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eG Foodblog: NulloModo - One bourbon, one scotch, one beer...


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Dinner:

The side Dish:

egjicama.jpg

Jicama (a mexican potato/apple sorta hybrid type texture and taste thing) sticks with a dressing made of fresh cilantro, mint, lime juice, and tequila. I also dusted the finished product with some chipotle powder to give it a color and taste contrast.

I also decided to make a quick fresh salsa to go with the carnitas from the following:

egrawsalsa.jpg

And finally, the finished product:

egtsupper.jpg

I served up the Carnitas with the salsa, some Crema Mexicana, and the Jicama Sticks.

Carnitas Recipe:

I started with about a 4 lb Pork Sirloin Roast. It unfortunately had a huge honkin bone in it that I pretty much managed to cut out. I roughly cubed it into big chunks.

Toss into a big pot with 1 cup of tequila, 1 bottle of beer, a chopped onion, a couple cloves of chopped garlic, some powdered dried chiles (or ground up whole dried chiles), some oregano, a couple tablespoons worth of fresh toasted and ground cumin seeds, salt, pepper, juice of two limes, juice of one lemon, and enough water to cover it up barely.

Let that pot simmer until all the liquid is gone and it starts to fry. I had to add a little more fat to get it to sizzle, and then once browned on bottom tossed it under the broiler to brown on top.

Serve it up with whatever you like.

Edited by NulloModo (log)

He don't mix meat and dairy,

He don't eat humble pie,

So sing a miserere

And hang the bastard high!

- Richard Wilbur and John LaTouche from Candide

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Wow, this is a little embarassing, but I get all my Latin from Disney, so I thought NulloModo was a play on Quasimodo, which according to the fine documetary animated film "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" means half-formed. Thus I thought it meant unformed.

I'll have to try Old Bay in more dishes; I grew up in outside of D.C. so I can't imagine serving crab without it, but I have to say it doesn't often make an appearance. And hot sauce, for God's sake! I have precisely three bottles: Tabasco regular, "Scorned Woman," and Snake Venom. You must have as many hot sauces as I have wines!

Walt

Walt Nissen -- Livermore, CA
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It is Absolut Peppar, I just grabbed it off the liquor shelf because it was sorta pepper-related.

Yay, I just found out I am going up to TJs this evening

You should infuse a habenero vodka. You'd enjoy it.

There's a Trader Joe's near you?

Hey from Philly!

Herb aka "herbacidal"

Tom is not my friend.

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The nearest TJs is like a 30/45 minute drive because of the abominable traffic on Concord Pike (Route 202 into Westchester, PA). That is where the TJ is, so I avoid it usually, but my roomate was driving up, so I jumped in the car to hitch a quick ride and pick some stuff up while he did his business elsewhere in the shopping center.

I was underwhelmed by the Absolut Peppar, mainly why it is still here after over half a year. It will likely dissapear the next time we host a 'gathering'. I might try that habanero infused idea though...

Those photos make the food look a lot darker than it actually was. Wow, it looks like I smothered the jicama in chili powder from that shot, there was really just a dusting.

Walt -

The Quasimodo translation, and your idea of my nick translation, may very well be correct. I made it up on the fly a couple years out of HS latin and never bothered to check it honestly.

I will avoid photographing my wine-rack as I am sure it would make me the laughingstock of eGullet ;).

Edited by NulloModo (log)

He don't mix meat and dairy,

He don't eat humble pie,

So sing a miserere

And hang the bastard high!

- Richard Wilbur and John LaTouche from Candide

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A question for those knowledgable:

Where does one go to get a knife sharpened? Our apartment knives are a set of Chicago Cutlery given to my roomate by his parents as a housewarming gift. I rather like the chefs knife in the set, but in over two years, it has never been sharpened, and it is quite dull. This has led to me almost chopping my fingers off (and partially succeeding) a couple times in the past weeks, this has to stop.

Only problem is, I have no idea where I would go to have a knife sharpened. So where does one take a knife? Do kitchen stores do it? Do you have to find a knife place? Thanks.

