I admit it's been quiet around here lately, but with good reason. Though it's been too hot to turn on the oven All. Damn. Summer., I've been cooking something for the past few months. See Figure 1 for details.
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| Figure 1. 12 gestational-week fetus |
08 September 2011
That Ain't No Etch-a-Sketch
*ahem* is this thing on?
I admit it's been quiet around here lately, but with good reason. Though it's been too hot to turn on the oven All. Damn. Summer., I've been cooking something for the past few months. See Figure 1 for details.
I admit it's been quiet around here lately, but with good reason. Though it's been too hot to turn on the oven All. Damn. Summer., I've been cooking something for the past few months. See Figure 1 for details.
23 August 2011
I can haz paper
I've been trying to write a post all month, but I've either been sick or busy or completely uninspired. Part of the reason why I've been busy is because I finally submitted my paper and heard back from the journal. With a bit of work, it was accepted and I posted it to the e-print archive. You can find it here, if you're interested. Posting to ArXiv is interesting because everyone wants to have their paper listed first. You can post as early as 3:00 PM CST. I posted mine at 3:01:10 PM. My paper is 6th for the day. I'm not even the first poster in my main category (Galaxy Astrophysics). It turns out that the cosmology people are QUICK. The first five people who posted did so at 3:00:01, 3:00:02, 3:00:04, 3:00:07, and 3:00:30.
To celebrate, Colby and I didn't do anything. I'm going to try to make him go out at some point soon, but we've been eating a lot of low key meals either at home or at familiar restaurants. The new adventures we've had have included Full English and Baguette House (click here for a pdf menu).
We went to Full English because I was having a serious pasty craving, after discovering that you can order Yooper pasties from a restaurant in the UP, only to realize that the shipping costs were over 100 bucks. So much for that. I guess I try to reserve judgment on places without having gone there more than once, but I'm unlikely to return to Full English because a) it's like CRAZY far from our house, b) I had to bribe Colby to go, and c) the pasty I had was clearly baked, then frozen, then reheated. This makes for a frozen middle if it's not in the oven long enough or a really dry inside once it is cooked through. I'd be lying if I said I didn't experience both of these. It was served with a red pepper chutney, which was good, but not nearly moist enough to make up for the chalky potatoes and the dry beef. My usual pasty sauces are beef gravy and sour cream. I leave the ketchup to the real Yoopers.
The person who cooked our meal (perhaps the owner?) felt bad for the frozen part, so he gave as a free dessert. I have no idea what it was, but it tasted like a firmer version of the granola bars they served at Cafe-to-Go at Michigan State. Oh, the memories.
Baguette House, on the other hand, was wonderful and we'll be returning at some point. My only complaint is that I didn't realize how big and filling their sandwiches are, so the spring rolls we ordered were totally unnecessary. So this isn't really a complaint at all, just a really tasty sandwich.
To celebrate, Colby and I didn't do anything. I'm going to try to make him go out at some point soon, but we've been eating a lot of low key meals either at home or at familiar restaurants. The new adventures we've had have included Full English and Baguette House (click here for a pdf menu).
We went to Full English because I was having a serious pasty craving, after discovering that you can order Yooper pasties from a restaurant in the UP, only to realize that the shipping costs were over 100 bucks. So much for that. I guess I try to reserve judgment on places without having gone there more than once, but I'm unlikely to return to Full English because a) it's like CRAZY far from our house, b) I had to bribe Colby to go, and c) the pasty I had was clearly baked, then frozen, then reheated. This makes for a frozen middle if it's not in the oven long enough or a really dry inside once it is cooked through. I'd be lying if I said I didn't experience both of these. It was served with a red pepper chutney, which was good, but not nearly moist enough to make up for the chalky potatoes and the dry beef. My usual pasty sauces are beef gravy and sour cream. I leave the ketchup to the real Yoopers.
The person who cooked our meal (perhaps the owner?) felt bad for the frozen part, so he gave as a free dessert. I have no idea what it was, but it tasted like a firmer version of the granola bars they served at Cafe-to-Go at Michigan State. Oh, the memories.
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| Tastes like college. mmm... |
31 July 2011
Basil Limeade
It's still July. Thank goodness. I'm sneaking in my second AFBA-mandated post in at the last minute, but this is super tasty.
