320/CloseupRavioli.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a closeup of the ravioli roller.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I should point out that, despite owning these tools, I have never successfully made ravioli with them. I mean, it should work, but do I have the patience? No. Maybe now that I have finally retired, I can try again, but meanwhile these sit in my kitchen waiting to be used.</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/AVvXsEiBFelW0Kh4TFgUjCruDY9rCGm4OgPVruYAccgK9urfGBmkAZCoHoKdwfICbtRAYG2vwX_oS5fIyC8kjDgqmOqYcb3axXqwZOXNUOa_bLLEzDVCp4fpgn1m0-Z_fyVR7zz7o8IuVMwObzKxIy1IhuAJPnVH1mOTXrIKPPuRFyxai65jJweBUVPKycmEjw/s2880/motor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2880" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFelW0Kh4TFgUjCruDY9rCGm4OgPVruYAccgK9urfGBmkAZCoHoKdwfICbtRAYG2vwX_oS5fIyC8kjDgqmOqYcb3axXqwZOXNUOa_bLLEzDVCp4fpgn1m0-Z_fyVR7zz7o8IuVMwObzKxIy1IhuAJPnVH1mOTXrIKPPuRFyxai65jJweBUVPKycmEjw/s320/motor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is an aftermarket electric motor that will turn the pasta machine crank for you. Do you want this? Do you have three hands? Do you have a willing partner to turn the crank while managing your pasta sheets and cutting those sheets into linguine or whatever? If the answer to those last two questions is "no," you do want this. Buy it. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hope This Helps (tm).</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><span><br /></span></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-47356143896673635622023-02-17T21:34:00.001-08:002023-02-17T21:38:19.066-08:00Chicken Wings - the only way to make them<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZ0e7BBLZLHY7yuTQCKOXfBlkMsSEwNwTxf88yQCpe-jSmZ2PW1YnjBWCSX_YwLk59U_eBkOndahFOmn2rAvT0-7LEc6A1DDFph3cewEzm6HQfKMu5a_j5TK6t9bfqMiWGkSOda4T8iUD4XPN3rcE77n_34ovD9yE2A5fr8YYT3z9z2fllPSmbwJS3g/s2880/wings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2880" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZ0e7BBLZLHY7yuTQCKOXfBlkMsSEwNwTxf88yQCpe-jSmZ2PW1YnjBWCSX_YwLk59U_eBkOndahFOmn2rAvT0-7LEc6A1DDFph3cewEzm6HQfKMu5a_j5TK6t9bfqMiWGkSOda4T8iUD4XPN3rcE77n_34ovD9yE2A5fr8YYT3z9z2fllPSmbwJS3g/s320/wings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Anyone who's read <a href="https://obstreperouscurmudgeon.blogspot.com/search?q=margarita" target="_blank">my brilliant treatment of the margarita cocktail</a> knows that I am rather opinionated on certain things, culinarily speaking. Other examples: anyone disparaging another for ordering anchovies, or pineapple-and-ham, on pizza should be horsewhipped and shunned. Anyone ordering a quality steak grilled past medium - well, I do go on. But chicken wings are kind of the same thing.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">First, some ground rules:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Bone-in. "Boneless wings" are just chicken nuggets with an agent.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Blue cheese dressing. Ranch is for the timid.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Standard Buffalo (NY) Anchor Bar tossing sauce. This is one cup of Frank's Red Hot Sauce melted with an 8oz stick of unsalted butter. I'm told that Crystal Hot Sauce works well also, but I wouldn't know anything about that. Any other kind of sauce is for something other than real chicken wings.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Deep fried at 350°F. If you want to air-fry or grill them, fine, but don't complain at me when they don't turn out.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Buy good wings. Ignore the big cheap bags of frozen wing sections; these always include broken bones and - parts - that may have come from mutant chickens. Yes, you'll get broken bones in the fresh supermarket trays now and then, but nothing really weird. This means that you'll have to section them yourself, but so what - it's easy.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Leave the tip on the paddle/flat section. Or not, what do I care. But it's a convenient handle, and you can chew on it a bit after gnawing off the meat. Sure, you can save them for stock that you'll never make, so do whatever you like.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Julienned carrots and celery on the side. Or if you don't care for one or the other, leave it off, what do I care.</span></li></ul><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So, the process.</span></h4><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Chicken wings cry out for sous-vide. After sectioning your wings, toss them with a <b>little</b> salt, bag them, and drop them in the sous-vide tank for an hour at 165</span><span style="font-family: arial;">°F. Take the bag out and chill it in an ice bath. Once cold, remove them from the bag, lay them out on a rack on a sheet pan, and put them in the fridge to air dry for eight hours or overnight. Oh, but first rinse off any jellied fat that's accumulated.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When ready to enjoy, prep your vegetables and dressing, and deep fry in peanut oil (or some other neutral high-smoke-point oil) at 350</span><span style="font-family: arial;">°F for four or five minutes. Remember, they're already cooked through; you just want to brown them.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Remove them from the oil and let them rest on a rack for a minute or so to harden up. Then toss in your Buffalo sauce for a bit, let them sit for a couple of minutes, plate and serve.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You won't need a napkin. You need a damp kitchen towel and a bone plate. Enjoy.</span></p><p></p>Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-65903756558086891162015-12-26T11:01:00.000-08:002015-12-26T11:01:35.061-08:00Christmas Dinner<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, we were going to have steak au poivre this Christmas, but I didn't like the looks of the tenderloin I found. I did find this one-bone prime rib roast/steak at a very decent price, though.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-6m0ni9Qaypa0dTQbkyjgsmu6TovOZynS2mTmjdGuJgNmdhXshS3KgzL9NeMW989QuFkME2jCNMOqC65YaqMYb4x7ucCzPVyT5QADtGo2B0sWk_wGtPoHVwWEXSDcqRGgyZ5XWgqCKt9/s1600/IMG_0309.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-6m0ni9Qaypa0dTQbkyjgsmu6TovOZynS2mTmjdGuJgNmdhXshS3KgzL9NeMW989QuFkME2jCNMOqC65YaqMYb4x7ucCzPVyT5QADtGo2B0sWk_wGtPoHVwWEXSDcqRGgyZ5XWgqCKt9/s320/IMG_0309.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a bit less than three pounds, which is just about right for two people - and an excellent opportunity to try it in the sous-vide unit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I don't have much imagination, I'll just try this Penzey's sampler for a rub.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bvoWmdqNFcZC2YEuZSd3B188Wf4cvX0n1OZ0B2rWniP5X5DgzGlw9iEPLMLGG3vjtnKhsGpYTOcnvmqkZ6iNdg8hQ4qIaOa6OcbXkgkw3t0W_QNNs1-bn1jhBBXTTpSI_FCM0_W5V1OD/s1600/IMG_0310.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bvoWmdqNFcZC2YEuZSd3B188Wf4cvX0n1OZ0B2rWniP5X5DgzGlw9iEPLMLGG3vjtnKhsGpYTOcnvmqkZ6iNdg8hQ4qIaOa6OcbXkgkw3t0W_QNNs1-bn1jhBBXTTpSI_FCM0_W5V1OD/s320/IMG_0310.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here it is rubbed and bagged:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVo9laisjenhATCOivXQwGQ4_OqUTVmlZ5jkw1lTlOvePTAjmdNn3fxYHRqerrxdTcLNr9DzzzgKxkiQ_ktrK8xRyliDvwCmEOcnI5E0o-bvxeS_oK84dVHZ7fPsmoCo0zswU3yGMseIz/s1600/IMG_0312.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVo9laisjenhATCOivXQwGQ4_OqUTVmlZ5jkw1lTlOvePTAjmdNn3fxYHRqerrxdTcLNr9DzzzgKxkiQ_ktrK8xRyliDvwCmEOcnI5E0o-bvxeS_oK84dVHZ7fPsmoCo0zswU3yGMseIz/s320/IMG_0312.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Into the tank at 129°F for four hours. Meanwhile, sides and dessert. Here's a batch of roasted red potatoes with caramelized onions tossed with a little black truffle oil:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And a cherry pie from the frozen foods section of my local mega-mart. Yeah, I know, but I'm not making everything from scratch - and Marie Callender's is pretty good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xSQEujAerT7qx5b4P34PWVu6qjJYIPvxanAzwapzXbPLJBeIyG8LPi3cHWmtRsfWxZjqAaDZfQ2tCuSouaxFAkSGJ-CBUhTkZmjrT_6UN0sR1lYbfh4Qek-75QPtmqC3lkIJIFaZ3WGG/s1600/IMG_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xSQEujAerT7qx5b4P34PWVu6qjJYIPvxanAzwapzXbPLJBeIyG8LPi3cHWmtRsfWxZjqAaDZfQ2tCuSouaxFAkSGJ-CBUhTkZmjrT_6UN0sR1lYbfh4Qek-75QPtmqC3lkIJIFaZ3WGG/s320/IMG_0316.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not shown: steamed asparagus, because that's just boring, and horseradish sauce for the meat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the roast after coming out of the tank, with "drippings" - just about a couple of teaspoons - not enough to bother with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvecEHCCVfp8s_Zw9mghC6LcwFL0kUjHkl2UR_m3nrkGEmDK9x8BXk-MPFcjCZqvpc17i0hUxxe3wdSdVuchlRvqneIccy4QYPuapnZCoCcSu4HU1NqD5cbbSWOTThAg3JbWW97XOMV5i/s1600/IMG_0320.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvecEHCCVfp8s_Zw9mghC6LcwFL0kUjHkl2UR_m3nrkGEmDK9x8BXk-MPFcjCZqvpc17i0hUxxe3wdSdVuchlRvqneIccy4QYPuapnZCoCcSu4HU1NqD5cbbSWOTThAg3JbWW97XOMV5i/s320/IMG_0320.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not very appetizing, is it? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNTuniCe2_UiGHK011m1rrsxgtdRfb_NrlyEdCz4qrbbHU9Px4mIOD6viMTAczjn1RNVwbH5IY6BXqEgnzIDWyHfAAfCWzijSjia7tSFIHb8wl6pu6QloaWvE9tdd1ENqI7PEyyPEKmVB/s1600/IMG_0322.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNTuniCe2_UiGHK011m1rrsxgtdRfb_NrlyEdCz4qrbbHU9Px4mIOD6viMTAczjn1RNVwbH5IY6BXqEgnzIDWyHfAAfCWzijSjia7tSFIHb8wl6pu6QloaWvE9tdd1ENqI7PEyyPEKmVB/s320/IMG_0322.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had been planning to finish it in a hot oven with a garlic/thyme/rosemary and olive oil paste, but instead opted to simply sear it with a butane torch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_scgHWcemVQpxbUqOJYMSNUFlSe8OxFPX5zHAxS6idmRVb0Kce8S9Kg1V5CfWnser_J7xeI9d5zSY4UxI_lP2GFp349SbqciGzBbt6uL0EBKbmjzJ9UeVymXabNz5PlHf_M32KpCo_pH/s1600/IMG_0324.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_scgHWcemVQpxbUqOJYMSNUFlSe8OxFPX5zHAxS6idmRVb0Kce8S9Kg1V5CfWnser_J7xeI9d5zSY4UxI_lP2GFp349SbqciGzBbt6uL0EBKbmjzJ9UeVymXabNz5PlHf_M32KpCo_pH/s320/IMG_0324.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeah, that's much better. Here it is with the bone off and split in half so we can see that it's been cooked to the proper rare / medium-rare temperature.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrVZ_J8loJdhnmgLlPxPV5XOhlkioSIIAqoI6gsmwqFRW7z_9enxXo52oGByUYYgoLKECFfqcu9esPkgtXW5W4R8zRUCJUbdopmeJjMUyAdSHPowFEehidybNFREP0-Q7yQmui7H04X3M/s1600/IMG_0328.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrVZ_J8loJdhnmgLlPxPV5XOhlkioSIIAqoI6gsmwqFRW7z_9enxXo52oGByUYYgoLKECFfqcu9esPkgtXW5W4R8zRUCJUbdopmeJjMUyAdSHPowFEehidybNFREP0-Q7yQmui7H04X3M/s320/IMG_0328.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And plated. This was really quite good, and a lot less fuss than traditional roasting. Definitely something to repeat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOY0HndSgdHkHvyoXT3WD96OAFqzkt5fznIiEdhp1xuiA2b74ENxmgJ_smiBRd9R0P_C5f91BIUvUXJU-N903kR03S3Oys86bH3MwQ88nblHozGTw7nl8N7xOVsgY5G-_ipv_m_cvGy_Np/s1600/IMG_0329.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOY0HndSgdHkHvyoXT3WD96OAFqzkt5fznIiEdhp1xuiA2b74ENxmgJ_smiBRd9R0P_C5f91BIUvUXJU-N903kR03S3Oys86bH3MwQ88nblHozGTw7nl8N7xOVsgY5G-_ipv_m_cvGy_Np/s320/IMG_0329.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-1858376035731026932014-12-26T14:13:00.000-08:002014-12-27T09:53:55.437-08:00Sous Vide (for real this time)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hmm, what has the FedEx man brought today?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmhd4YYplGgOfxe0xfVXvnCQNDfDwjnDjiqxzRnhlZRXhuOh2lU51ME-tl3AF6fJXXX_U14vLAq3I32w1GIBGZwS8DiYCs59LN8jMZrAuJApdEi44JUKlSixWniYTRPDdOwLIwRlk3EiS/s1600/IMG_0177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmhd4YYplGgOfxe0xfVXvnCQNDfDwjnDjiqxzRnhlZRXhuOh2lU51ME-tl3AF6fJXXX_U14vLAq3I32w1GIBGZwS8DiYCs59LN8jMZrAuJApdEi44JUKlSixWniYTRPDdOwLIwRlk3EiS/s1600/IMG_0177.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aha! It appears to be the sous-vide unit I ordered about six weeks ago! I wrote </span><a href="http://menutonight.blogspot.com/2012/01/redneck-sous-vide.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a while back</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> about sort-of doing sous-vide in a plastic cooler and hot water, but this is the real deal - it's the new </span><a href="http://anovaculinary.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anova</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> unit, which I bought via a kickstarter pledge.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOB4mQpOSQLc-VbnXr1_OGZGLu_jtHuyxVjapaXs9t6Tqr2YTohVY0Ww6FCdeCP40dbop4JWhu4TGzTZoR3i5P1fNJzY-FRIvRrZZEUIQesIaDbkybEPeCtEgwvHDFpGrAiGtE3112Dua/s1600/IMG_0180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOB4mQpOSQLc-VbnXr1_OGZGLu_jtHuyxVjapaXs9t6Tqr2YTohVY0Ww6FCdeCP40dbop4JWhu4TGzTZoR3i5P1fNJzY-FRIvRrZZEUIQesIaDbkybEPeCtEgwvHDFpGrAiGtE3112Dua/s1600/IMG_0180.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here it is out of that weird box. Not much to look at; just a clip, a head unit with the heating and circulating systems integrated, and a sleeve. No user's manual.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlHaBf1BWXr1tnUwaAxlrcVobnmoJFRjedehb745r1SmlanAsfsLJEauPHTXxoQdXHu8tqL1FYNQwG6ZqbaYK4pArUbqigk2yg9GbWQjRh1EDJhkzSRhZoIGaPUgrU25ww9YZJqPGiost/s1600/IMG_0182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlHaBf1BWXr1tnUwaAxlrcVobnmoJFRjedehb745r1SmlanAsfsLJEauPHTXxoQdXHu8tqL1FYNQwG6ZqbaYK4pArUbqigk2yg9GbWQjRh1EDJhkzSRhZoIGaPUgrU25ww9YZJqPGiost/s1600/IMG_0182.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I downloaded the </span><a href="https://anova.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/201519570/Anova_Precision_Manual_Print.pdf" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">manual</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and it really didn't tell me anything I couldn't figure out just by looking at the front panel. It also didn't tell me anything about the Android app that's supposed to come with it (I found out later that the app is still in development, but there's a third-party one already available).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, let's set it up:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCKnw3X3h4usD2jaM9CcLaGsc4mkA010TerXIskWUl862B5fRklY086_iSNJP2G7zi9_Xu6OlBJTyu_q0-bKhHjLaa6ibWl6LD68oThGH8JX28yQVWntar9FNynCvQgL2p1YVQWJ4jeFO/s1600/IMG_0186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCKnw3X3h4usD2jaM9CcLaGsc4mkA010TerXIskWUl862B5fRklY086_iSNJP2G7zi9_Xu6OlBJTyu_q0-bKhHjLaa6ibWl6LD68oThGH8JX28yQVWntar9FNynCvQgL2p1YVQWJ4jeFO/s1600/IMG_0186.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's nice and quiet, for one thing. And the interface is pretty easy; you just turn a wheel up and down to set the target temperature.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So let's make something! First up, some corvina with butter and fresh thyme:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQbA-TQMdtZpg-Hpo_NifloN2VX5h9NiSfzP2lM_fFBiDWj9PGbBMcvGHmCyT026b4YLOw9kexdZd5O-jipcNegleMB7gmrdZa9Ylje5GbF3pQgZERXojNlEUrS_pI17ZxvUbKpCc-9Pi/s1600/IMG_0196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQbA-TQMdtZpg-Hpo_NifloN2VX5h9NiSfzP2lM_fFBiDWj9PGbBMcvGHmCyT026b4YLOw9kexdZd5O-jipcNegleMB7gmrdZa9Ylje5GbF3pQgZERXojNlEUrS_pI17ZxvUbKpCc-9Pi/s1600/IMG_0196.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On a whim, I also added a pouch of brussels sprouts, garlic, and olive oil:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO13-eMvT72yCCha0wsXxb3Mg6Ce1grVT5sSi-Gg_VMzCJJvbUoILYwnmfK_Gr91X4ve3VLjRp3uR-cVXAlofMI-6fryQbmn10TymAN1EUtNClLd99n3ZHKnurPMr2sUeXUfUn-ikuuCG8/s1600/IMG_0191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO13-eMvT72yCCha0wsXxb3Mg6Ce1grVT5sSi-Gg_VMzCJJvbUoILYwnmfK_Gr91X4ve3VLjRp3uR-cVXAlofMI-6fryQbmn10TymAN1EUtNClLd99n3ZHKnurPMr2sUeXUfUn-ikuuCG8/s1600/IMG_0191.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's what it looks like in the tank:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqDubh186S2UR3f0HFjJAt0KfBJ0IwXAqAnALU8iNrYj9Gl2DqtXul3b_HqFo_IrbNkDaI2FjyWUveMBsC1lANKqCVcr8Ry-43JCwSverE4nagbqhfIdEVA8JkhFquB3i0kvGhuN7mClG/s1600/IMG_0197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqDubh186S2UR3f0HFjJAt0KfBJ0IwXAqAnALU8iNrYj9Gl2DqtXul3b_HqFo_IrbNkDaI2FjyWUveMBsC1lANKqCVcr8Ry-43JCwSverE4nagbqhfIdEVA8JkhFquB3i0kvGhuN7mClG/s1600/IMG_0197.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kind of boring, really. I just let it whir around in there at 134°F for a while (sprouts, 2 hours; fish, 1 hour). This is a fish I usually flour, sear in olive oil, and poach in wine - and for brussels sprouts I like to blanch, followed by a saute with the garlic and finish with a little soy sauce.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The results were, well, okay. The fish tried very hard to fall apart, and the vegetables were underdone. If I do this again I'll at least halve the sprouts, probably not cook the fish quite so much, and maybe finish both under a hot broiler.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYi5r8ejjWq0Tad2Tx4p0Py4s3LaG9pn2CMmD3ep6gC_LeiaJMGIKxuoq8POiQo9HcM0CM4zQRXRMq4lGroXF8llTjYBZ592yrTKa2F2pts9yn8nWitiN2c4dSXlr4nZbv9WXGTeNThT9T/s1600/IMG_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYi5r8ejjWq0Tad2Tx4p0Py4s3LaG9pn2CMmD3ep6gC_LeiaJMGIKxuoq8POiQo9HcM0CM4zQRXRMq4lGroXF8llTjYBZ592yrTKa2F2pts9yn8nWitiN2c4dSXlr4nZbv9WXGTeNThT9T/s1600/IMG_0199.