PostedApril 11, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesLinks

Spiced Rum Banana Bread

Everywhere I look it's Banana Bread, Banana Bread, Banana Bread. I did a check on Google Blog Search for "banana bread recipe" for the past 30 days and it turned up 34,982 results. During the same 30 day time period, for comparison, "apple pie recipe" turned up only 15,920 and "lasagne recipe" just 11,730.

Like I said, Banana Bread is so hot right now.

I started looking more closely at these Banana Bread recipes and most left me blasé. One idea that just my juices flowing was to add whisky. Amy thought rum would be better. Spiced Rum. I agreed wholeheartedly. Armed with a couple of spotted-ripe bananas, Chef Amy set out to develop a recipe that will get you up early on a weekend just to make some.

Without further adieu, let me ask you, "Got a little Captain in you?"

Spiced Rum Banana Bread

Bread

2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup bananas, smashed
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup spiced rum (We used Captain Morgans)
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Rum Glaze

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons spiced rum
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons pecans or walnuts to garnish, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a bundt pan and set aside.

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a mixer, cream together butter and both sugars until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time until incorporated. Take bowl off mixer and stir in the bananas, applesauce, rum, and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet being careful not too over mix.

Fold in chopped nuts. Scrape batter into a prepared bundt pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a large plate. Make glaze.

Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum Glaze

Glaze:
In a small saucepan, combine butter, sugars, rum and water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and let simmer for 3-5 minutes or until it thickens slightly. Let cool for a few minutes then pour glaze over the top and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Slice and serve.

Serve Spiced Rum Banana Bread with Fruit and Mimosas

PostedApril 9, 2010

AuthorDave and Amy Koch

CategoriesBaking, Recipes

Tagsbaking, banana bread, breakfast, recipe, spiced rum

7 CommentsPost a comment

Another week, another 1000 miles, another box of wine. I found myself trying to eat less meat and in doing so getting an amazing sandwich and a sub-par burrito. Easter rolled around and we made some little bunnies out of deviled eggs and had a blast doing them.

We also made some of Cooks Illustrated's Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, scored some tasty waves in San Diego, and found some houses in Enicinitas made from boats.

We made a trip to Stone Brewery, quite possibly my favorite brewery in the whole-wide-world, and if you like beer and come within 50 miles of the place, I highly suggest going. Not only did I have an Oaked Arrogant Bastard, I found an Arrogant Bastard Onesie, had a soft pretzel and a salad - but we also got their triple Crème brûlée . It came in citrus, green tea, and chocolate ginger.

Easter brunch came with a side of 7.2 on the Richter Scale, right in the middle of my second mimosa. We made an amazing Spiced Rum Banana Bread (recipe to come). We also had a ham which we doctored up with a tangerine glaze, potato and cucumber salads, and a lemon meringue pie.

I finally managed to finish off the Tagalongs Ice Cream after we made the leftover ham into an au gratin and served it with Brussels Sprouts. We've been loving these, "Just Mango Slices" from Trader Joes recently; that's exactly what they are, no salt, no sugar, just dried mango. We wrapped up with a batch of homemade Cincinnati Chili (recipe to come).

Auf.

PostedApril 7, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesHumor, What we've been eating...

Tagsfood, humor, video

CommentPost a comment

Chocolate Dipped Cardamom Biscotti

This is a fabulous twist on the more common anise biscotti. The cardamom gives the cookie an exotic taste and matches perfectly with the chocolate. It goes great with coffee, tea, or even ice cream. You can eat it for breakfast, as a dessert, or even a mid-afternoon snack.

I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart's but increased the cardamom and added the chocolate to give it more of a kick. Some may be intimidated to make biscotti but I think you will find that they are actually very easy to do. You don't even need an electric mixer. Give these a try for your next dinner party and watch your friends be impressed!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup AP flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup blanched almonds, chopped
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 oz chocolate (I used Ghiradelli 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate chips)

Instructions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and sugar. Using a whisk, mix ingredients together so there are no lumps in the flour and everything is incorporated. Add the almonds to the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Using a spatula, fold egg mixture into the dry ingredients until it forms a dough. On a parchment lined sheet pan form dough into a long flat log, about 2 inch X 10 inch.

