I can't believe the price of a game hen these days. Today's price is what whole 4-5 lb chickens costed at the supermarket several years ago. When they were on sale, you used to be able to buy them for 2 for $5. Now each is nearly $5.
Cornish Game Hens also called rock hens, Cornish hens, or poussin, aren't full sized chickens. Despite the name, it's not a game animal (not hunted) and the bird is a hybrid, and commercially bred as food. Also, while hens typically refer to female chickens, a Cornish hen can be male or female. The USDA describes these birds as an immature chicken less than five weeks of age and less than two pounds. These are usually 22 oz at the grocery store and are always in the freezer section.
I found them randomly at my local Costco, also in the freezer section. Buying at bulk retail would drive the cost down to $3/hen, but who has room in their own freezer for six birds?
It's been a while since I last roasted one.
Read more?
Modern Farmer - The Cornish Game Hen is a Liar
AB Tapioca Pudding
This is a melding of flavors that has gone terribly wrong. This tasted ghastly. I thought I should write it up in case I felt like making this again. Ugh. Lemon zest. This does not belong in tapioca pudding. Blech!! WTF Alton?? Why are you steering me wrong on something as f'in simple as a stovetop pudding.
AB cooks this recipe in a slow cooker; but the volume is so small that it shouldn't warrant cooking in a 6-quart crockpot. I did this stovetop instead.
Ingredients
3 1/2 oz (by weight) tapioca pearls
2 1/2 c whole milk
1/2 c heavy cream
1 egg yolk + 1/3 c organic granuated sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean halved with seeds scraped
AB cooks this recipe in a slow cooker; but the volume is so small that it shouldn't warrant cooking in a 6-quart crockpot. I did this stovetop instead.
 |
| Terrible AB Tapioca Pudding |
3 1/2 oz (by weight) tapioca pearls
2 1/2 c whole milk
1/2 c heavy cream
1 egg yolk + 1/3 c organic granuated sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean halved with seeds scraped
Baked Macaroni and Cheese, minus the macaroni
My friends assure me that any pasta with cheese sauce can qualify to be labelled as "mac and cheese", even if you don't use the macaroni "elbow" shaped pasta. Fusilli has all these curves and holds sauces really well, which is why I stock it in the pantry. Anyhow. Be it fusilli, celantini, macaroni, or shells, it should all be equivalent in how much you cook for one 9" x 13" batch. I wouldn't advise using bowties or large pasta shapes to make mac and cheese.
I added diced green chiles to the cheese sauce to enhance the flavor; and while I only added two tablespoons, I think I should have added the entire 4 oz can. Compared to the smoky mac 'n' cheese that I had from Vancouver's food cart Esoteric BBQ, my version pales in comparison. There's no beating the smokiness of a real wood-fired smoker; plus Esoteric's might just have more salt in theirs.
This batch used 8 oz Gouda, 8 oz medium cheddar, and 4 oz Parmesan.
At any rate, here's the recipe I used. It makes roughly 9 servings.
 |
| Smoked Cheese and Pasta |
This batch used 8 oz Gouda, 8 oz medium cheddar, and 4 oz Parmesan.
At any rate, here's the recipe I used. It makes roughly 9 servings.
Gluten Free Buttermilk Cornbread
The texture of this is a little grainier than say a cornbread made with wheat flour. The egg helps it stay together pretty well and it has a nice crumb texture. The amount of batter looked far too much for an 8" round cast iron skillet, so I used an 8" x 8" baking dish instead. I get my stone ground cornmeal from the Cedar Creek Grist Mill during their open house events; Bob's Red Mill or your grocery store's bulk yellow cornmeal will suffice as a substitute.
Ingredients
2 c stone ground yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 c buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
4 tbsp raw honey
4 unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
0. Prepare an 8" x 8" baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. It is not necessary to butter the parchment.
1. Sift dry ingredients together. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, heat butter and honey together. Let cool. Stir into dry ingredients.
3. In a 2-cup measure, whisk egg and then stir in buttermilk. Stir in butter and honey.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir until combined.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
Ingredients
2 c stone ground yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 c buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
4 tbsp raw honey
4 unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
0. Prepare an 8" x 8" baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. It is not necessary to butter the parchment.
1. Sift dry ingredients together. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, heat butter and honey together. Let cool. Stir into dry ingredients.
3. In a 2-cup measure, whisk egg and then stir in buttermilk. Stir in butter and honey.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir until combined.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
Kitchen Notes: Matcha Swiss Roll
This was my second time making a dessert in the "Swiss Roll" style; meaning it's a soft, sponge-like bread with a sweet cream-based filling. The pumpkin roll with candied ginger came out pretty good and well-liked by TDay2015 eaters.
There were several things that went terribly wrong but I didn't scrap the recipe and start over:
There were several things that went terribly wrong but I didn't scrap the recipe and start over:
- The sponge batter came out extremely dense; thick like a gorilla glue heavy; it also didn't cook all the way through in the oven and perhaps I didn't spread it out thick enough on the baking sheet because...
- Before folding in the egg whites, the sponge batter wasn't liquid at all.
- When it came to the rolling the sponge up to cool down in a linen kitchen towel, it stuck to the towel - ugh. In fact, when I tried to unroll the sponge to put in the filling... the sponge broke in several pieces because it was sticking to the towel.
