Supper Before Grace

Update!

Jamie — Sat, 15 May 2010 20:48:36 PDT

I am having to put the blog on hold for a few weeks because May is the month of weddings in Michigan for me. I don’t have alot of free time these days to cook or post due to travelling and hanging with family. Additionally, school is also being pretty rough this month. I have applied [...]

Marathon Training: week 15/37

Jamie — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:03:44 PDT

Day 3: 05/04 – I got up at 6:30 this morning and ran. I am not a fan of morning runs because I am a) not a morning person and b) not as good at running in the morning. It is as if I feel stiffer when I run right after I wake up. This [...]

Carnitas

Jamie — Sun, 02 May 2010 10:39:59 PDT

Recipe at a Glance

3 lbs pork butt

2 tbs kosher salt (more or less depending on how you cut your meat)

1 1/2 cup orange juice

1 1/2 cup water

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 3 hours

Serve for: a tasty meat base for any number of meals.

This time of the year is always a bit crazy. It is the end of the semester for Chris so this means that dishes get washed with less frequency, deep dish pizza gets ordered more often, and there is little time to spend in the kitchen. Just prior to this year's week of No Chris, he took me out to a date at Xoco, the taquiera-esque installation of the Frontera brand. Here we had the best Churros of our lives. They were fresh, lightly dusted with cocoa, and served in batches of 3 - creating difficult compromises on a date.

Now that finals week has passed, much time is devoted to having a beer or two in celebration and reconnecting with friends that have been neglected in writing this paper or that. At the first barbecue of the year yesterday, Chris and I shared our recommendation for Xoco. One of Chris's classmates mentioned that she had no idea what a churro was while another mentioned that she had no idea what horchata was. I immediately wanted to retreat into the safe confines of Homesick Texan where the chili never has beans and the salsa is always spicy.

Upon moving to Chicago, I obsessively searched out the best Tex-Mex and mexican food I could find. I knew the Midwest couldn't be the flavorless tundra that it was rumored to be. I have since found the best taquiera, the best late-night burrito, the best mole, and now, the best churro to be found next to an elevated train line. I also found out this weekend, that not everyone is quite as enthusiastic as me at garnering that sort of information. And here is where I share a little secret, the first meal we had in Chicago, when our dishes were still in boxes, was at a nearby Taco Bell. (We have since never gone back.)

Today's recipe is for Carnitas, otherwise know to me as the best easy-to-make, weeklong-lasting way to cook meat out there. Carnitas is braised pork cooked long enough to break down the fat and connective tissue of the pork butt, and then cooked at a slightly higher heat to crisp up the edges just slightly. I have usually seen carnitas served in a taco or sprinkled on nachos. At my house though, it has been served on top of a pizza, as part of a salad, or on a sandwich with BBQ sauce. Today though, we went with the traditional taco.

Marathon Training: Week 14/37

Jamie — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:13:42 PDT

Wow, these weeks are going by fast. I just completed 6 weeks of no running due to Achilles tendonitis brought about by me being generally dumb and overtraining before I was ready for it. Anyways, I started running again last week doing very short interval runs on the treadmill every other day. Only this week have I [...]

How to quick-soak dried beans

Jamie — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:39:52 PDT

The one dish that my mom would make from scratch whenever the opportunity arose was a huge pot of pinto beans. And by opportunity, I mean the one night of the week, no month, when she was actually able to take the time to soak dried beans over night, thrown in a ham hock (I am sure that stores still sell these although I have never seen one), and then cook them all day. They were and still are phenomenal and my favorite dish to have whenever I get home to see my parents. Seeing my parents is an rare occasion despite how my mom's beans call to me. I mean, she could put the beans on to soak, and have them fully cooked in the time it would take me to get to there. Alas, I must make beans myself.

Far be it for me to fix something that a'int broke, but I usually don't have the foresight, or the desire to soak beans overnight when I can pop open a can in under thirty seconds. However, dried beans somehow taste infinitely better than canned. So when I read that I could soak beans in my crockpot and have them ready to go in under three hours (...still requiring rare foresight on my part), I knew my time had come.

