Buffalo. That sacred animal of the Plains Natives, only served as novelty or specialty in present day USA.
I've only had ground bison (buffalo, it's interchangeable, one and the same) in burgers at this place in West Portal and thought it tasted decidedly like beef except firmer, requiring heavier bites and more savoring. I wondered whether bison could take the role of beef in many traditional dishes, and had to test it on myself this week as it was on sale at Whole Foods and looked enticingly firm and red, without an inkling of fat to ribbon through the lean meat.
Pot roast seemed to be the best way to test my theory, and with some baby carrots, celery, onion, italian brown mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, garlic, red wine, mushroom broth, and a good dose of salt and pepper, I was on my way to a fine pot o' tatanka roast. Admittedly, since the meat was so lean, I allocated for extra cooking time at a higher temperature. The result was a tender, lean, hearty, and flavorful roast. I ate it without any grains or accompaniment. It was that good.
Truthfully, bison contains very little gaminess. In fact, lamb possesses more "game" than this animal in full bloom. In my opinion, bison makes for a more healthful and interesting alternative to beef.
With my leftovers tonight, I sliced up the last of the roast, and added more mushroom broth with a little bit of cornstarch to the sauce and vegetables. I then cooked some orriechette pasta and ladled the thick "soup" in with some slices of meat in a very Asian-influenced presentation. Voila: bison stroganoff!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Freshwater Fishies
I usually stay away from making freshwater fish in my home. For the amount of work that I'd have to put into fish that fine and with that many bones, I'd much rather poach a nice filet of wild king salmon served with compounded dill butter or gently sear a cod steak and spoon sweet soy scallion sauce over it. However, buying groceries on a budget creates certain dilemmas. At Whole Foods this week, the only seafood items on sale were the aforementioned wild king salmon, which, at $23.99/lb, didn't seem like much of a discount. As I slowly browsed across the icy panel of cod, salmon, tuna, dover sole; I realized there would not be any seafood in my week...until I stopped at the freshwater fish section.
$6.99/lb for one butterflied trout?!? The eyes were glossy and the skin still vibrant. Fresh. And, for one entire fish, I could eat to my fill. Decision time. Isn't trout somewhat bland and boney? Doesn't it taste muddy as well? I couldn't remember the last time I ate trout. Perhaps when I was still a Girl Scout in grade school.
I'm sure the guy behind the seafood counter was tapping his fingers on the counter for a reason. With other customers buying ahi tuna steaks and salmon filets without blinking an eye at the price, I was someone who with my mere presence, cost him a good $40 worth of sold fish.
However, he was good natured enough to let me know that the trout was shipped to the store in the morning, and also gave me his favorite recipe for trout. Salt, pepper, flour and clarified butter. Fry only on skin side while spooning the hot butter over the meat, baste cooking.
Sounded good enough to me, but still I had reservations. I would take some of his advice. Flour, salt, pepper for sure. How about some lemon juice? Then, some capers to add a little zing. Fry in extra virgin olive oil instead of butter for clarity of flavor. Sear skin side down first. Flip once to cook thoroughly. The fish comes out with a slight crunch and the meat is extremely flaky and tender. I really lucked out on the capers! They fried along with the fish and took on a better quality.
I think I have found a new favorite go-to fish for my Monday nights in front of the telly!
$6.99/lb for one butterflied trout?!? The eyes were glossy and the skin still vibrant. Fresh. And, for one entire fish, I could eat to my fill. Decision time. Isn't trout somewhat bland and boney? Doesn't it taste muddy as well? I couldn't remember the last time I ate trout. Perhaps when I was still a Girl Scout in grade school.
I'm sure the guy behind the seafood counter was tapping his fingers on the counter for a reason. With other customers buying ahi tuna steaks and salmon filets without blinking an eye at the price, I was someone who with my mere presence, cost him a good $40 worth of sold fish.
However, he was good natured enough to let me know that the trout was shipped to the store in the morning, and also gave me his favorite recipe for trout. Salt, pepper, flour and clarified butter. Fry only on skin side while spooning the hot butter over the meat, baste cooking.
