My blog has been moved.

I have decided to move my blog to wordpress.
You can access my blog at: calvind49.wordpress.com
Thanks
Calvin

April 3, 2011

It's been a long month with not much to report on the cooking side. On the eating end, it was a different story. I spent a week in New Orleans. The only comment I have is that if there is food in Heaven, the chef's are from NOLA!
I have everything from shrimp and grits for breakfast to duck and dumplings for dinner. I could move there! Well, maybe not into the city, but in that area. My restaurant reviews, etc. can be found on My Yelp Pages.
Tina was suppose to fly down on Wednesday evening and ended up not getting there until Thursday at 7:30 PM.  The trip home took us 36 hours. But that is a whole other story which will be posted later.
If you have never been to NOLA, you should go just once. It is an experience.
Since we've been home I made Cajun macaroni & cheese and shrimp and grips and today is BBQ'd baby-back ribs with potato salad and cabbage slaw.
I will post how these turn out this evening.
I am also getting what I need to make boudin sausage and I will keep you abreast of that journey.

February 28, 2011

I was off work today so we had meatball pizza. I made the dough on Sunday since I like to leave it set at least overnight and we were going to have it on Tuesday.
I found some frozen meatballs that I wanted to use up so it figured, why not.
It turned out to be a very tasty pizza.

February 27, 2011

Today was flank steak roulade with mashed potatoes. I decided to try it using the bagged country dressing since I wanted something with small bread cubes. I sauteed some diced onions, celery and peppers in olive until tender and then added the stuffing mix and not quite all the chicken broth that the stuffing called for. I did not want it to get too moist and turn into mush in the roll. I pounded the steak to about 1/4 inch thick, salt & pepper it, put the stuffing in and rolled it up. Then I browned it in my large skillet. Once browned, I added the left over onion and celery pieces with a bay leaf and 1 can plus the remainder of the can of chicken broth, covered it and put it in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Once done, I removed it from the pan to rest, made a gravy with the strained pan juices and served it with sour cream mashed potatoes.

Schiano's Italian Restaurant - February 26, 2011

Had a very nice dinner this evening with the Ryder's at Schiano's Italian Restaurant in Berrysburg. Bob and I had the Schiano's Seafood with a spicy marinara sauce over Linguine. The sauce could have been cooked just a bit longer but is was as good as ever. Tina had the Lobster Ravioli with cream sauce. She almost always get this.
Debbie, I'm sorry but I forgot what you ordered but I know you said it was good.
This place accepts cash only so forget you credit cards. I understand there pizza and subs are some of the best around also. It's a bit out of the way but, if your looking for a good meal at reasonable prices, you should go.

February 25, 2011

This has been a rather uneventful week on the food scene. I did try and make Mexican Flauta's with rather poor results. They fell apart while I was deep frying them. Oh well, can't have good weeks all the time.

February 20, 2011

Steaks on the grill today. One problem with a charcoal grill is I only break it out when the weather clears. On well. I need to get some modifications done to my smoker but that is another post. Made mac & cheese to go along with it.

Dodge City Resturaunt - February 19, 2011

This is a fine family restaurant. We to dinner their this evening with the Wallace's. I had the Baked Seafood Pie, very good and not too much food. Tina had the Ribeye steak, another winner. Helen had the petite Prime Rib which she said was very tender and perfectly cook. Bob had the Salmon. For dessert I had the Triple Layer Lemon Meringue Pie and Bob had the Caramel Sundae. The server was friendly, polite and helpful without being annoying.
I will go back.

February 13, 2011

Sunday is here and it's time for Braised Oxtails. I picked some up at Hummer's meat on Friday. How to cook them? This is a Calvin recipe.

