tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89728152762301403892024-03-13T08:03:35.246-07:00The Godless CookGodlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-22753279145439604602011-07-08T17:30:00.000-07:002011-07-08T17:40:24.975-07:00Frankencamera<div>Canon Ti1 + extension tube + nifty fifty + canon 77mm close up lens</div><div>Yup, I actually spent $3 on an absurd looking 52 to 77mm step-up filter adapter to see if this would work. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><charset="utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gsk3innB7xA/ThehpDSw_TI/AAAAAAAAFT8/TdRlZ3-vOxQ/s400/IMAG0017.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627143986053446962" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div>Extension tubes are <i>awesome </i>by the way. They are the best $14 you'll <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Extension-Extreme-Close-up-Digital/dp/B003Y60DZO%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJASE6HSSVXTNREYQ%26tag%3Dfstchrm-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB003Y60DZO">ever spend.</a></div><div>The close up lens, not so much. I still don't know if it makes a difference.</div><div>Regardless, this is what you can do with it.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-alMFu2GrPmc/Thehp6vQ9RI/AAAAAAAAFUE/xJH0oTeA3SA/s1600/IMG_9808.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-alMFu2GrPmc/Thehp6vQ9RI/AAAAAAAAFUE/xJH0oTeA3SA/s400/IMG_9808.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627144000936932626" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">It goes without saying you need a ton of light for this to work. I took several photos next to a window in full daylight, and the only one that turned out was this one - shooting directly into the screen no doubt helped that situation. Even at f/11 or so my DoF was about .1 mm, making it extremely difficult to use. </div><div style="text-align: left;">Still, it has potential.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-82650307270910290612011-06-15T21:38:00.000-07:002011-06-15T21:43:33.285-07:0070mm<div>70mm allows me to bring in my favorite lens .. the 70-200 F/4. As a L lens, I expected it to walk away with it, but the 28-135 acquits itself very well.</div><div>To me theres no clear winner in the close up, but I do prefer the background blur effect of the L glass. Still, not bad at all.</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BnmC1X9qJbM/TfmJe0QT1XI/AAAAAAAAFP0/iqt61i5jYTY/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.36.31%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BnmC1X9qJbM/TfmJe0QT1XI/AAAAAAAAFP0/iqt61i5jYTY/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.36.31%2BPM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618673172637537650" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-99vhGj0KDNU/TfmJVhYtIOI/AAAAAAAAFPs/_fMLqy8WSqA/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.36.49%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-99vhGj0KDNU/TfmJVhYtIOI/AAAAAAAAFPs/_fMLqy8WSqA/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.36.49%2BPM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618673012953653474" /></a>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-71798643385638770922011-06-15T21:16:00.000-07:002011-06-15T21:29:30.568-07:0050mm<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-byHxIYkOc8U/TfmFoDDe7iI/AAAAAAAAFPc/gDcRBk-9lUs/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.16.27%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XEgOhc5qRFI/TfmE4qWhd9I/AAAAAAAAFPM/2m1ah1BPIKE/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.14.55%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YHs90SDbhzE/TfmEeyvN9II/AAAAAAAAFPE/LaIhMKUIaxA/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.14.12%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>Ok so 48-50mm, seriously there's got to be a way to see focal length on the LCD. Gotta check the manual again.<div>
<br /></div><div>So this is the good old 18-55 Kit lens vs. the 28-135, vs. the ever popular Canon 50mm "nifty fifty"</div><div>I'm too lazy to photoshop this into a series of three side by side, so for all of these I did the 18-55 vs. the 28-135, and then had the "winner" go against the fifty. Embiggen to see metadata.</div><div>Edit: Ok so Blogger is broken and won't make the photos bigger. Trust me, the 28-135 wins. The second set of photos is still visible. </div><div>
<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YHs90SDbhzE/TfmEeyvN9II/AAAAAAAAFPE/LaIhMKUIaxA/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.14.12%2BPM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618667674672166018" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 236px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">
<br /></span></div><div>The 28-135 finally wins one! So it goes against the 50mm prime 1.8.</div><div>
<br /></div><div><meta charset="utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XEgOhc5qRFI/TfmE4qWhd9I/AAAAAAAAFPM/2m1ah1BPIKE/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.14.55%2BPM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618668119097702354" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 236px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">
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<br /></div><div>And wins that one too!</div><div>Ok honestly, the non-scientificness of my testing comes out here. Everyone knows the 1.8 50mm is tack sharp, and most likely it focused a quarter inch forward or behind - it's famously sharp, but also famously janky. Whatever, either way the 28-135 wins this round.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Edge of the frame shots - not much different.</div><div>
<br /></div><div><meta charset="utf-8"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-byHxIYkOc8U/TfmFoDDe7iI/AAAAAAAAFPc/gDcRBk-9lUs/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.16.27%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-byHxIYkOc8U/TfmFoDDe7iI/AAAAAAAAFPc/gDcRBk-9lUs/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.16.27%2BPM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618668933182582306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 236px; " /></a>
<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DExX-2_X9LQ/TfmFmSzefLI/AAAAAAAAFPU/wN4se6B0MNc/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.16.11%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DExX-2_X9LQ/TfmFmSzefLI/AAAAAAAAFPU/wN4se6B0MNc/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.16.11%2BPM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618668903050673330" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 236px; " /></a>
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<br /></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-44720420090681166912011-06-15T21:06:00.001-07:002011-06-15T21:11:00.379-07:0028mm<div>A new contender! The Tamron bows out at 24mm, and in comes the Canon 28-135 f/3.5-5.6.</div><div>It's EF - kit lens vs. EF-S kit lens in the ultimate sharpness battle.</div><div>I should mention, I did indeed remember to turn off IS on these lenses while using the tripod.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 18-55 kit kind of blows the 28-135 away, in both tests. </div><div>And yes, once again I was off on the zoom amounts.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-93584PZ7njc/TfmBZ22uHRI/AAAAAAAAFO8/RrDcsR5XWrw/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.06.00%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-93584PZ7njc/TfmBZ22uHRI/AAAAAAAAFO8/RrDcsR5XWrw/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.06.00%2BPM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618664291343146258" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-me_-kkCozS8/TfmBYSAbOEI/AAAAAAAAFO0/TJPUNrWap28/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.05.12%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-me_-kkCozS8/TfmBYSAbOEI/AAAAAAAAFO0/TJPUNrWap28/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B11.05.12%2BPM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618664264271870018" /></a>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-48091201458694627782011-06-15T20:58:00.000-07:002011-06-15T21:03:32.003-07:0024mm<div>Click to embiggen</div><div>Canon kit lens wins again - though I suspect I jostled the Tamron slightly in the first shot, it's <i>way </i>softer at the edge of the frame, and somewhat on the kitty.</div><div>I was somewhat inexact with my exact zoom (24vs 23mm).. it's actually really hard to be exact with nothing but the lens markings to go on. I don't claim that these are scientific tests; in fact, the lab bunnies may be responsable for jostling the tripod in the first place. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kPt4M_43wjY/Tfl_onZeQZI/AAAAAAAAFOs/kxP8-crZyFU/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B10.58.24%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kPt4M_43wjY/Tfl_onZeQZI/AAAAAAAAFOs/kxP8-crZyFU/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B10.58.24%2BPM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618662345868722578" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SgSwVUJZhSs/Tfl_niTty3I/AAAAAAAAFOk/c-r16dT84VY/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B10.57.06%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SgSwVUJZhSs/Tfl_niTty3I/AAAAAAAAFOk/c-r16dT84VY/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B10.57.06%2BPM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618662327322528626" /></a>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-64647175562081207742011-06-15T20:48:00.000-07:002011-06-15T20:53:45.166-07:0018mm<div>Click images for larger, and metadata.</div><div>All images shot on Canon Rebel T1i</div><div><br /></div><div>18mm - 18-55 (Canon kit Lens) vs a Tamron ultrawide 10-24.</div><div>The first set is from the side of the frame. The Tamron shows a little more sharpness, but shows a lot of chromatic aberration where the kit lens has none.</div><div><br /></div><div>The second set is from the center of the image. Neither are particularly good, but again the kit lens outperforms the Tamron. The full size image also shows significantly more distortion on the Tammy. I still like the lens, this kind of shooting isn't its strength though.</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7_9vSbexXa8/Tfl9JiILB8I/AAAAAAAAFOc/We_Zddnd23Q/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B10.38.46%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7_9vSbexXa8/Tfl9JiILB8I/AAAAAAAAFOc/We_Zddnd23Q/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B10.38.46%2BPM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618659612854781890" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h2lCn00McR4/Tfl9I4CcoDI/AAAAAAAAFOU/XgWXAxuceUk/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B10.36.35%2BPM.