Dinner, Friday the 13th

I have been wanting to do a themed dinner.  Tried it this week.  Based it on vampire movies.
It was a goal. I completed. 
Wasn't as fabulous as I was hoping. But that's okay. Posted about it on my movie blog.

till later

Jan 1st 2013

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a safe and happening sail into 2013.

Sushi and Ramen

Been awhile.  I've been working on my movie a day blog and been a bit of a zombie lately.

I saw the film Jiro Dreams of Sushi  today.   I didn't care for it.  It's a documentary about this 3 Michelin star Sushi master and his son.
Besides the usual complaint I have of subtitles that are too tiny to read, it just sort of doesn't explain anything.  You go in circles with this guy and why he refuses to retire.

And I just read  The Ramen King and I   an autobiography about this guy who becomes obsessed with the creator of instant ramen, and how he becomes the model for how he ends up living his own life.
This I liked a lot.

Recipes that the movie inspired

I just finished posting over on my movie challenge blog, about what the movie Elvira Mistress of the Dark had inspired in me to cook.

I had planned on adding the recipes here to this blog, but after spending over a half hour posting it once, I'm just going to take the lazy way out and link to the post.

The post link

Till next time

Fall Back Man

Wow!  Time flies Eh?

I picked up a few cookbooks in the last couple of months, { Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen, Joy of Cooking.}  and have been randomly trying things.  I find myself coming back to the Joy of Cooking book more and more.

Risotto.
Dude, it's kicking my ass.  I know it's like one of the easiest things to do right.  It would seem I'm getting stupider or something with my cooking ability.

I had gone on a short trip the other month, and was planning on blogging about the places I ate and and showing off the fabulous meals I had.   Only,  I took the photos with my cell phone and when I tried to transfer them to the computer... NOT COMPATIBLE ERROR
So, I suck with cameras and such.

With my cooking,  I try something and work on it for about four days till I either get it right or it gets the submission on me.  I'm giving the risotto another rematch but I've tapped out to the cell phone photos.
Which is a shame, because I wanted to share the size and fabulousness of the fettuccine and sauted mushrooms that I ate more then once when I was on my trip.

If you've been hanging out at all on my main blog lately, then you know I've been just soaking up the Free Preview of the Food Network Canada, and catching as many episodes of Worst Cooks in America   online.
Talked over on that blog a bit about what shows I'm digging, the conversations they've started, and some food fears.

But my version of risotto...I was trying a sweet version with apples and apple juice and screwed up.

Bitter Feast -dvd

Plot: A blogging food critic gives such a bad review that he puts a star chef out of work.  The chef who feels his life is over, kidnaps the blogger and forces him to make variations of the items he talked about in his blog. If he fails, he dies.

I am not sure how I feel about this movie.  
It is in the tradition of classic horror films, with a heavy set of plot and characters before the violence sets in.  Which is always a bonus in my book.  I had not heard anything about this film til I spotted it at the blockbuster few days ago.  I was flying blind on it and wasn't too sure I should even buy it. (yes it was for buy only)
Right off you get an understanding for the two leads, and find yourself for the first half cheering on the chef.  Around the turning point of the film (the last 40 minutes) it starts to resemble a higher class of slasher film.

Throughout the movie, there are these gorgeous shots of food being prepared that seem to be almost poetry on the screen; then are balanced out with the brutality of the horror elements.

Little hard to sit through, but worth it.  I have to say, for myself, one of the reasons it was difficult to sit through had to do with the fact the critic is a writer who has hit rock bottom; that for me hit little too close to home.

A Philly Moment

I know many of you have joined the race to be part of the Real Women of Philadelphia contest.  Good luck to each and all who have entered.
I'm kicking around over there on the community, but I can not enter. (If you wish to friend me on there, poke me in the tummy, or just share some links you can locate me under the name Domestic Damned)

So I thought I would share my favourite Philly cream cheese cheat.  Yes, I call it a cheat.   Why, because it's a too simple recipe for cucumber sandwiches.  

 I used Italian bread, and the Philadelphia Herb and Garlic cream cheese, sliced cucumbers. 
Honestly, it's the easiest thing to create.  Simple, fast, and a perfect for when you get company last minute. 

I'm sure some of you are more skilled at making things look pretty compared to me.  But if you like cucumber tea sandwiches, you have to try it.

Sidenote,   I just got my hands on a copy of As Always, Julia The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto Food Friendship and the Making of a Masterpiece  by Joan Reardon

You know the book that was inspired by all the letters in the movie Julie/Julia.

