Playing with your food

I was never allowed to play with my food growing up. I always dreamed of making mashed potato castles with gravy moats. But, alas, at our table food was food and we were required to take a bit of everything and clean our plates. Each of the kids in my family has a horror story about being served last night's dinner for breakfast (in my case a bowl of stew) or that morning's breakfast for dinner (apparently Grape Nuts do not improve with time).

Apparently the people of Huacho, Peru do not have parents like mine. At the guinea pig festival (festival de la cuy), they gave a whole new meaning to playing with their food. Attendees celebrated their number one protein source by frying it, roasting it, stewing it, and baking in in casseroles, but they also added a twist that we don't see at most food festivals: a fashion show! That's right, they dressed up the guinea pigs in traditional Andean outfits, including frilly skirts and fedoras. I can't tell if the ones in the contest were part of the 65 million guinea pigs consumed in Peru every year, but if they're as tasty as they are cute, I'll take two.

Oldest condiments found at bottom of the ocean, not my grandmother's refrigerator

Two jars recovered from a 2,400 year old Greek ship found of Chios island were DNA tested and were found to have contained an infused olive oil and a restina (resinated) wine. This is the first time DNA has been extracted from shipwrecked artifacts. This is a pretty amazing discovery for archeologists, as now it seems like they'll be able to tell what was stored in the empty vessels they find. This will allow researchers to get a better idea of what ingredients were actually used when and where. It may also help my family figure out what my grandmother has been keeping in the deep, dark reaches of her fridge...

Peanut butter jelly time: Automat Style

I haven't been enjoying food for a while so blogging about food is the last thing I've wanted to do. I'm back to being healthy and craving, well, everything bacon wrapped or deep fried. It's been great. So during my trip to NYC this weekend, I have been enjoying sampling bites around the city.

Last night, we had a birthday dinner in Koreatown. I was excited to get some good panchan and I don't really mind that my hair and clothes still smell like grilled meat. Like a cheap perfume, eau de korean bbq, lingers until you get your stuff back from the dry cleaners. And it's totally worth it.

The highlight of my weekend was Bamn! in the East Village. I'm not usually a huge fan of St. Mark's, so I've avoided it for quite some time. Obviously it's been a while because I was completely unaware of the fact (or had forgotten) about an automat in my backyard (well, my backyard if you count the Lower East Side as my other home).

I was drawn in from down the block by the bright pink glow surrounding little windows filled with easily accessible snacks. It was better than the gumball machines outside the grocery stores when I was a kid. The menu is filled with tasty, beige treats that can be purchased with either quarters or dollar coins. French fries can be purchased at the counter, and while I didn't try any this time, they look like they could give Pomme Frites down the block a run for their money.

The guys in my group got chicken nuggets and pizza dumplings (yum!). I opted for the deep fried peanut butter and jelly croquette. Most people know my favorite food group is deep fried, followed closely by bacon and chocolate. This didn't offering didn't disappoint. Still crunchy and warm, the peanut butter oozed out with each bite. It was just enough food to last to the walk to the next bar.

I'm heading out to Flushing now for some Taiwanese food but G. has promised me can stop by the automat on the way back.


Bamn!
37 St. Mark's Place, between Second and Third Aves.
photos courtesy of Flickr.

Meat round up.

My love of meat isn't something I hide. I love my vegetarian friends, respect their decision, and often cook a meatless feast for them. At home alone, I often cook vegetarian meals for myself.

However, I love meat. Bacon could be one of the most perfect foods in the entire world. A friend once brought me a baggy full of (cooked) bacon to class as a present. She's given me many presents since then but that one was my favorite.

Growing up in Nebraska gave me a love and appreciation for all things created from red meat. Last weekend, a group of friends and I went out for dinner and I made them all try roasted bone marrow. They loved it.

Recently I've been surfing the web and have found a lot of meat related websites. Here are a few of my favorites.


Meat cuts and cute carnivore tableware
Meat t-shirts - Not sure I would wear this but I think it's pretty funny.
Bacon of the month club - Nothing says love like 12 months of bacon.
The Bacon Show - a new bacon recipe every day. Every day!
Meat Cake - I think I know what I want for my birthday.
Meaty toys - cute. but I think I liked the frozen hotdog pillow I made for Jen better.

Thankful for friends who won't let me cook

This Thanksgiving was one of the first in years that I didn't go overboard cooking and creating a feast. That's not to say that I didn't take part in a feast. Ili and I drove down to NYC to visit our friends but with all the school work I've got, I wasn't allowed to anywhere near the kitchen. I have to say it's one of the hardest things in the world for someone who loves to cook as much as I do to stay out of the cooking area (even if it is only a 4x7' corner in a tiny NYC apt).