I started buy coating them with oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Put in a 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until they are nicely browned. Meanwhile, I heated up a dutch oven, added some olive oil and sauteed some diced carrots, onions and celery until tender. Once tender, put some flour in the pot and stir to remove the raw taste.
when the oxtails were nicely browned I added them to the pot, deglazed the roasting pan with some beef stock and added it all to them pot. Add some thyme, bay and parsley. I put some parchment paper on top and put the lid on and into a 325 degree oven for 2 to 3 hours or until the meat is tender enough to pick off the tails.
Once done, I removed the oxtails from the pot and let them cool and drained the broth and discard the veggies. Pick the meat off the bone and return it to the broth.
Serve over noodles, risotto or mashed potatoes.

February 12, 2011

Had breakfast with Bob Ryder this morning and Denny's Lennies. A good basic breakfast was had by all.
After a busy afternoon, Tina & I stopped at JoJo's in Elizabethville for dinner and ordered the White Pizza with bacon. Not very cholesterol-friendly but you only live once. It was a bit greasy but good none the less.

February 10, 2011

Thursday night and had to put together a quick dinner as I have an Extra Meeting tonight at lodge. I made Ham & Taleggio Grilled Cheese Sandwiches from Food Network. I made mine with Taleggio and Tina used Munster. Both turned out good. If the apple has a tough skin, you should peel it.
I used my Cuisinart Panini press to make them. I set the temperature to medium-low and did not butter the bread so the it did not brown nicely. The next time I will put some butter on the bread and use medium heat next time.

February 6, 2011 - The Italian Beef

I had a nice piece of sirloin roast left over from my hamburger grinding so I decided to make some Chicago Italian Beef for sandwiches. Not knowing much about this I did an internet search to see what I could find. After looking at a number of different recipes, I found one from Amazing Ribs that looked promising. Since I am watching my salt, I did modify the recipe slightly. I used low-sodium beef stock in lieu of the water and cubes of beef bouillon. I also used 1/4 tsp of Ancho and 1/4 tsp of chipotle chili powder instead of the 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper. Not sure why I did this but it just seemed right, although not traditional. After if cooled I sliced it up and put it in the frig. Tina can have this on Tuesday when I'm at lodge.
Will post the outcome after I make the sandwiches.

February 6, 2011 - The Hamburgers

Went to market on Friday and bought a sirloin and chuck roast at Hummers.  Tina said she wanted burgers today and I like to grind my own hamburger.  I got the tip about using sirloin and chuck from Alton Brown.  I still use the James Beard Burger hamburger methodology. Do not add anything to the beef except salt and freshly ground pepper and then lightly form them into patties, do not compress them. I used my new Cuisinart griddle/panini press to cook them. I also sauteed some onions and glazed them with some Worcestershire Sauce, put them on top of the burgers with some muenster cheese and ran them under the broiler to melt the cheese.  Not a bad burger for the middle of the winter.

February 6, 2011 - The Onion Rings

Tried the Baked Onion Rings today from Eating Well. I modified the recipe as follows;
1. Used 1 T salt-free Cajun seasoning instead of the seasoning blend
2. 2 eggs and 1/2 cup milk for the three eggs(I only had two eggs)
3. I mixed the seasoning with the flour instead of the bread crumbs
4. I only used one large white onion since it's only the two of use
I used my salad spinner to remove the water from the rings after soaking.
I have a thumbs up from Tina, which is especially good since it is a healthy recipe. There was a slight raw flour taste and I need to get more seasoning on the onions. The crust was crisp and they were not greasy. Some Tabasco in the egg/milk mixture

February 3, 2011

Today was a "clean out the refrigerator" day.  I had leftover roast chicken and parsleyed red potatoes. 
I chopped some peppers and onions and sauteed them in olive oil.  Chopped up the potatoes and added them to the pan. Then de-boned and chopped the chicken and added that.  In went some of my Cajun seasoning, salt & pepper.  I had some large flour  tortilla shells which we put some grated cheese on, topped with the chicken & potato mixture and then topped it with more shredded cheese.  Put it in a 350 degree oven and baked them for about 15 minutes.  This was really tasty and a good way to use up leftovers.