Though, I have no idea when I will have the chance to read it.  I might try sneaking in bits and pieces between the books I do for review.

The weekend update

Okay my Spudguns.  
You remember last week I mentioned having bought that package of tofu noodles.  Well, I finally had a chance to try them yesterday.   Here's the thing.  When I was at the grocery few days ago, I asked one of the staff if anyone had tried them.  He said he had and that they worked better with a broth and not a sauce.   So, going on his advice, I made a veggie broth for it.  And the second the noodles hit the broth, the broth turned green.   GREEN!  I don't know if you can see it proper in this photo, but there is a greenish-blue liquid in the bottom of the bowl.  GREEN!  

Another recipe I decided to pull out of retirement, was veggie burgers with eggplant.   I've made this before and it's been beauty.  If you slice the eggplant into thicker pieces, and then fry them up in oil with garlic, onion and mushrooms, they can take on a beefy taste.  I normally like this version of a burger better then the portabello tops one.  Normally.   When I remember to use the right oil which is olive oil - this time I screwed up and used canola oil- and I forgot the mushrooms.  So this time around they just ended up being bland eggplant. 

Splat!

I just posted this on my main blog {www.domesticanddamned.com} but since it's a kitchen thing...

As you can see, cream of mushroom soup went everywhere.   This is what I get for multitasking.
I was cooking, watching wrestling and this was on the weekend when I was distracted in general.

Oh and this is not my kitchen either.  It's mom's.  What you see is only part of the mess.   It was gross.  Took awhile to mop it all up too.

Note to self, when using heavy machinery such as a can opener, make sure that there are no tag team matches on tv.

New product

Tofu pasta.  I can't believe it either.  So I had to buy it.   I have not tried it yet, the package is still sitting in my mother's fridge where I stupidly forgot it. So it's on the menu for tomorrow. 
Seriously, I was in the grocery hanging around the produce area which has become like a bar to me.  I'll explain later.  And spotted this next to the veggie burgers.  I was strangely drawn to it.  Weirded out slightly but drawn to it none the less.

And get this,  this package was only $1.89 Canadian.  Beauty.  We'll find out tomorrow if it was worth all that. 

What I think I learned from....

reading  The Man Who Ate The World  by Jay Rayner.

I mentioned on my main blog few days ago, that I was taking a few sick days off {I still have not shaken this horrible cold I've had for over a week} of my normal book reviews, to read something for me. I chose to read a book that I bought awhile ago that has been sitting on my coffee table taunting me { and I quote- "like an X-Division tag team" } 
All I can say is I picked the right book for a little guilty pleasure.

There are moments when you are faced with addiction head on.  As in his addiction to food, and even your own.  Or in my case the addiction to other people's addictions.
I have to say my favourite part was when he described his lust for food blogs on the same level as porn.  It was both funny and way too true for many of us.

Ironically, the whole time I was reading this, I kept thinking not just of my own food vices, but of my other main vices = books and wrestling.
There is an underling quality, which he expresses in the last two chapters, about no longer being sure he is doing what he's meant to be doing on this planet. And it just brought me back to the odd journey I myself am going on {internally speaking as I haven't been on holiday in a few years} of total uncertainty about ... well everything. 

In the end, it seems Rayner found his answer.  Even when you turn your lustful hobby into a passionate career, you can suffer burn out.  It's only when you admit even on the worst days you still are willing to do it because it's such a natural part of you, that you're truly on the right track.

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason when it happens to whom it happens to. And that books and other such media find you when you are ready to listen.  

I haven't the scope to compliment the actual food descriptions he has written about, only to say that this book is for reading with lunch.

Mushroom Burgers

I've mentioned on here while ago about getting a few cookbooks for review.
One of the books happens to be 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know  by the editors at Glamour Magazine. 
I tried a variation of their mushroom burger. 

Meatless Monday Portobello Burger  as found on page 187

1 garlic clove
2 ounces roasted red peppers from jar drained
1/2 c mayo
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 c freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
Four  4 inch diameter portobello caps
Four 1/4 inch thick slices red onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 thick slices good Italian bread
4 loosely packed cups baby arugula

In blender puree garlic, red pepper, mayo, mustard, lemon juice, cayenne, and cheese until smooth. Add 1/4 c olive oil until blended and thick   set aside.

Preheat broiler. line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Arrange mushrooms on baking sheet side by side with onion. Brush top with rest of olive oil and use salt and pepper.
Broil for 10 minutes until tender and lightly charred in spots.

Lightly brush the bread slices on one side only with the rest of the olive oil, then broil, without turning, about 1 minute until lightly golden on the oiled sides.