Sounded good enough to me, but still I had reservations. I would take some of his advice. Flour, salt, pepper for sure. How about some lemon juice? Then, some capers to add a little zing. Fry in extra virgin olive oil instead of butter for clarity of flavor. Sear skin side down first. Flip once to cook thoroughly. The fish comes out with a slight crunch and the meat is extremely flaky and tender. I really lucked out on the capers! They fried along with the fish and took on a better quality.
I think I have found a new favorite go-to fish for my Monday nights in front of the telly!
Monday, September 24, 2007
The Incredible Edible BLT
A good sandwich is hard to find. Either the tuna salad is drowning mayo or the pastrami is dry as the Sahara. Sometimes, the bread is so hard it scrapes the roof of my mouth raw or the ground chuck in the burger is adulterated with so many adulterations, I can barely taste the ground.
There are certain sandwiches I love, but never order. Take the BLT. Relegated to diner status and truck stop coffee shops, I have always been torn with the thought of ordering this item when I knew there were other dished on the menu that were much tastier. However, sitting at home one Sunday morning, I was inspired by the wafts of morning fry ups of bacon drifting through my apartment from neighboring flats to create the best BLT. What's not to love of this basic sandwich? Get good bread, fatty smoky uncured thick sliced bacon, ripe and juicy heirloom tomatoes, homemade mayo and crisp greens. Voila.
I incorporated a few other items to make the sandwich more interesting and to give it more of a bite, but if you use good basic ingredients, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
handful of arugula, washed and air dried
a few sprigs of basil, chopped or torn
a couple of pinches of dried oregano
one medium heirloom tomato, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
salt
fresh ground pepper
white balsamic vinegar
4 slices of smoked uncured thick sliced bacon
fresh baked egg toast or bread, thick sliced and toasted
fresh mayo
half a yellow onion, sliced
refrigerated maytag or point reyes blue cheese
first, marinate the tomato slices with the basil, oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil and a tiny splash of white balsamic vinegar. let it sit while you fry the bacon slices and put together the other ingredients. fry the bacon to liking, and save the oil. put the sliced onions into the bacon grease and fry until translucent. add salt and white balsamic vinegar; it should taste like warm butter pickle slices after cooking thoroughly. toast two slices of egg toast and then spread mayo over both slices. place arugula on both slices, line the bacon, stack the tomatoes, top with the onions, and finally crumble the blue cheese on top. makes two open face sandwiches or a gigantic BLT. enjoy!
There are certain sandwiches I love, but never order. Take the BLT. Relegated to diner status and truck stop coffee shops, I have always been torn with the thought of ordering this item when I knew there were other dished on the menu that were much tastier. However, sitting at home one Sunday morning, I was inspired by the wafts of morning fry ups of bacon drifting through my apartment from neighboring flats to create the best BLT. What's not to love of this basic sandwich? Get good bread, fatty smoky uncured thick sliced bacon, ripe and juicy heirloom tomatoes, homemade mayo and crisp greens. Voila.
I incorporated a few other items to make the sandwich more interesting and to give it more of a bite, but if you use good basic ingredients, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
handful of arugula, washed and air dried
a few sprigs of basil, chopped or torn
a couple of pinches of dried oregano
one medium heirloom tomato, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
salt
fresh ground pepper
white balsamic vinegar
4 slices of smoked uncured thick sliced bacon
fresh baked egg toast or bread, thick sliced and toasted
fresh mayo
half a yellow onion, sliced
refrigerated maytag or point reyes blue cheese
first, marinate the tomato slices with the basil, oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil and a tiny splash of white balsamic vinegar. let it sit while you fry the bacon slices and put together the other ingredients. fry the bacon to liking, and save the oil. put the sliced onions into the bacon grease and fry until translucent. add salt and white balsamic vinegar; it should taste like warm butter pickle slices after cooking thoroughly. toast two slices of egg toast and then spread mayo over both slices. place arugula on both slices, line the bacon, stack the tomatoes, top with the onions, and finally crumble the blue cheese on top. makes two open face sandwiches or a gigantic BLT. enjoy!