The Biscotti's first bake

Place in the top third of the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until crispy on top but still soft in the center. Let cool for 10 minutes. Using a long serrated knife cut into 1 inch slices on a slight diagonal. Lay slices back onto the sheet pan and bake 7-8 minutes. Turn biscotti and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes. Let biscotti cool for 10 minutes before dipping in chocolate.

Slice and bake again

Melt chocolate in a glass bowl using either a microwave or a double boiler. In a microwave, heat for 1 minute, then stir with a heatproof spatula and heat for an additional 30 seconds. Dip cooled biscotti cookies into the chocolate halfway down and place on parchment/wax paper to dry. Once chocolate has hardened serve or store in airtight container.

Dip Biscotti in Chocolate

Makes 20-30 cookies.

PostedApril 5, 2010

AuthorAmy Koch

CategoriesBaking, Desserts, Recipes

Tagsbiscotti, breakfast, cardamom, chocolate, coffee

1 CommentPost a comment

New Feed! We've updated the feed for Papawow, please change it to:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/papawow

it used to be something boring and no one would have remembered it.

PostedApril 4, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesLinks

Tagslinks

CommentPost a comment

Pesto, Piquillo Pepper, and Classic Deviled Eggs

We made our Deviled Easter Bunny Eggs in a few different variations: a Pesto version and a Roasted Piquillo Pepper version added green and red next to the yellow of the Classic Deviled Eggs. The three different colors really stand out on the platter.

I saw photos of deviled eggs somewhere on the internet that looked like bunnies. They were so funny, they inspired us to do this but when I searched for them again, I couldn't find them anywhere. So, thanks mysterious egg decorator out there, we owe you a link.

To make them into bunnies, slice a small piece of the egg white off the bottom. Do this before you fill them and that slice allows them to lie flat too. Cut the slice into two. Make three small incisions into the egg white, one about a quarter inch in front of the yolk space and two in front into the edge on either side of the pointy side of the white.

Carefully insert the two slivers into the incision near the yolk space and a chive into each slot in the front. Make some eyes from sesame seeds. Lastly, place a small piece of chive in the very front for a nose. Have fun with decorating and get the kids involved! Give these a try in lieu of coloring eggs, they are much more delicious.

Pesto, Piquillo Pepper, and Classic Deviled Eggs

Roasted Piquillo Eggs

12 cooked egg yolks
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
6 roasted Piquillo peppers
1/2 teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a mini food processor, puree peppers with mayonnaise until smooth. Add in egg yolks, paprika, salt and pepper and puree once more until combined. Pipe the filling into the empty egg whites, we used a plastic bag with the corner cut off. Garnish with more paprika.

Pesto Filled Eggs

12 cooked egg yolks
3/4 cup mayonnaise
6 Tablespoons prepared basil pesto
6 Tablespoons chives
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Pipe the filling into the empty egg whites, we used a plastic bag with the corner cut off. Garnish with finely chopped chives.

Classic Deviled Eggs

12 cooked egg yolks
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Pipe the filling into the empty egg whites, we used a plastic bag with the corner cut off.

Hi all, I had an office call looking for their free goods. It was a 1+1 on an SDR intro. Shelly wasn’t able to find anything on it. They purchased it in early February.

MISSION FAMILY DENTISTRY

3935 MISSION AVE STE 9

OCEANSIDE, CA 92054

(760) 439-5515

Can we send one out and expidite it? Thanks,

PostedApril 2, 2010

AuthorDave and Amy Koch

CategoriesRecipes

Tagsappetizers, decorations, deviled eggs, eggs, food styling

12 CommentsPost a comment

Coffee, cardamom gum, and the meatiest Cobb Salad I've ever had; a Pulled Pork Cobb nonetheless. Easter candy is also here and Palmer's Peanut Butter Eggs, although not as good as Reese's, are tough to pass on.

I found a Vietnamese place called Pho "T" - I wonder if they intended the malt liquor reference, I didn't ask. My co-worker asked for something unique and they served us a very sweet drink with lychee, dried cherries (?) and some seaweed-looking stuff. Not unpleasant, but definitely something I've never had before. I wish I wrote down what is was called.

I had one of my favorite Starbucks concoction, the veritable Green Tea Latte with No Syrup and Extra Matcha. It's a mouthful, get it? Mouthful? Never mind. I also found Top Gun Street in San Diego as well as some tasty waves.