Arrange the bread on work surface, top with the mushrooms, onion, arugula, spread the roasted red pepper sauce on the top slices of bread.

serves 4

My version:
Well, for me that's just too spicy.  I simply used the oil, mayo and mustard. 
I also had a flat style bun instead of the bread.

I also have to say, that our local store here packages the mushroom caps in twos.  At at $4.79 a package, this is not something I would be making too often.

Personally, I find that doing mushroom burgers are better on an outdoor grill during BBQ season.
I much prefer to do eggplant as a burger paddy replacement when doing veggie burger items on a stove.


 You can catch what else I had to say about the cookbook here on my book blog

My Thoughts on the Book....

Cleaving by Julie Powell.
I finished reading it last night.  And have posted it to my book club blog.  Which you can check out here 

Let me know what you think of it, if you read it or if you are going to read it.

I liked this book.  Not as much as the first one -Julie/Julia-  but I did like this book.

It surprised me on a few levels, one of which was the stark honesty of the butchery scenes and how the author translates those scenes into her emotions. Or I should say, how she translates and connects her emotions to the slicing of the meat.

That doesn't look right

Photo by Kimberly Hulst/hcvp '2010

This is why I do not bake.  I made a lemon cake the other day with a lemon butter frosting. And well... I never said my food was pretty. 
I'm also not a baker at all.  Try as I might, I just could not get the frosting even, it kept falling off and leaving empty spots on the cake.

Lemon cake:
 1 c sugar
1/2 c margarine or butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 c milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 c flour
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 lemons juiced and zested

Mix all
bake in a greased pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees


Frosting:
1/2 c butter
1 c icing sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix well with electric mixer for about five minutes

Ramen Recipes

I had been doing another blog.  It was successful for what it was, but it put too much pressure on me.
The original theme was a food blog -soap opera.  I ended up dropping it but... here are a few of the ramen recipes I had posted on there.


Ramen #7 (originally posted on Friday April 30th 2010 on The Year I Lived Off Of Ramen Noodles)

2 cups water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 cup frozen vegetables (broccoli, onion, green beans, red peppers, mushroom)
1 serving of noodles
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
parsley
a half can of baby corn

Boil water, add frozen vegetables, add noodles, stir.
Add garlic, parsley and bouillon cube.  Stir.
Drain baby corn then add just as you are turning off the heat.  Stir and let sit for about 5 minutes.  Should serve 3.

I got the noodles in bulk at the Dollar Store.  What at first looked like two servings of noodles, turned out to actually be 8.  Which made it even better for the money.  One package was only $1,  and because it looked to be only two servings per package, I picked up three packages. So for $3 I got my money's worth.

Homemade Ramen  (Originally posted on March 15th 2010 on The Year I Lived Off Of Ramen Noodles) 

Photo by ME copyright hcvp'2010

You read the last post that my oven is dead.
There is one small working burner at this time.

Just enough for me to make a pot of something.

I went out to the grocery yesterday and bought a bag of noodles. Last night I made a small pot of homemade ramen.

3 cup water
1 medium onion sliced
1 cup frozen mixed veggies (carrots, celery, onion, red peppers)
1/2 cup frozen carrot coins
1/2 frozen Asian mixed veggies (broccoli, green beans, onion, mushroom)
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of salt
3 whole black peppercorns
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of marjoram
1 vegetable broth cube
2 handfuls of steamed broadcut noodles

Boil all ingredients EXCEPT the noodles for 20 minutes. Add extra water if needed, stirring every few minutes. Then add dry noodles. Stir turn off heat and serve.
This severs three.

Food Inc -dvd

This is a documentary that sort of opens up a few facts that have been hidden from the general public.  And that is how much of the food we eat is

1. Controlled by the same four companies
2. The way the animals are raised and slaughtered
3. The main ingredient in 90% of what we buy food and otherwise

Did you know that the same item that is used to make diapers is what is found in pop, syrup, and also fed to the livestock?   I had no idea till I saw the film.  And it's simply corn.  Corn.  I knew that corn was used as the main thing to feed animals, but was clueless that it's byproducts were used so widely.

The tagline for this documentary is "You'll never look at dinner the same way again"   And it's very true.  I've been a vegetarian now coming up 10 years, and seeing this film has made me even scared to eat anything. 

The main subplot of this is that we need to get more involved with what it is we are eating.  The school system needs to really start to rethink what they allow in grade schools for meals. And of course, we all need to support the organic food suppliers but buying at local farmers markets and growing our own gardens when/where we can.

