Iron Crafter - Go Scrap Exchange!

Iron Crafter - It was a fierce competition to see who had the fastest most precise glue gun in the south.  The crowd was intense.  The silence was broken by the incessant commentary of the emcee and the occasional dropping of the way too small beer milk glasses.  The Durham local Fullsteam ale was quite tasty though.
Scrap Exchange we thank you.

Delicious Brussel Sprouts - I will convert you!

Add Bacon.  Nuff said.


Recipe:
1 bag of Brussel sprouts
3-4 pieces of good bacon (make it nice and crispy)
1/4 c. chicken broth (optional)
1 T butter
salt and pepper
1/2 t of thyme or rosemary


1. Put on a rather large pot of water to boil.  Meanwhile, wash the Brussel sprouts and trim the ends, then cut in half letting the outside leaves fall if they may. When the water boils put the brussel sprouts in for about 2 minutes.  
2. After you manage not to burn yourself on the boiling water and have drained the sprouts, add them to 1 T of butter (might need more if you have a lot) in a saute pan.  Add salt and pepper and either rosemary or thyme (fresh is great but dried is fine).  Saute the sprouts until you get them a little brown, maybe 5 minutes.  Have on hand either chicken broth or some water to just steam them a bit at the end (sometimes I skip the initial boil and just cook them at this stage).  Cover the pan and cook them until they are tender (not mushy).
3.Crumble bacon on top and mix.  If you are really trying to get people to eat them add a bit more butter at this point.


Really, they are good and good for ya.  

Sushi Love - Without seaweed.....

It has been a while since I reviewed a restaurant in Durham.  Last week I ended up at Sushi Love in Durham 2812 Erwin Road near Nosh.  I mostly eat cooked sushi or rolls unless I am in San Francisco but it is a nice change of pace here in Durham.  The interesting item of note was that someone in our party did not like seaweed so they asked for rice paper instead.  It turned out that they had soy paper.  Also, when there are Du*e students you hear a lot of banging on the table from the saki bombs.  So gather your friends who had seaweed and enjoy buy one get one free!

oil smoke points

My friends and I were recently talking about the smoke point of oil and I recently ran into this chart.  I find that olive oil can really vary depending on brands, which I guess is a reason to find one you like and keep using it.

smoke points

Penzey's in NC - Breaking News

Just to let you know I will be applying to work at the new Penzey's in Raleigh.  They personally sent me a card to ask me to apply.  


I wish.  


Can't wait till it is open.  When will it be open?

Baba Ghanoush or eggplant over production recipe

I grew some eggplant plants from seed and then planted a few in the garden.  Yeah, they are productive.  So I tried my hand at Baba Ghanoush from this recipe from cooking light.

2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)

Ingredients

• 1  large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• Cooking spray
• 1/4  cup  pine nuts, toasted
• 3/4  teaspoon  cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
• 1/2  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 3  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons  low-fat mayonnaise
• 2  tablespoons  tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
• 1  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 3  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley (I did not have any on hand)
• 
  

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Pierce eggplant several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until tender. Cut eggplant in half. Scoop out pulp; discard skins. Drain eggplant pulp in a colander for 30 minutes.

3. Place pine nuts, cumin seeds, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add eggplant, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, tahini, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to food processor. Process until smooth. Spoon eggplant mixture into a medium bowl; stir in parsley. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Review: Paperhand Puppet Intervention

Islands Unknown
3d takes on new meaning at the latest from the Paperhand Puppet Intervention.  We checked it out at the Forest Theater on UNC's campus.  It is literally in a forest and the stone work was done by the WPA.  The stone work is great but don't forget your seat cushion for this performance.  I needed a double personally.  As we ate our cherry tomato and tortellini salad, we listened to the Hush Puppies with their banjo and violin before the show.  The show was much more multimedia than I would have thought with puppets on stilts, puppets on heads and even a puppets in a shadowbox ending.  When a child with a frog puppethead throws up a water bottle to demonstrate pollution in the ocean you gotta love it.  Go see it.  Adults and children alike.  


You can still catch it at the Art Museum.  

pringles....yum

Nice, pringles in a vending machine at the beach.  Small bits of recycled potato in a perfectly shaped chip.

paper scissors fish - yum

Ok, it was hot out.  Really, hot.  Grilling seemed like a good idea, but I mowed the lawn and did not want to even want go outside to the grill.  So I grabbed some parchment paper (foil will sub also) and made some fish in parchment.  Mostly from our garden (not the fish).

before cooking

Fish in Parchment (It's fancy!)


