Passing Shadow of the Tiger

The good and the bad...

2008-07-01T02:45:18Z

.. or rather, the annoying. Oh well.

The good: cooked stew and cherry pie tonight
The bad: cooked too late to enjoy either.
Oh well: taking stew for lunch tomorrow, and eating pie that evening

The good: I had fun cooking
The bad: managed to kill our disposal with one potato's peelings (never did that in my solo apartment)
Oh well: I presume if I call that in tomorrow, it can be fixed relatively quick

The good: found a rental I have interest in watching
The bad: roomie was kidnapped by her parents for dinner, so I had no viewing buddy (which is less fun for me)
Oh well: will watch tomorrow, when mothoc breezes through town on his travels

Tired from playing Wii Sports, and esp. from trying to strike with 96 pins in bowling and hit specific targets in tennis. Going to bed now.

Balsamic BBQ Chicken

2008-06-19T04:39:25Z

Another recipe courtesy of FoodNetwork.com. This can also be prepared for steaks, and can be cooked on a grill pan. I prefer the alternate "baking" route for simplicity. This has a nice tang to it (though I'm sensitive to seasoning, so some out there might find it bland... who knows). Served with rice and steamed veggies tonight... worked well.

Balsamic BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 pieces chicken (any combination of breast or leg-and-thigh pieces)

For the BBQ sauce:

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 15 to 20 minutes.

For the chicken:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chicken skin side up in a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and spoon the BBQ sauce all over the top of the chicken. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.

Fun from Fark

2008-05-27T17:51:34Z

If you don't read Fark, you likely missed this gem. Yes, I'm aware that this reinforces my geekiness, but I really don't care. Major kudos to the guys who pulled this off.

Super Mario Gameplay set to music.... Listen how the game effects match the music pitch!

Barbeque Chicken

2008-05-12T19:55:34Z

We'll see if it lives up to "ultimate". Sounds tasty enough though.

The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken

Brine:
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a large knife
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 chicken legs and thighs, still connected, bone in, skin on, about 10 ounces each

The Ultimate Barbecue Sauce:
1 slice bacon
1 bunch fresh thyme
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika if available
Freshly ground black pepper

For the brine, in a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme. Transfer the brine to a 2-gallon sized re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours (if you've only got 15 minutes, that's fine) to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the chicken.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Once the sauce is done cooking, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and reserve for serving along side the chicken at the table. The rest of the barbecue sauce will be used for basing the legs.

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface. Take the chicken out of the brine, pat it dry on paper towels. Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid-way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes. Transfer the grill marked chicken to a cookie sheet and then place in the oven. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and then brush liberally, coating every inch of the legs with the barbecue sauce and then return to the oven for 25 to 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time. Serve with extra sauce.

Grr.

2008-05-05T16:12:57Z

I have a hard time with procrastination when it puts others in a time crunch that, in my opinion at least, is unnecessary. When consequences are shared, you have to step up better.

I'll likely be a bit sour for the next while, as I'm waiting on a template for display designs that I have to have finished and sent back in two days (another group is printing/constructing the displays). It's looking like I'll be lucky to get it by this afternoon.

Not a happy camper.

We have connection!

2008-04-29T03:04:49Z

I got my computer connected finally. Good to know I installed the wireless card just fine, and that I locked the heck out of our network (well, mothoc did, anyway).

We purchased some bookshelves, which will be assembled tomorrow. We have a massive DVD collection to accommodate. We also watched "Juno" last night. Good movie. I really liked having an individual as the main character, not a boxed hero with a flaw or two.

Anyway, shower and sleep now.

Interesting...

2008-04-22T17:32:08Z

Feet Hurt? Stop Wearing Shoes

Heh. Interesting idea. I'd like to go barefoot more often, as I definitely feel better when I do (shoes are the first things I ditch when I get home after work). Alas for societal expectations.

Chinese Sweet Buns, aka Longevity Buns

2008-04-16T14:59:01Z

Another Anko-filled dessert, though it can also be filled with lotus seed paste. This is one I often have at Chinese restaurants, and it's usually decorated to look like peaches (for cultural reasons; it doesn't actually have a peach flavor). I've found a recipe for this, but as I will be moving soon, I really shouldn't be making these any time soon.

