Monthly Archives: April 2012

Queso de Pescado

30 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in Fish, Making Charcuterie, Pâtés and Terrines, Whole Animal

≈ 2 Comments

I am going to say it. I do not like cooking fish. I barely like eating cooked fish, but I really, truly, honestly dislike cooking fish. Unlike most things that I don’t like to do, I do not feel like fish cookery is something that I need to get past. I am perfectly happy honoring the mighty fish by fire by leaving it to the experts.  However, one project by the amazing “Ideas in Food” crew that caught my attention despite it involving me cooking fish was making fish head cheese. Continue reading »

Green Eggs and Ham

23 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in Making Charcuterie, Pâtés and Terrines, Pork

≈ 4 Comments

DSC04214

Not every project need be something serious and traditional. As a parent of two little, beautiful kids, these projects sometimes distract me from spending all of my energy engaging with the little girls, but sometimes they engage you in silliness and their creativity. As I try to most evenings, I was reading “Green Eggs and Ham” to my older daughter and she asked where she could get green eggs and ham. I told her that I don’t know, but I’d look around. She likely forgot about it, but I did not. Continue reading »

Vinegar

19 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in Condiments and Pickles

≈ 5 Comments

DSC03597

It has been a year since I changed lifestyles and got healthier. Things are moving along nicely. Part of that change is moving away from consistently using a combination of animal fat and salt as cooking fat, food, and seasoning all at once. Does that mean that people who eat with health in mind can’t use animal fat for all three? No, but it means that I had to branch out and become more comfortable using other ways of flavoring besides salt and fat. One of my favorite ways to season and flavor dishes has become vinegar, both on its own and as part of mustard and other sauces. The acid facilitates flavor in much the same magnitude, to me, as fat and salt do. Continue reading »

Whipped Mortadella

16 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in Lamb, Making Charcuterie, Rillettes and Other Potted Meats

≈ 2 Comments

DSC04141

True confession time. I am a saver. I want my favorite things to last forever, so I do what every “saver” does to their favorite preserved foods – I continue to take a bit and return it and by doing so, I can never run out. The only problem with this is that when food is “saved” for too long, things begin to grow. So when I looked at the lamb mortadella from Cypress a few weeks ago and noticed that a little bit of mold had joined the party, I knew that I had to act fast. Continue reading »

Bacon Tastings: Møsefund Farms

12 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in Bacon Tasting, Cured Meats, Smoked Meats, Tasting Charcuterie

≈ 8 Comments

DSC04232

I have reached my limit on Bacon. Not bacon, but Bacon. The desserts, the coffins, and festivals (where chefs have bacon shipped in and then trendify it) — all of it. The part that it is meant to commemorate, bacon, is all but eliminated and, in its place, gluttony has been substituted. When I see bacon on a menu item, it is simple to distinguish whether it is added to create balance and harmony or to advance and encourage gluttony. Not that gluttony doesn’t have any place at the table, there will always be special meals where indulgences occur, but the pride associated with the excess is what has gotten so deeply under my skin. Continue reading »

Lamb Cakes

09 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in Lamb, Making Charcuterie, Pâtés and Terrines, Rillettes and Other Potted Meats

≈ 5 Comments

DSC04194

There are traditions that are well known of which I have never experienced. Over Twitter this week, I have read about lamb cakes and, for the first dozen times, I honestly visualized something like the trotter cake. A small, crispy patty of lamb was what I thought, but what it actually is – a freakishly white cake with frosting layers large enough to push legal limits of blood sugar (see photo below) – scared the living hell out of me. Coming clean about my ignorance of this actual cake, I decided to create an Easter lamb cake worthy of your attention. Continue reading »

Preserved Buddha’s Hand

05 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in Condiments and Pickles

≈ 3 Comments

DSC04162

To most, if you would ask how they would preserve citrus, they would likely talk about jam or marmalade. There is a select community, and I am assuming that if you read this blog that you are one of them, who think, “Duh, preserved lemons.” However natural with lemons, when presented something tasting incredibly similar yet appearing different, I was confounded as to how to use the whole thing. Continue reading »

Scotch Easter Egg

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in Making Charcuterie, Other Game, Sausages

≈ 5 Comments

DSC04154

For as long as I can remember, we have been sold the myth that there is a magic rabbit that hatches eggs made from chocolate containing an bi-colored interior of congealed confectioner’s sugar. As someone who does not understand the draw to this marketing ploy or the egg itself, I wanted to take Easter back a little by marrying the bunny and the egg in a more natural way.

Just like I was always mystified by the Cadbury egg phenomenon, I have been  mystified, both equally and oppositely, by the Scotch egg. The idea of wrapping a hard boiled egg in sausage then breading it and frying it seems like one of the more complete, handheld breakfasts around – certainly better than a pop tart or any of the artisan pop tarts that seem to be popping up everywhere lately. Continue reading »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 377 other followers