Knitbuddies in the Kitchen

kitty: Oh No... I can not watch.... World Food Cup 2010

2010-07-12T17:10:00.001-04:00


As some of you might remember, M and I are big fans of the World Cup. Well any international sporting event. We have both felt that it is the closest we will ever get to world peace. During the last Word Cup 2008, we would pick a winning team from that day and do research on that nations food to cook dinner and lunch. It was an amazing experience and we fixed some of the best food I think I have eaten. I still crave the Spanish Flauta and Huevos Rancheros that we made with the basil oil from A & J. I can still remember the taste so clearly. Ahh and there was also Greek Calamari, Shrimp, Scallops, Squash, Onions and Вафля/Вафли. This year we didn't have the luxury of time to do the research or cook for every game. So here are some of the highlight dishes for World Food Cup 2010. I am really sad it didn't match up to 2010 spread. So until the next World Cup 2014!
World Food Cup 2010

Ghana	Korea

Netherlands	Denmark

German	German

German	Netherlands

Spanish	German

kitty: treasures at the food market

2010-07-11T10:47:00.001-04:00

Swiss Chard Burgers

Swiss Chard, Cucumbers, White Pepper, Red Whine Vinegar, Peach Juice, & Sugar

Burger marinated in Peach BBQ & Mocha Java BBQ

M and I meet MG and her husband at the Clintonville Farmers Market yesterday, such a happy experience. We found so many yummy treasures at the market. From Swiss Chard, Heirloom Candy Beets, Heirloom Carrots, Heirloom Zucchini, Shiro Plums, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blue Berries, Shitake Mushrooms, and most of all farm eggs.

I just love the colours of Swiss Chard......

kitty: happy holiday cooking 2006

2006-12-27T13:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Holiday Cooking 2006

kitty:dec 23 and dec 24th

2006-12-27T13:30:00.000-05:00

Beefy Noodle Soup from Scratch, no cheating broth. All the herbs were in herb bags.

Columbus Roll Sauce on Blue Fin Tuna with Beefy Noodle soup poured slowly around rim of plate for additional flavor.

Columbus Roll Sauce
Avocado, Roaster Sauce, Red pepper flake, Japanese mayo

kitty: dec 25th

2006-12-27T13:28:00.000-05:00

Christmas Dinner

Pork Chop Coating
Tempura Batter, Spicy Salt, Grey Poupon, MSG, Panko

Seared Blue Fin Tuna

Grilled Squid

kitty: dec 26th

2006-12-27T13:27:00.000-05:00

December 26th, 2006

Spicy Tofu Hot Pot

Tapioca Pancake shells, with rice, marinated pork, and beefy noodle hard boiled eggs.

kitty: Dec 27th

2006-12-27T13:26:00.000-05:00

Dec 27, 2006 Cha Sui Pork Double Delight - Cha Sui Ramen and Cha Sui Pork Buns

Cha Sui Pork (approximate)
1/2 cup of Hoisin Sauce
1/2 cup of rice wine
Heavy splash of Seasame Oil
1 head of minced garlic
35 slices of ginger
3-4 tablespoon of five-spice powder
4 pork chops

In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients except pork. Add pork and turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hours. Remove pork from marinade, reserving excess. Roast pork in 400°F oven for 20 minutes, flip and coat with the rest of the marinade and then cook until done.

Cha Sui Ramen

kitty: Dec 28th, 2006

2006-12-27T13:10:00.000-05:00

Dec 28, 2006 Homemade Wonton Soup with Bamboo

And Chinese Pickled Cucumbers

kitty: Dec 29, 2006

2006-12-27T13:01:00.000-05:00

Dec 29, 2996 - Cha Sui Katsudon - Chai Sui Pork, Caramelized Onions, Fried Eggs, on a bed of Rice

kitty: Happy Holidays 2006

2006-12-27T13:00:00.000-05:00

kitty: good food in the kitchen this previous week

2006-08-13T18:51:00.000-04:00

No concrete recipes, but just photos of what has been cooking this past week in the Kitchen

Seared Korean BBQ Tuna with Avocado

Tuna Tar Tar, with avocado, seaweed paste, and seaweed salad

Pork Ramen, Dumplings, and meat balls

Fig and Avocados with Olives, Tomatoes, mushroom, balsamic vinegar Pasta, Sun Dried Tomatoes BBQ Chicken

kitty: French Fruit Salad

2006-05-29T21:56:00.000-04:00

French Fruit Salad

6 Southern Peaches quartered
1/3 of a pineapple diced
1 small head of lettuce
2 tablespoons of cinnamon apple butter
2 heavy splashes of pear balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of mango soy milk

Tossed and allowed to set while the pork chops were panned fried and chard with garden herbs.