- And, not wanting to cut my losses, I produced an extremely unappetizing but edible dessert
- Definitely a #failed #kitchenexperiment
I subbed two ingredients: almond milk for regular cow's whole milk; and 3/4 c AP flour plus 1 tbsp cornstarch sifted together for cake flour.
Ginger Beer: an alcoholic batch
It would appear that I have made my first alcoholic batch of ginger beer, which when fermented correctly yields a carbonated soft drink. I was experimenting with ratios and added more of everything except the yeast (just a teaspoon). Effects-wise, I'd say that I might have reached between 4-5% alcohol and that was only after drinking 8 oz of it.
I'm still unsure of how to properly use a hydrometer; as I don't have enough liquid to test for the size of the hydrometer that I have, nor do I have a container with enough slender volume that I can measure the beer in.
Here are the tested ratios:
1/2 c grated ginger (vs 1/4 c)
1.25 c organic granulated sugar (vs 1 cup)
10 c water (vs 9 cups)
As for the fermenting time: 3.5 days instead of 2
Avg room temp for the ferment was 55-60 F
This batch yielded 2 liters plus 1 pint.
After thoughts:
Too much raw ginger flavor. It was potent and felt like a kick to the head.
The extra sugar did nothing to make the beer sweeter before decanting into flip-top bottles, in fact, the yeast ate it all.
Also, the Active Dry Yeast was very fresh (yes, that's bread yeast).
I'm still unsure of how to properly use a hydrometer; as I don't have enough liquid to test for the size of the hydrometer that I have, nor do I have a container with enough slender volume that I can measure the beer in.
Here are the tested ratios:
1/2 c grated ginger (vs 1/4 c)
1.25 c organic granulated sugar (vs 1 cup)
10 c water (vs 9 cups)
As for the fermenting time: 3.5 days instead of 2
Avg room temp for the ferment was 55-60 F
This batch yielded 2 liters plus 1 pint.
After thoughts:
Too much raw ginger flavor. It was potent and felt like a kick to the head.
The extra sugar did nothing to make the beer sweeter before decanting into flip-top bottles, in fact, the yeast ate it all.
Also, the Active Dry Yeast was very fresh (yes, that's bread yeast).
Crockpot Maple Baked Beans
I have always found that most commercial brands of these beans are too sweet for my taste; though, I wonder how sweet these are supposed to be. Recently I've been watching a food channel on YouTube about 18th Century cooking by Jas Townsend and Son. At least I don't have to build a fire pit or clay oven to bake these.
While it involves simple ingredients, it is fairly time consuming in preparing dry beans for eating. One day I'll have to research why the beans are called navy beans since they are neither navy in color nor boat-like in shape.
In a 5-quart bowl, rinse and soak in filtered water 2 cups of dry navy beans. I soaked these overnight (roughly 12-18 hours), tossed the soaking liquid and boiled the beans on a simmer for another hour.
Then...
Into the crockpot (slow cooker) for 8-10 hours on low with the following ingredients:
3/4 c filtered water
3/4 c organic maple syrup
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Give that a few stirs with the beans before setting the time and putting the lid on.
While it involves simple ingredients, it is fairly time consuming in preparing dry beans for eating. One day I'll have to research why the beans are called navy beans since they are neither navy in color nor boat-like in shape.
In a 5-quart bowl, rinse and soak in filtered water 2 cups of dry navy beans. I soaked these overnight (roughly 12-18 hours), tossed the soaking liquid and boiled the beans on a simmer for another hour.
 |
| Soon to be maple baked beans... |
Then...
Into the crockpot (slow cooker) for 8-10 hours on low with the following ingredients:
3/4 c filtered water
3/4 c organic maple syrup
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Give that a few stirs with the beans before setting the time and putting the lid on.
Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken
While enjoyable to eat, the food prep and wait times are not. The best part of this is that the chicken cooks in its own fat. Having made this twice now, I thought I should write it up. This recipe ratio is adapted from Epicurious.
Marinade Ingredients
chicken body parts
1 c cultured buttermilk per pound of meat
1 c homemade bread crumbs
1 c corn flake cereal, pulverised into crumbs1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
smoked paprika
garlic powder
chili powder
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
onion powder (optional)
parsley (optional)
Directions
 |
| Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken |
Marinade Ingredients
chicken body parts
1 c cultured buttermilk per pound of meat
Coating for chicken
1 c homemade bread crumbs
1 c corn flake cereal, pulverised into crumbs1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
smoked paprika
garlic powder
chili powder
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
onion powder (optional)
parsley (optional)
Directions
In a shallow bowl or sealable container, add chicken parts. Pour buttermilk and lemon juice over the chicken. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Take each piece of chicken and dip it into the coating mixture until it is completely covered. Repeat until all the chicken is coated.
Place chicken in a single layer on a Silpat-lined baking tray or in a lightly oiled glass or ceramic baking dish. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 40-45 minutes. Turn chicken over at the halfway timer mark.
A digital thermometer in the thickest part of the meat should read 165 F (for poultry) when done.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Take each piece of chicken and dip it into the coating mixture until it is completely covered. Repeat until all the chicken is coated.
Place chicken in a single layer on a Silpat-lined baking tray or in a lightly oiled glass or ceramic baking dish. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 40-45 minutes. Turn chicken over at the halfway timer mark.
A digital thermometer in the thickest part of the meat should read 165 F (for poultry) when done.
