Still not dead. Yet

I feel like it was one hell of a big bullet....sometimes still hurt..and the not -so-unusual casse of vertigo this past almost two weeks..like being drunk..the hangover part but not the fun of getting there.... Had a quick supper..had a fillet of steelhead trout...half the fish...easy way out..make a mustard mayo mix..yeah, you could add dill or do what ever.... Slap it on the side without the skin...broil...I do in the bottom of the oven....this one the sauce was done first so just turned the broiler off and left it in the oven for about five minutes till done...have done this on both sides of salmon and grilled it...can panfry it also..will work just as well...sautéed some bok choy to go with it. sorry that things have been in a muddle..two weeks of vertigo..I other words..like drunk but not the alcohol road to get there...added a new 12 pound,6 year old to the mix....the cat hates her right now as she has been chased a couple of times... Hope to get up to NJ the first of August to visit the brunch where my grandfather was minister for a couple months short of 50 years..gave sermons in English and German...so will spend several days at the beach In NC first so will be getting ready for that....will also give u the reub for the pork butts tht the kid has been cooking...have it down to a science now....couple butts were good for slicing but wanted pulled pork...so took the first couple and make chopped pork and then the rest of them were What we wanted for pulled pork. Just hate it when I can't make this pad type the way a pc works.... Use the steelhead or salmon?.easy for dinner or one or many...have bought sides and cut into tranches and a grilled them along other things for a party.....

Photos! Bstilla, creamed shrimp and pasta

Well, technical with blogging, I am not.  I tried to insert these photos in the postings and things just got hung up..so...you will have the bstilla here...and also the Creamed shrimp...that for starters..shot the pineapple but that is still on the camera...did some wonderful seasoned toasts..got the bread from the old folks center free..I think it was from the day before but was best for the toasts...OPPS...don't see how to make small like I used to...but I guess this is like walking into the foto...

Tropical Salsa

Been out of town working with glass..on the torch...lampworking or now also known as torchworking.  So what's new?  Had to make a run to the closest H-Mart yesterday.  No, they didn't have the pineapple in the can..shortcut...but scallions 7 bunches for $1...cilantro 3 for 1$....nothing like the oriental markets...fresh and less expensive..and their meats and poultry...and lots of fresh fish...so this salsa will go with chips..and pork or chicken...You can call it Pineapple Salsa if you like..made lots of it for catering...

Tropical Salsa
2    20oz crushed pineapple, own juice, drain well
1    cup     tomato, small dice
1.5   each red onion, small dice
2  t ground cumin
1  each red bell pepper, small dice
2.5  tablespoon red wine vinegar
2  tablespoon olive oil
1/2  each large jalapeno, small dice
6  tablespoon lemon juice
6  tablespoon lime juice
1  cup cilantro, chopped

I did add a couple of shakes of Tabasco...yes..you can change the fruit around..I use the crushed as trying to make quarts of it for parties...sure did save hours chopping....yes, you can make it hotter, milder...but this is the bases...fix it this way...and then if you want to change it...change it...but this is fast, easy, and people love it....so you want a picture too....you all really want a lot...

Bstilla, Feta and Green Beans

I am sorry that a lot of my food is done without 'recipes' so for the novice you do need to look some things up on the web..just that I don't measure a lot of things...for instance: I just sent my daughter and her friend off to a party with the remaining bstilla that I had made when I made the first...out of the freezer two days ago an then to thaw in the fridge...into the oven on an old pizza pan that has little round holes...that was to allow the bottom to crisp in the oven and also while it rested for a little after coming out.  After resting I did a decoration with half granulated sugar, half XXX and a little cinnamon ( think like making it for Cinnamon and Sugar Toast ).  Then back on a cardboard round and into the bottom of a springform pan for transport.

