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eG Foodblog: daniellewiley - From pig hocks to tailgates


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:laugh::laugh::laugh:

I hope you save that photo for future boyfriends to see.

How long were the stuffed cousa squash on the grill? What a fab idea...I might have to steal it!

Yes, I definitely will save that one for the boyfriend archives!!

Here's what Michael says about the squash:

They were on for 16 minutes (same as the chops), on indirect heat, but CLOSE to the heat. The grill was closed, and the temp reading was 325 to 350, but was definitely hotter closer to the coals.

Does that help? :blink:

I don't do any of the grilling - but I do all/most of the prep.

Also, we have done the squash in the oven previously. Just at 350 degrees until they looked done. Very unscientific, LOL.

Danielle Altshuler Wiley

a.k.a. Foodmomiac

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It's Aryas Halabi, which is kibbe stuffed into a pita and grilled. Served with hummos. Yummy.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is kibbe?

Kibbe is usually ground lamb mixed with bulgar wheat. I think those sandwiches usually just have kofta meat in them though. Kofta is lamb with minced parsley and onion, no bulgar.

What I am wondering is why anyone would put a dairy product in hummus? Weird.

Also, give the hummus with meat a second chance. It is meant to be made with lamb rather than beef and can be really good when done right. I think foodman has a recipe somewhere in the Middle East forum.

Behemoth is right about the aryas halabi stuffing, by the way (of course!). I typed kibbe, because I had been discussing raw kibbe with one of the women I met with last night. She is Lebanese, and recommended the raw kibbe at the restaurant we will be visiting Friday night. I had kibbe on the brain.

:rolleyes:

Danielle Altshuler Wiley

a.k.a. Foodmomiac

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Here's what Michael says about the squash:

They were on for 16 minutes (same as the chops), on indirect heat, but CLOSE to the heat. The grill was closed, and the temp reading was 325 to 350, but was definitely hotter closer to the coals.

Does that help? :blink:

I don't do any of the grilling - but I do all/most of the prep.

Ahhh, the old Grilling War of the Sexes thing... :laugh:

I don't grill much either but I volunteered to do all the cooking on a road trip in a few weeks where ALL of my cooking will be on the grill. Michael's instructions help me enough to add the stuffed cousa squash to the menu. Please thank him for me!

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Here's what Michael says about the squash:

They were on for 16 minutes (same as the chops), on indirect heat, but CLOSE to the heat. The grill was closed, and the temp reading was 325 to 350, but was definitely hotter closer to the coals.

Does that help?  :blink:

I don't do any of the grilling - but I do all/most of the prep.

Ahhh, the old Grilling War of the Sexes thing... :laugh:

I don't grill much either but I volunteered to do all the cooking on a road trip in a few weeks where ALL of my cooking will be on the grill. Michael's instructions help me enough to add the stuffed cousa squash to the menu. Please thank him for me!

He'll read your thanks himself. :smile: He's lurking....

By the way, this is the first time we made this with cousa squash. Usually, we do them with yellow squash or zucchini - also good. We have also done variations, the best being a stuffing of ricotta and herbs. Much more delicate in flavor, but absolutely delicious.

Laksa was wondering about the difference between cousa and zucchini. I think cousa are more tender. They also seem meatier, especially in this application where you are removing the seeds. The zucchini tend to get a bit flacid when you do that - the cousa didn't.

The flavor is pretty comparable, but the cousa are a bit more delicate, especially the young ones we ate tonight.

Edited by daniellewiley (log)

Danielle Altshuler Wiley

a.k.a. Foodmomiac

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Well, we are installing some new software on the iMac I use for photos, so I can't share a picture, but dessert was terrific.

A Buenos Aires brownie:

Two layers of our Black Magic Brownie sandwich a layer of Dulce de Leche, the Argentine caramel cream. Topped with a blend of cooked sugar and almonds that makes a toasty, dark caramel that we grind into a sweetly crunchy praline powder. Wow! The $64 million dollar question is "How do they get that caramel between the layers?"

(from Zingerman's Bakehouse)

with a scoop of Zingerman's Dulce de Leche gelato.

Both were incredibly sweet, but wonderful. I'm stuffed...