1 lb of fish (I used cod, but any mild fish that does not have skin on it will work)
4 potatoes (dice and precook these by boiling, put them on first and they will be done by the time you finish the rest of the prep)
1 med zucchini diced (garden grown)
1 c. approx of diced tomato (I used cherry ones from our garden)
1 large garlic bulb diced
1/2 large red onion (green or regular onion can be subbed, I like to rinse the red onion in hot water to take the bite off)
1/4 c red wine (or white wine or balsamic vinegar, whatever you have around)
2 T of Butter in 8 pieces
handful of basil and oregano leaves (from our garden, you could sub a shake or two of dried)
1/2 red bell pepper (optional, I did not have it but I like it in the recipe)
salt and pepper


Preheat oven to 350.  Put water on to boil potatoes.  Dice potatoes and cook for about 20 min.  While potatoes are cooking, dice zucchini, tomato, garlic, and onion.  Divide each veggie in half and then half again to have 4 portions.  This will make assembly fast.  Take out fish and apply salt and pepper to both sides.  Attempt 4 equal portions.  Take out parchment or foil and make 4 each 12-15 inch squares.  To assemble place 1/4 of potatoes, zucchini, onion and tomatoes (save a few tomatoes for the top if you like) plus a few basil leaves in the middle of the square. Add a bit of salt here.  Then place fish on top with the garlic, 2 pieces of butter, the oregano and maybe a few tomatoes.  Pour about a tablespoon of wine on top.  To seal the parchment fold over small folds starting at one end and continue until it is sealed (it not that hard but you can check the internet if you want some specific directions, but I do not bother with cutting it into a heart shape).  Repeat for the other three pieces of fish.  Place on a cookie sheet into oven for about 20 minutes or longer if you have thicker fish pieces.  You might have to unwrap one to check on doneness, but that is OK.  Put the entire wrap on people's plates to serve with perhaps some bread to soak up the lovely sauce that is made inside the parchment.  Enjoy!
Note:  Don't use wax paper. 

after its cooked

Pickles and More Pickles or What is with all the Cukes?

So for some reason our rather small (6' X 12') garden that we planted for the first time this year produced a lot of cucumbers.  I guess that compost that we got dropped off at the house was worth it. The bunnies in our yard only like the green beans, go figure.  So I managed to make some Asian style pickles (need to sit for 24 hours) and some refrigerator pickles (need to sit for 4 days).  They are much lower sodium than store bought and a nice treat.  So here are the recipes:

Easy Japanese Pickled Cucumber
2 or 3 Japanese cucumbers - I just used a combination of pickling cucumber and regular cucumbers
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Thinly slice cucumbers.  Place in a bowl and sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of salt on them, and set aside for five minutes. Rinse off the salt and drain the cucumbers.

Combine rice vinegar, sugar and sesame seeds with cucumbers. Let sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours. 

Hint:  I made some salmon fish tacos and added some sliced up pickles and they were great.   They are quite mild.

Refrigerator Pickles

Makes 7 cups

6 c. thinly sliced cucumbers

2 c. thinly sliced vinegar

1 1/2 c. white vinegar

3/4 c. sugar (I used 1/2 c. but might go to 3/4 next time)

3/4 t. salt

1/2 t. mustard seeds

1/2 t. celery seeds

1/2 t. ground turmeric (supposed to be good for you but it does stain, don't use wooden stuff)

1/2 t. crushed red pepper (just got some from Penzey's, adds the kick)

1/4 t. ground black pepper 

4 garlic cloves sliced

Split cucumber and onion into separate bowls (unless you have some mongo bowls around)

Combine vinegar and the rest of the ingredients into a sauce pan, stir and bring to a boil.  Cook for about  1 minute.  Then pour the mixture over each of bowls, let cook and wait for your 4 days, if you can.

They will last about a month in the fridge.

Summer squash - old school casserole

So it is another hot weekend.  Since I tend to melt in the heat, I decided to do some cooking (as usual).  We had acquired some summer squash from some friends who grew it in their gardens.  I thought about doing a saute but wanted something - well more delicious and decadent.  I had made a corn casserole for my dad recently who had some dental issues and could not eat corn on the cob.  It really just makes you feel so good eating it.  So here goes....  

