Chef'n the Recession

After an Extended Period of Absence...

2010-01-23T06:01:00.003-05:00

Wow! Its been a MONTH since my last post! As you can see above, I have been cooking, just not posting... at all. For which I must apologize... to myself mostly. This site is pretty much showcasing my efforts toward learning the culinary arts. I give any prospective employer in food service the address to this site so they can see I actually have SOME ability. But I just have not updated because I have been very busy... which is a great thing.

I continue to search for work... which, if done right, can become pretty much a full time job. And it has paid off. I have had many interviews here and there, and I actually have had a few prospects lined up. One of these still looks very promising, in fact I am pretty much hired, just waiting to hear from the chef about the schedule.

That's right, a job in the kitchen. Hopefully it pulls through. Until then I have also had a few electrical side jobs here and there, and I continue to work at the ongoing project at Dan and Jackie's.

So as I said, I've been pretty busy. Still, I want to try and keep this up. So now I'll showcase the main dishes I prepared over the past month...

... First I actually want to discuss a new facet to my culinary inspiration: Food Network. More precisely, Alton Brown. This guy knows what he's talking about. Watching his show, "Good Eats," is fascinating. Having never been to a culinary institute, I may not know much about what I am saying, but this show is so packed with valuable information, it seems to me that it is the closest you can get to actually attending without spending loads of money you don't have.

That is, if you can catch all the information that suddenly and quickly flies out of his mouth, right in the middle of and in between recipes. Thank you DVR. Call me cheap, lame, retarded, whatever... but I replay those large doses of information over and over to take notes.

Reading the forward of his book, "I'm Just Here For the Food," Brown admits that although most people are content just knowing how to do something, and not bothering with the why, for him to truly understand how something is done, he must first understand why it works.

This is very interesting to me, as this is how I have always thought. Once I understand why something works the way it does, I know it will always work the same way, and I also understand (as with flavors and recipes) how I can manipulate the outcome.

So, long story short, Alton Brown rocks. To me, he's a great mentor on the beginning of the road to culinary expertise; Aptly nicknamed "the 'Bill Nye' of cooking."

Alright so I'm going to list no directions today... just ingredients, pictures, and a few remarks for the meals I've made; The first being the Stuffed Tomatoes pictured at the top. I'll leave it to you to figure out exactly how to recreate them... I can't remember. There's just way too much going on.

Stuffed Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Cilantro
Oregano
Olive Oil
Onions
Avocado
Lime Juice
Red Pepper
Egg
Bread Crumbs
Ground Beef
Salt and Pepper
Chedder Cheese

Spinach Salad With Bacon

Beef Bacon
Onion
Red Wine
Salt and Pepper
Boiled Eggs
Goat Cheese
Spinach

Lexie Rates this a 9 out of 10. Its pretty simple. Basically you fry the bacon and then fry the onion in the fat. Add the wine and seasoning and then reduce a bit. While still hot, add the rest and pour it over fresh spinach.Top with cheese. Easy.

Now for some corn tortillas...

Corn flour, milk, and salt... rolled into little balls...

Flatten...

as thin as possible.

peel off plastic

no oil...

Don't smash in a fit of anger... try, try, again...

Chopped Steak

Ground Beef

Cilantro

Oregano

Cumin

Salt

Black Pepper

Arbol Chiles

Garlic

Lime Juice

Flatten into thin steaks with holes in the middle. Fry onions and bell peppers and lay steaks on top. Leave until cooked. Do not flip patties. They will steam cook through their holes. Lexie gave these babies a full 10.

Sorry, no more pictures. The camera was full. However, I am determined to keep this blog up at least until I have regular employment. So check back soon.

Asiago and Turkey Capsicums

2009-12-26T12:06:00.002-05:00

It seems to me that those who are currently jobless can make but one of two choices. Either (1) continue searching for jobs in your local area, unabated, until you find one, or (2) look for jobs in areas with better markets. It can be pretty difficult to come to the right conclusion.

