Archive for the ‘Cooking’ Category
Today I get to play winemaker. I’ve been making homemade wines for more than twenty years and plan on making it for twenty more. My better-half became so interested that she began making her own batches about five years ago. She leans toward berry wines and her specialty has become Tripleberry Wine. It’s made from a mix of blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries. I have to admit it’s damn tasty and goes well with almost any dish.
For years I only made your basic wines. Some were made from fresh fruit while other were made from professionally produced concentrates. I’ve always tried to be creative with my winemaking and I’ve even made excellent wine from the fruit of the Mountain Ash tree. My all time favorite over the years has been dandelion wine made from blossoms collected from nearby fields. It’s a killer to make because you sit for hours removing only the yellow petals. The first time I attempted making it I found out much too late that rubber gloves should be worn. I had really disgusting yellow fingers and hands for weeks.
I enjoy experimenting a great deal and in recent years have made a number of cooking wines which turned out rather well. I first made onion and garlic wine which turned out to be an incredible marinade. Then I made twenty-five bottles of habanero wine to be used for marinades and cooking. I found as time went by it actually became hotter as it sat in the bottle. Some people actually like drinking it but that’s not for me. If your doing a stir-fry adding a cup of it will spark things up nicely. Again a safety tip, when making anything with habaneros wear a double layer of latex gloves.
Today is bottling day for a fifteen bottle batch of the better-half’s wine and a twenty-five bottle batch of my latest experiment, gin wine. I’m a big fan of gin but drinking the hard stuff is a little much sometimes. I decided to make a wine out of the same ingredients that actual gin brewers use. If recent taste tests are any indicator this batch isn’t all that good. It has an alcohol content of about ten percent and might just make a great tar remover for our cars. The smell of gin is there but that’s about it. It tastes like a cross between battery acid and Lysol. I’ll bottle up a few bottles for long term storage but the rest will unfortunately be discarded. The better-half’s Tripleberry tastes great and will be bottled and stored today.
Making wine is always risky and ever so often you’ll get a batch that is just God awful. I’m hoping this summer is hot and sunny making our blackberry crop fat and juicy. We have a few secret spots in certain areas of the county where we harvest blackberries by the bucket full. They make the best jams and wines and we’re looking forward to doing it again this summer.
I’ll be sure to have a glass or two today to toast the arrival of Spring and the demise of the gin wine.
I think I’m finally returning to my calm and normal self after the last two days of whining and complaining about every useless thing that was bothering me. It appeared to be a combination of finally finishing a difficult job I’d worried about for many weeks and the normal let down after the fact. Leave it up to my better-half to figure out a perfect solution.
She returned home from work in early afternoon and immediately advised me to clean up because we we going out for a Dutch Treat dinner. How could I possibly complain about that? Regardless of what you might think I clean up pretty good and it wasn’t long before I was ready for my night on the town. My chauffeur pulled up in her car and off we went.
We have a number of restaurants we frequent but for me it’s all about the food. If the food is good I can eat it sitting in the middle of a junk yard and still be happy. I worked for many years throughout the south and became hooked on that good old down home southern food that their so famous for. Catfish, collard greens, black eyed peas, somehow climbed to the top of my favorite foods list. No matter what northern restaurant chains claim their attempts to cook authentic southern cuisine is usually pitiful.
My all-time favorite southern dish is country fried chicken with that unbelievable white gravy and biscuits. One of our regular restaurants has a chef who must have been born down south and stolen his grandmother’s favorite recipes. That’s where my better-half planned our dinner and I wasn’t disappointed. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the biscuits and gravy were even better. Throw in a serving of coleslaw and a side of mashed red potatoes with just a hint or garlic and you’ve arrived in heaven. I pigged out and cleaned my plate like a freaking vacuum cleaner. I was fat and sassy as I downed an excellent gin and tonic to complete things.
My better-half was busy texting for few minutes and when she finished I was advised we’d be meeting some friends at another local establishment for a nightcap or two. She actually paid the bill, left a good tip, and we were off. We arrived at a place that is part sports bar, part restaurant, and part beach hangout in the summer. They were so busy it seemed a little like a hot summer evening with the place packed with beach people. I said that jokingly because it’s really April in Maine and cold as hell. Our friends arrived just as we finally were seated in our booth and we had a few drinks and a lot of laughs. My sober designated driver delivered me safely home at a reasonable hour to end a perfect night.
The night didn’t last much longer because the better-half had a 4am wake-up call. Fortunately she has a vacation week scheduled next week due to the anticipated arrival or her oldest son from LA. He’s in for a three day visit and that should keep her hopping and occupied for the entire week. Since next week is sure to a hectic one I plan on enjoying this weekend as much as humanly possible.
It’s been twelve hours since that great meal and I’m still tasting those garlic potatoes. Can’t wait to do it again.
Winter has returned with a vengeance here in Maine. It’s not snow this time but frigid cold. The wind chill has been below zero for a few days which means I don’t leave this house unless it’s on fire. These are the days when my list of winter projects becomes important.
