tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82216775494697470432024-02-19T01:06:42.173-08:00Food And Such ThingsChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-44210760560515323722014-07-15T15:52:00.000-07:002014-07-15T15:52:56.092-07:00Korean Pancakes a.k.a Hotteok<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back! Today is sort of a continuation to the<a href="http://foodandsuchthings.blogspot.com/2014/06/cooking-show-review-korean-food-made.html" target="_blank"> last post</a>. If you can recall, I talked about the cooking show<a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/korean-food-made-simple.html" target="_blank"> Korean Food Made Simple</a>. In the show, I saw something that looked delicious and fun to make. Since Korean food has been a passion of mine as of late, this seemed like a prime opportunity to try something new. So sit back and prepare yourself for the awesomeness that is Hotteok!<br />
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The picture directly above is the finished product from<a href="http://judyjoo.com/" target="_blank"> Chef Judy Joo</a>. The top picture is mine. I think I did a pretty good job. I didn't have any fancy little wrappers, but it still worked.<br />
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Before we get to the process, let me explain how these pancakes differ from traditional American pancakes. Aside from what you see in the pictures above, like the size and some sort of filling, the biggest difference is the use of yeast. That's right, these little hot cakes are leavened with yeast instead of baking powder or baking soda. With that said, you must now take into account that you are going to have to plan ahead if you want to make this.<br />
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I know the idea of using yeast can scare the shit out of a lot of people. All I can tell you is that you really shouldn't be afraid of it, especially with this recipe. You don't have tons of kneading to worry about with this. It is still a batter, just with a bit more body to it. You will see this to be true as we delve into the process of making this wonderful dish.<br />
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Recipe:<br />
DOUGH INGREDIENTS:<br />
1 1/2 cups (360 milliliters) whole milk<br />
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar<br />
1 packet (7 grams/0.25 ounces) instant dry yeast<br />
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt<br />
1 1/2 cups (225 grams) strong orbread flour, plus additional for dusting*<br />
1 cup (150 grams) sweet glutinousrice flour**<br />
4 1/2 teaspoons (20 grams) corn flour or corn starch<br />
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Filling<br />
1/2 cup (125 grams) muscovado sugar, firmly packed***<br />
1/2 cup (75 grams) peanuts, crushed roughly****<br />
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon<br />
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt<br />
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*When I made this, I used all purpose flour. I don't normally keep bread flour on hand and, at the time, was too lazy to go to the store.<br />
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**You might have to go to an Asian market to find this. In fact, you SHOULD go to an Asian market to find it. You will probably pay twice as much finding it elsewhere. I got this bag for $1.<br />
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***I used dark brown sugar in place of muscovado.<br />
****I used cashews for mine. I like peanuts, but I like cashews better.<br />
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When you have all the ingredients ready, it's time to begin. First things first, you need to bloom the yeast. In a small bowl, add the warmed milk, yeast and sugar. Give it a quick stir and let sit for 4 to 5 minutes.<br />
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In a separate bowl, stir together your salt, flours and corn starch. When the yeast is ready, pour the milk mix into the dry ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon. until you get a "goopy" mix.<br />
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When mixing, I had to add a few more ounces of milk to get the consistency right.<br />
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Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size. This should take about an hour. Once it has risen, punch out the gas, cover, and let it rise until double.<br />
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While your dough is rising, go ahead and make the filling. The filling is very simple. Just chop up your shell nuts and stir them into the sugar, salt and cinnamon mixture.<br />
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After the second rise, it's time to work with the batter/dough. Punch down the mix one more time. Get some of the flour(bread or all purpose) and lightly cover the dough and cutting board with it. With a floured hand, drop the dough onto the board and sprinkle with a little more flour. I know it seems like a lot of flouring, but you don't want this stuff to stick.<br />
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Roll the dough into one single log. Cut the log in half. Then, cut each half into 5 pieces.<br />
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Now, here comes the fun part. Filling them. On the show, you see a street vendor filling them while she is holding the dough in her hand. I tried that:<br />
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What happened was the damn thing stuck to my hand so bad, I totally fucked it up and ended up throwing it on the ground in frustration. What I did after that was simply pressing them into circles on the cutting board and spooning in the filling like that. I then sealed up the dough into a nice little ball and set them on a tray sealed side down.<br />
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Now it's time to get frying. I added about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of vegetable oil to the pan and had the fire at med/high. Once the pan is hot, add 3 of the dough balls.<br />
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Once in the pan, use a spatula to flatten out the dough balls.<br />
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After a few minutes, turn over and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. My first batch got a little too toasty, While I don't like showing pics of my fucking up, we can also learn from these mistakes.<br />
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You can see the difference. In the end, they still tasted good. Just be sure to make sure your fire isn't too hot.<br />
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After they cool down some, it's time to eat!<br />
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I cut this one in half to show you how the inside looks. The sugar melts and gets all gooey and yummy.<br />
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If you think they look good, you really need to try this, because they taste even better than you think! They have a little bit of crunch to it, but are super soft on the inside. The filling is sweet and rich, with added chew from the cashews. Anyone who likes traditional pancakes is sure to be a fan of these.<br />
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In the bottom picture, I added a small bit of maple syrup over the top. While it was good with the syrup, I found it to be unnecessary.<br />
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I don't expect everyone to run out and try this. In the end, I hope that maybe you will look at using yeast a little differently. Maybe it isn't so scary. Maybe it's just another ingredient you have yet to become friends with.<br />
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Until next time, my friends!<br />
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I'm out!ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-91364330426476284162014-06-25T18:00:00.000-07:002014-06-25T18:00:14.269-07:00Cooking Show Review: Korean Food Made Simple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back to a new edition of your favorite now-and-then blog. What I have for you today is kind of a two-part thing, but I will get to that later. In the meantime, let me introduce to what I consider to be the best instructional cooking show on The Food Network and<a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/home.html" target="_blank"> Cooking Channel</a> combined. Say hello to <a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/korean-food-made-simple.html" target="_blank">Korean Food Made Simple</a>.<br />
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Without going through Wikipedia, let me give you a short background on the host,<a href="http://judyjoo.com/" target="_blank"> Chef Judy Joo</a>. If she looks familiar, that's because it isn't difficult to see her on the cooking channels. She has appeared as a judge on Iron Chef America, Next Iron Chef and a few other shows. More importantly than judging, she is an Iron Chef herself for the UK version of the show. There is much more to this woman, but I think that will give you an idea of who she is.<br />
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While the show is about cooking and recipes, it is also has a bit of travel to it as well. In each episode, you get to see a part of South Korea. Sometimes it's a well known tourist spot, sometimes it's a place only the locals know about. Along the way, you might get a small history of the dish she is going to prepare next. It all kind of ties in together.<br />
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When it comes time to cook, she knows how to throw down with the best of them. Everything is explained well, along with substitution ideas in case you can't find a certain ingredient.<br />
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One thing that caught my eye was the presentation of each dish. She is a chef. Hell, she is a fucking IRON CHEF! So you know everything is gonna have a smooth, clean plate up.<br />
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I know some of you might be thinking that Korean or Asian food is difficult to make. Well, first off, the name of the show has SIMPLE in it! Once you can get past the title, you will see that everything she is making is very straight forward. Yes, you may have to purchase a few new ingredients to stock your pantry with, but it will be well worth it.<br />
