I think I'm turning Japanese....

Hey All,

So husbear is well recovering from surgery. It went smoothly and he's in a lot less pain than he was before the surgery. YAY! And I'm happy to report my impression of Carpal Tunnel Release surgery is dramatically improved. It was quick, out-patient, and he's going great! We've been gorging on lots of easy, junky food. Today, I'm craving seaweed, so apparently, its time for something a bit healthier. He's craving meat, a sign that he's recovering and needs the protein.

So here's the plan. We're having Evergreen House for lunch. He's also been craving mushroom stem and broccoli, which in turn has me craving sweet and sour soybean. Evergreen's food is just amazing....the mushroom stem is always a big hit, and we always snag a bag to bring home for making stroganoff.

Tonight, I was initially thinking about making natto omelettes. I know many of you are going, "Eww, gross, natto is nasty!" Well, for me, mixing it in a well seasoned rice, or making these omelettes is a great way to get its purported health benefits. Of course, consume what you make, that shit gets stinky gross after it sits for a day or more. I'll be stopping by Global Supermarket to get the furikake seasoning and some nori....I'll be a happy kid tonight!

So we'll do those, some take out from Hayai Zushi, which in case you didn't know, is owned by Peggy of Ichibahn fame. I'm sad to report, I haven't been to Ichibahn since she left. The food quality has gone to hell and the place lost its charm...

Add to that a good petit filet and we've got ourselves an awesome dinner :) This one isn't as budget friendly, the omelettes, yes, but the filets and sushi are not as budget friendly.

And here's how it turned out: I forgot to salt my omelette, whoops, but husbear's was perfect for him. Oh and had some leftover asparagus that I wrapped in foil with a splash of garlic wine vinegar and threw on the grill. Husbear was giving me a bad time that Anne Burrell might be reading, so I best plate well. Its a bit messy, but it still tasted good! So I took a picture. PERFECTION!

A Diversion...I didn't cook tonight, as a matter of face, a cold gyro is waiting for me

So today finds me in an odd place. I found out this morning that my high school science teacher died. He was truly influential in my life. I mean cummon, would I have set myself on a track to be a nuclear physicist had it not been for him?

This also sent me down a path of looking at the people, living and dead, that have influenced my life. I often get so caught up in the fighting and turmoil that is life that I forget to breathe.....and then I have to think. Who really inspired me.

There was, of course, Kell Hamilton, my science teacher. And there is my Grandfather, without them, I doubt I would have pursued a life of science. And then there is my Aunt A. I still hold her in highest regard. I mean the woman is brilliant and knows how to have a good time too boot.

So I look back to that. One person who came up in my look at that was Mrs. Lockyer. She taught us music from the time I was little. Granted, my own jealousy drove me to take up piano, but without that influence, would I enjoy things like Utah Symphony. And Ms. Schwarz/McDonald....she did teach us art at a young age.

Life seems like a blur much after 4th grade.....with little exception beyond food, science, speech and debate, music, and fighting like hell to get ahead.

Today was another crushing reminder that life is precious....and fleeting. It got me thinking about my legacy...what will I leave behind when this mortal coil is shed? My name hasn't been on a marquee, my career leaves me asking more questions than finding answers...... I suspect it will be a weird mishmash of cyber litter, broken hearts, and weird memories. Maybe its not what goes in the books, but how we helped shape what goes into those books.

Its been a long while....and I'm tired, so this is pretty much psycho babble at this point, but I had to get it out there. I had to say something about this wonderful man's passing and the influence he had on my life.

Thank You Mr. Hamilton, and all those unsung heroes.....

Sausage and Peppers

Hey All,

So here's another great one for a busy weeknight. Tonight wasn't so much busy as it was stressed out. It was a miserable afternoon, furnaces trying to melt down, people with poor impulse control saying whatever the fuck they want, and an overwhelming feeling of "Shit, that sure sucked balls, I don't wanna cook!"

So of course, its my boys to the rescue....yes, I've taken to referring to my husbear and bro as "My boys". That's right bitches, they're my boys, I'll only share with their family!

This recipe, or whatever it is, its more of a throw it in a skillet type affair, comes from a long history in husbear's family. The first time I had this, his Dad prepared it for us over spaghetti squash....oh yeah, total yum. We do it over spaghetti here, but the effect is still delicious.

Cut up 6 small peppers of assorted colors. Also 1/2 to 1 sweet onion. I've done it with yellow, but I think white or sweet work better.

So get some oil going in a skillet. Cut up 2 packages of hot links sausage (or good hot Italian sausage) and give them a toss. Next in with the peppers and onions. Add a good dollop of prepared pesto (you know the stuff in the jar) give a stir, and let it all sweat together.

Serve over pasta or spaghetti squash and TA DA! A good crusty bread is a nice touch, but not 100% necessary.

So there you have it. Another easy one for those "fuck this" kind of days.

So its kinda gross, but I'm trying anyway....

Hey All,

So this is not about the normal cooking I do. Its about one of my passions, cheesemaking. Cheesemaking is not for the faint of heart. It has been fraught with challenges and "learning experiences". Curd handling alone took me a good eternity to master. Although these days, I can turn out a good mozarella from gallon of milk to pound of cheese in about an hour :) Yeah, I had to toot my own horn there!

So I'm attempting a blue bondon, or blue cream cheese, I'm not sure which it will be yet, that part will depend on what the next 24 hours bring in the way of keeping the house warm.

Once upon a time, I had a bagle with just butter on it....but I didn't realize it, my butter had molded and was the most delicious treat I'd had in a long time. The thought of a blue molded cream cheese or bondon has me drooling.

