Soupe de Poisson

Made the Provencal special Soupe de Poisson (fish soup) for Christmas Eve last week. All day affair. It was made easier because I was serving Shrimp with it, so I bought shrimp with the heads on--stripped them of their shells early in morning and reserved all body parts shells etc. Put those in a pot with 2 chopped onions, 1 sliced carrot, 1 sliced celery, some left over leek tips and smashed garlic cloves. One bouquet of herbs, salt, pepper, bay leaf. Bring to boil and let simmer for at least an hour--skimming scum off as it goes. I also put in some extra crab meat (fingers) for flavor and white wine. (I imagine that if you do not have shrimp with heads on available, use clam juice [perhaps chicken stock] and make sure to find good fish with heads on them and bones for extra flavor later.)

Meanwhile, ready vegetables for soup. 3 Chopped Onions, 2 sliced carrot, 2 sliced celery, 10-15 cloves garlic (most crushed), 2 leeks, 3 ripe tomatoes or 1 can crushed tomatoes and the fish (I used 3 filet red snapper and a few pieces of speckled trout. As long as you use meaty fish (not too delicate and white) and try to use whole fish to bring out fullest flavor, you'll be fine. Sauteed onions and leeks in pan with oil for 5 minutes, then added the rest of the ingredients. Mixed a little and added the fish stock from earlier. I had to add a little more water and globs of white wine. Salt, pepper, herbs, a pinch of fennel and dash of pastis. Skim scum as it goes and cook for at least hour and half.

Meanwhile make Rouille--the rust. I used some leftover bread (about 1.5 cups), crumbled, soaked in some of fish stock. Food processor till pureed. Added 4 cloves garlic. Puree. Added egg yolk, salt, pepper, and pureed. Then let oil stream in slowly (about 1/4 cup) until right consistency. Then a few threads of saffron and cayenne for a kick. If you like it more red add paprika. It tasted great after sitting in fridge for an hour. You may have to adjust consistency, and if not liquidy enough, add some drops of fish stock.

After soup is finished and tastes flavorful, turn off heat and get strainer ready. I strained the whole soup, reserving the large pieces of fish on the side and about 2/5 the vegetables. I then added 3/4 fish and 2/5 vegetables back to the pot with broth and hand blended it until smooth. This way you have a soup with some pureed fish in it, and the vegetables adds to the flavor. Here you add dash of saffron and might want to adjust flavor--more fennel seed salt pepper etc...

Serve in shallow bowls with day old sliced bread croutons, raw garlic cloves, rouille, and gruyere. Rub crouton with garlic, add rouille, sprinkle on cheese and place in the soup bowl. Enjoy.

Magret de Canard

Duck Breast with Mushroom Sauce and Potatoes

I used two of the best breasts from the ducks I cleaned last week. I defrosted them in the fridge and wrapped them in 4 sprigs of thyme, 4 smashed garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and a douse of Armagnac. After 24 hours and fully defrosted, they were ready.

I made a mushroom sauce to top the duck. Thickly sliced one pack of baby bellas (crimini), placed into hot pan of olive oil and butter, let brown, added half chopped shallot, let cook on medium with salt pepper and thyme sprigs. After a few minutes, added good beef stock, wine and cooked on low for 45 minutes slightly covered.

Meanwhile, sliced red potato quarter inch, doused in olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, Placed on baking sheet and cooked in oven at 375 for 45 min - 1 hour.

I paper towel dried duck breasts, brushed off spices. Reserved garlic for skillet.

Heated skillet in tbls duck fat and garlic--Seared breast in hot duck fat--fat side down until crispy brown, then other side until brown. Reduced heat to medium low--added tsp armagnac and let cook covered until medium rare.

Served duck sliced with mushroom sauce and potatoes on the side. Nice meal.

Garlic and Red Lentil Soup

I found some red lentils yesterday and decided to try a quick soup. I also boiled some leeks and made poireaux au vinaigre. I reserved the vegetable liquid from leeks and added 2-3 cups of chicken stock. Then one chopped onion, about 6-8 cloves garlic smashed and 4-6 crushed garlic cloves. Add spices--herbes de provence or just thyme and rosemary, salt, papper. I also added a pinch of coriander and a little cayennne (half teaspoon). Bring to boil slowly--the lentils can stick to bottom of pot, so stir frequently. Simmer for about 45 min - 1 hour. Adjust flavors as you cook. I added about 5-8 drops lemon juice and served.

It is a great side dish for pork chops or lamb chops. If you add half the amount of liquid and reduce significantly, I believe it would make a great sauce/side vegetable to put chops over.

A Few Words on Duck Confit

So, I made Duck Confit the other day. Easy as hell if you can find whole ducks in your area for decent price. I had already rendered out the fat from one duck when I made gumbo. So, I bought as big of ducks as I could find. Let em thaw and went to work. It is a delicate process, considering you want to save the breasts for a later meal and you want to preserve the thighs/legs in the best possible condition. So, if you work slowly, and make sure not to cut off too much fat from either the breasts or legs, you should be fine. The thighs/legs come off really easily if you cut inward and find the tendon.

I will probably cook the breasts thursday night--simply a la sud-ouest (armagnac, salt, pepper, seared).


Confit de Canard

This is such an easy way to make a great dish and save a heck of a lot of money--consider that one D'Artagnan duck leg confit costs on average $7.99 plus shipping, and for a whole duck--if you can get it for even $15, you get two legs and two breasts. Now, most of the ducks you buy won't have the size of D'Artagnan's average breasts--which sell for $21.49 each plus shipping--still, if you make a mediocre meal with even half the amount of food, you still save $45.

I rendered all the fat out of the duck as possible--over low heat in skillet for 2-3 hours until all the pieces were crispy. Then strain into a container without any particles--must be clear golden. Reserve.

While the fat was rendering, I seasoned the thighs/legs. I had four, placed into glass casserole, slightly smashed 5 cloves garlic, doused with camargue sea salt, ground pepper, and several sprigs of thyme. Make sure to put some thyme and garlic under meat and then put down meat and lay over. Cover. Fridge for 24 hours at least.

Next day

Remove meat and take out fat. Let melt--I had mine in glass jar--placed in tub of water and heated slowly until the fat turned back into a golden liquid. I brushed off the duck meat and placed the thighs/legs along the bottom of a cast iron dutch oven and poured on the fat--I did need the fat from the third duck. Heat it on the stove top until you see the first bubble, and then set it in an oven at 225 for 3-4 hours. It's done when meat comes off easily.

After it's done, remove meat and set into glass or ceramic dish. I strained fat over it and made sure it was completely covered--then let her sit in fridge. Let her sit for a few weeks.

Global Snowing

I never went in for that greenhouse gas emissions bullshit, and why are the environmentalists still trying to bully the EPA into passing along a law restricting/limiting how much carbon-dioxide we emit...does anyone else find trouble with that? We breath out Carbon Dioxide...they want to regulate how much we breath? Wouldnt be surprised with all the new regulations. Still, in this warming climate, we've had the coldest winter on record for a long time now and it snowed in Louisiana yesterday--yea, global snowing, and it's the earliest snowfall in New Orleans ever in the recorded history of weather. The truth is that we have entered a little ice-age. Please read important facts.

Soupe aux Pois

Pea Soup

Made a spiral ham several days ago--froze leftover meat and ham bone. Today was cold and they predict Snow for Southern Louisiana tonight--rare, indeed. So, time to make a northern special: pea soup. LAtely, I've used ham bones to make lentil soup, but this was perfect weather.