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Turbo isn't just about taxes!
I just remembered I have a freezer full of turbo sole from the 99 Ranch in Richmond. What to do? Perhaps a piccata? What about batter and fry? Nah.
A quick rummage through my vegetable bin turned over carrots, white onions, celery hearts, and flat leaf parsley. Hmmm....these ingredients plus the sole, plus the week-old half bottle of sauvignon blanc, would create a fabulous stock. Plus, what's a stock without the salt and whole peppercorns, folks?
I sauteed the holy trinity for about 5 minutes, until the onions became transparent. Then, I added the salt, peppercorns and white wine (plus a dash of rice wine vinegar) and also the quarter jar of capers I had left in the fridge. I rested the fish on top and poured water over the entire pot, just enough to cover the ingredients.
I let everything come to a boil, and after turning off the heat, I threw in a handful of flat leaf parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Voila. Fish stock soup.
DO NOT STRAIN unless you want your soup to be a strict base for another recipe. Otherwise, you can simply enjoy with all of the ingredients in the soup and serve.
A quick rummage through my vegetable bin turned over carrots, white onions, celery hearts, and flat leaf parsley. Hmmm....these ingredients plus the sole, plus the week-old half bottle of sauvignon blanc, would create a fabulous stock. Plus, what's a stock without the salt and whole peppercorns, folks?
I sauteed the holy trinity for about 5 minutes, until the onions became transparent. Then, I added the salt, peppercorns and white wine (plus a dash of rice wine vinegar) and also the quarter jar of capers I had left in the fridge. I rested the fish on top and poured water over the entire pot, just enough to cover the ingredients.
I let everything come to a boil, and after turning off the heat, I threw in a handful of flat leaf parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Voila. Fish stock soup.
DO NOT STRAIN unless you want your soup to be a strict base for another recipe. Otherwise, you can simply enjoy with all of the ingredients in the soup and serve.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Tropical Island Carrot Cake
Baking has always been horrifying. Measure everything to the exact tee; make sure you have the right temps and tools. It is somewhat more tasking than say, a stir-fry or pot roast. However, it's also exciting to see a concoction rise with the right type of applied heat, or hear a piece of meat brown and crackle. Beautiful aromas waft through the apartment filling every corner and nook when you bake. All is good with the world.
I made a carrot cake today. I wanted to also use the coconut milk and fresh pineapple in my fridge though, so why not make a tropical island shaped carrot cake with coconut cream cheese icing? The usual suspects were involved: shredded carrots, walnuts, flour, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, baking soda, coconut milk, chopped fresh pineapple and ginger. Whisk and whisk and whisk away until smooth. Pour mixture into baking pan and stick in 350 degree oven. Bake for 40 min.
In the meantime, take a block of soft cream cheese and a stick and a half of butter and powdered sugar. Use electric mixer and beat until fluffy. Refigerate. Then either spread or dollop onto your cake.
Mmm...a taste of the tropics and yummy root vegetable.
I made a carrot cake today. I wanted to also use the coconut milk and fresh pineapple in my fridge though, so why not make a tropical island shaped carrot cake with coconut cream cheese icing? The usual suspects were involved: shredded carrots, walnuts, flour, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, baking soda, coconut milk, chopped fresh pineapple and ginger. Whisk and whisk and whisk away until smooth. Pour mixture into baking pan and stick in 350 degree oven. Bake for 40 min.
In the meantime, take a block of soft cream cheese and a stick and a half of butter and powdered sugar. Use electric mixer and beat until fluffy. Refigerate. Then either spread or dollop onto your cake.