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up, let's try some salmon with a honey/dijon/curry glaze. Here it is prepped:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSWTr8UKHYblYsXecxoW2YXWGgspkeKcXAUDysj6yl7S9FYpdnwx88BP4zr5X3cDCfzwv6uX1QSCvoLRJcqD3j9j4fhBsbh_1InnPx9GjYAwoGTez5Td8mMReMgHdnnzJEt1-6xq7-NKm/s1600/IMG_0208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSWTr8UKHYblYsXecxoW2YXWGgspkeKcXAUDysj6yl7S9FYpdnwx88BP4zr5X3cDCfzwv6uX1QSCvoLRJcqD3j9j4fhBsbh_1InnPx9GjYAwoGTez5Td8mMReMgHdnnzJEt1-6xq7-NKm/s1600/IMG_0208.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... and in the pouches:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfQu_xKISPlpIijLKwZTeanvt11VhChihn9UfTPiWn79eM57hZ5h-w-ARlgksTkji76y9DT4eZlm74vrvBR_Q66_peTyGQ7NPWq3K8yjz5jfA6pEfCZ67Hfde1t-E3wnGj07bRmdEcSxx/s1600/IMG_0209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfQu_xKISPlpIijLKwZTeanvt11VhChihn9UfTPiWn79eM57hZ5h-w-ARlgksTkji76y9DT4eZlm74vrvBR_Q66_peTyGQ7NPWq3K8yjz5jfA6pEfCZ67Hfde1t-E3wnGj07bRmdEcSxx/s1600/IMG_0209.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.. and immediately after coming out of the tank (130°F for an hour):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwUnwdQuA2YHYF7_q6-m5hxVMEjkyPhOEBNstC2fhQttTY5PvZDIsmJlt9k6HYqivOr6JdLPpuXiXYy8uAXgeNM9Q-vahDH74rjzMXp-5aqG1C29uxqda4is0GYcQ7dEuq-S1mw2p7_ss/s1600/IMG_0215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwUnwdQuA2YHYF7_q6-m5hxVMEjkyPhOEBNstC2fhQttTY5PvZDIsmJlt9k6HYqivOr6JdLPpuXiXYy8uAXgeNM9Q-vahDH74rjzMXp-5aqG1C29uxqda4is0GYcQ7dEuq-S1mw2p7_ss/s1600/IMG_0215.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.. and, finally, on the plate after having been run under the broiler for a bit. The sauce is just some leftover glaze warmed in the microwave, and the accompaniments are some leftover rice pilaf and some Trader Joe's frozen green beans. This was <b>very</b> good. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjEjXYijOFnwKVXNY5LSX1DMitZX4V-gBb8EU6XzdFJvDAge3K8eLep_O7UtyWhr3xWKX0lGh_6-A9HpNOoHmix5M3j7pkAn4qIeII4hkXVFaGYgYPi5mlP8wxUDy_06T56ZPZZC22Pjc/s1600/IMG_0219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjEjXYijOFnwKVXNY5LSX1DMitZX4V-gBb8EU6XzdFJvDAge3K8eLep_O7UtyWhr3xWKX0lGh_6-A9HpNOoHmix5M3j7pkAn4qIeII4hkXVFaGYgYPi5mlP8wxUDy_06T56ZPZZC22Pjc/s1600/IMG_0219.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How about some soft-cooked eggs? These were cooked at 149°F for 13 minutes:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhup-JK7YGXAVwINS9yhncWDWl32nelVu78EMewP11iL3VmX5nw78t5feu84yhZZWB3YtS47aqNmS5qOB4svPIu01l-WlVav7ex78HSav7JHubMGrJtG_EnhErgUpmvtu6f8T7jp4-w3wIl/s1600/IMG_0226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhup-JK7YGXAVwINS9yhncWDWl32nelVu78EMewP11iL3VmX5nw78t5feu84yhZZWB3YtS47aqNmS5qOB4svPIu01l-WlVav7ex78HSav7JHubMGrJtG_EnhErgUpmvtu6f8T7jp4-w3wIl/s1600/IMG_0226.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not too bad - the yolks were just a little less runny than I like, but the whites were not completely set. Turns out eggs are a little fussy, but someone pointed me to a <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/10/sous-vide-101-all-about-eggs.html">pretty good webpage</a> describing all sorts of time/temperature variations for eggs. I need to try the poaching method shown there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I've really been itching to try, though, are duck breasts. It took me a while to find these - Whole Foods, Central Market, Sprouts, Trader Joe's, and a local butcher were all strikeouts. I finally found them at an Asian supermarket.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's what they look like raw, with just some salt and pepper:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygL9tS6poJwDqo8A0mKkxxEjcRt1A0jSThU1l54YMfguq0SymQprHk8x0vGxLWmR2lwC3pxtVIDpsxzE2zrZf95am-G2Lu3hM4QCEzbBu00bs2Bq4MF3h3QReov-SbLb_l1pT2xLFNPHV/s1600/IMG_0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygL9tS6poJwDqo8A0mKkxxEjcRt1A0jSThU1l54YMfguq0SymQprHk8x0vGxLWmR2lwC3pxtVIDpsxzE2zrZf95am-G2Lu3hM4QCEzbBu00bs2Bq4MF3h3QReov-SbLb_l1pT2xLFNPHV/s1600/IMG_0230.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And in pouches:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTOhe5oyNGdpJKx5aJ85QoYJAZMgLhEbyu86od72c4hRZ2Is0E_3vSgQZmFwHOl_QLbfhxExhx1WuSbph_Ib6QIqBLMaZB6LUYjeaaAEVrcCJkA_169gI1Z7UJb2jCcsif4tF_qHihWgc/s1600/IMG_0231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTOhe5oyNGdpJKx5aJ85QoYJAZMgLhEbyu86od72c4hRZ2Is0E_3vSgQZmFwHOl_QLbfhxExhx1WuSbph_Ib6QIqBLMaZB6LUYjeaaAEVrcCJkA_169gI1Z7UJb2jCcsif4tF_qHihWgc/s1600/IMG_0231.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a turn in the tank at 135°F for an hour:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2a21Xo-krVkkHq5UeOaPH3jzzLj0Y-39-87AAPoHfjbQSlvWXl3sM8zPF_VQUbR8GhVXIq_37s5bp8Ut1CuF7IpSEJ2r7rbgFLVY78TxTDpeHLk43xwGww32qJdHpqZ09sDInEdHtcc2G/s1600/IMG_0234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2a21Xo-krVkkHq5UeOaPH3jzzLj0Y-39-87AAPoHfjbQSlvWXl3sM8zPF_VQUbR8GhVXIq_37s5bp8Ut1CuF7IpSEJ2r7rbgFLVY78TxTDpeHLk43xwGww32qJdHpqZ09sDInEdHtcc2G/s1600/IMG_0234.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That liquid on the side is just what was left over in the pouches. I'll use that for a little pan sauce.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We need to finish the breasts by searing skin-side-first: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0C9CihjTOHhm_M2FZECFAtO87aqCDuW9oexxYBaIsR9SM2NgqDoM-butI4oEhFF2pp1Xu-JtTNyyuQzeh8lzOZtHCDlv4WNIfrafAMLCeK7yndlVShNl0Y3YiSCVjT6U8wrSuicTF6yS/s1600/IMG_0235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0C9CihjTOHhm_M2FZECFAtO87aqCDuW9oexxYBaIsR9SM2NgqDoM-butI4oEhFF2pp1Xu-JtTNyyuQzeh8lzOZtHCDlv4WNIfrafAMLCeK7yndlVShNl0Y3YiSCVjT6U8wrSuicTF6yS/s1600/IMG_0235.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a while, we can see just how much fat will render out of that duck skin.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2nvIBz0BWPNDs47iggZkJ2TsHAlnpNTIBmkXrfMw09ou5upuGTP_gbw0ZaK3mievWwSXuS7RuEH_XMz1aZkFX6XsbkAGo9KUjybS9JLu5hyphenhyphen-jQ0NGsrWJCxVyC0AEwZ-DqT_xh7fUVxm/s1600/IMG_0238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2nvIBz0BWPNDs47iggZkJ2TsHAlnpNTIBmkXrfMw09ou5upuGTP_gbw0ZaK3mievWwSXuS7RuEH_XMz1aZkFX6XsbkAGo9KUjybS9JLu5hyphenhyphen-jQ0NGsrWJCxVyC0AEwZ-DqT_xh7fUVxm/s1600/IMG_0238.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I flipped them and did the other side for about a minute, then let them rest a bit, sliced and plated: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHKhc5Fpz8PjJ6Ch25-HBmQi2rzaCE9-aDKwRB1HRCA-HSpdM_6Y3xh9c4JSGM-BlqIv4f9RaVzS-dSLtUA_0xTPOZDZVoRK9md0TgtkMQsfUW5_mcsLMbfEryNFelc8xTNJ3uxm6WkZz/s1600/IMG_0243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHKhc5Fpz8PjJ6Ch25-HBmQi2rzaCE9-aDKwRB1HRCA-HSpdM_6Y3xh9c4JSGM-BlqIv4f9RaVzS-dSLtUA_0xTPOZDZVoRK9md0TgtkMQsfUW5_mcsLMbfEryNFelc8xTNJ3uxm6WkZz/s1600/IMG_0243.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sauce on the side is just apricot preserves warmed with a little dry mustard. The topping on the duck is fried shallots, and they're finished with the aforementioned pouch "drippings," reduced just a bit, and some toasted and crushed sichuan peppercorns. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was quite tasty and will definitely be repeated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway: this is a neat little toy; it doesn't take much storage space, and it wasn't all that pricey. I'm going to find a lot of use for it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-76402666497594136372014-10-07T06:13:00.000-07:002014-10-07T06:13:26.916-07:00Spaghetti Carbonara<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a simple dish with few ingredients, but the preparation can be a little fussy. Timing is critical - it's the kind of thing you want to have everything prepped and ready to go for before starting.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeytdFIkToL3ngcw9oHA5oQu6Li-BPVFONPajpk3Qcv8i4iiBm2A5jmhwCH9ASVCQrQp8i0hWASGAT71khxy07IXR74TBKwe1p2f1vuBYQm760SBZPYPZ7BmRDUyVwFMMz2GShK2fPC4a/s1600/IMG_0145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeytdFIkToL3ngcw9oHA5oQu6Li-BPVFONPajpk3Qcv8i4iiBm2A5jmhwCH9ASVCQrQp8i0hWASGAT71khxy07IXR74TBKwe1p2f1vuBYQm760SBZPYPZ7BmRDUyVwFMMz2GShK2fPC4a/s1600/IMG_0145.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1378439109"></span><span id="goog_1378439110"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are the ingredients: spaghetti, eggs, parmesan cheese, and bacon. Pancetta is of course the traditional meat component, but I like the smokiness of good American bacon. And use a high-quality pasta - this is a very nice spaghetti alla chitarra I found locally.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTQgZyO97G3BFa-bmasTvHU93WqyejqtaLoJXZ5WQARn9cjilKZzEudtxbldbXafwtq8lPbZVn9UhdJV0RkOCPmaH8SnMzxGdBBY6UKCb4qgO-NbosyafQoXMbaei5mbbBjkeadLX7vLD/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTQgZyO97G3BFa-bmasTvHU93WqyejqtaLoJXZ5WQARn9cjilKZzEudtxbldbXafwtq8lPbZVn9UhdJV0RkOCPmaH8SnMzxGdBBY6UKCb4qgO-NbosyafQoXMbaei5mbbBjkeadLX7vLD/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, I weigh my pasta. I'm weird like that. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XxGp1A7rqabGZ8Oz_lobOaw1lnERvTFKgtWeHzivszlbol7GTOYHT6EOTo6r4khwb77zgfoBdFIuUlVVL5EWJ6h10SgTdSDZnUm9t3qrr8eORxowlMG7781oQ3BQRo-ssNDIjgSmPEVt/s1600/IMG_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XxGp1A7rqabGZ8Oz_lobOaw1lnERvTFKgtWeHzivszlbol7GTOYHT6EOTo6r4khwb77zgfoBdFIuUlVVL5EWJ6h10SgTdSDZnUm9t3qrr8eORxowlMG7781oQ3BQRo-ssNDIjgSmPEVt/s1600/IMG_0153.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the prep work (almost) completed. I don't beat the egg till the pasta is almost done - the first time I had this, in a restaurant, it was served with just the egg yolk in half a shell, the idea being that I would mix it into the dish to finish the sauce. I certainly don't mind doing that, but it's easier to just do it in the kitchen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Figure on one whole egg and half a cup of grated parmesan per half-pound of pasta. I've also added a little chopped parsley here.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEZsuRNPtgxPsqmLjSKBKYcWpmTzlCdT1P69m_VhF0GQWgYIu0plt7xlEiTnvFpuZ3566yc1uLUeimc4Xwxig2NGDksbDQ6L3k4nsG2r2rrvw4OdxTyR_U987qdxZSMABW7PfL6b4rMQ5/s1600/IMG_0157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEZsuRNPtgxPsqmLjSKBKYcWpmTzlCdT1P69m_VhF0GQWgYIu0plt7xlEiTnvFpuZ3566yc1uLUeimc4Xwxig2NGDksbDQ6L3k4nsG2r2rrvw4OdxTyR_U987qdxZSMABW7PfL6b4rMQ5/s1600/IMG_0157.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fry the bacon gently in a large sauté pan. If it renders a lot of grease, you can pour some of it off, but you do want some. I tend to leave about a tablespoon or two. Start the pasta when the bacon is about half done.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFX5nJR4EbAspZj_drPzCM_R9-NBZbb6OlTzfzAvCM0tP-O_ziZJ9fbzNyquyQgh18xTUJC9T6GiYc8hRayVF7C9GYd7TQ1LkW7gQAUCvlhH0lC-VVW5pBRxww5rQNbEmwD9idNGgCHxvJ/s1600/IMG_0165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFX5nJR4EbAspZj_drPzCM_R9-NBZbb6OlTzfzAvCM0tP-O_ziZJ9fbzNyquyQgh18xTUJC9T6GiYc8hRayVF7C9GYd7TQ1LkW7gQAUCvlhH0lC-VVW5pBRxww5rQNbEmwD9idNGgCHxvJ/s1600/IMG_0165.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it gets nice and crispy like this, just keep it warm while you finish boiling the pasta. Beat the egg(s) when the pasta is about a minute or two from completion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the pasta is done, dump it into the pan with just a little pasta water - I have about 1/4 cup here, I think. Stir it up really well, and...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.. stir in the egg very quickly, while the pasta is still really hot. You want to cook the egg without letting it curdle, so don't let the egg pool in the pan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, stir in the cheese. Keep moving the pasta around until all of the cheese melts. Add a little more pasta water if the sauce needs to be loosened up a bit. If you're adding parsley (as I am here), stir it in right at the end.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-ml7xLnAG4oRJx99RnPsqt5q682SjdRywC61GfwmYo7nhfVnuAiOElvGvoSWlkNSKRMjZEWijI3aTIKlPHbz5aR5qIonXdGGqY4KaPPQMtBYdABL_xgebG23mWs6F4VQNXX_qvR_-evE/s1600/IMG_0173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-ml7xLnAG4oRJx99RnPsqt5q682SjdRywC61GfwmYo7nhfVnuAiOElvGvoSWlkNSKRMjZEWijI3aTIKlPHbz5aR5qIonXdGGqY4KaPPQMtBYdABL_xgebG23mWs6F4VQNXX_qvR_-evE/s1600/IMG_0173.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here it is plated, with a nice green salad. This is a really rich and satisfying dish, and kind of a nice break from the heavier tomato- or cream-based sauces we Americans tend to take our pasta with. </span>Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-19444319906110084652013-12-28T11:40:00.000-08:002013-12-28T11:40:23.546-08:00Lentil Soup<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have fond memories of eating lentils with rice on a couple of week-long Boy Scout hikes across the Isthmus of Panama. There's not much that's more restorative to body and spirit after a day of a long slog, much of it in thigh-deep water, up and over the Continental Divide, particularly when paired with a good bit of Tabasco Sauce. We changed it out for red or black beans from night to night to vary the menu, but that was the typical fare - good, hearty campesino fare, augmented on at least a couple of nights with some wild turkey. (The bird, not the whiskey - remember, we were Boy Scouts.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lentils make great soup, too. This is an adaptation of something I found in the latest Joy of Cooking. I started out by making a simple stock from the bone out of a pork roast that I'd used for something else, and two quarts of water:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know, that picture isn't very exciting. Trust me, though; good things are going on inside that pressure cooker. Meanwhile, I prepped everything else, starting with picking over the lentils.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It used to be the case that you'd always find a rock or two in a package of dried beans or lentils. Nowadays, not so much - I think they've gotten pretty good about cleaning them in processing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We still have to wash them, of course. I like this Japanese rice-washing bowl for that. Note the slots in the pour spout - those allow us to wash and drain the lentils (or rice, etc.) in the same vessel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here are most of the rest of the raw ingredients: carrots, celery, garlic, onion, bacon, tomatoes, and thyme. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You don't have to have a Belgian-style wit with some orange wedges squeezed into it on hand, but it helps. (Note to beer snobs: yes, I know Blue Moon is brewed by Coors.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chop up all the vegetables and the bacon:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, the pork bone has been in the pressure cooker for nearly an hour, and that's long enough. Here's the finished stock:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the bone by itself. After it cools, I'll cut all the remaining meat off that bone and chop it up for the soup. No, the dogs don't get the bone - that thing's had all of its substance pretty well boiled out, and is too brittle for them to chew on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting back to the vegetables, we sweat them in a bit of olive oil. We don't want them to get brown; just tender. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note that I'm using the pressure cooker even though I'm not going to cook this under pressure. Why dirty another pan?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5G3sr_sGGL22Oz_n1dSH_VlW-kNWPZO1zejG-81dt5X2eG4_p2W84eWRN_A56vc_XbD49Ayp56TmMkA28hFrff_iYBO_ciZaKOm7gRhQP9hY4Tp9JJ7E5xCo2fm2qbgWsYzwLIsz1ZUV/s1600/IMG_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5G3sr_sGGL22Oz_n1dSH_VlW-kNWPZO1zejG-81dt5X2eG4_p2W84eWRN_A56vc_XbD49Ayp56TmMkA28hFrff_iYBO_ciZaKOm7gRhQP9hY4Tp9JJ7E5xCo2fm2qbgWsYzwLIsz1ZUV/s320/IMG_0024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the rest of the ingredients: some leftover boiled potato and some Andouille sausage I had in the freezer. I'll dice the potatoes and slice up the sausage - so, no, this isn't a vegetarian dish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's what we want the vegetables to look like:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add the lentils, tomatoes, and thyme:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... and the stock. Bring it to a gentle boil and stir occasionally. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After about an hour, it'll look like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add in the potato and sausage, and the pork from the bone, and adjust the seasoning. This needed some salt and pepper, but I didn't want to salt it before it was done because of the bacon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here it is in a cup. I actually ended up thinning this out a bit more with some chicken stock. Damn fine eating on a cool day with some saltine crackers and a bit of Sriracha sauce.</span><br />