Sweet Chili Paste (La Jiao Jiang)
This is an ingredient I didn't have in the pantry. As long as you have a sharp knife, a mortar and pestle or a food processor, the recipe is easy to do. The heat of your peppers determines the heat of the paste. I used red jalapenos because they were the only hot red peppers available in my area, aside from Thai chili peppers which I didn't want to use for this recipe. My biggest complaint about Asian condiments are that I might use them a few times a year and the jar takes up prime real estate in the fridge. By making condiments in smaller batches, not only is it fresher tasting but also there are no preservatives.
Store it in a glass jar. Keeps for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Related recipes: Sweet Chili Shrimp
Ingredients
3-5 hot red peppers
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
pinch of salt
1 tsp rice vinegar
Directions
1. Remove the stem from the peppers and discard. Roughly chop the peppers into smaller pieces. Then chop in a food processor with the garlic, salt and vinegar.
2. (optional) In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over low-medium heat and add the peppers and garlic. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Let cool before using or storing in a jar.
 |
| The Foodening Blog: chopped red chiles |
Related recipes: Sweet Chili Shrimp
Ingredients
3-5 hot red peppers
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
pinch of salt
1 tsp rice vinegar
Directions
1. Remove the stem from the peppers and discard. Roughly chop the peppers into smaller pieces. Then chop in a food processor with the garlic, salt and vinegar.
2. (optional) In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over low-medium heat and add the peppers and garlic. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Let cool before using or storing in a jar.
 |
| The Foodening Blog: red chili paste, nearly done |
Sweet Spicy Shrimp
This recipe ratio is a definite keeper. It was delicious. I'm not even sure if shrimp has a harvesting season, like crab or other larger seafood. But, I definitely have seen a wide range of prices for raw shrimp; from $5.99/lb (Fubonn, before asian food holidays) up to $13.99/lb (Costco, Trader Joe's). Certainly before the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, shrimp prices were cheaper by a couple of dollars per pound. And, rather than turn this post into a ecowatch rant, here are the directions.
I didn't have any shallots nor cilantro on hand so I omitted both. The cilantro is just for color.
Ingredients
1 lb raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
(optional) 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
(optional) 1 small shallot, finely chopped
Marinade for Shrimp
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sea salt
Sauce for Frying
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 tsp red chili paste
Directions
1. Clean and rinse shrimp. In a large bowl, mix shrimp, cornstarch and salt together. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, or refrigerate until ready to fry.
2. Prepare sauce: combine soy sauce, honey, vinegar and chili paste. Set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil and swirl the skillet to spread the oil around. Add garlic and ginger. Stir fry until the oil is fragrant and the garlic hasn't browned. Add shrimp and fry until the shrimp changes color from light gray to salmon pink, about 2-3 minutes. Pour in the sauce and stir until well combined.
4. Transfer to a serving dish and top with (optional) cilantro. Serve hot.
I didn't have any shallots nor cilantro on hand so I omitted both. The cilantro is just for color.
 |
| The Foodening Blog: sweet chili shrimp, ready to eat |
Ingredients
1 lb raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
(optional) 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
(optional) 1 small shallot, finely chopped
Marinade for Shrimp
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sea salt
Sauce for Frying
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 tsp red chili paste
Directions
1. Clean and rinse shrimp. In a large bowl, mix shrimp, cornstarch and salt together. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, or refrigerate until ready to fry.
2. Prepare sauce: combine soy sauce, honey, vinegar and chili paste. Set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil and swirl the skillet to spread the oil around. Add garlic and ginger. Stir fry until the oil is fragrant and the garlic hasn't browned. Add shrimp and fry until the shrimp changes color from light gray to salmon pink, about 2-3 minutes. Pour in the sauce and stir until well combined.
4. Transfer to a serving dish and top with (optional) cilantro. Serve hot.
Fish Fragrant Eggplant
I'm pretty sure that fish doesn't smell like this. Heck, this dish doesn't even have any sort of fish essences in it. But, as the origin goes, these are the same Szechuan (Sichuan) flavorings used for preparing fish so that it is sweet, sour, and spicy. I added a step to this by baking the eggplant before frying to shorten the fry time of cooking the eggplant since I didn't want to deep fry the eggplant in a lot of oil. Maybe when I do this recipe again, I should cook it with fish instead of eggplant and see how it tastes.
Sauce Ingredients
1 tbsp chili bean sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp organic granulated sugar
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 c water
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb Japanese eggplants, cut into 2" pieces and quartered
1 tbsp chili black bean sauce
2 stalks green onions, sliced into 1" pieces
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Directions
In a 9" x 13" baking dish, add sliced eggplant and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F; or bake for 25 minutes if you don't want to wait for the oven to preheat.
1. In a large frying pan or wok, heat oil and add garlic and ginger. Lightly brown the garlic before adding the eggplant. Fry for 5 minutes.
2. Next, add the sauce, cornstarch and water. Fry until all the eggplant is coated. Add the green onions last.
3. Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice.
 |
| Fish Fragrant Eggplant |
1 tbsp chili bean sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp organic granulated sugar
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 c water
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb Japanese eggplants, cut into 2" pieces and quartered
1 tbsp chili black bean sauce
2 stalks green onions, sliced into 1" pieces
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Directions
In a 9" x 13" baking dish, add sliced eggplant and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F; or bake for 25 minutes if you don't want to wait for the oven to preheat.