Basil simple syrup
1.5+/-0.5 c basil, loosely packed
1 c water
1 c sugar
In a small pot, combine all ingredients and bring them it a boil. Allow to maintain a rolling boil from a minute and then remove from the heat. Cover with something that lets it breathe, but won't let in the flies (I used my splatter guard). Steep for at least 30 minutes and more if you like a more intense basil flavor (I think I left mine in for a couple hours while I ran some errands). Strain and refrigerate
Basil limeade
2 T basil simple syrup
2 T freshly squeezed lime juice
6 oz water
Mix. Enjoy. You can play around with the ratios, but I've found that equal lime juice and basil simple syrup is the best. I really enjoyed using sparkling water too, but this is probably only a reflection of my affinity for pop.
So yeah. Where have I been all month? I've had some health problems take over my life. It's not super serious, but I've been doing all I can to avoid sinus surgery. It's been quite exhausting and painful to deal with, which is why I haven't been posting so much (or showing up to anything).
Basil simple syrup
1.5+/-0.5 c basil, loosely packed
1 c water
1 c sugar
In a small pot, combine all ingredients and bring them it a boil. Allow to maintain a rolling boil from a minute and then remove from the heat. Cover with something that lets it breathe, but won't let in the flies (I used my splatter guard). Steep for at least 30 minutes and more if you like a more intense basil flavor (I think I left mine in for a couple hours while I ran some errands). Strain and refrigerate
Basil limeade
2 T basil simple syrup
2 T freshly squeezed lime juice
6 oz water
Mix. Enjoy. You can play around with the ratios, but I've found that equal lime juice and basil simple syrup is the best. I really enjoyed using sparkling water too, but this is probably only a reflection of my affinity for pop.
So yeah. Where have I been all month? I've had some health problems take over my life. It's not super serious, but I've been doing all I can to avoid sinus surgery. It's been quite exhausting and painful to deal with, which is why I haven't been posting so much (or showing up to anything).
10 July 2011
Tomatillo Salsa
Why hello, stranger. And by stranger, I mean the one person who still periodically reads this blog. Last night, I came to the realization that I only posted three times in June, which is the low for this year. I'll have a menu soon, but I think that July is going to be another low-post month.
One of my excuses *ahem* reasons for not posting so much in June is that for nearly the entire month, I was taking pictures of every meal and snack I ate as part of an artist's project. So while all was quiet on this front, I was still thinking about food a lot. It's been sort of weird not taking pictures of everything I consume, and I think that I might try to take more pictures and post them on my tumblr. We'll see, though. I periodically pick it up and put it back down again, but it's been my way to catalog what I've eaten, which (usually) keeps me accountable.
On one of the final days of the project, my dinner consisted of a lot of chips and salsa. No, I wasn't undergradding out, but rather I participated in a salsa show down at Lewis and Rachel's place. It was a lot of fun and I was glad to participate, plus I won a giant bank filled with jello. It also gave me the excuse to make salsa for the first time. Below is my (jello winning!) recipe.
Tomatillo salsa
2 lbs tomatillos, husked and washed well
1 large poblano pepper
2 whole jalapenos
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 c chopped red onion
1/2 medium yellow/sweet onion, chopped
1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
6-7 cloves garlic, more if you love garlic (oh man, I love garlic)
1 t cumin, optional
1/3 c parsley or cilantro, chopped, optional
the juice of one lime
salt, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350. Either in a dutch oven or over the flame on a gas stove, char the tomatillos, poblano pepper, and the two whole jalapenos. Put the peppers in a plastic bag and seal. Place the tomatillos on a large sheet pan and then bake in the oven until soft (~10 minutes or so, but squeeze with some tongs to make sure). In a small pan, heat the olive oil and then cook the YELLOW onion with a pinch of salt, until it's soft and slightly browned. You can also toss in the garlic to take off the bite. Remove the onions from the pan. If you're still concerned about the heat level, remove the yellow onion from the pan and then quickly sautee the jalapenos and red onion until slightly soften. This step is optional. Peel the poblano and the jalapenos. My favorite method is to just do it with a dishtowl and scrape the skins off. It's best to do this with gloves so you don't accidentally put a jalapeno finger in your eye when you're taking your contacts out later that night. That is a mistake you make only once. *ahem* Once the tomatillos are cooked, place half of them in the food processor, along with the yellow onion, roasted skinless jalapenos and roasted skinless poblano. Blitz until liquidy. Add in the rest of the tomatillos and then pulse until a little bit chunky. Combine this with the red onion and chopped jalapenos. Crush the garlic into the mix and stir. Add in the cumin and/or cilantro/parsley if using (I honestly don't remember if I put the cumin in. I don't think I did, but I did add in parsley [because yuck, cilantro]). Season with salt and lime juice to taste. If you let the flavors marry overnight, it's pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.