I attended the Food Blog Forum Seminar in LA along with a ton of other friendly like-minded writers. What started as a BYO Brown Bag Lunch turned into a potluck and delivery by Baby Blue BBQ and Next Door Pizza - I stuffed myself silly! Praise the Lord too because all I brought was a handful of almonds!

The World Fare Bustaurant came by which is a full double-decker bus with dining on the roof and Haute Cuisine coming out the side. I had several of their dishes and everything was mouth watering and delicious. They're putting a new twist on the Roach Coach, find them @worldfare. Did I mention that I think I got a photo of the Teenage Glutster's Vespa?

Wrapping things up, I am trying out another box of wine, Pinot Evil. Cute name, environmentally-friendly packaging, and the sauce is pretty good too. Check them out. There was another food-related Wheel of Fortune answer, "Seared Scallops with Snow Peas." Lastly, I've now dubbed my morning shake of psyllium husks and yogurt, "Mugurt," pronounced myoo-gert. It fits.

Auf.

PostedMarch 31, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesWhat we've been eating...

Tagsfood, humor, video

1 CommentPost a comment

Delicious Cocktail Wienies

10. Top 10 Foods with Funny Names (via the Los Angeles Foodie)

With such classics as Super Dickmann's, Mini Dickmann's, Cock Soup Mix, and Fart Juice how could you go wrong? I didn't know that Heinz made a microwavable Spotted Dick Sponge Pudding in a can! Sounds scrumptious!

9. 10 Great Health Foods for Eating Well (via the Mayo Clinic)

Well, hasn't this subject been beaten like a filthy rug on a windy day? I thought this was interesting because it is from the freaking Mayo Clinic, not howtoloseweightin90days.com, bestfoodsforstaying healthy.com, or ilost200poundsinthreemonthsclickheretofindouthow.com. Let's get real, the list starts with Apples, Almonds, and Blueberries...

8. Top 10 Mispronounced Foodie Words (via Chicago Tribune)

I've been told that Bruschetta can be correctly pronounced at least two different ways but confusing Chicken Mole with a dish consisting of a flightless bird with a dark spot on its skin is unacceptable. Pączki? They got me on that one but I think there are at least two more common ones they missed: chipotle and asiago. No Vern, it isn't che-pote-el and ah-see-ah-joe.

7. Top 10 Food Hacks (via Lifehacker)

First there's the old "Open a banana like a monkey" trick. Hint: don't tear it from the stem. Then there's the "DIY microwave popcorn hack" and the "Making Super Mario-style mushrooms from radishes" how-to guide. Lastly, they teach you how to make edible shot glasses. Do all four hacks at the same party and you unlock a badge on Foursquare!

6. Top 10 Food Trends for 2010 (via Epicurious)

Lamb is in, Pork is out. Home Made Beer is in, Mad-Science Cocktails are out. Mini Whoopie Pies are in, Mini Cupcakes are out. Vancouver is in, Barcelona is out... I'm so bummed right now because I just booked my tickets for the 1st Annual Spanish Basil-Lavender Gin and Tonic, Cupcakes, and Chorizo Tour. I leave in May.

5. Top 10 Foods Only America Could Have Invented (via the Endless Simmer)

From staples such as a ground pig parts, dipped in batter, skewered with a stick, and deep fried (the Corn Dog) - to more delicacies like impaling a turkey with a duck, that's been impaled with a chicken, that's been packed like a musket with sausage stuffing (the Turducken), this is a solid Top 10 of American gluttony.

4. Top 10 Common Food Poisoning Risks (via the New York Times)

"Each year, about 76 million people in the United States become ill from the food they eat, and about 5,000 of them die, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

Harmful bacteria are the most common cause of food-borne illnesses..."

3. Top 10 Food Related Stand-up Comedy Bits (via LA Weekly) - Mature Audiences

The highlights? 9 minutes with Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III talking mostly about Chinese food. CK Lewis discussing how he won't even try duck vaginas lest he finds out how much he likes them. There is also Patton Oswald lamenting on how KFC piles everything they have in to their Famous Bowl, and we Americans proceed to eat out of them like dogs.

2. Top 10 Most Common Ingredients in Fast Food (via The Learning Channel)

Would it surprise you if I told you that there are 67 ingredients in a Big Mac? How about if I told you that Xanthan Gum was in a lot of fast food? Do you know what Xanthan Gum is? It is produced by the bacteria Xanthomonas campestris and is used as a thickening agent and stabilizer the world over. Enjoy!