Chickpea Olio

Jamie — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:57:13 PDT

Recipe at a Glance:

1 small or medium onion, cut into thin slivers
4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tbs olive oil
2 bunches of Swiss chard, kale, or spinach, stems removed and torn into medium pieces
pinch of kosher salt
1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper (heat to taste, I like lots!)
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup of wine or stock
1 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes*
1 14 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained**

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Utensil/bowl use: Minimal - cutting board, knife, large bowl, large pot, large spoon
Serve for: a hearty, healthy weeknight dinner

While I have my heart set on using this site as a way to "teach" a few of the recipes that pass through my kitchen, this in no way means that I am an expert in it (cue the diaster post of last week). Additionally, I keep no family cookbook or any compendium of recipes that have been passed down over the years. I only know one family recipe by heart and it has the dubious name of "Strawberry Stuff" wherein "Stuff" means a tub of sour cream plus lots of chopped pecans. And because I am also one to try and eat healthily, my memory of this recipe is getting a little rusty and I have my doubts I will be refreshing it any time soon.

So this leaves me trolling the internet for recipes that have an equal mix of ease, health benefits, taste, and last but not least, keep me entertained in the kitchen. Recipes also have to pass Chris's taste test, which can be difficult considering he met me during a time in his life when he was well into the meat-and-potatoes-make-a-meal camp. Luckily he's not one to stick his feet in the mud so we have been gradually trying out meals that incorporate greens, beans, and *gasp* no meat.

Failure, or how I learned to make anything in my kitchen

Jamie — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:50:46 PDT

Here is Linus, deeply concerned about why I am suddenly in tears and naked in the kitchen. After an attempt to prepare what I expected to be a simple dish, I ended up drenched in olive oil, a rolling pin tossed across the room, and a burnt flatbread crisping in my oven. My unfortunate state at this moment was brought about by disastrous series of failures in my kitchen.

It all began when I found myself with a few extra sprigs of rosemary and no plan for them. I did a quick search and found an easy-sounding recipe for rosemary flatbread that looked delicious. The recipe just had a few steps: throw some dough together, roll it out, sprinkle with herbs, and bake in the oven. No fuss, no muss.

Roasted Rosemary Cashews

Jamie — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:19:03 PDT

Recipe at a Glance

1 pound raw, unsalted cashews
2 tbs fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped (from about 3-4 sprigs)
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tbs light brown sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbs melted butter

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Utensil/bowl use: Minimal - cutting board, knife, measuring spoon, large bowl, small bowl
Serve for: Party food

Baked Beans

Jamie — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:27:01 PDT

This post may be titled Baked Beans but I really intend for this post to bring a Tuesday night tradition of mine to your attention. I do this because I feel like the event is much more special to me than this recipe. Please scroll to the bottom of the post to get the recipe.

First, it begins with a bar:

Any old bar will do. The divey, the better.

Add a bartender named Bob:

Steel Cut Oatmeal

Jamie — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:08:32 PDT

Steel Cut Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut oats
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup milk (any fat content, optional)
1/8 tsp salt

Suggested flavorings:
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs ground flax seed
dried fruits, nuts, maple syrup

Note: if you wanted savory oatmeal, you could cook the oatmeal with celery, eggs, or add soy sauce or sriracha. Options are endless.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Utensil/bowl use: minimal: large pot, spoon, measuring spoon/cup
Serve for: a week of breakfasts!

I am a breakfast person. I look forward to it every day. However, I am not a morning person in the slightest so you can often find me making breakfast for the week ahead on a Sunday night. Things like homemade waffles, homemade yogurt, granola, muffin veggie frittata, and as seen here, steel cut oatmeal. Each and every one of these meals have the added bonus of being easily split into breakfast serving sizes and stored for a few days until they are ready to be eaten. They only require a little bit of heating in the toaster or microwave at most. Absolutely perfect for me, since I hardly ever am in the right mind to cook in the morning.

I happen to prefer steel cut oatmeal to regular because it tends to be crunchier and less gooey than regular oatmeal. I also feel like the flavor of the oats comes through better when prepared this way thus requiring less extra flavoring. And making oatmeal from scratch tastes infinitely better than the individually packaged stuff. Plus, this recipe produces about 5-6 servings, easily holding me over until the next Sunday evening.

Marathon Training: Week 6/37

Jamie — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:55:37 PDT

I am still waiting for my Achilles tendonitis/bursitis to heal so there has been no running this week. It is a huge downer to not be able to run and I have been struggling to not get too upset about it. I have gone to the gym a couple times, mainly to do some core [...]