In creating this recipe, my main goal was to balance everything. The tomatillos are sort of sour, but they were mellowed by charring and cooking them. To add that acidity back in, I included the lime juice. It's the same story with the roasted jalapenos/chopped jalapenos and the sauteed yellow onion (which also adds sweetness to the entire salsa)/red onion. If you really want to be snazzy, roast about half of the garlic cloves before pressing.
One of my excuses *ahem* reasons for not posting so much in June is that for nearly the entire month, I was taking pictures of every meal and snack I ate as part of an artist's project. So while all was quiet on this front, I was still thinking about food a lot. It's been sort of weird not taking pictures of everything I consume, and I think that I might try to take more pictures and post them on my tumblr. We'll see, though. I periodically pick it up and put it back down again, but it's been my way to catalog what I've eaten, which (usually) keeps me accountable.
On one of the final days of the project, my dinner consisted of a lot of chips and salsa. No, I wasn't undergradding out, but rather I participated in a salsa show down at Lewis and Rachel's place. It was a lot of fun and I was glad to participate, plus I won a giant bank filled with jello. It also gave me the excuse to make salsa for the first time. Below is my (jello winning!) recipe.
Tomatillo salsa
2 lbs tomatillos, husked and washed well
1 large poblano pepper
2 whole jalapenos
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 c chopped red onion
1/2 medium yellow/sweet onion, chopped
1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
6-7 cloves garlic, more if you love garlic (oh man, I love garlic)
1 t cumin, optional
1/3 c parsley or cilantro, chopped, optional
the juice of one lime
salt, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350. Either in a dutch oven or over the flame on a gas stove, char the tomatillos, poblano pepper, and the two whole jalapenos. Put the peppers in a plastic bag and seal. Place the tomatillos on a large sheet pan and then bake in the oven until soft (~10 minutes or so, but squeeze with some tongs to make sure). In a small pan, heat the olive oil and then cook the YELLOW onion with a pinch of salt, until it's soft and slightly browned. You can also toss in the garlic to take off the bite. Remove the onions from the pan. If you're still concerned about the heat level, remove the yellow onion from the pan and then quickly sautee the jalapenos and red onion until slightly soften. This step is optional. Peel the poblano and the jalapenos. My favorite method is to just do it with a dishtowl and scrape the skins off. It's best to do this with gloves so you don't accidentally put a jalapeno finger in your eye when you're taking your contacts out later that night. That is a mistake you make only once. *ahem* Once the tomatillos are cooked, place half of them in the food processor, along with the yellow onion, roasted skinless jalapenos and roasted skinless poblano. Blitz until liquidy. Add in the rest of the tomatillos and then pulse until a little bit chunky. Combine this with the red onion and chopped jalapenos. Crush the garlic into the mix and stir. Add in the cumin and/or cilantro/parsley if using (I honestly don't remember if I put the cumin in. I don't think I did, but I did add in parsley [because yuck, cilantro]). Season with salt and lime juice to taste. If you let the flavors marry overnight, it's pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.
In creating this recipe, my main goal was to balance everything. The tomatillos are sort of sour, but they were mellowed by charring and cooking them. To add that acidity back in, I included the lime juice. It's the same story with the roasted jalapenos/chopped jalapenos and the sauteed yellow onion (which also adds sweetness to the entire salsa)/red onion. If you really want to be snazzy, roast about half of the garlic cloves before pressing.
22 June 2011
SeaVeggie Pesto
I haven't been posting much lately because I've been writing a lot lately for school. I'm excited that I can finally take a break from that because I *finally* submitted my first refereed paper to the Astrophysical Journal. Here's hoping that the editor/referees are gentle.
Anyway, I do more than just write about food. This should be obvious since I've only posted twice this month and I'd be doing a lot of nothing if I didn't. ;) Awhile back, I had the opportunity to give a talk at Austin's Nerd Nite. It was about astronomy and sort of a brief overview of the stars I study and why they're interesting. There's a video my Nerd Nite talk, along with the other speakers. In meeting with the Nerd Nite organizers, I got to meet Lewis Weil, a man of many talents. Not only does he help organize Nerd Nite (which you should totally check out if you're in Austin), he also grows his own ogonori, which he calls SeaVeggies. Lewis let me take a pack home to play with and I came up with seaveggie pesto.
SeaVeggie Pesto
1 pack (~30g) SeaVeggies
1 T miso paste
1 T soy sauce
2 T toasted sesame seeds
1/2 T sesame oil
splash of rice wine vinegar to taste
Process all the ingredients until it makes a thick paste.
I tried this pesto mixed in with some couscous, which was pretty good and also on some grilled fish. The salinity of the seaveggies in the pesto match really well with seafood. I tried it with steelhead trout but you could definitely do this with salmon or any other flavorful fish.