Homemade dinner rolls were also reheated in the skillets with the pork chops.

kitty: Italian baked Pork Chops

2006-05-29T21:51:00.000-04:00

Italian Pork Chops

Oven Baked Pork chops marinated in fresh garden herbs with Zucchini and dried Shitake
Angle Hair Pasta
CSA Veggie Pasta Sauce

CSA Veggie Spaghetti Sauce

Base Sauce
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 Large onion, peeled, trimmed, and minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds tomatoes, pureed
1 cup homemade Chicken Stock
6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1) In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the onion until browned. Add the rest of the ingredients and allow to cook for 2 hours.
2) Chiffonade the basil leaves and add to the sauce.
3) Turn off the heat and add the butter and salt and pepper

Main Sauce
1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, 1 purple pepper
1 Large onion, peeled, trimmed, and minced
1 package of regular mushrooms
1 package of portabella
1 hand full of dried shitakes
1 hand full of dried porchinis
1 package of crimini
2 large zucchinis
2 large yellow squash
6 cloves of garlic
1 large handful of each; Basil, thyme, lemon thyme, marjoram, rosemary
1 small handful of each; tarragon, garlic Chives, basil
1 lb of hamburger (optional)
6 cups of tomato sauce
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of sugar
Balsamic vinegar to taste

1) In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and garlic until browned. Add the rest of the ingredients and allow to cook for 2 hours.
2) Chiffonade the small handful basil leaves and add to the sauce.
3) Turn off the heat and add balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper

kitty: Thai Wraps

2006-05-29T21:47:00.000-04:00

Thai Wrap

Tempura fish cakes
Rice
Large Leaf Lettuce
Peanut Sauce
Soybeans
5 spice Tofu
Bean Spouts
Peanuts
Soy Bean, Tofu Skin, Carrots, and Hot Pepper pickled Veggies
Bean Sprouts
Hiyashi Wakame
Korean Spicy Sauce
Grilled Garlic and Ginger Steak

kitty: Korean Salad

2006-05-29T21:36:00.000-04:00

Korean Salad

1 small head of lettuce
1/2 tablespoon misso
1 box Hiyashi Wakame
A small squirt of Roaster Sauce
1 teaspoon Pear Balsamic vinegar
11/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
Heavy Sprinkle of Red Pepper Flakes

kitty: Apple Grilled Steak

2006-05-29T21:20:00.000-04:00

Apple Grilled Steak with Garlic and Ginger

kitty: happy birthday Brahms

2006-05-07T21:41:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to Brahms and Me!!

Check out the Tarro Cake :)
My second favorite cake since Butternut Pound cake isn't really available.

kitty: Mom's Southern Pecan Pie

2006-04-16T20:17:00.000-04:00

Pecan Pie

1 cup white corn syrup
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup of melted butter
1 heaping cup of shelled pecans
3 whole eggs
dash of vanilla
pinch of salt
2 store bought pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 Cook:45-50 minutes

1) In a large bowl cream the corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
2) Allow the butter to cool down then add it to the bowl and mix
3) Remove it from the mixer and add the pecans and mix by hand
4) Add it to 2 pie shells and hit the pans on a cookie sheet to level off
5) Place in the oven and cook until a toothpick comes out clean

Kitty: Japanese Pizza

2006-04-15T00:38:00.000-04:00

Japanese Pizza

6 mini peeled carrots cut into thin slices
8 dried shitake mushrooms cut into thin slices
6 regular mushrooms cut into thin slices
2 handfuls of English peas
1 can of Chinese spicy eel with black beans broken into small pieces and the oil
3 imitation crab sticks cut into thin chunks
6 slices of deli turkey
1 scallion thinly chopped
1/2 cup of grated Harvartti Cheese
1 store bought pizza shell

1) Place the pizza shell on a cookie sheet while the oven is pre-heating according to directions
2) Place the carrots, peas, and shitake mushrooms on the bottom of the pizza shell
3) Place the turkey over the entire bottom covering items in 2
4) Place the crab sticks and eel on top of the turkey slices
5) Drizzle the eel oil over the top of the pizza
6) Cover the eel and crab with a layer of regular mushrooms
7) Sprinkle the top with scallions
8) Finally cover the top with a thin layer of cheese
9) Follow the instructions for cooking on a pizza shell or until the shell is slightly brown (10-28 min at 450 degrees)

Serve with a light soy sauce dipping sauce.