1. 10 Food Feuds (via Chow)

The list includes such [sort of] heavyweights as Jerry Seinfeld's wife, Scanwich, and Rick's Original Philly Steaks. They close each showdown with classic quotes as: "The intern has been dealt with, we took away his zero pay," "Mr. McFarland called the allegation that he was a Caesar salad thief ‘a pretty ridiculous claim,’” and “I want to be a good neighbor, but I am nobody’s fool, and nobody’s pushover, and I should not have to carry a baseball bat on my truck in order to sell cupcakes.”

PostedMarch 29, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesHistory, Humor, Science

Tagscooking, food, humor

2 CommentsPost a comment

PostedMarch 28, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesLinks

Tagscooking, food, humor

2 CommentsPost a comment

This week we broke up our burritos with a trip to a farmer's market where we grabbed some baby turnips. The little guys made it into our salads and we satueed their greens up with a little shallot and olive oil, mmm mmm delish. I also saw the biggest squash I've ever seen. They were Tahitian and the purveyor said they grew some as big as 80 pounds.

We had a proper St.Patric's Day meal complete with Corned Beef and Boiled Cabbage. We managed to find a nitrate-free Corned Beef at Whole Foods, not that we normally care but one of us is pregnant. Just when I thought it was safe to back to the grocery store... the Girl Scouts struck again. Another box of Samoas, another 22% of the RDA of saturated fat per 2 cookies.

We ate a lot of Strawberries which are just now coming into season. The baskets later in the week were far better than the ones in the beginning. I don't know if it makes any difference, and would love to know if there are any strawberry experts out there, but we noticed that in the better ones, the redness had penetrated closer to the center. The less flavor they had, there seemed to be more white inside.

I found a joint called Bite of Boston that some days has a Lobster Roll. It was amazing and they are now on my radar whenever I'm in the area. We also had an amazing meal at Mario Batali's Pizzarria Mozza, unfortunately they weren't selling orange Crocks at the attached market or I may have bought some.

To wrap up the week, I had a great meal at Stone Brewery, likely my favorite brewery. I was warned about the food from multiple people so my expectations were set low; unfortunately, they came in right at mark. Nevertheless, the place is amazing. If you like beer, the place is worth making a haj to.

PostedMarch 25, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesHumor, What we've been eating...

Tagscooking, food, humor

CommentPost a comment

Spinach Salad with Beets, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese

Green, brown, white, and deep crimson. The colors scream to be consumed. We threw this together to accompany a pasta dish on a sunny Sunday but this salad is so hearty it could also be a weeknight meal. We cheated by using Trader Joe's vacuum packed pre-cooked beets, but you could roast your own easily in about 45 minutes (technique below).

Use a basic balsamic vinaigrette to accent the flavors and not overpower them. Balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper do the trick nicely. Lightly toast the walnuts in a dry skillet. Open the bag of spinach and dress the leaves. Slice the beets thin and place on the greens. Drop gobs of goat cheese, and I like to finish with more fresh ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

If you want to roast your own beets. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the greens off about an inch over the bulb, wash very carefully as they are often quite sandy. Rub some olive oil all over them and either fold up into an aluminum foil pouch and/or place on foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes. Remove the skin, it skin should come off easily under running water.

If you want to make your own cheese, read a book.

If you ever get red pee after eating beets, like I do, don't be alarmed. Not only is it relatively common, but they have a name for it, Beeturia. There is some evidence to suggest it may be more prevalent in individuals with iron deficiency but they also think that the specific gut flora plays an uncertain role. Well, now you know.

PostedMarch 22, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesRecipes

Tagsfood, recipe, salad, vegetarian

4 CommentsPost a comment

PostedMarch 21, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesLinks

1 CommentPost a comment

Soda. Pop. Coke. Cola. Soda-pop. Coca-Cola. Whatever you call it colloquially, carbonated sugar water has been part of the American diet since the mid 1800's. Originally sold as health-foods, veritable tonics, a panacea; their benefits have been revealed to be nothing more than snake oil.

I recently perused the soda aisle at a supermarket and was amazed at the variety of soda they stock. Some of the more unusual ones boasted a new type of Diet soda, made with Splenda, so it's better now. Some even touted vitamins and minerals! Rejoice! Finally they put vitamins in my soda!