For those that do not have the luxury that my wife and I have been gifted, being able to stop and consider our options for a while, time is of essence. There are a few things I have learned through a bit of experience, but also through a few articles that I have cited. So here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Even though you are out of work, make a schedule for yourself. Set aside a good amount of time, maybe 4-5 hours a day, for job hunting. But also set aside time for other things to keep your mind occupied, and not get depressed. Some suggestions are doing volunteer work, writing a blog about the career your interested in, finishing any projects you may have been putting off (home repair/improvement, novels, music, ect), start your own business, or pursue point # 3.

It is appalling to note that many of the unemployed in America are serious time wasters. According to CBS Moneywatch.com, 5 out 6 of the unemployed do not even engage in a regular job search.

2. Go over your finances and do not overspend. First, note your assets and take stock of what you do have. Mainstreet.com advises to use cash for all essentials. Although we'd all like to have "enough cash saved up to see you through the brief period in between employment... [you] need to know what alternative sources of cash you can liquidate or borrow against." Use of credit for non-essentials is a good strategy, as long as you are able to limit your spending to an occasional dine out to lift your spirits. And of course you always want to thoroughly track your spending.

3. It is suggested by many economists to use your time to further your education. In fact, returning to school and riding out the storm may be a much better option than moving to another state, as the economy is effecting the entire United States. According to USA Today, the only sectors that are expected to be hiring for a while are education, health services, and the government. So it may be time to buckle down and train for something new.

4. If you do intend to move, the same USA Today article does admit, "If people can move to find work, they can get back on their feet and spend money more quickly, helping to lift the economy sooner than if they had not moved." But such a move should be only after proper research, planning and preparation has shown that there is substantial work and economical housing in the area.

Here is one more article with some great insight into unemployment by US News.com. Print it out and read it over dinner. Lexie's rating it a 9. Sorry... no final pic this time. I'll try to add one later when I make it again.

Asiago and Turkey Capsicums

Ingredients:
Stuffed Capsicums:
1 lb ground turkey

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ cup cooked rice
1 tsp tabasco sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg
2 green capsicums (peppers), cored and halved

Asiago Sauce:
4 tbsp butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
¾ cup white wine
½ cup sour cream
½-¾ cup asiago cheese
½ tomato, chopped
1 tbsp dried cilantro

Preparation Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Combine all the ingredients except the for the capsicums in a large mixing bowl. Knead the combination with hands until thoroughly mixed.

3. Stuff each half of capsicum with equal portions of the mixture.

4. Place each capsicum in a very lightly oiled baking dish and bake for one hour.

5. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add onions and stir-fry until slightly softened. Then add wine and bring to a boil.

6. Lower to low/medium heat and stir in sour cream a little at a time. Continue process with cheese. Continue to stir until completely melted.

7. Lower heat and simmer. Add tomatoes and dried cilantro. Continue to stir for a few minutes. Remove from heat and cover.

8. When capsicums are fully cooked, serve on top of rice or pasta and drizzle with asiago cheese sauce.

Serves 4

Chicken Cordon Bleu Over Noodles with Bacon Sauce

2009-12-25T19:05:00.003-05:00

Despite being unemployed I am an extremely busy individual with a very full routine. Thus I have fallen waaaay behind in posting. So today I will post a recipe I cooked a few days ago. After this I will only be behind by one. The meal has been the banner on my site for some time now, and is one that I consider to be my best.

My mother was a full-time worker, as most mothers are today. I can remember many an evening when, after returning from a hard day’s work as a school teacher, she would open a can of cream of mushroom soup and pour it over a few chicken breasts with salt and pepper. She would cook some egg noodles and a vegetable, and that would be dinner. I loved it.

So when I started cooking for myself, I would many times find myself in the same situation, and I would make the same meal. However, I would always try to improve upon it. One time with cheese, another time with sour cream. Adding this, adding that, until one day I had a revelation (one that probably would have come to any other intelligent person a long time ago). Why not make the soup from scratch? No... Why not make the make the soup from scratch, add bacon, and make the chicken into chicken cordon bleu? So, that is exactly what I did.