This is an easy soup and can be improved ten-fold with homemade chicken stock (or pork stock if you have it). I used three chopped onions, chopped shallot, 4 sticks sliced carrots, 5 ribs celery and whole head of garlic crushed. Placed about 1 chopped onion and chopped shallot in pot with butter and pork fat, let sizzle until soft and added the rest of the vegetables. I let these cook for several minutes. Then added ham bone and pieces (I like to have a lot of ham in my pea soup, so it all is up to how much you store after making a ham). I put the rest of ham bone in and let warm evenly. Added chicken stock until covered and then some. I wanted plenty of liquid for peas After all was simmering, skimmed and salted peppered and spiced (bouquet of thyme, oregano, some sage leaves rosemary and bay leaf) I added two packs of split peas. Stirred and let simmer covered with a little vent open for 2-3 hours. After 3 hours, the peas had thickened and it was done. I did not blend it or any of that crap--it was done, perfect, finis. And we had it with Mark Bittman and Jim Lahey's no knead bread from NYTIMES. If you've never made it, go try it. It was perfect and crunchy crusted and soft inside.

Enjoy.

Scallops

Thanksgiving was too big a feast to write up here now. Will have to get details in here and there.

Scallops made easy

Buy good sea scallops, have two plum tomatoes, a shallot, a little tapenade or olives and garlic.

Whole garlic cloves cooked in lots olive oil until all brown and soft. Remove garlic and a little of the oil (reserved for scallop cooking) and then sautee chopped tomatoes and shallot and spices--basil oregano what-have-you. After tomato significantly reduced in size and shallot very soft, add spoonful of tapenade, mix in, add garlic and turn off heat. Let all sit in warm pan and drain some of the oil into a larger skillet to cook scallops in.

Dry scallops with paper towel after rinsing. Salt and Pepper scallops on both sides. Add to sizzling hot pan. About 1 minute each side--they should sear brown-black. Remove and place on plate around the tomato and garlic. Done.

Duck Gumbo

What to do with a frozen duck? When there is a good deal on duck, buy three. One for gumbo and two for when you're friends come over. You'll see why below.

First matter of business is the whole duck. Defrost it and when soft, get to working.

First remove breasts--Magret du Canard is one of the greatest things in life. Be careful removing wish bone and slice against bone until its freed. Then remove back-side and legs--they come off fairly easily if you find the tendons.

Save all fat.
Again, save ALL fat.

If you are doing a gumbo, this is easy and you don't have to worry about neatness. Just remove all the fat and save it. Remove all meat from bones and save that separately. Ideally, the gumbo will have 4 legs, 2 thighs and 2 breasts. Save 4 breasts for those great friends coming over--when you can grill them ever so gently with a little Armagnac and salt/pepper. (Duck legs great for confit--notice the rendering fat section at the end of post--that's what you use to store legs in...)

The gumbo--I don't care what you put it in it. This time I'm only using one duck--all the meat chopped up. After carving off the meat and fat and setting aside, I made a duck stock. You don't get as much as normally needed for a gumbo (but if you have three carcasses you certainly would), so I always have to add some chicken stock. But some stock better than none.

Buy the best andouille you can get. Try to get homemade stuff if you're not in Cajun country, otherwise, just go to the butcher. Charlie T's in Breaux Bridge makes the best I've ever had, though some of my friends would attest to their own parents' versions.

Gumbo easy after this. Brown andouille, remove, brown duck, remove, sautee 2 chopped onions, chopped bell pepper, 2 stalks chopped celery, and 6 cloves crushed garlic in remaining fat from sausage and duck. Salt, pepper, Konriko Creole spice. After the vegetables release significant amount of liquid, add meat and about 6 cups broth, glob of wine, bay leaf and some more spice. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Let her go for 1 hour and then add half chopped onion and half chopped pepper. Another hour and the other half chopped onion, half chopped pepper and 3-6 more cloves crushed garlic. drops of Garlic flavored Tabasco and pepper. Let her cook some more. Add roux. Cook another 30 minutes. Then add sliced okra for last 30 minutes. Finished. Serve over Cajun Rice.

As for the duck skins and fat--render it. Put in skillet and cook over low for several hours (2-3) until all the pieces are crispy brown. Then strain it and save. You should have nice golden brown fat left over. This is a prize, truly and should be coveted.

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork the easy way:

Buy 7-9lb Boston Butt.
Trim some fat and score fatty side.

Make dry rub. This is what I used:

1 1/2 tbl cumin
1 tbl cayenne
1 tbl chili powder
2 tbl brown sugar
2 tbl white sugar
2 tbl salt
1 tbl pepper
3 tbl paprika
2 tbl oregano
7 cloves smashed and minced garlic

rub this into pork and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap for 3-4 hours in fridge (or more, whatever)...

Take out of fridge, douse with steen's cane vinegar (I guess this would be about 2 tbl each side and apple cider vinegar would work too). I also sprinkled on some garlic powder here too.

Put in pan on raised rack (so it doesnt sit in juices).

Put in oven set at 225 for 12-14 hours. Just leave it. I put it in at night and let er go. Internal temperature should be about 200.

Take out, let sit an hour, shred.

I smothered it in Dreamlands Barbeque sauce, c'est bon.

Braciole

I figured it was about time I reached back to my own heritage and made something Italian. Braciole, or beef rolls, can be made in numerous ways, but this one is an old fashion stand-by for a simple but good meal.

I used skirt steak but flank would do--or some other tenderized and flattened steak.

While I prepared the steaks, I started the tomato sauce--you know, tomatoes, onion, lots of garlic and spices--then I made stuffing mixture: 2-3 cups bread crumbs (I used old bread crumbled), 3 eggs, 8 cloves crushed garlic, 1/2-1 cup shredded parmigiana, salt, pepper, oregano. Mix together thoroughly until forms a paste. Some people add a layer of prosciutto. whatever you want. Brush all steaks with olive oil, spread mix over one side of each and roll up tying both ends with twine. Brown all sides in hot oil. Then add to sauce and cook for 3 hours. Done.

Can be served over pasta or just as it is with warm bread.

Vegetable Soup

While the topic "Vegetable Soup" may not sound attractive at first, I can guarantee you the soup will be. I learned how to make this kind of soup in Spain walking along there and an Italian woman was picking out anise off the side of the path and made a version of this soup that evening.

One carrot, two sticks celery, half an onion, one chopped leek, five cloves smashed/chopped garlic, and anise--the whole bulb cut up or stalks sliced and definitely the green hair-like tips (I didnt use all the stalk parts--some of it very tough). Add all into a pot with 2-3 cups of good chicken stock (homemade if you have it), glob of white wine and bring to boil, reduce and cook over medium for about 40 minutes until all vegetables are soft. Add salt/pepper and serve.

St. Hubert's Day

St Hubert

In Senlis, the town circles the stag
In cobble-stone streets, we wheel unevenly
Toward the cathedral, in and out;

Le Grand Cerf stands over tree-lined streets
Tilting antlers rocking into blue dawn sky
While frost brings all things down to cold,

Nothing moves in evening prayers and star-light
Where stone on stone sharpens
Oiled weapons prepare for long month's hunt

a steady uphill road to the Church, but there,
in unbroken friendship, circled joy,
this our St Hubert's Day

The True Gen

Does anyone remember history--does anyone know anything about China, Cuba, Russia, communism? Doesnt anyone read anymore .

Finally, someone says something worth reading.

Article by Charles Krauthammer. Finally. Someone says something.

Lapin a la Moutarde

Rabbit in Mustard Sauce

I almost never like to post a picture of the meal I have just cooked, but this one was a total chance recipe and it came out great. It is not exactly like I have had it in parts of France and even by good French chefs in America; it was more rustic and I liked it better because of that.

I bought a whole rabbit (about 2lbs) and cut it up into serviceable pieces. Legs come off easily without cutting bone, and I split ribs and cut tenderloin off. Then I patted dry with paper towel, salted and peppered and dusted lightly in flour.

I set that aside and prepared other parts of dinner:

Small white boiler onions (about 8-10), peeled with ends clipped, placed into iron pan with butter, 1/2C White Wine, salt, pepper, and bouquet (thyme, parsley, and some rosemary). I let this cook on medium low covered for about 50 minutes, turning onions frequently.

