When the Raspberry Pi was announced, however, it sparked my interest again. Here was a small computer that ran Linux and could be built into bigger projects. I ordered one as soon as it was announced and in May of 2012 I had my hands on the pocket computer that was going to change everything. Then life happened and I never got around to it.

When the Raspberry Pi 2 was announced I was intrigued. Unlike the original Pi, this one runs an ARMv7 processor which means I can throw a normal Linux distro on it rather than the specially modified debian I was running before. And so, I ordered one the day they became available.

This project is going to be separated out into two parts, hardware and software. For the hardware I have the Pi itself and a LCD module that I’m hoping to use as the main way of controlling the device. Camera will depend on whatever I end up carrying around with me at the time, though the most likely will be a Canon 500D.

As for software, I’m using this as a sort of learning experience. I’m hoping to write everything in python using gphoto2 to capture the images, pillow to resize and crop the images from the camera to 1080p, lcdproc to drive the LCD module and gstreamer to convert the image sequence to h264 using the gst-omx extension that (theoretically) uses the Pi’s native h264 encoding capability. For OS, I’m running Ubuntu 14.04.1, as per this wiki post, as I run Ubuntu on my main desktop and it’ll make developing easier, and code will be posted to this github repository.

I’m using the blog posts to document my progress, though posts may be sporadic due to the fact that I very rarely have free time to work on side projects. Hopefully the next post will be soon.

I’ve gotten really into parsnips lately, and I’m starting to explore different ways of cooking and serving them. This is mainly to keep track of what I’ve tried.

I roasted the parsnips with a bit of olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Added 7 cloves of roasted garlic.

Added to a pot with about a tablespoon of butter, Parmesan and about 1/4 cup of milk. This was mashed into what is shown in the presentation photo.

This was interesting, and the flavor was actually really nice. However, since parsnips are a bit fibrous, they didn’t quite mash very well. It might have come together a bit different if I had boiled them instead of roasted, but I’m not entirely sure. Not entirely sure I’d do them like this again, though.

This post is going to be a little different, as it’s not a full recipe. I’ve long since quit doing the 52 week challenge as it was getting a little difficult to do and still maintain my stress levels down. However, I did want to revisit the Turkish Chicken I made as part of the challenge. One of the things I’ve started doing is making sure whatever I cook for the week will last us at least three to four meals so that when we come home from work all we have to do is reheat something for dinner rather than cook something from scratch.

This is something I’m calling coconut chicken experiment #1, as I’m not entirely satisfied with it yet. Smell-wise, it reminds me of something my mom used to make called Pollo en Crema, but flavor-wise, it was something all it’s own. My biggest problem with it as it stands right now is that the broth was a little on the thin side. I think next time I try this I want to try to thicken the broth into more of a sauce that will cling to the rice to give it more of a creamy consistency. I might end up doing either heavy cream, a roux, or cashew powder next time, or one of each to see what the difference is. If I do either the cream or the roux, I’ll need to alter the spices a bit to account for the added cream flavor. I’m also slightly tempted to add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon as I think that flavor would go well with everything else.

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 can coconut cream
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• Pepper
• 1/4 cup dry, unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 lemon’s worth of juice
• Brown basmati rice to serve with

Method

In a small mixing bowl, combine the paprika, cayenne, ginger powder, curry powder and coconut cream until everything is well blended together. Set aside.

Put the chicken thighs in a large ziplock bag and squeeze the lemon juice into in, making sure to coat every piece. Add the coconut cream mixture and shake to coat the chicken. Place in the fridge overnight*.

In a slow cooker, add the onion, then the chicken, then the red bell pepper on top. Set the slow cooker to high and cook for 4 1/2 hours. At 4 1/2 hours in, add the shaved coconut and stir to combine. Skim off as much fat as you can, and continue to cook for another half hour for a total of 5 hours of cook time.

Serve over rice.

* In this experiment I only marinated the chicken in the cream mixture for a few hours, so I need to remember to marinate overnight the next time.

This week’s challenge was stone fruit, and to rise to it, I created something completely out of my head. The name “Gilroy pork chops” comes from the fact that the main flavors of the sauce are cherries and garlic, both available in large quantities this time of year in Gilroy, California.

I honestly cannot remember the last time I cooked pork chops, so I went looking for tips on the best way to cook them. I ended up (like I often do) on a Serious Eats post on pork chops which recommended doing a dry brine. This sounded like a good idea, so the night before I salted the chops and stuck them in the fridge.

The following day I grabbed some cherries from the farmers market.

Pitted.

I tossed them all in a bowl…

…and added some balsamic vinegar. I figured the vinegar would draw out some of the sweet flavor of the cherries similar to the way it did in my strawberry salsa.

While that was marinating, I chopped up some garlic.

In order for the timing to work out, I took the chops out of the fridge and threw them in a 250F oven. The idea was to get the chops to 120F internal temperature so that when I seared them in the pan afterwards, they’d end up in the 130F range.

While that was cooking, I started the sauce. Garlic down first.

Next came the cherries.