After I finished reading the entire collection of Harry Potter books two weeks ago I then decided I wanted to see all of the movies now that I had a better understanding of the story line. Yesterday was the start of my Harry Potter movie marathon made possible by a grant made to me by my better-half’s daughter. I have in my hot little hand all of the HP movies in Blue Ray, I effing love it. This weather made it possible for me to watch the first three movies without much interruption yesterday.
One big surprise though, my better-half sat in for a few minutes at the beginning of movie number 4 and became mesmerized. She watched that entire movie and loved it. I was informed last night that I wasn’t to watch any of the other films unless she was here to watch them with me. I didn’t mind that too much since I actually like having her around most of the time. Besides if I happen to remain quiet and really still she’s likely to be the first person to raid the kitchen and make us popcorn.
The marathon will continue later tonight but this morning I’m back in the kitchen making a batch of hot and spicy barbecue sauce. If I manage it properly I can have it made, canned, and on the shelf before my better-half returns home from work. I’ll return shortly. . . .
(Time Passing)
Well I’m back and the sauce has been made and canned. The cleanup is actually easier since I made a smaller batch than normal. I was able to can 16 half pints of sauce with each one holding enough for a meal of chicken wings or a meat of choice. It was a newly developed recipe which offers a lot of flavor and a medium amount of heat. I decided to ease up on the heat since most of this batch will be given to friends and family. I’ll make a smaller batch in a few weeks which will be much hotter and more to our taste.
I’m just sitting here now waiting for the better-half to arrive. I went outside to check the mail earlier and OMG is it freaking cold. The deck is making gun shot noises as the nails are popping from the temperature. The first time made me jump a bit but the poor cat is going crazy. He no sooner gets to sleep then BANG. It’s harshing his buzz and making him extremely cranky.
Tomorrow is another day in paradise.
This morning is for recreation and not creation for at least a few hours. The better-half is long gone to work, the cat’s been fed, and the coffee fresh. I think a short trip to Middle Earth is necessary before I continue what should be a rather busy day.
42” of X-box is the only proper way to kick start a day and I’m loving it. This new Lego Lord of the Rings is a hoot and it appears that it will take a great deal of time to master. I’m at 23% completion and I’ve been working it at it off and on for a couple of weeks already. Hours and hours of continuous fun ahead for me.
Late morning has pulled me back into the kitchen where I’m beginning the process of making my special spicy pasta sauce. My hands smell of onion and are burning like fire from the jalapenos (forgot my gloves). Did most of the prep work last night so it’s all about the cooking and canning today. I’ve got to get back to it right now before things overcook.
La-Dee-Da (Time passing)
Well its two hours later and I’m putting the finishing touches to things. I just finished canning seventeen pints of some really tasty meatless sauce. I went easy on the heat for this batch since many of the people who will be receiving it aren’t crazy about really hot food. I held back one quart jar that we’ll be using for dinner later today. I can’t wait. The one downside to all of this is the cleanup which seems to take twice as long as the preparation. It’s a big, gigantic, huge, pain in the ass.
Tweedle-Dee-Dee
Just finished a rather enjoyable meal of miniature cheese raviolis covered with my delicious sauce. I’m not really bragging but it was one helluva good vegetarian dish. We’ve been trying a little harder to cut down the amount of meat we consume but don’t worry, I’ll never quit completely. I’m a big believer in eating a little of everything but a not lot of any one thing. It’s all about portions and quality for us now. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy making my own food, I know exactly what’s in it. No added sugars or preservatives just great flavors.
Our hobby has expanded to include the making of sauces, relishes, jams, canned pickles and veggie mixes, and spicy green beans (all from the garden). Both my better-half and I make our own versions of home-made wine, flavored vinegars, and a habanero cooking wine that is to die for. Besides being a little healthier for us both it’s also great fun.
Well back to the cleanup. I want to be finished before my better-half gets home.
Another quiet day spent in the kitchen attempting to duplicate something I’ve been paying a high price for on the net. I use a great deal of red-savina habanero paste when making many of my dishes but in recent months the price of the paste has sky rocketed. After a little thought I decided to try and make my own version. Normally this paste when purchased is superhot and it was crucial that I get as much heat as possible in my recipe as well as a decent flavor.
Off to Wholefoods, a place I normally won’t shop because of their inflated prices. I’m forced into it today because none of the local markets carry quantities of fresh habaneros. I purchased 1.5 pounds of habaneros and an additional pound of Serrano peppers. So far so good. I must warn you in advance if you’d like to try this, WEAR THICK LATEX GLOVES. The next step involved cleaning, seeding, and dicing all of the peppers. Take your time and be sure to get them finely diced, then placed into a sealed container and refrigerated overnight. I like to give them a chance to mingle their flavors.
The next day I placed the diced peppers into a large blender, added 3 tbsp. of my home made Jalapeno vinegar (standard white vinegar works too), and three heaping tablespoons of ground red pepper. Set it on liquefy for approximately ten minutes. You’ll end up with about 16 oz. of extremely hot paste which can be used to add serious heat to any meal. I’ve experimented for years and have a good idea how much to use. Experimentation is a must your first time if you don’t want to burn your lips off.