It may not be a quick meal anymore, but at one hour to prepare and cook, its not too bad... Lexie gives a 10 out of 10 to...

Chicken Cordon Bleu Over Noodles with Bacon Sauce

Ingredients:

Chicken Cordon Bleu:

4 chicken breast fillets

4 slices of provolone cheese

4 slices of ham

1 egg, beaten

½ cup plain dry breadcrumbs

½ cup corn oil

all purpose flour, for coating

Bacon Sauce With Egg Noodles:

2½ tbsp butter

1 tsp lemon juice

4 spring onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp thyme

3 mushrooms, sliced

½ tsp white pepper

7 strips bacon, precooked and chopped

chicken trimmings (from cordon bleu)

1 tbsp all purpose flour

4 cups chicken stock

pinch celery seeds

chicken trimmings

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tbsp all purpose flour (to thicken)

3 cups of egg noodles, boiled

Preparation Instructions:

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and then fry the garlic, onion, and thyme. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the lemon juice, mushrooms, white pepper, and some salt. Continue to stir occasionally.

2. Cook until the mushrooms just begin to brown and soften. Add the bacon and chicken trimmings and then cook for a minute or two longer.

3. Add the first tablespoon of flour and stir. Let cook for one minute more.

4. Simmer and begin to add the stock slowly while stirring gently. Next add celery seeds and bring to a boil. Continue to stir.

5. Reduce heat and stir in the cream. Mix the the remaining flour with ½ a cup or less of water at room tempterature and add to sauce.

6. Return to low medium heat and stir occasionally until sauce thickens.

Season with salt and pepper and serve over chicken cordon bleu and egg noddles.

Serves 4

Pea and Lentil Chowder

2009-12-25T18:34:00.001-05:00

So I forgot that one recipe actually had no pictures at all. That is this delicious recipe for pea soup.

After Jackie made ham one night (the same night as the poached pears), we had plenty of leftover ham. In fact we still have some in the freezer. So I boiled the ham bone and crafted this recipe around traditional pea soup, but a little better. Lexie gives it an 8.5.

Pea and Lentil Chowder

Ingredients:

1 ham bone
1 cup ham, chopped
4-5 cups of water
4 carrots, chopped into 1 inch lengths
3 bay leaves
5 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion
1 cup chicken stock
pinch of celery seeds
2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup fresh cilantro
2 cups lentils, cooked and strained
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon white pepper

Preparation Instructions:
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the ham bone, half the onion and half the garlic until soft.

2. Add water, carrots, bay leaves and celery seeds and broil to a boil. Cook for 2-3 hours or until you have about 2 cups of ham stock in the pot.

3. Remove the ham bone and add the chicken stock, peas, white pepper, and the rest of the onion and garlic. Cook about 15 minutes or until the peas are soft.

4. Remove the bay leaves, puree the soup in a blender with the cilantro, and then return the mixture to the saucepan over low heat. Next, add the lentils, ham, and cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes more and then serve.

* This is delicious over mashed potatoes.

Herb Kissed Roast Beef

2009-12-21T10:24:00.001-05:00

Well, as I said in my last post, I have been doing a lot of cooking, but not much posting due to the job search and construction. Over the next few posts I will be posting recipes I have created over the past few weeks.

In addition to not posting, Lexie and I have also not really had the time to document my cooking with pictures lately. So the next few posts will have fewer pictures. Some posts will have only the final picture, and some will have only a few step by step photos.

Lexie rated my roast beef a 6. She says its pretty average. Not bad at all, but not amazing. I would tend to agree on this, as I accidentally got involved in something else and left the roast in the oven for too long. Usually we like our meat medium-rare, but as you can see, its more medium well to well done.

I think the vegetables turned out pretty well. Lexie agrees with a rating of 9.

