What's cooking? part 4

i made some disastrous indian filo puff things tonight... they are in the oven now. i have never cooked with filo before but i must have done something wrong: the recipe said to use two sheets and to put 2-3 generous spoonfuls of the filling on top before rolling up tightly... well, the whole thing melted! so then i panicked and just started grabbing a bunch of sheets and kind of mushing everything together.

ok these are half gross, half good: all those layers of pastry remained pretty much uncooked - i think i needed to oil them? but i don't have a pastry brush.

yeah, when you layer phyllo, it's the butter or oil between the layers that lets it get crisp and puffy. If you have an oil mister (like the Misto), that works better than a pastry brush (for oils, not for melted butter).

Man no kidding, I have a hard time not just eating the whole thing on bread the minute I take it out of the oven.

Tell me about it. I'm dreadful at just standing in the kitchen squeezing the cloves onto the bread - just take them to the table and sit down! Must admit I tend to do them w'out the foil, but I can't see as how it would make any difference other than taking slightly longer.

valuable lessons with the habanero

An oil mister! what a great idea.

It'll go great with my oil missus.

Oh, dadpaws.

why is my hand and face still burning from this

omg

eek

index and naughty fingers still slightly burning iirc

Let that be a lesson to you then.

I once got chilli in my eye - this was after I'd washed my hands, too - man, it hurt.

on a complete standoff w/ my genitals btw

I planted a bunch of chilies this year for the first time and got a 100-pack of plastic gloves for the peeling and destemming and stuff.

That reminds me, I need to pull up last years jalapeno bushes - theyve gone all feral and end-of-seasony.

one more post and i'll shut up about my habanero disaster

so my girlfriend stopped by after work, while i was cooking still, and just sort of helped herself to my milk (straight out of the jug, as both she and i are wont to do), and immediately goes WHY ARE MY LIPS BURNING!!!

lol

hahaha damn, you must have been rolling in it

lunch co-op has been awesome! trying to convince coworkers to start a blog so we can share recipes. one made an amazing moroccan pot pie with a phyllo crust this week. omg nom.

things i have made so far:
gazpacho
tuna, white bean, and arugala salad
veggie/chicken masala
quinoa summer salad
ratatouille
build-you-own spinach salad (ie lots of containers of goodies to throw on the spinach)

can not wait for soupy season!

last weekend i roasted some beets (omg hot kitchen but it was worth it!) and tossed them in a mustardy vinaigrette, served over spinach... made me anxious for fall!

coconut rice pudding mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

my bro and i are having birthdays so i made a triple batch of macaroons to cover both parties

http://www.flickr.com/photos/95905148@N00/4959306005/

also made: 1x chocolate cake w/ raspberry buttercream and ganache (kind of too rich tbh), and a ton of mezze-y stuff - broad bean falafel, kofte, hummus, tzatziki, tabbouleh, aubergine salad, etc etc. i was only assistant/plongeur for the savoury cooking tho.

plongeuse, maybe.

Dammit I wanted to make gooseberry raised pies today, but no gooseberries to be found. Used to have them in the garden when I was growing up and they make the best puddings and jams. So roast lamb and flageolet beans for main, and then, I don't know, perhaps some pears or something for after, no, wait, ginger ice cream. Maybe.

So nearly went for steak and kidney pudding, but it's still a little early in the year for it.

those macaroons are GORGEOUS!

i'm attempting massaman curry tonight again hoping i can come out with something i like this time. trying letting the beef marinate in coconut milk and ginger for about an hour, then simmering about 20 minutes or so, before i go ahead with the usual fry off the paste and all that.

i had an idea at work today for something else to do with it, too, but i forgot now that i'm home so it'll probably not be that great again.

sounds awesome!

i have been having fun with rose petal preserves

yeah i'm a little ways into the simmering stage now and that alone is tasting kinda great (oh i lied, in addition to the coconut milk/ginger i chopped up about four thai red chiles + fish sauce for the marinade)

i have never heard of rose petal preserves!

here's how i have been eating them:

1) on a cracker (goat chz, rose preserves, thinly sliced apple)
2) in a crepe (fig + preserves)

later this week i plan on making some puff pastry turnovers with it, but i'm not sure if i want to do the apple/cheese combo or stick with dessert fig.

if you like flowery-flavored foods, rose petal preserves are AMAZING. bet they would be good heated and poured over vanilla ice cream or sthg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3555/3281853303_31926e7103.jpg

ummmm emergency tips for ACCIDENTLY DOUBLED THE CARDAMOM?

halp

(wow i totally misspelled unicycle)

pods - just take one out
seeds - deal with it? (but i love cardamom)

ground

the cardomom is a bit overpowering but it's def edible :\

A fall harvest meal that's starting to be a tradition every year when I get the first picking of mustard greens from my parents' garden -- sweet potatoes, mustard, blackeyed peas, cornbread. I had half a head of cabbage in the fridge that needed to get used up so I barely sauteed/steamed it as well. Sometimes I think I like fall vegetables better than spring ones, but next year when it's time for sweet peas and asparagus I'll change my tune. Oh yeah, the greens and peas had pepper sauce I made from my tabasco and 5-color chilies.

I'm salivating at the mere thought of mustard greens and pepper sauce.

I say this every year, but mustard >>>>>>>>>>>>> turnip/collard.

mustard greens are a dream!

that sounds amazingly delicious.

Cold weather means it's LET'S MAKE BEEF STOCK day.

same lesson; different chile

lesson not quite so harsh today

Pumpkin soup with cumin and coriander seeds and crumbled up dried chillies. Very very nice.

for dinner:
rice with chorizo, peas, corn, seasonings
grilled chicken thighs seasoned with chile pulla and guajillo, garlic, salt, sazon goya
arugula salad with pico de gallo
tons of leftovers for lunch tomorrow

for dessert:
monkey bread (for us)
banana bread (for students when they take their midterms tomorrow)

i made a MESS of the kitchen, but had a delicious malbec in return
can't wait for the baked goods to be done

just made a chicken/veggie tikka masala
also made a cucumber salad to take to work for the week

i've not been very creative lately. too busy :( miss pnw produce!!

don't feel bad, just keep cookin

i used yogurt instead of coconut milk and it was going really well, then separated.
everything is separating on me lately!
i am really having terrible luck with anything dairy sauce related!

Roasted a chicken last night and made a fantastic pan of cornbread with whipped honey butter. Apple crisp for dessert (made from our backyard apples!) w/ sour cream sweetened with a little brown sugar. Today, I picked and peeled about 3 pecks of apples and am attempting to make apple butter in my slow cooker. Smells so good right now.

Bought a duck, made some fresh curry paste with a mortar and pestle, simmered the duck in curry paste, coconut milk and veggies. Mm.