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As for me, I have a new found love for Korean food and cooking techniques. It started a little before <a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/korean-food-made-simple.html" target="_blank">Korean Food Made Simple</a> first aired. Once I started watching the show, I was hooked. I've made a few Korean dishes myself, and each one I have enjoyed immensely. One of the dishes I made was actually from the show.<br />
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Let me tell you, those pancakes were....well, I don't want to spoil the next blog post for you!<br />
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That's it for this one. You can watch <a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/korean-food-made-simple.html" target="_blank">Korean Food Made Simple</a> on the <a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/home.html" target="_blank">Cooking Channel </a>on Saturday mornings. Take my advice and check this show out!ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-56574446828516724022014-05-20T11:13:00.000-07:002014-05-20T11:13:00.098-07:00Afters Ice Cream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back! I'm glad you could stop by for another wonderful post. What I have for you wasn't really intended to be a blog post, but it kind of worked out that way. In the end, it was a bunch of coworkers having a good time and enjoying good food and good company. Before we get that far, let me fill you in on how a bunch of pastry chefs hit the streets in search of ice cream.<br />
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As a chef, it can be easy to get jaded when it comes to food. After a while, nothing seems to pique the interest unless it is bizarre or pushing the boundaries between food and pornography. And just when you think you have heard all the bullshit and all the so-called foodporn, you hear about something that sounds....good. You hear about something that may not even be original, in a sense, but presented in a way that drives your curiosity and genitals wild! For me, it was two words that caught my attention: Milky Buns<br />
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If you know me, you can probably guess that my first thoughts after hearing the words Milky Buns were perverted. Milky buns, to me, equated to white ass cheeks. Hey, that doesn't sound bad at all! Sadly, ass cheeks wasn't on the menu. What was on the menu was a glazed donut that is cut in half and filled with a scoop of ice cream and whatever topping that you want to go with it. I'll give you a moment to pick your jaw up from the floor.<br />
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At some point, a bunch of my coworkers decided to hit this place up one night after work. I was lucky enough to have been invited. PLUS, it was a bunch of females and I was the only guy there. GIGGITY!<br />
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Upon arriving, I saw a long line of people stretching outside the shop. Seeing that this was about 9:30 at night, I'd say that was a good sign.<br />
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My good friend Aimee Lynn was the one that found this place. I've mentioned her on this blog before, and she is one of the first people I talk to when it comes to food. She had been there before and had a few recommendations on what to order. I decided to go with the cereal milk ice cream with corn flakes as a topping. If you are wondering what cereal milk is, let me try and break this down as quickly as I can.<br />
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Cereal milk is made by pouring cold milk over your favorite cereal and letting it sit for a little while. Then, you strain out the cereal and place the milk back in the fridge. The milk has now taken on some of the flavor and sweetness of the cereal. The<b><a href="http://milkbarstore.com/" target="_blank"> Momofuku Milk Bar</a></b> was the first place I had heard of really using this technique to instill more flavor in their desserts.<br />
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After a 15 to 20 minute wait in line, we got our milky buns and scoops of ice cream. We sat down and talked about....everything. Food, work, rumors, Ouija boards, Iowa, and everything in between.<br />
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While the pics aren't the greatest, you can see what is going on. The top is mine. The bottom is what my lovely lady got. She ordered the Cookie Monster ice cream. It was blue and had all kinds of shit going on with it.<br />
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My ladies ice cream was everything it should have been with a name like that. Bright, sweet, crunchy, and fruity. Mine was on the more subtle side. Milky flavor with an undertone of the cereal in every bite. The corn flakes added a nice touch, but I think I will try it with cap n' crunch next time.<br />
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The donut itself was good. You could tell it was very fresh and wasn't oily. A well made donut.<br />
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While this was a tasty treat, it really needs to be just that: A treat. Mixing these two items will give you a fat ass and a bad heart in no time! Honestly, I could only indulge in something like this once every blue moon.<br />
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Aside from the food, it was just really cool to hang out with some of the work buddies away from the slave ship. To be able to just kick back and relax with the people you just went through a long, arduous shift with is a priceless thing.<br />
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These two lovely ladies are Hannah and Alexis. Hannah is the one who introduced me to<a href="http://foodandsuchthings.blogspot.com/2012/04/zankou-chicken.html" target="_blank"> Zankou Chicken</a>. Alexis is a bit of a Star Wars fanatic who somehow got stressed out watching the latest Godzilla movie. Oh yeah, Alexis also rocks in the kitchen and trains a lot of the new hires.</div>
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This is Victoria. She is from Montana. Wait, I think she is from Idaho. No, that's not right either. Oh, I got it! She's from IOWA!!! I only say that because it was a running joke that no one could ever remember she was from Iowa. They would say every other state BUT Iowa!</div>
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Victoria, without a doubt, got the best picture of the night. Plus, this woman brings such a wonderful, exciting and positive energy to the kitchen. While there may be some really miserable sons of bitches running around the kitchen, her presence can quickly turn a frown into a smile. In my opinion, every job needs at least 1 Victoria.</div>
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These were the only pictures I got. So let me give a shout out to Kaycie, Nicole, Sam, Aimee, Jaclynn, and my lovely lady Becky. Together, we made a night I won't soon forget.</div>
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Oh yeah, try Afters when you get a chance. ;-)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u><a href="http://aftersicecream.com/" target="_blank">Afters Ice Cream</a></u></b></span></div>
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18030 Brookhurst St.</div>
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Fountain Valley, CA 92708</div>
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I'm out.</div>
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ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-641974949864898302014-05-08T12:19:00.000-07:002014-05-08T12:19:22.627-07:00Catch Up and Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back. I know it's been sometime since my last post, and I would like to thank you for not forgetting about me. I certainly haven't forgotten about you. During this time away, I've come across and made some pretty damn good food. In fact, so much so, it couldn't possibly fit into one blog post. So, what I have for you this time around is sort of a high-lite reel of what has been happening. Before I get to that, it's time for me to get a little personal.<br />
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For me, blogging is something I purely <i>want</i> to do. This isn't a need. I'm not getting paid from this, nor do I have lofty dreams of becoming some sort of writer. I do this because I love food and sharing it with others. Even if I only get 10 views a day on my page, I'm happy knowing it's out there for the world to look at.<br />
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While the thrill of having my food and thoughts floating around the internet does get the blood rushing, it also drives me crazy as well. When it comes down to it, I'm a control freak. Maybe it stems from being a chef, but I feel like if I'm going to put out a product, I want to be proud of it. I don't know how others do it, but it takes me a couple of hours to get down 1 post. The writing itself takes the longest. Then I attempt to proof read it. Then I make sure I have all the right pictures in the right places. Then I make sure I have all the necessary links set up. THEN, after all that, I publish it. That's when I have all the work of advertising on the numerous social media sites I'm plugged into. All this stuff takes time. And this, as they say, is where the plot thickens....<br />
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My time is extremely limited these days. Between work and family, there just isn't enough time in the day. I have to almost make a reservation with myself just to get on the computer these days. Lately, even when I do have the time, I might not even be in the mindset to sit down and write. I want to enjoy this, I don't want to write in a shitty mood. Even now, as I'm sitting here at the dining room table at 12:30am, I'm not in my usual frame of mind for writing. It feels a bit forced, to be honest. Forced or not, I'm doing this now, because I feel like my blog is slipping away. Plus, it's a good way to let my few readers know I'm still alive and kicking.<br />
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So, without further ado, lets get this freak show started! And what better way to kick things off than with a food FAIL!<br />
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That's right, I messed up some kind of way with the dish at the top of the screen. I was attempting to make a dish called<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mofongo" target="_blank"> Mofongo</a>. To sum it up, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mofongo" target="_blank">Mofongo </a>is a savory fried plantain mash. Guy Fieri goes nuts over this stuff on Triple D, so I figured I would give it a shot. I found what seemed like a good recipe and tried to follow it. When I was done making it, I just didn't like it. Maybe I over did the plantains, or maybe I added too much garlic. In the end, I just threw it out and chalked it up as a learning experience.<br />