There may have been 30 different SKU's of Coke products when you count 2-Liters, 12-packs, and mini-cans and multiply by Coke Classic, Diet Coke, Caffeine-Free Coke, Caffeine-Free Diet Coke, Coke with Splenda, Vanilla Coke , Coke with Lime, and Banana Bread Flavored Diet Coke Plus Ginsing, Vitamin D and Coemzyme Q10.

I was tempted to purchase a box of TaB, I was like an archeologist sumbling into an artifact that I thought was destroyed in a great fire. I didn't know Coca-Cola still made the stuff. TaB has an interesting story: It was introduced to the US market in 1963 and was originally sweetened with cyclamate. Congress banned cyclamate in 1969 and instead, saccharin was used.

In 1977, Congress moved to ban sacchrin also, they didn't but all products that contained any had to carry the warning, "Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin, which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals." Remember this? It was also present on every diner table in a little plastic boat, on the little pink packet of Sweet-N-Low.

In a twist of sweetener fate, saccharin was banned in Canada in 1977 - so now Sweet-N-Low in Canada is made from cyclamate (banned in the US) and Sweet-N-Low in the US is made from saccharin (which is banned in Canada).

I always thought TaB was the first ever diet soda, but it was not. According to the Wiki, the Kirsch Bottling Company launched a sugar-free Ginger Ale called No-Cal in 1952. The Royal Crown Cola Company "RC Cola" released Diet Rite in 1958. No-Cal fizzled out and died but was resurrected in 2005 by the INOV8 Beverage Company in 2005 with the flavors Cherry Lime, Chocolate, Clementine, and Vanilla Cream.

I enjoy a cold soda now and then over ice. Everything in moderation, I say, even moderation.

PostedMarch 20, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesDrinks, History, Humor

Tagsdrinks, food, history, opinion, soda

2 CommentsPost a comment

Home made Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

My mother in-law roasts fresh pumpkin seeds on a regular basis. Almost weekly. They are a wonderful snack; delicious, healthful, and have an amazing crunch. I asked her recently how she makes them because I wasn't seeing piles of pumpkin carcasses laying around everywhere.

She simply uses the ones from Trader Joes, tosses them in a little olive oil, and roasts them at 350 degrees until they begin to pop, about 15 minutes. She uses Trader Joe's brand because they are not too salty.

If you can only get your hands on David's pumpkin seeds (and you can, they're ubiquitous, they're even at 7-11). You'll need to soak them in water for about 10 minutes to remove most of the salt. I've had them before and they are unpalatable. They then will need to be dried with paper towels and roasted longer as well.

Once they come out of the oven, add salt as needed. Let them cool, and store them in an air tight container. They'll keep for weeks.

I thought it was interesting to read David's nutritional facts. Besides showing they are high in zinc, iron, and magnesium, I was baffled they that they only stated 10mg of sodium. "But they're indelibly salty," I protested in my head. Who do they think they are?

I also noticed they only showed 1g of fiber per 30 gram serving. What gives? Pumpking seeds are mostly fiber!

Eureka! At the bottom of the facts, it states, "Nutrition facts are for the Pumpkin Seed Kernal. Eating the shell as well would bring the sodium total to 940mg (39% Daily Value)" - Unfortunately, they fail to mention that it would also bring the fiber total to a whopping 10 grams!

Americans don't eat enough fiber. Eat more pumpkin seeds.

PostedMarch 19, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesRecipes

Tagscooking, food, recipe

2 CommentsPost a comment

Happy St. Patty's Day! Kiss me I'm 3/8ths Irish (and I just found out that I'm 1/8th French Canadian too, but that's another story). I plan on drinking beer in green bottles if I don't find green beer today and we're making some corned beef and cabbage. Maybe I'll post the recipe. Maybe I won't.

Looking back at last week, we've got a veritable mish-mash of meals.

Exhibit A (above): I started making myself a "shake" in the mornings made up of psyllium husks, water, and yogurt. I have some gross rituals that I blame on my pre-coffee sleep walking. It either isn't that bad, or I'm a complete zombie in the AM.