February 2, 2011

Had a day off of work today so I decided to bake bread.  Apparently I was not the only one.  I used a recipe for Oatmeal Wheat Bread. My friend Patty also did some baking and used the Wholesome Wheat Bread recipe. I am going to try my bread for French Toast on Sunday.  I think it should work well.
For dinner I made some shrimp fra diavolo. I had some tomato sauce frozen that I used.  Not a spectacular dinner but not bad.

The Hidden Sodium in Chicken

I found this in January/February 2011 issue of Cooking Light. It's really is amazing that they do to our food.

http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/sodium-in-chicken-00412000070041/

Canned Tomatoes

When purchasing tomatoes for cooking, look for canned authentic San Marzano tomatoes. You will pay a bit more for them, but the taste is well worth it.

Baking Bread - Internal Temperature

The internal temperature to see if bread is done;
Breads that contain fat -- 180 - 190 degrees
Dryer, crustier breads -- 200 - 210 degrees.

February 1, 2011

Chicken Chimichangas on the menu tonight.  As usual I gathered up what I had in the frig and went from there.  Diced some peppers and onion and sauteed them in olive oil.  Added some diced chicken breast and garlic along with 1 tsp of cumin and 1/8 tsp chipotle chili power  and some salt and pepper. 
Heated some refried beans in the microwave and grated some cheese.  Rolled the whole mess in large flour shells and fried in oil.  Make sure the frying oil is not too hot or they will burn before they are done.
I only made two since I'm trying to cook only what we can eat.

January 30, 2011

Had mixed results with dinner today.  I make some wheat berries sauteed with onion, garlic and preserved lemon that turned out pretty good.  I cooked the wheat berries in the crock pot and they got a little overcooked. I also had to drain and rinse them which probably removed some of the nutrients. This was my first time cooking wheat berries so I guess it wasn't too bad after all.  I roasted a chicken with a herbed butter under the skin. I checked it with a thermometer and it registered 165 but the breast was not cooked through.  I cut it up and put it back in the over for 15 minutes which cooked it through. I think the next time I cook chicken I'm going to butterfly it and cook it under bricks.  I also made some boiled parsley potatoes with butter.  I hate when recipes do not turn out.  I guess those are learning experiences.

January 29, 2011

This has been a rather uneventful week. Except for throwing my back out and staying home from work on Friday. Did not due much cooking this week. I did make some Ham, green beans and potatoes one night and some chicken enchiladas but that is it.
Tina is off scrap-booking all weekend so I am left to my own devices. I am not doing much as my chiropractor told me to rest this weekend. I did get to see him on Friday afternoon and have to go back on Monday morning.
I am trying to decide what to make for Sunday as I know Tina will be hungry when she gets home. I am thinking about a nice roast chicken with maybe a whole grain and vegetable side dish. I will have to look for recipes tonight.
I did make some sausage gravy on toast for breakfast today which always make me feel better.

Mitaka Restaurant

I had the opportunity of going to Mitaka Restaurant at 560 S 29th St
Harrisburg, PA 17104 for dinner on Friday. Actually, we were originally going to Sakana on Linglestowun Road, but they did not open until 5:00. We arrived early, around 4:30, and were the only one's there. They advertise Sushi and Dim Sum and the sushi menu is very extensive. The Dim Sum, which is ordered from the menu, not selected from carts, is limited. I believe they have the carts on weekends but I forgot to ask.
I ordered the roast pork steamed buns(3) along with the seaweed salad, both of which were very good. I also ordered Manhattan Roll which has eel, cucumber & avocado topped with thinly sliced eel and tokiko along with Hamachi(yellowtail) & Masago(smelt roe) sushi. My bill was $38.00 which I thought reasonable. I found everything to be well prepared and tasty. I will certainly go back there again.

