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." |
Ramen soup. The words that may remind you of college years: a time with little cash and cheap food. Fortunately, I never did go through that time of everyday mac n’ cheese and ramen soup, with the occasionally home-cooked meal upon visiting family (dining plan!). But in this post I am not talking about the pre-packaged fried noodles and pack of spices ramen. Rather, I am speaking about the authentic, Japanese bowl of hot ramen.
I had been talking this recipe up for months and just yesterday I spontaneously threw it all together and it was gooood (Travis can attest to this!) Months ago, I had purchased a pack of four squares of rice noodles and yesterday I finally dug into it and created something special. It was easy, really. I just could not go too traditional, with a pork bone or fish base broth. Just the same, I think mine with quite good. I started out boiling water on the stove. Waiting for this to boil, I started sautéing chopped mushrooms, water chestnuts, chopped (pre-cooked) ham, and green onions together. After about 7 minutes, I placed two sheets/squares of rice noodles inside the pot of boiling water and then through the vegetable mixture in as well. To taste, I added salt, pepper, garlic powder, a Kikkoman teriyaki sauce. Not much later had I divided the steamy pot of goodness into two white, porcelain bowls, atop which I added boiled and sliced egg, bean sprouts, and chopped green onions. The dish was spectacular. The creaminess from the egg in broth, the crunchiness from the water chestnuts, and the soupy noodles that dripped brothy goodness in transit to our palates… I will certainly be making more of this dish, yet a different version (with miso, seaweed, salmon, roe, and/or in a beef or fish-based broth… options are endless!) What will your toppings be?
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Long week of work, cooler day, enough time to cook a good meal. What should I make? Upon looking in my refrigerator I notice the large head of cauliflower that I bought just the other day. It shouldn't take too long to whip something up with that... Perfect! I'll cook that! It was actually during my lunch break this past Friday that I stumbled upon a recipe for cauliflower soup, posted from America's Test Kitchen. It is possibly the simplest cauliflower soup recipe that you may chance upon. What I like about ATK is that they bring science to the table, when it comes to cooking or baking or anything food, really. From this article I found, I learned that there is a science to cooking cauliflower! Cauliflower is part of the cabbage family (Cruciferae or Brassicaceae), and is known as a Cruciferous vegetable. In its raw form, cauliflower has several phytochemicals, which can make it difficult to consume for certain people. Cooking it, however, rids the plant of these compounds; this is where it gets fun. In preparing the cauliflower for soup, boiling it in water for 15 minutes causes carbon disulfide to dominate in flavor. This is the more sulfury flavor that we are all familiar with. After 30 minutes of boiling, this compound leaves, permitting other compounds to dominate, causing a more subtlely sweet flavor. After 60 minutes of boiling, these compounds also dissipate and the cauliflower is flavorless. You do not want to reach this step, otherwise you'll have to add several other ingredients to make the soup more palatable. The recipe below is gluten free and can easily be dairy free if you substitute oil, instead of using the butter. From the recipe that I received, here is what I did: (the one below includes my alterations) Ingredients - 1 head cauliflower, without leaves - 1 small onion (vidalia or spanish) - 4.5 cups water - 8 TBSP Butter - Sea salt - Freshly cracked pepper - 1/2 tsp Sherry or white wine vinegar Instructions 1. Sauté the sliced onion in 4 TBSP butter and 1 tsp salt until soft 2. Add half of the cauliflower and stem (both sliced) and 4.5 cups of water 3. Simmer for 15 minutes 4. Add the remaining cauliflower, while putting 1 cup raw small pieces to the side 5. Cook for another 15 minutes** **During this time, take the cup of raw cauliflower florets and sauté them in 4 TBSP butter, a pinch of salt, and the vinegar, until brown. 6. Place the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Salt to taste. 7. Serve the soup and garnish with freshly cracked pepper, some sautéed cauliflower, and some of the butter and sherry liquid. ENJOY! Note 1. You can add leeks to the soup, as was the original recipe, but this I did not have on hand. It may enhance the flavor. 2. I recommend serving with toasted multi-grain bread, but be sure to try the soup first with a clean palate, so you can catch its earthy flavors. |
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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 |