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Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-16569588792678284172013-12-12T21:59:00.003-08:002021-05-16T18:59:12.386-07:00Haitian Chicken<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is a dish I learned from my dad years ago. I love to make it during the colder months of the year, which is kind of interesting given that Haiti is pretty much never very cold. As in, at all.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Anyway, the mise en place: chicken pieces, celery, onion, green pepper, garlic, limes, butter, tomatoes (I almost always use canned), tomato paste, chicken stock (I'll make some up from chicken base this time), soy sauce, sugar, and salt.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHEitmRq5yN7oCiaJXll-2DEJjm5rc2nR4iKOxqu7uMljE1Smbd8yXL8OXvJ7k7TShsFMJqKSnNO_jG8E-5krSWaYfz5hyphenhyphen6kZP_qV9Dnmtyj9mV5R7u64Rf7TvbxR_Rx7wvuqjFDzYnDG/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHEitmRq5yN7oCiaJXll-2DEJjm5rc2nR4iKOxqu7uMljE1Smbd8yXL8OXvJ7k7TShsFMJqKSnNO_jG8E-5krSWaYfz5hyphenhyphen6kZP_qV9Dnmtyj9mV5R7u64Rf7TvbxR_Rx7wvuqjFDzYnDG/s320/IMG_0034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">First, squeeze the limes and marinate the chicken in the juice with a bit of salt for a while.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT35Tmj_f7LGL7mskJHk2y7BYJHWUseoIcOhHfY8slwBCrKJFkOr7ZI-t3z-L8Us4HfVb4FsU4CnCvqica3dX_1lIRBxkLa78J-tfEpYrB-UXgmYhnJU4_ngCcPEmKeT5MakXAR2Cw0YcY/s1600/IMG_0038.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT35Tmj_f7LGL7mskJHk2y7BYJHWUseoIcOhHfY8slwBCrKJFkOr7ZI-t3z-L8Us4HfVb4FsU4CnCvqica3dX_1lIRBxkLa78J-tfEpYrB-UXgmYhnJU4_ngCcPEmKeT5MakXAR2Cw0YcY/s320/IMG_0038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Then chop up the vegetables....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjpTssR4_lkxKVua1iWqmX4iHa2daal8Ie7_dlVkC_fqOPWQAh9YTVRK5m71dm76bDLI6o7-lrB7yKZPxYlCOb7U-y-WMZQ-JRBP2gzwnlfkqb5y_Qqqt5DtDkhOReCHntOjiFoxS9zFq/s1600/IMG_0044.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjpTssR4_lkxKVua1iWqmX4iHa2daal8Ie7_dlVkC_fqOPWQAh9YTVRK5m71dm76bDLI6o7-lrB7yKZPxYlCOb7U-y-WMZQ-JRBP2gzwnlfkqb5y_Qqqt5DtDkhOReCHntOjiFoxS9zFq/s320/IMG_0044.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">And sear the chicken pieces in the butter and a little oil. You might have to do this in batches (I typically do).</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Note the crusty bits on the bottom of the pot. Those are magic.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Remove the chicken and keep it warm, and allow the pot to cool down a bit while you make yourself a nice cocktail.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNU8LFW_XkGWKkgf_ts7HpcY5w9ShhrPIlmiZb9MGri1MqBkYymQX1yiOp2bQBZ0MBopnHyXMa6d-8vR-A5bA3oa19BOusPW4Q2ghKqT1syXUlUN9s6YK83yo0VYiAxxEZSamT-GiLLQv3/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNU8LFW_XkGWKkgf_ts7HpcY5w9ShhrPIlmiZb9MGri1MqBkYymQX1yiOp2bQBZ0MBopnHyXMa6d-8vR-A5bA3oa19BOusPW4Q2ghKqT1syXUlUN9s6YK83yo0VYiAxxEZSamT-GiLLQv3/s320/IMG_0052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's a Cape Cod, of course - pictured just before the lime was squeezed into it and a nice stir stick added for effect. (It's not for me. I don't really care for cranberry juice. It was requested by Susan, and who am I to deny her anything?)</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Now we'll cook the vegetables down a bit in the remaining butter and oil, with the rendered chicken fat. When they're about done, we'll add the tomato paste.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIm67kvHQJePtrxDZjpowhd-BV5O-TeD3a8riP26wo72aUP2Q29rtrM-qC7E_5b7Hkmcd3aNnGsIl3Z-FPepkz1qgCsw6vQGc4Orwh9Y3qPNn7k3AtKagytsxdVMwvs6eXl0dha44eGIZR/s1600/IMG_0055.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIm67kvHQJePtrxDZjpowhd-BV5O-TeD3a8riP26wo72aUP2Q29rtrM-qC7E_5b7Hkmcd3aNnGsIl3Z-FPepkz1qgCsw6vQGc4Orwh9Y3qPNn7k3AtKagytsxdVMwvs6eXl0dha44eGIZR/s320/IMG_0055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, soy sauce, and sugar, and add the chicken back to the pot. Give it all a good stir and bring it up to a gentle simmer.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgIMAxt5pYI0Ch24132uEANL7XQh7rpUJPpfxpTEoxnHnDeMr-v7tFbT8_oXwv8aWIQzTqp0mWXgiSt8YzGOTr6c0QBeEDueM-pKTRM1jZ8QWE4xPSRCWtrUlkpu79cBDDu0mKYYQK75x/s1600/IMG_0057.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgIMAxt5pYI0Ch24132uEANL7XQh7rpUJPpfxpTEoxnHnDeMr-v7tFbT8_oXwv8aWIQzTqp0mWXgiSt8YzGOTr6c0QBeEDueM-pKTRM1jZ8QWE4xPSRCWtrUlkpu79cBDDu0mKYYQK75x/s320/IMG_0057.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Cover the pot and let the chicken simmer gently for about an hour. Or maybe three.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzXNiMW-5QOXfJR7Cgv4XzzgnDiUOhzKgahxcnY0ubVWsmFX259deLNH0A3CXrU9Je6NkmUH4303He-0golc8NOzW7UervcYClQoPL9QEXUGburJL9pMg-JlER1m-zJsNeq4h1-bx1nQ4/s1600/IMG_0059.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzXNiMW-5QOXfJR7Cgv4XzzgnDiUOhzKgahxcnY0ubVWsmFX259deLNH0A3CXrU9Je6NkmUH4303He-0golc8NOzW7UervcYClQoPL9QEXUGburJL9pMg-JlER1m-zJsNeq4h1-bx1nQ4/s320/IMG_0059.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes, I know this photo isn't that interesting. Sorry, but that's what it looks like.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">After it's simmered for a while, remove the cover, increase the heat a bit, and let the liquid gently boil down a bit. This is what you're looking for:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwMYwvRO6kBoZmGdzs-0tjjrXNkaxf92aUbdrOLR1XhWIpNjZ4l9kgAD9AWILCjPmuVE003fRAsoFSY_uP1FP1K2nA09-R_zHqgdcBC4TuzhiJJM_YHI9G1eMTLZBUQsG_hlaNaH_URm-/s1600/IMG_0063.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwMYwvRO6kBoZmGdzs-0tjjrXNkaxf92aUbdrOLR1XhWIpNjZ4l9kgAD9AWILCjPmuVE003fRAsoFSY_uP1FP1K2nA09-R_zHqgdcBC4TuzhiJJM_YHI9G1eMTLZBUQsG_hlaNaH_URm-/s320/IMG_0063.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Note how the meat has pulled back from the bone a bit and the broth has taken on a slightly richer color.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Here it is plated,over rice. You'll want to have some Tabasco sauce on the side with this.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXcyEtu9sujpKgvBbZghSJVf1mOTju017jZ45n2A_CCdOTfZkBa_govMohdjzw0c_SCJ6PrFv4R09CpkT9Y70cHJYcgguyn3-dIJhu8CFeujXXBQDROfQWlssOdGlbnTDmeENEgzW9enH/s1600/IMG_0068.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXcyEtu9sujpKgvBbZghSJVf1mOTju017jZ45n2A_CCdOTfZkBa_govMohdjzw0c_SCJ6PrFv4R09CpkT9Y70cHJYcgguyn3-dIJhu8CFeujXXBQDROfQWlssOdGlbnTDmeENEgzW9enH/s320/IMG_0068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Enjoy!</span>Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-62051334041495188802012-08-18T16:30:00.000-07:002012-08-18T16:37:13.898-07:00Red Chili<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are probably more recipes for chili con carne out there than there are chiliheads. I have a couple myself, and if I'm representative, that means the number of recipes exceeds the number of chiliheads by a factor of two. There are also any number of theories about the history of the dish, whether it's proper or not to include beans or tomatoes, etc. etc. and of course there's also quite a lot of fighting over these theories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Personally, I subscribe to the 19-Century San Antonio school where it comes to history, and I add the beans and the tomatoes. Other than that, I don't tend to worry too much about it - unless someone brings up the idea of cinnamon or spaghetti, in which case I start looking for rope. (Cincinnati chili is not chili, and that's more than enough said about that.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also: this is red chili (hence the title) and of course there's green chili out there too, and it's a wonderful dish it its own right. I personally don't meddle with it, though, since my housemate has her own recipe and method that's perfectly wonderful, and I just leave that to her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, here's the mise en place:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4GWpsyb5CaTK9IlHwdpJIn3zxV9lILnrj-Z0vcwsSuaoJ2ftkn9TTcQeynITl2CcuRo6Tlk8ECaL0T5zJPWpuiwPf9kCCq2pqXqCQIyld9o8qwkol1__UBZ50yMNoRKkSVl3f_MxtdVC/s1600/IMG_0307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4GWpsyb5CaTK9IlHwdpJIn3zxV9lILnrj-Z0vcwsSuaoJ2ftkn9TTcQeynITl2CcuRo6Tlk8ECaL0T5zJPWpuiwPf9kCCq2pqXqCQIyld9o8qwkol1__UBZ50yMNoRKkSVl3f_MxtdVC/s320/IMG_0307.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, I did say there'd be beans. I will use pinto beans, kidney beans, or black beans, depending on my mood. This time it's pintos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What you're not seeing is meat. I use about two pounds per batch; in this case beef and pork, and I'm trying something different - searing it on the grill rather than in the kettle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, the searing-on-the-grill method worked quite well. I recommend it, and will probably do it that way from now on.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here it is after the sear, along with the spices measured out. What I don't show is the onion chopped and the garlic minced, but I'm sure you've figured that out already.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's a teaspoon each of cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, and black pepper; a teaspoon and a half each of ground cumin and oregano, and six tablespoons of chili powder.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, six tablespoons. That's a quarter-cup plus two tablespoons.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I use Penzey's medium-hot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Six tablespoons.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For this iteration of the dish I used half smoked paprika and half Hungarian sweet. I thought it turned out pretty good - I like smoked foods to a point, but anything other than red meat I try to keep to a minimum as I think the smoke can really overpower the other flavor notes. I won't eat smoked cheese at all, for example.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I digress. Here's the start of the main sequence of preparation, sweating the onion and garlic in a bit of peanut oil:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKL16uAy5iwMF87lkZ_mu8OQ6-qqreAiuYBz_T7wvqs1YwwV-IaKJ-RK50DZZ7LOg7RL5dXqZFYCoWMgz5nDvBt9bH4Ft1_IsN6qekpMfwobGckTBUJ1e2aq5Yk6ILr3ABCraJVmtqbhFV/s1600/IMG_0314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKL16uAy5iwMF87lkZ_mu8OQ6-qqreAiuYBz_T7wvqs1YwwV-IaKJ-RK50DZZ7LOg7RL5dXqZFYCoWMgz5nDvBt9bH4Ft1_IsN6qekpMfwobGckTBUJ1e2aq5Yk6ILr3ABCraJVmtqbhFV/s320/IMG_0314.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then we add the tomatoes. Note that I use canned tomatoes (and a small can of tomato sauce). Fresh tomatoes are great, but there's certainly nothing wrong with canned, particularly in a dish like this.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUGBXfYU6Zb6jMm8mVb6IRng4c9Mr4DbX4H6QGpTVtjJfd8wpUAASXq4tWhuHLckmbs-f6lDczIXO8Ip0f4-QmYd3i-XmTunE-biL41hSWaRkJe8PxVr5g7ySQpqde3n5Oka4CMNdkgwP/s1600/IMG_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUGBXfYU6Zb6jMm8mVb6IRng4c9Mr4DbX4H6QGpTVtjJfd8wpUAASXq4tWhuHLckmbs-f6lDczIXO8Ip0f4-QmYd3i-XmTunE-biL41hSWaRkJe8PxVr5g7ySQpqde3n5Oka4CMNdkgwP/s320/IMG_0316.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then the beer, and the spices. Yes, that's still six tablespoons of chili powder.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After cooking and stirring for a few minutes, It should look like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then of course the guest of honor: the meat. You can use any kind of red meat, in any proportions, but I tend to stick with beef or beef and pork.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After simmering for a couple of hours, it'll look like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the second stage, we open a can of beans and prepare a slurry of a couple of tablespoons of flour and enough water to make it flow. (Note beer for scale.) The canonical recipe (if there is one, which there isn't) calls for masa harina instead of plain flour, but I don't tend to keep that on hand.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, I really like these European-style can openers. They're a little harder to use, but they take the top of the can off much cleaner - you can even reuse the can lid to store any leftover ingredients in the refrigerator.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And not only that, but there's no sharp edge left on the can at all:</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, after simmering the beans and the flour slurry in the chili for about fifteen minutes, we're ready to plate. I take mine over white rice (another point of bitter contention amongst chiliheads) with some finely-chopped white onion on top.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can also try grated cheese, green onion, jalapeños, whatever you like. I'm not going to kick about it, unless you start talking about cinnamon or pasta.</span>Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-43139944234483052612012-06-10T17:03:00.001-07:002012-06-10T17:03:13.185-07:00Sausage and Peppers on the GrillThis is something I saw on the web: the idea is that instead of grilling sausages directly on the grill, you steam them in a foil pan with some liquid (or liquid-bearing vegetables) first. This allows you to get the sausages cooked reasonably through, and get some smoke flavor into them, before searing them - and it means less chance of burning the skins of the sausages or leaving the centers undercooked.<br />
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The method is supposed to be good for all manner of sausage dishes, but, again, we're making sausage and peppers. We'll start with some Italian sausage, an onion, a bell pepper, and a large clove of garlic. The fettuccine, parmesan cheese, butter, and cream you see here are for Fettuccine Alfredo, something I pretty much always have with sausage and peppers.<br />
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Oh, the high-dollar olive oil you see here was just for the picture. I switched it out for some cheaper stuff for the actual process - we really don't need the good stuff for this dish.<br />
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And yeah, I know that I could have chosen some much better sausage from a specialty-foods store. Just didn't have time for that.<br />
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(Note vodka cocktail for scale.)<br />
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We'll also soak some hickory chips in water for the smoker box:<br />
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Slice the onion and pepper and add it to an aluminum-foil pan. Mince the garlic and sprinkle it on the top:<br />
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Arrange the sausages on the top. I'd forgotten tomatoes in my mise en place, so I sliced up some homegrown ones and added them after the sausages. <br />
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Drizzle with a little olive oil, and place the pan on the cooler side of a preheated grill. Cover and relax for a bit with the vodka cocktail.<br />
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After a while the vegetables will start to cook. As they do, they'll give off some liquid, which the sausages will steam in. Here they're about half done:<br />
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After a little while longer the sausages will start to get brown and crisp, and the vegetables will be done all the way through and start to caramelize a bit.<br />
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That's when it's time to move the sausages off to the grill and sear them a bit. Note that we also pile the vegetables up on the cooler side of the grill to prevent them from burning:<br />
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This right here is what you're looking for - the sausages are seared and even cracked a bit, but they certainly haven't been overworked.<br />
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The sausages go back in the pan with the vegetables, and taken into the house to wait in a warm oven while we make the fettuccine.<br />
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All set - the fettuccine is just boiled al dente, and tossed with butter and parmesan to taste along with a little pepper and parsley. The cream is added only if we need to loosen the sauce up a bit.<br />
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And here it is plated. This was pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. I think I'll use this method from now on.<br />
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<br />Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-14984742102156029642012-01-03T19:09:00.000-08:002012-01-03T19:09:35.480-08:00Redneck Sous VideI've been interested in sous vide ever since I first heard about it a few years ago. Certainly the principles are ancient and solid, and modern engineering has given us the ability to control temperatures and other environmental factors precisely - but the professional systems are priced in the thousands.<br />
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Lately, home sous vide systems have come within reach, but they're still a little dear for any but the most dedicated foodies - a bit less than $500 for a good machine; not really outrageous, but kind of the analog of a bread machine for many of us.<br />
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Yeah, bread machine. Remember those? You probably have one taking up space in an unused cabinet. Me too. In other words: a fancy gadget that you use once or twice or maybe even a dozen times if you're lucky, and then forget about. Half a kilobuck is a bit much for me to throw at something like that.<br />
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There are hacker plans out there for systems you can build with immersion heaters and hobby electronics, but who has time for that? Certainly not me.<br />
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Then I saw an article on the web that claimed you could do the same thing with a good ice chest, for certain foods and within certain parameters. The easiest and most straightforward example given was that of a strip steak: hold it at 130° F for an hour, sear it, and it'll be <b>the best steak you ever had.</b><br />
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Well. Let's see about that. Here's my plan: a standard steak-and-potato dinner with mushrooms and a green vegetable, with the steak treated as summarized above. I chose a flat iron steak because (1) they're cheap and (2) they're damned good. If you're not familiar with it: it's a cut of beef from the chuck, with just a tiny bit of gristle right in the middle, but also with a lot of great flavor and surprising tenderness everywhere else. And they come in portions suitable for two people:<br />