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 237px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h2lCn00McR4/Tfl9I4CcoDI/AAAAAAAAFOU/XgWXAxuceUk/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-15%2Bat%2B10.36.35%2BPM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618659601556480050" /></a>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-19290598670454034212009-07-20T07:00:00.000-07:002009-07-20T07:13:47.877-07:00Rattlesnake !I was fortunate enough to be able to help out with, and partake of the 2009 Spectacular food day. Among the most noteworthy (and spectacular) dishes was a rattlesnake grilled with a honey marinade. This isn't my dish or my recipe, but worthy of a couple of pictures<br /><br />Uncooked, in Marinade:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SmR6JmO7A2I/AAAAAAAABYE/PkCfaI2DaQE/s1600-h/IMG_0275.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SmR6JmO7A2I/AAAAAAAABYE/PkCfaI2DaQE/s400/IMG_0275.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360543761778279266" border="0" /></a><br />The finished product:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SmR6srGzJfI/AAAAAAAABYM/rPPw96KD0Wc/s1600-h/IMG_0297.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SmR6srGzJfI/AAAAAAAABYM/rPPw96KD0Wc/s400/IMG_0297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360544364381808114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The verdict: Kind of like dry chicken. Very little meat wedged in between lots of bones. Tasty enough, but I won't be craving a rattlesnake burger any time soon.<br /><br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/djgee01/Desktop/IMG_0275.JPG" alt="" />Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-28734906095812003172009-03-29T22:19:00.000-07:002009-04-04T14:42:23.540-07:00Chocolate Stout CakeI've been cooking with beer and wine a lot, so this cake instantly caught my attention when I first saw it on the King Arthur Flour website. I've always enjoyed the combination of beer and chocolate, nothing goes better with a stout or porter than some nice dark chocolate - the bitter and the sweet flavors are naturally complementarity.<br />Now this is not your run of the mill chocolate cake, in fact, you can pretty much guarantee any recipe that starts off "add 16 oz of Guinness to 2 cups of melted butter" is going to be a heavy, intense special-occasion type cake.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br /><span id="volume_or_weight"><span id="v_ingredients" style="display: inline;"><span id="IngredientSet"><ul><li id="IngredientLine">2 cups (16 oz) stout or dark beer, such as Guinness</li><li id="IngredientLine">2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter</li><li id="IngredientLine">1 1/2 (4 1/2 oz) cups Dutch-process cocoa</li><li id="IngredientLine">4 (17 oz) cups unbleached all purpose flour.<br /></li><li id="IngredientLine">4 (1 lb. 12 oz) cups sugar</li><li id="IngredientLine">1 tablespoon baking powder<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/bakewell-cream-baking-powder-8-oz"><br /></a></li><li id="IngredientLine">1 1/2 teaspoons salt</li><li id="IngredientLine">4 large eggs</li><li id="IngredientLine">3/4 (6oz) cup sour cream</li></ul>For the frosting:<br /><br /></span></span></span><span id="volume_or_weight"><span id="v_ingredients" style="display: inline;"><span id="IngredientSet"><ul><li id="IngredientLine">1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped</li><li id="IngredientLine">2 cups heavy cream</li><li id="IngredientLine">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</li></ul>A few notes:<br /><br />A scale REALLY helps with this recipe, actually it helps with all baking, but this one especially because you can more accurately split the batter between the two cake pans.<br /><br />Dutch Process cocoa can be bought online, or from Lunds or Byerly's locally, but it's expensive - like $10 for an 8oz box. You can also substitute for Dutch process using this ratio: Add 1/8th teaspoon of baking soda per 3 tablespoons of regular unsweetened cocoa. This is important because the pH. levels are different between the two, and it can affect the rise of the cake if you don't use the right one.<br /></span></span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdBdcG8IQgI/AAAAAAAAARc/0E651k1qNII/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdBdcG8IQgI/AAAAAAAAARc/0E651k1qNII/s400/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318853897405088258" border="0" /></a><br />Melt butter over low heat, add beer and mix.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdBd7b1cEqI/AAAAAAAAARk/wnlFpzda8gg/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdBd7b1cEqI/AAAAAAAAARk/wnlFpzda8gg/s400/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318854435590116002" border="0" /></a>Add cocoa to mixture and whisk until smooth. Let cool.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdBeolrqkNI/AAAAAAAAARs/OhiVfp1KbxQ/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdBeolrqkNI/AAAAAAAAARs/OhiVfp1KbxQ/s400/3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318855211327590610" border="0" /></a><br />Weigh and mix your dry ingredients.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQt1ZHxGjI/AAAAAAAAAR0/IhOcWE8_3QQ/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQt1ZHxGjI/AAAAAAAAAR0/IhOcWE8_3QQ/s400/4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319927455131179570" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">In another bowl mix up the eggs and sour cream...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQt1mxLiWI/AAAAAAAAAR8/FcWY1_ToFMg/s1600-h/5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQt1mxLiWI/AAAAAAAAAR8/FcWY1_ToFMg/s400/5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319927458794539362" border="0" /></a>...and then add the cooled beer mixture to the egg mixture. Stir.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQu1eGIRVI/AAAAAAAAASE/defJrtT9nmE/s1600-h/6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQu1eGIRVI/AAAAAAAAASE/defJrtT9nmE/s400/6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319928555978114386" border="0" /></a><br />Add dry ingredients to wet, and stir until smooth.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQvQA1-yKI/AAAAAAAAASM/uUKK28cAmFY/s1600-h/7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQvQA1-yKI/AAAAAAAAASM/uUKK28cAmFY/s400/7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319929011982223522" border="0" /></a>Split batter between two 9" cake pans, make sure they're at least 2" deep.. cake pans with false bottoms will make your life a lot easier if you have them. Each pan should have 3 lbs (!) of batter in it. Again a scale helps here, along with an awesome rigged up weighing system.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQwPv_5XuI/AAAAAAAAASU/YncE6-oQQv8/s1600-h/8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQwPv_5XuI/AAAAAAAAASU/YncE6-oQQv8/s400/8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319930106972036834" border="0" /></a></div>Put in to bake for 45-50 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Check that it's cooked through with a toothpick in the centre of the cake, when it comes out clean, it's all done. After done, let cool for 20 minutes or so.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQ0JwLMGCI/AAAAAAAAASc/8DOVtcqArGs/s1600-h/9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQ0JwLMGCI/AAAAAAAAASc/8DOVtcqArGs/s400/9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319934401986697250" border="0" /></a>When done, carefully remove from cake pans and place bottom layer on parchment paper. Top will be domed, so you're going to need to cut off the dome to level off the top of the cake. If you don't do this the cake will rest unevenly, and will probably crack.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQ1FDBOPBI/AAAAAAAAASk/ULXwass2xIc/s1600-h/10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQ1FDBOPBI/AAAAAAAAASk/ULXwass2xIc/s400/10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319935420657450002" border="0" /></a> Frost the bottom layer, level off the second layer, and carefully slide on top. This can be done fairly easily by sliding it off a cutting board on to the bottom layer. The frosting will allow a bit of sliding, so you can line up the two layers.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQ2gqD1awI/AAAAAAAAASs/r6o-tEh3BYo/s1600-h/11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQ2gqD1awI/AAAAAAAAASs/r6o-tEh3BYo/s400/11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319936994505485058" border="0" /></a>Frost the rest as best you can. My frosting skills leave much to be desired, so I'm not going to give you any advice here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQ2yyAnuBI/AAAAAAAAAS0/UxW3pY7LdS4/s1600-h/12.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SdQ2yyAnuBI/AAAAAAAAAS0/UxW3pY7LdS4/s400/12.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319937305877133330" border="0" /></a><br />Add sprinkles. Preferably animal shaped. I've chosen to go with the gorilla vs. sharks motif, but feel free to substitute elephants, dolphins or what have you.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; font-weight: bold;">Frosting:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't take any pictures of this but it's fairly simple.<br />1. Heat cream until small bubbles rise up along side of sauce pan.<br /><br />2. Chop chocolate, and when cream is heated pour it over chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Add vanilla and mix thoroughly. Don't overheat or boil the cream.<br /><br />3. Place bowl in refrigerator, and let cool mixing every 20 minutes until the frosting is spreadable.<br /></div></div><br /><br />This cake weighs something like 7.5 lbs when fully assembled, and a little bit goes a long way. You could make this a 3 layer cake without changing the recipe by using 3x 8" cake pans instead of the 9" that I used.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-21545186315589914642009-03-23T18:06:00.000-07:002009-03-24T13:04:28.171-07:00How we bake a cakeAn awesome update is in the works, and by in the works I mean it's in the oven.<br />This should give you a hint<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-azqXygCzO8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-azqXygCzO8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-80582017842774231232009-03-21T08:45:00.000-07:002009-03-24T13:05:15.212-07:00LiondromeIs this what people did before the internet?