He don't mix meat and dairy,

He don't eat humble pie,

So sing a miserere

And hang the bastard high!

- Richard Wilbur and John LaTouche from Candide

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A question for those knowledgable:

Where does one go to get a knife sharpened? Our apartment knives are a set of Chicago Cutlery given to my roomate by his parents as a housewarming gift. I rather like the chefs knife in the set, but in over two years, it has never been sharpened, and it is quite dull. This has led to me almost chopping my fingers off (and partially succeeding) a couple times in the past weeks, this has to stop.

Only problem is, I have no idea where I would go to have a knife sharpened. So where does one take a knife? Do kitchen stores do it? Do you have to find a knife place? Thanks.

Down here in DC we have a knife store (actually a few) called Chesapeake Cutlery or something like that in the malls. $5 per knife. Took me a while to figure out that they sharpen knives (like a few years). Too bad they couldn't sharpen me up for $5 :wacko:

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Where does one go to get a knife sharpened?

We have a knife/sword/sharp objects store in the local mall that also does knife sharpening. I wish I had the time to learn to do it myself, but there are other priorities. I did learn to use a steel, though - makes a large difference between sharpening.

Marcia.

Don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he wanted...he lived happily ever after. -- Willy Wonka

eGullet foodblog

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A bit of ellaboration on the sauces and chillies you have would be interestinf to read. Also what are your favourites?

What is your favourite thing to cook? Please keep the pictures coming, for people like me (far away in India) it is educative to see pictures of ingredients like Jicama and what is done with them...

Rushina

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Well, it is a (poor) latin translation of 'No Method' or 'No Means'.

I kept thinking of it as 'No Way' - as in, like, no way, dude (say in Keanu Reeves accent for maximum gnarl).

so happy about this blog, too! thanks!

Fi Kirkpatrick

tofu fi fie pho fum

"Your avatar shoes look like Marge Simpson's hair." - therese

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Re; knife sharpening. Try calling anywhere that sells lawnmowers. We have a local place that does that and sharpens your knives as well. If you have a restaurant supply store in your area, they may be able to help. Barring all that, if you are a patron of a particular restaurant in your area, ask if the chef knows anyone who can do it for you.

I live down in Hot Sauce and chili heaven: would love to send you some dried chilis if you're up to the challenge!!

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For your knives, highly recommend eG knife class...lots and lots of good info. Its really a trial and error with outside knife sharpeners, you just never know what you are going to get back. And then once you start to sharpen on your own, its gets to be a kind of obsession... :wacko:

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For knife sharpening, look to the butcher's counters at your local supermarkets. I'm Philly suburban as well, and have had the butchers at my local Clemens sharpen a whole bunch of knives for free. They have a sign that says Wednesday is knife sharpening day hanging somewhere near the meat counter. Great service... They've gotta keep their own tools sharp so they're good at it... and quick.

Christopher D. Holst aka "cdh"

Learn to brew beer with my eGCI course

Chris Holst, Attorney-at-Lunch

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Wow, thanks for all the info about knife sharpening, I will have to ask around.

Today I woke up late again. I am the antithesis of a morning person. If left to my own devices I will eventually work myself into a schedule where I go to bed somewhere around 8am and wake up around 4pm.

Anyway, since I was very short on time, this was breakfast:

egwbreakfast.jpg

Well, not the whole jug, just one shake. It wasn't _bad_ but it certainly wasn't good. I use this stuff mainly for baking, never tried drinking it, probably won't attempt it many times again unless pressed for time.

While driving to work I realized that as much as I enjoy Peter Gabriel's Passions album, it wasn't encouraging me to disregard traffic laws enough to get to school on time. In went Judas Priest's Ram it Down and the problem was solved.

Here is a lunch preview shot:

egwprelunch.jpg

I will turn it into something tasty and explain what it is later on today, for now it is time to catch up on a bit of paperwork, and then head to the JCC to swim for a while.