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Speaking of Guy Fieri, I recently got the chance to go to a restaurant that was featured on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives. The name of the place is called <a href="http://ri.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrTcdTlQmtT0yYANrEPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByaDNhc2JxBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkAw--/RV=2/RE=1399567206/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fwww.mamacozzas.com%2f/RK=0/RS=YPqolQgCcieX6CHaU3tPfU9CAXo-" target="_blank">Momma Cozza's</a>.<br />
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Before going, I had heard mixed reviews about this place. Some people liked it, some said the food was bland. Before I tell you my opinion, let me show you how the meal started:<br />
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Before the drinks even got to the table, this thing was plopped down in front of me and my lady. No ranch to go with it. No oil drizzled on it. Nothing at all to accompany these tired, worn out slices of vegetables that were probably cut the day before. Honestly, this is a goddamn shame.<br />
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The rest of the meal? Bland. I ordered some pasta with a vodka meat sauce and a small pizza. The sauce was very bland, needing every spice and condiment on the table to make it taste decent. The pasta itself was cooked perfectly. The pizza wasn't bad either, but there are better pizza options in the city.<br />
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Sorry Guy, I wasn't impressed with that place.<br />
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On a better note, I did have some bomb-ass food from <a href="http://www.macaronigrill.com/" target="_blank">Romano's Macaroni Grill</a>.<br />
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The name of this dish was...sweet potato 4 cheese tortale-whatever-the-fuck. I can't remember. Plus, Italians keep renaming their food every few years to hide the fact that they haven't come up with anything new in CENTURIES! Sorry Italians, I had to spill the beans on that little secret. Please do not get mad to the point where you need to track me down and throw empty olive oil bottles at me. A simple hateful comment at the bottom will suffice. :-)<br />
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I also had a bowl of soup at a <a href="http://www.cornerbakerycafe.com/" target="_blank">Corner Bakery</a>. It was like a Loaded Potato soup. Some good shit! I would order it again!<br />
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I also tried a couple breakfast offerings from Taco Bell.<br />
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I didn't try both of these the same day, and my stomach and colon are happy I didn't do that either. I can be a glutton sometimes, but I have my limits.<br />
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The breakfast wrap is just aight. Not alright, ahh-ite! The one I got, I think they fucked up on. The hash brown was crispy as all hell! Normally, the center will still be a little soft with a crunchy exterior. The whole fuckin' thing was crispy, inside and out! It felt like they dropped it in the deep fry and forgot about it for a couple days!<br />
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The waffle taco may not be a pretty sight, but it didn't taste bad at all. They give you a side of syrup with it, but I just dipped the taco in the syrup as opposed to pouring it over the taco.<br />
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Like I said, the taco tasted good. Not great, but definitely not bad. My only gripe was that it was really greasy.<br />
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It's not the best pic, but my hand was glistening with grease! No driving and eating with this one!<br />
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That's about it for this one. I have to admit that my mood is much better now than when I first started writing this post. I hope I can get that feeling back a lot easier for next post. And let me tell you, I got some doozies lined up that will make your sphincter take notice! I'm not sure if that last sentence made sense, but I wanted to get the word "Sphincter" in here somewhere!<br />
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I'm out.<br />
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p.s. <b><u><span style="font-size: large;">SPHINCTER!</span></u></b>ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-57216348609066345492014-03-25T12:58:00.000-07:002014-03-25T12:58:23.351-07:00Cooking Show Review: Heartland Table<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqIxz9TK-x-HW_ZBAWxEZbz6tnVJbWo4K2-dNkhgC8TlwZuhByjilP7mEeuHihyphenhyphenQpIP_gwZXIxLxkNsL1QQYLYSjXlnHDRR-QRmgL0vO71wNDRYYLtT3CSYleH-NdLnNKKIM2X6_yAao/s1600/HB_Amy-Thielen-04_s4x3_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqIxz9TK-x-HW_ZBAWxEZbz6tnVJbWo4K2-dNkhgC8TlwZuhByjilP7mEeuHihyphenhyphenQpIP_gwZXIxLxkNsL1QQYLYSjXlnHDRR-QRmgL0vO71wNDRYYLtT3CSYleH-NdLnNKKIM2X6_yAao/s1600/HB_Amy-Thielen-04_s4x3_lg.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
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Welcome back! What I have for you today is a review for a show that has quickly become one of my favorites on the <a href="http://ri.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrTcd933DFT6hcAjagPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByaDNhc2JxBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkAw--/RV=1/RE=1395863032/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fwww.foodnetwork.com%2f/RS=%5EADA2OPoM2esNlwc5sV3kI6GZR9MqoI-" target="_blank">Food Network</a>. On a station filled to the brim with douche bags like Bobby Flay and Alton Brown, it's nice to see a bright spot every now and then. This time around, the bright spot is <a href="http://www.amythielen.com/" target="_blank">Amy Thielen</a>.<br />
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When I first saw the commercials for this show last year, my thoughts weren't exactly good about it. "Just fuckin' great! Some mid-west, country bumpkin white woman tryin' to teach me how to cook. That's exactly what I need in my life right now! Thanks for nothing Food Network!" I had written this show off before it even premiered. So, how did I come around to putting this show on my blog? Well, it all had to with collard greens. Let me explain...<br />
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I have a tendency to just turn on Food Network and let it run, as long as the host isn't too annoying. One morning, I had the station on and this show began. I was on my phone and wasn't paying too much attention to the tv to begin with. That is, until, I heard on the tv she was doing a dish with collard greens. I put my phone down and hit the rewind button on the remote. Did my ears deceive me? Is a tv chef actually using a leafy green that ISN'T kale? It was true.<b><span style="color: red;"> IT WAS TWUE</span></b>! Yes, that is a<a href="http://ri.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrTcdQf3TFTCCwAKMsPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByaDNhc2JxBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkAw--/RV=1/RE=1395863200/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fBlazing_Saddles/RS=%5EADAGTiEi32LVNM7OKyuanu.jd_Htk8-" target="_blank"> Blazing Saddles </a>reference.<br />
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The other shocker(<i>giggity</i>) about this is the use of collard greens. Outside of the south, you don't see them used that often. With the host touting her mid west upbringing, again, I started to have doubts. "What dafuq this country bumpkin know about collards???" So, I quietly watched the episode, waiting for her to get to the greens with an anticipation filled with mixed emotions. Half of me was honestly curios to see what she was going to do with the greens. The other half of me wanted to see her fail miserably just so I could feel right about my early presumptions. I know that's not right, but it's where my head was at that time.<br />
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To start, the whole episode was about butter. I love butter, so in my view, the show was already off to a good start. When she got to the greens, and what she did with them, <b>BLEW...MY...MIND</b>!! To start, she melted the butter and cooked it with a bunch of spices. Then, she strained the butter from all the spices and cooked the chopped greens in the butter in a screaming hot pan. When the greens got tender, off the heat they went. She then plated the greens and added dollops of fresh ricotta to them. Simply amazing.<br />
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All my life, I've only seen collards cooked in a big pot with ham hocks. To see the greens treated this way was a serious eye opener. A week later, I tried the recipe myself and fell in love. Not with Amy Thielen, but the greens. They were absolutely divine! The spiced butter brings so much flavor to the collards. I didn't add the ricotta, but I didn't feel like I was missing it either.<br />
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The funny thing is, when I made it, I didn't even do it right. When I was preparing to write this, I looked at the original recipe and realized I was using a spice that wasn't even in the original recipe. Plus, I wasn't using spices that were in the original. Oh well. In any case, the technique is bomb! Remember that!<br />
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<a href="http://ri.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrTcdQf3TFTCCwAKMsPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByaDNhc2JxBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkAw--/RV=1/RE=1395863200/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fBlazing_Saddles/RS=%5EADAGTiEi32LVNM7OKyuanu.jd_Htk8-" target="_blank">Here is a link to the original recipe</a>.<br />
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I ended up watching that whole episode and was hooked after that. Each week, she comes with real recipes alongside great technique. Plus, she's not a bitch who can't stop smiling or has a head the size of a watermelon. She brings the skills without the gimmicks. For me, it's hard to not appreciate that.<br />