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Jamie — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:32:56 PDT

Recipe at a Glance

1 lb Brussels sprouts
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, optional

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35-40 minutes
Utensil/bowl use: minimal - skillet, cutting board, knife, stirring spoon, measuring spoon
Serve for: an easy, healthy side dish

The first time I made Brussels sprouts, I tried steaming them. Steaming has got to be the easiest way to prepare vegetables and I have often used it to cook crunchy, tough vegetables like broccoli and carrots. It works beautifully for them. But not for brussels sprouts. When I steamed them I got wilty green sacks of veggie goo. These sprouts did not make a good first impression.

However, I kept trying. I knew that I could make Brussels sprouts work for me. When my grocery store happened to have a huge pile of bright green, freshly picked sprouts, it was time. Roasting is my second favorite way to cook vegetables (and second only because of the added fat) so I scoured the internet for the perfect roasted brussels sprouts recipe.

I found this recipe from Mark Bittman and thought that it would be perfect, with a minor change here and there. Indeed it was pu The Brussels sprouts were nicely crisped on the outside and delicately soft on the inside. They will look a little burned, but somehow Brussels sprouts don't take on the overly bitter flavor that other burned greens can get. Instead, the leaves are crispy and savory, a fantastic compliment to the tender centers.

Simple ingredient list: about a pound of sprouts, several cloves of garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar (optional). Oh, and salt to taste. I often forget to take a picture of the salt.

Sausage and Kale Pasta

Jamie — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:57:29 PDT

Recipe at a Glance

8 oz dried pasta
3/4 lb Italian sausage
5 garlic cloves
1 - 1 1/2 lb bunch of kale
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbs crushed red pepper (optional)
2 tbs of olive oil, as needed.

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Utensil/bowl use: minimal - Sauce pot, skillet, cutting board, knife, spatula, colander
Serve for: an easy weeknight meal

The sun shone this week. For about three whole days in a row. The dark, rich earth had finally loosed itself of the last remnants of snow to be able to reflect a warm smile back at the sky.

Ok, now this might sound a little ridiculous coming from me and my non-poetic ways but there is something about that first spring sunshine that makes me think about the world anew. The winters in Chicago are so strong and dreary that they begin to seem eternal. That first glimpse of dry dirt is more exciting than seeing the first gift appear under the Christmas tree. I took the opportunity to run outside and to stroll along the lakefront, relishing in warm breezes.

As has come to be expected of March, and sadly of April, the sunshine was fleeting and there was snow on the ground again by the time I woke up the next morning. However brief, the warmer weather made me have a hankering for spring veggies, most notably, kale.

Kale is a favorite of mine and it goes especially well with sausage. The strong flavor of the kale always balances nicely with the richness of sausage. I also like adding obscene amounts of kale such that I should really rename this dish Kale and Sausage Pasta. But I understand kale might not be the favorite of others like it is with me. I highly recommend trying kale this way, and try not to long for spring.

A very simple cast of characters: kale, garlic, pasta and sausage are the only main ingredients. Wash kale and tear leaves from the stems and tough ribs.

Boil 2 quarts of water in a large saucepan to cook the pasta. Salt the water it if that is your thing.

I got a nice boil going. While I am pretty sure everyone has seen a pot of boiling water, I wanted to share mine just for the fun of it.

Add about half a package of dried pasta, about 8 oz. Now this is more pasta than the two servings needed for tonight's dinner, but this dish makes great leftovers for lunch to take to work.

Marathon Training: Week 5/37

Jamie — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:37:17 PDT

Day 4- 03/21: Looks like I am going to be sidelined in my running for a bit. I am not wholly sure what I did (too much activity on the Vibrams, or some hill work I tried on that last run), but my Achilles tendon is not terribly excited about doing its job anymore. Instead [...]

New Blog Developments!

Jamie — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:03:51 PDT

I haven't been posting much because I have been busy figuring out the nuts and bolts of blogging. You can have the best blog content in the world (I claim this title for me!), but if you don't have a good way to show it off, then it isn't going to matter in the slightest. I have spent the past week trying to make this site as web friendly as possible. I am not there yet and I have a laundry list of things I want to improve (recipe archive, blogroll, split cooking and noncooking posts, the list goes on...). However, I miss actually posting recipes and other fun things so I am going to get back on that asap!