<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScUL6I9cHRI/AAAAAAAAARM/fMIYXkQp4dc/s1600-h/3363148692_a97487cf11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 310px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScUL6I9cHRI/AAAAAAAAARM/fMIYXkQp4dc/s400/3363148692_a97487cf11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315668028646235410" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScUMjBdPwPI/AAAAAAAAARU/Vjx8aOEQ7i4/s1600-h/catladyl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 305px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScUMjBdPwPI/AAAAAAAAARU/Vjx8aOEQ7i4/s400/catladyl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315668731006796018" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-92095741196177573942009-03-18T19:42:00.000-07:002009-03-24T13:06:31.522-07:00Vanilla Ice CreamAfter months of testing in my secret underground laboratory I've finally cracked the secret to the perfect vanilla ice cream. Now what you're going to need is 2 5 liter graduated cylinders, a street urchin apprentice that you keep in the basement and feed scraps, and the leaves of the rare Silverthorn plant, picked at the peak of ripeness under a full moon. A sweet beard, and performing a complex interpretive dance also helps, but is not strictly necessary.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScGyv8n6xnI/AAAAAAAAAQE/qsMWt1kDSs8/s1600-h/alchemy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScGyv8n6xnI/AAAAAAAAAQE/qsMWt1kDSs8/s400/alchemy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314725572071048818" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Artist's interpretation of me making ice cream.</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Now, as an alternative you can just follow the recipe for Vanilla Bean Ice Cream in the instruction book that comes with your Cuisinart ice cream maker.<br />Necessary ingredients:<br />1 1/2 Cups Whole Milk (or 2%)<br />1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream<br />1 Whole Vanilla Bean<br />2 Large Eggs<br />3 Large Egg Yolks<br />3/4 Cups sugar<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG14RQKTgI/AAAAAAAAAQM/-phytvQqfxU/s1600-h/bean.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG14RQKTgI/AAAAAAAAAQM/-phytvQqfxU/s400/bean.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314729013582384642" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:courier new;" >Figure 1.</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">For those of you who's lives do not revolve around cooking, these are vanilla beans. They're the 2nd most expensive spice in the world (after saffron), and are what stuff like vanilla extract comes from. You can actually get them pretty cheaply from <a href="http://www.kitchenwindow.com/">Kitchen Window</a>. They are key in this recipe, accept no substitutes. To properly use a vanilla bean, split it down the center and then scrape out the vanilla seeds on each half of the bean with a knife. The seeds are what will give the ice cream the deep, rich flavor that you can't get with any other ingredient. I tried to take pictures of this step, but the seeds are too small, and my kitchen is too dark for my camera.. look it up!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG3euHJDrI/AAAAAAAAAQU/jUvkJW68AM4/s1600-h/cooked.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG3euHJDrI/AAAAAAAAAQU/jUvkJW68AM4/s400/cooked.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314730773675839154" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Vanilla pod not shown.. but it's in there.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Your first step is to scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream, and then drop the 2 halves of the bean into the cream. Steep the vanilla bean in the cream and milk at medium heat in a medium saucepan for about 30 minutes, never bringing it past a light simmer. Watch this carefully, stirring often and scraping the sides of the pan with a spatula. At the end of the 30 minutes, remove the 2 halves of the bean, leaving only the heavily vanilla flavored cream.<br /><br />A note on the cream: The half cream, half whole milk is entirely variable. Obviously the more cream you use, the richer the ice cream will be. I've tend to use whatever I have on hand, and usually end up using a mix of heavy cream and skim milk. I've also used entirely half and half. This is a good way to cut fat, but beware, the less fat in the milk/cream mixture the harder it will freeze. An ice cream made out of nothing but skim milk would be a white colored brick of ice once re-hardened.. not too appetizing. Experimentation is the key here.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG4bYG30XI/AAAAAAAAAQc/fGLfEIf0rOg/s1600-h/bowl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG4bYG30XI/AAAAAAAAAQc/fGLfEIf0rOg/s400/bowl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314731815741149554" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG4b4w8LMI/AAAAAAAAAQk/CUtaNfjMWBQ/s1600-h/mixed.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG4b4w8LMI/AAAAAAAAAQk/CUtaNfjMWBQ/s400/mixed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314731824507530434" border="0" /></a></div><br />In the meantime, mix your 3 yolks, and 2 full eggs in with 3/4 of a cup of sugar until it is smooth and creamy.. a couple of minutes. I realize my picture doesn't show enough eggs, because I originally misread the recipe, and only added 3 eggs total.. it still turned out great. The amount of eggs can actually be changed around quite a bit, from all yolks, all the way down to no egg at all (but that's another recipe). After some experimentation I've settled on using 3-5 egg yolks only, the whites of the eggs tend to froth up into a foam that doesn't incorporate easily back into the ice cream, so I cut them altogether.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG4b4w8LMI/AAAAAAAAAQk/CUtaNfjMWBQ/s1600-h/mixed.jpg"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG6xaC8UPI/AAAAAAAAAQs/jgkjDaVjYgk/s1600-h/tempered.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG6xaC8UPI/AAAAAAAAAQs/jgkjDaVjYgk/s400/tempered.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314734393241915634" border="0" /></a></div></div></div><br />Now comes the tricky part. Well it's not all that tricky, but this is the step that makes or breaks the ice cream (literally). What you've got to do now is combine your hot cream mixture, with your egg and sugar mixture. The trick here is.. if you pour very hot cream over egg yolks, you know what you're going to get.... and let me tell you right now you do NOT want little chunks of scrambled egg floating in your ice cream. That would be your literal "breaking" of your custard (which is what this really is), when the egg curdles, and then separates from the cram.. leaving egg floating in your cream.<br /><br />So the only way to combine these two liquids, without that happening is combining them slowly, and with a lot of stirring. Slowly pour 1 1/2 cups of your cream mixture into the bowl with your egg mixture, whisking all the while (I use my electric mixer, much easier).. If you think it's getting too hot too fast, slow down and mix for a while. Once the egg mixture is brought up to a reasonable heat, transfer the entire mixture back to the sauce pot with the remaining cream.. again, not too quickly, and with lots of stirring.<br /><br />The next step can be equally treacherous, you've got to bring the whole mixture back up to heat so the custard can thicken, but not so hot as the egg with curdle. Turn on the heat, medium low, and stir as it reheats. An instant digital thermometer is a GREAT help here (like $10.. you should have one). The minimum you're looking for is about 150 degrees, because you need to make sure you kill any nasty stuff that is in those raw egg yolks. Around 170-180 degrees you should notice a pretty significant thickening in the custard. This is cooking alchemy at work, ad though there is probably an ideal temperature to bring your custard up to, the old custard moniker "until it coats the back of a spoon" is usually good enough. Absolutely do NOT bring it up past 185 unless you want scrambled eggs in your ice cream... Watch this very closely, and always error on the cool side, as opposed to the hot side (as long as you're above 150).<br />If any food-types feel like flipping through a Harold McGee book to find out the actual temperatures for thickening custard I would be appreciative.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TLDR VERSION</span>: Don't bring this to a boil unless you like egg ice cream.<br /><br /><br />Cool your Mixture until it's just above freezing, a bowl in the fridge / freezer with plastic wrap directly on top of the custard (touching it) is the best method.. this will make the churning process easier.<br />Transfer Ice cream to ice cream maker, turn on, and stare transfixed into your machine for the next 25-30 minutes as ice cream is created in front of your very eyes!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG_Ys8Zz1I/AAAAAAAAAQ0/Gv3wXQmgYhw/s1600-h/machine1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG_Ys8Zz1I/AAAAAAAAAQ0/Gv3wXQmgYhw/s400/machine1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314739466376171346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG_ZED_3GI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/5WL7RIgrwTM/s1600-h/machine-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG_ZED_3GI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/5WL7RIgrwTM/s400/machine-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314739472582040674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG_ZFezvbI/AAAAAAAAARE/2FG_pfDOyl0/s1600-h/final.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/ScG_ZFezvbI/AAAAAAAAARE/2FG_pfDOyl0/s400/final.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314739472962928050" border="0" /></a><br />This stuff doesn't even need a topping it's so good. Mind blowingly, crazy flavor explosion good. Seriously.<br /><br />Don't let this recipe scare you, despite this post's epic length, and abundant warnings this is actually a very easy recipe. Easy enough that I think I'll bring back my old defunct ratings system.<br /><br />Difficulty 6/10 - Potential problems with the eggs curdling, other than that.. easy.<br /><br />Taste aka deliciousness - 10 / 10 As good as a banger in the mouth, or here in the colonies, a sausage in the mouth.