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She also has a cookbook out. I just found out about it, so I can't give an opinion on it, But I would like to take a look at it.<br />
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They recently started season two of Heartland Table. It comes on Saturday mornings. Be sure to check this one out!<br />
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I'm out.ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-83396108077211203102014-03-17T22:31:00.001-07:002014-03-17T22:31:22.897-07:00The Arzak Egg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What I have for you today is something I had wanted to try for some time. I'm not sure what finally got me off my ass to make this, but I'm happy I did. So, without further ado, allow me to introduce you to The Arzak Egg.<br />
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If you are wondering what the hell an Arzak egg is, don't worry, it's not some freakish egg pooped out by some endangered animal. It's really just a poached egg. The reason I'm using a different name for it is because the technique was made famous by Spanish chef <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Mari_Arzak" target="_blank">Juan Mari Arzak.</a><br />
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So, what is this technique? If you want to get technical, it's like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous-vide" target="_blank">sous vide</a> process. In simpler terms, you are cooking the egg in hot water while the egg is wrapped in plastic wrap. Let me show you what I'm talking about.<br />
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The first thing you do is layout some plastic wrap. From here, you can rub a little butter in the center, approximately where the egg is going to be. You can add salt, pepper, and any other herb you want the egg to cook with.<br />
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From here, line a small bowl with the plastic wrap, making sure to get that buttery area at the bottom. Drop in the egg and proceed to close up the plastic wrap around the egg. You want to get as much of the air out of the pouch as you can. You can tie off the pouch with either cooking twine or another piece of plastic wrap. I just made a string out of plastic wrap and tied it off.<br />
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Now that my pouches are set, it was time to get started on the rest of the plate. As much as I like eggs, I needed a little something else to go with it. And what goes hand in hand with eggs? <b>BACON, OF COURSE!!</b><br />
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Honestly, with the plate up I had in mind, I only needed 1 slice of bacon. But who in the fuck only cooks one slice of bacon? Not this guy!!! Don't worry, the other two slices found a happy home...in my belly!<br />
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While the bacon was cooking, I chopped up some Thai basil, chives, and a little roma tomato.<br />
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At this point, the only things I had left to do was to poach the eggs and make the toast. The toast would only take a minute or two, so I got going on the eggs.<br />
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While a traditional poached egg takes about 3-5 minutes, the Arzak egg takes about 5-7 minutes. When the water got to a warm simmer, I dropped the pouches into the water. They both sank like rocks to the bottom. I didn't want to play with them, so I just let them sit for about 3 or 4 minutes before I moved them a little.<br />
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While the eggs were going, I went ahead and made the toast. I cut the crust off of a slice of bread and toasted it in a pan with butter and dried sage.<br />
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At about 5 minutes, I went to pull the eggs from the water. I used tongs to grab the loose plastic from the top of the pouch. I lifted one out of the water to give it a squeeze and test how firm it is. It still felt a bit soft, so back in the water it went. When I tried the second egg, it fell right out of the plastic! My initial reaction was simply yelling "FUCK!" at a fairly loud volume. Then, I realized that the egg was holding it's shape and no yolk had spilled into the water. So, I just proceeded as planned and finished at 7 minutes.<br />
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With the eggs done, it was time to plate up. Before I get to that, I do have to mention that there was one item I made the night before and didn't get any pics of. That would be a chianti reduction. What I did was pretty simple: Take one cup of chianti wine and about 2-3 tablespoons of sugar and slowly cook down the wine until it reduces to a syrup. That's it. If it's too thick when it cools down, just add a tiny bit of more wine or water to it to thin it out.<br />
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When plating, I started by drizzling the sauce on the plate first. Then, I sliced the toast square in half to make triangles and set those on the plate. Herbs, tomato and bacon pieces went down next.<br />
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Now it was time for the star of this show, the eggs. The eggs sat atop the toast. On top of the eggs, I put a tiny bit of salt & pepper, with a thin drizzle of EVOO. Lastly, the chives on top of the eggs. And that's it!!!<br />
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The real test is to see if that yolk is nice and runny. I wasn't too nervous cutting into it, but I wasn't 100% either. When I cut into it, this is what I saw:<br />
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It came out exactly as I imagined in my head. I took a bite with the egg, toast and sauce, and it was awesome. The chianti reduction was a little tangy and a little sweet. It added a nice balance to the richness of the yolk and buttery toast. The Thai basil and tomatoes were great co-stars in this wonderful production. The crispy bacon bits gave that nice element of crunch and saltiness. And the chives....shit, you can't go wrong with chives!<br />
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I felt like I really made an idea turn into reality with this one. It doesn't happen often for me, but when it does, it does feel good. What felt even better was some of the reactions I got when I posted this on <a href="http://instagram.com/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>(my handle is <span style="color: red;"><b>@chefjmiller726</b></span>). A few people asked if I made this or if I ordered it at restaurant. To me, that's a huge compliment. While I try not to fish for compliments, it's always nice to get positive feedback.<br />
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In the end, I like this technique for poaching eggs. If you have ever had trouble with poaching eggs the traditional way, give this a try. You might just like it. A lot.<br />
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I'm out.ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-11789096864308257922014-03-11T12:48:00.002-07:002014-03-11T12:48:55.973-07:007 Leaves Cafe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi Everybody! Thank you for stopping by for another round of blog awesomeness. What I have for you today is a quick review of a local coffee shop that recently opened. As a part time rebel, I try and do my part by supporting local businesses. Whenever I see a coffee shop that isn't Starbucks open up, I will always give them a try. Let's face it, Starbucks will be ok without the few bucks I spend on an iced coffee.<br />
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One of the first things that got my attention was the décor. I'm no interior decorator, but this place was clean. Everything feels modern and hip. I think my cool status went up a couple points just by walking through the doors.<br />
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The next thing I'm going to talk about is not something I normally bring up, but I feel I can't really overlook it. That would be the topic of race. The clientele is almost entirely Asian. Please understand, I do<strong> not</strong> have a problem with this at all. But I would guess that I was the darkest thing they had seen since nightfall, and I'm not that dark!<br />
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In the end, the real concern won't be the other customers sitting next to you, it will be the coffee and food. So let's get down to business.<br />
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The menu is small and very straight forward. A handful of coffees to choose from, as well as tea and boba drinks. The food selections are limited as well. All of this is fine, because a large menu doesn't mean good food.<br />
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I had ordered a basic coffee and some garlic fries. When asked if I had wanted the fries spicy, I blurted out "YES!". I would soon realize that probably wasn't the best answer.<br />
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The coffee was good. Clean flavor with little bitterness. I did add a small bit of sugar to it just for balance, but a quality cup of coffee. The fries were crisp with lots of garlic and spicy goodness. The heat was enough to make you reach for a drink, but not enough to make things unpleasant. It was at this point I realized the error in my ordering.<br />
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Spicy fries and hot coffee just don't mix. Who knew that drinking hot coffee would give you no relief from spicy foods??? <br />
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I felt like a complete dumb-ass after I took the first bite of the fries. I knew that coffee wasn't gonna do shit for the heat but make things worse. Luckily, they offered free ice water at the condiment table. In the end, I took most of the fries home and ate them there.<br />
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Overall, it's not a bad spot. A little hip with an eclectic menu. They also offer Vietnamese coffee, as well as duck sliders. If you happen to be in Garden Grove, give the place a try and tell Starbucks to suck it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/7-leaves-cafe-garden-grove-2" target="_blank">7 Leaves Café</a></span><br />
<span itemprop="streetAddress">13481 Euclid St<br />Ste B</span><br /><span itemprop="addressLocality">Garden Grove</span>, <span itemprop="addressRegion">CA</span> <span itemprop="postalCode">92840</span> <br />
