So I went to DC over New Years to visit Kate, and during one of my hangover recovery periods, I watched a whole bunch of Good Eats on my computer. One of the episodes was Egg Files II - Man with a Flan and Alton made quiche, which he dubbed refrigerator pie. It was super easy. I took a store-bought pie crust (yes, I know, I'm lazy) and then put a royale mixture in it and then stuff.
1 pie crust
royale mixture:
2 eggs
1 c heavy cream
2 pinches salt
fillings
Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs and cream and then beat in the salt. Put your fillings in, but leave open spaces for the royale mixture to go. I used mushrooms sauteed in butter and garlic salt (I ran out of garlic. :( ), broccoli that I had pre-cooked a bit, and some white cheddar cheese with herbs. It has a name. I don't really remember it, though.
Don't fill everything up to the top. Bake for ~45 minutes, or until the filling is set to the consistency of jello.
It turned out really well. I was surprised by that. I had enough stuff left over to make flan, which actually seemed rather easy to make, but I don't own ramekins and upon further reflection hate flan, so I decided against it.
04 January 2008
27 December 2007
Graduate applications are a pain
So in the past month, I've made risotto, chicken, some sort of dip, cheese straws, holiday cookies, milk chocolate (by accident), more bread, cream biscuits with cheese, roast lemon chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes. Also a couple drop biscuits here and there. I've also been working on my application to grad school and that's kind of awful... so more updates once those are done.
Also
http://loltonbrown.blogspot.com
Also
http://loltonbrown.blogspot.com
04 December 2007
Beer Bread
Okay seriously... beer + bread... sounds too good to be true, right? Well... maybe.
I've recently taken an interest in quick breads because they're pretty easy and I actually have baking soda/baking powder, as opposed to yeast. This recipe was ridiculously simple.
3 c all purpose flour
3 tbs sugar
1.5 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
Mix. Put into a well greased (like with Pam) bread pan. Put in a 375 degree oven for an hour. Eat.
So the beer that I used was a wheat beer called Zoomer from the New Holland Brewing company in west Michigan. My problem with that beer is that it's entirely too hop-y for being a wheat beer and you can definitely taste that in the bread, though it's not a strong. My inclination would be to find a different beer whose flavors I appreciate more, but it was either Zoomer or Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat... and just... no. I mean, it's not horrible, but it could be a lot better. I'd actually think that if you did this with Stella or Sam Adams or, hell, Budweiser, it would be a lot better.
I've recently taken an interest in quick breads because they're pretty easy and I actually have baking soda/baking powder, as opposed to yeast. This recipe was ridiculously simple.
3 c all purpose flour
3 tbs sugar
1.5 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
Mix. Put into a well greased (like with Pam) bread pan. Put in a 375 degree oven for an hour. Eat.
So the beer that I used was a wheat beer called Zoomer from the New Holland Brewing company in west Michigan. My problem with that beer is that it's entirely too hop-y for being a wheat beer and you can definitely taste that in the bread, though it's not a strong. My inclination would be to find a different beer whose flavors I appreciate more, but it was either Zoomer or Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat... and just... no. I mean, it's not horrible, but it could be a lot better. I'd actually think that if you did this with Stella or Sam Adams or, hell, Budweiser, it would be a lot better.
Spinach Tomato Pasta
Since my Thanksgivings are usually a lot more brief than everyone else's, I spent a lot of time staring at the TV. We were watching when Giada De Laurentis came on and she made this pasta which seemed super simple... and now that I've stolen my dad's huge ass pan (or what I've been calling a wok), I had something to make it in and it was yummy. Even Colby (who I made eat it) thought it was good.
1 lb pasta
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 c olive oil
8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bag pre-washed fresh spinach coarsely chopped
1/2 c Asiago + Parmesan or some other hard, salty cheese
salt and pepper to taste
boil the pasta until al dente in heavily salted water. Save 1/2 c of the boiling liquid. Drain. Cook the garlic in the olive oil until you can smell it, then add the spinach and tomatoes until the spinach starts to really wilt. Add in pasta, pasta water, cheese and toss. Season with salt+pepper to taste.
It was super simple and really good. I was going to add chicken, but my refreezerator got to the chicken before I could. :( Damn freezer burn.
Kyle, you should make this.
1 lb pasta
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 c olive oil
8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bag pre-washed fresh spinach coarsely chopped
1/2 c Asiago + Parmesan or some other hard, salty cheese
salt and pepper to taste
boil the pasta until al dente in heavily salted water. Save 1/2 c of the boiling liquid. Drain. Cook the garlic in the olive oil until you can smell it, then add the spinach and tomatoes until the spinach starts to really wilt. Add in pasta, pasta water, cheese and toss. Season with salt+pepper to taste.
It was super simple and really good. I was going to add chicken, but my refreezerator got to the chicken before I could. :( Damn freezer burn.
Kyle, you should make this.
27 November 2007
I made a discovery!!
Chicken stock is my new favorite cooking device. My second new favorite cooking device is the wok that I stole from my dad. Chicken stock + wok == best stir-fry evAr. Well, maybe not ever, but you get the drift.
I made quinoa again, but this time I used chicken stock instead of water and oh boy, it was 8000 times better. I used the quinoa instead of rice again and it was an excellent addition to my stir-fry, which consisted of a bunch of vegetables that I was going to use then or throw out. Veggie stir-fry is becoming my new default because chicken takes too long and I'm lazy. I maintain that it's healthier than fast food.