January 23, 2011

As I added yesterday, the stew needed more salt, probably to 2 teaspoons.
Made the Breakfast Sausage today using Alton Brown's Breakfast Sausage. Tina would like it without the thyme but I like it the way it is.
I will leave it in the refrigerator until tomorrow night then package it up and freeze it.

January 22, 2011

Back from Costco's about 12 pounds of pork shoulder, it's sausage time.
My first batch was Mexican Chorizo. I looked on the web for recipes and found one at Homemade Chorizo Sausage by Patrice Knezevic. I followed the recipe but my gut told me to reduce the salt but I ignored it. I should know better by now. The sausage turned out to be too salty. Not bad enough to ruin it but, when I use the sausage, I will have to reduce the added salt. I also ground it twice, first using the coarse plate and then the fine one. I rolled it into 1/2 pound packages and froze them.
I also cut up enough to make Alton Brown's Breakfast sausage but that I will make tomorrow.
I bought a chuck roast at Hummer's on Friday as Tina want's beef stew for Sunday.
I decided to create my own recipe for this. I made it today since stew is usually better made the day before.
Here is the recipe I used I will post corrections or additions if needed
-= Exported from BigOven =-

Beef Stew - Roasted Red Papper

Recipe By:
Serving Size: 4
Cuisine:
Main Ingredient:


-= Ingredients =-
3 pounds Chuck ; cut into 1" cubes
2 meduim Onions ; diced
2 stalks Celery ; diced
4 cloves Garlic ; minced
5 sprigs Parsley ; torn into pieces.
1/2 cup Roasted red peppers ; diced
2 medium Tomatoes ; seeded & diced
1 teaspoon Harissa Paste
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 teaspoon Salt
2 each Bay Leaves
32 ounces Beef stock
8 ounces Carrots ; cut into 1" chunks
1 pound Potatoes ; cut into 1" cubes
1/2 pound Frozen peas

-= Instructions =-
Brown beef in batches in oil. I rendered the fat of the chuck but you could use olive oil or bacon fat.
Remove and keep warm
Saute onions & celery until just tender. Add the garlic, red pepper and parsley and cook for another minute or two.
Stir in 1/4 cup wondra flour and stir for a couple of minutes, adding more oil if needed.
Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the Harssa and tomatoes.
Put in a crockpot and cook on low for a couple of hours.
Add the remaining vegetables and cook for another hour or so.
Add the peas about 10 minutes before it's time to serve.



** This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

After eating the stew on Sunday, you could probably double the salt to 2 teaspoons.
Made Cheddar Biscuits to round out the meal.

January 21, 2011

Tonight was pasta with bacon, goat cheese and heavy cream. I sauteed the bacon while the pasta was cooking. I took the bacon out of the pan as sauteed a whole clove of garlic in the bacon fat, removed the bacon, added the drained pasta and some reserved pasta water to keep it from sticking. Then I added some slices of goat cheese and cooked it over medium-low heat until the cheese melted, added more reserved pasta water is it seemed dry. Finished it off with some heavy cream, butter and grated Parmesan cheese. Then sprinkled the bacon back on right before I served it.
Tina thought it could use more cheese, I figure it was good and more cheese might make it better. Maybe some chopped parsley would be good also.

January 20, 2011

Made some Pork BBQ from some smoked pulled pork I did this past summer.
I made some BBQ sauce that was just OK. I had to put it together pretty fast since I had a church meeting at 6:00. I have to work on a pulled-pork sauce recipe.
Not one of my better attempts.

New Cheese Find

When we went to the Farm Show last Friday and happened upon Leraysville Cheese. Bought some of their XXXXX Sharp Cheddar that was nice and bitty. They also had seasoned cheese curds that were good also. I was on their website and found they also have Limburger but it's from Wisconsin. There shipping is kind of salty so finding a local supplier is in the works.

