I'm going to a Michelin Star rated vegetarian restaurant in a month.

 

Just because

 

How did ya make the hashbrowns?

 

Shred/grate 2-3 large potatoes, add one big egg, salt, pepper. Mix well and let sit for 5 minutes. Press liquid out, form and fry on vegetable oil.

The best part is putting those tomatoes and onions on the egg in the middle of the toast, then using the round toast-cut outs for small sliders - put some ham and cheese on top.

 

Pork with a mustard cream sauce, asparagus with shallots.




Brown chops in butter and olive oil, just 2-3 per side. Remove from pan.
Remove some fat, add in shallots, 1-2 minutes.
White wine, bring to boil, add chicken stock, place chops back into their home.
Simmer covered for 15-20 minutes.
Remove chops, reduce the goodness in the pan by 1/2.
Heaping tablespoons of both dijon and whole ground mustard, add in cream and some fresh chopped parsley.

Asparagus, literally just olive oil, salt, pepper, shallots, under the broiler for 5-6 minutes.

Modifications:
1. Next time I'll add some mustard powder to up the heat.
2. Should have reduced the sauce a bit more once I added the cream.

 

^^^^^ That looks yummy, would eat for sure.
================


Today decided to cook something my honey wanted to try for a while - Shakshuka.

Lots of tomatoes cut in 1/4
Very large onion diced into large chunks
3 garlic cloves, crushed
salt, pepper, smoked paprika (or Spanish pimento spice), harissa to taste

lightly fry onions and garlic in a good amount of oil
add tomatoes and cook until soft and liquid partially reduced
crack large eggs and cover
Cook until egg whites set, but yolk stays runny inside, do not overcook!
plate and sprinkle with chopped olives and cilnatro

 

That looks damned interesting. Had never even heard of Shakshuka, I thought he was the guy who ruled South Africa in the early 1800s and executed quite a lot of his own subjects in the process before being rather gruesomely assassinated by his own brothers.



Been in kind of a culinary funk lately, decided to go back to basics. One-pan cook tonight.


Chicken breast. Nothing fancy. Pat dry, lightly salt & pepper, fry 2 minutes per side in olive oil on medium-high heat until they brown a little.



Transfer to a baking sheet, top lightly with Parmesan, bake at 400° for about 10 minutes. (I will later finish them under the broiler.)


Crank up the heat and toss some fresh green beans into the pan, using the dross left over from the chicken as a base. Sear the hell out of 'em for 4-5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Right at the end, toss in 1/4 cup water. As it starts to boil away, transfer to a bowl and cover with foil.





Toss in some grape tomatoes and yet more olive oil. Again, sear on high. Once they start to blister, toss in 1-2 minced garlic cloves and a little pepper. Continue on high until the garlic browns, then transfer to a bowl and cover.

(picture missing.)



Toss in another clove or two of minced garlic and some olive oil. Brown. Turn the heat *way* down and add about 1/2 cup cream, a dolloup of tomato paste, a big spoonful of Parmesan, a pat of butter, and some oregeno. Stir as it reduces. You can add in a little water if it gets too thick.

(picture missing.)



Plate. The tomatoes are garnished with fresh basil, and the green beans with crushed almonds. (Have you ever tried to slice an almond? I quickly gave up and tossed 'em in the small food processor. Next time, I'll buy pre-sliced almonds.)




Not bad at all. Hardly my finest hour, but a solid take on an old standard.

 

I'm jonesin' man.

 

Went to Le Kon in Arlington last night for my anniversary. SUPERDELICIOUS mexican japanese fusion by Katsuji Tanabe (from Top Chef)

Our comp dessert:





it made my tongue blue. and yes, those are Fruity Pebbles.

 

 

 

fresher than a prince of bel aire.

 

Sometimes, you just gotta wagyu.



So very yummy.

 

Looks good. Why plain rice? I feel that it needs something - spices, sauce, etc.

 

Why is it simultaneously overcooked and not seared enough?

 

Because Broe Perez is just learning how to grill meat

 

I topped the rice with a quick sauce of mirin, soy, a dash of worcestershire, and sliced green onions. But a perfect little rice ball photographs better before you pour liquid over it.




I seem to have reached the limit of this grill's heat output. (Remember, I rescued it from the dumpster after the previous owner was unsatisfied with it.) So it's a compromise between char and done-ness.

Decided to do a repeat tonight, but instead pan-cooked it on high in some stir-fry oil for about 2:30 per side. This gave me a nice sear on the surface while leaving the inside tender and red, though the flavor was lacking that smokey undertone that you get from fire. This is a vexing challenge, as I lack the outdoor space for a large grill.



Call me crazy, but I'm seriously contemplating a Bernz-o-Matic torch.




EDIT: I was kidding when I wrote that. Then I went to their website. Turns out that this is actually a listed application in their torch-selector tool.





Hmmmm. Sous-vide, plus an industrial brazing torch...

 

Decided to fancy the pansty tonight.

Yellow squash and zucchini. Halve, slice to 1/2", toss with smoked chipotle pepper seasoning, then bake 25 min at 400°.

Pork chop, pan-seared on high for 2 minutes per side, then added to the squash pan for the last 6 minutes of its spa vacation.

Top pork with with shredded cheese and some crushed tortilla chips. Top zucchini / squash with a simple crema of sour cream, lime juice and cilantro. Sprinkle a bit of lime juice atop the pork.



This one was pretty nice. Big, strong flavors, as is my preference.

 

 

I use torch in the kitchen, nothing wrong with that...