So at the grocery store, I bought a couple cans of chicken stock. My new game is going to be to see what all I can incorporate it into. I also got asparagus. Stoked about that! I'm thinking of trying risotto soon, but I couldn't find arborio rice. Sadness. Maybe later this week, I'll find it.
Other new discovery... the cookie recipe I was using is better if you forget the recipe and run out of vanilla. I think the new best way of dealing with it is to use two eggs (instead of 1 egg + 1 yolk) and to half the amount of vanilla. I made them again by actually following the recipe and was a bit disappointed; however, my friend Dave decided that he likes the actual recipe better. So I guess experimentation (i.e. forgetting the recipe) is the best.
I made quinoa again, but this time I used chicken stock instead of water and oh boy, it was 8000 times better. I used the quinoa instead of rice again and it was an excellent addition to my stir-fry, which consisted of a bunch of vegetables that I was going to use then or throw out. Veggie stir-fry is becoming my new default because chicken takes too long and I'm lazy. I maintain that it's healthier than fast food.
So at the grocery store, I bought a couple cans of chicken stock. My new game is going to be to see what all I can incorporate it into. I also got asparagus. Stoked about that! I'm thinking of trying risotto soon, but I couldn't find arborio rice. Sadness. Maybe later this week, I'll find it.
Other new discovery... the cookie recipe I was using is better if you forget the recipe and run out of vanilla. I think the new best way of dealing with it is to use two eggs (instead of 1 egg + 1 yolk) and to half the amount of vanilla. I made them again by actually following the recipe and was a bit disappointed; however, my friend Dave decided that he likes the actual recipe better. So I guess experimentation (i.e. forgetting the recipe) is the best.
25 November 2007
Corn bread+ instant polenta
I've been reading through cookingforengineers.com for awhile now, but I never really got around to making anything until last night. They had a recipe for sweet cornbread which was actually really good. It tastes more like the Jiffy corn bread mix, as opposed to buttery corn bread with a side of butter that's wrapped in a bit more butter. There's actually no butter in this. They came out a bit on the dry side, but, again, it's corn bread and it probably wants some butter, which I am opposed to doing.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8x8" or 9x9" pan.
Combine:
1 c cornmeal
1 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt (I forgot it at first and I tasted the batter because, well, I'm me and I was wondering what was wrong until I realized what I had forgotten)
1/2 sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/3 c vegetable oil (I used corn oil)
1 c whole milk
1 large egg (take out the albumen)
Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Yum. Bake for ~20 minutes or so, or at least until you can put a toothpick in the center and have it come out clean.
So yeah, it came out a bit dry, but it was a lot sweeter and lighter than the previous attempt. I guess it's just a matter of personal taste (pun?) when it comes to corn bread. Given my non-existent sweet tooth, this could seriously be my birthday cake.
So after that, I had the brilliant idea of trying to make polenta because I apparently love love love corn meal. I stole Chris' instant polenta and had at it. Essentially you boil 3 c water and then add 1 c polenta mixture and 1 tsp salt and just stir for five minutes. This is only the instant kind. I figure that one day I'll make it for realsies. I didn't have *that* much flavor. It kind of reminded me of cream of wheat, except way thicker. Or that time I brought cream of wheat to work for lunch and it was all gross and coagulated. I decided to try to fry it, but it didn't work. I used too much oil because I had seen it deep-ish fried so i was trying that. I still have a bunch left that I guess I'm going to experiment with later.
Also, my new favorite trick is to take a piece of food, hand it to someone and say "try it", and then watch them eat.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8x8" or 9x9" pan.
Combine:
1 c cornmeal
1 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt (I forgot it at first and I tasted the batter because, well, I'm me and I was wondering what was wrong until I realized what I had forgotten)
1/2 sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/3 c vegetable oil (I used corn oil)
1 c whole milk
1 large egg (take out the albumen)
Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Yum. Bake for ~20 minutes or so, or at least until you can put a toothpick in the center and have it come out clean.
So yeah, it came out a bit dry, but it was a lot sweeter and lighter than the previous attempt. I guess it's just a matter of personal taste (pun?) when it comes to corn bread. Given my non-existent sweet tooth, this could seriously be my birthday cake.
So after that, I had the brilliant idea of trying to make polenta because I apparently love love love corn meal. I stole Chris' instant polenta and had at it. Essentially you boil 3 c water and then add 1 c polenta mixture and 1 tsp salt and just stir for five minutes. This is only the instant kind. I figure that one day I'll make it for realsies. I didn't have *that* much flavor. It kind of reminded me of cream of wheat, except way thicker. Or that time I brought cream of wheat to work for lunch and it was all gross and coagulated. I decided to try to fry it, but it didn't work. I used too much oil because I had seen it deep-ish fried so i was trying that. I still have a bunch left that I guess I'm going to experiment with later.
Also, my new favorite trick is to take a piece of food, hand it to someone and say "try it", and then watch them eat.
24 November 2007
Oops
Okay, so I haven't updated in forever, but I have intentions of updating again soon. Tomorrow looks like "experiment with polenta" day and also, I have a new cornbread recipe that I'd like to test out. I suppose I just got super busy, but the problem is that I'll make something and it'll last me a week because I'm one person and my stomach is not a bottomless pit. I made curry again, this time with non-light coconut milk and saw almost no difference. I did, however, impress one person enough. I also made mashed potatoes for the family thanksgiving with brie, garlic, and fresh basil. Those came out nicely too and this time I roasted the garlic which was different and made my aunt's house smell yummy. I'm currently campaigning to get Christmas Eve dinner and cook it with my brother. I'm thinking roasted chicken with risotto. Any thoughts?
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