Opened up some wine…

…and added half a cup to the cherries. This was simmered until it reduced slightly.

The cherries were transferred back to the bowl and a couple of sprigs of thyme thrown on top to draw out a bit of thyme flavor.

Having reached the internal temperature I desired, the chops were thrown into a roaring hot cast iron pan with some butter and thyme.

Final plating before serving with an arugula salad with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

This was honestly really good. I had no idea what to expect from the combination of flavors, but this is definitely something that’s going to be added to the normal rotation.

Ingredients

• Two center cut pork chops
• 1 basket of cherries, halved, washed and pitted
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup Pino Noir
• Salt for dry brining
• Pepper to taste

Method

The night before, heavily salt the pork chops and place in the fridge uncovered.

In a bowl, toss the cherries with balsamic vinegar. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 250F. Take pork chops out of fridge and grind fresh black pepper on both sides. Place in oven and cook until the internal temperature of the chops reaches 120F.

Meanwhile, heat a pan to medium high with a small amount of oil. Saute the garlic until it browns and add the cherries, stirring to distribute evenly. Cherries should be in one layer in the pan. When cherries begin to soften, add the wine and reduce the temperature to bring to a simmer. Once sauce has reduced slightly (should have a syrupy consistency), remove cherries from heat. Add the thyme sprigs to the top to let the leaves wilt slightly with the heat.

Heat a pan on high until it begins smoking. Add the pork chops and butter to the pan, placing the thyme that’s been on the cherries on top of the chops. Spoon the drippings and butter over the chops for 30 seconds, then flip, repeating the process. Remove the chops onto a wire rack. Add the cherries to the same pan, push to the sides and add the chops to the center. Spoon the cherries over the pork chops and plate immediately. Timing is crucial here to avoid overcooking the pork chops.

Serve with a salad of bitter herbs and a glass of the same wine you cooked with. Serves two.

This week’s theme in the 52 weeks of cooking reddit challenge was Turkish. If Beligan food was foreign to me, Turkish is even more so as I’ve never had or seen Turkish food anywhere. I went looking for what constituted “traditional” Turkish flavors and came up with this meal.

What’s funny is that I often make fun of the phenomenon on All Recipes where people will post in the comments that they found the recipe to be excellent, except they changed like 90% of it. Today’s meal is based on this recipe, with some slight variations.

Start with some bone-in chicken thighs.

Lemon.Sliced. Juice was squeezed onto chicken.

Ground ginger.

Greek yogurt.

Spices.

Into yogurt.

Combined.

Added to chicken. This was put into the fridge overnight.

Olive oil into a cast iron pan.

Chicken into pan. This was put into the broiler.

8 cloves of garlic.

Diced and fried in a bit of olive oil.

Water added and brought to a boil.

Couscous.

Into boiling water, off the heat.

Covered.

Chicken out.

Plated.

Overall, this came out really well. I am definitely going to add this to my regular rotation as it produces enough for two nights (two thighs per serving) and the flavor is really interesting. I paired this with a Dahlia Reserve 2011 Pino Noir (which if you can find, is pretty excellent), but I have read that wine tends to not be paired with Turkish food as much even though they do have a wine industry.

Ingredients

Chicken

• 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 tsp dry crushed mint
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 lemon’s worth of juice
• 1 cup greek yogurt

Couscous

• 1 cup whole wheat couscous
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste

Method

Cook time: 30 minutes

Prep time: 10 minutes plus overnight marination

In a large ziplock bag, add the chicken thighs and the lemon juice. Shake to coat evenly, then set aside.

In a large bowl combine the yogurt, cayenne, paprika, mint and ginger with a rubber spatula or whisk. Add to ziplock bag with chicken and ensure that the mixture coats the chicken evenly. Close and refrigerate overnight.

Pre-heat the broiler with a pan. Once broiler has hit the target temperature, remove pan and add a bit of olive oil. Immediately add the chicken thighs, skin side down and return to broiler for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 400F and cook for another 15 minutes.

While chicken is in the oven, saute garlic in a bit of olive oil until golden. Remove from heat and let cool. Add one cup of water and bring to a boil. Once water has boiled, remove from heat and add couscous and salt. Stir to combine and cover for 5 minutes. Serve immediately once chicken has finished.

This week’s challenge was beer, and not wanting to make something fried, I decided to make chicken tacos instead. This week is not going to include a recipe because while this came out rather well, I want to tweak it a bit to make it a bit more Asian-fusion.

One quarter red onion.

Sliced into strips.

Four garlic cloves.

Diced.

Crimini mushrooms.

Sliced.

Chicken breast.

Flattened.

Sliced and seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.

Onions in pan.

Garlic in pan.

Chicken and mushrooms in pan.

Half a bottle of Lagunitas IPA.

Simmering.

Lacking a proper comal, I have to make due with a griddle pan.

Fresh cilantro added right before plating.

All in all this came out really well. I’m going to add this to my regular stable of weeknight meals as it came together rather quickly, but I think I’m going to swap out the crimini mushrooms for shitake and use soy sauce instead of salt to give it a bit more body.