I finished off my Samuel Adams variety pack called the Brewmaster's Collection (Boston Lager, Ale, Noble Pils, Cream Stout, Scotch Ale, and Coastal Wheat). I was somewhat surprised to read the the Coastal Wheat actually had lemons on it. Not bad though, hmm. I also found a $29 beer at Whole Foods (no, I didn't buy it), and I tried two of Dogfish Head's more bizarre brews, Midas Touch and Palo Santo Marron.

At times Wheel of Fortune was on in the house, against my will, and I noticed they went through several food-related puzzles: Hungarian Goulash, Kiss the Cook, Swiss Cheese, and Dinner Menu. I still don't understand how people leave that show with more dough than the nerds on Jeopardy.

The Girl Scouts struck again this week... in ice cream form, with Tagalongs ice cream from Dreyer's. We made huge vat of Chili Verde that took a few days to finish off. I ran out of coffee for the last two days and had to drink tea; although I bought more today (and got a free tote bag from Peet's, thanks!), I wasn't in dire tea straights like I thought I was going to be.

To close the week, we had an earthquake last night. A real, bona fide earthquake. Enjoy the video.

PostedMarch 17, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesHumor, What we've been eating...

Tagscooking, food, humor, video

2 CommentsPost a comment

Gaucho Chili Verde

This recipe has nothing really to do with Argentinian Cowboys (Gauchos) except for the fact that UCSB's Basketball team made it to the Big West finals last Saturday and we don't get to celebrate sports very often. UCSB is most known in sports for throwing tortillas at games, not winning them. We decided at the last minute to have some friends to cheer them on over and make a big pot of Chili Verde.

This is a great dish for entertaining because it is A) relatively inexpensive B) can sit on the stove for hours and be served from its cooking vessel C) is freaking delicious. We served it with some Mexican rice, a black bean salad, tortillas, and a bunch of fixin's... beer too, obviously. This is a crowd of Gauchos after all.

The Verde (green, in Spanish) must have brought out the luck of the Irish because UCSB triumphed over Long Beach State and we're going to March Madness! We're going to need a lot more than luck this Friday the 19th, unfortunately, to make it past Ohio State who is favored by 17 points. We may need a truck full of tortillas too.

The recipe was adapted from Joanne Weir's recipe Slow Braised Pork in her book Tequila. Among other changes, we omitted the tequila because there were some pregnant ladies running around. Feel free replace a 1/2 cup of water with a 1/2 cup of tequila

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2 large pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 jalapeños, seeded and minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cups chopped tomatillos (fresh or canned)
2 cups water

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Make sure it is one that you have a lid for. Season the pork well with salt and pepper. Add the pork to the pot and sear until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Remove the pork from the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños.

Cook everything, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and oregano tomatillos, water, and pork and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the pork is very tender, about 1-2 hours.

Take the lid off, remove the pork, increase the heat to medium, and simmer until the sauce thickens. Shred the pork with a pair of forks and add it back to the pot. Served with warmed corn tortillas and accoutrement like sour cream, chopped cilantro, hot sauce, avocado, chopped scallions, and diced onions.

PostedMarch 15, 2010

AuthorDave and Amy Koch

CategoriesRecipes

Tagscooking, food, pork, recipe

3 CommentsPost a comment

PostedMarch 14, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesLinks

CommentPost a comment

Wonton Vegetable Soup

You can find bok choy anytime of year but its peak season is during the winter months. I like the baby bok choy for this soup but if you can't find it feel free to substitute for the larger bok choy or even Napa cabbage.

I kept this soup on the simpler side with just the wontons and vegetables, but it would also be great with some shrimp and chicken thrown in. Also, don't feel you have to limit yourself to these vegetables, throw in whatever you like or may have on hand!

This recipe makes a good amount of wontons, so if you have extra throw them in the freezer and save for later use. This recipe was adapted from Emeril Lagasse.

Ingredients:

Wontons

20-30 wonton wrappers
8 oz ground pork
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 Tablespoon scallions, finely sliced

Soup

1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 slices ginger root, 1 inch thick
10 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon, fresh ginger juice**
2 medium carrots, peel and sliced
2-3 baby bok choy, sliced
4-6 cremini or shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
Scallions and chili paste for garnish

**grate ginger and then squeeze out the liquid

Instructions:

To assemble the wontons: In a bowl combine pork, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and scallions. Lay wontons on counter and place 1 teaspoon of pork filling in the middle of each square.

