I Pity The Food @vapor023 - Tumblr Blog

... wait for it... #himym #shareacoke

Company dinner? Yes please. (at Sushi Roku Las Vegas)

Splurged on breakfast this morning. $4 pour over coffee and and $8 twice baked ham and cheese croissant. (at Mazarine Coffee)

Free Chips and Nuts

I was exchanging emails with an old coworker.

Old Coworker:

Good luck at your new job and I'm sorry to tell you but [Old Company] isn't holding back anymore, we now get free chips and nuts. The golden age has begun!

My Response:

Free Chips and Nuts huh?

Last week we had a guy come in and make fresh Maple Bacon Waffles topped with Nutella, strawberries, and whipped cream. And last monday we had a Crepe guy. I'll be nice and not show you what the kitchen and pantry looks like here.

But [Old Company] does have a better Keurig and coffee flavors. Gotta go. Almost time for free lunch Wednesdays!

#waffles

Massive Burrito from Tortilla Factory. This is a beef brisket burrito with enchilada sauce. Tortola Factory is located in the basement level of Macys Union Square in the former location of Rick Bayless' Frontera (which is what I was actually looking for). All their burritos come "wet" with mole or enchilada sauces. My one complaint is that they didn't have a salsa bar or proper hot sauce options.

One skillet dishes are the way to go for week night dinners. This recipe came from Martha Stewart Living April 2011 issue. There is incredible flavor in this one-skillet dish. Fennel and red onion intensify the braising liquid, which becomes a pan sauce. This meal costs about $20 including two bunches of asparagus and polenta I used for sides. I used an organic whole chicken fryer that I butchered into 10 pieces. I also saved the unused chicken parts (carcass, neck bone and innards) and made stock out of it for soup for later use. Chicken, Fennel, and Artichoke Fricassee Active time: 25 mins. Total Time 35 mins. Serves 4 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 T EVOO 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and cut into 1/4-inch wedges, 1/4 cup fronds reserved 1 can (15 ounces) water-packed whole artichoke hearts, drained 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges (I had a yellow onion, either works well). 1 cup of chicken stock 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar 3 T fresh flat-leaf parsley (I did not have this to add, but it is optional) 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chicken on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Pour off all but 1 T of fat. Reduce heat to medium-high. Brown fennel wedges, artichokes and onion in skillet, stirring occasionally 2 to 3 minutes. 2. Return chicken to skillet. Add stock. Transfer to oven. Braise until cooked through 18-20 minutes. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a platter. reduce braising liquid over high heat to about 1/3 cup. Stir in vinegar. Pour sauce over chicken and top with fennel fronds and parsley. Roasted Asparagus Wash and trim 2 bunches of asparagus. Place on baking sheet. Toss with EVOO, salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 15-20 mins. Can cook this at the same time as the chicken. Polenta boil 6 cups of water slowly stir in 1 3/4 cups of polenta add 1 teaspoon of salt turn down heat to low to medium heat and stir occasionally. cook for about 10-15 minutes or until thickened. add 1-2 T of butter, stir in until melted. Polenta will thicken/harden as it sits. Enjoy!

#chicken #fricasee #dinner

After my wife told me that a few of the eggs she was going to eat had double yolks, she refused to eat the remaining eggs. So I took it upon myself to really test these eggs, plus we had purchased two-dozen of these Kimbo Grade A Jumbo eggs from the 99 Ranch Market. I believe Kimbo is 99 Ranch's house brand. Which is starting to explain a lot. Check out this video to see my test of cracking open 10 eggs open.

I did some further research on the phenomenon of twin eggs, and it turns out that it is quite common in jumbo-sized eggs. By the sorting process, the eggs are sorted by size, and all the jumbo ones are put into jumbo carton, the similarity in size keeps the eggs from getting crushed in the carton by more evenly distributing the weight. But you don't car about the carton, you care about the yolk.

According to a website called www.countryhen.com, "Hens begin their laying process with small eggs, then medium, and eventually over the course of time are laying large, then extra large and finally jumbo eggs before they stop laying altogether. It is the jumbo eggs that have double and sometimes even triple yolks. The number of yolks reflect only on the age of the hen, not on the feed they eat or any other factor. The egg with a double yolk is still fresh and Grade A."