1. In a large frying pan or wok, heat oil and add garlic and ginger. Lightly brown the garlic before adding the eggplant. Fry for 5 minutes.
2. Next, add the sauce, cornstarch and water. Fry until all the eggplant is coated. Add the green onions last.
3. Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice.
Steamed Black Bean Chicken
I don't know why I haven't tried steaming chicken before. The meat turned out very tender and delicious. This could just be one of those 30-minute meals. I imagine that a slightly longer cook time would be needed for thicker cuts of chicken, such as the thighs. For this attempt, I used chicken drumsticks (1 lb 7 oz).
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs chicken parts
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp chili black bean sauce -or- 2 tbsp fermented black beans
Directions
0. Remove chicken from package and rinse with cold water. Place it in a heat-proof bowl that is large enough to accommodate the chicken. Pour boiling water on the chicken and blanch for 1 minute. Discard the water in the bowl.
1. To the chicken: add garlic, ginger, cornstarch, soy sauce, and chili black bean sauce. Mix thoroughly so that the chicken is coated with everything.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil, large enough to fit both a steamer basket and the heatproof bowl.
3. Cover the pot and steam chicken for 30 minutes, until the juice runs clear when the meat is pierced with a knife, or the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
For this amount of meat and time, the thick part of the drumsticks measured between 175 F and 185 F (a bit overcooked, oops).
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs chicken parts
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp chili black bean sauce -or- 2 tbsp fermented black beans
Directions
0. Remove chicken from package and rinse with cold water. Place it in a heat-proof bowl that is large enough to accommodate the chicken. Pour boiling water on the chicken and blanch for 1 minute. Discard the water in the bowl.
1. To the chicken: add garlic, ginger, cornstarch, soy sauce, and chili black bean sauce. Mix thoroughly so that the chicken is coated with everything.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil, large enough to fit both a steamer basket and the heatproof bowl.
3. Cover the pot and steam chicken for 30 minutes, until the juice runs clear when the meat is pierced with a knife, or the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
For this amount of meat and time, the thick part of the drumsticks measured between 175 F and 185 F (a bit overcooked, oops).
Canning 2015
I picked Bartlett pears Gravenstein apples for the first time with the Portland Fruit Tree Project at a farm in Hillsboro, OR. That was a fun experience. Volunteers are allowed to take 10# of each type of fruit picked, but is an excessive amount for me to process into something tastier. Gravensteins are eating apples and might be good for cooking, but they are rather sour -- like they're a cross between a honeycrisp for size and water content and a granny smith on the sour and hard texture side.
This year I tried to can hatch chilies. If you keep them in a closed plastic bag in the refrigerator door (warmer part of the fridge), the fresh chilies keep for a few weeks. I made a really good tomato-based salsa with half as many pounds of tomatoes as last year's batch and the same amount of jalapenos; so, extra kick and less added salt. I ate a quart of it before canning.
Here's what I made this year:
6 pints spicy tomato salsa (no onion, no red jalapeno, 2 tbsp less salt)
6.5 pints Gravenstein apple sauce (slightly sour)
4 half pints organic no-sugar added applesauce, yellow delicious - homegrown apples
8 pints apple butter - red winesap apples
Four 4 oz jars green hatch chilies
2 half pints dill pickles
And for the fridge because I ran out of pint jars:
1 quart dill pickles
1 quart organic dill carrots
This year I tried to can hatch chilies. If you keep them in a closed plastic bag in the refrigerator door (warmer part of the fridge), the fresh chilies keep for a few weeks. I made a really good tomato-based salsa with half as many pounds of tomatoes as last year's batch and the same amount of jalapenos; so, extra kick and less added salt. I ate a quart of it before canning.
Here's what I made this year:
6 pints spicy tomato salsa (no onion, no red jalapeno, 2 tbsp less salt)
6.5 pints Gravenstein apple sauce (slightly sour)
4 half pints organic no-sugar added applesauce, yellow delicious - homegrown apples
8 pints apple butter - red winesap apples
Four 4 oz jars green hatch chilies
2 half pints dill pickles
And for the fridge because I ran out of pint jars:
1 quart dill pickles
1 quart organic dill carrots
Stuffed Shitake Mushrooms
This is one of my mom's recipes and it came out looking and tasting quite nice.
Ingredients
1 lb fresh shitake mushrooms
1/2 lb ground pork
8 large raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing red rice wine
3 stalks green onions, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 F.
0. Wash and remove stems from the shitake mushrooms. Reserve stems for later.
1. Chop raw shrimp into small pieces. Mix together with ground pork, green onions, ginger, cornstarch, Shaoxing rice wine, and soy sauce.
2. Fill each mushroom cap with a tablespoon of the mixture.
3. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle some olive oil on top, and return to the oven for another 3 minutes.
 |
| Ready to eat: Stuffed Shitake Mushrooms |
1 lb fresh shitake mushrooms
1/2 lb ground pork
8 large raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing red rice wine
3 stalks green onions, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 F.
0. Wash and remove stems from the shitake mushrooms. Reserve stems for later.
1. Chop raw shrimp into small pieces. Mix together with ground pork, green onions, ginger, cornstarch, Shaoxing rice wine, and soy sauce.
2. Fill each mushroom cap with a tablespoon of the mixture.
3. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle some olive oil on top, and return to the oven for another 3 minutes.