I signed up for Feedburner and am in the process of fixing up my RSS feed. Feedburner allows me to put whatever I want in my RSS feed through the use of the "Excerpt" field in Wordpress. Since I am partial to partial feeds, but I wanted to have graphics and text in my feed, I found that this method was quite useful. For those of you who don't like wasting time with partial feeds, I am sorry, but this is what I prefer but I am open to hearing good arguments for using full feeds.
I also incorporated Google Analytics and the Google Webmaster tools in order to facilitate a working relationship between search engines and Supper Before Grace. I have learned that Sitemaps are your friend and it is worth your while to have one. Plus they are free. However, searching "Supper Before Grace" has yet to bring my blog to the first spot. If anyone has a tip on how to do that, I am all ears.
I joined the Food Blogger's Forum because they were advertising a camera giveaway. But then I stuck around because have found it to be a resource for getting an idea of what blogs are out there and get a few tips and opinions on a variety of blog design issues. Up until this point, most of my design work has focused on emulating something that I liked on another blog, but FBF has given me some thought about considering the wants of potential readers and not just what I want. However, I can't even fathom having potential readers at this early stage so designing Supper Before Grace as I want it to be sounds like my best option. Note the brief mention of Partial Feeds from item 1. I found out from FBF that many people care little for partial feeds. http://www.supperbeforegrace.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=286
And finally, I have been trying to incorporate a method for printing off my recipes and came across Smitten Kitchen's plugin page. With any luck, I will have a few new bells and whistles on this site before too long.
I have also been learning how to cook steak. In my kitchen and not on a grill. I really am from Texas, I promise.

Once I get better at photographing steak, I will share my knowledge of Steak Indoors.

Texas Style Kolaches

Jamie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:11:22 PST

I am trying something new with this post, as per a suggestion from Chris, and just presenting a brief story and a recipe instead of step-by-step picture instructions. Maybe I should call these Lazy Tuesday Posts, you know, in celebration of being lazy on a Tuesday. Or in my case, a lazy Wednesday, because that is when I finally got around to posting this.

Kolaches are a favorite of mine. For a brief instance in our relationship, Chris and I were separated by about 100 miles of Texas interstate. Located along this drive is the town of West, Texas, which is no where near the actual West Texas. To the wandering passerby, West, Texas is little more than a highway stop with a gas station and truck stop motel. But served from this gas station are some of the best pastries ever created - kolaches. If you happen to find yourself on the far northern reaches of Waco, look for the exit for West off I-35 and look for the Shell sign. Make sure to be hungry.

Kolaches have their origin in Central Europe and somehow found their way to central Texas. In Texas, their name was changed along with their ingredient list and instructions. When I moved from Texas to Chicago, I went looking for kolaches. Chicago had yet to let me down in its culinary variety so I just assumed that I would be able to find my favorite dessert with a little internet sleuthing. I found a European bakery that advertises good kolaches only to be given this flat folded cookie-like pastry with jam on top. Sure it was good, but it was nothing like the yeasty, buttery roll that I was familiar with. I was also informed that they didn't have a jalapeno sausage option. My disappointment drove me to find a recipe of my very own.

Marathon Training: Week 4/37

Jamie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:07:53 PST

Day 2 03/10: I had another stress test this morning. Not to worry, I don’t actually need a stress test. I am assisting in a project that’s developing a better measure of cardiovascular effort. And honestly, anything can be better than the giant medusa headgear/mouth piece/nose plug I have to wear while running up hill. [...]

Gingerbread Beer Cake

Jamie — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:59:56 PST

Yes, Gingerbread Beer Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Frosting. Otherwise called "the new hotness"

Recipe at a Glance:

Gingerbread Beer Cake (stay with me through this list):
2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tbs ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons grated nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup dark beer or porter
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
6 tbs buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 eggs

Bittersweet Chocolate Frosting:
10 oz bittersweet chocolate (60-65 % cocoa)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp

This cake can be found in Sky High.

Prep time: about 90 minutes if you are slow like me
Cook time: 15 minutes for cake layers, 10 minutes for frosting
Wait time: 60 minutes for cake layers to cool, 15 minutes for frosting to cool, 30 minutes for crumb coat to set, 30 minutes for frosting to set (These are the times that I used, you may choose to use more or less depending on your use of a crumb coat.)
Utensil/bowl use: Extreme, I am still digging my kitchen out of the mess two days later. But hot damn, the mess is worth it.