Mmm...a taste of the tropics and yummy root vegetable.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Les bananes vertes (Bangladesh)
Gorgeous sunset on an island upstream in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. Bunches and bunches of green bananas sitting on the asphalt in the middle of a small riverport town near the mouth of the delta.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Brussel Sprouts
Why is the brussel sprout loathed? The intesity of the cabbage flavor seems to be a major turn off for many, but there are ways to eat the vegetable without overdosing on bitterness and stink (as I like to call it). A side of brussel sprouts should be paired with other strong flavors: prime rib roast, braised chuck steak, or a hearty pot of chili. Weaker flavor pairings like fish or turkey should be left for those who truly love the veg.
Early indications from my kitchen experiments with the sprout lead me to believe that lightly boiling the veg tames the flavor. Braising and broiling does the complete opposite. Last night, since I had some leftover couscous, lentils and tomatoes, I decided to make a strong veggie side (yes, I am a brussel sprout lover). The dish came out perfectly:
Fry up a few slices of bacon, uncured and thick cut. While the bacon gets crispy, put halved brussel sprouts into a pot of boiling water with some sea salt. Boil until sprouts turn bright green (not too long!). Throw a few pinches of fresh thyme leaves in with the bacon and break up the crispy bits. Drain sprouts and set aside. Toss a couple of handfuls of roast corn kernels into the pan with the bacon and thyme and saute. Toss in sprouts. Saute all with a few dashes of salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper.
I kid you not this is a great way to eat sprouts! If you want more sprout flavor, do the same recipe except instead of boiling the sprouts, use chicken stock and braise until stock is almost dry. Then throw the sprout and stock in with the bacon, thyme and corn.
Early indications from my kitchen experiments with the sprout lead me to believe that lightly boiling the veg tames the flavor. Braising and broiling does the complete opposite. Last night, since I had some leftover couscous, lentils and tomatoes, I decided to make a strong veggie side (yes, I am a brussel sprout lover). The dish came out perfectly:
Fry up a few slices of bacon, uncured and thick cut. While the bacon gets crispy, put halved brussel sprouts into a pot of boiling water with some sea salt. Boil until sprouts turn bright green (not too long!). Throw a few pinches of fresh thyme leaves in with the bacon and break up the crispy bits. Drain sprouts and set aside. Toss a couple of handfuls of roast corn kernels into the pan with the bacon and thyme and saute. Toss in sprouts. Saute all with a few dashes of salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper.
I kid you not this is a great way to eat sprouts! If you want more sprout flavor, do the same recipe except instead of boiling the sprouts, use chicken stock and braise until stock is almost dry. Then throw the sprout and stock in with the bacon, thyme and corn.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Tonnato Sauce
Last night, on the verge of almost being able to clear out my pantry of old cans, condiments and canoodles, I started listing random ingredients into some of the most popular online recipe websites to see what I could concoct with my sad and spare collection of leftovers. I had a tin of tongol tuna, some capers, half a jar of mayo, a tin of anchovies, a jar of roasted red peppers, a jar of dried oysters, ginseng, wolfberries, etc. etc.
Almost immediately, I found an obscure Italian recipe for something called "tonnato" sauce. Don't let that confuse you with "tomato" sauce because it doesn't contain one ion of the red fruit. It's based on tinned tuna packed in olive oil, mayo and anchovies and I knew I would love it.
The actual recipe for tonnato is paired with herb roasted veal or turkey cutlets, but since I am getting over a cold, the thought of protein upon protein wasn't too appealing. Instead, I substituted some portobello tortellini that were getting dry and yellow around the edges after having sat for too long on the bottom shelf of my refrigerator (note to self: fresh pasta needs to be eaten a day or two after purchase or make. Always.).
In a big bowl, I mixed half a jar of mayo, the juice of one lemon, one big heaping tablespoon of capers, fresh black ground pepper, one minced anchovy fillet, a tin of tongol tuna flakes, a 1/8-1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. I used my handy dandy hand blender and pureed until most of the mixture was smooth, and I also left some tasty big bits of capers because I love the tangy pop.
Serve sauce chilled over warm tortellinis with a tiny handful of chopped flat leaf parsley and pair it with very dry white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or South American/New Zealand Chardonnay. Oh my lord.