Also cooked up mushrooms on side. I de-stemmed button mushrooms, put handful into paper towel and ringed them dry--did this until they were all wrung. Then heated tbls olive oil and tbls butter in pan till butter foam subsided, added mushrooms and tbls chopped shallots, thyme, salt pepper. Cooked until nice and browned. Set aside.

Roasted Potatoes: clean and cube new potatoes. Put in bowl with salt pepper, olive oil, thyme, rosemary and half chopped leek. Douse potatoes and place on oven pan--cook at 425-450 for 30-45 minutes until browned.

Back to Rabbit:
Chop leek, smash and chop 6 cloves garlic, chop shallot. Set all aside.

Add tbls bacon fat (or butter) to skillet and heat. Add leeks and garlic. Let soften and brown. Remove, Add more fat/oil and brown rabbit pieces. Dont crowd pan, and let crisp nicely without cooking too long. Remove each piece as its done to replace with uncooked piece. Once they're all browned, add shallot to hot pan, cook one minute and add 1/2 cup white wine, tbls butter. reduce by half. As the rabbit sits on its own, I spread some mustard over each piece and let it soak while doing other sides.

After shallot and wine cooked down, add 1 C. or so chicken stock, a little more wine, 2 tbls dijon mustard, 2 tbls moutarde a l'ancienne (with seeds), two sprigs chopped tarragon, salt pepper. Let cook thoroughly, add mushrooms and rabbit pieces. Let this cook about 30-40 minutes simmering covered. Turn Rabbit at least twice while cooking. After Rabbit is done, remove and reduce liquid. Add onions and degalze the brasied onion skillet with a little more wine and add that to mustard sauce as well. Mix thoroughly and add heavy cream. Not too much but enough. Taste as you go. Then add rabbit, let warm and set for a minute.

Serve with potatoes and smooth red wine. We had a Pic St Loup from Languedoc, and though it was a weak wine by itself, the mustard sauce brought it out very well.

Strawberry Liqueur and Chicken Salad

These are two things I have been meaning to post recently, and happened to think of at the same time tonight. I dont think they go really well together, although I am sure some schmo out there can figure some combination that gets him off.

Strawberry Liqueur:
This is about the easiest of the liqueurs I have been trying lately. Get 16 oz strawberries, clean em and chop em in half into a jar. Fill jar 3/4 with vodka, 1/4 with water and 2 cups sugar. Let sit for 3-4 weeks. Drink over ice. Easy.

I am currently experimenting with peach, cherry, and various other fruit liqueurs made from bought liquor. More soon. Anyone in Hudson Valley or up north want to send down 3 lbs of Macintosh apples, I'll make some apple brandy for holidays.

As for Chicken Salad, this comes from left-over chicken from Julia Childs' Poulet Roti. It is the best damn roast chicken I have ever had and if you follow her directions it comes out perfect everytime--except one thing--if you tilt chicken cavity and let juices run out toward end of cooking and there are still little drops (only little drops) of pink juice running out, then take it out of oven and set on plate covered for 20 minutes. It will be perfect.

As for Chicken Salad, I took off the remaining meat from bird (after two days of eating chicken), chopped up and put in bowl. We added tbls Mayo, tbls Ancien Moutarde, and the remaining gravy from chicken (gravy was made from leftover liquid--minus fat--reduced with shallot and cup chicken stock and vegetables). I think what made this chicken salad so good was the gravy flavor and added vegetables from roast chicken. If your chicken salad is too dry add more mayo. I shouldnt have to say that.

St Teresa of Avila

St. Teresa of Avila,
We pray today in little ways
In castle rooms and through
Doorways where silkworms
Eat darkness, dreams find
All manner of thing shall be well.

Beef Harvest Stew

This is my first invented Beef Stew. I saw Rump Roast on sale tonight, so went with 3.5 lbs of it. For the rest, 5 onions, two shallots, two heads garlic, 2 cups beef broth, 1 october fest beer (or any amber), bacon, spices.

The key to this dish (as all beef dishes) is in the browning process. This was complicated. Cubed beef and doused in flour, salt, pepper. On the side I crushed 4 cloves garlic (maybe 6 depending on size). Then heated bacon fat (saved from all those mornings of crispy bacon) and half slice of bacon in skillet until very hot (I used a total of half pack bacon). Added several cubes of beef (but not crowding pan). After one side was browned, I added a tsp of crushed garlic to pan and kept turning beef cubes until all browned. The bacon would get crispy, and I would remove if almost burned--adding another half-slice after removed. The beef was browned nicely and the garlic would be almost black, and I would remove beef and garlic, leaving bacon grease in pan for next few pieces of beef. Then I added more bacon to make more grease, added beef, garlic and browned. I repeated this step until all the beef was browned. I had a few slices of bacon left when I was done, so I cooked that with remaining garlic until browned and deglazed pan with glob red wine and little butter. After alcohol cooked off, I set that aside.

Then in pot, I heated 1-2tbls butter and more bacon grease. Add 5 sliced onions and let cook until mostly soft. Added bacon/wine/garlic deglazed stuff from skillet into onions and let cook 2 more minutes. I made sure that onions had released significant amount of liquid and then added beef on top of onions. Let sit for 2 minutes crushing 6-8 more cloves garlic on top of beef. I made up bouquet garni (five sprigs thyme, three sprigs oregano, 3 leaves sage, one sprig rosemary, bay leaf, and parsley). Added two cans beef stock, bouquet, salt, pepper, two cloves, chopped shallot, three garlic cloves mushed, two tbls brown sugar and bottle of beer. Let bring to boil and reduced to simmer for three hours.

After two hours, I added sauteed mushroom quarters. These were quartered mushrooms, sauteed in 2 tbls butter and a little olive oil, salt, pepper. Sauteed until browned. Added to stew after 2.5 hours.

In skillet mushrooms were browned in, I added a few ladels full of liquid from stew. Then added tbls butter and shallot and 2 tbls flour. I whisked this on medium heat until thoroughly mixed (almost like a roux, but without long-term browning). Added this to stew and cooked through. Total cooking time was 3 hours.

I served over sliced sweet potatoes browned in butter and brown sugar. Perfect October meal.

An American Carol

Just saw An American Carol. I enjoy upside down humor, something that turns the world around. I love Marx Brothers and Family Guy. I hate most modern comedy based on sarcasm, self-deprecatory asides, and seemingly witty retorts. I hate modern sitcoms--except maybe King of Queens and that other one with the fat guy who sells toilets and the skinny wife. An American Carol is certainly wonky, certainly slapstick, and certainly hilarious.

I don't know if it was the suicide nun-bombers, the college demonstrators, the ACLU lawyer zombies, or just all of it, it hit right at everything. It showed that ordinary people dont have to live in New York and Washington, and dont have to talk like them either.

Speaking of talking...
After reading all the comments tonight regarding last night's debate, the only thing I read over and over was how Sarah Palin was too folksy and its not time for a folksy person in charge. First of all, how the hell can the democratic party claim to be anti-prejudiced, open-minded and have the nerve to judge Palin because she talks like where she comes from. This is a large country, and I am getting the feeling people in New York City and Washington think New York and Washington are the USA--that anyone else talking differently, using different idioms, mannerisms, even winking--gee, when did that become such a crime--are un-American. They have it dead wrong--America is the nation it is because of the places and the individuality of the places people really come from. Why would we want someone to hide their identity in order to sound like some general voice, no place, no background person? This is 1925 and Mencken Monkey Missionaries all over again--remember they called Southerners Backwards Bible Bigots. Yeah, same people nowadays, those Monkey Missionaries--only now it's global warming, smoking bans, talk-radio, telling the truth, etc...just a different style of clothing. Same boring ideas. Did anyone else notice that moment in the debate when Gwen Ifill actually said to Biden how he had said and believed in this and this and what he thought now--and then she added--well, at least you used to say that...did anyone catch that--how even Gwen Ifill saw through Biden's double-speak, Biden's walking hypocrisies, Biden as living contradiction. I just hope we learn before the election exactly how much stuff he has plagiarized this time.