<br /></div></div></div></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-74938243997995438502009-03-12T19:45:00.001-07:002009-04-02T07:07:36.533-07:00Beer BreadDo you like beer? Do you like bread? Do I have a recipe for you. This is the easiest, and some of the best bread I've made yet.. and it's infinitely <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">customizable</span>. <div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:13;" ><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li style="margin: 0px 0px 9px; padding: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: none; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">3 cups all purpose unbleached flour</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 9px; padding: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: none; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">3 teaspoons baking powder</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 9px; padding: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: none; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">1 teaspoon salt</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 9px; padding: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: none; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">1/4 cup sugar</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 9px; padding: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: none; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">1 (12 ounce) can beer</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 9px; padding: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; list-style-type: none; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">1/4 cup melted butter</span></li></ul><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">Directions:</span></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;font-size:13;" ><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;font-size:13;" ><ol style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">1. Preheat Oven to 375</span></span></ol><ol style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">2. Mix dry ingredients with beer in seperate bowl.</span></span></ol><ol style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">3. Pour mixture into a greased (or non-stick sprayed) loaf pan. (don't skip this or you'll never get your bread out)</span></span></ol><ol style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">4. Even mixture out in pan and pour melted butter over top of dough.</span></span></ol><ol style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">5. Bake for 50min to 1hr, or until the top and sides become brown and crusty. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.</span></span></ol><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">That's it! No kneading, no proofing, not even any yeast - the yeast in the beer is used as the levener, the baking powder gives it an extra kick.</span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">Variations:</span></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">Butter: I used 2 tablespoons instead of 1/4 of a cup, and it was still delicous. I wouldn't recommend completely cutting it out, but you definately don't need to use the full amount.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">Beer: Different beers will give the bread different flavors, I recommend using something with a strong flavor to give the bread a nice tangy flavor. I've tried Summit EPA, and Pauliner Amber - both were excellent, but the amber came through more in the finished bread.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">Whole Wheat Beer Bread: 2 Cups Whole wheat flour, 1 cup All Purpose.Cut down the sugar if you don't want it quite so sweet.<br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">Beer Cheese bread: Add 1 to 1.5 cups of shredded cheese to dough mix.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">Now I pose you a question.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">Which food goes well with beer?</span></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">The correct answer is </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">Nachos.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">So I present to you my jalapeno-cheese-beer bread photo essay. Delicious.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 17px;font-size:15;" ><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SbnOEVM6ixI/AAAAAAAAAPc/HMXX81-GThw/s1600-h/jalapeno-cheese.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SbnOEVM6ixI/AAAAAAAAAPc/HMXX81-GThw/s400/jalapeno-cheese.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312503809266322194" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SbnOEZH-W3I/AAAAAAAAAPk/c9LQyFhoKzo/s1600-h/mixed.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SbnOEZH-W3I/AAAAAAAAAPk/c9LQyFhoKzo/s400/mixed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312503810319342450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SbnOEgiNWHI/AAAAAAAAAPs/sZ241_2Mbik/s1600-h/loaf-pan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SbnOEgiNWHI/AAAAAAAAAPs/sZ241_2Mbik/s400/loaf-pan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312503812308424818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SbnOE4LTAtI/AAAAAAAAAP0/zLyDZX2V1aM/s1600-h/cut.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SbnOE4LTAtI/AAAAAAAAAP0/zLyDZX2V1aM/s400/cut.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312503818654778066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SbnOFCbTohI/AAAAAAAAAP8/030eNc-z1tM/s1600-h/plated.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SbnOFCbTohI/AAAAAAAAAP8/030eNc-z1tM/s400/plated.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312503821406282258" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div></span></div></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-16407512433980678862009-02-14T12:29:00.000-08:002009-02-14T12:56:09.023-08:00Butter nutsIt is the season for winter squash. Acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash are abundant and cheap right now and you can make them into just about anything.<br />That said, I hate squash, hate hate hate it. Now I have nothing against it, I really <span style="font-style: italic;">want </span>to like it, because it's abundant, cheap and can be made into just about anything but the flavors have never really been my favorite. I can enjoy a butternut squash soup now and again, but generally I stay away from it.<br /><br />Last week I decided that with my new found love of roasting all vegetables, I had to give them a second chance. It only cost me about $1 anyway. The roasting process itself is fairly self explanatory, but I admit I had no idea how to actually prepare one for cooking.<br /><br />So here is a photo exploration of preparing the most phallic of all vegetables for roasting, the butternut squash.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZcsJcFmPVI/AAAAAAAAAOw/GbSNLcd7zYY/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZcsJcFmPVI/AAAAAAAAAOw/GbSNLcd7zYY/s400/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302755626922163538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZcsDmUo0aI/AAAAAAAAAOg/4MryfYDs8kM/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZcsDmUo0aI/AAAAAAAAAOg/4MryfYDs8kM/s400/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302755526590386594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZcsDiCDhWI/AAAAAAAAAOY/l4PlOzIQTvQ/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZcsDiCDhWI/AAAAAAAAAOY/l4PlOzIQTvQ/s400/3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302755525438702946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZcsDc1-r_I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/FOJVfuF8qrc/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZcsDc1-r_I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/FOJVfuF8qrc/s400/4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302755524045877234" border="0" /></a>Cut off the top and bottom so it will stand<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZcsDVo6VEI/AAAAAAAAAOI/nN9F1P2Q8zs/s1600-h/5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZcsDVo6VEI/AAAAAAAAAOI/nN9F1P2Q8zs/s400/5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302755522112017474" border="0" /></a>Olive oil, kosher salt and pepper.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZcsDQFQVTI/AAAAAAAAAOA/5ZeHa7oSYsE/s1600-h/6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZcsDQFQVTI/AAAAAAAAAOA/5ZeHa7oSYsE/s400/6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302755520620287282" border="0" /></a>425 F for about 30 min or until crispy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Verdict: This was okay, a lot better than squash I've had in the past. I'm sure actual squash lovers would enjoy it a lot more than I did. It actually was nice leftover, served with huevos rancheros as kind of of a pseudo plantain (another thing I don't like).<br />I need to find another squash recipe though, I bought 2 of the damn things and it's sitting in my pantry staring at me, imploring at me to use it before it goes bad.<br /></div><br /></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-33831586836307171502009-02-11T17:34:00.000-08:002009-02-11T18:01:22.058-08:00Couscous PieThis is the ultimate flexible leftover-user recipe. I adapted this from a polenta pie I made several weeks ago, substituting whatever I had in my fridge or my pantry.<br /><br />Begin by cooking your couscous so it will have a chance to cool, approx a 1:1 ratio of couscous to water or flavorful liquid (I used chicken broth). Let cool and then dish into a pie pan. Form it up as best you can into something like a pie crust. I didn't get too fussy with this step, but I did try to compress it as much as I could so it would stay together. I put the crust into a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes before I put in the ingredients, but I don't think it's absolutely necessary.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZN_Fxr5aYI/AAAAAAAAANI/zgRDZYxN7Gg/s1600-h/fill.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 338px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZN_Fxr5aYI/AAAAAAAAANI/zgRDZYxN7Gg/s400/fill.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301720923558734210" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZN_GNgnOtI/AAAAAAAAANQ/N2mWFSnaUQ8/s1600-h/IMG_8006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 337px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZN_GNgnOtI/AAAAAAAAANQ/N2mWFSnaUQ8/s400/IMG_8006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301720931027598034" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Saute your ingredients before they go into the pie, to mix their flavors and soften them up. I went with Onions and Kale, and after they had softened up I added a can of tomatoes (Better than fresh this time of year), black beans, garlic, green beans, and some assorted seasoning. Feel free to use whatever you want, just try to keep it relatively dry or it will saturate the bottom layer of couscous.