Tasty Z

Great News!

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:19:00 +0000

Anthony Bourdain has a new Blog...via the Travel Channel. Awesome. Another web site to distract me during work. Oh well.

Now all you AB fans can enjoy some more frequent rant-ings from the man himself.

Ant-a-ny

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:37:00 +0000

I love that fact that Anthony Bourdain in this TV GUIDE interview can still be honest and does not feel the need to blow smoke up the interviewer's ass. I guess that is why so many people like and respect him, he keeps it honest and has a "I have nothing to loose" attitude. I think for some of us that is refreshing.

That being said I am 100% jealous of this guy. What an amazing job. Granted he was been in the underbelly of the cooking community, how many vegetables has he washed and how many Sunday brunches has he worked? I guess getting eat and drink the world is deserving.

Still jealous.

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 18:21:00 +0000

Well as you can see there has not been much posting as of late. I hope to change that and try to post at least 3-4 times a week.

My wife and I have three couples over for news years prior to dinner at a Kansas City favorite, Plaza III. My wife had the great idea of having every couple bring a bottle of champagne and we would do a blind tasting. It was really a lot of fun and I would recommend throwing one, we will definitely do it again.

We had five bottles; (1) Argyle; (2) Piper; (3) veuve-clicquot (my wife’s favorite); (4) Moet; (5) and the red headed step child, Andre.

Believe it or not Argyle won and to nobody’s surprise Andres came in dead last.

Hope everyone’s New Year is starting off well and keep a look out for new posts!

How Could I Not…

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:57:00 +0000

So it seems I do have a lot of posts on soup. That being said it is winter and nothing goes better with cold lazy afternoons like a good homemade soup. The recipe below I have not actually tried but found it here. Since we live in the KC Metro I pretty much have to post it, and make it. It’s not like the Chiefs are all that exciting.

Kansas City Steak Soup

1 Lb Round Steak, chopped
1 cup Margarine (Personally I would use butter…will re-post once I make this)
1 cup flour
½ gallon water
¼ tablespoon, ground black pepper
1 large carrot, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 (16 oz) package of frozen mixed veggies
16 oz can of stewed tomatoes
12 cubes beef bouillon
2 tablespoons margarine (see above)

- Make a roux by melting the butter or margarine, then stirring in the flour. Brown gently.
- Gradually add 2 cups of the water to the roux and stir until smooth. Add the remaining water, the carrot, onion, celery, frozen vegetables, canned tomatoes, and beef base granules.
- In a skillet sauté the steak in 2 tablespoons butter or margarine until browned. Drain off all the grease. Add the browned steak to the soup and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours or until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Once cooked this soup may be frozen for later use.

Gift Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:03:00 +0000

There is a great list of gift ideas over at Serious Eats for those who enjoy the drink. There is some really cool things that people may not buy for themselves but would love to have for their collection. Hint, Hint.

Well it's about time...

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:57:00 +0000

Wow. Urban Outfitters has done it again.

Jesus what am I saying I have never bought a damn thing from that place. Things may change though.

That's right, you have seen it at Fraternity parties, KU tailgates, and lonely Tuesday nights...wait.

Now you can own your very own shrine to binge drinking.

Looks like you put water in the mold and freeze. Wow, could that be any easier?

Make the most of the “Holiday Party” this year.

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:00:00 +0000

SPIKE THE PUNCH BOWL. Honestly what happened to the long forgotten art of spiking the punch bowl? Oh. Right that pretty much only happened in the movies.

When is the last time you were actually at a party where there was a punch bowl that had a liquid that everyone was drinking from? That’s what I thought. I think the punch bowl has lost it’s appeal as of late. Is it all that surprising? I don’t think so.

Anyway…if that sales pitch did not sway you away from making punch here is a receipe that will assure everyone will enjoy this years holiday party.

4 Lemons
1 cup sugar (in the raw)
4 tea bags (English breakfast or something similar)
1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (no pulp)
2 ½ cups Cognac (oh doctor) (use good stuff…Pierre Ferrand Ambre or Martell Noblige
1 ½ cups dark Rum (again…don’t be a cheap-o…Coruba or another full bodied rum)
Nutmeg

Before making this punch place 2-quart bowl of water in the freezer, peal the lemons and put the peals in a heatproof bowl. Add sugar to lemon peels and mash together. Bring a quart of water to a boil, remove from heat and add the tea bags. After 5-7 minuets, remove tea bags and pour tea onto the sugar and peels, stir until dissolved. Add the fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Add the cognac and rum. Stir well and place in refrigerator for an hour or so.