Back to the movie--it was good. Go see it. It was refreshing to see other people standing up for things--especially when the microphones in this country have been hogged by a party of defeat.

Catfish with Cajun Mushroom Sauce

I invented this dish tonight. We bought three catfish fillets caught within the last day in the Atchafalaya Basin. They are pink and firm and good clean fillets.

I rub them in cajun spice--Konriko is best, but if you dont have it or cannot get it, pepper, salt, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and paprika will be a fine mix.

I crushed three cloves garlic and heated oil in skillet. let garlic cook a little and added catfish fillets. let sear on both sides.

Removed and put 1/2 cup red wine in pan. Let reduce half. Added 1-2 tbls butter. Added sliced mushrooms. Cooked mushrooms until mostly done. Added Catfish into pan and covered until done. The mushrooms released enough liquid to add to sauce, so I did reduce a little at the end. Serve over rice (or your favorite Zatarain's).

Skirt Steak

I bought some skirt steak last week because it was on sale $1.99/pound. I got a 5lb pack of it, cut it up, trimmed it and divided into meal size bags to freeze. I made up a recipe tonight and its about the best damn steak and brown sauce i've ever made. (I am pretty sure this recipe would work for any steak.)

Marinade:

one head garlic crushed into bowl
1/2 C (or more) olive oil
Sage, Rosemary, Thyme chopped (Herbes de Provence would be a fine substitute--or basil/oregano)
Salt/Pepper

Mix into a paste and rub onto steaks. then sprinkle two teaspoons of sugar over steaks and a few douses of Steen's Cane Vinegar (redwine or apple cider would be fine). Let sit at least 4 hours, cause it's skirt steak.

Meanwhile--cooked the sides. Broccoli and leeks and sweet potatoes.
Leeks were done a la vinaigre:

Poireaux au Vinaigre:
(I made this recipe up after eating leeks in Paris for a long time and after consulting old friends passionate about all-things french.)

Boil leeks in water about 10 minutes (maybe more depending on how many leeks--but only cover leeks with 1/2 inch water), until fork goes through cleanly. remove from water (save water for next step) and slice leeks. in bowl, add olive oil, a few drops of vinegar, herbes de provence and salt/pepper. Let chill. Serve cold.

Broccoli was boiled in same water as leeks. Then removed, salted, and cooked in pan with thyme butter. The liquid remaining after boiling both vegetables is great just as a broth. I am considering saving this as vegetable broth next time I make leek soup.

Sweet potatoes--famous Sweet 'er Taters recipe:
Slice em 1/4 inch. Toss in bowl with brown sugar and butter. For 1 medium size potato, about 1 and 1/2 tbls brown sugar and 2 tbls butter. Bake at 400 degrees until very soft inside--I usually turn them half way through to get both sides brown. Sometimes I add a drizzle of Steens Cane Syrup.

Steak:
heat skillet with a little oil until very very hot. scrape off most of marinade from steak and save--make sure steaks are pat-dry--then brown steak on both sides with marinade paste cooking around it--cook no more than 1 and 1/2 minutes each side. remove.
Scrape up crushed garlic and let cook until browned--the garlic should crisp up nicely, but you have to keep scraping pan so it doesnt burn. then add some butter and a little more olive oil and one chopped shallot. (The darker you brown the garlic in the already browned pan from steaks, the browner and better the sauce will come out.) After shallot is soft and brown too, add white wine glob. reduce. add 1/2 c chicken stock and salt pepper to adjust. reduce. Then if you want a perfect sauce, add one more tbls butter and let melt. Then put steaks back in to re-heat--if you cook Skirt Steak more than 6 minutes, it will toughen--so total cook time less than 6 minutes--I did mine minute and half to brown each side then extra 2 minutes to reheat and it was perfect rare to medium rare.

Serve.

September 25, 2008

Happy Birth-Day Sparrow

candelabra light dances in gazebo to guitar strings
echoing birthday laughters and bastille day farewells

now single candlelit chapels light silent prayers
a new Saint is born into heaven today

Mon Dieu!

Recent conversations on campus, in the media, and at local butcher counters where they make wonderful Cajun sausages and stuffed rabbit are all wondering exactly what is God's place in a democracy. Apparently some people believe there is no place and that anyone with views to the contrary are merely clinging to their religion and guns in a bitterness. Perhaps they need a history lesson.

Pork Chops and Mashed Potatoes

Pork Chops are a mystery to me. I have attempted several different recipes and have never gotten them to taste the way I want them to taste. But here is a recipe adapted from Julia Childs.

Season Pork with thyme, sage, salt pepper and marinade in white and red wine for several hours.

Remove pork, dry with paper towel and brown on both sides in bacon fat.

Remove pork from pan, remove fat, add in butter and I added fresh thyme and three cloves smashed garlic. heated on low, after butter melted, added pork and covered until done (turned in between).

When done, removed pork, added the marinade liquid and half a chopped shallot and reduced to a thick purple gravy. That was weird. But it tasted good.

Mashed Potatoes--peel, cube, add to boiling water until fork soft. Remove, strain, add back to same pot on low heat until water evaporates. Add glob of milk, lots of butter and blend. Salt Pepper.

The purple gravy went well over potatoes.

In the end, I have to say I like pork better on grill or in oven. So goes the mysteries of stove top pork chops.

I don't exactly know what this post is supposed to be about. I do know that I have been trying to figure out how to rhyme "crossmaker" with "community organizer" from that song, "Jesus was a Crossmaker"...I think it's impossible, and it doesnt quite matter anyway. The real point is how sick this is, this world that we wake up to on 24/7 news, 24/7 journalists/bloggers/professors/etc...I don't know if it really matters who becomes president--because, really, for those of us who do believe in God, we know there is a larger plan. But, I always wonder, doesnt that larger plan have a lot to do with us--I mean, doesnt it matter what we do and how we do it to carry that fire of God's love--so, it does matter, essentially, each day, what idiotic debacle those shitheads get into...

I think both sides are afraid of a small-town mentality, and they are afraid because they have been influenced for so long by the word "fiscal" and not simply "conservative." I think the word "fiscal" has forced us to see the economic values of a conservative government and not the principles of conserving. Perhaps this is paradox. Because even these journalists (for instance, George F. Will--whom I respect very much), I suspect, don't always have that sense of small-town agrarian communities that have held strong and survived through all the various despotisms of Human History, from Egypt, Babylon, to Greece, Rome, Britain, and, possibly, the U.S. It is interesting to trace the history of America's beginning and its origins in small-town life--that rugged individualism which set out and cleared this country, settled it, civilized it through agriculture. And now to look at that small-world become bigger in seconds, that individualism become collectivism with handouts and loans by the federal government. Chesterton noted in The Everlasting Man how agrarian man was the real civilization, and once progress set it, all those civilizations ended with despots. It is clear, that by increasing the size of the government, we will eventually have what is called a despotism, in which the government, the bureaucrats in Washington are allowed to rule for the many. Are allowed? I should be so generous. No, more accurately, it follows that certain people will vote for some "messiah" some quick fix, and what we will get, in maybe four years, maybe fourteen, is a large organization controlling all the mortgages, all the banks, all the businesses, regulating everything down to what you are allowed to eat (saturated fats outlawed), what and where you can smoke, what words are appropriate, what to teach, what you are allowed to say in college classrooms without offending lifestyle choices, what books we read because of how they portray race, gender, society, politics, or how we believe the world was created, etc...wait, you say...we are already there?

But I decline to accept this as the end. That's the one thing the Olympics showed us. How only those with the freedom to choose, only those with the liberty to fight, can win 8 gold medals in a row. Will fight it out.

Like I said, I dont know where this is going.