Stovetop Popcorn
When I think about kitchen appliances, I still don't own nor use a microwave for cooking; mostly because microwaves (and dishwashers) are energy hogs. Making popcorn this way is not any healthier than preparing that microwavable stuff. A quarter cup of coconut oil has roughly 470 calories. This recipe ratio makes about 5 quarts of popped corn.
I used an 8 quart stockpot with its lid to make this. I suppose you could use Alton Brown's method and use two heavy gauge metal mixing bowls instead.
Ingredients
1/4 c organic coconut oil
2/3 c organic popping corn kernels
Directions
0. Add coconut oil and 3 corn kernels to a stockpot and cover with its lid. Heat on stove over medium-high heat until the kernels pop.
1. Remove popped corn from pot. Add remainder of corn kernels. Cover with lid. Occasionally shake the pot (side-to-side, or in a swirl motion) as the kernels are popping.
2. Turn off heat as soon as the kernels slow down to one or two pops. Use a measuring cup or shake popped corn out into a serving bowl.
Kitchen Notes:
 |
| Stovetop Popcorn: what you see is what you get |
I used an 8 quart stockpot with its lid to make this. I suppose you could use Alton Brown's method and use two heavy gauge metal mixing bowls instead.
Ingredients
1/4 c organic coconut oil
2/3 c organic popping corn kernels
Directions
0. Add coconut oil and 3 corn kernels to a stockpot and cover with its lid. Heat on stove over medium-high heat until the kernels pop.
1. Remove popped corn from pot. Add remainder of corn kernels. Cover with lid. Occasionally shake the pot (side-to-side, or in a swirl motion) as the kernels are popping.
2. Turn off heat as soon as the kernels slow down to one or two pops. Use a measuring cup or shake popped corn out into a serving bowl.
Kitchen Notes:
- the popcorn has a lightly greasy feel to it (from the coconut oil)
- eaten plain, popcorn can make you feel hungrier
- there are 1-2 tablespoons of unpopped kernels leftover
Kitchen Notes: Measuring Flour
All this time I've been using the scoop+level method for measuring flour, meaning getting a cup of flour at a time from the container of flour then leveling it off with a straight edge. The alternate way, as suggested by most baking sites is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level it off. And, if you are a master baker like Martha Stewart, you can just eyeball it with the scoop and shake method (no leveling off). Food Network suggests to scoop then level off dry ingredients. Local IoT app maker, Perfect Company, combines a digital scale with Bluetooth technology that walks users through guided measuring and baking steps. The rationale against the scoop+level method is that the flour gets compacted. Is an extra 20 g of flour that big of a deal?
Visually it all looks the same. Though, when weighed, it's not all the same. Today's measurements with a digital kitchen scale (100% humidity outside):
1 cup of all-purpose flour =
Visually it all looks the same. Though, when weighed, it's not all the same. Today's measurements with a digital kitchen scale (100% humidity outside):
1 cup of all-purpose flour =
| Sample | Scoop+Level | Spoon+Level | ||
| 1 | 153 g | 139 g | ||
| 2 | 149 g | 129 g | ||
| 3 | 156 g | 136 g |
I have noticed over the years that when making cookies, I often have a lot more flour leftover in the mixing bowl; though this was more prevalent in southern California where the air is dry nearly year-round.
But, when looking at online recipes by others, the dry ingredient units vary--even from the same author.
| AB | measure | suspected | ||
| sugar cookies | 3 cups AP flour | volume | ||
| oatmeal cookies | 16 oz old fashioned rolled oats | weight | ||
| lentil cookies | 9.5 oz whole wheat pastry flour (about 2 c flour) | weight | ||
| vanilla wafers | 7 oz AP flour | weight |
Apple Bread Pudding with Apple Cider Sauce
This year I planned to do a pumpkin bread pudding, but alas, had no pumpkin puree to work with. I also didn't get around to the store to pick up bread, so I made it that morning using the no knead dutch oven bread recipe (a basic bread). The custard part of the bread pudding came out fine; but the exposed part of the bread above the custard seemed dried out.. like I should not have tried to dry out the bread before adding the custard by baking it for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Twice baked bread doesn't quite make the texture of dry, stale bread. Anyhow, onto the recipe...
Bread Pudding Ingredients
1 load white bread, cubed
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced + 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 1/2 c whole milk
1 c raw apple cider
1/4 c brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
Bread Pudding Directions
1. In a nonstick skillet, heat apple with ground cinnamon. Cook over medium heat until the apples are tender.
2. Butter a 9" x 13" glass baking dish. Add apple and cubed bread, distributing both evenly in a single layer.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, apple cider, brown sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. This is the custard base. Pour it over the cubed bread. Be sure to dunk all the bread into the custard mixture. Refrigerate dish for 1 hour before baking. This will help to flavor the milk and eggs with the apple cinnamon.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and drizzle on apple cider sauce.
Caramel Apple Cider Sauce - this was the sauce I made for the bread pudding; and the ratios seemed off. One, the caramel part of the sauce was too watery and I never got to the dark amber part. The heavy cream and the caramel separate if you let the sauce sit to cool down from the stove to room temperature. Two, the sauce was ridiculously sweet; and three, it made too much. To keep myself from re-making this awful sauce, I am posting an alternate Apple Cider Sauce recipe to pair with the bread pudding.