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZOADxIzDtI/AAAAAAAAANY/ftLRhOMNeaU/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 337px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZOADxIzDtI/AAAAAAAAANY/ftLRhOMNeaU/s400/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301721988563406546" border="0" /></a></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZOAD4_j_AI/AAAAAAAAANg/EsRUZgb9WXM/s1600-h/cook.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 338px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZOAD4_j_AI/AAAAAAAAANg/EsRUZgb9WXM/s400/cook.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301721990672153602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Take your crust out of the oven and fill with ingredients.. but not too full. At this point you can either bake it as is, or cobble together some sort of pseudo couscous crust. I chose the latter, and I'm really glad I did.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZOA9KMv5ZI/AAAAAAAAANo/Stt7_pLk7aw/s1600-h/open.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 338px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZOA9KMv5ZI/AAAAAAAAANo/Stt7_pLk7aw/s400/open.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301722974543406482" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZOA9AmrFzI/AAAAAAAAANw/RD8lOsyCSXk/s1600-h/pie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 338px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZOA9AmrFzI/AAAAAAAAANw/RD8lOsyCSXk/s400/pie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301722971967788850" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Bake at 400, for about 30 minutes, or until the couscous on top starts to brown.<br />It's not going to hold together very well, but that doesn't matter.. just scrape it out as best you can and top it preferably with some decent parmigiano reggiano, but any sort of strong cheese would do.. it really brings the flavors together. The couscous on top should be crispy and delicious, and the "crust" should hold together fairly well.<br /><br />This recipe works even better with cornmeal or polenta, so use it if you have it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZOCWbmcxGI/AAAAAAAAAN4/ITawctQDfy0/s1600-h/slice.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 338px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SZOCWbmcxGI/AAAAAAAAAN4/ITawctQDfy0/s400/slice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301724508222964834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Cooking time start to finish. About an hour, with 30 minutes of that being in the oven.<br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-43138902374487779072009-02-04T17:59:00.000-08:002009-02-04T18:52:41.612-08:00The story of an impusive buySelf control is not one of my strengths, especially when it comes to new cooking toys. I own a rice cooker, a digital scale, 2(!) sets of measuring spoons, an immersion blender, hand mixer, a George Foreman grill... even a magic bullet blender! So what do you think I did is when I spotted a brand new toy for the very reasonable cost of $39 at a local housewares store?<br /><br />Why i brought it home of course.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SYpPeq_BPOI/AAAAAAAAALg/Knzq8cbOG6M/s1600-h/machine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SYpPeq_BPOI/AAAAAAAAALg/Knzq8cbOG6M/s400/machine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299135299908091106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SYpUa3f0MdI/AAAAAAAAAMI/wyGyT16MsjM/s1600-h/close.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SYpUa3f0MdI/AAAAAAAAAMI/wyGyT16MsjM/s400/close.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299140732105535954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The only down side to this particular impulsive buy is that I can't immediately go home and start playing with it, I had to let the bucket freeze overnight. That night I dreamed of the many delicious flavors I would concoct.. Strawberry, Chocolate, Strawberry Chocolate!, Coffee, mint chip...bacon? chicken? chicken and bacon topped with gravy ice cream? who knows where this could take me.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SYpTBJWEZnI/AAAAAAAAAL4/tfzHpJACH8k/s1600-h/bob-ross.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 305px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SYpTBJWEZnI/AAAAAAAAAL4/tfzHpJACH8k/s320/bob-ross.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299139190708266610" border="0" /></a></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SYpTHDlfi1I/AAAAAAAAAMA/ijUNVy5qPlc/s1600-h/mad_scientist.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SYpTHDlfi1I/AAAAAAAAAMA/ijUNVy5qPlc/s320/mad_scientist.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299139292241562450" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My ice cream creations will be a terrible hybrid of art and science, half Bob Ross, half Dr. Frankenstein. Soon my creations will be unleashed upon the world... and I'll blog about it.<br /></div></div></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-67092901794225773632009-01-28T12:55:00.001-08:002009-01-28T13:21:15.464-08:00Epic FailMy cooking failures are far more interesting than my successes. They will be posted in due time.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SYDMNLyir3I/AAAAAAAAALA/DwCx37OZQBM/s1600-h/china+fireman.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SYDMNLyir3I/AAAAAAAAALA/DwCx37OZQBM/s400/china+fireman.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296457688662847346" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I wish I could take credit for this</span><br /><br /><br /></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-48699065035095659772009-01-25T18:28:00.000-08:002009-01-25T19:55:56.538-08:00Roasted VegetablesIt's recently come to my attention that I have at least one more person reading this blog than I had previously thought. Welcome... I think this brings the total to a half dozen at least, I'll try not to disappoint. I will also put forth exactly 4.5% more effort into each post, starting tomorrow.<br /><br />I have a real passion for food literature, and recently there have been an abundance of very good books about food. My obsession started with Michael Pollan's "The omnivore's dilemma", and continued on to his other books, as well as whatever else I can get my hands on. (recommendations anybody?) In fact, I've gotten to the point where the cooking section of my book collection rivals the science, and politics sections. In addition to being a pain in the ass to pack up whenever I move, these books have a real impact on what I cook.<br /><br />The most positive impact has probably come from the aformentioned Omnivore's dilemma, an excellent book even if you're not that in to cooking. Everybody eats, and I think that everyone should become more aware of what is going on behind the scenes of big agriculture, and big grocery. The book is a bit of a slow burn, with the first section dealing very excluslivly with corn and soy, the two big crops of this country, but it quickly ties it back in to our whole food system. It's quite eye opening to know just how much corn and soy product go into the food that you eat every day. Michael Pollan boils the book down to the slogan "eat food, not too much, mostly plants". During the summer I tried to follow these simple instructions, and for a time I suceeded. An abundance of fresh ingredients in the summer makes this a lot easier than in the winter, when much of the fresh produce in the stores is of lower quality, or is shipped from very far away. Winter makes most of us crave warm, starchy comfort food as well, making it even harder.<br /><br />I recently picked up Mark Bittman's new book "Food Matters - A guide to conscious eating", and I think it's convinced me to give the idea another go. His philosophy is the same basic one as Pollan's, without the catchprase. Basically it's an elmination of most of the processed foods, refined sugars and starches in your day to day diet. Now I've never been big on the processed food anyway, but I'm an absolute fiend for pasta and bread, especially considering I make so much of it myself. Now this isn't a "diet", or any sort of deprivation based food plan, just a gradual shift to making plants the main focus of more dishes. One of my newest loves is roasting vegetables; roasting a piece of broccoli or a parsnip or other hearty vegetable at a high heat will caramalize the exterior and give it a flavor and texture that you will never get with the more traditional preparation methods of steaming or (ick) boiling vegetables.<br /><br />Here are two roasted vegetables which I used as the main component of the dish.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Broccoli</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SX0vgYevACI/AAAAAAAAAKg/rZT1a7zbS8s/s1600-h/raw-broc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 337px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SX0vgYevACI/AAAAAAAAAKg/rZT1a7zbS8s/s400/raw-broc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295440970231250978" border="0" /></a><br />Preparation method:<br /><ul><li>1. Preheat oven to 425 F.<br /></li><li>Take 1-2 lbs of broccoli and cut into large florets. Make sure broccoli is dry or it won't roast correctly. I didn't even wash mine because I figured the heat would kill anything bad.</li><li>Toss broccoli with a few tbs olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and chopped garlic.<br /></li><li>Place broccoli on lined cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until it starts to crisp on the outside. I shook the pan once or twice to flip the florets, but I'm not sure it's strictly necessary. Broccoli will crisp and darken.<br /></li><li>When broccoli is done, sprinkle a little more olive oil, the zest of 1 lemon, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and the juice of 1 lemon over the broccoli. You can also add roasted pine nuts as pictured above. This last step isn't strictly necessary, I made this twice, the 2nd time without the cheese or lemon and it was still very good, but the lemon does give it a nice flavor.