I have to say I'm thankful they didn't let me in and forced me to study. I'm getting a lot done and now I'm full and much less stressed than yesterday.

To ensure that I was able to contribute something to the meal, I made a stuffing before I came up and brought the makings for green bean casserole with me. I don't care how much of a food snob people say I am, I refuse to have a holiday with the French's onions, mushroom soup and green beans. It's just not right.

Here's the recipe for the stuffing. I made some mini-loaves of pumpkin bread, devouring most of them while frantically trying to finish papers, but saved enough to make this sweet, yet savory, stuffing. It was a hit and I plan on making it again.

Pumpkin Bread Stuffing (from allrecipes.com)

* 6 cups cubed pumpkin bread
* 1 cup chopped celery
* 1 cup butter or margarine
* 2 cups chopped red onion
* 2 1/2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (dried will work - all of my grocery stores were out)
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 6 tablespoons chicken broth

Directions

1. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet, and let dry overnight. Alternatively, heat in a 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) oven until dry, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a 2 quart baking dish.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté celery and onions for about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, and continue cooking for about 8 minutes, or until tender. Season with rosemary, tarragon, chives, parsley, salt, and pepper. Fold in bread cubes, and add enough broth to moisten. Transfer to prepared dish, and cover with foil.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove cover, and bake for 10 minutes, or until top is crisp.

Cedar Plank Salmon

cedar salmon
Originally uploaded by maoshong.

I can't believe I haven't blogged about the one grilled food I make that drives people crazy. I actually haven't made it for a while, mostly due to the lack of a grill, people to feed, and someone to pay for the fish. However, in the last week, both Ben and my mom have talked to me about it.

I had to track down the recipe from an old email I sent to my friend in NYC. He doesn't really cook or have a grill but said that he NEEDED it after having the one pictured above.

This is one of the simplest recipes I have. The hardest part is remembering to soak the plank for at least an hour or two and leaving the lid closed while it cooks.

I think I'll be making this again next week or so. It'll give me the opportunity to show the HBS boys my cooking prowess and maybe find one who will pay for the groceries next time!

Salmon Dry Rub

2 teaspoons freshly grated pepper
1 teaspoon dried, grated lemon peel (I've never bothered to dry it)
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon Sea salt crystals (I use kosher)
2 teaspoons light brown sugar (or dark, whatever you have)

The recipe I found somewhere years ago says to combine everything in a food processor. I've never done that, though I'm sure it would be good. I'm just too damn lazy to be bothered. I mix it in a bowl. With my hands, so there's less to clean after.

Transfer to a small bowl or cup, wrap tightly and store at room temperature until ready to use.

Cedar Plank Salmon

1 cedar BBQ grilling plank (Be sure this isn't treated wood - buy it from a food store, not home depot!)
2 lb. salmon fillet, fresh, about 2 inches thick, skin on
dry rub seasoning

1. Soak the cedar plank for 2 hours, drain.
2. Place the fillets on cedar plank skin side down. Sprinkle the top of the fish evenly with the dry rub (1 ½ teaspoon per serving). Press the seasoning into the flesh.
4. Place the salmon pieces in the center of the cedar plank. Place the plank on a grill. If using a gas grill, preheat on high then turn down to medium before placing the planks on the grill. If using a charcoal grill, wait until coals are covered with gray ash. Cover with a lid.
5. There will be some crackling and heavy smoke. Salmon should take 15 to 20 minutes to cook, depending on the thickness of the salmon and the heat of the grill. The surface fat should turn white and fish should flake easily.

Holding back the urge to boot

I haven't had the chance to post in a while and probably won't again for some time. I'm currently preparing a paper that I'm presenting at a conference here in Boston. BU is hosting the foodie/aggie conference this summer so I'll be able to spend four days with all my fellow food nerds. I can't tell you how excited I am.

But I'm also petrified. People who have written books and article I own and love have requested copies of my paper. Some of them are people who inspired me to get into this field. I know this is where I want my career to go - just one step closer to tenure and a world wide book tour - but I can't help feeling like I'm going to vomit at any moment. I'm afraid that someone will stand up and point saying, "She's not smart enough to be here! Who let the idiot in?" I'm sure that won't happen and I'll probably be better dressed than them, so even if it did happen, I'd just say something mean about his/her shoes.

My only hope is that the neverending rain will flood out the entire city and save me from having to make a fool of myself.

For info on the conference, you can check out the schedule and activities here.

pizza from Pizza

pizza from Pizza
Originally uploaded by maoshong.

Went back to NYC again this weekend. Of course we made another trip to Pizza (after dealing with an interesting crowd at an 80s club - don't ask). The evening was fun but the best part was the lasagna pizza at Pizza in the lower east side. Combined with the largest bottle of water possible, it's a magical cure for what ails you at 4 am.