#theme dinner

[angelosearch]

Behold! My Final Fantasy VIII-themed Dinner

In case anyone is curious...

Cocktail - Quezacotl's Thunderstorm

Pretty simple - Vodka, orange juice, (meyer) lemon juice, and plain seltzer served in a light-up novelty glass. (not pictured: the logo on one side for the Christmas event it came from LOL

Appetizers - Mini Hot Dogs and a Balamb Garden Salad

Each ingredient of this salad is representative of a different enemy that you fight in Balamb Garden at some point. There's iceberg lettuce (glacial eye), Radicchio (Grat), grape tomatoes (Bombs - the red ones are literally called sugar bombs), honey goat cheese (Granaldo), candied walnuts (raldo), green goddess dressing (green like caterchipillar), and tajin (something with a bite for bite bugs). I think this would have come together better if I had made the dressing, but I will be happy to have this for the lunch for the rest of the week.

The mini hot dogs were frozen from a box lol.

Side Dishes - Malboro Tentacles and Mashed Norg

The Malboro Tentacles are extremely tender, slowly cooked asparagus with A LOT of garlic (need that bad breath), and some chili flakes for spice. I also threw in some soy sauce for color. This is exactly how I imagined they would be when I set out to make them, so I am pretty happy about it.

Norg - pointless boss, great side dish. These are pretty basic buttermilk mashed potatoes but I wanted to maximize the yellowness. I used yukon gold potatoes (even peeled them, which I never usually do), a dash of tumeric, and lots of butter. That wasn't quite yellow enough so I dug to the back of my spice cabinet and found the saffron I was given as a gift and can never seem to find a meal special enough to use it for. HONESTLY, these were so good. Definitely going to do this again.

Entree - T-Rexuar Steak

I was REALLY worried making these. I've made steak before but I usually use pretty simple seasoning. But for a T-Rexaur, I wanted the outside of the steak to be reminiscent of a T-Rexuar hide. So I actually marinaded the steak in a Tikka-like sauce (paprika, cayenne, tumeric, ginger, garlic, lemon, yogurt) because I was looking for redness. I have NEVER put yogurt on steak before - YIKES what a risk. When I took them out to come to room temperature before cooking them, I patted excess marinade off and added a generous amount of salt, paprika, chili powder and garlic in hopes of creating a redish crust. Then I seared them.

Guys. I don't know if it was the marinade or what but this is some of the best steak I've ever made... or even had. The crust was excellent and the steak was so tender. Def getting a permanent +1 to strength for this one.

Stay tuned for dessert!

[hiyaluronic]

When your boss trusts that you know what the hell your doing. 😆

[belandbees-blog]

I Want Some Figgy Pudding

I Want Some Figgy Pudding

I decked the halls, sang the song, and wanted some figgy pudding, so I made one- three actually. This is the link to the NPR recipe I have used the past two years. It works, is virtually impossible to mess up, and the outcome tastes wonderful. Of course it’s more guide than gospel; here are the tweaks I find most delicious. To the figs in the pan I add one cup of chopped dates (the moderately dry…

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[belandbees-blog]

I Want Some Figgy Pudding

I decked the halls, sang the song, and wanted some figgy pudding, so I made one- three actually.

This is the link to the NPR recipe I have used the past two years. It works, is virtually impossible to mess up, and the outcome tastes wonderful. Of course it’s more guide than gospel; here are the tweaks I find most delicious.

To the figs in the pan I add one cup of chopped dates (the moderately dry ones, not the pre-chopped, nor juicy ones with pits)

Omit dried cherries

Add dried apricots (or whatever dried fruit is handy)

Instead of brandy I like bourbon

Instead of one big mold, I use 3 copper gelatin ones

Serve with a sweetened chestnut puree- very yummy

I wrap the puddings in foil and freeze until needed. A steam bath before serving plumps them beautifully. After one bite you’ll be sure to want some figgy pudding.

Cooking off excess alcohol 

http://belandbees.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Pudding-flambe.mp4

I Want Some Figgy Pudding was originally published on BelandBees

[belandbees-blog]

Popovers or Yorkshire Puds

Popovers or Yorkshire Puds

What better accompaniment to pot roast and onion gravy than Yorkshire pudding? The natural pairing  inspired my search for the perfect pudding (or popover) recipe for our Victorian dinner. Such a recipe exists here along with an article sharing the experiments undertaken to perfect it. I followed the recipe, successfully doubling it. The batter had an overnight rest in the fridge. I baked the…

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[belandbees-blog]

Popovers or Yorkshire Puds

What better accompaniment to pot roast and onion gravy than Yorkshire pudding? The natural pairing  inspired my search for the perfect pudding (or popover) recipe for our Victorian dinner.

Such a recipe exists here along with an article sharing the experiments undertaken to perfect it.

I followed the recipe, successfully doubling it. The batter had an overnight rest in the fridge. I baked the room temperature batter in standard (not huge) muffin tins with duck fat instead of beef drippings.

The puds we’re delicious piping hot from the oven with a lashing of butter. They also reheated well. I baked them in the morning, completely cooled them, and placed them in a refrigerator-cold garage. Fifteen minutes before serving I popped them into a 350F oven.

With a touch of sugar and a neutral fat like vegetable oil, these make a breakfast treat. Fear not baking popovers, they are quick and failure free if you follow the recipe.

Popovers or Yorkshire Puds was originally published on BelandBees

[belandbees-blog]

"Warming " Drawer My Ass

“Warming ” Drawer My Ass

Beland Apiary’s new home continues to amaze and confound us. The fireplace’s novelty remains much appreciated, heat zones pose interesting options, but the oven’s warming drawer isn’t as simple as we thought. The featured image with this post is of the roasted Brussel sprouts ala Cooks Illustrated, our go-to recipe. They should have been served during the Victorian dinner with their crisp out…

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[belandbees-blog]

"Warming " Drawer My Ass

Beland Apiary’s new home continues to amaze and confound us. The fireplace’s novelty remains much appreciated, heat zones pose interesting options, but the oven’s warming drawer isn’t as simple as we thought.

The featured image with this post is of the roasted Brussel sprouts ala Cooks Illustrated, our go-to recipe. They should have been served during the Victorian dinner with their crisp out leaves and maillard-reaction flavored brown bits. Instead, dark little overcooked Brussel sprout-esque balls emerged from the warming drawer. Granted, they brought back memories of my time in Britain, but they were not what we planned.

The sprout preparation began around seven that morning when I stemmed, halved, and removed loose leaves from four pounds of them. Shauna rendered bacon and I followed the recipe as many times before. They looked, smelled, and tasted delightful.

They went into the basement fridge to cool. A few hours later I made the mistake of putting them in the warming drawer. The over powered drawer did not warm, but cooked everything placed in it. The poor mini cabbages didn’t have a chance.

We learned our lesson and will make amends to our friends by serving the bright green, properly cooked ones as soon as we can. A warming drawer, my ass.

“Warming ” Drawer My Ass was originally published on BelandBees