Serve in an ornamental bowl, place the frozen 2-quart block of ice into the bowl and enjoy.

Submit to:

Holiday Signature Drinks

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 01:55:00 +0000

Reindeer Martini
2 parts Vodka
1 part Frangelico
1 part Malibu Rum
Splash of Cream

Frostini
1 part Vodka
1 part Godiva Liqueur
1 part Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur
Splash of Cream
Garnish: Hershey's Hug candy

Peppermint Patty
2 ounces Vodka
1 ounce Peppermint Schnapps
1/2 ounce White Creme de Cacao

What you want some Patron?

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:03:00 +0000

Just because it’s getting cold out and you don’t live by the ocean does not mean you can’t try and escape to your own private island every once and a while.

Morning Breeze

1.5oz (your favorite / available) tequila
6oz Ginger Ale
Garnish with Lime

Even if you are not a huge tequila fan (how could you not be) you may like this drink. The ginger ale helps take away the bite (AKA burning sensation) of the tequila.

Back...

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:05:00 +0000

Well no posts this weekend too busy doing nothing. However we did make this dish which fit perfectly with the snowy and icy weather we had this weekend (and continuing into the week). Really a simple dish that just takes some time, it also makes a ton of food. We ate it twice over the weekend and froze a ton too.

The only hang-up is after the noodles are in and the dish is cooled most of the liquid was absorbed, so just add a little chicken stock or broth, warm and it’s good as new. Enjoy.

Sick

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:41:00 +0000

Article

I am glad that someone did a teste test so I would not have to. I am sure that (most) everyone has seen these but to actually try one is something different. After reading the reviews I think i'll leave them on the shelves.

I can see the novelty of making a drink taste like food, but it's a little to Gene Wilder "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" for me. Remember: Violet Beauregarde...the gum that was a four course meal? --> Link

What the…no…really?

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:23:00 +0000

Honestly, have we gotten this lazy that there is a market for THIS device?

Last time I checked boiling water didn’t take too long (unless you are in Colorado), took very little (if any) work, and cost about .098 cents. Honestly. The most expensive thing about hard boiling an egg was buying the egg. The hardest thing about hard boiling the egg was buying the egg.

Okay maybe i’m taking this a little far but what else can you use this for? Nothing. So I guess if you have $30 to spare and you hard boil that many eggs what the hell. If you ask me it’s an unnecessary uni-tasking gadget.

I love gadgets as much as the next guy, but not this one.

Bacon is Meat Candy…

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:02:00 +0000

Who would have thought people would be making money from such and thing. A-holes. Why didn’t I think if this?

Mr. Baconpants.com

HOLY LORD…

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:30:00 +0000

This is an older article but still worthy of a read.

20 Worst Foods in America

Okay most everyone is guilty of partaking in one or more of above referenced foods. I would say at that everyone knew that these were not the healthiest things to be eating but to find out exactly what the nutritional (can I even use that word right now) content of the foods was is crazy. It’s fair to say that I will be doing my damn-dest to steer clear of any of those.

Weekend Project

noreply@blogger.com (Esq.) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:55:00 +0000

The hardest part about this deal will be picking the vegetable.

Robert Pincus writes about the wonderful world of winter soups…

…[p]uréed soups are purely and intensely flavorful, and they show off the all those cold- weather vegetables sitting in piles right now at the farmers' markets to especially good effect. They're easy and flexible-you can use leafy greens or something more substantial like squash, carrots, or cauliflower. Kids will eat them, too. I make them all the time and can't imagine getting tired of them. <Article>

Nothing says winter like home-made, hearty soups. Should make for a nice and relaxing weekend.

For starters

noreply@blogger.com (Tasty Z) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:59:00 +0000

My wife and I have decided to join the 21st century and start a webpage. As you probably noticed the focus being on food, wine (signature drinks), and friends. We love to eat, drink, and entertain and hope to share with you some of our favorite recipes, links, and other tid-bits we find along the way.

For starters…I have included a video of my favorite Chef, Anthony Bourdain, from an old “A Cooks Tour” jaunt. Enjoy. The video…not necessarily the entrée.