<br /></li></ul></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SX0vguTMumI/AAAAAAAAAKo/dQqHDVRw2cg/s1600-h/cooked-broc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 337px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SX0vguTMumI/AAAAAAAAAKo/dQqHDVRw2cg/s400/cooked-broc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295440976088447586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brussel sprouts<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SX0xtrR9JLI/AAAAAAAAAKw/DQWIkZHAklc/s1600-h/raw-sprout.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 337px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SX0xtrR9JLI/AAAAAAAAAKw/DQWIkZHAklc/s400/raw-sprout.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295443397639480498" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Preparation method:<br /><ul><li>Preheat oven to 425 F.</li><li>In a bowl toss sprouts with several tablespoons of olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. Mix to coat the exteriors of the sprouts.<br /></li><li>Lay out sprouts on a cookie sheet.</li><li>Roast for 35-40 minutes, occasionally shaking cookie sheet to turn over sprouts. I had mine in for about 40 and they were a little overdone. Exteriors should look brown and crunchy, almost burnt, and the interiors should be hot and steamy, but not mushy. Pull one out at 35 minutes and cut into it if you're not sure.<br /></li></ul></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SX0xtnp1DOI/AAAAAAAAAK4/ql2IbtEa_3c/s1600-h/cooked-sprout.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 337px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SX0xtnp1DOI/AAAAAAAAAK4/ql2IbtEa_3c/s400/cooked-sprout.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295443396665871586" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Now I've always loved broccoli, but this was unlike any broccoli I've ever had.. crispy, salty, and very delicious it can easily be the main event in a dish. I've never really liked sprouts, but roasting them gives them a wonderful buttery, crispy outer layer, and a creamy interior (the interior of the sprout steams using its own liquid). I served this along side some sauteed cumin and paprika shrimp for a perfect light meal.<br /><br /><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-61420964132488187652009-01-22T18:25:00.000-08:002009-01-22T19:12:42.232-08:00Cavatappi with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Cannellini BeansDinner in a box:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXkrGHpnzRI/AAAAAAAAAKI/R-O67vefR88/s1600-h/ingred.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 460px; height: 345px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXkrGHpnzRI/AAAAAAAAAKI/R-O67vefR88/s400/ingred.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294310221083561234" border="0" /></a>So having finished season 4 of Dr. Who, and being all caught up on Lost I've been watching season 1 of top chef. I've never really watched any cooking shows, but I find it interesting to see the beautiful food they prepare by just varying the theme of a classic, or basic dish. Most of their dishes seem to have a main focus, with variations on that theme, and then garnishes that play off those flavors. They know how to use their ingredients to full effect, and to really bring out all the flavor. The true test of a cook is when you can make a good dish with what ingredients you have on hand, rather than having to go out and buy specialty ingredients for everything you make. It's the difference between following a recipe, and instinctively knowing what goes with what.<br /><br />So in that spirit I give you cavatappi with sun-dried tomatoes and Canellini Beans. This is a great weekday dish, everything comes from a jar, a box, or a pantry staple, yet it still manages to taste fresh and surprisingly substantial. It's a great way to avoid too-salty jarred pasta sauces, and could be varied in many ways. It also fulfills my vegetarian recipe promise.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 Box Cavatappi pasta - This could be substituted for any other substiantial pasta, but don't try with spagetti. I'll probably try whole-grain penne next time, but the Cavatappi is awesome if you can find it.<br /><br />1 8oz Jar of sun dried tomatoes - find them pre-julinenned if you want to save yourself the trouble of cutting them yourself. I had to go to byerly's to find the cavatappi and tomatos.<br /><br />1 Can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans), widely available... and no, the're not pictured above.<br /><br />Olive oil<br />Red pepper flakes<br />Garlic<br /><br /><br /><ul><li>1. Start boiling the pasta until it is al dente. (tip, for great pasta use lots of salt in the water)<br /></li><li>2. In a large skillet add 2 tbsp olive oil, and 2 tbsp of oil from the sun dried tomato jar. Add 4 large sliced cloves of garlic, and brown garlic for approx. 1 minute. Add 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes and let toast for another 30 seconds.</li><li>3. Add the sun dried tomatoes, which you've drained and cut into thin strips. Spread them out and let them toast for a minute or two, and then ladle in 1 cup of the pasta water. Simmer until the liquid reduces by half.</li><li>4. When liquid is reduced add 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed. In addition add salt (unless you salted your pasta water), and 1 1/2 cups more pasta water. Bring water to a slow boil and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes, or until you think you'll end up with a pasta sauce, and not a pasta soup. The pasta will absorb some of the water.</li></ul><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXkyTC5WDuI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/_-MM9VIgg5Q/s1600-h/simmer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 460px; height: 345px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXkyTC5WDuI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/_-MM9VIgg5Q/s400/simmer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294318139727023842" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li>5. Once your pasta is al dente, drain it and add to the skillet. Stir around to cover in the sauce, most of the liquid sitting at the bottom should disappear.<br /></li><li>Add half a cup of your favorite cheese (I used parmigiano reggiano), and if you wish, garnish with fresh parsley or a herb of your choice. I had left over cilantro so I used that.</li></ul><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXkzoA2K9wI/AAAAAAAAAKY/mx52jAXmNmE/s1600-h/done.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 460px; height: 345px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXkzoA2K9wI/AAAAAAAAAKY/mx52jAXmNmE/s400/done.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294319599465723650" border="0" /></a></div><br />This recipe makes a lot of food if you make the whole box, so feel free to half the recipe if you don't want that much food, or don't have a skillet big enough to hold a whole box of pasta. I used a 12" non-stick. Top-chef material it is not, but I still think you will enjoy it. Stephen on that show is a total douche bag anyway, don't be like him.. make this for dinner.<br /><br />Until next time.<br /><span class="thequote"><q>Let us have a dagger between our teeth, a bomb in our hands, and an infinite scorn in our hearts</q></span>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-83358808661580000112009-01-20T19:56:00.000-08:002009-01-20T19:57:21.187-08:00Grapevine<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/87FjkqtK67o&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/87FjkqtK67o&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-75933861049962982002009-01-19T17:05:00.000-08:002009-01-19T17:14:06.724-08:00Panko PorkJust a quick variation on the Panko chicken I posed earlier. This version uses a flour/spice dredge in addition to the egg and panko.. the flour will help the egg, and thus the panko stick a little better.<br /><br />Recipe:<br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2 teaspoons all-purpose flour</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1/4 teaspoon onion powder</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1/4 teaspoon ground cumin</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1/4 teaspoon chili powder</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1/8 teaspoon ground red/black pepper</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 teaspoon soy sauce</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 large egg white</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1/3 cup panko</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 teaspoon canola oil</span><br /><br /><p style="font-family: arial;">To prepare pork, preheat oven to 450°.</p><p style="font-family: arial;">Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce and egg white in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place panko in a shallow dish.</p><p style="font-family: arial;">Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat, sear each side of the pork chop for 1.5 minutes, or until it is nicely browned. Remove from heat and let cool.<br /></p>When pork is cool dredge in flour mixture, dip in egg mixture and then dredge in panko. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until done. Meat should be about 155 degrees, this is where an instant read thermometer comes in really handy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXUkwZ4rLFI/AAAAAAAAAJk/vTTS66jf0oM/s1600-h/panko-porkchops.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 532px; height: 398px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXUkwZ4rLFI/AAAAAAAAAJk/vTTS66jf0oM/s400/panko-porkchops.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293177351044803666" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Verdict: Very good but the chicken thighs are better, probably because they have more fat.<br /><br />I have vegetarian dishes coming next.. really.<br /></div></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-39921090124531958762009-01-17T23:09:00.000-08:002009-01-17T23:55:18.362-08:00Brioche will make you strong and tanI've probably made this brioche more times than any other food, save for perhaps instant ramen, and popcorn. Brioche is a rich butter and egg based enriched bread that rises easily, and works with many different flavors. With this one recipe you can make endless variations, stuff the bread with fruit, chocolate, bacon (seriously), or whatever else you have laying around and you can pretty much guarantee it's going to be delicious. This recipe is the no-knead version.