Steak and Mushrooms

This is a new steak dish.

Any steak you can get or have.
Marinade in:

1-2 Chopped shallot
2 tbl olive oil
three sprigs oregano
7 leaves basil
Salt pepper

Crush all spices and shallots into steaks, turn frequently for 2-3 hours, etc.

Heat oil in pan, brown steaks and remove from heat before fully cooked.

Add sliced mushrooms to pan and cook with remaining shallots and spices. After mushrooms are browned, add glob of white wine and tbl of butter. Reduce, add in steaks to heat.

Serve.

We served with roasted potatoes. Cube potatoes, toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, and several sprigs rosemary. Put on pan, in oven at 420 degrees and cook for 1 hour.

What to do with Split Chicken Breats that happen to be on sale...

This is a post about exactly what to do with split chicken breasts when they are on sale and you say, "Holy, gee whiz Mary and Joseph, I have never seen chicken so friggin cheap."

Make Stock with them. Plop the ripe breasts into a deep pot, cut up three carrots and three ribs celery (add greens if you have them), quarter an onion, throw in about 5 crushed garlic cloves, bay leaf and spices (anything you have--from thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary...I guess even basil). Add water till covered (a glob of white wine), bay leaf, salt pepper and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and let it go for at least 3 hours (maybe 4). If it has no flavor after that amount of time, either you added too much water or you suck. No, really, just throw in a few bouillon cubes, or, better yet, a spoonful of "Better Than Bouillon."

Ok, fine, chicken soup, right. No. After this is done, strain it and save stock in freezer for some day down the road. Save the rest of the chicken for special dishes to be made.

You can add it to a salad. Simply shred chicken pieces, add to your favorite dressing, and toss into a salad.

Or a make-shift BBQ sandwich--with extra Mayo, garlic Tabasco sauce and favorite BBQ Sauce.

Or, an Asian dish. Mince ginger root, crush 4 cloves garlic, and mix in lots of soy sauce. Add sesame oil, heat some more oil in pan, throw in some left over garlic to brown, then add shredded chicken and sauce (and another glob of white wine). Mix thoroughly and reduce most of the liquid. If you want it spicy, throw in red pepper. You might even throw in one of those frozen vegetable sautees. Voila.

I guess at the end of the day, you ask yourself, what can I not do with split chicken breasts.

Sashimi Tuna for dinner

This was a very minimalist recipe except for the price of tuna--which is not, if compared with steaks, very expensive. Two individual sized tuna steaks cost $10 total--so, dinner was kept to about $6 a head with additional expenses for Wine. We had an old bottle of Vacquerays laying around (I like to collect them when on sale (about $9-$13). They are better than low-line Cotes du Rhone and pack enough punch without having to be a Gigondas. And Cote du Rhone is iffy lately--too many watered down or over-tannic wines in the bins under $10.

Anyway--recipe was easy.
two tablespoons butter melted, add lots of thyme leaves and one chopped shallot. Salt Pepper, mix and rub all over tunas. Let sit in fridge (ideally for an hour).

Meanwhile, slice sweet potatoes (less than 1/4 inch slices), toss in bowl with butter and brown sugar. Place in oven safe dish and bake em until soft.

Heat skillet with olive oil, when really hot, add tunas and do not overcook. No more than 2 minutes each side (if its really fresh, merely searing it for 1 minute each side is enough).

Remove tunas, set aside. I degreased pan with a little bourbon, scraped up shallots, and added over tunas. Perfect with salad or cheese as last course.

as for Gustav--fuck him. He's done and we're here--Unfortunately Gustav fucked our neighbor-friends and ripped off half their tin roof (on second largest house in town)--so it did damage and we sustained gusts from 90-100 mph. Good luck for all those awaiting Ike.

The Real True Grit Woman

Taking a short break from food for a night (or until the bottom of this post). Been happy today about the news--that Sarah Palin is Vice Presidential Candidate for McCain. While McCain has his short-comings (including his arms), he has proven to be an exact, dignified, honest and up front person in this race--not trying to hide who he was through minipulative and contradictory speeches. His values are solid and he stands on principles. And his choice in VP is awesome. For one, she is a hot mom, having borne five kids, having been a mayor, and governor for two years--she is energetic, exciting, strong, dignified, and just plain great--she hunts moose damnit. She is a member of the NRA. Finally, a real woman with true grit and religious convictions to back it up.



Ok--a recipe for tonight--this is a Chicken Stock recipe, not as exciting as could be, but perhaps hiding important secrets.

First, roast a chicken however you deem fit. I have adopted Julia Childs version of Poulet Roti and it is perfect eveytime. That means constant butter, constant basting turning and basting. I usually freeze the innerds when I get the chicken (gizzard, liver, etc...). Then after the bird is carved and eaten, I break apart, put into pot with innerds, two stalks celery, one carrot, 1-2 chopped onion, 4 cloves smashed garlic, thymes, parsley, bay leaf, salt pepper (and a leek if I have one--complete with greens). And if you use Julia Childs recipe, I put in her left-over sauce (which is a mixture of sauce from chicken, shallot and wine/stock reduced to thick buttery gravy). Cover with water.

After boiling stock for 4 hours, strain and sit in fridge overnight. Remove fat next day and freeze. Perfect for whatever occasion--and because it was made with real chicken bones, it contains all the good medicinal properties Chicken soup should have (ammino acids, proteins, etc).

Pork Loin with Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Tonight's meal was a shot in the dark and was made with the only things we had left in the fridge and on the shelf. Well, the half a pork loin was from a previous roast I made, so this was frozen--but thawed it in marinade.

Marinade:
1/2 c Spiced Rum
1-2 tbl Apple Butter (this has become a perfect way to add apple flavor to everything without adding apples--even drinks made with spiced rum)
2 tbl butter
let sit, turned until thawed--several hours.

Roasted pork--heat in 450 oven until crispy brown top then reduced to 350 and thermometer until 157--then removed, covered with foil and let sit until temp raised to about 165.

Gnocchi
We have been making our own pastas lately--cavatelli last week--mostly gnocchi though, cause it's filling and takes a potato and egg. So, this time, we went with sweet potato gnocchi. One large Sweet Potato, cut in half and sliced in half--placed skin sides up on well oiled foil pan in 350 oven 20-40 minutes until very very mushy.

Removed skins when done, mushed, added egg, salt pepper, and enough flour to form dough. Made Gnocchis (I am not going to go through this procedure in detail--you can get it anywhere on the web...).

After gnocchi rolled, put in boiling water until floating, removed, set in cast iron pan with hot butter and chopped sage/rosemary, let butter coat gnocchis and remove from skillet.

Remove roast from its pan, scrape juices into skillet that had gnocchis in it--add a little spiced rum, tbl butter, and reduce a little until alcohol is cooked off (adjust seasoning here)--add gnocchi, coat and done. Deglaze pan with a little more rum after removal of gnocchis. We sliced the pork and laid it over the gnocchis. Very good.

Hamburger with tapenade and provolone

New hamburger recipe.

Tapenade was made from one can Cento black cured olives--pitted, added two cloves garlic, thyme, olive oil, capers, a little vinegar and lemon juice. Blended with hand blender.

Hamburger:
Ground beef--1.5 lbs
5 cloves crushed garlic
4 sprigs oregano--chop leaves
handful of breadcrumbs (about .75-1 cups)
salt pepper
Cajun spice...--I choose Konriko for all Cajun Spicing. If you want some, send me an email and I can mail some.
and I add either half a chopped onion or whole shallot. Shallot is much better--stronger.

Form patties. Cook on grill, broiler, or in a pan.

After burger cooked, spread with tapenade, melt cheese. Voila. I imagine roasted red peppers would go great with this dish.