He don't mix meat and dairy,

He don't eat humble pie,

So sing a miserere

And hang the bastard high!

- Richard Wilbur and John LaTouche from Candide

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Rushina:

I will try to go into more detail about the chiles and sauces as I use them more. Trust me, the week will have more instances of chile-use ;). The ones I have been using so far I have not been doing anything special to, just grinding them up and tossing them in so as they end up being like a slightly fresher chili powder. I should really toast them for maximum flavor, but I didn't. I have been playing around with ideas from the Mexican Table Salsa's eGCI course, so you might see me do more from that later on. If I do, I will explain in more detail. As far as favorites go, I love the smokeyness and heat of the Chipotle, but unfotunately around here all I can find is the canned ones in adobo, no dried ones. I also love the fruity heat of the habanero, the cool refreshing kick of the serrano, the almost sweet overtones of the roasted jalepeno, and the mild but full flavor of the anaheim and poblano. Some of my favorite pepper sauces are Blair's line (when I want a lot of heat), some Datil pepper sauces I brought back from St. Augustine (that pepper has an interesting taste, hot, but not too hot, but tons of flavor. It is almost like tabasco with a fuller pallete and greater testicular fortitude. Green sauces are great, and even your basic louisiana style cayenne sauces (like Crystal/Wal-Mart/Frank's) are good. Frank's new Chili and Lime is great for flavoring dishes for others who won't eat strong hot sauce ;).

Foodie -

That sounds wonderful. I wish I had that variety here. Luckily the veggie stand I like to go to at the farmer's market is run by a group of Mexican/Asian folks (looks to be half and half) and they stock a great variety of certain types of chiles, I just can't find certain ones I really want (dried chipotle, dried habanero, ancho). I really want to have a chile/herb/veggie garden, but I live in an apartment, and alas the idea of community gardens is not popular here.

He don't mix meat and dairy,

He don't eat humble pie,

So sing a miserere

And hang the bastard high!

- Richard Wilbur and John LaTouche from Candide

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Lunch!

That blob seen above turned into this:

egwlunch.jpg

Leftover Pizza!

Well, sort of.

The 'dough' is made out of pure wheat protein isolate (similar to what gluten I imagine) with a bit of pure fiber thrown in to add bulk and doughlike characteristics. It tastes... well, not too bad actually. Texture is not bad either if you cook it till crispy. However, it is not quite like regular dough. LAst time I used this crust I made a standard neopolitan style pie, and the flavors of the dough just didn't mesh with the pure basil/marinara/mozerella. So, this time, since I had some stuff I needed to use anway (some cooked shrimp, sausage, a bit of onion, etc) I just tossed a ton of stuff on for a not-quite traditional pizza. This one has a creole spice blend, shrimp, a little sauce, italian sausage, habanero peppers, onions, and cheese.

Since I Am enjoying sort-of pizza, and since I realize that my subtitle for this blog hasn't been completely true yet (cooked with beer yesterday, but I typically don't drink much alcohol during the week, just wait till the weekend for the good stuff there though....) I decided to have a sort-of beer. Haven't tried it yet, hope it doesn't suck, I bought a whole case (eh, for $8 for the case it was hard to go wrong....).

He don't mix meat and dairy,

He don't eat humble pie,

So sing a miserere

And hang the bastard high!

- Richard Wilbur and John LaTouche from Candide

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I'm just curious. Is there a reason why you chose to make your pizza with 'pure wheat protein isolate". And what IS 'pure wheat protein isolate'. Little wheat protein all out there by themselves....

Well, I am on the Atkins plan, so regular pizza is straight out. Normally I don't go for many low-carb convenience products either, preferring to just eat natural things I can make myself, but I had a hankering for something pizza like, and the mix I purchased (Carbsense Minicarb Pizza Mix) could only be made all at once, and made enough for two crusts. One was over the weekend, the other day. I didn't want to start the blog off with a bit bout of Atkins evangelism however, I figure I'd show people that you can eat very well balanced tasty meals low-carb without cramming it down their throats ;).