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I'm out.ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-77626897171717504902014-02-28T15:21:00.001-08:002014-02-28T15:21:58.587-08:00"YOU SUCK! AND SO DOES YOUR F***ING RESTAURANT!!!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey folks! Welcome back to the blog that your parents told you not to read! If you have read the title and are looking at a certain chef holding a sledge hammer, then you have an idea where this post is headed. That's right! It's time for a rant on one of the most unsavory kinds of show on television out there: The Failing Restaurant Show.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: red;">WARNING</span></strong>:<strong> LOTS</strong> of foul language and crude humor in this post. Leave now if you are unable to remove the stick from your ass.<br />
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I'm not sure where all these shows started from, but to my knowledge, Gordon Ramsay was the first to do this with his show Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. NOT the American version, but the BBC version. Back then, the show was pretty straight forward. Explain to them why their business was failing, show them the changes that need to be made and help them make those changes. Now, the whole process has turned into a freak show. The focus is now brow beating the owners until tears. What the fuck is that all about?!?!<br />
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If you have never watched one of these shows, let me give you an example of how it all breaks down:<br />
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<strong>The host walks up to the business</strong>: <em>"This place looks like shit! Hopefully the food doesn't taste that way."</em><br />
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<strong>The host sits, reads the menu and samples a few dishes</strong>: <em>"This menu is fucking disastrous! (spits food out) YUCK! This food tastes like monkey shit and elephant jizz!"</em><br />
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<strong>The host yells at owner and chef</strong>: <em>"You(chef) cook worse than a fucking handicapped zombie! And you(owner) shouldn't be allowed to run a fucking lemonade stand! But, I would still like to see how you run a dinner service."</em><br />
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<strong>The host watches in horror at a bad service and yells at them at the end of service</strong>:<em> "Fuck you both you incompetent twerps! You should be castrated for running such an awful restaurant! Wait! Why are you running away?!?! Stay and listen to me call you more names!"</em><br />
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<strong>The host goes in the kitchen and discovers rats or insects</strong>:<em> "Dirty mother fuckers, too!"</em><br />
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End of Day 1<br />
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<strong>Next day, the host talks to owners again</strong>: <em>"Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I'm here to help you. Let me talk to your staff and see what they think."</em><br />
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<strong>The staff says</strong>: <em>"Fuck those fucking fucks!" and "They'll fire me if I talk back to them" and "I've told them the food sucks, but they wouldn't listen. Cock-smokers!"</em><br />
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<strong>The owners hear this and cry. They promise changes will be made.</strong><br />
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<strong>The host changes the menu from 100 items to 10 items. This time, the food is good.</strong> <em>:"I've burned and pissed on the old menu. This one is fresh and not from the 1980's."</em><br />
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<strong>The staff and owners are overjoyed with the new food. Plus, they have magically redone the front of the restaurant overnight.</strong><br />
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<strong>Now, they re-open the restaurant. They have a bump or two in service, but overall things are peachy now. The owners offer the host their daughters virginity to say thank you for helping them. All is right with the world.</strong><br />
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End of show.<br />
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Every single one of these fucking shows is like this! At first, it was just Ramsay. Now there must be at least 6 or 7 shows out there running this same bull shit. Give me a fucking break!<br />
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The whole idea of these shows is to offer struggling restaurants a second chance. I can dig that. What I can't dig is how they go about it. Must you insult someone, loudly I might add, in front of their family and customers? Fuck that! Let some British bastard come into my restaurant talking that shit. I'd beat the fucking shit out of him! In the case of a woman host, I'd have my girlfriend do it.<br />
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If these people are calling these shows for help, must they go through the whole "break-them-down-and-build-them-up" process? Why not just get right down to the changing process? <br />
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I think one of the reasons I hate shows like these is that I know I wouldn't put up with that. You act aggressively with me, I'm going to give you the same treatment. <br />
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It also seems like this brand of shit has now moved in to bar rescues and bakery salvaging. This old cunt by the name of Kerry Vincent is getting her own show saving bakeries. <strong><span style="color: red;">ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME</span></strong>? This dried up, old jizz trap is part of the reason I stopped watching Food Network Challenges! Nothing was ever good enough for this fucking bitch! I hope one of these bakery owners takes a fucking rolling pin across her fucking head!<br />
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The <strong>C</strong>atch <strong>U</strong> <strong>N</strong>ext <strong>T</strong>uesday, Kerry Vincent, is in the center.<br />
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All I know is that we need to stop making these shows. There are too many out there as it is. What will be next? .......I got it! SEX SHOP REDEMPTION! It will be hosted by a male porn star who had to retire early because of AIDS. It might go something like this....<br />
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<strong>The host enters the store</strong>: <em>"The floor is sticky. At least I know people have been here."</em><br />
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<strong>The host yells at owner</strong>: <em>"You can't have the donkey porn next to the pregnant porn! What the fuck is wrong with you???"</em><br />
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<strong>The host talks to a few customers:</strong> <em>"Don't film me!" and "My wife thinks I'm walking the dog right now. Little does she know I'm getting ready to shoot a load in that glory hole in the back!"</em><br />
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<strong>The host comes up with an idea to revive business:</strong> <em>"We should film a gangbang here! Let me make some calls and we can do this by noon tomorrow!"</em><br />
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<strong>The next day, the gangbang is shot in front of a crowd of horny and paroled men. Again, the owner offers up the virginity of his children to say thanks for bringing business back to his shop. The owners 2 boys are <em>not</em> pleased.</strong><br />
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Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I should be happy these places are given a second chance. Maybe....aw fuck it. I can't stand this shit. Ramsay, Irvine, Ching he, and anyone else out there putting people through all that shit for ratings, GO FUCK YOURSELF! Seriously, I hope you get fist fucked by someone wearing brass knuckles.<br />
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Wow, I feel like I just exercised some serious demons with that. Like I said, maybe I'm wrong. If you think I am, let me know.<br />
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I'm out!ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-89716911519418666502014-02-27T14:10:00.000-08:002014-02-27T14:10:13.581-08:00Homemade Twinkies!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back for another wonderful blog post from yours truly. What I have for you today really brought out the kid in me. It also solved a mystery that has plagued me and many other pastry chefs alike: How in the hell do you make a twinkie at home like the real thing???<br />
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In most cases, when I see a cooking tool like this which is, for lack of a better phrase, a one-trick pony, I tend to walk away. I might scoff at it, make a lewd comment or two, but never buy anything like this. All that changed when I laid my eyes upon this. It was like a switch had been turned on. All of a sudden I felt like a child seeing a new toy for the first time. The excitement almost felt foreign, yet somehow familiar.<br />
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Even with all those feelings, I still didn't want to spend the money on it. I started to think about bills and gas money. Luckily, my girlfriend was with me and could see how much I wanted it. So, being the awesome lady that she is, she bought it for me. Thanks baby!<br />
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When I took it out the box, I was in shock for a second at the simplicity of it. To put it bluntly, <b><i>it's a fucking waffle iron</i></b>! While that may not be a shocker to some of you, it is to anyone that has tried to bake their own twinkies. I have tried, and I never could get the shape or color the right way. Now that I see it's done in a waffle press, it makes total sense.<br />
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While there are a couple lights to indicate if the machine is ready to use or not, all you really need to do is put your hand over it while it is open and see if it's hot.<br />
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It does come with a recipe for the twinkie sponge, but I'm not going to list that. While the recipe is important, it isn't the focus of the post. The whole process in general is more important.<br />
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The cake recipe they give you is pretty standard. I personally feel it is a bit dense, but that is just my opinion.<br />