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 1/2 cups lukewarm water<br />1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast<br />1 1/2 tablespoons salt<br />8 eggs, lightly beaten<br />1/2 cup honey<br />3 sticks of unsalted butter, melted<br />7 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br /><br />Recipe will yield about 4 lbs of dough. Feel free to half or quarter this recipe, though it will result in halving or quartering the amount of delicious bread you'll end up with.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXLWJjXbphI/AAAAAAAAAJc/NguGD7rGlWw/s1600-h/ingred.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXLWJjXbphI/AAAAAAAAAJc/NguGD7rGlWw/s400/ingred.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292527971714442770" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Brioche will make you healthy.<br /></span></div><br /><ul><li>1. Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter with the water in a 5 qt bowl, or a lidded, but not air-tight, food container. I've been using old ice-cream buckets because they're the perfect size, i can punch a hole in the lid, and they don't take up as much room as a bowl in the fridge.<br /></li></ul><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXLWJYGRgiI/AAAAAAAAAJU/INTLWhFV82Y/s1600-h/double-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXLWJYGRgiI/AAAAAAAAAJU/INTLWhFV82Y/s400/double-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292527968689685026" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li>2. Measure out 7 1/2 cups of AP flour (or 2 lbs + 1 cup for those with scales).<br /></li></ul><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXLWJS8Y-mI/AAAAAAAAAJM/Y6C08K-kHUA/s1600-h/mixed.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXLWJS8Y-mI/AAAAAAAAAJM/Y6C08K-kHUA/s400/mixed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292527967306054242" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lifeless and kind of gross looking.</span><br /></div><ul><li>3. Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon or spatula (or a machine with a dough hook if you're some sort of robot-lover). Try to incorporate all of the flour, but don't over work the dough. I find a good spatula works best for this because you can scrape the sides and bottom of the bucket easily. The dough will be wet, loose, and lumpy.</li></ul><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXLWJBMflDI/AAAAAAAAAJE/Wh3nwt-Lw8k/s1600-h/risen1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXLWJBMflDI/AAAAAAAAAJE/Wh3nwt-Lw8k/s400/risen1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292527962541757490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">He has risen!<br /></span></div><br /><ul><li>4. Cover (not airtight) and allow dough to rest at room temperature until dough rises, approximately 2 hours.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>5. After initial rise put dough in the fridge until it is chilled through. Brioche is very very difficult to work with unless it is chilled. Dough will last in the fridge for up to 5 days. The dough will also freeze well, in 1 lb portions.</li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brioche Loaf</span><br /></div>If you just want to make a "loaf" of brioche, dust the top of the dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit sized) ball of dough. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all sides, turning the ball as you go. Then elongate dough, and place into a greased dough pan. You can also free - form this loaf on a baking stone, it wont rise as nicely though. <br /><br />Allow dough to rest for 1 hr 20 minutes before baking.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350.<br /><br />Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the loaf with egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water).<br /><br />Place the bread near the center of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a golden brown.<br /><br />Allow to cool.<br /><br />EAT<br /><br />Ok, I don't have a picture of this "loaf" because it's not very exciting, though it is still delicious. In the next few days I'll follow this up with some variations on the loaf recipe, mostly involving either cheese or chocolate so you know it's going to be good.<br /><br /><br />Strength and honor.Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-69368796591555927712009-01-15T20:09:00.000-08:002009-01-15T21:08:07.464-08:00You should probably roast a chickenAfter murdering a chicken 2 weeks ago attempting to make chicken adobo in a slow cooker, i decided I had to redeem myself by making the simplest of chicken dishes, a roast chicken...<br />Roasting a chicken is the epitome of minimalism in cooking, it can be as simple, or as complicated as you want it to be.<br /><br /><br />Necessary Equipment:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXALxNCDngI/AAAAAAAAAIM/QxLG1yDLWms/s1600-h/LOD5SK2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 292px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXALxNCDngI/AAAAAAAAAIM/QxLG1yDLWms/s320/LOD5SK2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291742502100114946" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXAL70e9vxI/AAAAAAAAAIU/tjgYyfmw3gU/s1600-h/raw.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 355px; height: 282px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXAL70e9vxI/AAAAAAAAAIU/tjgYyfmw3gU/s320/raw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291742684489039634" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Seriously. That's it. You could probably add salt or something too.<br /><br />Ok, what happened to those black speckled roasting pans that make an appearance every thanksgiving? You can use one if you want, but it's not necessary... preferable (at least for this recipe) is a heavy 12" cast iron skillet. If you don't own one, you should... they'll run you about $20 and they're practically indestructible, I cook everything but eggs in mine. The idea here is that the skillet gets preheated, and will sear and cook the slower-to cook dark meat on the bottom of the chicken faster, while the breast will cook slower, the skin will crisp, and it will keep all of it's juices.<br /><br />The method, as stolen from Mark Bittman.<br /><ol><li>Heat your oven to 450°. Five minutes after turning on the oven, put a cast iron or other heavy ovenproof skillet in the oven. (important, please don't throw your non-stick skillet with the plastic handle in the oven.. you know who you are) Rub the chicken with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. This will promote browning of the skin. Even if you don't plan to eat the skin, keep it on while cooking to keep the juices in. You can also put things like herbs, lemon, or onions in the cavity if that's your thing. I went with onions. Contrary to the above picture, don't bother trussing the bird unless you really want to. It will cook faster, and you'll get better browning without trussing.<br /></li><li>When the oven and the pan are hot (15 min or so) take the pan out of the oven, and carefully put the chicken, breast side up, in the hot skillet. Seriously, be careful. This pan is like a 15 pound branding iron at this point. I had to use oven mitts as well as a small towel to get the pan in and out of the oven safely. Bake bird for 40-50 minutes, or until the meat in the thigh registers 155°-165°. It took me far less than that, closer to 35.. so I would really start to watch it past the half hour mark.</li><li>When cooked through, take pan out of the oven and transfer bird to a platter. Cover loosely with foil and let it rest for at least 5 minutes. Letting meat rest is actually an important step, because if you cut into meat while it's still extremely hot, the juice will flow out of it. You want to keep all that goodness in, so let it cool and the juice will stay in the bird when you carve it.<br /></li></ol>An optional step is to brush the chicken with some extra flavor half way through the cooking.<br />I personally used a honey, lime, and cumin glaze on mine and it turned out incredible. Here are a few glaze ideas.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cumin, honey and Orange Juice: </span>2 tablespoons orange juice (I used lime juice as I had no OJ), 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, and salt and pepper.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Herb Roasted Chicken:</span> 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, basil, or dill, or marjoram.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chinese style: </span>Brush chicken with peanut or any neutral oil instead of olive. Half way through cooking brush over 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon minced ginger, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and 1/4 cup minced scallion.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXAUWWWA8XI/AAAAAAAAAIc/2mox1vvKdUQ/s1600-h/IMG_7848.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 474px; height: 355px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SXAUWWWA8XI/AAAAAAAAAIc/2mox1vvKdUQ/s400/IMG_7848.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291751936347926898" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This was my result. I got 5 sandwiches, and 1 (big) meal out of this 4 lb bird. All for about $5.<br /><br />Somehow I've managed to post 3 chicken recipes out of my total less-than-a-dozen blog posts, so I'm going to try to move away from that. Look for a more interesting, and more delicious brioche post by next week.<br /><br /></div></div></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-48734123770575090532009-01-15T10:16:00.000-08:002009-01-15T10:22:37.655-08:00Hot new formatA hot new format means a hot new update is coming... possibly hot ham water? Check back to find out.<br />Also, I've determined that the chances of me posting any content that deals with politics, religion or anything of substance is exactly 0%, so don't wait for that. It's all about the food.<br /><br />To tide you over here is a picture of what happened the night of my 27th birthday. Too bad the mariachi band didn't make it into the picture.