Almost immediately, I found an obscure Italian recipe for something called "tonnato" sauce. Don't let that confuse you with "tomato" sauce because it doesn't contain one ion of the red fruit. It's based on tinned tuna packed in olive oil, mayo and anchovies and I knew I would love it.
The actual recipe for tonnato is paired with herb roasted veal or turkey cutlets, but since I am getting over a cold, the thought of protein upon protein wasn't too appealing. Instead, I substituted some portobello tortellini that were getting dry and yellow around the edges after having sat for too long on the bottom shelf of my refrigerator (note to self: fresh pasta needs to be eaten a day or two after purchase or make. Always.).
In a big bowl, I mixed half a jar of mayo, the juice of one lemon, one big heaping tablespoon of capers, fresh black ground pepper, one minced anchovy fillet, a tin of tongol tuna flakes, a 1/8-1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. I used my handy dandy hand blender and pureed until most of the mixture was smooth, and I also left some tasty big bits of capers because I love the tangy pop.
Serve sauce chilled over warm tortellinis with a tiny handful of chopped flat leaf parsley and pair it with very dry white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or South American/New Zealand Chardonnay. Oh my lord.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Dark Etoile's Oven Fried Chicken
Rinse and pat dry 6-8 free-range organic chicken pieces with skin ON & bone IN (wings, drumsticks, thighs, breast-cut in quarters)
Soak the chicken in mixture of 1% fat buttermilk, extra virgin olive oil, sriracha hot sauce, minced garlic, whole grain Dijon mustard, sliced red onions, fresh ground sea salt and black pepper. The marinade usually takes around 2-4 hours for flavor to hold. Any longer, and you'll miss out on the natural chicken flavor.
While the chicken is marinating in that toothsome milky goo, take some panko, flour, grated parmesan cheese, oregano, paprika, and cayenne pepper and mix gently in a tray. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Take chicken pieces and let drip somewhat dry of extra marinade. Then, one by one, coat lightly with panko mix. Set the coated chicken parts on a raised rack sitting in a baking tray. Make sure pieces are not sitting on top of each other or it will affect browning and crispness.
If you sliced your onions in rings, you can also dip them in the coating and place them anywhere on the pan where there's room.....you guessed it, SEASONED ONION RINGS. My opinion is that you should never waste onions where they can be eaten!
Place thin pats of butter strategically on top of chicken pieces throughout the tray. Shove everything into the oven and bake on middle rack for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pull tray out and remove onion rings. Eat immediately. If the chicken is nice and brown, turn it over to the other side and shove it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Once done, your chicken should be crisp, juicy and SUPER flavorful....if you still prefer Popeye's or KFC after tasting this dish, you're probably hopeless.
Soak the chicken in mixture of 1% fat buttermilk, extra virgin olive oil, sriracha hot sauce, minced garlic, whole grain Dijon mustard, sliced red onions, fresh ground sea salt and black pepper. The marinade usually takes around 2-4 hours for flavor to hold. Any longer, and you'll miss out on the natural chicken flavor.
While the chicken is marinating in that toothsome milky goo, take some panko, flour, grated parmesan cheese, oregano, paprika, and cayenne pepper and mix gently in a tray. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Take chicken pieces and let drip somewhat dry of extra marinade. Then, one by one, coat lightly with panko mix. Set the coated chicken parts on a raised rack sitting in a baking tray. Make sure pieces are not sitting on top of each other or it will affect browning and crispness.
If you sliced your onions in rings, you can also dip them in the coating and place them anywhere on the pan where there's room.....you guessed it, SEASONED ONION RINGS. My opinion is that you should never waste onions where they can be eaten!
Place thin pats of butter strategically on top of chicken pieces throughout the tray. Shove everything into the oven and bake on middle rack for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pull tray out and remove onion rings. Eat immediately. If the chicken is nice and brown, turn it over to the other side and shove it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Once done, your chicken should be crisp, juicy and SUPER flavorful....if you still prefer Popeye's or KFC after tasting this dish, you're probably hopeless.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
The Sequel
Wow, here I am again two years later. I almost forgot I had this blog. Let me bring everyone up to speed: I've skipped back over the pond and have developed a fondness for San Francisco that can only result from my many years of misery here. To keep us in the present, I shall provide a brief account of the recent past:
1. Came back to SF in July 2005, and got myself a nice comfortable day job whilst trying to figure out what the hell I'm doing with my life.