I can't find a good link for Bondon as I know it. My experiences with bondon are that it is a very mild cream cheese that melts and spreads more like butter than cream cheese, with a flavor like butter but creamier. Everything I'm reading is talking about molding it like brie and this and the other...my bondon is not that complicated, its just a lower temp cream cheese that doesn't get the acidic bite.

So here's how its done....really it is this easy, so I'm always looking for killer deals on cream ($0.20 per half pint at NPS last week is a case in point). Place 1 qt of heavy cream in a bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup mesophilic cheese culture.....mine has been going for a few years now and smells horrible, but it never fails! Cover and let that sit for 24 hours on the counter. At 24 hours at room temperature, it should be congealed and ready to strain. Strain in cheesecloth...and viola.

For the blued version, I added a few blue cheese crumbled and stirred a bit more than usual to get the mold spores mixed all around. Tomorrow, I'll poke holes in it, and give it another 24 hours before I strain it. I'll see how it looks/tastes/feels....if its super soft, I'll have to put it in the fridge, if it tastes super acidic, it'll go in the fridge. If not, I'll leave it on the counter indefinitely to get the mold going. Occasionally poking holes in it to get good marbling.

Shopping notes, a lazy saturday

Hey All,

So food at chez 825 has been awesome this week. Nothing new and noteworthy as far as recipes go, but we've been eating well. I forgot that I come from a pretty long line of foodies. Middle Bro., too, loves good food. He cooked some very nice meals for us on Thursday and Friday. Thursday was good old fashioned steak and potatoes....and damn good steaks!

Yesterday was a very lazy, and slightly hungover day. We spent Friday night staying up late drinking beer....it was a very enjoyable evening. So yesterday it was good ol' dominoes to provide caloric intake for the day.

After the shopping today, it was home to eat....damn, hunger sure can be a mood killer. Husbear made a take on the taco eggs with chili. Its a bit more mellow, but the flavor can't be beat. Probably half a cup of the chili in with 4 eggs...and viola. Served with biscuits and my beloved chipotle plum jam.

Tonight we'll be having a pork curry. Husbear always makes the best curries....simple, flavorful, and awesome over jasmine rice. I recently learned I can get jasmine rice for a great price at Global Supermarket (sorry, no link that I know of). Just ask, they are more than happy to get you a pound or two instead of a 50lb bag. She also had a great deal on frozen mussels, $5.19 for a pound and a half. So I'll have to get creative with those.

Later this week, I'll be revisiting the sweet-pepper shrimp. Costco had a reasonably good deal on edamame, so I'll be starting that meal with Spiced Edamame. This is a recipe I tried before and love.... For desert some Red Bean Cake...something new for my bro to try.

So not much new, just a couple of ideas brewing for the week ahead.

Gotta Feed my Baby Brother....

Hey All,

Chez 825 is going to have a houseguest for a while. My middle brother is staying with us for a while while he gets situated in the Valley. Me, being big bro., and having that mothering instinct going since my formative years, am seeing a need to cook. Its an exciting move for him and his family, and I'm trying my best to help make the stress of these next few months easier for them. When you say your prayers tonight, say an extra one for 3DayChef's middle bro....having done it myself, its not an easy undertaking.

Last night we were talking recipes and meatloaf came up. So, my usual, egg, onion, oregano, a squirt of ketchup, a splash of Worchestershire Sauce, a splash of red wine. Instead of using a baking dish, I did something different. Making gravy out of a baking dish is ill advised and I have a mild paranoid freak out everytime I do it. So I put the taters and meatloaf in a skillet. Ta-da! When it came out of the oven, I pulled out the meatloaf and taters, threw it on a hot burner to brown the bits and viola, gravy sans paranoia that the Pyrex will go boom.

I had a bit of shredded cheddar leftover from last night, so I threw that on the taters.....and nuked the bag of green beans I scored at NPS a while ago and had tucked in the freezer.

So now my poor hardworking bro just needs to get home and dinner is served!

Technology and its downside...so I'll cook

Hey All,

Well, husbear's carpal tunnel is kicking up really bad. Rolling through the angry shouting "ow! I HURT!" episodes. In other news, it finally happened...I found an el cheapo laptop that is currently running Mandriva live. I'll probably start making the OS decision and all that jazz over the next few days. I tried Kubuntu, I really like the look and feel of it, but I can't get it to negotiate with our wi-fi server. Mandriva, negotiates the wireless like a dream, but I don't like the way it relies on akonadi. Ahh, decisions, decisions...

Since he's dealing with a fuckton of pain, comfort food is on the menu. I'm frustrated that he isn't feeling well....but soon the surgery will happen.

First up is Alton Brown's Baked Mac 'n Cheese. I'm using shells instead of elbows.

And a mushroom salad but I'm using spinach instead of baby greens. Mushrooms are one of husbear's favorite foods....and mushrooms were cheap at NPS, so why not.

And since its tolerable outside and I'm in the 10min holding pattern while the cheese sauce thickens, I'm taking the laptop outside and typing away. This is exactly why I wanted one....so glad I made the decision to go for it. Now if we can just keep him from typing so darned much and inflaming himself further.

ETA: The mushroom salad is divine. I would say throw the mushrooms on it super hot, tho, and wilt that spinach good. It is amazingly tasty! The Mac 'n Cheese was a bit bitter, but still really good. A friend pointed out that cream cheese might be good instead of the milk, and I'm thinking I'll go half American on the next round.