Speaking of the pizza:

This one was much tastier than the last. The crash and wiggle of the various flavors I tossed on actually balanced out into a nice pleasing whole. The creole spice mix gave it depth, the sausage a nice meaty mouthfeel, the shrimp and sauce a fresh taste, and the habanero a great kick and a little mouth tingle. Not a traditional pizza by any means, but something I might make again in the future. One of the biggest benefits is I now get to clear up fridge space by taking leftoveres which were taking up several containers, and now have them all in one on top of the pizza ;).

On the beer: I'm surprised, this is not bad at all. Usually light beers taste like crap. While this isn't anywhere near as good as the Dogfishhead 60 minute IPA or Magic Hat Heart of Darkness, or even a Victory Hop Devil I would be enjoying if I had my druthers, this fits into my dietary restrictions and has (gasp!) taste! I like it. Definately worth the 33 cents per bottle.

He don't mix meat and dairy,

He don't eat humble pie,

So sing a miserere

And hang the bastard high!

- Richard Wilbur and John LaTouche from Candide

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Hello from a former DelaWHERE?-ean. Just wanted to let you know I'm following your blog more than any so far. Besides that it's cool to know where you live, I like how "real" it is. I've enjoyed all I've read of previous eG blogs, too, but yours especially has grabbed my interest. Thanks for sharing a week of your life with us.

Life is short; eat the cheese course first.

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Why thank you Susan.

I am going to try to incorporate some regional cuisine ala Baltimore/Philadelphia (eh, or if I could figure out what Delaware's distinctive cuisine is I would do that) before the week is up.

However, today I used my Moka pot again, this time with the espresso grind Mexican Double Dark coffee I purchased at TJs last night. Definate different, far stronger, more flavorful brew than my Chock-Full-O-Nuts (what is up with that name? Is it nut flavored coffree? I didn't notice a nuttiness...) I like it. I like it a lot. I wish I had splurged and spent the extra $15 on the bigger pot now....

He don't mix meat and dairy,

He don't eat humble pie,

So sing a miserere

And hang the bastard high!

- Richard Wilbur and John LaTouche from Candide

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Supper from tonight:

egwsupper.jpg

Had some leftover spam, wanted to use it up, so....

Spam Fritatta.

Thin sliced the spam and fried it till very crispy, tossed in some chopped serranos till they got a little soft, in went the whipped egg/cream/tomato/salt/pepper mixture, some fresh dill on top, a little cheese, under the broiler, and voila.

He don't mix meat and dairy,

He don't eat humble pie,

So sing a miserere

And hang the bastard high!

- Richard Wilbur and John LaTouche from Candide

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Nullo --

is it whey protein isolate or wheat protein isolate?

had to google "wheat protein isolate" because I've never heard of it.

also, can you post a recipe please? amounts need not be accurate -- proportions can be approximate if you want to be vague.

Thanks,

Soba

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Soba -

The crust was Wheat Protein Isolate, Soy Protein Isolate, and some other goodies. I don't mix it myself (Although I could probably come up with something similar, possibly better if I experimented enough) it comes from a box, made by CarbSense, sorry if I posted in such a way that that was unclear.

Here is a source of the stuff though:

http://www.store.honeyvillegrain.com/index...PROD&ProdID=622

And here is an article that tells a little more about it:

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/viewtopic.php?t=23139

I am not sure on a technical level on how it differs from vital wheat gluten, or even if it does, 100% pure vital wheat gluten may be the same thing as Wheat Protein Isolate.

The jug you saw in the earlier post was Whey Protein Isolate, which I also use in baking, but I doubt it would work in a pizza crust. Whey protein can give bulk and a light fluffy texture to some baked goods. I really need to pick some unflavored stuff up, I just have this jug because I stumbled upon it on sale (eh, I pick up a lot of things that way).

He don't mix meat and dairy,

He don't eat humble pie,

So sing a miserere

And hang the bastard high!

- Richard Wilbur and John LaTouche from Candide

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