Ingredients:

1 bottom round roast

1/2 onion, sliced thick

1/2 onion, chopped fine

5 cloves garlic, minced

4 mushrooms, sliced

4 carrots, chopped

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

thyme

salt

pepper

1/2 cup red wine

Preparation Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. At the bottom of a baking dish add carrots, mushrooms, basil, white pepper, olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon of thyme, and half of the chopped onion and garlic. Season further to taste with salt and pepper. Mix together.

2. Wash the roast with water and dry thoroughly with a towel. Next, rub the roast all over with salt, pepper, and thyme.

3. Place roast on top of the vegetables in the baking dish and rub the rest of the chopped onion and garlic into the roast. Pour wine over the roast and vegetables.

4. Cover and cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes, then uncover and cook for 10-30 minutes more, depending on how well you desire your meat to be cooked. Remove the roast from the oven, let it set for twenty minutes, and then serve.

Pears Poached Purple

2009-12-20T14:05:00.006-05:00

So it has been quite a long time since I have posted anything. I have been extremely busy lately and not had a chance to do very much posting. But there has been plenty of job searching, loss mitigation, construction, and, of course, cooking going on.

You know, a lot of people are leaving Florida right now. It is just as well. Florida is the home of the 3rd worst job market in the US, according to a Gallup.com poll. Sited to be in such a state due to the recent "housing disaster" we Floridians are dealing with, Florida is only topped by Michigan and Rhode Island as the worst job markets. According to the most recent news headlines on MSNBC, 45% of the population of Detroit is now out of work, due to the crippling of the american automotive industry.

However, the best job markets can be found in "oil-producing states [such as] Wyoming, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas." But with the country's sudden apparent interest in "going green," this trend will probably not last long. I understand that soon the government will be giving incentives for businesses and homeowners to switch to solar, wind, and other eco-friendly froms of energy... which is great news for electricians like me.

I would venture to say that some of the best places to move (without needing to turn around and relocate again in another couple years) would be states that are on the above map that have a "Better" or "Best" job market rating, but are not so dependent on oil.

The most recent "Moving Trends" report by U-pack Moving shows that, according to their records, Florida has the second highest count of outbound movers. It is also ranked tenth in the nation for states with a higher ratio of outbound moves to inbound. In short, a lot of people are leaving without any coming in to take their place.

The U-pack report reads: "It is interesting to track and compare the percentages of inbound and outbound moves for cities and states. These statistics could indicate potential trends in population growth or decline..."

Other states with a high percentage of outbound moves are New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Nevada, Michigan, California, Alaska, Connecticut, and New York. While states that have a high percentage of people moving in are Hawaii, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Montana, Kentucky, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana. States that have balanced percentage are Arizona, Oregon, Indiana, and Nebraska.

What does all of this mean? Well when you compare these statistics with the states that have the highest volumes of inbound an outbound moves and the job market map above, I believe it may be evident where the best and worst places to move (economically) are.

Texas, North Carolina, and Louisiana seem to be great states all around, however, due to that fact that everyone seems to be moving to these states (especially Texas and North Carolina), I would venture to suggest that states where few are moving in or out, but have a good job market (not involved with oil), such as Utah and Colorado, would be the ideal places to move.

It may even be more beneficial to find a state that has a good job market, but has more people moving out than coming in. However the only state that matches this criteria is Alaska! Hmm...

So, basically, we're thinking about moving if my wife and/or I can find the right opportunity. I am sure many people in this nation are doing the same. But in this economy, it is especially important to do your research before you move.

And if you are considering a move, you may want to sit back and think over your decision over "Pears Poached Purple." Lexie gives it a 10... I am on a roll!

Pears Poached Purple

Ingredients:

4 firm pears, peeled and cored (leave stem)

2 cups sweet concord grape wine (Manischewitz is good)

½ cup moscato

3 tbsp brandy

4 whole cloves

1 tsp sugar

1 cup plain yogurt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp honey

1 cup crumbled ginger snaps

Preparation Instructions:

1. Make sure your pears are peeled and cored first.

2. Pour the wines and brandy into a sauce pan that’s just large enough to hold the pears. Add the cloves and the pears. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 40 minutes, turning the pairs occasionally.

3. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Put pears and juice into a bowl and cover. Refrigerate overnight.

4. Mix the yogurt, honey, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Refrigerate.

5. Take bowl out and strain the juice into a pan. Add the sugar. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until reduced by two thirds into a syrup. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

6. To serve, place each pair in a dish and drench in syrup. Spoon the yogurt over the top of the pair and top with ginger snap crumbs. Serve any additional crumbs on the side.

* Be sure not to overfeed hyperactive one year olds.

Stuffed Zucchini Parmesan

2009-12-04T16:22:00.003-05:00

So Lexie, Harrison, and I are now pretty much settled in at our new home. Dan and Jackie, our friends (more like family, actually) that are allowing us to stay with them until we get on our feet, are just about the most awesome couple you will ever meet. Very easy going, kind, and generous, we are eager to help out around the house in any way we can, and there is plenty to do.

Before we can actually begin construction on the house, there is a load of prep work to be done. The first thing that needs to be completed is the garage. The electric needs to be run and the ceiling needs to be drywalled and finished. However, the space has been used to store all sorts of tools, equipment, materials, and various household items for some time. So, before anything else was touched, the garage needed to be cleaned out. In the past two days alone, I estimate that I have moved more than two tons of paraphernalia! Its been fun, its been great to actually have something to keep me occupied.

As far as job hunting, Lexie and I continue our search day by day, and night after night. Despite the fact that our house is being foreclosed on, we refuse to allow ourselves to feel defeat. In fact, thanks to Dan and Jackie, and our God, Jehovah, we ultimately feel encouraged and are able to keep from getting depressed about the situation we're in. We're really happy to have friends like them.

Lately, I have been going through the phone book and calling every electrical company in alphabetical order. Thus far, I have called businesses all the way up through "G." A lot more lines have been disconnected than I thought there would be, and not a single company that I called was hiring. On top of the crappy economy, this is usually the slow season for electrical work, so finding a job now will probably be pretty much beyond the bounds of reality. But that won't stop me from looking.

The calling has not been entirely in vain either. I have found two companies, so far, that told me to call back at the beginning of the new year, as they may have work then. I will continue my calling through the yellowpages' contractors over the next few days. Hopefully, "H" through "Z" will be more fruitful.

Cooking has been pretty entertaining the past few days. My cooking equipment is mostly all packed away, and getting used to Jackie's kitchen has been interesting. Although it took me a while to find out where everything was, now I am comfortable enough with the arrangement.

Last night I tried something new; a combination of three recipes. Unfortunately, Lexie has been to busy to be taking pictures of the food preparation, however, she did photograph the final results. Lexie rates it 10 out of 10. Dan and Jackie loved it.

Stuffed Zucchini Parmesan

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds

2 teaspoons paprika

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons sage

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 zucchini
1 onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup rice, cooked
2 tomatoes, chopped and lightly stained
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 teaspoons oregano
2 cups marinara sauce
6 slices provolone cheese
1 teaspoon basil
8 oz box spaghetti, al dente

Preparation Instructions:
1. In a medium sized bowl, mix the turkey, fennel seeds, paprika, sugar, sage, red wine vinegar, black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the minced garlic. Knead the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

2. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. With a spoon, hollow out the halves, carving out the pulp until the halves are 1/8 to 1/4 inches thick. Finely chop up the pulp. Refrigerate.

3. After the allotted time, take the ground turkey out of the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On medium heat, cook the turkey in a medium saucepan with half the zucchini pulp, the onion and the rest of the garlic. When the meat is cooked through, drain.

4. Return meat to saucepan and add rice, tomatoes, one teaspoon of oregano, and the rest of the salt.

5. Fill the zucchini halves with the turkey and place in a large baking dish side by side. Sprinkle the rest of the pulp, oregano, and basil randomly around the dish. Pour the marinara sauce over the stuffed zucchini and pulp. Arrange provolone slices on top.