Feta and Green Beans
This went along with the Bstilla as I had prepped the green beans a couple days ago..bought the two pound bag..why...in Costco and didn't want to make another trip to the grocery for an 8oz bag which was more than half the cost of the two pounder...I made a vinaigrette:
    1/2 olive oil (only have extra virgin here), 1/2 canola
    sugar
    1/2 apple cider vinegar,  1/2 rice wine vinegar
    dijon mustard
    haricot verts
    slice thin red onion
    feta cheese

Exact amounts?  maybe 2 or 3 to 1(vinegars)...I like a mix of oils so as not to be too heavy, all cider vinegar too strong and all rice too weak, the sugar or sub and the mustard to taste..no dijon...would used others but not yellow ball park.  So, taste it...stick your finger in it..back of a spoon or what have you...taste it...no matter what the recipe says..taste it..see that it is balanced..for you...yup...salt and pepper too

I like my beans with bite...raw into boiling water..test...into ice water to stop the cooking, drain well.  I added the thin sliced red onion...then tossed with dressing and feta...how much feta...well, how much do you want..how much do you have....for the two pounds beans...about 3/4 red onion and a block of feta about 4x4x2...(from the market in brine)...

Easy...you don't really have to measure...taste your dressing and go from there.  That is the best thing about cooking or learning to cook.  Look at the market...get what looks good...look in your fridge and see what you have.  Buying for a recipe is great..a way to try something new...but also learning how to cook without measuring is a bonus...a joy...

Big Green Egg customer service

check it out on my other blog..  fastfeasts.blogspot.com ...nothing like the worst customer service I have had in YEARS...just too busy to do anything other than ring up the sale...can't return a call..when they KNOW there is a PROBLEM....would NEVER have a manager like the one in the retail shop in Tucker...like you Terry...taken me hours to get this straightened out...never seen a customer service place like this...in fact....they really don't have any customer service...and too busy to write a letter...and post it..."they are running a business there!"  right from the manager's mouth...like I said, nothing like modern day customer service.

Big Green Egg customer service lacks

The company who says they have great customer service...shorted me two parts of my egg...and sent the old style handle...not the fellow who contracts separately...but the egg people who have egg on their face right now...called this a.m....wanted me to wait til later today and see if he could get back to me then...called later to say that the plate setter was missing also...not to worry..never heard back from anyone...tried to call about 10 minutes before closing but can't get a sole to answer...guess they figure anyone that calls that late can wait...so can't use it tonight...what about tomorrow night or the next...people buy used cars for less than this!  My first car...new...was not a lot more than this....now it just sits...been sitting all day...sat all weekend at the warehouse as the fellow who contracts to deliver was out of town..that was okay..but now I want my egg...all the parts...not just some of them...all of them...maybe I should just roll down the road in it...big enough to sit in..just short a motor and some other parts.

Parsnip

Parsnip....now I have seen it in books for mashed, mashed with mashed potatoes, roasted, and in soups, and stews. Growing up we never had parsnips....there were a number of things we didn't have...growing up in the middle of Ohio..and no, we just like the rest of the world ate what was in season and what was available. But we did have things shipped in...(I had a couple from Russia staying here for a week with the Friendship Force who took home a pineapple because at the time they had not been available in Moscow and their children had never tasted them).

Back to the parsnip...so I picked a couple up at the local Asian market...prepped and tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted them in the oven....they were good...but somehow not the taste I expected....to me it seemed the 'missing link' between a potato and a sweet potato.

Chinese cooking

Saturday, yesterday, was a long day..no pictures as when we actually started to work there was no slowing down. A friend had asked me if I would show her how to cook some Chinese food. She also wanted to know how to make the Vietnamese fried spring rolls...so...off we went along with her granddaughter who popped in for the weekend the evening before. Since I know where to purchase vegetarian spring rolls that are outstanding..in the freezer case...just thaw and fry..then the bottled sweet chili sauce. The spring rolls come packaged 24 to the package for less than $5. I know that there are not many people who would really care that they were packaged. There are some things that can be purchased for most occasions. So, you will never have home made Chinese dumplings..I panfry mine...at my house. Why...it is so labor intensive to make the wrappers and filling that I rarely even share them with my daughter. I do panfry dumplings for family and friends...but they are purchased. That is in itself a chore..that is to find ones that are really good. I had a brand that was Korean and was available for about four years at one of the international markets...what happened..they went upscale..and now have lots of others..mostly more expensive...and not near as good. There are many a dumpling that has ended up in the trash. If they don't meet the test...then they go into the trash.

