Sugar Buzz

I'm not usually the type to feature other people's recipes, but sometimes it can't be helped since they're so damn good--especially when compared to my own.  Caroline's pouding chomeur, or poor man's pudding, comes from the Soupe Soup, a small restaurant up in Montreal.  There it got the attention of neighbor Martin Picard, and from there it crossed the Canadian border.

Consumption aside, the glory of the recipe comes from the low level of difficulty, financial resources required, and that most probably have all the necessary ingredients on hand at all times--eggs, butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, maple syrup, and cream.

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Sprout 4.0

This morning, as I sit on my couch, stomach still in a comfortable place from the night before, I think about how to explain last night's experience.  It's important to use the term experience over meal, because my time at Sprout proved to be so much more.  It was a night of surprise and discovery, but most importantly, reminded me how dinner can be more than a meal, but a shared experience.

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Rillettes

Update on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 5:51PM by Stash

I know this isn't super traditional, but I'm not intending on serving it to Charlie Palmer, or anyone from France.  The tuna, also known as prickly pear, from cacti, has very little pectin in it.  This is why, third party pectin is required to make a jelly.  Since tuna jelly was made long before liquid pectin was available in stores, I attempted to stew the rinds to get more pectin into the mixture.  This created more of a thick syrup.

I asked Rick Bayless about the matter, and he replied, "To my knowledge you have to use pectin. Doubt there's enough pectin in rind. Could use apple cores."  I think this is a good workaround for the jelly.  Also, I've theorized that the term jelly meant something different 100+ years ago compared to today.  So when I say tuna jelly, be open-minded, and don't think about fish.  

Flour Power

I've been eating absurdly well lately.  Well out of my means-- oops.  Last week I ate [roughly] 9 lbs of food at the annual green city market bbq.  Between various events, and dropping three quarters on new cylinders for my passat, I've got to cut back.

The most inexpensive ingredient I can think of is flour.  I don't really ever use it-- maybe go through a pound a year.  It's in the pantry more because I don't think an enclosed space can be called as such without it than anything else.

The most common application of flour is in baked goods.  I have no talent for baking, but have finally discovered a manageable dish-- the free form tart.  Flour, salt, sugar, butter, water, and fruit of choice is all that is needed.  Not bad.

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Dude Food

Tonight [Saturday] is all about UFC 100.  Only thing that can make a fight better, is some serious dude food.  I can't let the TV showcase the all of the  best knockouts of the night-- I need to lay some out on the table.  Since the best sports party food I can think of is Mexican, I'm going to do another tribute to Rick Bayless to get the job done right.

Most of the inspiration comes from whichever episode of Everyday Mexican was on TV Friday morning.  I spyed nose of the dog salsa, featuring tomatoes, habaneros, and radishes.  Habaneros are definitely knock out material.  He also made a really good looking braised pork, but this recipe is too much to remember, so I use the concept as inspiration.  A beef dish should accompany as well-- we all need our daily dose of iron.

Gucamole is going to be another necessity, but it can't be another boring guacamole.  Long ago I made an avocado salad to top skirt steak.  I'm confident that I can refine these flavors to make a great guacamole.  In case the habanero salsa isn't enough for everyone, I'm going to make a salsa verde as well.  I've been craving salsa verde since my neighbors make some of the best, so this better work out.

This isn't as masochistic of a menu as some may think.  I'm going to have a lot of inactive cooking time with the meats.  While they're braising, I can prep the salsas or even clean my home.

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