Danielle Altshuler Wiley

a.k.a. Foodmomiac

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Well, we are installing some new software on the iMac I use for photos, so I can't share a picture, but dessert was terrific.

A Buenos Aires brownie:

Two layers of our Black Magic Brownie sandwich a layer of Dulce de Leche, the Argentine caramel cream. Topped with a blend of cooked sugar and almonds that makes a toasty, dark caramel that we grind into a sweetly crunchy praline powder. Wow! The $64 million dollar question is "How do they get that caramel between the layers?"

(from Zingerman's Bakehouse)

with a scoop of Zingerman's Dulce de Leche gelato.

Both were incredibly sweet, but wonderful. I'm stuffed...

Oh my, how decadent is that!?! Really, it sounds like my kind of dessert.

I've never had purple potatoes, is there any taste difference compared to the other varieties?

Yetty CintaS

I am spaghetttti

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Behemoth is right about the aryas halabi stuffing, by the way (of course!). I typed kibbe, because I had been discussing raw kibbe with one of the women I met with last night. She is Lebanese, and recommended the raw kibbe at the restaurant we will be visiting Friday night. I had kibbe on the brain.

The Beruit is one of our six or seven favorite restaurants in Toledo. After a Friday evening at the Toledo Art Museum, we stop there. It's on the way home- a bonus. The raw kibbe is my must have dish! :wub:

Carpe Carp: Seize that fish!

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I've never had purple potatoes, is there any taste difference compared to the other varieties?

Not a dramatic one, in my opinion. These were excellent, but that's probably due to the fact that they were organic, and well cared for. The purple potatoes are much like other waxy potatoes, but certainly look more fun!

Danielle Altshuler Wiley

a.k.a. Foodmomiac

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Did you have any Lebanese heritage or interest in Lebanese cuisine before living in the Toledo area?

I'm not sure why, but I have never thought of the Mid-North (or whatever you would call that area) as having a big Middle Eastern population, but I guess I am wrong. That is cool that you can get good ethnic food in Toledo of all places though, whoda thunkit.

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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Did you have any Lebanese heritage or interest in Lebanese cuisine before living in the Toledo area?

I'm not sure why, but I have never thought of the Mid-North (or whatever you would call that area) as having a big Middle Eastern population, but I guess I am wrong. That is cool that you can get good ethnic food in Toledo of all places though, whoda thunkit.

Nope - I'm of Eastern European Jewish descent (Russia, Poland).

I was also surprised about the Lebanese population in Toledo, but turns out that many of our well-known Toledo celebrities (Jamie Farr, Danny Thomas) are of Lebanese descent, so maybe I shouldn't have been.

Danielle Altshuler Wiley

a.k.a. Foodmomiac

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Smoked Hot Paprika from Spain:

4.jpg

I admit that when I saw this stuff at a cheese/food shop here in Boston, I bought it for the great lookoing tin. A pleasant surprise to find out that the paprika inside is really quite good. There is a sweet version as well (perhaps called 'mild'?).

Stephen Bunge

St Paul, MN

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Well, first, here's the picture of my dessert from last night:

dulcedeleche.jpg

Breakfast today was just some of those good 'ol Heritage O's with the soy milk and some blueberries.

For lunch, my friend Mike (the blog doubter) came home with me, and we had leftover eggplant. Then, he watched me make chicken salad with the leftover smoked chicken, and tasted it. :smile:

chop%20chicken.jpg

He thought it was tasty.

Regarding the eggplant, he says:

"I was really surprised by how good this was. I've had some really bad eggplant lately, even at really fancy restaurants. I could eat this version every day."

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

Danielle Altshuler Wiley

a.k.a. Foodmomiac

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I'm not sure why, but I have never thought of the Mid-North (or whatever you would call that area) as having a big Middle Eastern population, but I guess I am wrong.

Detroit also has a large Middle Eastern population.

Great blog, Danielle. :smile:

"There is no worse taste in the mouth than chocolate and cigarettes. Second would be tuna and peppermint. I've combined everything, so I know."

--Augusten Burroughs

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RE: raw kibbe, is the meat or the wheat raw, or both?