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Like any other waffle iron, you want to make sure you lube it really well. Keep your bottle of Pam close by.<br />
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Once the mix is ready and the iron is hot, it's time to pour the mix in there. You don't want to fill it past 3/4 of the way full. If you do, it's going to spill over. On the other hand, if you don't fill it enough, you won't get the flat bottom or pretty color brown that a twinkie always has. My advice is to just try 2 twinkies at first, being sure to make note of how much mix you filled it with.<br />
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Those little lights on the top of machine aren't going to tell you when they are done. I first checked them when I started to smell them. At this point, I used the obvious ways to check if they are done: I touched the top and pushed down a bit to check for firmness and I used a toothpick when I wasn't sure with the touch method.<br />
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When it was time to flip them out, I realized these little fuckers were hotter than I expected. As tough as my hands are, I still almost burned myself trying to get them out of the molds. My advice for a safe and clean unmolding is to use a heat proof spatula and lightly pull the cake away from sides. Once you have done all of them, close it up and flip the machine over. Then, open it up, and if you used enough lube at the beginning, they should all fall out. Remember, lube always comes in handy!<br />
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This was how many twinkies I got from one batch of mix. Not too bad at all. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures beyond this point. What I do have for you are some pointers to keep in mind when making these.<br />
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First off, the texture of the sponge will be different. Don't think for a second they are giving you the official twinkie recipe. Plus, at home, you are not adding all the chemicals and preservatives that they do at the plant. I consider that part a plus.<br />
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The second point I want to make is that the filling HAS to be modified. As I mentioned above, the sponge does have a different texture than the store bought version. Simply, it's not as soft as the original version. Now, this isn't a bad thing. What it does mean is that simply putting whipped cream or any light, airy frosting doesn't work very well. With a denser sponge, you need a more sturdy filling to stand up to the sponge. I would suggest using a ganache or cake frosting that you can purchase.<br />
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The last point I want to make is that these twinkies tasted delicious! While I had issues with softness and filling, the overall taste was great. Everyone that I had try it said they loved it. A few people said it tasted better than the original. You can't knock results like that.<br />
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Overall, I walked away feeling really good about what I made and what I<i> could</i> make. After the first batch, I started to ask myself what could I do to improve this? What other recipes could I test with this? Do I need to change the procedure in making the cake mix? What else could I fill these things with? And so on, and so on.<br />
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And there you have it. A simple little twinkie-waffle iron that has tons of possibilities. Then again, that's the beauty of cooking. There are tons of possibilities in everything that we make. We just have to let our imagination be free and let that fear of making mistakes go.<br />
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I'm out.ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-91305779959911079882014-01-14T15:16:00.002-08:002014-01-14T15:16:19.418-08:00It's Been A Long Time...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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...I shouldn't have left you, without a dope beat to step to. That's a line from a hip hop song. For real, I shouldn't have left for so long without saying anything. For those of you who are coming back after all this time, thank you. For those of you discovering the blog for the first time, I hope you like it.<br />
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Those of you who are coming back, you are probably wondering what happened. Why the long break? To simply say "not much" would be a lie. In actuality, there have been tons of things going on. One of the biggest reasons would simply be work.<br />
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As a chef, the holiday season can be rough. This last year happened to be one of busier seasons in the last 3 or 4 years. Six day work weeks with lots of hours and lots of desserts.<br />
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After that, life has been pretty good. With a new love in my life, I all of a sudden had a personal life to attend to. With so much more time spent out the house, sitting down at the computer almost became a thing of the past. Almost....<br />
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In the past 2 weeks, I've had friends and coworkers ask me about the blog. After the 3rd or 4th person asked, I knew it was time to get back on here. The only problem now is figuring out where to start.<br />
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Since I'm not even sure how often I plan to do this blog thing, I'm not going to bother doing a bunch of individual posts on one subject. Instead, I'm going to show you some of the high lights and a low light of what I've been up to with a brief explanation.<br />
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What you see above are mushroom and onion fritters on top of garlic hummus. The red dots are drops of sriracha. This was supposed to be the next blog post. I had a bunch of pictures and everything. As time went on, I ended up losing the recipe for it and just put it on the back burner. Oh well. It was pretty good though. The only thing I can remember at this point is that the hummus was a great compliment to the fritters.<br />
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This was a caramel macchiato or something from <a href="http://www.coffeebean.com/?content=&search=1&creative=1590828218&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=coffee+bean+-+brand+%28name%29&utm_content=2744562&cid=bingcpc&kcid=532b559f-b1c0-1cc9-b26f-0000058661d2" target="_blank">The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf</a>. It was good. Not great, but worth the price.<br />
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I made this plate for dinner because I wanted something a little lighter. While the meatballs are in the center of the plate, the real star of this show are the sauteed collard greens on the right. Lately, I have been eating an ass load of collards. I can't help it! They are fucking delicious! Plus, they taste way better than kale. I could give a rats ass how special kale is. Too many other greens taste far better than kale. I could seriously go on a rant about kale, but I will leave that for another time.<br />
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Now it's time for that low light I mentioned earlier. Last month, I told myself I would do a blog post on a place I had never been. Somehow I ended up<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/star-burger-anaheim?nb=1" target="_blank"> here</a>. This place had posters saying they carried gourmet burgers, with a Korean bbq burger being one of their specialties. It sounded ok, so I gave it a try.<br />
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While the burger looks good from here, the taste didn't quite hit the mark. The bbq portion tasted fine. The patty tasted ok. Together, the flavors got muddled. It's like the two meats were fighting and there was no winner. It was a tad pricey, and in my opinion, not worth it. Oh well, they can't all be winners.<br />
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What you see above is what they call THE REAL DEAL! This is a burger from a restaurant in Bellflower, CA called<a href="http://www.eatatfronks.com/" target="_blank"> Fronk's Restaurant</a>.<br />
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A coworker started talking about this place and how good the burgers were. A bunch of us decided to go after work one day, and ever since then, our minds have been blown. Seriously, this place fucking rocks! It feels like one of the places you see on<a href="http://us.yhs4.search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=AwrTcdOfxNVSGy4AXikPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByaDNhc2JxBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkAw--/SIG=12ktqp6v5/EXP=1389770015/**http%3a//www.foodnetwork.com/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/index.html" target="_blank"> Diners, Drive-ins & Dives</a>. Here are a few more pics:<br />
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All the food I've tried from them has been great. Not good, FUCKING GREAT! If you live in SoCal, get up off your ass and go to this place!<br />
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This is the last set of pics here. Sorry about the dark picture, but their fucking sign was out! It's there fault!<br />
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Anyway, a coworker and good friend of mine had accepted a job in China and was going to be leaving soon. So, an after-work food binge was in order. We first went out for Korean bbq, then we went to<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-snowflake-factory-garden-grove?nb=1" target="_blank"> this place</a> for dessert. I didn't know anything about it, but my friend Sue said it was like snow cones, but even softer.<br />
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There is Sue and her husband, Elzhar. Sorry if I messed up the spelling on your name, homie!<br />
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Here is the beautiful Aimee Lynn and yours truly. Now for the food!<br />
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I can't remember what all the flavors are. I know I had mango with bananas. The other two....fuck, I don't know. Anyway, Sue was right. It's like a snow cone, but super soft! I didn't know you could get ice crystals that small.<br />
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The place is kinda cool. You pick from a variety of flavors you want for the ice. Pick some toppings and you are done. Plus, they have a good selection of sauces to choose from to take to your table. All around, it's a cool spot to take someone.<br />