Two things happened this past week in Northern California: we had record heat and strawberries have started showing up in mass quantities at the local farmers markets. At my fiance’s suggestion, this made it an excellent time to do milkshakes. This week’s challenge was diner food, so it was also perfect timing.

Milkshakes are pretty simple.

Rough chopped the strawberries.

Added a bit of milk.

A splash of rum.

Blended.

Two scoops of ice cream per person.

This was blended and served with whipped cream and a cherry on top. As it’s pretty self explanatory, I’m not posting a recipe.

It started with a half cup of sugar.

Then a half cup of light corn syrup.

A quarter teaspoon of salt.

A heaping cup of peanuts.

I didn’t get a picture of the previous step of boiling everything except for the peanuts with 1/4 cup of water whilst stirring. Too many things were happening at once to really allow myself that luxury. Peanuts were added after it started to boil and stirred to combine.

It’s unfortunate that I didn’t get video of this happening, but once you add the 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, it starts foaming up almost instantly. It’s really crazy.

Poured onto greased baking sheet to cool.

This was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. I was really paranoid at first due to the fact that I’d never done anything with a caramel before and was afraid of either burning the caramel or myself. This is definitely something I’ll try again, though I think I’ll use salted peanuts next time to give it that salty/sweet flavor combination.

I’m not going to include a recipe because I roughly followed this one, with the exception that I added about a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

This week’s challenge was Peruvian, and while I have a passing familiarity with Peruvian food, I’ve never attempted to actually make any. I decided I would do a take on camarones saltados, but due to not being able to find any aji amarillo peppers, this is not entirely accurate. What follows is mostly “Peruvian inspired” rather than straight Peruvian fare, and as such I will not be including a recipe at the end.

Every time I make something with uncleaned shrimp, I wonder if the end result is going to be worth the effort of de-shelling, de-veining, and cleaning the shrimp. I kept the shells because I was going to use them later, so in this case I didn’t really have a choice.

Shrimp were thrown into a brine with fresh cilantro and refrigerated while I worked on everything else.

Potatoes originally come from the Peruvian region and as such, they show up in a lot of Peruvian cuisine.

Cut into wedges.

The shells were thrown into a pot with a bit of oil and sauted. This was to introduce a deep shrimp flavor into the water that I would later use to boil the potatoes.

I brought the broth to a boil…

…then removed the shells and added the potatoes.

Spices were prepared. This flavor combination (especially with the fresh cilantro) gives this dish a bit more of a Mexican bent.

About a teaspoon and a half of each went in and were combined.

Tomatoes were peeled, relieved of their seeds, and sliced. An interesting trick I found while looking for recipes was to cut slits in the tomatoes, then quickly blanch them. The skins peel off with very little effort afterwards, and since I already had a pot of boiling water after par-boiling the potatoes, there was no reason not to try it. This works a lot better than I thought it would.

Since I couldn’t find any aji amarillo, I used a jalapeño instead.

Diced.

After draining the brined shrimp, the spices were added and tossed to thoroughly cover.

Half a sliced red onion went into a pan with a little bit of oil.

Once the onions began to soften, in went the potatoes.

Then the tomato and pepper were added.

Everything was quickly stir fried. After the vegetables had cooked, they were transferred to another pan and the shrimp were added to the now empty pan. I completely forgot to take a picture of that step.

Once the shrimp had begun turning pink, the vegetables were readded, and again stir fried with the shrimp.

Plated with fresh cilantro on top.

This was paired with a nice California Sauvignon Blanc. My takeaways were that it was a bit on the salty side. Since I brined the shrimp, I should have refrained from using salt on the rest of the dish as the shrimp would add their own saltiness. This is also not exactly the flavor I’ve encountered with lomo saltado (beef), but it was still pretty good. With some refinements, I’d do it again.

Pizza is always fun to make, and I’ve slowly been refining my dough recipe. This week’s challenge was 80s food, and apparently pesto on everything was a thing in the 80s. I figured it was a good excuse as any to make a pizza.

One of these days I’m going to get around to transcribing my pizza dough recipe to baker’s ratios. However, one of the newer things I’ve been trying out is proofing the dough overnight in the fridge. It’s given me pretty excellent results the past two times I’ve done it.

Core ingredient in pesto is, of course, basil.

Pine nuts too.

In the food processor with dry red pepper flake, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

I still think my hand blender was one of the best kitchen purchases I’ve ever made. I use it fairly regularly.

Blended.

Another thing I was going to try was cooking the pizza in my cast iron pan. I’d been wanting to try for a while, and after reading this blog post, I figured I might as well try for this challenge.

Pesto applied.

Cheese applied. I used a smoked mozzarella for this.

Potato sliced.

Topped.

Overall, this came out OK. Not including a recipe this time, though, because I’m not 100% satisfied with it. I think future iterations I might par-boil the potatoes first to let them cook a bit before adding to the pizza, and I think I definitely need to add roasted garlic as well.

The crust was amazing, however, and I am definitely going to keep making pizza in my cast iron from now on.