Laksa,

Raw kibbe: the meat is raw ground lamb. The bulgar is also raw, in the sense that all you really ever need to do to fine (#1) bulgar is soak it for about 15 minutes to get it soft. About 2 parts lamb to one part bulgar, and I think there is some onion in there too, very finely minced. If you need a more precise recipe I can try to dig one up (aka call the parents). You spread the mixture on a plate, pour a thin layer of the absolute best olive oil you can get on top, then scoop it up in pita bread with a basil leaf or two on top and cram the whole thing in your mouth. It is really really good, especially with arak and some pickles on the side.

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RE: raw kibbe, is the meat or the wheat raw, or both?

Laksa,

Raw kibbe: the meat is raw ground lamb. The bulgar is also raw, in the sense that all you really ever need to do to fine (#1) bulgar is soak it for about 15 minutes to get it soft. About 2 parts lamb to one part bulgar, and I think there is some onion in there too, very finely minced. If you need a more precise recipe I can try to dig one up (aka call the parents). You spread the mixture on a plate, pour a thin layer of the absolute best olive oil you can get on top, then scoop it up in pita bread with a basil leaf or two on top and cram the whole thing in your mouth. It is really really good, especially with arak and some pickles on the side.

Perfect timing - we had some tonight!! We were saving The Beirut for tomorrow night, but I wasn't up for cooking, and we were both hungry at an early hour.

I can't believe we had never had the kibbe, considering we both love steak tartare so much. After this week's discussions, I knew we had to try it!

They offer both lamb and beef ($10 and $7 respectively), and it is served as an appetizer. We got lamb. The serving is HUGE:

kibbe.jpg

We couldn't even get through half. It is served a little bit differently from the above description. The olive oil isn't the best (unfortunately), and is served in a bottle alongside the platter. Also, I didn't see any basil leaves, just a plate of onion, cucumber and radish. The texture was much smoother than I expected - almost as smooth as a mousse or pate. The flavor was incredibly mild. I loved it. We are excited to have tried this dish. Thank you all for the inspiration to do so, finally!

Dylan really wanted to try some. We were reluctant, as I don't think small children are supposed to eat raw meat, but she was begging, and I hate to turn her down when she is being an adventurous eater. We gave her a small bit which she liked very much. Mostly, though, she ate olives and pita. They used to get pita from some other bakery, but the Beirut recently started making their own! So exciting, as it is very delicious, and 100x better than the previous bread. Here is a snapshot:

pita.jpg

I got my usual dish, the unfortunately named Roast Shank-O-Lamb. It sounds like some kind of weird Irish fare. It's awesome, though, complete with a whole roasted carrot, celery, a potato, rice, and the shank itself, which falls off the bone. I could barely get through half of it:

shank.jpg

Michael got the Kabob Combo. It is Shish Kabob, Kafta, Hummos (spelled Homos on this listing on the menu :blink: ) served on a bed of rice. He loved it. The kabob was incredible:

combo.jpg

The wine we drank was a great Lebanese wine that we get every time we go. It is a Chateau Kefraya, Lef Breteches 2003 from the Bekaa Valley. It is a blend of Cinsaut, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Grenache.

Danielle Altshuler Wiley

a.k.a. Foodmomiac

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Looks good, danielle. :wub:

Hopefully you will be able to get back online sometime today or tomorrow and post the remainder of your blog.

The next blog in the sequence is from a fellow Midwesterner who hails from the exotic land of Minnesota. :raz:

In any event, it was a pleasure to be with you this week. Have a great Labor Day weekend.

Soba

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Hey guys!! I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish my blog in a timely manner!! In deference to everyone, I made sure that I ate very boring food on Friday. :biggrin:

For the Saturday tailgate, we bought some fresh kielbasa from Stanley's, the Polish market on Friday afternoon. This kielbasa is famous in Toledo. It is especially popular around the holidays. We always eat it Christmas morning (yes, I'm Jewish, but Michael isn't, so we get to eat great food for lots and lots of holidays), and on Easter. On December 23, there is typically a three-hour wait to get kielbasa. Stanley's usually has a Santa on hand to entertain those on line.