Inspiration

This essentially is a pizza crust version of the Japanese Okonomiyaki. ("Okonomi" means "as you like" referring to the ingredients used in the pancake.)

The only exposure most americans have had to Okonomiyaki was Ukyo Kuonji in Ranma 1/2. She had a Okonomiyaki shop and carried spatulas that she fought with in the anime

kitty: It has been awhile

2006-04-09T22:27:00.000-04:00

Spanish Pizza

The recipe is going to be a little sketchy since this was a new recipe that was inspired by watching the new cooking reality show on Bravo.

BBQ Beef

1lb of fatty Beef
1 Finally chopped large white onion
1/2 Thinly sliced Green Pepper
2 tablespoons of Korean Red BBQ Sauce

1) Allow all the ingredients above to marinade in a metal bowl for 2 hours.

2) Then grill all the contents of the bowl until meat is medium rare.

Pizza

1 Store bought pizza shell
8 large mushrooms
1/2 of a package of pineapple
White Truffle Olive Oil

1) Place the pizza shell on a cookie sheet while the oven is pre-heating according to directions
2) Place the BBQ Beef and any non chard onions and Green Pepper on the shell
3) Cover the top with thinly sliced mushrooms
4) Place Pineapple chunks on top of the pizza
5) Drizzle the top with Truffle Olive Oil
6) Heat in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes or until crust is slightly brown and the pineapple and mushrooms look done.

Inspiration

M and I were watching the cooking reality show on Bravo. The challenge was to create a dish that could be served on the streets of San Fran that was a fusion between Latin American and either Chinese, Japanese, Indian, or Mediterranean food.

So the dishes that they came up with were pretty un expired. So this is what we came up with for a Chinese/Latin American fusion dish. The BBQ meat was cooked chinese style, while the rest is much like a spanish pineapple dish.

Kitty: Monday in the Kitchen at Knitbuddies

2006-01-23T12:55:00.000-05:00

Traditional Chicken Rice Porridge (Rice Porridge aka. Congee or xi fan)

1 whole organic chicken
3 cups of rice (uncooked)
10 dried shitake mushrooms
3 teaspoon salt
2 small handfuls of MSG
Heavy shake of pepper to cover the top of the pot (or to taste)
1 tablespoon of sake
1 chopped diakon

1) Peal and chop diakon as you would a potatoes and place in the bottom of a large pot
2) Wash chicken and fill with 10 washed shitake mushrooms and as much rice as possible to fill the chicken cavity. All the rice will not fit just pour into the bottom of the pot with diakon.
3) Fill pot until the water just covers the chicken and bring to a boil. Once it boils turn to low and allow to simmer for one hour
4) Then add all the remaining seasonings to the pot and allow to simmer until the chicken splits due to the swelling rice inside the cavity.

Inspiration

Mac and I both were feeling really under the weather and getting sick. So this will be our comfort food for the week with little vegetable side dishes. Luckily there is enough there for several days, since I don't even feel like eating not alone cooking.

Yes, I realize the photos probably are not that appealing, but trust me it taste amazing if you like rice porridge. :)

Kitty: Monday in the Kitchen at Knitbuddies

2006-01-16T00:04:00.000-05:00

French TomatoSoup

10 Organic tomatoes
1/2 of a pint of half and half
4 pieces of Garlic (Unchopped)
1 small handful of Basil (Unchopped)
2 teaspoons of salt

1) Puree tomatoes (Seeds and peals included)
2) Place tomatoes, garlic, cream, basil, and salt into a pot. Do not stir the mixture.
3) Bring to a boil and then stir mixture
4) Turn down the mixture and allow to simmer for 20-30 min.
(It is done when the mixture has become slightly thick)

Inspiration

To be honest, the tomatoes were going bad in the refrigerator and it was the quickest way to use them up. I left one out to make tomatoe eggs in the morning.

