International supermarket rocks!!!

Got some Thai green curry paste from Lotte in Germantown.  The english is really bad, and every measurement is metric, but I followed the recipe on the box, substituting leftover red and yellow peppers and peas for Thai eggplant. It was awesome, but HOT!  And green curry is supposed to be the "sweet" curry.  I finished mine (and a second helping), but we had to dilute the rest with another half-can of coconut milk and water to render it safe for Meghan.  Even with the dilution it had a nice kick.

You hear that Ruan Thai?  I'm coming for you.  MoCo ain't big enough for both of us jerks. I know your secrets.  I know where you shop.  Just wait until I figure out how tablespoons of curry paste relate to grams.  THEN we'll see who is on Jason's list.  WE WILL SEE!!!!!!!!!  That is all.

Purists won't call it chili...

...but I love my sausage chili anyway.  Whatever peppers you have around (I used red because they were leftover and yellow because they were on sale), kidney beans, diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, what ever kind of sausage you have around (I used smoked chicken sausage because Meg says it's less-bad for you) (I like smoked pork sausage better), a bottle of beer, and my secret blend of herbs and spices.  Served over my friend Lenny's cornbread recipe.  The picture is before I put on loads of cheddar cheese and sour cream (fat free).  That is all.

egg-stacy

Eggsplosion injury

I have been on something of an egg kick lately. I am missing my mother-in-law's fresh eggs from her chickens and ducks.  I hadn't made poached eggs since last year's infamous microwave poacher "egg-splosion." But my hankering became to much to resist for my favorite breakfast, poached eggs on toast.

Since I threw the microwave poacher away in a fit of pain-rage, I decided to try to poach the correct way - in a pot of boiling water. My attempts years ago to do this resulted in a milky, microscopic-egg-bit-filled pot of hot water.  However, after thinking through the process a bit, I decided to give it another go.  The result? The most perfectly succulent eggs that I could imagine. The runny yolks pushed at the thin whites containing them as if they were about to burst.  The whites themselves were soft and creamy.  If I could eat this every day, I would.  Cracked pepper on top of the egg, buttered wheat toast underneath... sigh....

  

That is all.

Chinese take-out?

I really need to learn how to photograph food.  It's an art, really.  That's why they use fake food on advertisements.  I am amazed at the quality of photography on other food blogs out there.

According to "Eat this, Not that" book, beef and broccoli is the best thing for you on the chinese take-out menu.  I tried to make a recipe I found online, but I didn't have oyster sauce.  I used soy sauce instead.  While I liked this dish when we ate it, I have since bought oyster sauce, and I can tell you that soy sauce is not even close in flavor.  I'll have to try it again the right way.  I have learned the hard way yet again, to make ethic food you must have ethnic ingredients.  That is all.

Italian Food?

Chicken marsala is supposed to be pounded flat.  I skipped that time-consuming step and just loaded up on garlic and wine.  The breading on the chicken breasts really helped the texture of this recipe.  The taste definitely improved with a couple of days in the fridge.  Yeah leftovers!!!  That is all.

A perfect start to a sunday morning

Eggs over easy and RAPA scrapple. Hot cup of coffee. Yo Gabba Gabba in the background, singing "Don't...don't...don't bite your friends!  Bite, bite, bite?  NO NO NO!  Chomp, chomp, chomp?  YES YES YES!"

Perfect.

That is all.

Best thing I've had in some time!

My brother Butch is the undisputed champion of deep frying in our family.  He works in hot oil the way other artists might work in watercolors or clay. It is his true medium, a master.  The best thing I've had in weeks were these fried shrimp.  They were excellent.  The batter was perfect - golden brown, crispy, but not unyielding, well-seasoned, and not oily.  The shrimp themselves were impeccable.  Firm, moist, and flavorful.  Thank you, brother, for this bit of heaven on earth.  That is all.