Friday night, I put the whole links of kielbasa in the crockpot with a bottle of beer. For holidays, we cut up the kielbasa first, but for tailgates, we do it whole. That morning, Michael pulled out the links and put them in a tupperware for the game. He also whipped up some eggs with salt and pepper and got all of his cast iron gear ready (small grill, and 10-inch pan). And off he went (I stayed home with Dylan). Now, due to all of the beer that was consumed along with the food, his pictures aren't terrific. I'll upload them this afternoon though, as soon as Dylan takes her nap.

He grilled the pre-cooked kielbasa and prepared the scrambled eggs with some chopped tomato and scallion. He brought along tortillas for those wishing to eat the eggs as a wrap. Had I joined the party, we would have had a pitcher of Bloody Mary's. As it was, they just had the aforementioned beer.

I'll post the pictures and a little more information about tailgating in a few hours.

Stay tuned!

Danielle Altshuler Wiley

a.k.a. Foodmomiac

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3.  Why are they called tailgates?

A tailgate is the "door" on the back end of a truck. It folds down, and that's where you stick your cooler full of beer.

Tailgate Trivia: that page says that the first tailgate party took place at "the tail end of a horse," but the literal definition is the one given above.

50 Secrets to Successful Tailgate Parties (includes recipes).

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OK, here are my pictures of the tailgating:

Here is the kielbasa in the crockpot pre-cooking:

kielbasa.jpg

Here is the cute little grill that Michael used:

castiron.jpg

Some other tailgates at the UM game. Here is an example of the lengths people go to to show their school spirit:

gobluevan.jpg

The grills are UM colors - maize and blue:

bluegrills.jpg

Here you can see a row of tailgaters:

tailgates.jpg

Here are crazy opponents. We played Miami of Ohio:

opponents.jpg

These are civilized tailgaters. They are sitting nicely at a table with a tablecloth:

civilized.jpg

Here is a really fancy set-up. This is in the exclusive VIP parking lot for alumni who donate a ton of money:

fancy.jpg

morefancy.jpg

More tailgaters in the VIP lot:

parkinglot.jpg

And, finally, the game. The real (ostensibly) reason to tailgate:

thegame.jpg

The UM Big House is the largest college stadium, seating almost 112,000.

Danielle Altshuler Wiley

a.k.a. Foodmomiac

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I googled "tailgates" and I was wondering about the following:

1.  Are grilled or bbq items typical at tailgates?

2.  I take it alcohol is a big thing at tailgating parties.  :raz:  :blink:

3.  Why are they called tailgates?

Looking forward to it danielle.

Soba

1. Yes, in my experience they are. Quite frankly, that's the easiest way to prepare fresh food outdoors. People bring sandwich fixings and salads in coolers as well, but not to the extent that they do at a fancy outdoor eating event such as Tanglewood.

2. mmmm hmmmm. Absolutely. And, at college games like this one, it takes on a feverish pitch, b/c alcohol is not sold inside. I think people are desperate to get wasted before entering the stadium.

3. Tana answered that one perfectly.

Some other things to say. Parking is really expensive at the games. We buy a season pass from a local realtor. We used to tailgate in the lot of a gourmet food store called Produce Station, but the owner uses the money to take a personal vacation, and the bathroom is kind of scuzzy. The real estate office donates the money to the Children's Miracle Network, and we get to use the nice realtor bathroom inside. Bathrooms are very important when you are drinking mass quantities of Bloody Mary's or beer.

People usually park together in groups, and plan to tailgate together. Often, we will bring food, and Michael's boss will bring dessert and drinks, or vice versa. Dessert is usually cookies. I like to save my dessert for the game. When the cooler days hit, I get a caramel apple or a cinnamon donut with a little jug of apple cider. Unfortunately, the cider is pasteurized, but I still enjoy cider on a fall day.

My favorite part of tailgating is actually after the game. The traffic leaving the area is horrid, so we sit and relax in our canvas chairs, drinking a little and eating leftovers until the roads have cleared up a bit. This is more fun when we were victorious, obviously, but it is always a really calm and relaxing time.

Danielle Altshuler Wiley

a.k.a. Foodmomiac

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