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Well, that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed a quick look into what I've been up to. I'm not sure when the next post will be here, but here is a sneak peak of what to look forward to.<br />
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Thanks for coming back!</div>
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I'm out.</div>
ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-88011153160200363672013-10-14T23:47:00.000-07:002013-10-14T23:47:19.999-07:00Oatmeal Gnocchi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back! I know it's been a while since the last post, but I assure you that this post here will make up for it!<br />
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What you are looking at is as simple as the title states. Oatmeal prepared in the fashion of gnocchi. Now, before you completely freak out, let me address a few questions you are probably asking yourself right now.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">1. What the fuck is Oatmeal Gnocchi?</span></b> Be patient and I will show you.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">2. Are you fucking kidding me?</span></b> No, I am not.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">3. What in the hell would possess you to make Oatmeal Gnocchi?</span></b> The simple answer is <a href="http://foodandsuchthings.blogspot.com/2012/12/damn-you-david-chang.html" target="_blank">David Chang</a>. The longer answer is I wanted to play with oatmeal.<br />
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Question 3 was actually asked to me by a coworker when I told her that I made this. I won't say her name, but I loved how blunt she was about it. :)<br />
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In all honesty, turning oatmeal into gnocchi wasn't my initial goal. My goal was to simply play around with an ingredient that was inexpensive and had sort of a bad reputation. If you think about it, most people only see oats in a couple forms, as either a porridge or in cookie form. But how could something so good be held down to just two ways of preparation? It was that line of thinking that had my mind racing in trying to figure out other ways to use oatmeal.<br />
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For some reason, I had it in my head to start with using fully cooked oatmeal. And when I say fully cooked, I mean <b><i>FULLY FUCKING COOKED AND SEASONED</i></b>, with butter, brown sugar, and all that good shit!<br />
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After cooking the oatmeal, I poured it into the food processor and blended the hell out of it until it was as smooth as it could get.</div>
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Now, my first experiment was actually oatmeal pancakes. I used a 50/50 ratio of the blended oatmeal and pancake batter. </div>
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The pancakes came out ok at best. You could get the flavor of the oatmeal, but they were a little on the dense side. Here is a pic of the pancakes:</div>
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After remembering how<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Chang" target="_blank"> David Chang</a> turned ramen into gnocchi, I figured I could give it a try. I started with roughly 1 cup of the cooked oatmeal. I added 2 egg yolks and approximately 1/4 cup flour and mixed until combined. The amount of the flour may vary. I kept adding flour until the mix turned into a goopy-like state. In other words, it should be thick enough to slowly fall off a wooden spoon, like GOOP!</div>
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The amount of flour in the picture above is <b>not</b> 1/4 cup. I added more flour after this pic.<br />
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Once combined, I placed the mix in a zip lock bag and let it chill in the fridge for a half hour. When the mix had cooled, I heated a pot of water to a simmer. I then cut off a corner of the zip lock bag and piped in the mix. I used a butter knife to cut the mix into small pieces as it was going into the water.<br />
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From here, I cooked the oatmeal like gnocchi. Once they started to float, I cooked them for another 30 seconds and then removed them from the water. I placed the poached gnocchi in a pan with a little vegetable oil to prevent them from sticking.<br />
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At this point, I got a saute pan to medium heat. I added a little vegetable oil to the pan and dropped in some of the gnocchi. Once in the pan, I didn't move them around much, to let them develop some color and crunch.<br />
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At this point, when the gnocchi were almost done, I dropped in a little butter and brown sugar to give the gnocchi some added sweetness. When all the gnocchi had a nice, sticky glaze, I turned off the heat and removed them from the pan.<br />
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I didn't have any crazy ideas for a plate-up, so I just kept things simple. I piled them in the center of plate and drizzled some maple syrup around it. DONE.<br />
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There was something really cool about this oatmeal gnocchi. I first tasted them right after I removed them from the pan. They were sticky and sweet, with that tender texture of oatmeal that we all know. Then, as it cooled down, something happened. That sticky and sweet outside began to harden, and created this crispy shell around each gnocchi. They were a little reminiscent of mini french toast sticks, except they were oatmeal. It was really delicious!<br />
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Since I still had some gnocchi left over, I figured I would try it without the brown sugar glaze. So, I sauteed the gnocchi on both sides and left it at that. I brushed some blueberry syrup on the plate first. I dusted the gnocchi with powdered sugar on a separate plate before placing them on the plate with the syrup. And that was that.<br />
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One more picture, for the road.<br />
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Without the brown sugar glaze, they didn't have as much sweetness or the crunchy shell. But, it still had some crunch on each side from the saute. Personally, I liked this approach a little better. I was able to control how much sweetness I wanted with my oatmeal gnocchi. While the stripe on the plate may look nice, I still had a shot glass of syrup on the side to dip my gnocchi in to.<br />
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Overall, I felt this oatmeal experiment was a success. I remember telling a coworker that this is the kind of meal you make someone when you are trying to get laid. It can look beautiful and taste delicious, all the while being cheap and easy to make. Guys, this is the post you want to bookmark!<br />
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That's it for this one. I hope you enjoyed it and will give this one a try. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to drop a line at the bottom of the page.<br />
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Take care!ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-65558480417222758442013-09-16T13:45:00.000-07:002013-09-16T13:45:21.921-07:00Meatballs Over Rice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi Everybody! It's time for another wonderful blog post by yours truly. As you can tell by the title of this post and the picture above, it's pretty easy to figure out what this one is all about. The truth is, there is actually more going on behind the scenes than you might believe.<br />
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The original title I wanted to use for this post was "Cooking Without Recipes". I was just going to explain how when it comes to hot foods, I usually don't follow recipes and just wing it. I would then list a bunch of tips that help me in the kitchen. Then I remembered that I hate "Tip" blog pages. In my opinion, a lot of Tip pages come off a little preachy. I usually leave a comment on the page like "I've got a tip for you! Go Fuck Yourself!!!"<br />
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Plus, I feel like I'm not really good enough to be telling people what they should be doing in the kitchen. The only thing I really suggest is to simply relax and have a little fun with it. If all else fails, just keep it simple.<br />
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What I have for you this time around can be enjoyed as a either a light appetizer or a full meal. Just use a smaller portion for the app.<br />
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For the rice, I started by sauteing some white onions with yellow and red bell peppers. A little salt and pepper to season.<br />
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Sorry for the blurry pics. Anyway, when the veggies cooked down a bit, I added a few tablespoons of Oyster sauce. When it looked like the veggies had soaked up some of that sauce, I added some pre-cooked basmati rice. Stir well and season with a little more salt and pepper. I added cumin as well, to bring a little smokiness to it.<br />
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When the rice is almost done, add a couple handfuls of fresh spinach and mix it in. This step should be done right before it hits the plate.<br />
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When it comes to the meatballs for this dish, it's really the last part of cooking that is the most important element this time around. Honestly, you can prep the meatballs anyway you like. I kept it pretty simple for the most part. I used ground beef and added Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, hot sauce and five spice powder.<br />
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I rounded the meat in to balls and placed them on a baking sheet. The went in to the oven at 375 for about 10-12 minutes.<br />
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Now it's time for that last, crucial element with the meatballs. Place some of the meatballs in to a hot pan and pour a little barbecue sauce in the pan. Cook the meatballs in the sauce until the sauce has reduced down a bit and each meatball is well coated.<br />
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This time around I used Korean barbecue sauce. For me, the best sauce to use for this is Hoison. The Hoison sauce will reduce and create a sticky, crunchy shell around each meatball. I didn't have any on hand, so I went with the Korean sauce.<br />
