I’ll post something later, but I’ll have to find the pictures and translate the recipes.
Meanwhile, there is some great stuff in El Reg’s “Post-pub nosh neckfiller” column:
I’m a Serious Eats devotee. Kenji, Stella, Daniel, and co. deliver phenomenally well researched and executed recipes as well as some very entertaining stories.
My Sunday ritual is buttermilk pancakes. Adapted somewhat for European measurements.
250g flour
500ml buttermilk
60g butter, softened (I use the microwave)
3 eggs, separated
about a tablespoon of sugar
about a teaspoon of baking soda
a big pinch of salt
Mix the dry stuff together, then beat the egg whites until they are stiff. Mix everything but the egg whites, but don’t beat it too long. Fold in the whites.
For waffles, increase the amount of flour from 250g to 320g.
I’m a butter-and-real-maple-syrup person, too—except for me there’s no such thing as “a tiny dab” of butter. Why, butter is its own food group, if you ask me!
What I cooked for dinner last night? Siena style pork chops with oven potatoes. In other words, the only seasoning I used was salt, pepper and fresh tarragon, and when they were fried enough I doused with white wine, and let them simmer for a few more minutes. That makes for a nice sauce, gravy, whatever. I don’t thicken it, but I suppose you could.
As for the potatoes, I made them like I always do: slice them in the middle, stick a sprig of rosemary in the slash, and coat the skin in olive oil. Then roast in the oven (200ºC) for about an hour. Well, half an hour plus the time I need to prep and get the pork chops done.
It’s really not cuisine, but normal people food, but it’s the sort of food that I like.
Last night was an old stand-by: quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, veg stock, jalapenos & garlic, cilantro, lots of freshly-ground spices. Add fresh avocado on top to serve. Simple, one pan, covers all the nutritional bases.
In the film “Fires on the Plain”, monkey-meat was a euphemism for people meat. Just saying.
Just made this yesterday and it is nearly impossible to screw up
Simmered Pork Belly (Buta no Kakuni)
1.5 to 2 lbs of skinless pork belly (can substitute pork butt or boneless ribs)
2 inches of ginger, peeled cut into small pieces
A bunch of scallions cut in large pieces
For sauce
2 cups of water
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup of sake (or dry white wine)
1/4 cup of sugar
Cut pork belly to thick chunks (about 2" thick), ginger and scallions in pressure cooker. Add enough water to cover meat.
Cook for 30-40 minutes (the longer it goes, the more tender it gets)
Take pork out of the pressure cooker, discard water, scallions and ginger
In a pot place all the sauce ingredients. Simmer the pork in the sauce at medium heat until the sauce is nearly gone.
Last night: Baked (microwaved) potato, garlic, a little maldon salt, remnants of persian fetta, “Asian” salad mix (corn, cabbage, green leaves of some kind) on top, two spoonsful plain greek yoghurt over everything. Devour. Enjoy!
My housemates are both perpetually dieting (and it helps me too) so in frigid winter months I make this recipe a lot. It’s very flexible, throw any sort of veggies in there. This is easily two days’ worth of food for three big guys.
Cheap easy diet-friendly nearly-zero-points veggie chili
Chop up an onion, two bell peppers, garlic, and two jalapeños (or other chile pepper, poblanos are good) and sauté in a big pot or dutch oven until softened.
Mix in two big cans (48 oz total) of crushed tomatoes and four normal cans of any kind of beans.
Mix in a can (or frozen bag) of corn and a package of fresh mushrooms.
Season it up with chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano. Add cayenne or red pepper flakes to taste & desired heat level.
Add two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and bring it to a boil. Simmer and stir until it thickens.
Add about half of a semisweet very dark chocolate bar (about 2 oz) chopped into chunks and stir until it’s melted in.