I consulted another website called PoultryHelp.com which stated, "Double yolks are a 'mistake' in the chicken's reproductive system that sometimes happens when a hen just starts laying eggs and her system is still trying to figure out how to do it correctly." The site goes on to say, "Double Yolkers appear when ovulation occurs too rapidly, or when one yolk somehow gets "lost" and is joined by the next yolk. Double yolkers may be by a pullet whose productive cycle is not yet well synchronized. They're occasionally laid by a heavy-breed hen, often as an inherited trait." PoultryHelp.com has an illustrative list of other egg oddities that is worth a read.

So after throwing ten eggs down the drain, it would seem that this string of twins is not too abnormal, but I still cringe a bit when you consider what hormones may or may not be pumped into the hens to make them crank out eggs faster. Much like women who go through fertility treatments are more prone to having multiples after getting pumped full of who knows what, that may be what is happening to these hens. So I'm still weary of eating these, and I think I'll stick with medium or large eggs purchased from more reputable markets.

I Pity The Hens.

#ipitythefood #eggs #hens #special report #video

Beware of Falling Objects

I almost lost my toe the other day. I was taking out a pair of kitchen shears to cut up some ham to put in my omelette. I fumbled it and it fell. I did one of those cat-like instinctive jump and spread my feet as far away from the landing zone as possible.

The shears landed pointy-side down and stabbed into the floor and stuck the landing. At first I was amazed that it stuck like that, considering I dropped it from only about 2.5 feet up, but then I though how much that would've hurt if that had landed on my toe. Yes, I cook barefooted, which I might think twice about.

#ipitythefood #scissors

Pizza Benedict

Friday night, as I was biking home from work wondering what to make for dinner, I took a mental inventory of what was in my fridge that I can make into a meal. I knew I had 1/3 bag of shredded mozzarella, a ball of buffalo mozzarella, ham, and some frozen bacon. I decided to make a quick pit stop at Trader Joe's* thinking I'd make a pizza, what better way to get rid of all that mozzarella cheese. I then thought about what flavors go with ham, and tomato sauce and ham didn't seem like it would go well together. So perhaps another sauce would work. I had a flashback to a brunch I had a couple months earlier at my neighborhood Café Aquarius--I had an Eggs Benedict Pizza.

I ended up making a hollandaise sauce (in lieu of tomato sauce), which started with with 3 egg yolks, 3 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. I brought some water to a low boil and put the bowl of butter and egg yolks in it, forming something of a double boiler. I whipped that well with a fork, and after a bit, added a bit of salt, pepper, and cayenne. Normally when making a hollandaise sauce, you want it to get to about 140 degrees, but since I was baking the pizza, it wasn't a concern.

Next step was rolling out the pizza dough. I used the Trader Joe's Garlic and Herb dough and let it rest first for about 20 minutes before working it to a nice rectangle that fit my cookie sheet.

I nuked a few slices of bacon in the microwave between paper towels. This is a great way to cook bacon and absorb some of the fat, and not make your house smell like bacon (which isn't always a bad thing) or cause a hot greasy mess on the stove. I also saved the 3 egg whites and lightly cooked them in a frying pan with olive oil and a dash of salt.

Assembly Time

Preheat oven to 450-degrees

So pizza dough is spread out on the cookie sheet (lightly greased).

Spread the hollandaise sauce evenly.

Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese lightly.

Cut a few slices of ham into strips or pieces, and distribute a layer.

Cut or break the bacon into pieces and distribute.

Place pieces of the cooked egg whites.

Slice the ball of buffalo mozzarella and lay over the pizza (or sprinkle more shredded mozzy).

Top with sliced grape-tomatoes.

Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the crust feels crusty and the cheese gets some color.

When its done, let it rest for a few minutes, then transfer to a cutting board. Cut in whatever fun way you like and enjoy a wonderful breakfast pizza for dinner... or breakfast or lunch.

