Category Archives: Food

I like to eat. And cook.

Food, Journal

And Now, Cookies!

It’s like this: for the next 25 days I’m going to be burning through whatever social capital I’ve accumulated in order to drive eyeballs and open wallets at this thing. But I don’t want that to be all I talk about. You’ll get bored, and I’ll get stressed out, and then I’ll just get louder and oh! Look! COOKIES!

Puckerdoodles

Long-time reader, first time cookie-sender Blaine sent me this box of shortbread cookies topped with lemon rind, a recipe inspired by the “puckerdoodles” from Force Multiplication.

They were baked by Blaine’s partner Lysander of LDOriginals, and I must say he did a solid job with them. I should also confess to sharing them around generously. My family got one half of the batch, and I got the other.

Food

“Accidental” Enchiladas

“I think I accidentally made enchiladas.” — me, March 16, 2015

I wanted some chicken and cheese in a tortilla, but then I noticed the container of leftover enchilada sauce was on the counter next to the sink as part of a fridge purge. That sauce would go well with chicken, cheese, and tortilla.

I began grabbing stuff, and was going to grab some canned chicken, but then roasted chicken breasts came out of the oven. So I stole a couple of those, and here’s the recipe:

  • 1 8oz package of cream cheese
  • 1 small can of chopped, roasted green chilies.
  • 2 chicken breasts, cooked.
  • 1/4 cup refried beans.
  • 1/2 can of enchilada sauce
  • drippings from the roasted chicken, if you’ve got em.
  • A big fistful of shredded cheese.

Chop the chicken finely. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave. Stir those together in a bowl, adding the green chilies and the refried beans.

Divide the resulting slop evenly among four burrito-sized tortillas, rolling each one up into an enchilada. I used flour tortillas because they’re what I had. (EVERYTHING I used was used because it was what I had.)

Put the tortillas in a baking pan, 9×13 is probably best.

Mix the enchilada sauce with the chicken drippings, then pour that over the top of the enchiladas in the pan. Sprinkle the fistful of cheese over the top of that.

Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.

Food, Journal

Eating to live

8 Comments

So… This last thursday Cafe Zupas had a sign up saying that all proceeds that day were going to the Red Cross to help out in Haiti. I had been planning to use a free meal coupon, but decided to save it and spend money instead.

Then I decided to get a dessert, because hey, it’s for a good cause. Then I added a soda, and then a soup.

As I was eating, and filling up long before my comestibles were consumed, it occurred to me that I was overeating so that others might not starve. The irony was so thick I could spread it on that delicious bread I got. So I did.

If charity through excess is wrong, I want seconds. Of that custard, please…

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Food

A recipe that you wouldn’t think works as well as you’ll find it does

12 Comments

I got this from my friend Sal, who prepared it for me over open flames at night. I have since modified it to my own taste and cupboard.

2 catfish fillets, thawed, raw, and patted dry
Tony Chacheres “Spices and Herbs” seasoning
Applesauce
Cinnamon
Splenda
Miracle Whip
1 can of tuna in water
Olive oil

You’ll also need a grill. Since I’ve got one with a thermometer on it, I can tell you how hot to make it.

1) Fire up the grill. It needs to pre-heat to about 400 degrees F.
2) Rub the two filets with lots of Tony Chachere’s “Spices and Herbs” seasoning. Use lots, like maybe a tablespoon on each side of each filet. You want it rubbed in so that the fish flat out won’t hold any more seasoning.
3) Spritz (oh… you’ll need a spritzer) olive oil on both sides of both filets. This will help prevent sticking, and will add nice flavor.
4) The filets have “smooth” and “rough” sides. Slap each filet on the grill rough side down. Once the fish approaches being done, it will get very flaky, and you want to avoid having to get the spatula under the rough side as the last step of cooking.
5) Set a timer (oh… you’ll need a timer) for 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

Now… you have 3 minutes and 30 seconds to start making the chutney.

6) Drain the can of tuna, and dump it in a bowl.
7) Add 2 Tbsp of Miracle whip, 1 tsp Cinnamon, 1/4 cup of applesauce, and two packets of Splenda. Stir with a fork until it’s a creamy mess.

8) Assuming you work as fast as I do… grab the spatula, it’s time to turn the fish. If you’re slow, hopefully the timer woke you from your tuna-stirring reverie in time to not burn the fish. When turning these filets you’ll want to take care not to tear them up too badly. It’s a real shame losing good fish to the belly of the grill.
9) Set that 3 minute and 30-second timer again, and check to make sure the grill is staying right around 400.

9) Now you should be able to set the table. This will serve between two and four people, depending on what else you’re serving with the fish, and how big the filets were. Again, you have three and a half minutes. Go!

10) That would be the timer. You shouldn’t have wasted time trying to put down a tablecloth. Pull the fish from the grill, and serve.

The fish will be very spicy, but not unbearably so, and will be exploding with cool flavors. The tuna chutney is sweet (but in a low-sugar kind of way) and goes right on the fish, bite by bite.

This, by the way, is what I just had for breakfast.