2. My relationship went down a serious route, took a detour, and we ended up diving off a cliff. No one survived. Bummed around a while, contemplated relocating, but decided to stick to SF this time. Something inside tells me fortune is found out West, where the Sierra Mountains and the Pacific Ocean meet, where hills are streets and wind is friend and not foe.
3. Started a part-time gig as a consultant for my friends' non profit and am working OT like a madwoman, but this is something that I love, and propelled me finally to apply for a business license. I'd like to think of it as "a license to kill" all the idiocy in my proximity.
Now that you're sufficiently up to snuff with my goods:
Tuesday, February 6, 2007, 10:24pm
Jeez Louise, my oven-fried chicken smells fantastic! I got this basic recipe and tinkered with it a little. When it called for breadcrumbs, I used panko. Where it stated Tabasco, I poured Sriracha. Mmmm-mm! All for little ol' me. One of the great joys in my life these days is creating immaculate meals or trying new recipes. From all the years of pasta in red sauce, simple salads and stir-fried vegetables, I've developed a new found interest in complication, which reeled in enough determination to follow through on things. Honestly, you can't give up on a roast even if you realized you forgot to include pivotal ingredients after it's been shoved into the oven...you make up for it somewhere else: create a sauce, add stronger side dishes, whatever suits your fancy to make it great again.
Also, nothing gives me greater pleasure than to dine at fine (and when I say "fine" I use that in the looses of terms) establishments and understanding the process, details and knowing deep down that I could probably turn out something similar if not better. Tee hee.
So, what to expect from this blog now?
1. More lists. I like writing them, and I like reading them. So there.
2. More about cooking.
3. More art/film/music reviews. Damn I hate myself. I've become THAT girl.
4. Great insight, less retardation.
5. And anything else I damn please.
6. Pics.
1. Came back to SF in July 2005, and got myself a nice comfortable day job whilst trying to figure out what the hell I'm doing with my life.
2. My relationship went down a serious route, took a detour, and we ended up diving off a cliff. No one survived. Bummed around a while, contemplated relocating, but decided to stick to SF this time. Something inside tells me fortune is found out West, where the Sierra Mountains and the Pacific Ocean meet, where hills are streets and wind is friend and not foe.
3. Started a part-time gig as a consultant for my friends' non profit and am working OT like a madwoman, but this is something that I love, and propelled me finally to apply for a business license. I'd like to think of it as "a license to kill" all the idiocy in my proximity.
Now that you're sufficiently up to snuff with my goods:
Tuesday, February 6, 2007, 10:24pm
Jeez Louise, my oven-fried chicken smells fantastic! I got this basic recipe and tinkered with it a little. When it called for breadcrumbs, I used panko. Where it stated Tabasco, I poured Sriracha. Mmmm-mm! All for little ol' me. One of the great joys in my life these days is creating immaculate meals or trying new recipes. From all the years of pasta in red sauce, simple salads and stir-fried vegetables, I've developed a new found interest in complication, which reeled in enough determination to follow through on things. Honestly, you can't give up on a roast even if you realized you forgot to include pivotal ingredients after it's been shoved into the oven...you make up for it somewhere else: create a sauce, add stronger side dishes, whatever suits your fancy to make it great again.
Also, nothing gives me greater pleasure than to dine at fine (and when I say "fine" I use that in the looses of terms) establishments and understanding the process, details and knowing deep down that I could probably turn out something similar if not better. Tee hee.
So, what to expect from this blog now?
1. More lists. I like writing them, and I like reading them. So there.
2. More about cooking.
3. More art/film/music reviews. Damn I hate myself. I've become THAT girl.
4. Great insight, less retardation.
5. And anything else I damn please.
6. Pics.
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