#ipitythefood

After a long and uphill bike ride up to Tilden Park in Berkeley, I rewarded myself with a scenic and fast ride down the hill that made me feel like I was on my motorcycle again. I stopped by to watch a little Cal football practice at the stadium, rode through campus, and rewarded myself with a hotlink from Top Dog on Durant, and then this wonderful Brown Sugar and Gingersnap ice cream from Ici on College Avenue.

This delectable delight hit the spot, with just the right creaminess and sweetness and the gingersnap cookies provided a nice chunky surprise and burst of flavor. The cone is unique too. Its not a waffle cone, so much as a crepe-cone.

Ici Ice Cream 2948 College Avenue Berkeley, CA 94705 http://www.ici-icecream.com

On the menu today is Thai Basil Chicken, a relatively easy dish to make. This video will take you through the basic steps and I will also list the steps below. Here are the ingredients:

1 package of ground turkey or ground chicken or thinly sliced chicken (1.25 lb.)

1 large or 2 medium zucchinis

2-4 tomatoes (depending on size)

1 bunch of basil

1 onion

4-5 cloves of garlic

4-10 Thai chiles (or 3-6 Serrano chiles)

3-5 tbsp fish sauce

3-5 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp cooking wine

1 tsp sugar

salt to taste

This recipe doesn't really require exact measurements, its hard to go wrong, and you can make adjustments based on your preference of spiciness, saltiness, fishiness, veginess, meatiness, and chunkiness.

Start cooking your rice.

Wash all the vegetables thoroughly.

Slice the zucchini, tomato, and onion into pieces that are about the same size. Not too big or you can't get all the elements in one bites.

Dice the garlic

Slice the Thai/Serrano chiles to your preference. I prefer thin slices for even spice distribution. Remove seeds if you're a wuss. You could also halve them lengthwise or throw them in whole.

Pluck the leaves of the basil stems.

Heat a wok or pot on high and add a light coat of oil.

Add the garlic followed by the onions and sauté for a couple minutes.

Add the ground turkey (or chicken) and break it up a bit.

Pour fish sauce, soy sauce, and cooking wine and sugar over the ground turkey, mix together. (I forgot to say I added sugar in the video!)

Add sliced chiles and brown the meat for a few minutes until nearly cooked through.

Add zucchini and tomatoes and mix in for a couple minutes.

Add basil leaves and mix in.

Taste it and see if it needs any adjustments to flavor. Sometimes a sprinkle of salt at the end is all it needs to bring out a lot of the flavor.

Turn off heat.

Serve it however you like. Either by spooning it over rice, or transfer to a serving plate for self-service.

Melona Bars

I was visiting my parents over the Independence Weekend and my mom handed me this frozen treat. Melon flavored ice bar. I've since also had it in strawberry flavor as well the original melon; mango, banana, red bean, and lime are also available, but I have not had them yet. It has a unique creamy texture rather than the iciness of a Popsicle, though it doesn't melt and drip nearly as quickly as a true ice cream bar.

According to Wikipedia, Melona is a South Korean product that launched in 1992 by Binggrae. It quickly became a top seller in the "Popsicle" category in South Korea.

Melona bars are available at 99 Ranch Markets and possibly other Asian specialty markets. If you can find them, I give them a very high "buy' rating. They come in boxes of 8, though they may be sold separately as well.

Just this evening I bought a box of Strawberry Melona and froze it for a little late night dessert. I was a bit disappointed though when I pulled one out of the box, that apparently it may have melted and refroze, leaving me with a chubby short bar (as it molded to the end of the wrapper). Perhaps there are still some shipping/logistical kinks they need to work out shipping them from Korea, or else someone at 99 Ranch forgot to freeze them right away. No worries, it still tasted great and had the same ultra-smooth texture. I may update this in the morning if I feel any ... repercussions.

I recently got a new FLIP HD video camera, and on a whim, I decided to try my hand at making a little cooking video. The major challenge was holding the camera while prepping food. So pardon the shaky camera, I'm dealing with a lot of firsts: first time filming, first time editing video, and our first cooking show.

Its 13 minutes long, mainly because I ramble. If I had a camera man, or even a tripod, or multiple cameras, and the skills to properly edit a video, I think we could be onto something. So enjoy my video.