Summer Squash Casserole Old School Style

6 cups sliced yellow squash (I cut up 2 small and 2 large but more is better) 
1 T oil 
1 onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter

1 garlic clove

1 pinch red pepper flakes 

1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 t salt

1/4 t garlic powder

1/4 t black pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup crushed crackers (I used about 10 Ritz and just put them in a ziplock and smashed with whatever was handy)

Preheat oven to 350.
Saute the squash in oil over fairly low heat for about 15 minutes stirring frequently. When the squash is done put some paper towel down and make some attempt to get the liquid out. While the squash is cooking, saute the onion in butter for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes at the end.  In a separate bowl mix all ingredients together except cracker crumbs. Pour mixture into a buttered (yes, add more deliciousness)  8X8 dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

10 X10 in the Triangle - Get to the Theater!

I just saw the opening night of this Theater Festival.  10 plays, 10 minutes each for 10 bucks.   Sort of a short attention span kind of play.  I enjoyed them all.  My favorite one was the women who was living in the guy's closet.  If she cleaned my closet I might go for it.  Quick witted and very fun to watch.  The rest of plays vary from weird space noises to whether or not to sleep with a guy on the first date.  It is playing a bunch a dates in July so check it out!

Only Burger Rocks, Durham Rocks

It was only a matter of time.

Change your Beaver Ways Video

Another jem from the 2010 Beaver Queen Pageant.  Go Banditos!

honky tonk bull - Beaver Queen Pageant 2010

Durham Bulls game and new Tobacco Road Sports Cafe review

Just went to my first Bulls game of the season and it was great.  Ok, they did not win, but it was a great day for a ball game.   We sat in the right field cheap seats (everything else was sold out at game time except lawn).  Note: Until the sun goes down, it is straight up in your eyes; bring a hat, it is a necessity.  About the 7th inning we took a walk around to the outfield.  You can still walk completely around the stadium.  The new Tobacco Road Sports Cafe has some area blocked off, but you can still do it.  They have a guy at the gate of the restaurant entrance, so that patrons can't sneak into the game without a ticket. But you can see the game from some of the outside restaurant seats as long as not too many people are standing in front of you.  There is also a green monster picnic area with tables that you have to rent from the ballpark that is roped off.

Ok, on to the Tobacco Road Sports Cafe review. 


Food:  I had the pork BBQ sandwich and cheddar grits as a side.  The black-eyed pea cakes (entree not sandwich) were ordered also.  The Pork sandwich was Ok.  NC is such a picky BBQ place, it all depends how you like it.  It was not very saucy and the bun was ordinary.    Still I ate all the BBQ (skipped the bun and the pickle).   The cheddar grits were chowable and I would recommend them.  The black eyed pea cake was very good (though fried and not baked) and a nice vegetarian option (not low cal as there was a lot of mayo based sauce on it).  The entree came with salad (pea shoots) as opposed to the sandwich which came with a choice of side.  Generally, I would say a cut above your usual sports bar fare.  As a bonus they have a good beer selection, both draft and bottle.  You will not go thirsty.


Service:  I will say that we were there at the 9th inning so it was a bit crowded, not slammed, though. There were still empty tables outside.  You have to hunt out the hostess in the front to get a table outside.  We were seated on the patio and got to see the end of the game.  It took a while to get served.  Our server was very nice, but she was occupied by a large table and left us hanging a bit.  They brought our food with no silverware.  Just details like that.  I would give it a chance again, but I would like to see it improve.  


Atmosphere:  The patio was large with tv's in the covered patio part, an uncovered area, and a good sized covered bar.  Inside there were tv's everywhere and since it was so crowded it was loud from the people.  The lower front row of one end of the floor is lined up with recliners (ya!).  I didn't sit in one, but it appears that you have your own tv to tune.  Pretty cool.  Certainly, on a game day you will find your basic drunk people there.  The large table that was taking up our servers time kept ordering shots and breaking out into song.  On our way out we saw some little alcoves in front that allow the whole table to view a big screen.  Nice!  Overall, a very nice sports bar atmosphere with good access to tv's.


I think this place will go well with Durham and add to the sports bars here nicely.  Even when there is not a game, sitting on the patio  and viewing the ballpark is pretty cool.  I will check out the recliners and the front tables for my favorite sports.  The black eyed pea cakes may help convince your favorite vegetarian to come with you.  (They do have other vegetarian dished marked on the menu.)

rosemary grilled chicken thighs

I have been using organic boneless chicken thighs for this recipe which is very easy and cooks fast since they are boneless.  Very popular and delicious.