Chicken leftovers

Chicken Cacciatore

The only key to this recipe is in the mushrooms. I have had so many chicken cacciatores with bland mushrooms. Get fresh ones, slice em, heat oil/butter in pan, throw in portion of garlic and shallot, mushrooms, brown with thyme salt pepper added on. Then add your tomato sauce and left over chicken (if you have other vegetables--carrots, peppers, anything, you might want to cook those down in sauce first so as not to dry out chicken).

If you dont know how to make your own tomato sauce, then learn. Its easy and takes nothing other than putting things in a pot and letting things simmer for 2-3 hours (I never sautee anything before adding tomatoes). The right combination is important. I have never found a recipe in a book that I liked better than my own sauce, so it really comes down to what you like and get it that way consistently. Also--the tomatoes are crucial. If you use canned tomatoes (which are easy unless its tomato season), try them all. It's amazing how sauce can vary so much with a different brand of tomatoes. Best affordable cans were always Tutto Rosso, but impossible to get those in South. So, Cento it is.

Enough recipes--I am sick and fucking tired of people all of a sudden. Not friends. Just people. Bloggers. The ones that think they are discovering something new when they grow their own cilantro. I am sorry, but cilantro, in the real world (outside of the mexican-obsessed politically correct liberal world) is boring. Thyme is much more manageable, sage much stronger, rosemary much more fragrant and dynamic in all dishes, marjoram, don't get me started, oregano, basil...sorry. Cilantro gives you one thing and you can drink Dos Equis or Corona with it.

What to do with left-over steak

Last night's steak became tonight's dinner. Thinly sliced the steak--sauteed onion slices in olive oil until soft, put steak in, let sizzle for minute, removed from pan. Put in roasted potatoes from last night to soak up liquid and re-heat. put in two slices of bread, toasted in pan, placed steak and onions back on top of bread while in pan--sprinkled shredded Mozzarella over steak, turned heat off and covered. Set the table, removed cover, cheese melted, served. Perfect--and I deglazed the pan with bourbon for a little extra sauce.

Steak and Potatoes

How many different ways can one cook steak. I found a new one tonight. Marinade steaks in wine, mustard, olive oil, and took three cloves garlic, fork-smashed them on top of each piece of steak, rubbed em in, and sprinkled dried sage and fresh thyme. Let sit for several hours (I actually let them defrost that way). Turned them halfway through.

Cooking them was easy. Heated olive oil and butter in iron pan, added chopped shallot after butter foam subsided. After Shallots soft, placed steaks in pan. Cooked 1 minute each side. Added rest of marinade liquid, removed from heat and covered.

Potatoes--cubed new potatoes (half inch to inch cubes), boiled in water 10-15 minutes until fork goes through without effort. Drained. Put in oven safe pan with butter and olive oil, fresh rosemary. Mixed in thoroughly, salted and put in 400 degree oven until crispy brown. Remove, set aside.

Take steaks out of pan, reduce liquid in pan for 3-5 minutes, add steaks back in, cover. Set table, dish out potatoes, make sure steak is reheated (it should have been cooked to about medium rare if left in hot pan from beginning). Serve. Voila. Was that easy--does anyone try these recipes?

The Ultimate Appetizer Turned Meal

Lately, dinner has been picnic food--you know, saucisson, cornichons, a little terrine de campagne, olives, bread, some cheese. These things, when on sale, can last several days and can make a whole meal. Last night was different, and though I got the idea for this dish from Bistro Cooking at Home (a so-so book that I am not quite impressed with but that carries some good suggestions), I modified it.

You need tapenade, roasted red peppers, softened goat cheese, and bread. We added chicken, which went well. While this can be a fairly inexpensive meal, it is not necessarily minimalist.

Tapenade is easy and can be made very simply with olives, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and thyme. I usually like to fancy it up with anchoives, capers, etc. But really, just 1 can or container decent cured black olives (not in vinegar--it kills the taste of the olive), 1-2 chopped cloves garlic, tbl Olive Oil, 2-3 sprigs thyme, into the food processor, and you have a decent enjoyable and simple olive spread. Add pepper and a little salt (though taste it as you go--olives tend to be salty).

As for the goat cheese, we chose a cheap one, and it tasted horrible. The recipe called for a chopped shallot mixed in, and I added some thyme and oregano to that as well. Salt pepper to taste. Mixed it together and let sit for a while.

Meanwhile--roasted the peppers. Easy. Halve red peppers, take out the guts, place cut side down and roast at 350 until tops are dark and crisp. remove. They say to put in bowl and spread plastic wrap over it to remove skins easier, but if you can man it, just let em cool and take the damn skins off. My red pepper recipe always calls for 3-4 leaves basil, 1 clove of garlic (per 2 peppers), olive oil, salt pepper and mix thoroughly.

Next is chicken. Easy and the simplest recipe. I used chicken breasts cut into tenders. put in mixing bowl, crush 3-4 cloves garlic, add tbl olive oil, pepper, thyme, oregano (anything you got here--last night I put in some lavender). Mix thoroughly, place in oven or toaster over on pan at 350 until done.

Baguette or bread--toast it slightly. first layer is olive spread. then red pepper, then dollop of the goat cheese. Place in oven or toaster at 400 and let goat cheese brown a little. Remove and eat with chicken on top or on side. Voila.

Fusilli Pesto Rosso with Chicken

This is a typical Italian summer dish when the basil is shooting upwards, and the garlic has just been harvested.

I just harvested my garlic--over 160 heads. So I made a pesto with garlic, basil leaves, parmigiana, and pecans.

Then the chicken--chicken strips. Dry with paper towel, salt pepper and throw on some flour. Sautee in iron pan with Olive oil until browned. set aside.

Add white wine to pan--scrape up browned particles, add tblsp of pesto--reduce a little. Add chicken and cook until medium rare.

Side dish was halved mushrooms with garlic. Half mushrooms, sautee with butter/olive oil, add chopped garlic half way through--reduce liquid and set aside.

In pan that chicken was cooked--remove chicken and add several tblsp of pesto--I like a lot--maybe some extra olive oil.

Pasta--cook Fusilli--spirals. When al dente, drain and add to pan with pesto--cook on low and mix in.
When pasta is fully doused in pesto--add two freshly sliced cloves of garlic and chicken. Let heat until chicken is done (do not over cook chicken--damn Americans think Chicken needs to be well-done--no, sorry--medium is overcooked...). Finish by throwing in sliced tomatoes and freshly chopped garlic. Serve.

Mushrooms are side dish and freshly grated Parmigian cheese goes perfectly.

Steak and Mushroom Soup

Minimalist Recipe (cheap):
STEAK and MUSHROOM SOUP

Need: 1 head garlic, 1 shallot, steak (however you want--choose cheap ones), wine (red or white--you should always have wine in the house, even if just carlo rossi jug wine), beef stock or bouillon cube, Oregano/thyme, and tarragon, and bacon for added flavor.

Marinade Steaks: crush half the garlic head onto steaks, add olive oil and thyme/oregano, salt pepper, rub onto steaks--let sit.

Iron pan, add tblsp oil and two slivers of bacon cut up into inch pieces--heat.

When hot, add remaining half of garlic chopped and half of shallot.
When just brown, add steaks. Brown.
don't over cook steak.
Take out steaks, set onto hot plate.

dump grease.

in same pan (without cleaning it) add tblsp butter, heat, add shallot--sautee till soft.
Add (1.5 cups) stock/wine mixture, reduce half,
Add can mushroom soup, mix and add tarragon chopped.

put steaks in to reheat in liquid. Serve.

Steak and Leek Soup

Good dinner tonight with my wife--even if assholes get nominations that Assholes in Hollywood elected him for and that he is too stupid to understand or deserve.

Leek Soup was made with fresh leeks ripe from garden planted last year. They grew good and green through winter and now after good spring in Hudson Valley, were thick and green leaved to pluck from chthonic soil.

I made a vegetable stock to start it off: bunch of carrots with greens, two onions quartered, whole bunch of celery, leek tips, 5 cloves garlic, bay leaf and parsley with 4 quarts water. I cooked for 2-3 hours with two tbls chicken stock and a little white wine for added flavor. Salt Pepper.