Apple Cider Sauce:
1 c apple cider
1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp cold water
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp bourbon (or apple schnapps), optional
In a small prep bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water before adding to the apple cider. Bring cider and butter to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the cornstarch and let the mixture thicken. Stir in bourbon (if using) and cook for an additional 30 seconds; remove from heat and pour on top of bread pudding.
The recipe ratio of the cider sauce can be doubled, if necessary.
Bread Pudding Ingredients
1 load white bread, cubed
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced + 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 1/2 c whole milk
1 c raw apple cider
1/4 c brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
Bread Pudding Directions
1. In a nonstick skillet, heat apple with ground cinnamon. Cook over medium heat until the apples are tender.
2. Butter a 9" x 13" glass baking dish. Add apple and cubed bread, distributing both evenly in a single layer.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, apple cider, brown sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. This is the custard base. Pour it over the cubed bread. Be sure to dunk all the bread into the custard mixture. Refrigerate dish for 1 hour before baking. This will help to flavor the milk and eggs with the apple cinnamon.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and drizzle on apple cider sauce.
Caramel Apple Cider Sauce - this was the sauce I made for the bread pudding; and the ratios seemed off. One, the caramel part of the sauce was too watery and I never got to the dark amber part. The heavy cream and the caramel separate if you let the sauce sit to cool down from the stove to room temperature. Two, the sauce was ridiculously sweet; and three, it made too much. To keep myself from re-making this awful sauce, I am posting an alternate Apple Cider Sauce recipe to pair with the bread pudding.
Apple Cider Sauce:
1 c apple cider
1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp cold water
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp bourbon (or apple schnapps), optional
In a small prep bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water before adding to the apple cider. Bring cider and butter to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the cornstarch and let the mixture thicken. Stir in bourbon (if using) and cook for an additional 30 seconds; remove from heat and pour on top of bread pudding.
The recipe ratio of the cider sauce can be doubled, if necessary.
Olive Oil and Rosemary Dinner Rolls
Seems like the amount of bread that goes into turkey stuffing is one of those "invisible" carbs. These rolls went quickly. I only made one batch (a dozen) for a T-Day gathering of twice that. While the rosemary shrub is winter hardy in the Pacific Northwest, I'm glad that the house where I made these rolls has their rosemary potted and on the patio. I used a stand mixer to bring all the ingredients together; though I didn't use it to knead the dough. Maybe that's why the dough really didn't start to double in size until the second rising. And, the rolls didn't rise again after being formed and rested on the baking tray before going into the oven. As for the amount of unsalted butter that is melted so that it can be brushed on top of the rolls, well. it is too much for what the original ratio calls for. I ended up with a lot of leftover butter.
Also, there wasn't any bread flour so I used all-purpose flour, substituting out 3 tbsp flour for 3 tbsp vital wheat gluten. Bread flour plus yeast makes your rolls rise higher. The vital wheat gluten adds more wheat-based protein to all-purpose flour.
Ingredients
1 c warm water (about 100 degrees F)
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast + a pinch of granulated sugar
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour (minus 3 tbsp)
3 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped, divided
1/4 c unsalted butter, melted (for brushing tops of rolls)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Directions
Personally, while dinner rolls typically don't call for sugar, I think adding a pinch of it to the yeast helps the yeast bloom faster. You'll see if your yeast is still alive if it starts to foam and bubble in the warm water.
0. Take half of the prepared rosemary and let it steep in the olive oil for at least 30 minutes.
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer: add the yeast water (after bubbles appear, 5-10 mins). Mix in the flour, half cup at a time until it is all incorporated. Add the vital wheat gluten, the oil+rosemary, and salt. Mix until the dough gathers into one mass. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula.
2. Add the other half of the rosemary and knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Either use the stand mixer to knead the dough for 2 minutes, or work it by hand for 10.
Empty the dough into a resealable plastic bag, close, and let it sit in a warm place in the kitchen. Let the dough double in size twice (check each hour for two hours).
Divide dough into equal pieces. You can make a dozen small rolls with this recipe. Roll the dough into balls and place onto a baking tray. Cover with linen (lint free) kitchen towel until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Brush tops of rolls with the melted butter. Bake rolls for 10 minutes. This gives the rolls a nice golden brown color.
Reduce heat to 350 F and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a kitchen-towel lined serving container (maybe a bread basket?).
Enjoy.
Also, there wasn't any bread flour so I used all-purpose flour, substituting out 3 tbsp flour for 3 tbsp vital wheat gluten. Bread flour plus yeast makes your rolls rise higher. The vital wheat gluten adds more wheat-based protein to all-purpose flour.
Ingredients
1 c warm water (about 100 degrees F)
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast + a pinch of granulated sugar
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour (minus 3 tbsp)
3 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped, divided
1/4 c unsalted butter, melted (for brushing tops of rolls)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Directions
Personally, while dinner rolls typically don't call for sugar, I think adding a pinch of it to the yeast helps the yeast bloom faster. You'll see if your yeast is still alive if it starts to foam and bubble in the warm water.
0. Take half of the prepared rosemary and let it steep in the olive oil for at least 30 minutes.
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer: add the yeast water (after bubbles appear, 5-10 mins). Mix in the flour, half cup at a time until it is all incorporated. Add the vital wheat gluten, the oil+rosemary, and salt. Mix until the dough gathers into one mass. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula.