Took at trip to Lancaster today to do some shopping at the Outlet Malls, the Apple Store at Park City and Addisu Ethiopian Restaurant. They do not have as full a menu as restaurants in DC, what they have is very good and, from what a good friend of mine who is Ethiopian, it is very authentic. If you want a unique dining experience, you should try them, but get ready to eat with your hands.

January 16, 2011

This was mostly a week of non-cooking.  With class on Monday and Wednesday, lodge on Tuesday and Thursday and the Farm Show on Friday, the week is shot.  Went to the Cabin Fever Expo in York on Saturday with Bob Ryder and, with Tina watching football, we just snacked in the evening.
Now it is Sunday and I promised Tina I would make lasagna. I found a recipe for Classic Italian Lasagna by Giada De Laurentiis. I made the tomato and bechamel sauce yesterday along with Home-Made Ricotta and home-made pasta dough. Got up this morning and sauteed the hamburger (I did add some sauteed onions and garlic to the meat). After church I rolled out and cooked the pasta and put it all together.
Tina gave me a bunch of crap about putting spinach in the lasagna. I will let you know how that turns out. I will have to say that the tomato sauce recipe is a good one. I used San Marzano tomatoes which really helps the sauce. This would be good for pizza or pretty much anything that calls for a tomato sauce.

January 11, 2011

I had to cook for lodge tonight.  This is their annual Pork and Sauerkraut dinner which meant I had to compete against tradition, they always cook it all together. I broke from tradition and used the following recipe for the pork.  My sauerkraut recipe is the Braised Sauerkraut recipe from James Beard.
Here is my pork recipe. Comments welcome.
Calvin



                      -= Exported from BigOven =-

                        Braised Pork Shoulder

Recipe By:
Serving Size: 8
Cuisine: German
Main Ingredient: Pork


-= Ingredients =-
2 medium Onions ; quartered
1/2 head Garlic
2 stalks Celery
3 stalks Rosemary
2 sprigs Thyme
6 pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder ; in mesh bag
Salt & pepper
2 cups Apple Juice

-= Instructions =-
You can use two smaller roasts to total 6 pounds but you will have to adjust the roasting time. 
You do not have to peel the onions or garlic. Just cut the onions in quarters and cut a head of garlic in half. 
Cut the celery into large.
Place the vegetables and herbs in the bottom of a roaster and place the pork on top. Pour the apple juice over the pork and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the pork and then seal with aluminum foil.  Place in a preheated 300° oven  for 4 to 5 hours.  You can tell when the pork done when it's temp is around 170° and the thermometer goes easly into the meat. If it seem tough, leave it in longer. 
Remove pork and tent.  You can either just strain the liquid or run it through a food mill, whichever is easier.  Bring liquid to a boil and thicken with cornstarch slurry. 
Once meat has set for 30 minutes, slice and serve with gravy.
Leftovers can be used for pulled pork.
I make this for lodge and everybody raved about it.



** This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping.     **
** Easy recipe software.  Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com    **

January 9, 2011

Had to make some chicken soup for my wife today, she's been under the weather.  I found Mexican Chicken-Hominy Soup in December, 2010 Cooking Light.  I substituted turkey breast for chicken since I had leftover turkey breast in the freezer.  I also added shredded cabbage and some deep-fried corn taco strips.  Not bad for minimal effort and time.

Pinto Bean Dip

I was hungry for some Mexican Bean Dip and found a couple recipes that we kind of what I wanted. I decided to combine the good points of them and come up with my own.
Here it is;

-= Exported from BigOven =-

Pinto Bean Dip

Recipe By:
Serving Size: 1 1/4
Cuisine: Mexican
Main Ingredient: Beans


-= Ingredients =-
1 can Pinto beans ; drained & rinsed
1 each Jalapeno peppers ; sliced
1/2 teaspoon Granulated onion
1/4 teaspoon Granulated garlic
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
Olive oil ; as required

-= Instructions =-
Combine drained pinto beans with the other ingredients in a food processor. Puree ingredients on high speed until smooth.
Use olive oil to thin as needed during processing.
Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving.