So, we had the ready made spring rolls from the first market. The second market was the Chinese market where we found most of the food for our dinner including the garlic shoots...the third market was where we picked up another eggplant and a couple more things...and my 'student' found out that she could buy trimmed beef tenderloin for a third of the price she normally has to pay...the third market was a run through to see what they had a to pick up a couple of 'sesame balls with green bean paste'. The last place was the Chinese restaurant supply where she was able purchase a really nice cleaver. After leaving here at 10am...we arrived back here at 4pm.

A quick run down of some of the entrees...Bean Sprouts w/Pork; Chicken w/ Onions, Red Bell Peppers; Garlic Shoots with Ground Pork; Julienned Pork with King Oyster Mushrooms and Onions in Black Bean Sauce; Baby Bok Choy with King Oyster Mushrooms; Snow Peas w/ Wood Ears; ...and I know something else but can't think what it was today. With both my friend and her granddaughter working it still took a couple hours to prep...they were both using the cleavers for the first time....and started by mincing the garlic, ginger and scallions. After all the prep we took a break, then cooked the spring rolls, then took a break to visit with my friend's husband and then a newly arrived friend of mine. Then back to the kitchen to cook...I made the first several dishes and then turned the wok over to my friend where I just directed which ingredients to add and seasonings for the remaining half of the dishes.

Luckily we finished up about 10pm and I was given the duty of chilling while the rest of the group finished up the clean-up. The kitchen was spanking clean and they all left right after as it was 10:30pm by then. For me...four ibuprofen and reading for 40 minutes and then sleep. My body was still a little on the stiff side this morning but I was really glad to have made it through without having pain along my scar from lung surgery....

All in all...the two students had a great time...learned a lot...and vowed not to cook more than one Chinese for a meal...this was a learning day for all....and they wondered why the Chinese restaurants don't charge more since it takes so long to prep....The cooking was only slowed by the fact that the 'home' stoves really don't get hot enough for continued wok cooking...and there also isn't room for two woks to go at the same time.

The last stove I had was white...it had scorched tops (two...replaced the first) from the high heat that was used for wok cooking...but, all in all...a great day of showing off the markets and cooking...

Hot Shrimp Pasta Salad

Indeed this has been a great weekend so far. As I had said the other day...it was a Costco day. One of the things I purchased was their whole shrimp salad...It was great as a salad...and then just now..had the leftover salad...a handful of leftover penne pasta...had some lettuce which had been in the bowl, green leaf, some Costco heavy cream and Costco parmesan. I quick tossed the pasta with some Kerry Gold no salt butter...added some of the salad, then torn up lettuce, a little cream, the rest of the lettuce, rest of the shrimp and sprinkled with the parmesam. A lid was up on and the heat to very low just to heat the contents. That my friends is my brunch today...and there is plenty for the kid to take to work tomorrow so that I don't have to eat it all. Please note that you do not need to 'cook' the shrimp as they are lightly cooked..just barely heated...could you do this with any shrimp salad? Only if you like it...you could make your own...this was a case of not eating shrimp salad until it was gone. The one thing about cooking for one..and that is really what it is unless guests...is no matter how good it is.....I don't want to eat it for a week...and right now my two door commercial freezer and three fridges are quite full...yes, a lot of it is condiments and drinks....

Who Shot the Chef?

Today was a Costco day! It was time to pick up some wonderful steelhead trout...it will be an evening of deciding just how to prepare these two wonderful filets...and it will be dinner for one. Perhaps workmates of 'the kid' will share in the leftovers...just depends on how I decide to prepare my fish. By the way..I picked up flowers for myself since it is Valentine's Day...was going to use the initials but decided not to...