Coming backAs I sit here at my laptop, I think ... "How am I going to do this?" Where do I start? What am I going to talk about? HOW am I going to even begin writing about the journey that I have been on?
Countless times have I started typing and set aside a few words, a paragraph or two, or even a whole page. Though, I never did post. I didn't think I was ready. Thoughts, feelings, insights, etc... entries in my email or journal, in personal texts, on scraps of paper, or swimming in my mind. And I am finally deciding to bring it all together. To share my burdens, my joys, my strengths and weaknesses, my insights, ... my life; this blog is no longer just about food. And if there's an ear out there, I am blessed. And perhaps I can bring truth to your world, as God has brought it to mine. Truth. About our purpose here. Truth. About my struggles. Truth. About my joys. Truth. About health. Truth. About our world. There are so many lies we were born or taught into believing and their manifestations are far beyond UgLy. But when we learn the Truth, we can make the changes we need to be better for our Lord and Savior. The changes that perfect us and make us new. I am becoming new. It is no easy journey and I am certainly not through, but I will no longer let the waiting period dictate the postponement of sharing my story. And so let it begin. This is my story... |
"Food is an infinitely rich subject, and there's always something about it to understand better, something new to discover, a fresh source of interest, ideas, and delight." |
What do Russia and Italy have in common? Well there are some political similarities and I'm sure some cultural similarities, but I'm here to talk about food. Specifically the kind that I've whipped up lately. Three dishes: Oladi, Pizza, and Chicken con Carciofo. Oladi are Russian kefir pancakes. Many of you may know about kefir (cultured sour milk) and some of you may not have access to this drink. If not, simply purchase buttermilk, as that is also cultured and sour. Oladi have a fluffier texture and tarter flavor than your typical pancake. I find that they are best made small and served with syrup, jam/preserves, or honey. There's no real secret or great complexity to the recipe:
My next dish is pizza! Now this is where you can get really creative and make unlimited combinations! I decided to make a half white, half wheat pizza dough with instant yeast. The yeast I had sit in warm water with honey (yeast feasts off of sugar) for at least 10 minutes and then added it to a white and wheat flour mixture (with salt and garlic powder to infuse the dough) until I thought the texture was dry enough; there was no recipe. The dough ended up chewy with a crusty exterior, so I'm going to give it an A!
The two cheese toppings were mozzarella and cheddar and the vegetable toppings were kalamata olives, black olives, and green peppers in a garlic tomato paste. The sauces were a bit more fun to create: garlic alfredo and creamy tomato with a splash of vodka. With both sauces, you start with a roux: a starch and a fat. In my case, I used flour (gluten as the binding agent) mixed into melted 1/2 oil, 1/2 butter. For the cream sauce, I added 2% milk, sauteed garlic, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and allowed to boil, then simmer, then sit off the heat to thicken. With the vodka sauce, I added vodka first to the roux to better cook off the alcohol and then added a few Tbsps of tomato paste, followed by 1/2 cup of cream and a bit of 2% milk. I treated it with some chili pepper, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and then boiled, simmered, and let it sit. They were both DELIZIOSO, as the Italians say it. And for my final piece... Something I like to call Chicken con Carciofo (Chicken with artichokes). This was literally something I just through together by shopping in my pantry and getting creative. The dish is simple: lay a few chicken breasts in a baking sheet, spread tomato paste on top of each, spread artichoke bruschetta over that, cover with a few garlic cloves, and spice it up with chili, garlic powder, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. And if you so dare (which you really should), add an Italian cheese blend with sharp Parmesan and Reggiano. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes. The chicken will sweat out some liquid and the cheese and tomato paste will brown (the BEST part)! Serve with whatever you'd like! The chicken should turn out juicy and mouth-watering delicious (see below) There you have it! And now I'm hungry ... off to make another creation!
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February 2017
"Food is an infinitely rich subject, and there's always something about it to understand better, something new to discover, a fresh source of interest, ideas, and delight."
From Pennsylvania to France to Washington DC to Florida, I've had myself many an adventure. Now it's time to indulge in the life of a Floridian. With great food, great friends, and great experiences, I offer you stories and pictures to take you away, into my world at Disney. Categories |