2. Add the other half of the rosemary and knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Either use the stand mixer to knead the dough for 2 minutes, or work it by hand for 10.
Empty the dough into a resealable plastic bag, close, and let it sit in a warm place in the kitchen. Let the dough double in size twice (check each hour for two hours).
Divide dough into equal pieces. You can make a dozen small rolls with this recipe. Roll the dough into balls and place onto a baking tray. Cover with linen (lint free) kitchen towel until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Brush tops of rolls with the melted butter. Bake rolls for 10 minutes. This gives the rolls a nice golden brown color.
Reduce heat to 350 F and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a kitchen-towel lined serving container (maybe a bread basket?).
Enjoy.
Mulled Wine Cranberry Sauce
This may be the second time I've made it, though perhaps the first time documenting it as a blog post. The recipe ratio comes from Bon Appetit November 2005 issue. The amount of wine was too much; the end result tasted too much like boiled wine with cranberries. Also, the amount of sugar was too low; this made the sauce not only taste like wine, but like wine with sour cranberries. And, the orange fruit segments did nothing for the sauce; and added too much texture. My corrections are noted below. I wouldn't necessarily say that I have adapted the recipe, more like I am fixing it's glaring mistakes. I'm not sure that the variety of dry red wine has anything to do with the flavor; after all, this is just a condiment the roast turkey. Cranberry sauces are typically pumped full of sugar (to balance the tartness of the fresh cranberries). I am ambivalent about how this sauce came out. The wine drinkers that sampled it on T-day were pleased with how it tasted and there was a lot of it leftover.
The additional sugar depends on how sour/tart the sauce tastes to you. It may need more or none at all.
Wine used: Woodbridge Merlot
Ingredients
2 navel oranges
One 12-oz bag of fresh cranberries, washed and picked over
6 oz dry red wine
2/3 c brown sugar + up to 1/3 c granulated unbleached cane sugar
2 tbsp crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmet
Directions
1. Zest oranges with a fine grater, then juice the oranges.
2. In a medium-sized sauce pan, combine whole cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, wine, sugar, ginger, and spices. Bring to a boil then simmer over low-medium heat until most of the cranberries burst, about 20 minutes, and the sauce has thickened slightly.
2a. Taste the sauce. It is too sour, add more sugar.
3. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill until ready to use; or serve warm.
Kitchen Notes:
The additional sugar depends on how sour/tart the sauce tastes to you. It may need more or none at all.
Wine used: Woodbridge Merlot
Ingredients
2 navel oranges
One 12-oz bag of fresh cranberries, washed and picked over
6 oz dry red wine
2/3 c brown sugar + up to 1/3 c granulated unbleached cane sugar
2 tbsp crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmet
Directions
1. Zest oranges with a fine grater, then juice the oranges.
2. In a medium-sized sauce pan, combine whole cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, wine, sugar, ginger, and spices. Bring to a boil then simmer over low-medium heat until most of the cranberries burst, about 20 minutes, and the sauce has thickened slightly.
2a. Taste the sauce. It is too sour, add more sugar.
3. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill until ready to use; or serve warm.
Kitchen Notes:
- This ratio is terrible. Came out tasting very sour and winey.
- The original 1 1/2 c dry red wine was too much liquid.
- Do not make again (note to self).
AB Marinated Olives
These turned out tasting quite nice after a few days. I was initially concerned because of how salty the olives were after I drained them and let the olives sit in filtered water for a half hour. AB recommends up to 5 hours in water, but I didn't really have the time nor patience. I used a Cambro quart container for this because unlike the quart-size yogurt containers, Cambro containers are see-through and you can always tell how things are going without having to open the container. Except for the tarragon, everything else comes from Trader Joe's.
Recipe source: Citrus Marinated Olives
Ingredients
1 lb green olives with pits (2 jars Picholine Olives from Trader Joe's), drained and rinsed
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil (a good quality olive oil for eating)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1/4 tsp curry powder
Directions
0. Soak the olives in clean water for up to 5 hours. This may reduce the saltiness of the olives; but after a half hour, the olives were just as salty as when it came out of the jar.
1. Combine all the ingredients in a quart container. Shake or stir the olives to make sure all the olives get covered by the marinade.
2. Let the olives sit, covered, for a day in a cool dark place. Refrigerate 1-2 days before serving. (The coldest "dark" place is my refrigerator; then at the house for T-day, the coldest place was the garage).
Recipe source: Citrus Marinated Olives
Ingredients
1 lb green olives with pits (2 jars Picholine Olives from Trader Joe's), drained and rinsed
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil (a good quality olive oil for eating)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1/4 tsp curry powder
Directions
0. Soak the olives in clean water for up to 5 hours. This may reduce the saltiness of the olives; but after a half hour, the olives were just as salty as when it came out of the jar.
1. Combine all the ingredients in a quart container. Shake or stir the olives to make sure all the olives get covered by the marinade.
2. Let the olives sit, covered, for a day in a cool dark place. Refrigerate 1-2 days before serving. (The coldest "dark" place is my refrigerator; then at the house for T-day, the coldest place was the garage).
(not smoked) Salmon and Cream Cheese Spread
I like smoked salmon, as a luxury treat to eat on its own. This recipe does not use smoked salmon. Instead, it relies on no-salt added canned salmon and the convenience of a food processor. By way of food storage laziness, I found cream cheese takes on a crumbled cheese texture when thawed after having been frozen solid.