For now, there will be raiding of the Asian market freezer section. ^^

Chinese Sweet Buns

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/5 cup sugar (0.6 cup)
1 cup lotus seed paste or red bean paste
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup water
artificial coloring - pink

1. Place the flour on a working surface, add in sugar, baking powder and water. Knead the mixture to make a soft dough. Set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Roll the dough into one long piece. Divide it into small pieces, and press it flat with the base of your palm. Put in some lotus seed paste or red bean paste, seal and shape it like a peach. Make a line of the surface of each bun with the back of a small knife.

3. Stick a piece of "wafer paper" on the base of the bun. Arrange the buns on a steamer and steam over high heat for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, deepen the line with the knife again. Add a little color on the bun surface with a piece of cotton swab. Serve.

~

Practical Tips

1. Open the lid of the steamer twice (every 5 minutes) when steaming or the buns will crack.

2. To make good buns with a thin and smooth surface, tighten the wrapping after putting in the lotus seed paste or red bean paste.

Daifuku - Japanese Dessert Cakes

2008-04-11T20:11:43Z

I'll be done adding for a while after this one. I just really like Anko-filled desserts, and kept meaning to look for recipes (again, not a difficult one, but good to have on hand). This one is a gooey dessert generally served around New Years.

Traditional Daifuku

1 cup shiratama-ko (glutinous rice flour)
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
For filling:
2/3 cup water & 1 cup sugar & 1/2 cup dried anko powder, or 1 1/4 cup premade anko*
katakuriko (potato starch) for dusting

For filling: Heat 2/3 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar in a small pot. Add 1/4 cup of anko powder and stir well. Cool the anko filling. Make 12 small anko balls and set aside.

For dough: Put 2/3 cup water and 1/4 cup sugar in a heat-resistant bowl and mix well. Add shiratama-ko flour in the bowl and mix well. Put the bowl in microwave and heat the dough for two minutes. Stir the dough. Heat the dough in microwave until the dough inflates. Stir the mochi quickly. Dust a flat pan with some katakuri-ko starch. Also, dust hands with some katakuri-ko. Remove the hot mochi from the bowl to the pan by hands. Dust hands with more katakuri-ko starch and divide the mochi into 12 pieces by hands. The mochi is hot and sticky, so be careful not to burn your hands. Make 12 flat and round mochi. Put a piece of anko filling on a mochi and wrap the anko by stretching mochi. Rounds the daifuku. Repeat the process to make daifuku cakes.
Makes 12 daifuku.

*Anko - bean paste filling

1/2 lb. azuki beans (1 1/3 cup)
2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt

Put lots of water in deep pot. Soak azuki beans in the water overnight. Heat the beans on high heat and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium and simmer beans for about 10 minutes. Drain the beans. Put the azuki beans in the pot again and add about four cups of water. Heat the azuki and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer the azuki beans for about one hour, or until softened. Drain the liquid from the pot. Add sugar and salt in the beans. Stir and simmer beans until thickened. Stop the heat and cool the anko.

Traditional Meat Pie

2008-04-11T16:27:45Z

Posty and Hungry, bad combination. ^^ Something else new to try. Will try not to visit Food Network during lunch hours.

Traditional Meat Pie

Piecrust:
4 ounces shortening
5.5 ounces all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
4.5 ounces cold water

Alternative: Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts

Meat filling:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds ground pork
1 onion, minced
3/4 cup grated potato
Salt
Pepper
Allspice
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Pie Crust: Mix flour and shortening. Add salt and cold water. Add all the cold water at once and mix delicately. Form a ball and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Once dough is chilled, flour your worktop. Divide dough in half. Roll out 2 piecrusts. One should be slightly larger than the other, this will be your bottom crust.

Meat Filling: Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the pork and onion and cook over medium-low heat for 45 minutes, stirring often. When pork is cooked remove fat from pan. Add grated potato, salt, pepper, and allspice, to taste. Stir well, and let mixture rest for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter the bottom of 9-inch pie plate. Place the bottom crust in the pie plate and poke several holes in the crust with a fork. Make sure an ample amount of crust spills over the edges of the pie plate. Fill the crust with the meat mixture. Level with a spatula. Wet edges of bottom crust and place top crust over meat mixture. Press top crust onto meat mixture to eliminate any air holes. Beat together the egg and the milk to make an egg wash. Pinch the crust edges together and brush the top crust with the egg wash.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Slice and serve hot or cold.

Barbecue Pork Roast

2008-04-11T16:07:43Z

I noticed I lacked a pork dish thus far, so went in search of one. While I tend to gravitate to easy recipes, it's nice to cook once in a while. Yay for marinades. From Food Network.