6. Cover the dish and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the zucchini is soft. Serve on top of spaghetti.

Serves 4-6.

Potato Pancakes with Steak, Eggs and Gravy

2009-11-29T13:58:00.004-05:00

Alright, I am determined to show my mistakes as well as my successes. In my last post I mentioned a chicken dinner that went awry. I'm not sure whether my mothers oven was at all to blame, but after following the recipe for Chicken Ballotine precisely, the bird turned out to be a mess.

Well... maybe 'precisely' is not the proper term. As I have noted already in this blog, I ALWAYS have to change something. In fact, sometimes I change a lot; maybe even too much. The ballotine recipe called for the chicken to be served cold. That did not sound very appetizing to me. Along with that, I did not have time to refrigerate it a day, and I wanted to cook it that night.

So I did some research and found that Chicken Ballotine can be served hot. Not in this particular recipe... but all I had to do was change the stuffing a bit so that it could be sliced hot and still stay together right?

Wrong. After painstakingly taking the time and effort to carefully bone the chicken without piercing the skin, it was all for not. The spinach, goat cheese, and breadcrumb stuffing, in the end, was delicious, but I overstuffed the bird, and as it cooked, the bird seemed to crap out the green substance. And perhaps I did not put enough breadcrumbs in the mix, because when the bird was sliced, the stuffing that was still inside went everywhere. That's not so terrible. But then, on top of everything, parts of the bird were undercooked. Each slice had to be nuked in the microwave before eating because it was impossible to stick the thing back in the oven. This gave the meat a rubbery texture. At least I can blame that part on my mom's oven, because I followed the cooking instructions in the recipe to the letter.

The only thing that came out well was the sauce I made to go on top of everything. It is a clone of Carrabba's "Chicken Bryan" sauce that I found on Robbie's Recipe s. This site is excellent for finding recipes of this nature. I have used it many times in the past.

So that was my latest misadventure in cooking. Since I have spent most of my time in the past week packing and moving, I did not have any economic or job searching experiences worth sharing. So I thought I'd give a little insight into my cooking knowledge: I'm still learning. But I learn by taking risks and experimenting. Its fun.

Now for my latest recipe that was not a complete disaster. On the contrary, it was given a 9.5 out of 10 by my beautiful wife, Lexie, as opposed to 1 out of 10 for the "Chicken Bryan Ballotine." You win some. You lose some.

Potato Pancakes with Steak, Eggs and Gravy

This is very helpful for the use of leftovers for the common roast beef dinner, including mashed potatoes and gravy. Like most traditional American breakfasts, it is not the most healthy, but it is delicious. I made it at my mothers house again (as all my dishes are packed away).

Ingredients:

Potato Pancakes

1 cup leftover mashed potatoes

1 - 2 cups plain flour
1 - 2 cups milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

Mushroom and Steak Gravy
1 cup leftover beef gravy
12 oz leftover roast beef (or steak), chopped

4 tablespoons butter

6 oz fresh field mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons A1 steak sauce
1 cup milk

Eggs

10 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

parmesan cheese, shredded

Preparation Instructions:

1. Make the pancake batter by whipping all ingredients together in a large bowl. For thicker pancakes, use less milk or more flour. For thinner pancakes use more milk or less flour. After batter is free of large clumps, set aside.

2. On medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan. Add meat and stir-fry until browned. Next add onions and cook until softened. Now add mushrooms and basil and stir-fry until starting to soften and brown. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Add red wine vinegar and allow to cook for 3 more minutes, continually stirring. Next add steak sauce and cook for 2 minutes more as you stir. Finally add the gravy and milk. Mix well, cover, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally until the meal is completed.

4. Beat the eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Melt some butter in a large frying pan and scramble the eggs in batches. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with parmesan cheese.

5. On medium heat, cook pancakes, one batch at a time in a slightly oiled frying pan. When finished, remove gravy from heat.

6. Serve with eggs and gravy over the potato pancakes. Serves 4-6.

I also cooked ham slices to serve on the side. Each slice was rubbed with a pinch of ginger and a pinch of cinnamon. Lexie gives the ham an 8.5.