Then I took about 10 medium sized freshly picked leeks, cleaned, chopped and set aside. Sauteed about 1/4 of them in butter and olive oil until soft and mostly brown. Then added rest of leeks, broth, and 3 small yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed. Let boil, simmer, and cook partially covered for 2-3 hours, adding salt pepper as needed. Perfect.

Then had steak and mushrooms. Marinated sirloins in red wine, moutard ancien, sage, thyme, oregano, tarragon, and olive oil for 5 hours. Heated olive oil and butter--browned steaks, set aside, added butter and halved mushrooms. Cooked until browned, added rest of marinade and covered on medium low for a few minutes. After a little reduction, added steaks, cooked until medium rare, then removed steaks, reduced sauce and served.

Came out well and had it with a Vacqueyras from Rhone Valley: Vieilles Vignes, 2001, Les Vins du Troubadour S. C. A. After about 30 minutes it turned perfectly and was about the best Rhone wine I have ever bought in States that changed significantly without edges and with all the round smoothness of a great wine without costing much.

My wife also made a french bread--but that's for another blog and another day.

Jambalaya

Had a party last night and provided the spread. Main dish was Jambalaya. I made it up and it gets close to what I've been eating around here--and I added some of my own improvements (which certain people have a difficult time getting used to).

5 pound Pork Butt and smoked chicken sausage (sausage can be whatever you want as long its smoked for the smokey flavor--if you season this with a little tobacco, you will not get the same effect, but support our right to smoke by smoking a cigar while cooking and we'll call it a deal).

9-10 yellow onions
3-4 heads garlic
4 bell peppers
one pack celery
Creole/Cajun Spice (or thyme, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, oregano, pepper, salt, onion powder)
dried chile pepper
6 cans beef stock
white wine (optional)
white mushrooms.
bay leaf
6 cups long grain white rice


Slice pork, drench in creole/cajun spice and brown in big pot with little Olive Oil. Make sure to brown thoroughly, don't crowd the pan and keep liquid to a minimum. If you get brown spots in bottom of pan, that's good and keep scraping them up. After pork's browned, put sausage into pan and brown that.

By now you've got the right flavor's in the pan. Add back the pork, and about 8 sliced onions. Cook on medium high stirring frequently for 15-25 minutes until onions have released their liquid. Add sausage. Stir. Add more spice, salt, pepper. Stir. Then add about 10 crushed garlic cloves, 3 bell peppers, 6-10 ribs of celery. Stir in and let cook a little. Add in 6 cans beef stock (so that meat is just covered. Bay leaf it, add de-veined and de-seeded chile peppers (2-3), bring to boil, reduce and simmer. Also add in one glug of white wine, some more creole spice, and a few dashes of tobasco.

You can cook this for a while, but after 1.5-2 hours, add another chopped onion and chopped pepper, and about 5 - 10 more crushed cloves garlic.

Here's the tricky part that these locals arent too fond of. Slice mushrooms in half and sautee in half butter half olive oil until browned. Add salt and pepper and 5 cloves chopped garlic. Cook on medium low covered for about 10 minutes while stirring frequently. Then throw in sage, thyme and oregano spices and cook another 5 minutes. Add this to Jambalaya pot after about 2.5-3 hours.

At 3 hours, it should be mostly done. Check spices, etc. If tastes bland, add more garlic, spices, and possibly a bouillon cube.

Now the rice. It will need at least 5-6 cups of rice. Bring heat down to low, add rice and cover pot completely. Do not lift cover for at least 1 hour (possibly more--this is a gamble and while I have gotten it perfect on several occasions, last night's rice was a little crunchy).

Hope you enjoy it. Good for parties--and everything can be cut in half easily--Usually I only make a small pot of this with cheap pork shoulder blades or even ribs--works perfect and gets better as a leftover.

Dinner

I do not know exactly why, but I feel compelled to post recipes. I would hope that if anyone actually reads this damn things, you try one out and tell me how it was.

Tonights is cheap steak rounds from Walmart. There's a guy on NYTIMES online, Mark Bittman, who calls himself the minimalist; has good recipes. I guess that would make me the cheapest. Not always. Tonight was all about cheap--so, sale steaks, a handful of dried chipotle peppers in a solitary bin, mushrooms (in season), garlic. Since I grow my own spices, I use what I have--tonight was sage, rosemary and thyme. Seasoned steaks with seasonings, salt pepper, 4 cloves chopped garlic, and a douse of olive oil--tossed. Then heated oil in pan--added 4 cloves chopped garlic and steaks at same time. Let brown on one side, flip. Let brown, add peppers and a few sliced mushrooms. Let cook--after 4 minutes, added a glug of left-over red wine. Let cook till steaks were done. (Added 3 squirts tobasco somewhere in there). Took out steaks--reduced wine and added a spoonful of ancien mustard. Let thicken and cook a little more, then topped steaks with Mushrooms sauce. Perfect. Dipped with day old Ciabatta bread from Pouparts--a mainstay.

And drinking gimlets. Life couldnt be better, during certain moments.

Yet more proof of Obama's Self-Centered Solipsism

Just read in NY Times this morning an article about what Bush said (or will say--this is not clear from NY Times) at Israel's Parliament. Bush stated (or will state--dates are all screwy here):

Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along.

We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: “Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.” We have an obligation to call this what it is – the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.

Some people suggest that if the United States would just break ties with Israel, all our problems in the Middle East would go away. This is a tired argument that buys into the propaganda of our enemies, and America rejects it utterly. Israel’s population may be just over 7 million. But when you confront terror and evil, you are 307 million strong, because America stands with you.

America stands with you in breaking up terrorist networks and denying the extremists sanctuary. And America stands with you in firmly opposing Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions. Permitting the world’s leading sponsor of terror to possess the world’s deadliest weapon would be an unforgivable betrayal of future generations. For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

Now, this proves to you--not that any intelligent and rational person needed the proof--how much Obama cares about himself and only himself. Obama answered this defensively, believing that because he is so absolutely special, because the secular left has anointed him their new Saviour, that Bush must have been referring to him. Obama answered:

It is sad that President Bush would use a speech to the Knesset on the 60th anniversary of Israel’s independence to launch a false political attack. It is time to turn the page on eight years of policies that have strengthened Iran and failed to secure America or our ally Israel. Instead of tough talk and no action, we need to do what Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan did and use all elements of American power - including tough, principled, and direct diplomacy - to pressure countries like Iran and Syria. George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists, and the President’s extraordinary politicization of foreign policy and the politics of fear do nothing to secure the American people or our stalwart ally Israel.

This is all published at NY Times online right now.

Aside from the fact that Obama did say he would "talk" before acting with Iran (a complete contradiction here--notice his statements in November 2007), I think there is only one thing to say here--other than something about Obama's Solipsism and why exactly he attracts mostly college aged kids who want to live without consequences. I have one name--Jimmy Carter. In what capacity, other than in his utter selfishness, does Obama actually think he is the target of Bush's criticisms. Isn't Jimmy Carter the one toting around talking to Terrorists? Isn't Jimmy Carter the one that fits the description of Bush's imaginary "talker"?

Need I say more? I think this is yet another example of Barry Obama's solipsistic live-without-consequences world view. After he said he didn't want his kids "punished with a baby" I knew it was only a matter of time before he started to look more like one of those college professors driving a hybrid (I got nothing wrong with hybrids--just don't make it a political statement) carrying around some Marxist pamphlet.

A few things to say tonight over my baked chicken

Global Warming my ass. That's about all I have to say about this new fad (and that's all this has been--a fad!) that people are so caught up with. One side sees it as absolute truth and the other doesnt have the fucking balls to stand up to this blatant bullshit from a bunch of people that will create policies to collect more of our earned money. We are entering the little ice-age; mankind has always experienced climate change--long before the fucking trains, planes, and automobiles (go read real non-partisan scientists).