Kitty: Monday in the Kitchen at Knitbuddies

2006-01-09T03:51:00.000-05:00

Chicken Beef Noodle Soup

1 large Organic Fryer Chicken
6 cans of Organic low sodium beef broth
8 whole slices of Ginger
1/4 cup of Ju Ju Berries (approximate)
1/3 cup of Star of Anise (approximate)
2 teaspoons of Salt (approximate)
1 1/2 teaspoon of MSG (approximate)

1) Place chicken and beef broth in a large cooking pot
2) Check your level of liquid. You want the chicken to just barely be above the liquid line, if it is below add water to bring it up to this level.
3) Add 8 slices of ginger
4) Bring the soup to a rolling boil and then turn to low to cook for 2 hours.
5) After it has cooked for 2 hours add; Ju Ju Berries, Star of Anise, salt and MSG to the pot. (M. and I like a very heavy taste to our foods.)
6) Cover the pot and allow to cook for 1.5 - 2 hours on low

Serve over Chinese flat noodles and garnish with green onions.

Inspiration

M and I were at the local Japanese Bookstore when we ran across a magazine highlighting the best places to eat and stay in Taiwan for 2006. M was surprised at how many of the restaurant he remembered going to when he was a child. He was also shocked that so many of them were still around and had really cleaned up their appearance. (He hasn't been back for 19 years, so yes things do change.) The pictures of plates after plates of food really made him homesick for Taiwanese cooking. So our Sunday big pot cooking had to reflect this feeling. One of the restaurants in Taipei showed a picture of this beef and chicken noodle soup that he remembered eating as a kid.

After it was finished, he went wow I haven't had this in so long, so I view it as a sucess.

(The portion up above was M's bowl with lots of chicken skin. Mine was a tiny piece of chicken, 1/2 cup of noodles, and borth.)

So why the posting about food on Monday, you might be asking yourself as you read this blog. Heck this is a knitting blog and why is there a chicken on the site. One of my New Years resolutions is to force myself to cook more at home and to get serious about loosing weight. One of the keys is that I just eat out too much due to convince. Not that I am eating fast food or bad food when I go out per say, but the fact my husband I work such crazy hours that eating out is easy and faster than cooking a meal at home. This really needs to stop some how. I am also very very guilty of skipping meals all together. Some days I am lucky to eat a meal at midnight and that is the first meal of the day for me. I am also not a snacker except when I am cooking and then anything is fair game. So keeping carrots around while cooking is also a good start.

So to keep myself honest about eating at home I decided to start posting a recipe each Monday with pictures that I actually cooked it. I really hope this will be the incentive I need to get myself going again on living a healthier life style. :) Living a healthier life is really my number one New Years resolution for the year. I am too young to be feeling as crappy as I do on a daily bases and I am not getting any younger. So here is to my new start.

So Knitbuddies will have a new in the kitchen post on Mondays and if there isn't a recipe on Monday you know I have been bad.

Kitty: New Year Traditions

2006-01-05T03:35:00.000-05:00

New Year Traditions




Click on any of the above for a larger view

I think something that is truly fascinating is seeing and hearing about people's new years traditions. Growing up in the south it was all about ham hocks, black eye peas, and leafy vegetables to eat on the first day of the New Year. My great grandfather had a saying that he told everyone about the fact it was the rainiest, snowiest, hottest, coldest, etc. day of the year. I still repeat that saying right at midnight as I call all my family and wake them up to wish them an Happy New Year. I have to be the first to say it. (Sorry Mom, but it just has to be done.)

Well, I thought I would share my family’s tradition. We make dumplings right as the clock strikes midnight. To be honest it is our tradition for Chinese New Years as well, but at least the house doesn't have to be spotless, floors hand scrupped wipping the strokes towards the heart of the house, and all the trash out (We don't throw trash out for 15 days, since it is bad luck.) before midnight for western new years.

And yes I cooked 1/4 of a cup of black eye peas to eat on the first. Ummmm, I may have only eaten two, so I hope it counts for good luck for the New Year. My Great Great Great Aunt would not be happy that I didn't finish my peas.

Happy New Years to one and all, again!

kitty: Huge Yorkshire Puddings

2006-01-01T20:11:00.000-05:00

Huge Yorkshire Puddings

1/2 pint milk
4 ounces all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
3 eggs
Vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Mix the batter ingredients together. Let rest for 10 minutes

1) Preheat a Yorkshire pudding tray or muffin tin with 1/2-inch of oil in each section.
2) After the 10 minutes divide the batter into the tray.
3) Cook for around 15 to 20 minutes until crisp and puffy, don't open the oven door before then or they won't rise.