Ingredients
One 6 oz can TJ boneless pink salmon, drained
8 oz cream cheese, frozen then thawed
1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated
2 small dill pickles, diced
Directions
Whirl it all around in a food processor until a well combined paste forms. Scoop it all out and put into a resealable container. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Strangely enough, the cheddar cheese gives the spread a classic light pinkish-orange color.
Ingredients
One 6 oz can TJ boneless pink salmon, drained
8 oz cream cheese, frozen then thawed
1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated
2 small dill pickles, diced
Directions
Whirl it all around in a food processor until a well combined paste forms. Scoop it all out and put into a resealable container. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Strangely enough, the cheddar cheese gives the spread a classic light pinkish-orange color.
Buttermilk Waffles with Bacon
Because bacon makes everything taste better, even waffles. The fact that the waffle maker was a $2 garage sale find makes it even more awesome. But, the prep and ingredients required to make the batter for the waffles is why I don't make waffles that often.
Ingredients
1.75 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1.5 c buttermilk
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4 lb bacon, any variety, cooked and drained
Directions
Preheat waffle iron (turn on the waffle maker; I set mine to light waffles)
0. Fry the bacon. For this I used 1/4 lb applewood smoked bacon. Reserve bacon lard.
1. In a 2-cup measuring cup, beat eggs until frothy and combined. Add vanilla extract and beat again. Add buttermilk and melted butter. Mix to combine.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add wet to dry and stir together until no dry bits remain.
4. Add waffle batter to hot waffle maker. Add strips of cooked bacon, then cover bacon with some batter. Close the waffle maker and cook until golden brown.
 |
| Buttermilk Waffles with Bacon |
1.75 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1.5 c buttermilk
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4 lb bacon, any variety, cooked and drained
Directions
Preheat waffle iron (turn on the waffle maker; I set mine to light waffles)
0. Fry the bacon. For this I used 1/4 lb applewood smoked bacon. Reserve bacon lard.
1. In a 2-cup measuring cup, beat eggs until frothy and combined. Add vanilla extract and beat again. Add buttermilk and melted butter. Mix to combine.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add wet to dry and stir together until no dry bits remain.
4. Add waffle batter to hot waffle maker. Add strips of cooked bacon, then cover bacon with some batter. Close the waffle maker and cook until golden brown.
Chanterelle and Ginger Soup
Warm and earthy, this soup really hits the spot on a very chilly autumn day. This is a mostly clear broth. The chicken broth could probably swapped out for a vegetarian broth, if you prefer.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 quart homemade chicken broth
2 organic celery ribs, diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/2 lb fresh chanterelles, cleaned and halved
Directions
Bring broth to a boil. Add celery, ginger, and chanterelles. Simmer until the celery is fork tender. about 15 minutes.
Serve hot.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 quart homemade chicken broth
2 organic celery ribs, diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/2 lb fresh chanterelles, cleaned and halved
Directions
Bring broth to a boil. Add celery, ginger, and chanterelles. Simmer until the celery is fork tender. about 15 minutes.
Serve hot.
Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
This is definitely not for the gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, or corn-free crowd, as it has wheat, dairy, eggs, and cornmeal in it. My muffin tin holds about a half cup per muffin and made 18 muffins. The cornmeal I used is stone ground from the local grist mill.
Makes: 12-18
Wet Ingredients:
1 c pumpkin puree
1 c half 'n' half or whole milk
2 eggs
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4-6 tbsp raw honey
Dry ingredients:
1.5 c yellow cornmeal
3/4 c all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix wet ingredients together in a large bowl. Sift in dry ingredients. Whisk gently to combine. Use a 1/3 c measuring cup to fill greased muffin tin.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Let cool on a rack.
 |
| Ready to eat: pumpkin cornbread muffins |
Makes: 12-18
Wet Ingredients:
1 c pumpkin puree
1 c half 'n' half or whole milk
2 eggs
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4-6 tbsp raw honey
Dry ingredients:
1.5 c yellow cornmeal
3/4 c all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix wet ingredients together in a large bowl. Sift in dry ingredients. Whisk gently to combine. Use a 1/3 c measuring cup to fill greased muffin tin.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Let cool on a rack.
Kitchen Notes: Crispy Pork Belly
I had visual aspirations for this food experiment. I thought it would resemble the real thing. But sadly, it seems that how my oven performed versus what it looks like from a restaurant are radically different in taste, texture, and overall appearance. I think the start of the #fail began when I picked up a random portion of pork belly from Fubonn. There was a lot of fat on the cut I got and it should have had more meat. Aside from the very top layer of the pork belly, the skin, the other two layers should be relatively equal in distribution: fat and meat. Just a thought, really. My pork belly had twice as much fat as meat. Also, I don't believe that 465 degrees F is the right temperature for the second baking phase.
This recipe process did not work for me: http://kirbiecravings.com/2014/08/crispy-golden-pork-belly.html
It could also be that I had the pork belly in the freezer for several months instead of using fresh pork belly. The fat content of each slice is too much for me. Ugh. #fail
 |
| What pork belly looks like after the second roasting; the skin is really, really hard |
This recipe process did not work for me: http://kirbiecravings.com/2014/08/crispy-golden-pork-belly.html
It could also be that I had the pork belly in the freezer for several months instead of using fresh pork belly. The fat content of each slice is too much for me. Ugh. #fail
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)