Makes 1 1/4 cup.






** This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

January 8, 2011

While at market Thursday picking up my pork roasts for the lodge dinner on Tuesday, I saw a nice top round steak at Hummer's Meats at the Broad Street Market. I guess I need to make a plug here for Ryan. I purchase most of my meats from there. It is top quality meat and I can get what I want. I stop in a week or two before I need a special cut and ask Ryan. I have yet to be disappointed. If you decide to try them, tell Ryan I sent you. Their website is Hummer's Meats.
Anyway, back to cooking. I used some of the round steak to make the Ultimate Beef Chili. Although Tina said it needed more meat, I found it to be quite good. I did not add the beans since Tina is not a big bean fan. I served it over rice. I actually cooked it while I was making the risotto last evening since chili is best if it sits a day.
I added about two tablespoons of raw sugar to balance out the tartness of the tomatoes. This is another keeper.

January 7, 2011

After a disappointing meal yesterday, we went with Shrimp & Pea Risotto from Eating Well. This turned out rather good. It would also be good with lobster or scallops. I did not use the seafood stock as called for in the recipes. I thought this might make it a bit too "fishy" tasting. I could be wrong on this but I do not think so. I also did not add the preserved lemons since I do not have any. I think I will pick up some lemons at the store this weekend an get some preserved lemons started.

January 6, 2011

On a roll with some good recipes, it was time to try Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta from Eating Well. This was a disappointment. Just another pasta dish. Not sure if there is anything that would help it either. Oh well, they all cannot be great recipes.

January 4, 2011

Remembering to get some chicken breast out of the freezer, it was time to try Chicken and Black Bean-Stuffed Burritos from Cooling Light. Since the chicken was raw, I julienned one breast, cutting the recipe in half, I sauteed it with the spices and then continued following the recipe.  This was another good recipe, especially if you have some leftover chicken to use up. My only modification to the basic recipe would be to use no more that medium heat to saute the burritos one filled.  Medium-high heat causes them to brown to fast and not heat through.

January 2, 2011

On the heals of a great New Years dinner and a decision to start eating healthier, I turned to Eating Well, a magazine I subscribe, for help.  In the February issue they is an article "Slow Food, Fast". Among the recipes listed were two recipes, the second made from leftovers from the first, which is the basis for this article.  You can find these two recipes at Slow-Cooked Brisket in Onion Gravy and Brisket Sloppy Joes. The Sloppy Joes are made with leftovers. These are both keepers.  Tina said that the Sloppy Joes would make an old sneaker taste good.  My only suggestion on the Sloppy Joes would be to add a little cayenne pepper to spice it up just a bit to balance out the sweetness from the brown sugar and molasses. The basic brisket recipe stands on it own as is.
Since it's just the two of us, the basic brisket recipe made enough for three brisket dinner with enough left for one recipe of the Sloppy Joes,  which is enough for two meals. 

New Year Day

This New Years I deviated from normal. I did not make my traditional center cut bone-in pork loin. I found over the years that, although this was moist, it was also tough.  I decided to make a 4 pound bone-in pork blade roast in the crockpot. I added sauteed onions and apples to the crockpot first, then the pork with some rosemary and garlic.  We were extremely pleased with the outcome.  It was very moist and tender.  I did the sauerkraut in the oven as usual and it turned out just as good.  Did not really follow a recipe for the pork. The sauerkraut I always follow a James Beard recipe I have which uses chicken stock and juniper berries.

Beginning another new year

Well, starting this January I'm going to start posting more to my blog.  I have started reviewing recipes I've tried on Eating Well and Cooking Light.  I hope to get some followers as that will give me incentive to keep this blog up to date.  I will be posting either entire recipes or links to recipes I've tried on line.  I also will be using Big Oven to keep track and post my recipes. Please post comments.
Thanks
Calvin