Barbecue Pork Roast

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed (consider dill seed as a substitute)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (4-pound) pork loin roast
1 cup barbecue sauce

In a small bowl, combine Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt, celery seed, pepper, and garlic. Place pork loin roast in a large plastic resealable bag and pour marinade over pork loin. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove roast from bag, place in a roasting pan, and discard marinade. Roast pork loin at 325 degrees F for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or to an internal temperature registers 160 to 170 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer. Serve with BBQ sauce.

Yes, I am easily amused

2008-04-08T02:42:03Z

Ganked from wilder. Music made entirely with windows sound bits.

Anything's Possible with Windows

And now, back to my chocolate cake and milk. Mmmmmm...

Grilled Jerk Rubbed Chicken

2008-04-07T01:15:03Z

Sounds interesting. We'll see how my little Foreman grill would do with this... that would work fine for solo dishes (adjusting the amount, of course), but if I am cooking for company, I might have to get creative or buy a larger grilling item.

Grilled Jerk Rubbed Chicken with Habanero-Mint Glaze

Jerk Rub:

3 tablespoons ground coriander
3 tablespoons ground ginger
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons habanero powder
1 tablespoon dry thyme
2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cloves

Habanero-Mint Glaze:

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
3 cups sugar
1 habanero chile, chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt

Chicken

2 pounds chicken thighs, legs and breasts, skin on and bone in Canola oil

Jerk Rub:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.

Habanero-Mint Glaze:
Place vinegar and sugar in a medium nonreactive saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is completely melted and the mixture is reduced by 1/2 and is thick. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and add the habanero and mint and blend until smooth. Season with salt. Let the glaze cool to room temperature.

Chicken:
Preheat grill to medium or heat grill pan over medium heat. Rub 1 side of each chicken with 2 tablespoons of the jerk rub and drizzle with canola oil. Grill, rub-side down for 3 to 4 minutes or until a crust has formed, brush with some of the Haberno-Mint Glaze and turn the chicken over and continue grilling for 7 to 8 minutes or until just cooked through. Brush with more of the glaze and serve immediately. Serves 4.

cough hack

2008-03-24T15:34:35Z

The pollen is attacking en masse right now, and it seems no matter how much water I'm drinking, my throat still feels like the inside of a vacuum. Oh well... other than that, I feel healthy. At least that's good.

emtigereyes @ 2008-03-11T15:32:00

2008-03-11T20:32:02Z

The 3 Angels Memorial Fund for ACD Research

Something to think on.

Heh, nice.

2008-03-07T15:02:45Z

I hope to be doing that well when I get that old. :)

101 yr. old man to run marathon

Grilled Salmon Steaks

2008-03-05T17:36:08Z

I still haven't gotten around to that baked fish recipe, but this one also looked interesting. Just need to work out how to heat the seeds, as I lack a regular grill (I have a George Foreman grill)... maybe I can use the stove top with an skillet. Recipe from www.foodnetwork.com.

Grilled Salmon Steaks

4 salmon steaks 1-inch thick
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seed
1 teaspoon dry green peppercorns
Sea salt or kosher salt
Canola or olive oil to coat steaks

Prepare grill by lighting 4 quarts of charcoal (1 starter chimney's worth), or turning gas grill to medium-high.
Examine steaks for pin bones by rubbing fingers over surface of meat. If found, remove with bone tweezers or pliers reserved for culinary uses.
Using a sharp paring or boning knife, trim bones from the cavity side of the steak. Trim the stomach flaps so that 1 side is missing about 2 inches of skin and the other, 1 inch of meat. Roll the skinless section up into the hollow of the cavity, then wrap the other around the outside to form a round resembling a filet mignon. Tie in place with 2 passes of butcher's twine. (Do not tie it too tight or fish will pop out during cooking.)
Combine cumin, coriander, fennel and peppercorns on a double thick piece of aluminum foil and toast over grill, shaking gently until seeds become fragrant. Crush seeds in mortar and pestle or pour into spare pepper grinder. Coat steaks lightly with oil, season with salt, then liberally grind toasted seeds on both sides of steaks.
Quickly wipe hot grill grate with a rag or towel dipped in a little Canola oil, then grill fish to medium rare, about 3 minutes per side. (Fish should be well colored on the outside and barely translucent at the center.
Serve steaks alongside simple salad.

emtigereyes @ 2008-02-29T12:06:00

2008-02-29T18:07:31Z

Sporting jeans and boots today, in favor of "Go Texan" day. So if anyone wants to SEE people in the stereotypical Texan outfit, visit around Rodeo time, and esp. on "Go Texan" days.