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(Note Cuba Libre for scale.)<br />
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To prepare for the sous vide, we remove the steak from its packaging and seal it in a Foodsaver bag with some (not much) salt, black pepper, and dried thyme.<br />
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Submerge it in the cooler under a great deal of warm (130°) water. The more water we use, the less often we have to adjust the temperature with ice, or tap or boiling water.<br />
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(Aside: those of you who brew beer will be familiar with having to monitor and adjust temperatures like this, if you do all-grain. It's a pain in the ass, but worth the trouble.) <br />
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The silver object you see in the photo here is a brick wrapped in aluminum foil, to keep the steak envelope from floating to the surface. As it turned out, I didn't really need it (the package was heavier than water), and took it out after a few minutes.<br />
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We monitor the temperature with a standard probe thermometer. You can see the cable for the probe in the photo above, but the probe itself is under the steak package. The photo below is of the display. I have it set to raise an alarm if the temperature rises to 139°, but despite some quick adjustments we never got that high.<br />
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As an aside: check out this old knife! It's something like you might find in your grandmother's kitchen drawer - well-worn, but not something you'd ever use yourself, right?<br />
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Well, take a closer look. Yep, it's a Henckels. This came out of Susan's mom's kitchen, and I'm honored to have it in my drawer and to be responsible for keeping it sharp. I have no idea how old it actually is, but it's a damned fine piece of steel.<br />
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When the steak comes out of the Foodsaver bag after an hour, it really doesn't look all that appetizing - rather like something you'd see flopping out of a corpse on one of those CSI shows on TV. Bleah!<br />
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That's the problem with sous vide: you have to take the extra step to honor Dr. Maillard. So we sear it in a very hot cast-iron skillet (as hot as we can get it, a minute per side): <br />
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Let it rest just a bit, and slice it. It's starting to look a lot better now, isn't it? <br />
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Plated, with dressed potato, broccoli, mushrooms, and toast points:<br />
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Verdict: not too bad, but not really all that much better than simply grilling it over charcoal or gas. I'll probably try this again with the cooler method, perhaps with a chicken breast or the like, and try to control the temperature a little closer. I might even build an active system with the immersion heater. And if either experiment works out, I'll probably spring for the $500 storebought system - the reviews I've read on those have been nothing sort of evangelical, and I've certainly wasted much more money on much more foolish ideas in the past....<br />
<br />Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-66152361509763887832011-12-07T05:15:00.001-08:002011-12-07T05:45:38.368-08:00CorvinaCorvina is just about the most delicious fish in the world - it's certainly the finest in <b>my </b>world. Somehow one of the supermarkets local to me has obtained a supply of it, and, perhaps not knowing what they have on their hands, is selling it for about six bucks a pound. Score!<br />
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This is what you should use to make ceviche, by the way. Mexican ceviche tends to have fish, shrimp, scallops, and other stuff in it, and it's fine, but proper Panamanian ceviche is made from just corvina, onion, aji chombo peppers (scotch bonnets or habañeros), lime juice, and perhaps a bit of salt.<br />
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We'll serve the fish with Brussels sprouts; perhaps the most delicious vegetable in the world (yes, this post is full of superlatives) if properly prepared, and one of the most disgusting if mishandled. Wash, trim, and bisect them:<br />
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Parboil them in boiling water for about two minutes, then plunge them in an ice bath to halt the cooking process. Let them dry on a paper towel while we prepare the fish. All we're doing as far as prep is to cut the filet in manageable portions, season with salt and pepper, and dust with flour. Note the garlic on the side there - that's for the Brussels sprouts.<br />
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Have a nice white wine on hand. This is a pretty oakey Chardonnay, perhaps a bit much for this dish, but I like it quite a lot.<br />
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Start the Brussels sprouts early (they take a bit longer). Sauté them in olive oil with salt and pepper, taking care to get the cut sides nice and brown. When they're about done, toss in the garlic and finish with a bit of the wine after the garlic cooks in.<br />
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Meanwhile, sear the fish in a bit of olive oil with added butter. After it's turned and allowed to cook a bit on the other side, add some of the wine, a sprinkling of fresh thyme, and cover to poach gently till done. I'm pretty sure this is how they used to prepare it at La Casa de Mariscos in Panama City.<br />
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Plated, with plain white rice with a bit of butter (an affectation of mine) and lime wedges:<br />
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I have no idea where or how that supermarket is getting corvina, but I hope they continue to offer it.Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-37257108318917658012011-11-08T06:06:00.000-08:002011-11-22T13:42:32.296-08:00Pepper SteakThis is, perhaps, my favorite faux-oriental dish, and my method recalls how Mom used to make it. I usually use sirloin steak, but for whatever reason decided to try flank steak this time - and it was rather good. I'll probably make it with flank steak from now on.<br />
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Anyway, the ingredients: steak, garlic, green pepper, tomato, bean sprouts, soy sauce, and a bit of sugar. Cornstarch as a thickening agent. The normal recipe I work from calls for green onions as a garnish, but I was out - so I used a little white onion sliced very thin. Oh, and short-grain white rice of course.<br />
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Mise en place: slice the steak very thin (it helps to put it in the freezer for about an hour first, even if you have a very sharp knife), mince the garlic, slice the green pepper, dice the tomato, and add a bit of water to the cornstarch. Here I've also sliced my white-onion garnish; if I were using green onions I'd just chop them up.</div>
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Start the rice. These specialized rice-washing things you can get at Asian supermarkets work quite well. Note how there's a matrix of nubs in the bottom and another matrix of slots in a pour spout on the side - the nubs are for scrubbing the rice, and the slots are for draining the water out.<br />
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Anyway, you throw the rice in...<br />
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Add some water, and scrub a bit...<br />
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And pour the water off. Repeat once or twice if you like, but that's it!<br />
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The rice water will look kind of milky. Don't drink this. It won't hurt you, of course, but it's not really very good.<br />
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Anyway, once you've washed the rice, add it to the rice cooker with the appropriate amount of cooking water - or, if you're old-school, steam it on the stove top.</div>
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Now, then; on to the main course. First, get your wok rocket-hot - or just use a skillet or a large sauté pan, but preferably one without a nonstick coating that you can get nice and hot.</div>
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Throw in the steak and sear it. Let it get good and brown on one side before stirring it around.</div>
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After the steak is done, season it with some salt and pepper, and add the sugar and soy sauce:<br />
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And the vegetables:<br />
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Cover and allow to steam gently for about 15 minutes. <br />
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By this time the rice should be done:<br />
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The steaming of the meat and vegetables should have created a fair amount of sauce.<br />
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Stir the cornstarch and water together and use that to thicken it up:<br />
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And that's it! Serve it up in a bowl and garnish with green onions (or, in this instance, sliced white onion):<br />
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Plate it over the rice, and enjoy....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvhitpzsUWzDHWLlkobOpE8F872QmR1QRewA1Y20VT32V5yjtNsq_1RzLe9BvySmLW7m4l-sUcIwSFFaYk3c1GgiTRFsKyf-5zAFMqVMisyz81BIBZCpMSAZAvNxFEEqt67n6X1dYOCrQ/s1600/IMG_0128.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvhitpzsUWzDHWLlkobOpE8F872QmR1QRewA1Y20VT32V5yjtNsq_1RzLe9BvySmLW7m4l-sUcIwSFFaYk3c1GgiTRFsKyf-5zAFMqVMisyz81BIBZCpMSAZAvNxFEEqt67n6X1dYOCrQ/s320/IMG_0128.png" width="320" /></a></div>Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-34010287403421016732011-11-01T06:10:00.000-07:002011-11-01T06:10:54.653-07:00Meyer Lemon Sidecar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A sidecar is brandy, triple sec, and lemon juice - sort of a weird snooty cousin to the margarita, and certainly not as popular these days. It's not really clear where and how the cocktail originated, but one version has it that it was a favorite of a US Army Captain in Paris during WWI, and named for the motorcycle sidecar he was driven to and from the bar in. Who knows....</div>
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Meyer lemons, which are kind of like a hybrid of oranges and lemons, make a sidecar just a bit more fun. They can be kind of hard to find, and they don't last very long in the refrigerator, so take advantage of them whenever you can.</div>
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Squeeze and strain your Meyer lemon (they're quite seedy and pulpy), and shake one part juice very well with one part Cointreau and two parts brandy. (I was out of brandy, so I used this pretty nice cognac someone gave me a few years ago.) Serve it straight up in chilled stemware with a sugar rim.</div>
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A fine cocktail - one of my personal favorites. Not too tart, not too sweet, and the hint of orange is really nice. I don't remember where I originally found this recipe - probably on some food blog here or there - but I'm glad I did.Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-50349312486916782902011-10-20T21:53:00.000-07:002011-10-21T09:19:08.751-07:00Empanadas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Empanadas are, essentially, meat pies. (There are empanadas made with fruit and vegetables as well, but this post is about meat empanadas.) Practically every culture in the world has meat pies in one form or another; empanadas are the variety - variet<b>ies</b>, actually - that appeared on the Iberian peninsula during the time of the Moorish invasion and which can be found all over the Hispanic world today.</div>
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These are my interpretation of the empanadas we <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zonian">Zonians</a> used to buy at our clubhouses. (It's difficult to explain the concept of a "clubhouse" in this sense to a non-Zonian. Just think of it as a kind of cafeteria, with perhaps a movie theater, a bowling alley, a soda fountain, and / or a public swimming pool or other such attached.)</div>
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They're cocktail empanadas; meaning the sort of thing you'd find at a party in a private home or at a wedding reception at an Officers' Club. A larger variety, suitable for a typical Zonian's or Panamanian's lunch two or three times a week, was more common.</div>
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First we fry up some ground beef and pork: </div>
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While that's cooking, we prepare our vegetables, spices, and herbs. Here we have onion, green pepper, tomatoes, parsley, and sliced green olives w/ pimento, as well as red pepper, black pepper, salt, oregano, and a bay leaf. The canonical recipe(s) also typically include(s) hard-boiled eggs, capers, and currants, but I usually leave the eggs and currants out. I've also left the capers out this time, but only because I happened not to have any at hand at the time.</div>
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Note that I've prepared a smaller bowl of all of the above ingredients. This is because I'm making a smaller batch of shrimp empanadas for someone who doesn't eat red meat. I don't think I've ever seen a shrimp empanada in Panama or the Canal Zone, but it sounded like a perfect opportunity for an experiment - and, as a matter of fact, those turned out rather well. </div>
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Rather than sweat or sauté the vegetables separately, we just add them to the beef and pork once it gets going pretty good:</div>
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For the shrimp empanadas, however, we sweat the vegetables and spices separately in just a bit of oil: </div>
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Here's what the red-meat mixture looks like after a while. We'll cook it down a bit more to reduce the volume of liquid, and if too much remains behind we'll just drain it off.</div>
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The shrimp, of course, we just throw into their pan to par-cook.</div>
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The next day (or whenever the filling has cooled), we assemble the empanadas.</div>
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Those dough rounds are just plain pastry dough, like you'd use for a pie. I always cheat and just buy some boxes of pie-dough mix at the supermarket - making the filling and assembling the empanadas is trouble enough, and nobody ever seems to notice anything wrong with the crust. I guess if I were working for Dean Fearing or somebody like that I might take more care with it.</div>
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The dough rounds are folded over the filling into half-moon shapes and crimped with a fork. Here on the left we see two pans of beef-and-pork empanadas and one small pan of shrimp empanadas, ready for the oven: </div>
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And here's what they look like after having an egg wash brushed on them and baked at 350° for a while. </div>
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These were a big hit. They always are!</div>
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<br />Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-3442946139905259652011-10-17T20:39:00.000-07:002011-10-17T20:39:08.292-07:00Morning Drivetime Handmeal OptionsI still can't believe I thought this might be a good idea:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYF-p1hvplfq0RoAWnLjFIRZg8HjI3T_AcmzwbwWS8kvooiA0sMX7jSC5zpxxuvVlsk01lc_dV9hTOnpRy06FQr1G1pjQG3wRTREEFkJt6O-9zSvFITUkgkaUttPVfbBi1r6RhJWCPahQo/s1600/IMG_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYF-p1hvplfq0RoAWnLjFIRZg8HjI3T_AcmzwbwWS8kvooiA0sMX7jSC5zpxxuvVlsk01lc_dV9hTOnpRy06FQr1G1pjQG3wRTREEFkJt6O-9zSvFITUkgkaUttPVfbBi1r6RhJWCPahQo/s320/IMG_0020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The filling is rather bland and lifeless, and the coating is greasy and fragile. Not good commuter food at all.<br />
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These, on the other hand, aren't too bad:<br />
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The crust (note that I didn't write "coating") is neither flaky nor tender, but it's dry and serviceable. And the filling has just about the right balance of identifiable meat, cheese, and egg to qualify as real food. <br />
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Moral: stick with what's real and what you know, even when purchasing processed foods. Empanadas are real food. "Omelet Crisper?" Never heard of it. <br />
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(apologies to Larry Niven)Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-46937890182596023562011-10-05T20:36:00.000-07:002011-10-05T20:36:59.359-07:00Jack Rose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Jack Rose is a classic that's fallen out of favor - it just hasn't
enjoyed the continued popularity of the Manhattan or Martini, or even,
say, the Sidecar. It's a fair bet that most bartenders will have to look
it up in Jones (or, in the less-fancy places, Mr. Boston's).