This is not for the faint of heart, as they actually show footage of chickens and pigs being slaughtered.

Soul Kitchen - DVD review

Plot: Zinos owns a small diner that serves nothing but deep fried frozen foods.  A real estate agent wants the land for development, his staff haven't been paid in a while, and the tax man is after him. Meanwhile, his brother who is a con-man with a gambling debt comes to work for him, just as Zino's girlfriend dumps him.  Can he survive the next two months or will he loose everything and everyone he's worked the last few years to call his own?


This is a brilliant German film. (I had a subtitled version.)  It's a comedy and a drama all rolled into one and somehow manages to hit the right notes at the right time while still keeping it's balance.

There isn't alot of food in this foodie movie, but it does center around the diner itself.  Udo Kier has a small two minute cameo in this film, (who is usually known as a horror film icon) that adds a touch of solidness to what at times is just a light hearted display of fun. 

There is a scene where the chef makes a love potion and serves it to a packed house while a rock band is playing, giving everything to the Dionysian vibe.  And having the lead actor look like a sloppy Jim Morrison really adds a punch to the movie's title of the borrowed song Soul Kitchen. You're constantly reminded that food and music go hand in hand as both feed the senses and the ... well soul.

Again, I have to say there is a sense of balance in this film which plays up the opposites between Zinos and his brother Illias. Zinos for all his failures at the beginning is the responsible one (ironically the comedy element) where as his brother is the screw-up (ironically the dramatic element) who thinks he's got everything under control when he really does not.
We see an evolution with a few of the main characters, Zinos obviously being the one with the largest arch. The montage of his cooking skills comes right back to a basic thought, follow your heart, dedicate yourself to your passions, and of course anyone can cook. 

I would have liked to have seen a few more food scenes, but all in all, this is one to rent on a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

Thursday Morning and ....

 Yeah I have no idea what I was thinking.  I went grocery shopping yesterday with mom, Ninja and Uncle and that should say everything right there.  Ended up in the cereal row, which by the by is a rare thing for me. Specially since they stopped selling Count Chocula here.  Anyways, I wanted something sweet and it would have made too much sense to go to the bakery or to the cookie row.  I start looking for  Fruity-O's (generic Fruit Loops)  and I can not find them anywhere. I am about to give up when, no word of a lie, this old guy smacks his cart into the bagged cereal.  This fell to the floor. 

I started laughing.  Dude, you know I did.  Poor old guy standing there looking at me cause I'm laughing like a lunatic.  So I bought it.  Look at the size of this thing, it's sitting on my computer chair.  The cereal takes up a chair!  Good god man that will take me all winter to get through. 
Suppose I could always invite a certain wrestler over .... sorry I had to it was a ready made joke man.

An Interview

Hey guys,  a few months back I was lucky enough to do an interview with Food Writer Suzie Ridler, aka Suzie the Foodie. 
You can read that here

Homemade nacho chips

Originally posted on my main blog Domestic and Damned on Oct 6th 2010

I very happily found a few episodes of Iron Chef American on youtube the other day.  One of the things that they did (it was Cat Cora who made it on Battle Cheddar)  was a homemade cracker using wonton wraps, chocolate and cumin.   She served it with a cheddar for a simple cheese and crackers.

It seemed perfectly easy.  You know what, it sort of was.   Only I had bought eggroll wraps instead of wonton ones thinking there wasn't a massive difference, and lacking a pastry/bbq brush, I simply used a knife to drip the melted chocolate on. and well anyone who's ever used cumin knows it smells like BO.  So stinky bitter crackers that tasted less bitter with large slices of old cheddar.
So here's me thinking,  let's replace the cumin with cinnamon for a sweet instead of savory flavour. Only I still did not have a pastry/bbq brush and had to remelt the chocolate as it hardened slightly.  It still came out bitter.  Mom actually tried the cinnamon ones.
I had sliced all the eggroll wraps already, so I just stuck the next handful in the oven without anything on them.  They turned out much better.

Mom agreed they needed something.  The rest of the package I took to mom's, found her pastry/bbq brush and added oil and salt and pepper.
Lovely!  Just lovely!

 Ingredients : 1 package eggroll wraps, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, pinch each salt and pepper 


Cut wraps in half,
Line ungreased cookie sheet with the wraps,
Brush oil over each,
Sprinkle salt and pepper over tray,
Bake at 350degrees for roughly 7minutes depending on your oven.

I plan on buying a package of wonton wraps today and trying them to see if there is a difference in taste or cooking time.