Picadillo

2009-11-24T09:37:00.004-05:00

Moving day is in less than a week. Having done all we can to remedy our mortgage situation, there are no other options. Fortunately we have good friends that have found a way to be able to help us by giving us a place to stay, while we, in turn, help them remodel their house. Having known them since I was young, their son being the best man at my wedding, the living situation should be pretty easy to adjust to. Either way, it will be an adventure. But we're extremely grateful to have friends like them!

So in a way, I have a job for the next six months. I'm still going to be searching for an independent source of income, and my wife will continue to be looking as well. The majority of the remodeling work in their home will be in the the kitchen, so it will be interesting to see how this blog unfolds, with a temporary kitchen set-up. There may be a lot of grilling! I intend to continue writing about my adventures in the job market and posting recipes. Not that anyone is really reading this, but I at least will try to be loyal to what I started.

In other news, this past weekend I tried a new recipe and failed at it. I have the pictures on another camera, so I'll be posting it later. The sauce came out well, and the chicken stuffing tasted great, but the chicken... oh, the chicken... I weep for it.

Yesterday, however, I again tried something new. Every time I try a recipe I always have to change it. Sometimes I don't have a certain ingredient on hand. But many times I just feel the need to put my own spin on things. Having never tasted the original dish before, I presumptuously think I have a better way of preparing it and go ahead and change it, sometimes a whole lot. I guess I just like to put myself into my work.

So today I am posting the outcome. Lexie gives it an 8 out of 10. However, being Nicaraguan, she says she's stuffed with Picadillo. I think she might be a little biased. Yet, she does admit this is one of the best she's had.

Ingredients:

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 green pepper, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped

2 plum tomatoes, 1 finely chopped

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons corn flour

1 pound lean ground beef

1 teaspoon cumin

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup asiago cheese, shredded (optional)

1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)

Preparation Instructions:

1. Before anything else, chop your vegetables and herbs. Blend the second tomato in a food processor and then mix in a small bowl with the ketchup and corn flour.

2. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, brown the meat. Season to personal preference with salt and pepper. Continually mix and break up the meat into small pieces with the spoon. Once no more pink is visible, drain.

3. Add the chopped onion, garlic, pepper, cilantro, oregano, and tomato and cook, stirring, at low heat for 5 minutes.

4. Add all other ingredients except the asiago cheese, mix well. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes.

5. Serve over rice. Having some extra asiago cheese from making Asiagoburgers, I mixed it with some basil and sprinkled it on top. This is optional, although it adds a great flavor to the meal. 4 servings.

Asiagoburgers With Salsa

2009-11-20T22:05:00.000-05:00

Asiagoburger

with Avocado Salsa

The job search continues. It is truly amazing how few jobs you are actually able apply for before the sunlight fails and the day is used up. I have walked through malls, industrial parks, and shopping plazas handing out resumes and filling out applications. You can visit every business in a decent-sized plaza in anywhere from one to three hours depending on how many applications were available to complete. Some managers only want a copy of your resume. This is perfect because I have at least a hundred of them printed and ready to go.

If your in the situation of my family, where both husband and wife are unemployed and searching, it can take a little longer. And if you have a one year old son, no money for a babysitter, and only one car, the task can become a never ending, tedious, loathsome chore.

First of all, experts on job market analysis say that you don't want to appear desperate (which can be difficult to accomplish in these times). I feel that perhaps Lexie and I are too busy trying not to look pathetic sometimes! We will drive to a plaza and industrial park and one of us will go and work our charm with business owners while the other tries to appeal to the better side of our young son's attention span.

Once the area has been covered (and at times, before that), Harrison usually decides its time for a break; most of the time with a cranky whine that won't be quieted until lunching or napping. Everything's an event for him. Every moment is either a nuance or a nuisance. Life is either great or horrible it seems. There's no in between. But its an adventure for him and I'm still learning too.