The Best Cake Cookbook

Jamie — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:40:10 PST

is Sky High. If not the best cake cookbook, then it is at least my favorite.

This is high praise because I don't want this blog to be a site for product recommendations. I doubt that I will ever do any more than a handful of recommendations during my lifetime. Primarily, this is because I will never have the budget nor the time to really investigate all the product options out there. On top of that, what works for me might not work for you. This isn't to say that I won't do some research and discuss the pros and cons of certain products. Research is what I do for a living, so I would feel like my talents are wasted if I didn't share a bit of that with you.

Marathon Training: Week 3/37

Jamie — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:21:59 PST

Totally sick with a cold the rest of the week. Blech. I at least woke up early on Sunday morning but that was only because I was sneezing. Sadly, Chris is sick with me and my pathetic whimpers are going unheard. Day 4 03/05: Cardio day again during lunch at work. This time I ran [...]

Yeast Waffles: Three Ways

Jamie — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:54:14 PST

Recipe at a glance:

For plain waffles:
2 cups milk (any fat content)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups (or 10 oz) unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tbs granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry or instant yeast
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs cornmeal (optional)

For Banana-nut Waffles, add:
3 large, ripe bananas
1 cup walnuts

For Spiked Waffles, add:
4 tbs Baileys (or other sweet alcohol of choice)

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15-30 min (depends on type of waffle iron using)
Wait time: 12-24 hours to allow yeast to do its thing (or a 3 hour rise can be used if rushed)
Utensil/bowl use: Minimal - mixing bowl, whisk, waffle iron, measuring spoons/cups, small saucepan

Posted here is a basic yeasted waffle recipe with two variations, Banana-nut and Spiked Waffles. The plain yeasted waffle recipe is incredibly good and somewhat reminiscent of what Eggo waffles should be. In fact, this recipe is my favorite waffle recipe and considering that we're a household of waffle fiends, that says alot. We happen to even have 2 waffle cookbooks (out of 6 total cookbooks in the house) and have tried out quite a few of the recipes within their pages. However, it is rare that we stray too far from this basic and simple recipe.

Marathon Training: Week 2/37

Jamie — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:11:33 PST

Day … So I fell off the wagon this week. Chris took a spill on the ice and wasn’t in any shape to work out and I had bruised my knee on the edge of a table. I did walk for close to 2 hours on Thursday running errands around town and meeting up with [...]

Homemade Pizza: Three Ways

Jamie — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:45:43 PST

Rosemary Potato Pizza

Recipe at a glance:

For crust (makes 1 thin crust):

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp active dry or instant yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water (plus 1-2 tbs extra)
2 tbs olive oil
1-2 tbs corn meal (for dusting)

For toppings:

Rosemary Potato Pizza:
1 link chicken bratwurst, cooked or 1 cup of cooked shredded chicken
3-4 small red or new potatoes
3-4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
3-4 tbs of wine sauce (enough to lightly cover pizza, store bought or homemade, recipe below)
1 tsp dried rosemary

Sausage and Roasted Peppers Pizza:
1 link of hot italian sausage, cooked
2 bell peppers (I prefer using 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper)
3-4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
3-4 tbs of marinara sauce (enough to lightly cover pizza)

BBQ Chicken pizza:
1 cup chicken (cooked and shredded)
2 small onions (or 1 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup)
1 tbs brown sugar
3-4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
2-4 tbs barbecue sauce

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Wait time: 2 hours for first rise, 20 minutes for second rise. First rise can be 8 hours in the fridge.
Utensil/bowl use: Minimal - medium mixing bowl, measuring cup/spoon, large cutting board, baking sheet, rolling pin
Extra items: parchment paper

Prep and cook times for toppings are variable, but none listed here take more than 20 minutes for prepping and cooking. This is assuming that you have the leftover shredded chicken already made for the BBQ pizza.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ivah Waterbury’s Coffee Cake

Jamie — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:24:24 PST

Such a happy cake… Recipe at a glance: For Cake: 1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 eggs 8 oz sour cream, from one small carton 1 tsp vanilla 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda For topping: 1 cup pecans (or walnuts), chopped 6 tbs sugar 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 60 min Utensil/bowl use: [...]