Recipe

1  garlic clove, pressed no mincing required
1  tablespoon  olive oil
2  tablespoons  Dijon mustard (a nice robust grainy mustard is great with this)
2  tablespoons  honey
1  teaspoon  salt
1  teaspoon  chopped fresh rosemary (in a pinch you could go with it out of a jar or use whatever fresh herb you have hanging around)
1/2  teaspoon  pepper
1 1/2  pounds boneless chicken thighs
1/2  lemon

1. Combine everything except chicken above in a ziplock, squeezing and needing and pleading with the bag to combine ingredients. Add chicken, continue to plead. Chill 1 to 24 hours.
2. Grill on medium high for 5 minutes a side.  Watch because these boneless thighs can char fast.  I think you really are supposed to add the lemon at the end but I just through it in the beginning.  Also, you can just half the recipe if you are not making very much chicken, no problem.


Sorry the picture is not that great.  The chicken is usually gone before I think to take a picture.  That is a picture of the last bit of it.

Curried Tofu (with fresh pineapple)

Curried Tofu (with fresh pineapple)

2  teaspoons  vegetable oil

1  (15-ounce) extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1 can coconut milk

2 teaspoon  curry powder

1  cup  precut matchstick-cut carrots

1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper

1-2 cups fresh pineapple

1 sliced red bell pepper

1/2  cup  chopped fresh basil

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and sprinkle with salt (pretty sure I forgot that but still it was great). Cook 8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. (Cooking tofu is not my favorite but if I let it sit with a pan on top of it to get the liquid out for a while it helps.) Remove from pan.

Add coconut milk and curry powder to pan, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add carrots, crushed red pepper, pineapple, and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tofu. Sprinkle with basil.

Falafel with lots of goodies

I went to Durham's Farmer's Market this morning and got some strawberries and some lettuce.  Suddenly I was craving this great falafel sandwich that we used to get at the Baltimore Farmer's Market (Waverly Farmer's Market).  So I went about trying to recreate it, mostly successfully.  Here is what I did:
Falafel - used that Fantastic Mix and fried them up in patties (not ideal but works in a pinch)
Sauce 
        1 c. plain yogurt
        1/2 cucumber diced small
        1 T lemon juice
        1 T tahini
(you could add some more to it but I wanted to keep it simple.  Tahini is not mandatory if you don't have it.)
Goodies
       Sliced strawberries (so good)
       Bibb lettuce (I can just eat it up plain)
       Frisee lettuce (fancy, tastes good and I love it)
       Matchbook carrots
       Thin sliced mushrooms
       Green onion sliced in sticks


Bread - I just got some whole wheat flat bread, but in the end we were just loading the leftover goodies into the bibb lettuce to finish them off.
A big bite for sure.
Chow.

Butternut Squash & Roasted Garlic Crostata with Parmesan-Herb Cornmeal Crust

This is a delicious meal that is rather fancy and takes some time (roasting garlic always does, but is worth it).  This is something you usually do with apples or fruit but by adding the thyme and chives to the crust it makes it savory.  View the original post from Hungry Cravings

2 heads garlic (it is so good you might want to add one more for a snack)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (2 T plus 2T)
Kosher salt (I used sea salt)
1 big or 2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch cubes
 black pepper
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¼ cup cornmeal
½ cup grated Parmegiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter (yes that much butter)
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons, or more, cold water

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.Cut the stem ends off the heads of garlic to expose the cloves within. Place the garlic in the center of a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, and seal the foil tightly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, or until meltingly tender and golden brown. Let cool to room temperature and squeeze it out.
2. Toss together the butternut squash and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in zip lock. Spread on a baking tray and roast for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until tender.  I put the garlic in and then shortly after I put the squash in.  Let cool to room temperature and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Combine the flour, cornmeal, ¼ cup of the Parmegiano, chives, and thyme in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Test the dough by squeezing a small amount together with your fingertips. If the dough holds together, it’s ready. If it’s crumbly, add up to 1 more tablespoon of water and pulse 2 more times. Transfer the dough to a work surface, bring together into a ball, and then flatten into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 20 minutes (I shortened some of this time).
4. Increase the oven temperature to 425˚F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 14-inch wide, ¼-inch thick circle. Roll the dough up on the rolling pin and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking tray. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes (if you can do it for that long, I was getting hungry at this point).
5. Spread the roasted garlic evenly in the center of the dough circle, leaving a 2-inch border at the edge, and mound the squash on it. Fold the edge of the dough over the squash, pleating it as you go. Refrigerate for another 10 minutes (once again this seemed like forever but I attempted to cool it a bit).
6. Sprinkle the crostata with the remaining ¼ cup Parmegiano. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly (or just dive in), cut into portions, and serve.