Is there anything better after a late night out, when you come stumbling out of a bar, 6-8 hours since dinner... and from several blocks away you smell a delightful smell of bacon wrapped hot dogs cooked on a sizzling cart.

The story is the same for me every time. I get excited at the intoxicating smell grows stronger and I inch closer to what I can imagine heaven smells like, or maybe the charred fleshy smell of hell is more like it. None the less, I can't resist it. I impatiently wait in the chaotic line, and initially balk at the $4 price tag (I can get this for $1.50 with a soda at Costco!), then I remember that I've been drinking $12 watered-down cocktails all night. Why did I get that last drink, I could've had 3 more of these glorious devil dogs.

I like mine w/ grilled onions, jalapeños, ketchup and mayonnaise. How do you like yours?

Quickfire Dinner - Scallops and Garlic Noodles

After a late night of work, its hard to find the time to make dinner, especially when you haven't gone to the store in a few days. Last week we were in just that situation. So we pulled out some frozen scallops and defrosted them under cold running water for about 10-15 minutes. Dried them off well, and sprinkled a little salt and pepper over them. Sear them in a hot pan for 90 seconds or so on each side and finish it off with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Garlic butter noodles are easy. Boil some spaghetti a minute or two less than the directions suggest. Mince a bunch of garlic. Melt some butter in a pan (I used about 2 Tbsp for half a pack of spaghetti). Throw in the minced garlic and a 1/2 tsp of salt and brown the butter and garlic on medium. Crank up the heat, and throw in your noodles. Toss them around nice and good, add some pepper, and serve. Veggies are always optional. In our case, some asparagus was in the fridge, so a light garlic and olive oil sauté was all it took.

As a finishing touch, I de-glazed the scallop pan with lemon juice and scraped the seared crud off the pan and topped the noodles with it. It added a unique lemony tang with some scallop juices and seasoning.

The lesson here, is to always keep some frozen scallops on hand. They defrost quickly and taste deluscious.

Boil, Butter, and Bike

The Miller-Lo's hosted a wonderful Memorial Day get-together which was aptly called, "Boil, Butter, and Bike." We started with a bike ride from Campbell Park through Vasona Park. We enjoyed a nice picnic of build-your-own sandwiches and spent some quality time in the park. After a ride back to the Miller-Lo's, we started boiling a couple pots of water and everybody pitched in to make the crab boil happen. We boiled up some clams, black tiger prawns (pictured in front), dungeness crabs (piled up in the background), corn, potatoes, hot links, artichoke crostini, and quinoa salad. For appetizers and dessert, we had Tracy's dark chocolate brownies.

Since I am allergic to shellfish (crab, lobster, shrimp, and crawfish), my contribution was a nice tri-tip roast with my Cajun rub (pictured below). Overall, the event was a hit. We enjoyed a beautiful day with some good friends, got some exercise to work up an appetite, and all pitched in for a glorious Memorial feast.

The House - Anniversary Dinner (part 2)

Nothing says fancy food like foie gras (this was originally posted in 2010, Fois Gras has now been banned in SF, although Faux Gras is available). For the main course of our anniversary dinner at The House in SF, Tracy had the grilled sea bass with garlic ginger soy, while I enjoyed one of their specials of the day, rigatoni with braised short ribs and foie gras with fava beans. In case you don't know, I'm a sucker for short ribs; so its no surprise that I ordered this. I had never really had foie gras before, but I have to say, it was very rich, and very tasty. The presentation wasn't particularly impressive and the short ribs were just modest meat chunks, also with a rich flavor. The combination of rich flavors worked really well when tempered with the pasta and the braising sauce.

Overall, I'd give The House a 4 our of 5 stars. I thought the service was mediocre, and the ambiance can vary by your table location in the tiny restaurant. The food is excellent, the portions a bit small, and the price a bit high (but not shockingly over priced, nor unsatisfyingly small) which brings down its value a bit for me. If you're looking for a great date spot or a romantic celebratory dinner, I think The House will do just fine.

Thanks also to my friend Nate for recommending this place nearly 7 years ago.

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