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SW9-0JHFlxI/AAAAAAAAAH0/_wz-wN_NeSw/s1600-h/LIFE+tank+cake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 547px; height: 397px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SW9-0JHFlxI/AAAAAAAAAH0/_wz-wN_NeSw/s400/LIFE+tank+cake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291587521447565074" border="0" /></a></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-74010045282691201682009-01-12T19:46:00.000-08:002009-01-12T20:23:54.327-08:00Mini SpanakopitaSo despite working 55+ hours a week, and attempting to study for my GRE I'm still somehow finding time to cook.. you prioritize what you love I guess. In an effort to get away from the chunk of protein + veg meals I've been posting here is a quick and delicious appetizer that I made recently and brought in to work. I bring a lot of things into my job because I love to try new recipes.. and what else do you do with pounds of guilty pleasure food but give it away?<br /><br />I usually measure the sucess of my recipes by how fast they disappear in the morning to my co-workers.. for instance, the last time I brought in some healthy oatmeal - rasperry muffins, I ended up taking some home - clearly a failure (for the record, I thought they were awesome, and I was glad to have breakfast for the next few days). These on the other hand, were gone by 11am... pretty much a resounding success, especially for the new-years resolution filled days of the early new year.<br /><br />Ok so we've gotten it out of the way that these aren't exactly health food.. not that it will stop you from eating about 10 of these. Puff pastry, cheese, and spinach.. is there anything better?<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 package puff pastry<br />1 small container feta cheese<br />8 oz frozen spinach<br />16 oz ricotta cheese<br />1 red onion, sliced and diced very small<br />salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />A note on puff pastry since I know a few non-cooks that read this: This stuff is available in pretty much any grocery store in the frozen section, usually near the frozen pie crusts and the like. A common brand is Peppridge farms, but there are others out there. It's pretty much impossible to make yourself, so save yourself the trouble and go buy some. Let it thaw out a little before you use it so that it opens easily, without cracking. However, watch that it doesn't thaw too much or it may not puff up like it should.. it's basically layered butter, and if it thaws out the layered structure will collapse. If it seems to be getting too limp, just throw it in the freezer for a few minutes.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWwTnIdwRWI/AAAAAAAAAG0/siBA34SgGFQ/s1600-h/pastry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWwTnIdwRWI/AAAAAAAAAG0/siBA34SgGFQ/s320/pastry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290625225261598050" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><ul><li>1. take the puff pastry out of the fridge to thaw while you start on the filling.</li></ul><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWwT85I5MGI/AAAAAAAAAG8/8skFOwnDv3E/s1600-h/onion.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWwT85I5MGI/AAAAAAAAAG8/8skFOwnDv3E/s320/onion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290625599104692322" border="0" /></a></div><br /><ul><li>2. Thaw the spinach in the microwave. wrap the thawed spinach in a paper towel and squeeze out the excess water. Place spinach in a large bowl, and slowly mix in the feta, the onion and ricotta cheese. You don't need to use all the cheese, just mix it until you like the taste and consistency. Use more feta if you want a more salty bite to it, or more ricotta if you prefer it more creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.</li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWwU29d_aCI/AAAAAAAAAHE/hLG8Eb4ezKo/s1600-h/filling.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWwU29d_aCI/AAAAAAAAAHE/hLG8Eb4ezKo/s320/filling.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290626596699334690" border="0" /></a></div><br /><ul><li>3. unroll the thawed puff pastry on a work surface and cut into 24 squares. press the squares into cupcake tins and fill with the spinach and cheese filling. I used a pizza cutter for this, but a knife would work fine too.</li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWwVBHZnhFI/AAAAAAAAAHM/DWawbw06-cU/s1600-h/empty.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWwVBHZnhFI/AAAAAAAAAHM/DWawbw06-cU/s320/empty.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290626771164038226" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><p>4. bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes or until the puff pastry cups are golden brown. For best non-stick results, lightly grease or spray the muffin tins before you bake.. the bottoms of mine stuck to the tin, and they're hard to get off without tearing them apart.<br /></p> </li></ul></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWwVsTlKqoI/AAAAAAAAAHU/dx-WjOIBrj8/s1600-h/petedone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWwVsTlKqoI/AAAAAAAAAHU/dx-WjOIBrj8/s320/petedone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290627513168079490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Taste: 10/10; there's no question that these are awesome.. especially warm.<br /><br />Ease of preparation: 9/10: Very very easy... they only way to kill these things would be to over bake them, so watch them carefully.<br /><br />I roasted a chicken today so that will be on the way soon. Hooray for big chunks of animal protein. I'm still working on the lighting situation, the pictures look nowhere near as good as I want them to right now. It doesn't help that I have a really ugly, cluttered counter.. but that's the life of a renter.<br /></div></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972815276230140389.post-48812110064286332742009-01-09T16:54:00.000-08:002009-01-09T17:45:00.194-08:00Oven "Fried" ChickenThis recipe comes out of Mark Bittman's "How to cook everything", my new favorite cookbook.<br />The idea behind this recipe is to get the crunch of fried chicken, without the hassle or artery-clogging effects of deep frying, or stopping at your local Popeye's fried chicken. Also, there's less of a chance you'll be stabbed while making this chicken than visiting Popeye's.<br /><br />Because the recipe is so simple, it allows for any elaborations or substitutions that you might want. The three main ingredients are some form of protein, bread crumbs, and some sort of sticky medium to bind the bread crumbs.<br />Directly from the book:<br /><br />1 cup buttermilk<br />1 teaspoon paprika (optional)<br />1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or ground black pepper<br />1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds trimmed of excess fat and cut into pieces, or assorted chicken parts.<br />2 cups panko or fine bread crumbs.<br /><br />Recipe Modifications: I didn't have any buttermilk, so I substituted 1 egg blended with a tablespoon of water as the book suggests. I used smoked Spanish paprika which is to me not an optional ingredient, but I replaced the cayenne with 1 teaspoon of smoked black pepper. For the chicken I just used a package (6) boneless skinless chicken thighs, because a) they're cheap and b) dark meat is best. Feel free to substitute skinless breast if you want extra healthy, or to cut up a whole chicken yourself (cheap, but messy). I also added chopped cilantro to the breadcrumbs, but this is by no means necessary.<br /><br />Panko is a Japanese style of breadcrumb, made from the crumb of the bread rather than the crust. It's also crushed very fine.. don't try to use those big stuffing breadcrumbs. Panko should be available at most grocery stores (I got it at Target).<br /><br /><ul><li>1.Heat the Oven to 400 F. Mix the buttermilk, paprika, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken and let it soak a few minutes, coating it completely. Meanwhile put the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish or large bowl and brush a baking sheet with oil or cover it in foil.</li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWf4fwYiH4I/AAAAAAAAAGU/6VLw6aCJdHg/s1600-h/far.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWf4fwYiH4I/AAAAAAAAAGU/6VLw6aCJdHg/s320/far.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289469511817371522" border="0" /></a><br />(the green bits are chopped cilantro, optional)<br /><br /></div></div><ul><li>2.Remove the chicken from the bowl a piece at a time and coat in the bread crumbs. Place the coated chicken on the baking sheet, leaving at least an inch between pieces. </li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWf5rKkEGgI/AAAAAAAAAGc/5Ck0TCd3Qvk/s1600-h/raw.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWf5rKkEGgI/AAAAAAAAAGc/5Ck0TCd3Qvk/s320/raw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289470807335246338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWf5x5AVlGI/AAAAAAAAAGk/5WSiN0qFoI0/s1600-h/sheet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWf5x5AVlGI/AAAAAAAAAGk/5WSiN0qFoI0/s320/sheet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289470922881078370" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li>3.Bake the chicken until the exterior is golden brown and the chicken is done through. 30-40 minutes. This took me 30 minutes, it's going to depend on the size and cuts of chicken you use. Make sure you check them regularly. There is no need to flip them, they'll cook evenly without it.<br /></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWf6CcjE_RI/AAAAAAAAAGs/JqjMolcVLuI/s1600-h/done.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ec3VQDGOnDA/SWf6CcjE_RI/AAAAAAAAAGs/JqjMolcVLuI/s320/done.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289471207299939602" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I served this over spinach, with balsamic and olive oil, with a side of mushrooms and garlic.<br /><br />Rating:<br />Taste: 10/10 This is excellent! While it's not going to fool you into thinking it's real fried chicken, it retains what I think are the best things about fried chicken, a crunchy exterior, and very moist flavorful meat. The chicken thighs worked really well, but using bone-in, skin-on chicken would add even more flavor. The true success in this recipe lies in the fact that it's not a weak substitute for deep frying, but good in different ways.. it's not greasy!<br /><br /><br />Ease of preparation: 9/10: This recipe is going to take you about 50 minutes to make, but considering 30 of those minutes are in the oven, it's an easy recipe to throw together. The small number of ingredients, most of which you can substitute help this recipe out here. A small tip I have is to use a bowl for the panko, and not a shallow dish. I was trying to be careful with the breading, but still managed to get bread crumbs everywhere.<br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Godlesscookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09877012073659751995noreply@blogger.com1