I bottled the paste into two 8 oz. bottles which should last at least six months in the fridge. I’ll be making a meatless pasta sauce tomorrow and I’ll be using my newly created pepper paste. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Now for you Baby Boomers out there. I didn’t forget about the Boomer Test answers I promised earlier so here they are. If you’re proud of your score comment back and let me know how you did.
Below are the correct answers:
1. B – Bounty
2. D – Wonder Bread
3. D – Cassius Clay
4. B – Crest
5. B – He Is us
6. A – Good night, Chet
7. D – When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
8. C – Maynard G. Krebs
9. C – Almond Joy & Mounds
10. C – Pants on fire
11. D – The American Way
12. B – It’s Howdy Doody Time
13. D – Oh my
14. B – Chiffon Margarine
15. C – Over 30
16. B – Joe Namath
17. D – A little dab’ll do ya
18. D- Wendy’s
19. D – On Blueberry Hill
20. A – Mary Martin
21. D – John, Paul, George, Ringo
22. B – Who wrote the book of Love
23. B – Cause I eats me spinach
24. C – Smile, you’re on Candid Camera
25. D – Melt in your mouth not in your hand
Well, my day in the kitchen is over and I’m sitting here labeling approximately 12 quarts of my new salsa recipe. After all of the adjustments were made to the recipe it turned out much better than I anticipated. After it cooled I was able to sample it with some nice and crispy yellow corn chips. I have a grading scale I use when making salsa and I rated this one a 4. That’s means after eating four teaspoons of the salsa the back of my head begins to sweat. This stuff is smoking hot and at the same time filled with great flavor.
I’m sending a pint of the finished product to work with my better-half tomorrow. I often use her fellow employees to test and taste my cooking efforts and their feedback is usually pretty accurate. It really helps me in refining my recipes. This batch is officially called Roasted Corn w/Black Bean & Currants. In another few months the flavor and heat should improve dramatically after sitting in the jar and make for a really great addition to any of my better-half’s Mexican food meals. Mission accomplished.
Now that my cooking job is over I can return to my Harry Potter reading assignment. I finished book #6 late last night and it was the absolute best one so far. I’m already one chapter into #7 and it looks like it will be even better than the last. What a pleasant surprise. I’m going to be very sad to see this story end because after seven books the characters are becoming like old friends. Another series for my eclectic book collection. I suppose I’ll be up late reading again tonight and hopefully get a decent nights sleep after that.
The weather here in Maine is very cold with approximately one and a half feet of snow still on the ground. I’d love to get into the woods but I’m waiting for a warmer day (around 30 degrees) before venturing out. I’m a fanatic about getting great Winter pictures but I’m not crazy. Patience is supposed to be a virtue so I’ll remain virtuous for a few more days.
Today is going to be creative cooking day for me. I have a few hours to kill so I decided it might be a great time to adjust my favorite salsa recipe, Corn & Black Bean. I want to make it a little more flavorful than usual with a few new ingredients I’ve not attempted before. This takes a while to do but adjusting the written recipe is always much easier than making it work in the pot.
In the past I normally add the black beans (my fav’s) to the pot towards the end of the cooking process. This allows them to cook slightly in the pot and more during the twenty minute canning process. If done properly they’ll cook just the right amount and won’t be mushy. My problem was getting the corn to be more flavorful. I wanted a natural smokiness to come through my salsa without using something manufactured, like Liquid Smoke, to do it. My solution was to switch from whole kernel yellow corn to white Shoe Peg corn. I prefer the flavor of Shoe Peg and it seems to hold it’s shape better when cooked. If everything cooks to mush it makes for a salsa with little or no texture.
I propose to take the corn from the cans and spread it on an cookie sheet lightly sprayed with olive oil. Then lightly spray the corn itself and sprinkle with Cumin. Place in the oven at 425 degrees until golden brow then remove it, stir it up, and replace in the oven. When it’s roasted to my liking I’ll remove it and set it off to the side. That’ll give the corn a huge boost of flavor with some crispiness as well.
I normally make my salsa’s extremely hot but without losing all of the flavor to the heat. I love habanero and in my opinion it has by far the best combination of flavor and heat. I also intend to add a dozen diced jalapenos for addition flavor and 6-8 Serrano peppers for more heat. That should allow me eliminate Cayenne pepper from my old recipe. While Cayenne has great heat it lingers in the back of the throat which I really don’t like.
I want a person eating my salsa to initially taste nothing but the flavors of the ingredients and then slowly feel the heat begin to rise. The more you eat the hotter it will get and to me that’s perfect. Well, I’m off to shop for ingredients at the local supermarket and I shall return.
Do-Wa, Do-Wa, Do Do Ditty (Just a time killing tune)
I’m back with two bags of all of my favorite things; assorted hot peppers, fresh herbs, white onions, and my absolute favorite, red onions. I have at least an hour of dicing up these goodies in preparation for cooking. I like to throw them all into one container so they can mix and mingle their flavors overnight in the fridge before I toss them in the pot tomorrow. Hopefully by Sunday afternoon I’ll have ten quarts of dynamite, smoking hot, and tasty salsa .
I can’t wait.
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