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menuinprogress

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Posts posted by menuinprogress

  1. Mapo Tofu - our best version to date:

    gallery_58047_5582_43424.jpg

    and our first try at Char Siu Bao:

    gallery_58047_5582_7789.jpg

    While we still need some work on the bbq pork filling, the buns themselves were perfect.

  2. What is a baseball steak?  And how did you cook it?

    It is a cut from the top sirloin. We cook it on a grill pan flipping every 3 minutes for a total of 15 minutes.

  3. For some reason we're on a shrimp and egg kick lately. It is such a good flavor combination.

    As part of a dinner a few days ago we had Shrimp, scallion and egg pancakes:

    gallery_58047_5582_57894.jpg

    This was the first time we've made these, but it certainly won't be the last. Wow, were they good.

    Tonight, we reprised the shrimp and egg combo with our best version of Phad Thai yet:

    gallery_58047_5582_55393.jpg

    We usually use pork rather than shrimp, but I think I really prefer the shrimp. The flavor and texture contrast they provided was really nice.

  4. We finally broke down and picked up a spare fridge to use for curing meats. This is our first batch hanging:

    gallery_58047_5582_77009.jpg

    We figured we would start simple with the Charcuterie recipe for Saucisson Sec:

    gallery_58047_5582_67536.jpg

    It came out beautifully. Great texture and intense flavor.

    We also did a cured version of an improvised Spanish-style sausage that we have enjoyed as a smoked sausage:

    gallery_58047_5582_38858.jpg

    It came out a little soft, but still very nice.

    Since we had some jowl on hand, we also decided to do some Guanciale:

    gallery_58047_5582_59899.jpg

    Along with some smoked cheddar, it made for some great sliders the other day...

    gallery_58047_5582_2699.jpg

    We're officially hooked. We've got Tuscan Salami and some Coppa hanging now.

  5. We recently made Savory Braised Lamb (shank) with cauliflower from My Bombay Kitchen:

    gallery_58047_5582_50149.jpg

    The juices from the shank were great - sticky and richly flavored.

    We had a lot more braising liquid left over than we had lamb, so a few nights later we blended it up into a soup. The remaining bits of cauliflower acted as the thickening agent.

    gallery_58047_5582_8802.jpg

    With the leftover lamb bits, we made a rolled taco of sorts - adding onion, cilantro and queso fresco.

    gallery_58047_5582_6310.jpg

    The original dish was very good, but the improvised leftovers were fantastic. Most satisfying dinner I've had in a while.

  6. Kim - I noticed that Mr. Kim managed to get bacon in every course. Nice!

    Bruce - I love the idea of the soup - from a recipe, or improvised? And now I'm craving keema...

  7. Hi everyone!  I made sushi last night.  It's my second try so please be kind lol 'cause it's not pretty, but it really hit my spot!

    I've made sushi a lot more than two times and my rolls still aren't pretty, so don't feel bad - it's the taste that counts!
  8. Lamb's liver "Portuguese-style":

    gallery_58047_5582_37939.jpg

    Cobbled together from recipes from several Portuguese cookbooks.

    The liver was marinated in white wine and lemon juice, cooked in bacon fat, sauced with the reduced marinade, topped with the bacon, and served family-style over sauteed onions.

  9. Being an often light-challenged photographer myself, I completely understand the reasoning behind the "photo-box", but I'm not a big fan. I find the resulting photos too sterile and lacking in soft background details. That being said, it is certainly much preferable to a dark or blurry photo.

    For a long time I just worked with natural light, tried to hold steady, took a lot of pictures and picked the best ones. When I got a "good shot", I was very happy with it, but the hit and miss was really frustrating.

    A while back I bought a Lowell Ego, and the extra lighting really helps a lot to get good, focused shots. But even though I use it on our dining table without a cube of cardboard, I still feel like my shots are "boxed". It works incredibly well for tight, "up close with the dish" stuff, but doesn't help nearly as much for broader, more contextualized picture.

    The bottom line is, I think, that getting the look of natural lighting in insufficient-for-photography light conditions is really hard to do. I think my next step will be using an external flash as Chris Hennes has outlined upthread.

  10. Nice press! Here's our own DIY press, used to make goat goudas that come out remarkably well (especially when aged a year or 18 months).

    gallery_44787_6536_437.jpg

    Nice! Definitely a cut above our "press".

  11. We recently did a wheel of Queso Fresco. It turned out great, and was ready to use the day after it was made:

    gallery_58047_5582_31417.jpg

    This was the makeshift press we used - aside from instability problems (it fell over dramatically a couple of times), it worked pretty well.

    gallery_58047_5582_64183.jpg

    The cheese has been surprisingly versatile (which is good, since we have a whole wheel). In addition to being very nice crumbled, it melts better than I would have expected and has worked really well in quesadillas. We're going to try it on a pizza next...

  12. Kohlrabi Risotto with Scallops, Sage and Bacon:

    gallery_58047_5582_23045.jpg

    The kohlrabi in the risotto was an impromptu experiment that worked out well, and it is pretty hard to go wrong with scallops, fried sage leaves and crispy little bits of bacon...

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