Happy Valentines Day - chocolate!

So I decided to make some homemade chocolate truffles for valentines day.  It was a little bit different recipe than I have used before but still quite delicious.  It does take a bit of time as the chocolate has to be melted and then after mixed in chilled for 2 hours and then rolled.  But I think you will find it rewarding, trust me!


Recipe
8 oz of cream cheese
4 c. powdered sugar
5 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate, melted with double boiler
1 t of high quality vanilla extract (if not use 2 t)
1 c pecan chopped finely (I used the processor, this is for rolling)
1/2 cocoa powder (for rolling)
(you can also use other items to roll the truffles in like powdered sugar)


In mixer add cream cheese and slowly add sugar so that it mixes well.  Then add melted chocolate and vanilla and mix well.  Chill for 2 hours and then shape into balls and roll away.  Package them up nice and they will be very popular.

Beaver Pageant - News from D-town Diaries

Check out the logo on D-town Dairies.  Very cool.

Vegetable Curry

Now I am not an expert on Curry but I did get some great curry powder from Penzey's with some saffron that I just love.  So I used it in this recipe. It is simple but does take a bit of time as you cook things for 15 minutes after adding them.  I adapted it from a recipe that I found in the catalog.  Note that the recipe calls for 3-4 T of curry powder so I usually split with the good stuff and some regular curry powder.  Make sure you have it on hand before you start.


Vegetable Curry

• 5 potatoes ( I used red, precooked) in 8ths
• 1 or two carrots sliced
• Green beans (presteamed)
• red bell pepper (optional to add with onion)
• 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons curry powder (the above curry powder is great)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 (14 ounce) can whole tomatoes
• 1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Melt the butter in a large, deep saute pan and add the onion. Cook on low heat until the onion is translucent, about 15 minutes. (add optional bell pepper here) Add the curry powder and continue cooking on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring regularly as curry forms a paste. Add the lemon juice and stir.
2. Add the tomatoes, cutting them up once they are in the pan. Add half the juice from the can and save the remainder. Continue cooking the tomatoes and onions another 15 minutes on low heat.
3. Add 1/4 of the coconut milk and stir. Then add the rest of the coconut milk and the remaining tomato juice until you like the consistency of the curry base. Simmer this mixture for another 15 minutes (see how the 15 minutes adds up).
4. Bring the curry base to a boil and add the potatoes, green beans, and carrots ( you can add whatever you have on hand).  Cook for about 8 minutes or until it is all hot and cooked  as you like. Add the salt at this point to your taste (does not have to be kosher). You can serve over noodles or rice but if the potatoes are in there it does not need it unless you are trying to make more (good left over).

New Year's Breakfast

Just to share.  Happy New Year everyone!
(Starfruit is just so cute, you know)

Pecan (or walnut) Vegetarian Meatballs

This is a great hearty meal for those with a robust hunger and dinner with a vegetarian.

Meatballs:

4 eggs
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (sharp is good)
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon dried basil (some fresh herbs would be good too)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs (I only had unseasoned so had to add extra)
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup apricot preserves
1 cup ketchup (try using some non high fructose corn syrup  )
1/4 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 dash hot pepper sauce (I use the wimpy green stuff, but it need it)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, Cheddar cheese, and cottage cheese until well blended. Mix in 1/2 cup onion, pecans, basil, salt and sage. Stir in bread crumbs. Form the mixture into 2 inch balls (some smaller ones would be since if using as an appetizer), and place them in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, vinegar, apricot preserves, ketchup, 1/4 cup onion, oregano and hot pepper sauce. Pour over meatballs.
4. Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until meatballs are firm, and sauce is thick and bubbly.

Asparagus side:

This is a favorite and is simple.  Put the asparagus in the oven (400 degree) for about 8 min with just a bit of salt and pepper.  In the meantime, melt 2 or 3 T butter till it just starts to brown.  Remove pan from stove and stand back a bit while you add 2 teaspoons soy sauce and 1 t of balsamic vinegar (it splashes).  Whisk a bit and pour over asparagus when it comes out of oven.

Food memories of Thanksgiving 2009

        
Thanksgiving is a great food holiday and I love it so here are a few food memories.  Ok, the pie was before Thanksgiving.  Still.