Anyway, I do more than just write about food. This should be obvious since I've only posted twice this month and I'd be doing a lot of nothing if I didn't. ;) Awhile back, I had the opportunity to give a talk at Austin's Nerd Nite. It was about astronomy and sort of a brief overview of the stars I study and why they're interesting. There's a video my Nerd Nite talk, along with the other speakers. In meeting with the Nerd Nite organizers, I got to meet Lewis Weil, a man of many talents. Not only does he help organize Nerd Nite (which you should totally check out if you're in Austin), he also grows his own ogonori, which he calls SeaVeggies. Lewis let me take a pack home to play with and I came up with seaveggie pesto.
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| SeaVeggie Pesto |
SeaVeggie Pesto
1 pack (~30g) SeaVeggies
1 T miso paste
1 T soy sauce
2 T toasted sesame seeds
1/2 T sesame oil
splash of rice wine vinegar to taste
Process all the ingredients until it makes a thick paste.
 |
| pesto+couscous |
I tried this pesto mixed in with some couscous, which was pretty good and also on some grilled fish. The salinity of the seaveggies in the pesto match really well with seafood. I tried it with steelhead trout but you could definitely do this with salmon or any other flavorful fish.
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| pesto on grilled trout |
A month or so later, I stopped by the SeaVeggie stand at the downtown farmers market and was given a couple packs to bring to the Austin Food Blogger Alliance potluck. I made a sesame and wasabi SeaVeggie salad. This was sort of whipped together at the last minute and these amounts are approximate.
Sesame+wasabi SeaVeggie salad
2 packs SeaVeggies, roughly chopped (the SeaVeggies, not the packs. ;))
1 T sesame seeds, toasted
1-2 t prepared wasabi (depending upon how much heat you like)
1 T sesame oil
2 T mirin
2 T rice wine vinegar
Whisk together the wasabi paste, sesame oil, mirin, and rice wine vinegar. Taste and adjust for seasoning. If you find it to need some sweetness, either add in a bit more mirin or you could also whisk in a few drops of honey. Combine with the sesame seeds and the sea veggies. Enjoy!
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| wasabi+sesame SeaVeggie salad |
The combination of my terrible photography skills and the fact that ogonori isn't, perhaps, the prettiest vegetable around means that these photos don't do SeaVeggies justice. Both applications were really tasty! You can purchase SeaVeggies at the downtown SFC Saturday farmers market and at Wheatsville Co-op on any day. Thanks, Lewis, for the three packs of SeaVeggies and for letting me play with a really fun and new-to-me ingredient!
07 June 2011
Strawberry Cupcakes
No quaint story to accompany this cupcake. Just a recipe because it's 2:30 AM and I should be editing my paper.
strawberry cupcakes (makes ~30, adapted from Baked)
2 1/2 c cake flour
3/4 c AP Flour
3/4 t sea salt
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 sticks butter, softened
1 3/4 c granulated sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 T water
1 egg + 1 yolk
1 1/2 c strawberry puree
1/4 t cream of tartar
3 egg whites
In a food processor, liquefy ~12 oz of washed and hulled strawberries. Pass through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth (or, really, I passed the puree through a chinois) in order to get rid of the seeds. Make sure it makes 1.5 c of liquid. Preheat oven to 325 F. In a large bowl whisk together flours, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the vanilla and egg+yolk and combine. Alternate in the flour mixture and the strawberry juice. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
I served these with cream cheese frosting and placed a strawberry atop each cupcake to reinforce the strawberryness.
06 June 2011
a menu and some promises
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| These are really tasty. I promise. |
So now the question is... what are we eating the rest of the week? Actually, the only person asking this question is actually Colby, but let's keep me accountable, eh?
And by the way, on Thursday, we're getting this from Farmhouse Delivery:
Peaches - McPeak Orchards
Blackberries
Tomatoes - Josh Reese Farm
Lettuce - bella verdi and Bluebonnet Farm
Carrots - Montesino Ranch
Yellow squash and zucchini - Naegelin Farm
New Potatoes - Naegelin Farm
Parsley - Tecolote Farm
Cucumbers - The Farm Patch
Tuesday:
Salmon burgers, with cucumber salad and strawberries
Wednesday:
spicy egg salad sandwiches, with carrots and strawberries
Thursday:
Strawberry, walnut, Gorgonzola salad with strawberry vinaigrette
Friday:
garden burgers, grilled zucchini/summer squash, tomato, cucumber, parsley salad
Saturday:
grassfed all beef hot dogs, bruschetta with tomatoes, mozzarella, and homegrown basil :), fresh fruit
Sunday:
fish tacos with jalapeño slaw
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