The real problem about this is that all of a sudden people care about what they do--or care about what they look like they do--now they accept Global Warming like a commandment to Moses, and they can excuse all the decades they didnt give a shit (and still don't really give a shit, they only want to look trendy and shop at Whole Foods). The truth is, real people who have always loved the earth and all of God's creation, are absolutely insulted that politicians are now trying to tell us to love the earth. Real people--might I say--BITTER PEOPLE--Yes I cling to my fucking guns, but not cause I'm bitter, just cause I know how some people will allow certain people into this country, certain policies, that I may need to protect myself and family against--and I go to Church because I believe--nothing bitter about it...but, to return--real people who have always loved eating their own vegetables, who understand the benefits of chemicals to kill off pests--really, when was the last time you tried to grow large amounts of vegetables and fruits that would be your family's sustenance for the entire year without chemicals and been successful. Sorry, difficult and hard to do and probably possible on small scales at one point or another in this lifetime. Biological powders and repellents, organic solutions are welcomed by me, as long as I still get real tomatoes, potatoes, beans, etc. and not a bunch of whiteflies, blackflies, lettuce fleas, bean bugs and wilted tomato virus.

But to return to my main point--all of a sudden people are trying to tell us that our individual actions will harm the earth and make the earth worse for the children. I completely agree and have always learned and tried to live according to this principle--that I must take personal responsibility for my individual actions. But that still makes US responsible for what we do (not the Government, not some piece of legislation, not your fucking mama--no offense to your mother...), and if we act according to incomplete studies, politicized science, AlGore bullshit spoonfed backwards through a toilet-bowl, if we do not take into account the fact that wrong actions may also have a bad effect on the world, then we havent learned a thing--we have gone ahead and swallowed the same bologna propaganda that Communists have been trying to feed us for the last century (Go read a book by Jonah Goldberg titled Liberal Fascism...good book to learn a thing or two); that our individual freedoms are threatened is the real problem here, and they'll take it away one by one until there is nothing left but to get in line for our weekly bag of rice.

This is the reason why I see green as the new red, and I always have, ever since some pimping politician tried to feed me bullshit about saving the environment. I always tried to save my environment--that's why I call my self a Conservative--I wish to conserve. Simple as that.

Another thing I wish to conserve is tobacco use. Heard the new one--legislation to ban Clove Cigarettes. Why? Some people want to blame big tobacco like Phillip Morris--I know of some of Phillip Morris' people--I got nothing bad to say. The real problem, again, is people who want to outlaw smoking entirely. If you look at it systematically, you can see that after the big tobacco settlements, less and less tobacco ended up on the shelves in stores. States legislated the "No Smoking" sections, then outlawed it indoors completely. Next you were ticketed for smoking with a minor under a certain weight in the car. Who is to say whether I can smoke with my own kid in the car or not? Why would we give government the ability to prohibit us to make that choice? Doesnt anyone see the irrationality in this or the likeness to Prohibition of Alcohol that brought about the mob.

I happen to like an occasional Clove Cigarette.

And why smoking; why not tofu. I hate fucking tofu. I hate vegetarians that have to go jizz about their vegetarianism every goddamn second. If someone has to jizz about their own shit all the time, then they are probably helplessly seeking for the same thing we all are and just unwilling to admit they don't have a fucking clue. And, did you hear the latest--Bean curd--SOY BEANS (yes, all you soy milk drinkers, listen up)--SOY BEANS, high in estrogen, are known to severely altar the body's chemistry. What I'm saying here, at least what the studies are showing, is that high quantities of soy among males and females pregnant with males lead to higher rates of homosexuality. So, if you want to keep your masculinity in tact--or, ladies, if you naturally (and this is about Nature) want to have a real man in your life, leave out the bean curd tofu-shit and soy milk. This is scary.


oh--a new recipe, almost forgot.

Baked Chicken a la Provence

Whole Chicken Fryer, cut up into convenient pieces. 3 Shallots and 6 garlic cloves chopped into bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary. Toss chicken in same bowl until thoroughly coated in seasonings. Place into large baking pan skin side up. Then Chop tomatoes and mushrooms, toss in same bowl with seasonings left over--place into, over, between, and under chicken. Let loose a few glugs of red wine, drizzle melted butter over pieces of chicken (make sure chicken skins are visible for browning). Salt again and pepper, bake 350-400 for 45min - 1 hour. Serve.

What I am eating

All these bloggers think what they do every fucking second of the day matters--as if their damn thoughts about the war in Iraq or going fucking green really matter...my grandmother was green before it became the new red. Then some people had to go politicize gardening.

Anyway, so, I've decided to write about what I'm eating tonight for dinner--figure it's a hell of a lot more interesting than whatever the hell some people are writing this moment...and you might learn some new recipes.

Saucisson. This is a D'Artagnan Saucisson French style. It is not as dry as most good saucisson, but has more flavor than any of the damn italian sausages I used to get up in New York. It goes good with a new goat cheese I found from St-Astier, France--Pico Picandine. It comes in a small box like round container--as all good goat cheeses, and it has a nice aged rind (I hate goddamn American impressionist goat-cheeses. What the hell is that soft cream cheesey shit anyway!).

Good combination, but I don't eat the cheese with the sausage much. I usually save the cheese for afterwards or with the terrine--a good terrine de campagne from Le Petit Cochon--man, that's good, and with their cornichon--magnifique!

Then there is the bread. Of course, living where I live, there is only one choice--Poupart's Bakery in Lafayette, LA. I had to go to an alternative bakery today and I am experiencing the bland result. So life goes and money that cannot drive us to the good bakery. If we could only drive to France to get real bread.

I have sauteed some Crimini mushrooms as well. Halved mushrooms, heated half olive oil half butter in pan, then added after butter foam subsided--let brown for few minutes. Then added salt pepper, let liquid seep out of mushrooms--that's my favorite part and reminds me most of how a poet writes a poem--then added 6 cloves chopped garlic. Cooked on reduced heat covered for a few minutes. Added combination of thyme, sage, oregano from my own garden, cooked a little more and voila.

Then, finally, roasted red peppers--the italian in me. Roasted, peeled, added 3 cloves sliced garlic, good olive oil, freshly chopped basil and salt. Tossed, cooled, served. Sometimes I am amazed how with so little money a man can eat so well.

That's what's for dinner--with large goblets of wine. Bought three bottles today and might finish two by tonight (one was extra large bottle and lots of writing to get done). But there is always Garlic--lots. A hell of a lot more than you think you eat. So, don't start comparing. That's at least one whole head for just dinner--and we don't count the half-a-head for lunch or the two raw cloves I'll eat with the cheese for dessert--and anything else between just cause I hate people who hate my garlic nose!

I don't know what my meal is supposed to signify, but if I were a literary critic, I might say something politically correct about the fucking french and italian with a little added comment on the Louisiane. Of course, nobody from any of these regions, cultures, really gives a shit, so, let's just eat and be merry.

Welcome to the Bent Catholic

Welcome. I don't know what to say. I think a lot of these blogs out here were created simply because someone had something to say and they needed a place to say it. Sure. Good for them. I have a lot to say too, so I guess it's my privilege to say it damn it!

This is not a blog for ordinary Catholics, so if you can't stand drinking large amounts of Kentucky bourbon, gin, sometimes rum, and lots of cheaply bought red wine, smoking cigars, pipes, cigarettes, hell, smoke you're stinkin' pen for all I care, or lots of pissing people off, then don't read it. I guess I have that right still, even if the others are under surveillance. Hell, this isn't even a blog for Catholics, and I would never run as a Catholic. It just happens to be a name, and I don't stand for anything. I just write and think and write, so either you read it or you don't.

Welcome.


[nobody in the picture above represents the author of this site...but that is a cross if I'm not mistaken]