Upping my intake of tea and fruits for the next long while (Anti-Oxidants, esp. Vitamin C). It would seem tree pollen is on the high end, and will be for a while. I don't have full blown allergies (that we know of... I might get tested again soon to be sure), I do react to lots of allergens in the air.

The Red Violin

2008-02-21T04:57:00Z

I didn't know anything about this movie when I sat down to watch it with friends, so I had all kinds of speculation fun with it. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Very sentimental, yes, and gorgeous music. I do believe I will own it.

And when I do, I will be sharing this one. :)

squee

2008-02-14T18:45:54Z

Indiana Jones Trailer

While not especially fond of the title, still looking forward to this. ^^

Also, I was surprised by roses today in the office (yes, I'm one of those odd people that doesn't EXPECT things on certain holidays!).

*hugs* to the sender, and to all others... the idea behind today's holiday is admirable. Just try to do so throughout the year, and not just one day... let your friends, family, and loved ones know what they mean to you, whether with words, gifts, or just a hug.

emtigereyes @ 2008-02-05T08:39:00

2008-02-05T14:41:41Z

Well, that was a workout unto itself. Given the elevator situation yesterday (only 1 of 3 were running), I took the stairs up this morning. Just after the 5th floor, my legs started complaining. Took an act of will to not pause and rest before my final destination of the 8th floor (though my pace was notably slower by this point). My legs were fine once I stopped the ascent, but I was breathing a bit harder.

I'd like to think I'm not out of shape, even though 8 floors of stairs is no picnic. I'm probably still a little weak from my treadmill run last night.

Anyway, back to work.

In other news...

2008-01-29T16:31:15Z

Wave at the passing asteroid, everyone...

Savory Salmon

2008-01-24T19:39:30Z

Logging this recipe to try later. Not sure why, but I'm hesitant about trying to cook fish or select fresh fish... probably due to lack of experience or observation (I don't recall my parents ever making fish dishes). At least this recipe is fairly simple. Recipe from www.foodnetwork.com

Savory Salmon

1 (2-pound) salmon fillet
House Seasoning* (see below)
1 small red bell pepper, julienne
1 small green bell pepper, julienne
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 medium orange, sectioned and seeded
1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced (will likely try frozen)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup chopped fresh chervil or baby dill
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 lemons, juiced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place salmon fillet on a foil-lined pan. Season with House Seasoning, then cover and surround fish with red and green bell pepper, onion, and sectioned orange slices. Mix strawberries, water, honey, chervil or dill, garlic and green onions together. Pour lemon juice over salmon. Ladle strawberry mixture evenly over salmon. Cover with foil and pierce foil, allowing steam to escape. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings.

*House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix well. Store in shaker near stove for convenience.

Heath Ledger - rest in peace

2008-01-22T22:18:29Z

Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon, according to the New York Times, possibly related to drug overdose. He was 28 yrs. old, and leaves behind a 2 yr. old daughter with his ex-fiancée.

Surprised me to hear this, same as when I heard about Steve Irwin's passing. Depending on where filming was, I think this means that the next Batman movie is his last film.

Italian Vegetable Soup

2008-01-20T22:28:52Z

I should have enough to last me this week, between this, the stew, and some Bok Choy that I'll prep the veggies for later (I only add the dressing in single serving batches, so it'll keep longer). I'm also eating a fair amount of french bread with these, but it's inexpensive right now. The soup was pretty good though perhaps a tad bland, but most reviews say the flavor improves after it sits a day. Anyway, recipe from www.foodnetwork.com:

Italian Vegetable Soup

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 zucchini, thinly sliced crosswise
2 (13 3/4-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts packed in water, drained*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 cups vegetable broth**
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves***
4 ounces dried wide egg noodles
Freshly grated Parmesan

* = I only used one can
** = reviews mentioned exchanging some of the broth for cooking white wine. I did this for one cup's worth
*** = I used dried thyme leaves, and notably less by mistake (recalling another recipe)

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and artichokes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Sauté until the zucchini are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the vegetable broth. Stir in the thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a simmer. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the flavors develop, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Anyway, according to http://www.nutritiondata.com, and including the changes I made, the nutrition info per serving for this comes out to:

Calories: 256 cal
Carbohydrates: 30g
Fat: 10g
Sodium: 1490 mg (not surprising for soup)

Addendum: Yeah, after a day of sitting (in the fridge), the flavor comes across better. Brought to work for lunch.