Brush all four edges of the wrapper with a little water and fold corners together so it forms a triangle. Seal tightly so that all the extra air is removed from inside. Continue to fold the 2 bottom corners together so they stick together. Let wontons sit while you make the soup.

For the soup: Add oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and saute for 1-2 minutes then add in broth and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat and let soup simmer for 20-30 so the garlic and ginger infuse into the soup. Once it has infused, remove garlic and ginger pieces and add in soy sauce and ginger juice.

Add in carrots, bok choy, and mushrooms and let simmer 3-5 minutes or until they begin to get tender. Add in wontons and simmer an additional 5-10 minutes or until pork is cooked through. Check soup for seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle in soup bowls and serve. Garnish with sliced scallions and pass around chili paste for those who like a little heat.

Makes 4-6 servings

PostedMarch 12, 2010

AuthorAmy Koch

CategoriesRecipes

Tagscooking, dinner, food, soup

3 CommentsPost a comment

This week has been a busy one at work. Outside from the normal intake of fast food, fine dining, home cooked meals, coffee and beer, I bought a box each of chocolate and strawberry milks. There was another Black Box of wine, I kept making Yogurt Sodas, and had a great night of kine beer with one of my oldest friends in Los Angeles.

On the road, I saw a school bus getting towed (you don't see that very often), twice the people in front of me ran into the people in front of them, I watched the Goodyear blimp take off, and I saw a monster truck that looked like it had tattoos. We made fresh popcorn from scratch - you know, with a pot, a lid, some oil, some elbow grease, and a handful of corn. I hadn't done that since I was a little kid.

We made waffles! Picked some grapefruit and lemons, ate a bunch of peanuts, and saw a warning at a restaurant saying that they served food and/or drinks that contain chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer. Sure, I'm assuming they were referring to tuna and swordfish; nevertheless, no one wants to read that.

PostedMarch 11, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesHumor, What we've been eating...

Tagsfood, humor, video

2 CommentsPost a comment

photo by stgermhKrispy Kreme, since July 1937

I recently completed a book that was written in 1937. There were some funny passages that had no intention to be humorous, they were so because because so much has changed since publication. For instance, how bald men are so because they wear hats that are to tight and they cut off the circulation to the follicles in the head. That may have been sound in the 1930's even though we are now pointing fingers at the EDA2R gene.

Well there was one short passage about food and I thought it was so profound because of how much has NOT changed. 1937 was the year that SPAM was introduced and Krispy Kreme was founded, but putting those aside. in the book, there was a break-down of a breakfast in New York City, where the food was shipped from, and how much it cost. It is as follows:

"A family of two living in the heart of the Times Square district... far removed from the source of the production of foods...

Grapefruit juice from Florida, 2 cents. Rippled wheat breakfast food from Kansas, 2 cents. Tea from China, 2 cents. Bananas from South America, 2 and a half cents. Toasted bread from a Kansas farm, 1 cent. Fresh country eggs from Utah, 7 cents. Sugar from Cuba or Utah, one half cent. Butter and cream from New England, 3 cents.

Grand total 20 cents. It is not very difficult to obtain food in a country where two people could obtain all they want or need for a dime a piece.

Observe that this simple breakfast was gathered by some strange form of magic from China, South America, Utah, Kansas, and the New England states and delivered on the breakfast table ready for consumption in the very heart of the most crowded city in America at a cost well within the means of the most humble laborer. The cost included all Federal, State, and Local taxes."

What is more a testimony to the industrial food shipping and distribution system and their "strange form of magic" was not the spread at breakfast available for New Yorkers in 1937 - but the existence of New York City in the first place. The population then was more than 80% of what it is today.

Here are some other food prices from 1937 via The People's History:

Campbells Tomato Soup - 4 cans for 25 cents Indiana 1937
Oranges - 2 dozen 25 cents Indiana 1937
Kellogs Corn Flakes - 3 Pkgs 25 cents Indiana 1937
Mixed Nuts - 19 Cents per pound Indiana 1937
Pork Loin Roast - 15 cents per pound Indiana 1937

Other notable events that year included: Amelia Earhart disappearing, the Hindenberg burst into flames, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released, The Hobbit was published by J. R. R. Tolkien, and Of Mice and Men is published by Steinbeck.

PostedMarch 10, 2010

Authordavid koch

CategoriesHistory

Tagsfood, history

2 CommentsPost a comment