In the middle of the day Lexie and I switch responsibilities. In the end, a lot of time is lost and very little ground is covered. But at least we keep at it. That's the most important part for anyone who is unemployed. Don't give up.

When you're applying online (as is mandatory with more than half the jobs available nowadays) either you send your resume to every possible inquiry on craigslist.org and become the target of every scam artist imaginable, or you spend hours and hours applying for one or two jobs because the company's website keeps crashing in the middle of their lame application program which has 500 questions about your friends in high school and whether or not you missed a day of work in the past year.

But we all know how it goes. Things can seem to become too complex to handle sometimes. Which is why I needed a burger for dinner tonight. Not fast food. A simple homemade burger. We went to my sister and brother-in-law's apartment and I cooked burgers for everyone there. I designed a special recipe for this Friday night feast. Not as simple as I originally planned, but Lexie gives it a 10 out of 10, meaning it was simply delicious.

Ingrediants:

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup asiago cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoon ground red pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
1 avocado, pitted, skinned, and chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 green belle pepper, chopped
1 lime, halved

Preparation Instructions:

1. Toss the asiago cheese with 1 1/2 tablespoons of basil until mixed. Next knead ground beef, chili powder, red pepper, 1/2 the chopped onion, and the rest of the basil in a mixing bowl with your hands. When thoroughly combined, separate into eight equal parts.

2. Divide each 1/8 section in half again, roll into a ball, and then flatten to about 1 cm thick patties.

3. For every pair, sprinkle a about 1 tablespoon of the basil and cheese mix on top of one of the patties in the pair. Leave an edge of at least 1 cm. Next, carefully place the other patty on top and seal the pair together at the edge. Refrigerate.

4. Preheat grill. Prepare the salsa by adding the avocado, tomato, green pepper, and remaining onion in a mixing dish. Squeeze the juice from the limes into the dish and mix well.

5. Remove patties from the refrigerator and grill for 5-8 minutes on both sides or until cooked through. Serve with salsa as a condiment along with any others desired. Feeds 6-8.

Hard Times With Good Eating

2009-11-18T19:08:00.000-05:00

Life sucks right now for the average American. Personally, I've been searching for a new job since last year. As an electrician in Florida, finding employment is as tough as a cut of flank steak. Home costs are upside down, college graduates are working at burger king, and families are searching their couches for spare change.

Personally, I know I'm crazy. In the midst of this economic downturn I have decided to blog about cooking. My house is being foreclosed on. I need to find, not just new employ, but an entirely new career. I probably need to move to a state that does not have one the highest employment rates in the nation. Yet, having never blogged before, I have suddenly and inexplicably decided to create this blog about food. Insane.

However, I need to feed my family. And I must have a vent for my culminating frustration. While I work to solve my unemployment/housing/economics crises, I will cook, create, inspire, and fulfill as well. Who knows how long the process will last? All I am sure of is that there may not be a job, but there will be food. One way or another, I will have provisions for my family.

As far as the culinary arts are concerned, I am no stranger to them. I have enjoyed cooking since I was young, although I didn't do it regularly (nor was I even efficient) until marriage. In fact, while my wife and I were dating, I accidentally tripped and poured boiling water down my chest while attempting to prepare pre-packaged ramen noodles! Its amazing my wife still married me. However she often joked about how she was obviously going to do all of the cooking due to my apparent inability to even boil water! Though that was hardly the case.

After meeting my wife's brother, who is a chef, I learned a great deal. I became determined to cook as well as he did. He showed me many things during my frequent visits to his house. Eventually I mastered the use of knives, was making everything from appetizers and soups to entrees and desserts, cleaning and filleting fish and poultry, and creating my own recipes. Heck, I even learned how to boil water!

Maybe eventually I will become a professional cook. It has become a goal of mine. Who knows? Until then, I am just the cook in my house. My wife, Lexie, is the photographer and taste tester (a very tough one). And my son, Harrison, well... he makes the messes for us to clean up. Its a very important job...

Harrison likes to create too.