Dirty Risotto

Jamie — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:36:10 PST

Recipe at a glance: 2 lbs Italian sausage (spicy or regular) 4 oz bacon (regular, Canadian, or pancetta will do) 1 cup onion, finely chopped (from two small onions) 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped 3/4 lb white button mushrooms, chopped (from one standard package) 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 2 cups Arborio rice (or orzo pasta) 1 cup dry [...]

Marathon Training: Week 1/37

Jamie — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:21:18 PST

Day 6 02/21: Cardio day today! We got to the gym a bit late and only had enough time for a thirty minute workout and I made it count. In thirty minutes, I hit 3.00 miles. It took some fast running in the last 5 minutes, but I hit my goal. I only ended up [...]

Advice for the novice blogger: Part 2

Jamie — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:51:16 PST

This post is a continuation of my post “Advice for the novice blogger: Part 1″ wherein I share the advice that I received upon starting this blog. Everything posted here was originally posted on Forumopolis.com. Today’s installment comes from rikc, a member of the two person blogging team behind Popcraft: (...)Read the rest of Advice for the [...]

Advice for the novice blogger: Part 1

Jamie — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:30:28 PST

About the time that I was starting this blog, a thread about blogging was started on Forumopolis.com, a general purpose forum that I have belonged to for 6+ years. This thread focused on the basics of blogging with advice from experienced and talented bloggers. I found the advice to be exceedingly helpful in the first [...]

That New Tattoo Itch

Jamie — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:49:09 PST

A conversation from today: Chris: I just had the itch to another tattoo. Me: Yeah, I had that a week ago too. Chris: I guess it is just that time of year again… And here are both of my back tattoos, the shoulder one only minutes old, completed a little less than a year ago. Here is Chris with his [...]

Pioneer Woman’s Bread Pudding

Jamie — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:56:25 PST

Recipe at a glance: For Bread Pudding: 2 eggs 2 tbs melted butter 2 1/2 cups milk (any fat content) 2 cups sugar 3 1/2 to 5 cups of sourdough bread from 1 large sourdough round 1/3 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped finely For Whiskey Sauce: 1/2 cup sugar 1 stick butter 1/2 cup cream 1/4 cup whiskey or bourbon Prep time: about 15 min Cook time: about [...]

Pork Katsu

Jamie — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:10:49 PST

Recipe at a glance: 6 boneless pork loin chops, center cut if possible 2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs) 3 large eggs (for dredging) ~ 1 1/2 cup flour (for dredging) 2 tbs Chinese five spice (optional) salt and pepper peanut oil for frying 1 head of cabbage shredded (optional) Katsu sauce 2 cups brown rice Prep time: about 20 min Cook time: about 15 min Utensil/bowl use: [...]

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jamie — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:53:22 PST

Recipe at a glance: 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 egg, at room temperature 3 cups of oats 1 cup of whole-wheat flour 2 cups chocolate chips 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. vanilla Prep time: 15 min Cook time: about 30 minutes. My cookie sheet held about half the recipe and it takes about 15 minutes for [...]

Crispy Kale Chips

Jamie — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:50:40 PST

Recipe at a glance: A giant bunch of kale 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil Kosher or sea salt Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 15 min dry time; 10-15 min cook time Utensil/bowl use: Minimal – mixing bowl, baking sheet, parchment paper Difficulty: Easy Serve for: veggie snacks or fun side dish Kale is something that I never had back in Texas. I [...]

Mexican Roast Chicken

Jamie — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:14:40 PST

Recipe at a glance 4 lbs of potatoes (usually about 7-8 small potatoes or 4-5 large ones) 1 leek 1 large lemon (or 2 small) 3-4 lb whole chicken kosher salt and pepper (to taste) 4-6 oz of Mexican chorizo (base the amount you use on the size of the bird) small bunch of cilantro or parsley stems and leaves Prep time: 15 [...]

The Simplest Tomato Sauce

Jamie — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:08:21 PST

Recipe at a glance: 28 oz. canned whole peeled tomatoes 5 tbs unsalted butter 2 small or 1 large yellow onion (peeled and halved) salt and pepper to taste Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 50 min Utensil/bowl use: Minimal: Sauce pot, knife, cutting board, spoon Difficulty: Easy! Serve this for: an easy weeknight meal, or when you need tomato sauce I recently made [...]