Fortunately, it's enjoying a bit of a revival. <br />
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It's one part Grenadine, two parts lime juice, and four parts applejack. If you can't find applejack, you can use calvados, but by no means should you use store-bought grenadine when it's so easy to make your own. Just start with a pint of pomegranate juice, simmer it with a cup of cane sugar till it's reduced to about a cup, and chill it. You can add a bit of 100-proof vodka to it as a preservative, but it'll keep fairly well in the refrigerator without it.<br />
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Anyway: shake it well in a standard cocktail shaker (I use my standard 128-count), and serve it straight up in chilled stemware. It's really quite a nice little tipple - not too sweet, just a little tart, and who doesn't like apples? <br />
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<br />Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-57592636099101209912011-10-05T16:30:00.000-07:002011-10-05T16:52:29.351-07:00Pasta with Red Meat SauceMise en place: beef, veal, onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, basil, pasta, parmesan. I used to simmer this for hours, but lately I've just been using a pressure cooker. The results are slightly different in a way I can't quite put my finger on, but pretty good either way.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jkY-0yU87wc9SKRqWjdWZTj2GnlSKEiyCnapmxV8qE9C1yMGOaU1UPRqi_3ZiavAjH0SGPWXLrRLYiqQX7viUGZcHffjyxZZ3CgLn3NoEiVOwLyxYUsiSqn-Fc4m6GgRsz3Sm5i-e7Cq/s1600/IMG_0203.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660150237491859410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jkY-0yU87wc9SKRqWjdWZTj2GnlSKEiyCnapmxV8qE9C1yMGOaU1UPRqi_3ZiavAjH0SGPWXLrRLYiqQX7viUGZcHffjyxZZ3CgLn3NoEiVOwLyxYUsiSqn-Fc4m6GgRsz3Sm5i-e7Cq/s400/IMG_0203.png" style="height: 300px; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Sweat the onions and bell pepper in a little olive oil in the pressure cooker, adding garlic at the end.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3PHHTbFu-3WkepH1T0jW6cCmb2YmuwE-H-amJ8m0usRrTWj_hZBQtGSrxLCegWsfenLUdu64BA6jQF9iU97ZviXKJ8V_ZbRkZXxHtUd2NdAHzDXRFZ_X7rJKuaJO61_dFfDbG1qeA1rH/s1600/IMG_0208.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3PHHTbFu-3WkepH1T0jW6cCmb2YmuwE-H-amJ8m0usRrTWj_hZBQtGSrxLCegWsfenLUdu64BA6jQF9iU97ZviXKJ8V_ZbRkZXxHtUd2NdAHzDXRFZ_X7rJKuaJO61_dFfDbG1qeA1rH/s400/IMG_0208.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660158722460273746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Remove the vegetables and brown the meat...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddiFp2PBcbSoZB5fTEKx9pNpQATmW1Hal7G7Ox1MV4HABfJ76rpDsuRwkC0QQpV-vV3AfKzajLj5kKBGbejFSxcVnZAyILGfojMveKcoqPpBPDZFG2oEuRyXmZpIeiR6I98dOt6-zBkwn/s1600/IMG_0214.png"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660150252233194594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddiFp2PBcbSoZB5fTEKx9pNpQATmW1Hal7G7Ox1MV4HABfJ76rpDsuRwkC0QQpV-vV3AfKzajLj5kKBGbejFSxcVnZAyILGfojMveKcoqPpBPDZFG2oEuRyXmZpIeiR6I98dOt6-zBkwn/s400/IMG_0214.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a><br /><br />.. and drain. I find it easiest to just use a strainer in a trash can.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0D6wUblpBWTiEQ80-G1ByyVVABJ_peO2V_4gtbfnIKAL9enryISnK3AYMHUYu75zFLmCHZyJ-aH9UsPfKrmGqZHHv7gyF1dOxFKl0SPIs5XvHW1vEzrML8U8gP87ie6YwIHsmm30b77y/s1600/IMG_0215.png"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660150266448543938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0D6wUblpBWTiEQ80-G1ByyVVABJ_peO2V_4gtbfnIKAL9enryISnK3AYMHUYu75zFLmCHZyJ-aH9UsPfKrmGqZHHv7gyF1dOxFKl0SPIs5XvHW1vEzrML8U8gP87ie6YwIHsmm30b77y/s400/IMG_0215.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a><br /><br />These San Marzano tomatoes are a little pricey, but they're worth the extra expense.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtiUXKXzqanEMPvVqE6g77Vp3djU0i-vdBFyyQC4g5w5P7gg00YCwOlt3pFgPWZY7-5HCqepSAmgLeXHfXtACJgazy2Hewwytc_9-gOo45XrJLnUuWyC1iGrEx6jnzEn8r-A3BjpH_udH/s1600/IMG_0216.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660150275913926258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtiUXKXzqanEMPvVqE6g77Vp3djU0i-vdBFyyQC4g5w5P7gg00YCwOlt3pFgPWZY7-5HCqepSAmgLeXHfXtACJgazy2Hewwytc_9-gOo45XrJLnUuWyC1iGrEx6jnzEn8r-A3BjpH_udH/s400/IMG_0216.png" style="height: 300px; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Add them to the pressure cooker along with their juice, and crush them with a - um, whatever that thing is. A masher, I guess.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQPjxl1G70dotSvGiRzR26U6WvdP6yZgOqA7PfPooM7v-C_69vE72z3K6-hL3kLGOv5-vG5B_dbgrBt8I5Ycckyye-jIjO4PfUht712dvimyajLYtaclMjo15210XnKb3RgtMCJ36m1TO/s1600/IMG_0219.png"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660150793048405554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQPjxl1G70dotSvGiRzR26U6WvdP6yZgOqA7PfPooM7v-C_69vE72z3K6-hL3kLGOv5-vG5B_dbgrBt8I5Ycckyye-jIjO4PfUht712dvimyajLYtaclMjo15210XnKb3RgtMCJ36m1TO/s400/IMG_0219.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Then add the meat back in along with the herbs, and simmer a bit.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4azcbhLi7t9poTjpDVE8jeckHv8IscxoiVY7TN94kQJfpoi_TI___AlUl_wocr_UU1wfSQjcVZwBNiRRQY3BO3Ul-m0Jz0zM0ANj-PL6TgYidAXncwoiHh_pfzbyI7PwAt672vQKw_xv/s1600/IMG_0227.png"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660150807637301970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4azcbhLi7t9poTjpDVE8jeckHv8IscxoiVY7TN94kQJfpoi_TI___AlUl_wocr_UU1wfSQjcVZwBNiRRQY3BO3Ul-m0Jz0zM0ANj-PL6TgYidAXncwoiHh_pfzbyI7PwAt672vQKw_xv/s400/IMG_0227.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Add the vegetables back to the pot...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7PbHzaI9NQVyYa3vse_28dMQAeuyGyYihvbvEHGxUME8nZ0o6tPu14nahlip6Odrtg2ntNqA7zt1yXHw_Dv8_WmlOgdfZlfOimBYhrjUKPNY1cK9a8YExK8r6SWvsR9SfKss39sJGpcR/s1600/IMG_0231.png"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660150821479977250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7PbHzaI9NQVyYa3vse_28dMQAeuyGyYihvbvEHGxUME8nZ0o6tPu14nahlip6Odrtg2ntNqA7zt1yXHw_Dv8_WmlOgdfZlfOimBYhrjUKPNY1cK9a8YExK8r6SWvsR9SfKss39sJGpcR/s400/IMG_0231.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a><br /><br />.. seal it up, bring it to pressure, and cook for about half an hour.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfeit58KwO-RWySBqIMQRlpG1QIXRhV-w5_4SxngiWam59_ZgxLW1fxYnslzP28niey2WCd1zqYI4J7kDFYi3jMtKanyxDuBfCZUQPk37t_TkY43xwKA3hcCfmml0abqllYqih2C4t7cT/s1600/IMG_0235.png"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660150834209317602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfeit58KwO-RWySBqIMQRlpG1QIXRhV-w5_4SxngiWam59_ZgxLW1fxYnslzP28niey2WCd1zqYI4J7kDFYi3jMtKanyxDuBfCZUQPk37t_TkY43xwKA3hcCfmml0abqllYqih2C4t7cT/s400/IMG_0235.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Run under water to release the pressure.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4na2dF_Mc6ZtG4Q3W5lqzl8L0xqQ0Pk-XLqMaKKu1h1Y7MUZvBj_b_AndGmPGqN6ero1lcLBDzrPY-9nZMecB9ZYOzjsGjkSRQGdl9-iu192D_SbizJtBDqwS6ihKbtStpPI21G8cAalu/s1600/IMG_0241.png"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660150842321190562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4na2dF_Mc6ZtG4Q3W5lqzl8L0xqQ0Pk-XLqMaKKu1h1Y7MUZvBj_b_AndGmPGqN6ero1lcLBDzrPY-9nZMecB9ZYOzjsGjkSRQGdl9-iu192D_SbizJtBDqwS6ihKbtStpPI21G8cAalu/s400/IMG_0241.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The finished sauce:<br /><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660151548620149506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uUMy6i8YcBwQ5X4E_INB9SBBCsDCWODRP3tArA1SHjdOsQPcZixh4_gMmgoKZ5Yw7KttyjtvOKJXOIebqLUgWQkEAfYZGs6wwFnnCXmd06gGECo3Zi9DgBVd0vfEKNqimEPN84W92UZr/s400/IMG_0247.png" style="height: 300px; width: 400px;" border="0" /><br /><br />Boil the pasta.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fX4vrnQqKI8TyFE9ZNm0kTpXL4WW-8nE_njDjHmZONCd4GUVHhKSDBd6-3R3OEkmodGp4bA21ZGJegfr3wRXaZ4H1mXFe68ZQJ9dIm1m-uzeS-cgeckSgOgktQeiZsVpENW1TZ4LVXio/s1600/IMG_0248.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660151561687662642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fX4vrnQqKI8TyFE9ZNm0kTpXL4WW-8nE_njDjHmZONCd4GUVHhKSDBd6-3R3OEkmodGp4bA21ZGJegfr3wRXaZ4H1mXFe68ZQJ9dIm1m-uzeS-cgeckSgOgktQeiZsVpENW1TZ4LVXio/s400/IMG_0248.png" style="height: 300px; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br />Plated.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAl1ooN3IZRLr0AdTM-11N2g85xn6fssEWiAADer6w5IrAXAyhdAgNTrXXdBWQCfjSuWCgbInibT6cIBCceLlUA-kYHgsM2Iy6RMXfAv6l60_5aYsQbsO90XSy718XGdA4bcA4dQgc6JnX/s1600/IMG_0251.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660151569110924626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAl1ooN3IZRLr0AdTM-11N2g85xn6fssEWiAADer6w5IrAXAyhdAgNTrXXdBWQCfjSuWCgbInibT6cIBCceLlUA-kYHgsM2Iy6RMXfAv6l60_5aYsQbsO90XSy718XGdA4bcA4dQgc6JnX/s400/IMG_0251.png" style="height: 300px; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I learned this from my dad, who'd been making it for as far back as I can remember. I don't think he used bell pepper, and I think he added some neck bones as well, but of course you can change this up any way you like. Last time I made it I browned a strip of pork chine (the little bones from a rack of ribs that you usually just cut off and cook separately), and that added quite a lot of flavor.Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-52012948102713496552011-10-03T06:16:00.000-07:002011-10-03T16:22:35.402-07:00Salt-baked potatoWhat you see here is a russet potato on a bed of coarse salt with a shredded bay leaf and a shallot. This is yet another thing I got out of a magazine. The idea is that the salt is supposed to help cook the potato evenly and keep it from drying out.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPoRQPueWXYJk-hMaBy2PEYld2KPG8AfV3n2w072Qag3KlJXJL3vbfs9oDH9raKMVVYJCORY6MBfgxABN0mix4nU6afhg64DnY-sqdaGuJZUgqMtYzh0Xv24HoU19GVVfc_qibvNKDy0F/s1600/IMG_0165_sc.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPoRQPueWXYJk-hMaBy2PEYld2KPG8AfV3n2w072Qag3KlJXJL3vbfs9oDH9raKMVVYJCORY6MBfgxABN0mix4nU6afhg64DnY-sqdaGuJZUgqMtYzh0Xv24HoU19GVVfc_qibvNKDy0F/s400/IMG_0165_sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659254847171109602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />What goes with a baked potato? Steak! Here's a flat iron (AKA clod or top blade) steak. It's a shoulder (chuck) cut, and has been kind of neglected until recently - so it's usually fairly inexpensive, even though it's quite tender and has a lot of flavor.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1VLKqstzBhKtRWutptyuvJnpyJ99c0a1aFa21S6INg1kh-4pQxWlUj59EMcwfd8ttCfUvzlYSWyzE0XnOBps2sP0za6P1sMtuzyBOqhhmHBdHw3iu6BpnQ0hlFnZix_7a-MYJORY4Us6/s1600/IMG_0166_sc.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1VLKqstzBhKtRWutptyuvJnpyJ99c0a1aFa21S6INg1kh-4pQxWlUj59EMcwfd8ttCfUvzlYSWyzE0XnOBps2sP0za6P1sMtuzyBOqhhmHBdHw3iu6BpnQ0hlFnZix_7a-MYJORY4Us6/s400/IMG_0166_sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659254859538593570" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And what goes with steak? Mushrooms! Oyster mushrooms, in this case.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrPYm3iTbDF_h3Ev_gnhMkK9zrsaraT3NQf2HmQD2JnlOmVOagesV6o20xylXK3cZo2FzJTVFpGtiM58K8JpfNMp1GTRqrK02qi-1OEq4yrZwDQbn33osHck6UsSUbjl_a3htru9N9YWM/s1600/IMG_0177_sc.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrPYm3iTbDF_h3Ev_gnhMkK9zrsaraT3NQf2HmQD2JnlOmVOagesV6o20xylXK3cZo2FzJTVFpGtiM58K8JpfNMp1GTRqrK02qi-1OEq4yrZwDQbn33osHck6UsSUbjl_a3htru9N9YWM/s400/IMG_0177_sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659254890050249858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mushrooms sautéing:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKo0MIEZfsFZ3su1RNSTalEldqf56cFnjJaHBkxCZHpXIpquY_mIvPpOcMOO8R580_RPOcLdOESa2iwK413SEAEuyt9-qHWjRNVN-fCppcjMnKI8ICFqC4u9WzHbpbu16FyeBm99rDaBl/s1600/IMG_0179_sc.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKo0MIEZfsFZ3su1RNSTalEldqf56cFnjJaHBkxCZHpXIpquY_mIvPpOcMOO8R580_RPOcLdOESa2iwK413SEAEuyt9-qHWjRNVN-fCppcjMnKI8ICFqC4u9WzHbpbu16FyeBm99rDaBl/s400/IMG_0179_sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659254900592650434" border="0" /></a><br /><br />... a little darker:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBTK3hi95jF0HgJ1w9MzizR-B9zvXa40KXxSjAVgkEa5TXlUS6Qh-SLdjmiI6CpSzU3daG7wJOquEszobfu49xJy4SdWOrl0a-pXP-Yplk2Txx8OsxDqaGdOezpUGT5pux1wES6euORJd/s1600/IMG_0181_sc.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBTK3hi95jF0HgJ1w9MzizR-B9zvXa40KXxSjAVgkEa5TXlUS6Qh-SLdjmiI6CpSzU3daG7wJOquEszobfu49xJy4SdWOrl0a-pXP-Yplk2Txx8OsxDqaGdOezpUGT5pux1wES6euORJd/s400/IMG_0181_sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659261361864283970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />... deglazed with a bit of brandy:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rrD77FQREEMo0LAwEqMwA0AxR9th51Y7xHar_kJqKwW4RKOiRDUlXDGfThSe_lPns7ufCZ4jagAlbmxdqhIR-g4ZYT-H3Y2NYPc5nXgNNqwy9DM5ftMztJfYYfoD3mwGAbWRb1F_rFwl/s1600/IMG_0184_sc.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rrD77FQREEMo0LAwEqMwA0AxR9th51Y7xHar_kJqKwW4RKOiRDUlXDGfThSe_lPns7ufCZ4jagAlbmxdqhIR-g4ZYT-H3Y2NYPc5nXgNNqwy9DM5ftMztJfYYfoD3mwGAbWRb1F_rFwl/s400/IMG_0184_sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659261369713726034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Finished mushrooms:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-crrJji1hnfewl1ZWG1axUSnTvJ5hVuZanMob56uEa7aXbUAwAS-QqMJeGSKy8T95RYWZeWGtaDKYoy7ewdDQmsZUDBeVbYO-VC0y08rqluYgPrq_0qrzM2zeN_HBWgaRBUJcycKgon7/s1600/IMG_0186_sc.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-crrJji1hnfewl1ZWG1axUSnTvJ5hVuZanMob56uEa7aXbUAwAS-QqMJeGSKy8T95RYWZeWGtaDKYoy7ewdDQmsZUDBeVbYO-VC0y08rqluYgPrq_0qrzM2zeN_HBWgaRBUJcycKgon7/s400/IMG_0186_sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659261399574402722" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Potato's done:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHNh8YG4dcE4DTYT0H1sR_zX7lSd6Ioj3CaybJFTBzrsLk_zGIGYMxgWp96YBbspCiy3JggTH10WXbb35Xa0GRs49Ce_G0TrfhF37BwKL2E920ZKx0rA6l73OeJB152tBmR3DtODcXHrw/s1600/IMG_0200_sc.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHNh8YG4dcE4DTYT0H1sR_zX7lSd6Ioj3CaybJFTBzrsLk_zGIGYMxgWp96YBbspCiy3JggTH10WXbb35Xa0GRs49Ce_G0TrfhF37BwKL2E920ZKx0rA6l73OeJB152tBmR3DtODcXHrw/s400/IMG_0200_sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659408489423713762" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here's the cooked shallot, peeled:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmXdeEOucpfO4gpTD0iVFpCDvWh9-hw45hr0ansDPtITV_rlDdiM69cWeIMITwd0TXP06_bN9Zl0xcUFtL9tZ3ieltC2cZ8gS0QgsfvGbtz2I99PB_QMeIrEqiTSXZOoYPk6ooeYXwHIm/s1600/IMG_0196_sc.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmXdeEOucpfO4gpTD0iVFpCDvWh9-hw45hr0ansDPtITV_rlDdiM69cWeIMITwd0TXP06_bN9Zl0xcUFtL9tZ3ieltC2cZ8gS0QgsfvGbtz2I99PB_QMeIrEqiTSXZOoYPk6ooeYXwHIm/s400/IMG_0196_sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659261413558265938" border="0" /></a><br /><br />... and some fresh thyme:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYY4g595YbkKK9qDVf-6gbA6YhlvW0bPtPhTT7jKazf7pUtsRh9tp-IZQB1TS4AaDas_BvWJUt7wIZibBIsKwIUoeU4OP5XUopI7VmnlyJgIjKzeonr3N6yzZd6s-N_ZJz7ToLJnCLviD/s1600/IMG_0169_sc.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYY4g595YbkKK9qDVf-6gbA6YhlvW0bPtPhTT7jKazf7pUtsRh9tp-IZQB1TS4AaDas_BvWJUt7wIZibBIsKwIUoeU4OP5XUopI7VmnlyJgIjKzeonr3N6yzZd6s-N_ZJz7ToLJnCLviD/s400/IMG_0169_sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659254875109612994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Use both to make a nice compound butter:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF98vs7onV5W_1CegtuvCagBFruB3_KOLQ1nkd4aaMjR48Lh-rm7ExPxhlSqGI5fkMIfPO_h80RCvTjlmUc59GFOzHe2TZ4i0tw5gQx58X3KLWtcuiG3SELayWwLVDUp-MtlDlo_P8jrVo/s1600/IMG_0198_sc.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF98vs7onV5W_1CegtuvCagBFruB3_KOLQ1nkd4aaMjR48Lh-rm7ExPxhlSqGI5fkMIfPO_h80RCvTjlmUc59GFOzHe2TZ4i0tw5gQx58X3KLWtcuiG3SELayWwLVDUp-MtlDlo_P8jrVo/s400/IMG_0198_sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659261425597768626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Slice the steak and top it with the mushrooms; split the potato and top it with the compound butter:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqZZ4OnXwPWuIGd0AzJ1WY1Gfq2fBR-4btjxg5XI-sqi9hJUC2W37qTs8lk9SOHdLflZsboiSp-A0MLIMBwV032PeOdVCw50PV_KTRRihHIrdqi4GNDk6GZyFFY5lJ3mOlAkW8ALiHRd3/s1600/IMG_0202_sc.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqZZ4OnXwPWuIGd0AzJ1WY1Gfq2fBR-4btjxg5XI-sqi9hJUC2W37qTs8lk9SOHdLflZsboiSp-A0MLIMBwV032PeOdVCw50PV_KTRRihHIrdqi4GNDk6GZyFFY5lJ3mOlAkW8ALiHRd3/s400/IMG_0202_sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659408504385511426" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Verdict: not too bad, although I didn't really notice any significant difference in the potato between this method and simply baking it with olive oil and salt. Next time I'll probably throw a shallot in the oven for more compound butter, though.Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-92001681434815726122011-09-10T23:21:00.000-07:002011-09-11T15:13:58.912-07:00Linguine with clamsThese are the crab shells from my <a href="http://menutonight.blogspot.com/2011/09/steak-with-crab-stuffed-mushrooms.html">previous entry</a>, boiling with some onion and celery scraps. I'd actually started this shellfish stock that same night and just put it in the fridge.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwobqqyHuVr0sTOhLZ_gdWcs0Mr94frW42yqpUcnMS0l1xF_C2asSBwVZ2TbTXGfUzCqBVlHW5t88d3WdyXkqsd-SbcncS-Nhc15zYQtVq0VQ2LvBR_KMMti5tjg5ZrO0CFVN2_k4BrGv/s1600/IMG_0117.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwobqqyHuVr0sTOhLZ_gdWcs0Mr94frW42yqpUcnMS0l1xF_C2asSBwVZ2TbTXGfUzCqBVlHW5t88d3WdyXkqsd-SbcncS-Nhc15zYQtVq0VQ2LvBR_KMMti5tjg5ZrO0CFVN2_k4BrGv/s400/IMG_0117.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650983957894146594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After the stock boils for a while, it gets strained:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfHSvTItqjN-JzKitSvgkJBXHGRPEM3jaPnkJxDYPoMF2JaMHBlroAa3-Arm5ZQs2_2ajSsnQzo3vjZsqha-MmaXtejXHSZ2EU6VjgJl1m9QLaMqhIG15Xa40N5mV51mH3KvAaEwl40xR/s1600/IMG_0126.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfHSvTItqjN-JzKitSvgkJBXHGRPEM3jaPnkJxDYPoMF2JaMHBlroAa3-Arm5ZQs2_2ajSsnQzo3vjZsqha-MmaXtejXHSZ2EU6VjgJl1m9QLaMqhIG15Xa40N5mV51mH3KvAaEwl40xR/s400/IMG_0126.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650983984457534722" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And strained again, though a coffee filter...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjID4SoAgVYXzM4NzzXPt6WM0dBPFSpj59wy-yiMCFcUNwXBi2lBU7WKuPbqyI1_3emF4PMEa3IvCy3u8inaA_330vQKsWOhJhaA6cTyCKhxwKdXvsFwutMSsiauuWjMWe7x7WHMrQSNNXx/s1600/IMG_0127.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjID4SoAgVYXzM4NzzXPt6WM0dBPFSpj59wy-yiMCFcUNwXBi2lBU7WKuPbqyI1_3emF4PMEa3IvCy3u8inaA_330vQKsWOhJhaA6cTyCKhxwKdXvsFwutMSsiauuWjMWe7x7WHMrQSNNXx/s400/IMG_0127.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650983990330025906" border="0" /></a><br /><br />.. and finally reduced. Here's how much I ended up with, down from about a pint:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuIpMDbOO59XeDrIdYT2uw9B3kHfcXNmj3nLfwMFwq6YmfPrtD2iS8CGoEFXbBNfRAKXjTMk8tnUAhnhvzOpEhFX6aidwO7Lg8u4IBkRz370TdxcraL4U8LK9kpLGi_uGYJfDfDPQs64c/s1600/IMG_0131.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuIpMDbOO59XeDrIdYT2uw9B3kHfcXNmj3nLfwMFwq6YmfPrtD2iS8CGoEFXbBNfRAKXjTMk8tnUAhnhvzOpEhFX6aidwO7Lg8u4IBkRz370TdxcraL4U8LK9kpLGi_uGYJfDfDPQs64c/s400/IMG_0131.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650984550770280370" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For linguine and clams, always get out the good stuff - even if you're using cheap canned clams.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioadwRtLaH-O9-W2hlNK-pchym-ZS-KSnd55JY8yz_44rD8Zbu7-j25FOz5Ghk7Ett-m4s0-BN0ne_DepQ80w8-OwNzz8n9WCJI5_1PHxNnObtjTl304eS11sIjhhS7ucgwaTETxTIjY0K/s1600/IMG_0122.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioadwRtLaH-O9-W2hlNK-pchym-ZS-KSnd55JY8yz_44rD8Zbu7-j25FOz5Ghk7Ett-m4s0-BN0ne_DepQ80w8-OwNzz8n9WCJI5_1PHxNnObtjTl304eS11sIjhhS7ucgwaTETxTIjY0K/s400/IMG_0122.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650983974654309922" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And be sure to have a nice refreshment handy:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YmVhl87IIFXyccBygBeLBLvylrt2uufjz11jSxE1KJIJtQ2YEYek31RyKdc6Wf1ypCgWhZxGZLH1pwvM27f8xnpcHhxH0rJFpAsJfdsIgSZkeIMQWjXdW8u2fxbFRuRxzy6TDV5kxAYk/s1600/IMG_0120.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YmVhl87IIFXyccBygBeLBLvylrt2uufjz11jSxE1KJIJtQ2YEYek31RyKdc6Wf1ypCgWhZxGZLH1pwvM27f8xnpcHhxH0rJFpAsJfdsIgSZkeIMQWjXdW8u2fxbFRuRxzy6TDV5kxAYk/s400/IMG_0120.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650983966395333970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Start by slicing some garlic very, very thin and sautéing it gently...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLG2bAOCTElke_OzmmbTIRSiSEtHf3fmRHKzv5FR74VzfpZVkSpjozKFpGhaSFoe-abosRo37hdz9R96R3ztTJ_2hOWHMTrHPusvzINw2sbbIaxvQWxTBqTdcPxlZDGj3IvKDl_rnuHsa/s1600/IMG_0138.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLG2bAOCTElke_OzmmbTIRSiSEtHf3fmRHKzv5FR74VzfpZVkSpjozKFpGhaSFoe-abosRo37hdz9R96R3ztTJ_2hOWHMTrHPusvzINw2sbbIaxvQWxTBqTdcPxlZDGj3IvKDl_rnuHsa/s400/IMG_0138.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650984569923588770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />.. until it looks something like this:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_A2t1gBY8wVZqnxmR945lnBq32JKIvPh3WQHs-8FXk1m-J21NEbmG2n0E-QvaRyV_xf-7wMTjOx0PqbFLyvvt2ULs6ZBvlN_ZS632RGCOXwa5nQjHZYIqh0exgAcUjbarzCcCMN1-OCJ/s1600/IMG_0141.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_A2t1gBY8wVZqnxmR945lnBq32JKIvPh3WQHs-8FXk1m-J21NEbmG2n0E-QvaRyV_xf-7wMTjOx0PqbFLyvvt2ULs6ZBvlN_ZS632RGCOXwa5nQjHZYIqh0exgAcUjbarzCcCMN1-OCJ/s400/IMG_0141.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650984575939732098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Then take it out of the oil. These garlic chips are a nice cook's snack:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTOq_fxi5C1oVuAKCddbf7zDyjpVSKFZoQjZfVVK2KkdPuq1w_uVzkuGUnF1zvU9iVQvUmdc8PQDmh89hbxlJ4zci9SjSRzAFmXdwWAGnIzwQ8VFa0f1AAkgo-PWqPrhiCoRl5ZJ-b2-l/s1600/IMG_0146.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTOq_fxi5C1oVuAKCddbf7zDyjpVSKFZoQjZfVVK2KkdPuq1w_uVzkuGUnF1zvU9iVQvUmdc8PQDmh89hbxlJ4zci9SjSRzAFmXdwWAGnIzwQ8VFa0f1AAkgo-PWqPrhiCoRl5ZJ-b2-l/s400/IMG_0146.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650985187165198562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Add the stock and some white wine to the pan, along with some parsley and a bit of salt and pepper:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOc8Rqr3_sNxD52DbDxOOyztMuOpx_8XZs3pLRQJcaYX-TmcbA9z4VbG5ETgS3LrxZ0nyQJFg-1ZW6-qnls_EGJnxPtgVG7rsdSCImeAgd17y_WRWs9v2jP5W1oVGhSMr-e-9oyG9IWlq4/s1600/IMG_0151.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOc8Rqr3_sNxD52DbDxOOyztMuOpx_8XZs3pLRQJcaYX-TmcbA9z4VbG5ETgS3LrxZ0nyQJFg-1ZW6-qnls_EGJnxPtgVG7rsdSCImeAgd17y_WRWs9v2jP5W1oVGhSMr-e-9oyG9IWlq4/s400/IMG_0151.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650985206380357474" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Let that simmer gently for a while and start the pasta. I always weigh my pasta (yes, I'm a goofball).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhXJl-MPKuo_Giz9Cs66MdYxpWWnr4RpzsYdGTNM-qgVVju71ACg3EF3C5fA3kBrfQv1Y-Ac412vv92xLZVgcmpWYqKbZZTDJoOr0kJ0SlToSMqAxblz6ExEKp-ygHOUCDFIkdBNpsPXu/s1600/IMG_0134.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhXJl-MPKuo_Giz9Cs66MdYxpWWnr4RpzsYdGTNM-qgVVju71ACg3EF3C5fA3kBrfQv1Y-Ac412vv92xLZVgcmpWYqKbZZTDJoOr0kJ0SlToSMqAxblz6ExEKp-ygHOUCDFIkdBNpsPXu/s400/IMG_0134.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650984558282433090" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Boil it al dente:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqh26cHvZr2d6CBiTvjB9LSNRgWmP5UPfO6ZNAwTcMjSfUtL8DahujxV2qN_ccKX7h300FV9uwaPAu8ZLJKuNVHUuYyyTD_EitrBhgiLyKwW2rrleM-WzLxp6Brb3f5XojTJ7fKm5PThNQ/s1600/IMG_0148.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqh26cHvZr2d6CBiTvjB9LSNRgWmP5UPfO6ZNAwTcMjSfUtL8DahujxV2qN_ccKX7h300FV9uwaPAu8ZLJKuNVHUuYyyTD_EitrBhgiLyKwW2rrleM-WzLxp6Brb3f5XojTJ7fKm5PThNQ/s400/IMG_0148.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650985197935209682" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Meanwhile, drain the clams and throw away the broth. We could also add some of the broth to the pan with the sauce, but there's enough volume with the shellfish stock and wine.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhefiATEv8WPQNBtva6K25MokME3ZcIs8ZLxCUndRcSBiswqLbKiLTToNXukKGHQNr3CtXKbiS12_9lY7Ksm_jZm8mKH3snfLANkHIA6RGplh5mu7EqkKtesIZoFdi8GvsaZgacF4Elz7b/s1600/IMG_0129.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhefiATEv8WPQNBtva6K25MokME3ZcIs8ZLxCUndRcSBiswqLbKiLTToNXukKGHQNr3CtXKbiS12_9lY7Ksm_jZm8mKH3snfLANkHIA6RGplh5mu7EqkKtesIZoFdi8GvsaZgacF4Elz7b/s400/IMG_0129.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650984542229760834" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When the pasta is nearly done, add the clams to the sauce. Don't do this too soon or they'll get tough.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2CJh9oZ5E9XgJM7R3nPZYsoNLL0eJdzzMUwqwgqwVHwuu4e2_ry-fO8_yulW9Pg9Jq9kKi6-KLlCkA8b52S8OjQ2VGIXD_ikPRJ7sAvFT3LWuWOT9OLp2cnZccsIIZ78SNgBGzqtCKUu0/s1600/IMG_0152.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2CJh9oZ5E9XgJM7R3nPZYsoNLL0eJdzzMUwqwgqwVHwuu4e2_ry-fO8_yulW9Pg9Jq9kKi6-KLlCkA8b52S8OjQ2VGIXD_ikPRJ7sAvFT3LWuWOT9OLp2cnZccsIIZ78SNgBGzqtCKUu0/s400/IMG_0152.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650985211476200674" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Finally, stir the pasta into the pan, cover, and let sit off the fire for a few minutes to soak up the sauce.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7u4hF0BrOQpdUDuW7CzgDNm9FHcIbg6_SgP6jou4h1zBF6X_y5L9s6NvbHZp8oIaug8SEfYkO5tLAJAzEC-zGpxcBfKgxiPLyjuKC1qQpo65mQ6QL7yGGeP6QK4IpdVUoYLW-WXfAtBiC/s1600/IMG_0154.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7u4hF0BrOQpdUDuW7CzgDNm9FHcIbg6_SgP6jou4h1zBF6X_y5L9s6NvbHZp8oIaug8SEfYkO5tLAJAzEC-zGpxcBfKgxiPLyjuKC1qQpo65mQ6QL7yGGeP6QK4IpdVUoYLW-WXfAtBiC/s400/IMG_0154.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650985223847257250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Plated, with a nice green salad:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfmD-Nr0mTXyiaty4zMT4BwY-m6VYP1IFG-W6yTJmAHkQl4KJudl2Totptn_7nK_EkK6V3s3R4jvJrRPz5g4oyGjBh_vzLIG0J2TLbzUvVpxrm2bEYgqbo14ZzpP7Es-CNz_mZ4rKHNWL/s1600/IMG_0156.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfmD-Nr0mTXyiaty4zMT4BwY-m6VYP1IFG-W6yTJmAHkQl4KJudl2Totptn_7nK_EkK6V3s3R4jvJrRPz5g4oyGjBh_vzLIG0J2TLbzUvVpxrm2bEYgqbo14ZzpP7Es-CNz_mZ4rKHNWL/s400/IMG_0156.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650985536269077522" border="0" /></a>Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-36980974456801732802011-09-09T21:48:00.000-07:002011-09-10T08:41:55.577-07:00Steak with Crab-Stuffed MushroomsSpur-of-the-moment idea. Here are the raw materials: mushrooms, snow crab cluster, onion, celery, garlic, parmesan cheese, Ritz crackers, butter, small strip steak, potato. Beer for scale.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TK8Yxan6nljLms-i2IqRV-In1B-YCHGn4xKc7_n6enx-ShgU897napK9qG9rGVAp0c9qX_eaE3aPDN69hTb54srr5xzONeWFzJO2T02tDZtBXouNLVOfEPbGcEjMV5xAZjeng_gQM4Vr/s1600/IMG_0075.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TK8Yxan6nljLms-i2IqRV-In1B-YCHGn4xKc7_n6enx-ShgU897napK9qG9rGVAp0c9qX_eaE3aPDN69hTb54srr5xzONeWFzJO2T02tDZtBXouNLVOfEPbGcEjMV5xAZjeng_gQM4Vr/s400/IMG_0075.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650589287021728626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mise en place (for the mushrooms, anyway): chop the onion, celery, and mushroom stems, mince the garlic, and crush a few Ritz crackers. Shell and shred the crab (not shown; it's in the fridge). I like to sauté the mushrooms on their bottoms a bit to start them cooking and purge a little moisture from them. (Tip: before taking the mushrooms out of the pan, turn them over for a minute to drain; the liquid will just boil off.)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLszvb_4wOMxDxqQm3abvY9-IJ5INy1BY1wEKho9iXM9oXP_hY5OoodMQaezT1gaWloKzR34ZBuAE21vID-6GFtooPNMVwuQB835ZpYuBYw1NNx22v9VsXCf_v7RPz_eJuDYom2HAsz1yq/s1600/IMG_0078.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLszvb_4wOMxDxqQm3abvY9-IJ5INy1BY1wEKho9iXM9oXP_hY5OoodMQaezT1gaWloKzR34ZBuAE21vID-6GFtooPNMVwuQB835ZpYuBYw1NNx22v9VsXCf_v7RPz_eJuDYom2HAsz1yq/s400/IMG_0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650754829693693138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sweat the onion, celery, and mushroom stems in a little more butter:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LqZzQoGOK6J9lSonYETG78b1erN_9Py-Ni4BU88OQ47Usd07dfc_OlBrVeDyG27q0sFWjNVzKhaR2vmXKwcOgqeOLEhC90VeoSHG4AKgG2ol91wWCBqXdZUHt6QmzdC_4NOdsnzzS8Yb/s1600/IMG_0087.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LqZzQoGOK6J9lSonYETG78b1erN_9Py-Ni4BU88OQ47Usd07dfc_OlBrVeDyG27q0sFWjNVzKhaR2vmXKwcOgqeOLEhC90VeoSHG4AKgG2ol91wWCBqXdZUHt6QmzdC_4NOdsnzzS8Yb/s400/IMG_0087.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650589311607089138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Meanwhile, make a nice green salad with one of the last of this year's tomatoes:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhOt2dnD826Sb9uDGWOj2kb2HXWGcbWaqM0O65CcmsRib-BtBvkxTXPzLE-HY0Mb9evrNGE9NJqZrhuxdvvDbvQfQ_K3wx7WCM63eRtjtEmChHUzav09mjTVVu860eHIP4jRIpaeePvA9/s1600/IMG_0082.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhOt2dnD826Sb9uDGWOj2kb2HXWGcbWaqM0O65CcmsRib-BtBvkxTXPzLE-HY0Mb9evrNGE9NJqZrhuxdvvDbvQfQ_K3wx7WCM63eRtjtEmChHUzav09mjTVVu860eHIP4jRIpaeePvA9/s400/IMG_0082.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650589298181809202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After the veg mixture gets going well, we add the garlic, cook a bit more, and finally the crushed Ritz crackers and picked-over crab off the fire. Note that we're melting a little more butter into the mix:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfBr6ADC2wGVPdExrPEHNB2TuYL6lcglW-vBNu59sDSyrkWZIH_NeuKXp0sySFDnWRkV82-7odUxBeAXmxPM0twucvaKh0p61j_Qb5Dzt3bS1Zo0WbzmJapKT22R3O8WBAs-dYJYyQNhd/s1600/IMG_0090.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfBr6ADC2wGVPdExrPEHNB2TuYL6lcglW-vBNu59sDSyrkWZIH_NeuKXp0sySFDnWRkV82-7odUxBeAXmxPM0twucvaKh0p61j_Qb5Dzt3bS1Zo0WbzmJapKT22R3O8WBAs-dYJYyQNhd/s400/IMG_0090.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650589318634052210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Transfer it to a bowl with some grated parmesan:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvdIQU4KKUODSG4cQjwAjBoviGSsOURYxbNryhHXPySbSZK1AE-K2wJCSlPlKlNZy-EC73U0xonwtimh45rpzVUlqgZ1KTGY-dYPjnzrHKvXbC6B3E-72uts-jQ8jBngMiKUWTh51QAAgP/s1600/IMG_0091.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvdIQU4KKUODSG4cQjwAjBoviGSsOURYxbNryhHXPySbSZK1AE-K2wJCSlPlKlNZy-EC73U0xonwtimh45rpzVUlqgZ1KTGY-dYPjnzrHKvXbC6B3E-72uts-jQ8jBngMiKUWTh51QAAgP/s400/IMG_0091.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650589328018499714" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mix that up well, scoop it into the mushroom caps and add some more parmesan along with a sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQu50LYeCkRRMXoVpjPWlxgzkJJu9GHDi3SnQlweoN0LqpngvCOOFWvtvaI9gZoJDrf-cLdqJv3DAaYC5N-hZ6VMzgF39ZxWbW1t8tBlOL42CfWcta7GvdZ8nULpyZW_QAZb9iGGlpuRA/s1600/IMG_0099.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQu50LYeCkRRMXoVpjPWlxgzkJJu9GHDi3SnQlweoN0LqpngvCOOFWvtvaI9gZoJDrf-cLdqJv3DAaYC5N-hZ6VMzgF39ZxWbW1t8tBlOL42CfWcta7GvdZ8nULpyZW_QAZb9iGGlpuRA/s400/IMG_0099.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650590169479988626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Bake the mushrooms in a hot oven while we grill the steak:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyqEDxkldNfbCVUrEfQlugNf1bzfux0JUadEgKMKPzY5WJdTI5hDizpcdPh0zfaYbpPNUFtWU4vYkmNKdNmQddi9eajPSyJXVp5k_hmol1CLMU-j_CbkcebzmZsU9hK0o2eJuVCJuOXm0/s1600/IMG_0104.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyqEDxkldNfbCVUrEfQlugNf1bzfux0JUadEgKMKPzY5WJdTI5hDizpcdPh0zfaYbpPNUFtWU4vYkmNKdNmQddi9eajPSyJXVp5k_hmol1CLMU-j_CbkcebzmZsU9hK0o2eJuVCJuOXm0/s400/IMG_0104.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650590191634327058" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Hey, look! The herbs and pepper plant are still alive:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjEhgyXWDNlxNK5k_ZPAzPoma1w9H-qHXKz6xgQIRa6hgkzAA6rzA3kggfZrWVgq6XjJaWIC7lRQCm7vGCNABTHnMcw7ZQMgBeCGTWtjjirOGhBSP6qRR8XmdP5SFDTn1P1YE6vDDxeuf/s1600/IMG_0101.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjEhgyXWDNlxNK5k_ZPAzPoma1w9H-qHXKz6xgQIRa6hgkzAA6rzA3kggfZrWVgq6XjJaWIC7lRQCm7vGCNABTHnMcw7ZQMgBeCGTWtjjirOGhBSP6qRR8XmdP5SFDTn1P1YE6vDDxeuf/s400/IMG_0101.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650590182813152450" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mushrooms and a baked potato are done:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6cyBTHin9hqNa8h2CXK9dwmr2AkNEavS1qMe18PwGA-HSM0NRfA07d-0D68O2zZ3Ths3VGuh_UGLO__dVs02PGn1Kp8Z5XPu4YKKVnLCGhTQyX13MzzselyWXLiOGqOrpWiaZX1a8f9B/s1600/IMG_0105.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6cyBTHin9hqNa8h2CXK9dwmr2AkNEavS1qMe18PwGA-HSM0NRfA07d-0D68O2zZ3Ths3VGuh_UGLO__dVs02PGn1Kp8Z5XPu4YKKVnLCGhTQyX13MzzselyWXLiOGqOrpWiaZX1a8f9B/s400/IMG_0105.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650590199110545810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Plated.This was pretty good - mushrooms go pretty good with steak, and the crab stuffing was a nice addition. Note chives from the garden on the potato.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTF4p9SoRYV42ABODYy5crBrKRfDyfm5uSEI7eekVBnefvFZkK47rAbWX1GV1C1z1dKUreoyTBbSD3X7Ht4f2u8ZUkbjY9dIX5_2JvTJ5Y2DtPKRYTTONCM8J5RGQ4UGrSGH9REV0he3iW/s1600/IMG_0114.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTF4p9SoRYV42ABODYy5crBrKRfDyfm5uSEI7eekVBnefvFZkK47rAbWX1GV1C1z1dKUreoyTBbSD3X7Ht4f2u8ZUkbjY9dIX5_2JvTJ5Y2DtPKRYTTONCM8J5RGQ4UGrSGH9REV0he3iW/s400/IMG_0114.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650590214296818082" border="0" /></a>Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-75462887250289966622011-09-05T22:44:00.000-07:002011-09-07T10:13:05.763-07:00Turkey PieFrom the same magazine as the <a href="http://menutonight.blogspot.com/2011/09/crab-alfredo-baked-shells.html">crab-alfredo-shells</a> thing.<br /><br />Mise en place: Ground turkey, mirepoix, garlic, thyme, flour, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, frozen green beans, frozen hash browns, butter, sharp white cheddar.<br /><br />The recipe actually calls for peas, but Susan won't eat them, so I substituted the green beans.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiQxGBGDuIvdCFi4twsTddx36rArptQM9v68eGYy_wjM_z6ryrDFFLTqUn-o9gMhdYTbz-AotGwYFskXpa2PmrAcSjSrt-IwCSj4LgLK82xU8O5PAsIHIdJZ-nXU7Ui8YfjuVDRYzDjcs/s1600/IMG_0004.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiQxGBGDuIvdCFi4twsTddx36rArptQM9v68eGYy_wjM_z6ryrDFFLTqUn-o9gMhdYTbz-AotGwYFskXpa2PmrAcSjSrt-IwCSj4LgLK82xU8O5PAsIHIdJZ-nXU7Ui8YfjuVDRYzDjcs/s400/IMG_0004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649118753665519458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Brown the turkey:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgl62tzsdJodG0813ltCN3f_3pTX_8PNzkLGgwfsi_c48_xm1BkQ5cREQXd7PZryh1fmypvTB7BqxIcbmzsZt_vrflJ6c9n4oBTmHh4mHoTrDcd8YF7-3Ke0fOKXeeiTpNFgVmVfEN2cXY/s1600/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgl62tzsdJodG0813ltCN3f_3pTX_8PNzkLGgwfsi_c48_xm1BkQ5cREQXd7PZryh1fmypvTB7BqxIcbmzsZt_vrflJ6c9n4oBTmHh4mHoTrDcd8YF7-3Ke0fOKXeeiTpNFgVmVfEN2cXY/s400/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649118757943291714" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sweat the mirepoix:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8tJZLeVX_ryetiEJFDOemTdFXoi7nfVkweLU7dvLjNllOxuYfhy-J5ZpgHH4eI841xFuR8aT3gA7XVMdVZKIwZsaJBOXUjiAptL7GF6V7Vwq5iBlj187euSJJ0C8VMEYX7fPYZU7IIbs/s1600/IMG_0010.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8tJZLeVX_ryetiEJFDOemTdFXoi7nfVkweLU7dvLjNllOxuYfhy-J5ZpgHH4eI841xFuR8aT3gA7XVMdVZKIwZsaJBOXUjiAptL7GF6V7Vwq5iBlj187euSJJ0C8VMEYX7fPYZU7IIbs/s400/IMG_0010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649118764374770306" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Let it brown a bit, and add the garlic and thyme:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0UxyJcbHyXswUV2eQWWhdCaBNTM0dXZyZH2VXxcMWaKiJwts4Bf6PeQH16gy0cJ8EkEsjSY-mY7NAYS4hvTu5mgaHpRNNx1x8CEqHRkYFa0iXee_DQ0hYXNTpI1N_fnKh4cSh2HBSUdq/s1600/IMG_0013.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0UxyJcbHyXswUV2eQWWhdCaBNTM0dXZyZH2VXxcMWaKiJwts4Bf6PeQH16gy0cJ8EkEsjSY-mY7NAYS4hvTu5mgaHpRNNx1x8CEqHRkYFa0iXee_DQ0hYXNTpI1N_fnKh4cSh2HBSUdq/s400/IMG_0013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649118765221745410" border="0" /></a><br /><br />.. then the tomato paste and flour.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4QPTRXSNci6ajw35x2E5THAdXdw-ATn1r-GoL_SZuN6_v3Gvd8sqGGKT8ESotqGFRMP8ozmPIl_Pa7O28ahQBQxE_FP-iGikqOnLDnDjwWMKwZx7SRMoqBqe4Vd5UCptVaIThRgTByP-/s1600/IMG_0014.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4QPTRXSNci6ajw35x2E5THAdXdw-ATn1r-GoL_SZuN6_v3Gvd8sqGGKT8ESotqGFRMP8ozmPIl_Pa7O28ahQBQxE_FP-iGikqOnLDnDjwWMKwZx7SRMoqBqe4Vd5UCptVaIThRgTByP-/s400/IMG_0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649119040632100882" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Be sure to have a nice vodka cocktail on hand:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnGp4I6m_G-5MqeAEq9DHUulnNDmKt0nzUUvF8Kadqo-Bkkt-HhywgTtpuhgMxgIpDIPPAsdc5SW_7lVDNkRyzfedbEbOI1tVuF5JpDgLqTazUPVeK_RlbLptyM0eP3FcVDoQVbfCgQ0-/s1600/IMG_0009.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnGp4I6m_G-5MqeAEq9DHUulnNDmKt0nzUUvF8Kadqo-Bkkt-HhywgTtpuhgMxgIpDIPPAsdc5SW_7lVDNkRyzfedbEbOI1tVuF5JpDgLqTazUPVeK_RlbLptyM0eP3FcVDoQVbfCgQ0-/s400/IMG_0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649118764392817602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Finally, stir in the tomatoes (sans juice - keep that handy for thinning the sauce if needed), Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and mustard.<br /><br />Every time I use Worcestershire sauce I think of Jennifer Patterson and how she used to call it "Wooster Sauce."<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1N6W8ufzBtv-wMjI9Vf7F06STfA7qaMVb8iRSVWeEu10Z5CBBUN2TAVO3cCgDG2shwXjLeUgtOT2JRH_BImo_tAvqo7QwErmahFRtEJbb6tikawuBpMha6jcgyYFy52Yp82FGL-KFmSE/s1600/IMG_0016.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1N6W8ufzBtv-wMjI9Vf7F06STfA7qaMVb8iRSVWeEu10Z5CBBUN2TAVO3cCgDG2shwXjLeUgtOT2JRH_BImo_tAvqo7QwErmahFRtEJbb6tikawuBpMha6jcgyYFy52Yp82FGL-KFmSE/s400/IMG_0016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649119046558544114" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Then stir in the turkey, pour the whole mess into a casserole, top with hash browns, and drizzle with melted butter. The recipe calls for eight cups of hash browns! This is about four:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcXZMmscuocvYKhARokSEZSQ47qXPu33rwJg4_fM4JBKzUbyFwfL672LbfBojCLBmvNOZYhMS2dkkF6CqgKC2CNnVtUwR5BQLf6PoE8JOa4DQfxl2Tu48pw1rK8RVrIZ3-5jr__yUDVHK/s1600/IMG_0019.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcXZMmscuocvYKhARokSEZSQ47qXPu33rwJg4_fM4JBKzUbyFwfL672LbfBojCLBmvNOZYhMS2dkkF6CqgKC2CNnVtUwR5BQLf6PoE8JOa4DQfxl2Tu48pw1rK8RVrIZ3-5jr__yUDVHK/s400/IMG_0019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649119046026796898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Bake it at 400°F for a while till it looks like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyz1BVOsvLFu8CP_xsn2G1YhcMy0NOQ6R8vkWVmvieC9uVs8wU4hk1yD-W37GwHhKcvbSKLY7DjMPJkhMNovfGWEt1ZqUV4VjKnSmkDLrjkbj8ahERzJ-6XRBTm9x5gbBBsgMjwipfm49u/s1600/IMG_0021.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyz1BVOsvLFu8CP_xsn2G1YhcMy0NOQ6R8vkWVmvieC9uVs8wU4hk1yD-W37GwHhKcvbSKLY7DjMPJkhMNovfGWEt1ZqUV4VjKnSmkDLrjkbj8ahERzJ-6XRBTm9x5gbBBsgMjwipfm49u/s400/IMG_0021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649119051595383410" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Top with cheese, and bake some more:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XKOzgqVxhbwDEIh0A-TLzJAAesfCy55yyb0rxv30VGo0IP9_IGNOx75Zk6_PGiuICFromygrYoZ4-PevpoFBSIemdkmqd_3Ekyl7vGY2yagOlkWTokTZs7Dh2LPfUZundmJDcjdDuI9u/s1600/IMG_0031.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XKOzgqVxhbwDEIh0A-TLzJAAesfCy55yyb0rxv30VGo0IP9_IGNOx75Zk6_PGiuICFromygrYoZ4-PevpoFBSIemdkmqd_3Ekyl7vGY2yagOlkWTokTZs7Dh2LPfUZundmJDcjdDuI9u/s400/IMG_0031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649119057580801170" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Somehow I neglected to take a pic of it on the plate, but since it's just a casserole it didn't look like much. It was really pretty good, though - this will be repeated, maybe with some mushrooms added.Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-33699906577159999472011-09-03T20:47:00.000-07:002011-09-03T20:50:51.190-07:00Brandy AlexanderMmm.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBc8ww5zT_032U8jflFfPfEAA0pMt8h72r3Uey9wg7onnfLbTXjH35TQKtV8SuOz2eJJ6LK0pTXnyDmARuTBjSmD1Cp27Ygun8hpHPZCmmK-_0jmXW72TGh0tf5rAN5Xq2SHS0Jc8iQAP/s1600/IMG_0057.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBc8ww5zT_032U8jflFfPfEAA0pMt8h72r3Uey9wg7onnfLbTXjH35TQKtV8SuOz2eJJ6LK0pTXnyDmARuTBjSmD1Cp27Ygun8hpHPZCmmK-_0jmXW72TGh0tf5rAN5Xq2SHS0Jc8iQAP/s400/IMG_0057.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648346696241473970" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-79904486100963310622011-09-03T14:53:00.000-07:002011-09-03T15:26:13.716-07:00Crab-Alfredo Baked Shells<span style="font-family:arial;">Got this from a magazine.
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<br />Mise en place: shells, cream, butter, parmesan, shallots, parsley, nutmeg, lemon, crab, Panko, salt, pepper.</span>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5dxSOuI9ksy_5m5lSqADH2eD4jKHBi3hdxXi4lUFHY2GXHQun2eFx0UGNc3Y_EV6Y6aBXWMvWW9x0QiwMqciTsPuj2BCBWa_jz7aGFThkFbhsDG9BsxivQza-zGQeD6xQH90chlLaDhb/s1600/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5dxSOuI9ksy_5m5lSqADH2eD4jKHBi3hdxXi4lUFHY2GXHQun2eFx0UGNc3Y_EV6Y6aBXWMvWW9x0QiwMqciTsPuj2BCBWa_jz7aGFThkFbhsDG9BsxivQza-zGQeD6xQH90chlLaDhb/s400/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648256678948190562" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It's not really Alfredo, of course, since it has all that cream, but whatever.</span>
<br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span>
<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">While the shells are boiling, sweat the shallots in the butter with the nutmeg.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">The magazine recipe has you just simmer the shallots in the cream, but that doesn't make any sense to me.</span>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxiPvG7Kk_HyiSrsIOUITvPRJT9R1j7AVIaDHJZJQn_8_jmFcScvziBcCiRZmbTm4-R52CEIS1-B4tkRmjm2k20xfUJImI4aVEUvFmCblfzGijZzo4hPszIbhqQqmIO-tHeGL4Yxlv7F5S/s1600/IMG_0012.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxiPvG7Kk_HyiSrsIOUITvPRJT9R1j7AVIaDHJZJQn_8_jmFcScvziBcCiRZmbTm4-R52CEIS1-B4tkRmjm2k20xfUJImI4aVEUvFmCblfzGijZzo4hPszIbhqQqmIO-tHeGL4Yxlv7F5S/s400/IMG_0012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648256683867582242" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Remove the shallots and butter to a bowl, wipe the saucier clean, and simmer the cream.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Whisk in the butter slowly.</span>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpj3B85FXR07h4wveGecwxwz0K2BdIHo7RpjitT6QVMf7ZF-7y-GeoMwLCZfFmdb1w9xkiiTjxKiFes7s0FRkDzgxOxbFnZ2GLGKvMn0n-7hzDbyGZ47_sTN_mrzx3FBQoxZSmmK59NIs/s1600/IMG_0016.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpj3B85FXR07h4wveGecwxwz0K2BdIHo7RpjitT6QVMf7ZF-7y-GeoMwLCZfFmdb1w9xkiiTjxKiFes7s0FRkDzgxOxbFnZ2GLGKvMn0n-7hzDbyGZ47_sTN_mrzx3FBQoxZSmmK59NIs/s400/IMG_0016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648256696039282594" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Add some of the parmesan, some of the parsley, and pepper. Continue simmering till thickened.</span>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-A7f28htL9cCe9_acqW1r5CZhkf8-lYdfXyud6sFhcKnR5Cklb9xjSEkCz8UxVTAadE7ns5OueL22p1hHZR_3Yh2n3rHNN_9FFz2bFk4M9RjQIT3055T-nOpKScTQZ-FWHTU-IfoJHxB3/s1600/IMG_0018.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-A7f28htL9cCe9_acqW1r5CZhkf8-lYdfXyud6sFhcKnR5Cklb9xjSEkCz8UxVTAadE7ns5OueL22p1hHZR_3Yh2n3rHNN_9FFz2bFk4M9RjQIT3055T-nOpKScTQZ-FWHTU-IfoJHxB3/s400/IMG_0018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648256696791731762" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Meanwhile, make a nice salad and have a glass of white wine.</span>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeCb2VqHr1tOOm4wVaiAnODl0I4nSWSR73H3kK1Zo4TAn9SP-6fg6iKnMirDNgq3okDsGw7eMpankgjfcXYJswyBeR5ESIQnffi2s_fJHeeCe1EmP88hkxqGSoPWkcmQwWmUvhEvThyCa/s1600/IMG_0013.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeCb2VqHr1tOOm4wVaiAnODl0I4nSWSR73H3kK1Zo4TAn9SP-6fg6iKnMirDNgq3okDsGw7eMpankgjfcXYJswyBeR5ESIQnffi2s_fJHeeCe1EmP88hkxqGSoPWkcmQwWmUvhEvThyCa/s400/IMG_0013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648256690539059410" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Add lemon juice to the sauce, correct the seasoning, remove it to a bowl, and fold in the crab and shells.</span>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJ4tGes_WAMJoy3H1mGnRL20fMwKnsN-Eu2dyCNEcPKoJockfaoOrkT_ji-eQmTaCh7rEq6tUM-RptONKD5BJ-iCOWkTXMF7WUWg3DfY59rucBhga7RfEHCeUubSMUagn4G5cqnIuek1x/s1600/IMG_0028.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJ4tGes_WAMJoy3H1mGnRL20fMwKnsN-Eu2dyCNEcPKoJockfaoOrkT_ji-eQmTaCh7rEq6tUM-RptONKD5BJ-iCOWkTXMF7WUWg3DfY59rucBhga7RfEHCeUubSMUagn4G5cqnIuek1x/s400/IMG_0028.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648256983049635394" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Keep an eye out for overeager assistants.</span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1ojtOFDchHAfYDBlBIY3VcReHj1F_v_jCjge3IW0fpM5QMUAg1PDlx0yr2yQiLayCvUTGUq3Bi6LM30ibHcksdnpwdCoj7YiNf9Bg5HWOXQtFrs5qBiFsh87Y98ZBjMNyW90CbECllGq/s1600/IMG_0032.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1ojtOFDchHAfYDBlBIY3VcReHj1F_v_jCjge3IW0fpM5QMUAg1PDlx0yr2yQiLayCvUTGUq3Bi6LM30ibHcksdnpwdCoj7YiNf9Bg5HWOXQtFrs5qBiFsh87Y98ZBjMNyW90CbECllGq/s400/IMG_0032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648256981756027138" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Divide the mixture into four baking dishes. I only had two, so I used miniature loaf pans as well. Top with the Panko and the rest of the parmesan.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Run under the broiler to brown.</span>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeC0Hzwy8Ib5FdmaHeWIrjydvilK67Q6OzAUXKQUHBl_tcaQVhrknPCE_mpoNQkcZgctN4Up-guHzTaf0-IDk_RPZ6D1NBChov9S1ol9trZxGn74eluEKfdHGBldv57xHvIQCGmMtrbBt/s1600/IMG_0034.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeC0Hzwy8Ib5FdmaHeWIrjydvilK67Q6OzAUXKQUHBl_tcaQVhrknPCE_mpoNQkcZgctN4Up-guHzTaf0-IDk_RPZ6D1NBChov9S1ol9trZxGn74eluEKfdHGBldv57xHvIQCGmMtrbBt/s400/IMG_0034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648256985191595778" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Plated.</span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nN3uaVkvcMpEIgIJOuY3CzM7awB62PgXwqfqDlcI64N4LW60PipenfJUUHK11Ols0jAc74-9s9V2kfaVqV8UtBQ9ZPnML5LXs1YzfpJRy5hYw1ItbPc_c61iuK-YbiDOhgCRDwZp89dE/s1600/IMG_0039.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nN3uaVkvcMpEIgIJOuY3CzM7awB62PgXwqfqDlcI64N4LW60PipenfJUUHK11Ols0jAc74-9s9V2kfaVqV8UtBQ9ZPnML5LXs1YzfpJRy5hYw1ItbPc_c61iuK-YbiDOhgCRDwZp89dE/s400/IMG_0039.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648256992115402754" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Verdict: not too bad. A bit rich, and kind of expensive to make (that crab is about $20/can). The sauce could use some sherry.</span>
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<br />Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-78180512562728601462011-08-28T09:12:00.000-07:002011-08-28T09:30:05.199-07:00Chicken and Andouille GumboMise en place:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jDB0qboi5kGUzEpSY-1fBfzlP8BN2yqQZ-w5Di5gs3kEchHjj9BwFHt-seYeNuiPi4ARfgQipRns2MO1-Jnt53P2MAqvoezARV4a0h18D8IKiuUI6y6j614J1fTpzmaNbNYIdsvHR0qM/s1600/IMG_0096.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jDB0qboi5kGUzEpSY-1fBfzlP8BN2yqQZ-w5Di5gs3kEchHjj9BwFHt-seYeNuiPi4ARfgQipRns2MO1-Jnt53P2MAqvoezARV4a0h18D8IKiuUI6y6j614J1fTpzmaNbNYIdsvHR0qM/s320/IMG_0096.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645940886401114978" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Render the bacon:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLoSuXRaDCVtz5daUHyYyTA-4luEECnly8nfQCvcndpWRt0wDHliYS1ISHLIvXY7CqE0zKp7lzV2UJVmHCzS50cM7Xcw95iYl66Z_kaRq005rhyu6vNj7la-fZsomkgaZzPbVLyWOq7Y7/s1600/IMG_0097.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLoSuXRaDCVtz5daUHyYyTA-4luEECnly8nfQCvcndpWRt0wDHliYS1ISHLIvXY7CqE0zKp7lzV2UJVmHCzS50cM7Xcw95iYl66Z_kaRq005rhyu6vNj7la-fZsomkgaZzPbVLyWOq7Y7/s320/IMG_0097.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645940887713311506" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Brown the chicken. The secret here is to not touch it for at least five minutes:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD407lfAwcP85DIUIAzv3jwvEh1XKbK1Ler3FsunsUx-b3D7HlOrMJA9vjcZ8yXaz4otJFecn-Mp2gfazIrafcu6Mer-EvCkHL44dJJFcibMuA_SpZI755PCAc_rAI5siajmp5uUMEIazV/s1600/IMG_0101.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD407lfAwcP85DIUIAzv3jwvEh1XKbK1Ler3FsunsUx-b3D7HlOrMJA9vjcZ8yXaz4otJFecn-Mp2gfazIrafcu6Mer-EvCkHL44dJJFcibMuA_SpZI755PCAc_rAI5siajmp5uUMEIazV/s320/IMG_0101.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645940889437240354" border="0" /></a>
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<br />See? It didn't stick at all:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodrlgEAmZijE40UgqOyCNTDo6NodW3NhAvoOH5G67LvHozz-Qcze6hQWb_0q179QNItF_PGuEMwH4AiEwEhaJP6RBdABd_HvAFtwQG4Ig__iIdc9fObTZWmiLejuqxcGqu54SEWkD06z7/s1600/IMG_0103.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodrlgEAmZijE40UgqOyCNTDo6NodW3NhAvoOH5G67LvHozz-Qcze6hQWb_0q179QNItF_PGuEMwH4AiEwEhaJP6RBdABd_HvAFtwQG4Ig__iIdc9fObTZWmiLejuqxcGqu54SEWkD06z7/s320/IMG_0103.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645940894141853954" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Brown the sausage. The recipe I was working from has you leave them whole and slice them after browning, but it seemed to me that slicing them first would create less mess.
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YDE8IMYCdz1aVR4bTLoF-nzIjMI7nap3WWebUJKYBoZ_aDp9744QXPv0xHRjBwHF8xfhPR6Ote9IX2UR5Dak3V4awGajL_WT0vzYFL-MFYnm2_70WGzh9LnszTZxTlMEt8lKln-2eC4g/s1600/IMG_0104.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YDE8IMYCdz1aVR4bTLoF-nzIjMI7nap3WWebUJKYBoZ_aDp9744QXPv0xHRjBwHF8xfhPR6Ote9IX2UR5Dak3V4awGajL_WT0vzYFL-MFYnm2_70WGzh9LnszTZxTlMEt8lKln-2eC4g/s320/IMG_0104.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645940895660722642" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Roux:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttnaxiStG11EkOgWayofyCMpDM4AHr-Xd3i3fXn9eUURz-X-uBwkIkmVSPvyX10W-IYzgBz7x1MkQBqMj-bDmwveUYMfaimPnUI3cmkNf5Rdf-sSmGtgVoefX3HSuIjCDJSp2GanYLyqG/s1600/IMG_0106.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttnaxiStG11EkOgWayofyCMpDM4AHr-Xd3i3fXn9eUURz-X-uBwkIkmVSPvyX10W-IYzgBz7x1MkQBqMj-bDmwveUYMfaimPnUI3cmkNf5Rdf-sSmGtgVoefX3HSuIjCDJSp2GanYLyqG/s320/IMG_0106.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645941267323545586" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />Darker....
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iyVeO7D80aSBg7jNJHgsd2kqzeb3rS2mVUgt-3mRSusU3gf1l_4-JsbvFuGDIL1OLClCwxwSPzkux5Md2EKVkOrYS7y2AUN_Cdu98850NC7C4ic_5z19vfQi6UCvKfPA6va7vecmh6MV/s1600/IMG_0109.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iyVeO7D80aSBg7jNJHgsd2kqzeb3rS2mVUgt-3mRSusU3gf1l_4-JsbvFuGDIL1OLClCwxwSPzkux5Md2EKVkOrYS7y2AUN_Cdu98850NC7C4ic_5z19vfQi6UCvKfPA6va7vecmh6MV/s320/IMG_0109.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645941278301481154" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />That's about right.
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TvteFnhazujDedlBfGG5FMZMi0SHG6yz_hX5PBWSl7ppiGwPcweVnJRO6Ao-P9aUe55Jya3AsBy9mmuYqDMeWTC1sHZ_BC9HOdjPAHFSYbzxz0yazmz73Xa4qAkpQ1sfhsRlfPaF54h8/s1600/IMG_0111.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TvteFnhazujDedlBfGG5FMZMi0SHG6yz_hX5PBWSl7ppiGwPcweVnJRO6Ao-P9aUe55Jya3AsBy9mmuYqDMeWTC1sHZ_BC9HOdjPAHFSYbzxz0yazmz73Xa4qAkpQ1sfhsRlfPaF54h8/s320/IMG_0111.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645941281542952834" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />Add celery, onion, green pepper:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetpCGg5HYeGvCYy3COOmQwYG7NTBXia15g5Rkga7DynNYZWAOC5dq3FKA9D4JxilUUQ1PPGX5Ltmi-xWqnrYsZ_uW82ck_PFL-2uHMPYsakkEOty3eiwXRfjp_eOpvX2jHl2djptlkBA4/s1600/IMG_0112.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetpCGg5HYeGvCYy3COOmQwYG7NTBXia15g5Rkga7DynNYZWAOC5dq3FKA9D4JxilUUQ1PPGX5Ltmi-xWqnrYsZ_uW82ck_PFL-2uHMPYsakkEOty3eiwXRfjp_eOpvX2jHl2djptlkBA4/s320/IMG_0112.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645941286083650994" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />Garlic goes in after the other vegetables are pretty well done:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1yN_q1RsSwV4lA35WUVWXgw60aKdeNaVIm1VhG1yKTiZKikl9knmxJ7tpgDyBKpRRg7vw9YM6WqyIz2nJondG4lZesnk1R3Z00fm6W3gQ5-YgJlPa3GD9ESCSs7H6S18kCZqHpdYBJ4k/s1600/IMG_0115.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1yN_q1RsSwV4lA35WUVWXgw60aKdeNaVIm1VhG1yKTiZKikl9knmxJ7tpgDyBKpRRg7vw9YM6WqyIz2nJondG4lZesnk1R3Z00fm6W3gQ5-YgJlPa3GD9ESCSs7H6S18kCZqHpdYBJ4k/s320/IMG_0115.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645941290307126114" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />Stir in chicken stock and water, season with spice mix:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTXS5U7LyBQzjbSeEtve7ZCAwLgTexUX_vbe4EpBHBGvlGUyU8C2LzMyq9SaWiDP9kxM-MdBIaBXnNmFIKcAS_Q7P23nXYwWh1WOtloPyA61bKzSDaxL-Z3MRgf_8FYYaIFkXkLIkFg13/s1600/IMG_0117.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTXS5U7LyBQzjbSeEtve7ZCAwLgTexUX_vbe4EpBHBGvlGUyU8C2LzMyq9SaWiDP9kxM-MdBIaBXnNmFIKcAS_Q7P23nXYwWh1WOtloPyA61bKzSDaxL-Z3MRgf_8FYYaIFkXkLIkFg13/s320/IMG_0117.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645941531317433410" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />Add the chicken and simmer an hour or more:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Flps8YJl8qmkUq52dOBgufYP4ESZOerBhjmbS9rOSRzuJV4FFrnUS_WfsnIlVAjM0q0ccugSIHDT_qOveLyKjFfUQO51Ym46PJSkmdtVZSIt5RWfB16ZsTieW07Byfz-NBvEVou0ups_/s1600/IMG_0119.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Flps8YJl8qmkUq52dOBgufYP4ESZOerBhjmbS9rOSRzuJV4FFrnUS_WfsnIlVAjM0q0ccugSIHDT_qOveLyKjFfUQO51Ym46PJSkmdtVZSIt5RWfB16ZsTieW07Byfz-NBvEVou0ups_/s320/IMG_0119.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645941535197723986" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />Chicken comes out, okra goes in. Yes, I know okra is poisonous in most foods but it's appropriate in gumbo.
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizduPowkHaQA_T7d70bvplQMEq70c8mPgemNrWv4p09oeghTT5lCIqJneHU3iocvnt-SMovjMsCkOv-s_DdDUksyq_Nc11WHQgnLaxVv1yLYh39twG5eRolrfbLwl_6iGdE4jTWVWAzhzI/s1600/IMG_0126.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizduPowkHaQA_T7d70bvplQMEq70c8mPgemNrWv4p09oeghTT5lCIqJneHU3iocvnt-SMovjMsCkOv-s_DdDUksyq_Nc11WHQgnLaxVv1yLYh39twG5eRolrfbLwl_6iGdE4jTWVWAzhzI/s320/IMG_0126.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645941536937636162" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />Shred the chicken and add it back to the pot:
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjELxYjhAFxtd4b_-lVQs7Kalrz5Wnmf63bpJSyQZ2lJepglDxtQQh2fV7KniFiTQxZufj4G_8cCdaRQMGEnJPSWc2FQwO3AsNwak6vjdCrs5_Fj1Enwwx8yCRj8d0EZoVSvBrxoZnDOi/s1600/IMG_0128.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjELxYjhAFxtd4b_-lVQs7Kalrz5Wnmf63bpJSyQZ2lJepglDxtQQh2fV7KniFiTQxZufj4G_8cCdaRQMGEnJPSWc2FQwO3AsNwak6vjdCrs5_Fj1Enwwx8yCRj8d0EZoVSvBrxoZnDOi/s320/IMG_0128.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645941542327023362" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />Add bacon, parsley, and green onions, and plate with rice:
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_4iNkYwIpp3YM7WL3u-4dt8tQkepiqY7_JNwUiBQ-ZQoTPb2QvaXUg15y8j8W_3TkmtxfWi1FQybqYJHfxapd7UeaHLpUXbfBkhdDrWWgJIv7Kcnvrq47ZcB5KUt3BpbYHnFcIGN_5iG/s1600/IMG_0131.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_4iNkYwIpp3YM7WL3u-4dt8tQkepiqY7_JNwUiBQ-ZQoTPb2QvaXUg15y8j8W_3TkmtxfWi1FQybqYJHfxapd7UeaHLpUXbfBkhdDrWWgJIv7Kcnvrq47ZcB5KUt3BpbYHnFcIGN_5iG/s320/IMG_0131.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645941550558290866" border="0" /></a>
<br />Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012293914543015886.post-58728368849828454042011-08-27T10:03:00.000-07:002011-08-27T11:10:33.360-07:00Steak au poivreMise en place:
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSS3V8oDEqRMAJbiJ-BBR9IjesbaFwIGgifhGPqiTXmjtq_f3nLO0uuyCBid9OynZQ6jiI1wF6MNZoMKVpH9ef1Vh49QYewFT7LY7JshAU2Sudaz1mMOc9VrcyTltnG653OaBRkSqp56a/s1600/IMG_0047.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSS3V8oDEqRMAJbiJ-BBR9IjesbaFwIGgifhGPqiTXmjtq_f3nLO0uuyCBid9OynZQ6jiI1wF6MNZoMKVpH9ef1Vh49QYewFT7LY7JshAU2Sudaz1mMOc9VrcyTltnG653OaBRkSqp56a/s320/IMG_0047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645583204594285570" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Mushrooms sautéing:
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZoHBT5nIHq6PZEAL9Ka0Z30G1JPLttMMGPRGG3KUDEYX22ETYFEhfAXjAW2v1iN5CP03JIka8FOIaGQ2e8Wh9Ufpyjus98PliGDZqXteZ0PEQa-Vew3YdBuHourQW30M7kx_eHBSCh_V/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZoHBT5nIHq6PZEAL9Ka0Z30G1JPLttMMGPRGG3KUDEYX22ETYFEhfAXjAW2v1iN5CP03JIka8FOIaGQ2e8Wh9Ufpyjus98PliGDZqXteZ0PEQa-Vew3YdBuHourQW30M7kx_eHBSCh_V/s320/IMG_0051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645587091506273618" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />Mushrooms complete:
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyObUig4EvxZ-OG2v9KY-B4ArMxfpxkoYZ9yEfZdB0UyXRMEsoC1fQda31gSYHI9RXXTNKOIM0GSt-S7n6Aaj0VzQnn7eGc49uU415Jgf2Twq0gDZr2STpHdNX_-yNHsf9vHUM5pgQRom/s1600/IMG_0059.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyObUig4EvxZ-OG2v9KY-B4ArMxfpxkoYZ9yEfZdB0UyXRMEsoC1fQda31gSYHI9RXXTNKOIM0GSt-S7n6Aaj0VzQnn7eGc49uU415Jgf2Twq0gDZr2STpHdNX_-yNHsf9vHUM5pgQRom/s320/IMG_0059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645589674470578450" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />Roasted red potatoes with onions. These will be tossed with a little black truffle oil to finish:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSu3J5QTNn0NZm1Qf5j7m1nZL4PHx2C-UTAzAoBG6cZQrwqjlv6etoA6AFBAEz614Amk3VTswzd132-XB-LIvhTpwRJyfdQihQbRqnL2JhWTj5C205I5Jo8278FUhxpHnAAW5CE8lyKzD/s1600/IMG_0066.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSu3J5QTNn0NZm1Qf5j7m1nZL4PHx2C-UTAzAoBG6cZQrwqjlv6etoA6AFBAEz614Amk3VTswzd132-XB-LIvhTpwRJyfdQihQbRqnL2JhWTj5C205I5Jo8278FUhxpHnAAW5CE8lyKzD/s320/IMG_0066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645594585945248210" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />Steaks in the pan:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdzJYdOHbXYuHAeZIxvK-2hX1D46H9nN_RiiNwjFmubUmXsJOePYQtDMKvhGQVvatd3dL5NlMRk0CoJXq774aMKKe6o70hdHiImq5oT2AIc1-d4LTx8MElDk5R53H3Yxd8uivcKc8DDej/s1600/IMG_0067.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdzJYdOHbXYuHAeZIxvK-2hX1D46H9nN_RiiNwjFmubUmXsJOePYQtDMKvhGQVvatd3dL5NlMRk0CoJXq774aMKKe6o70hdHiImq5oT2AIc1-d4LTx8MElDk5R53H3Yxd8uivcKc8DDej/s320/IMG_0067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645594590476070978" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />Turned:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPh1NkM8fACaR_ScvlX0ygesmtPr3idnsNMOnuT79HOralN_5iYB7MBf5fWsCVYJOzPl-x23VeNbObldF5ZdTJGTF-UrPWASYibAIHtg4uvMwTW2VB48THdA_OBAEyIRRUr1uA8RatRPH7/s1600/IMG_0073.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPh1NkM8fACaR_ScvlX0ygesmtPr3idnsNMOnuT79HOralN_5iYB7MBf5fWsCVYJOzPl-x23VeNbObldF5ZdTJGTF-UrPWASYibAIHtg4uvMwTW2VB48THdA_OBAEyIRRUr1uA8RatRPH7/s320/IMG_0073.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645597816754603666" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Steaks done, pan being deglazed with cognac:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxijDsHEj-naR1Cv3E8odRtPoQYfh6S3E5ksWj7gNZmATexdbAgi54apwmsuT89gKWbwhgjyXBe9vBD1VQ4iKRyy3weE66BrSIRVNKlUS4txEoBEnOe7XS8zD4xIllLSN7rNoIZNncH7k/s1600/IMG_0076.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxijDsHEj-naR1Cv3E8odRtPoQYfh6S3E5ksWj7gNZmATexdbAgi54apwmsuT89gKWbwhgjyXBe9vBD1VQ4iKRyy3weE66BrSIRVNKlUS4txEoBEnOe7XS8zD4xIllLSN7rNoIZNncH7k/s320/IMG_0076.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645594605928012914" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Finishing the pan sauce with cream and green peppercorns:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROk1txRztwOIQFQk4ZW5WvvsCs6EaujtLMgIbR4jZeW1ZCJmjrvfJTsAbTErFkwnbpYqHDL5i391gth3YbvOaBjbJ7L-gKQbg1nNmuhMBI5l9rG4fwxvnZqQRz7aTkj5hwDWth5jPAxYg/s1600/IMG_0079.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROk1txRztwOIQFQk4ZW5WvvsCs6EaujtLMgIbR4jZeW1ZCJmjrvfJTsAbTErFkwnbpYqHDL5i391gth3YbvOaBjbJ7L-gKQbg1nNmuhMBI5l9rG4fwxvnZqQRz7aTkj5hwDWth5jPAxYg/s320/IMG_0079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645594607715286162" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Plated:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcasug-almdoAh-jX2kdCEBQh2NYlXZWEF9uCbuFOcGOczZRSsuPgvKGQFiVmJ0fFK6C8Yo_PEmGAs8lnubZgdgcD37lqAMVZCL-Eb4ITvkip31pZa0hk9l_HbnTWmhOY1gxI9dxXc8XIr/s1600/IMG_0083.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcasug-almdoAh-jX2kdCEBQh2NYlXZWEF9uCbuFOcGOczZRSsuPgvKGQFiVmJ0fFK6C8Yo_PEmGAs8lnubZgdgcD37lqAMVZCL-Eb4ITvkip31pZa0hk9l_HbnTWmhOY1gxI9dxXc8XIr/s320/IMG_0083.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645597811604730018" border="0" /></a>
<br />Mark Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527995001550472763noreply@blogger.com1