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From here, all you have to do is plate up.<br />
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I added a little cilantro at the end to make it all fancy. Did it work?<br />
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And there you have it. There really isn't too much to this dish. Half of it involved left-over rice, and the other half was fuckin' meatballs!<br />
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This is the kind of stuff that keeps me interested in cooking. Simple food that can make you smile and fill you up.<br />
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Oh yeah, it tasted pretty damn good!<br />
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I'm out.ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-86132381607276283552013-09-04T14:18:00.000-07:002013-09-04T14:18:31.859-07:00Custard Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back to my little corner of the world wide web. What I have for you today is as simple as the name of the dish itself. Custard Pie. And that's exactly what this dessert is. Custard baked in a pie shell. <br />
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While the dessert itself is rather easy to prepare, there are a few little tips and tricks you can do to ensure that this dish is the best it can be. Before we get to that, lets start with the basics: The Recipe.<br />
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Honestly, there are so many recipes of this dessert online, I feel like I don't even need to post it. Most of the recipes I found were only different by the smallest variation, be it a few ounces of sugar or milk. But, I don't think it's fair to the reader to not know what I used to get the results I achieved. So, here it goes!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Custard Pie</span><br />
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1 9 inch pie shell<br />
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2 1/4 cups Milk<br />
1/2 Vanilla bean, split and seeded<br />
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2 Eggs<br />
2 Egg yolks<br />
3/4 cup Sugar<br />
Freshly grated Nutmeg<br />
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If you don't have any fresh vanilla bean, you can add a couple teaspoons of good vanilla extract in place of the bean.<br />
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This first step is really for using the vanilla bean. If you don't have the bean, skip this step.<br />
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Start by slicing your vanilla bean in half and scraping out the seeds with your knife. Place the pod and seeds in a pot with the milk and bring it to a simmer. When you see the milk start to steam, turn the heat off. Stir for a second to mix the vanilla seeds around, then let it rest for at least 15 minutes. Doing this will create a stronger vanilla flavor.<br />
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Now it's time to pre-bake the pie shell. First, spray your pie tin with non-stick spray. I used a French tart shell because I like the appearance a little better. </div>
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Once sprayed, Lay down your pie dough and make sure to press it in all the nooks and crannies. After you trim the edges, get a fork and punch a bunch of holes in the bottom to keep it from rising too much. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. You want it to be a light brown. Remember, it's going back in the oven later.</div>
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Now, the rules of baking say you need to weigh down the center with beans or pellets. I didn't do that because I was being lazy. When it came out of the oven, it did bubble in the center, but I just pushed it down with my hand while it was still hot. It turned out just fine.</div>
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With the shell done, it's time to make the filling. Crack your eggs and egg yolks and mix well. Stir in your sugar and mix until combined. </div>
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Take out the vanilla pod from the milk and stir the milk into the egg mixture slowly. Once that is mixed, you are almost done.</div>
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Pour the mix into the cooked pie shell and bake. I sprinkled fresh nutmeg over the top before baking, but this can be done after baking. </div>
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Most recipes will call for you to bake this at 350. I baked mine at 325 to be on the safe side. </div>
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After about 28 minutes or so, the pie was done. To check to see if it's done, give the tray a couple taps. It will jiggle slightly, but stop quickly. If it needs more time, it will jiggle, but look watery.</div>
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If you look at the picture above, you can see it's a bit wavy at the bottom of the pie. When I took it out, it had puffed up like a balloon in that section. I don't know why it did that, but it didn't make much of a difference in the end.</div>
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After letting the pie cool and making some whipped cream, it was time to eat.</div>
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A little more fresh nutmeg on top and this baby was ready to go.</div>
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This thing tasted great! The nutmeg and vanilla shined through. The texture was creamy, while the pie crust was still crisp. Pre-baking the shell really helps.</div>
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As good as it was, the real treat didn't come until the next morning. I woke up and got a small slice to start my day. This pie tasted even better cold! </div>
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Well, that's really about. I know this one might have seemed a tad long winded, but it's really easy to make. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you.</div>
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Oh yeah, Custard Pie is also the name of a pretty good Led Zeppelin song.</div>
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I'm out.</div>
ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-5859263647767014172013-08-21T19:01:00.000-07:002013-08-22T17:50:08.701-07:00A Lunch Of Korean BBQ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Glad you could make it back for another round of food blogging. Sorry I have been so negligent with the blog lately. Seriously, if this blog was a puppy, it would have starved to death by now. Don't worry, it would have at least gotten a proper burial. No garbage bags into the ocean like my boy<a href="http://us.yhs4.search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oGdM26bhVSd3gApOoPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByZWgwN285BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkAw--/SIG=11mk76q92/EXP=1377165114/**http%3a//www.sho.com/sho/dexter/home" target="_blank"> Dexter</a>!<br />
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Anywho, late last month, a couple coworkers/friends treated me to lunch for my birthday. The spot was a Korean BBQ house, and all of us were looking forward to some good food!<br />
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The handsome gentleman on the left is Richard, and the gorgeous lady on the right is Sue. I consider the both of them great friends and great all around people. If I see both of them at work, I know the day won't be that bad.<br />
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Over the last weekend, Sue went from being single to being married! <b>Congratulations Sue</b>! I wish nothing but happiness for you and the hubby!<br />
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Back to the lunch!<br />
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To start, I'm no expert at Korean BBQ. My knowledge is limited to the few experiences I've had with it. If you have never tried it, my advice is to find a place near you and try it immediately!<br />
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The place we went to had an All You Can Eat deal. For about $17, you are given a list of meats and seafood you can eat. You start by ordering 3 items. The server will bring them to your table, and from there, you cook your proteins right there at the table. After some time of cooking and eating has passed, your server will come back ready to take an order for more food. From here, the cycle continues.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1y-CvALDHHRmLx7XuzNzUapDfE-fOdwR8q1N1vh55H6T02rr1QN9P-kCG-JJqCdPnvQVmdO0BXwcUy9IdnUt4thGXxbc72uI7yNwIaJ_Gxh9PCaUVL67Y7bsxU6lAHjOF5phl2pFPk8s/s1600/IMAG2043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1y-CvALDHHRmLx7XuzNzUapDfE-fOdwR8q1N1vh55H6T02rr1QN9P-kCG-JJqCdPnvQVmdO0BXwcUy9IdnUt4thGXxbc72uI7yNwIaJ_Gxh9PCaUVL67Y7bsxU6lAHjOF5phl2pFPk8s/s400/IMAG2043.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div>
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The picture above does tell a detailed story. First, you have the star of the show, the grill located in the center of the table. The server will turn this on for you and set it low enough so even the worst cook won't be able to burn anything to a crisp. With 3 cooks at the table, plus Sue being the Korean BBQ expert, we had nothing to worry about.<br />
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The next thing that catches your eye in the picture is all these little fucking plates! I guess it's a normal part of the Korean dining experience. The last place I went to for <a href="http://foodandsuchthings.blogspot.com/2013/01/korean-grub.html" target="_blank">Korean grub</a> had the same deal with a lot of little dishes with sides and condiments. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, but it can seem a bit overwhelming to the uninitiated.<br />
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Once all the food hits the table and you start cooking, that's when it hits you how cool it really is. It stops feeling like a restaurant and starts feeling like a buddy's backyard cookout. Just being able to laugh and joke with your friends while one of you is tending the grill just brings up a myriad of feelings and memories. And just as you are feeling uplifted with the vibe, the food brings you to a place of pure delight.<br />
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Of course, I can't remember all the things I had that day. Some of the things I can remember are beef tongue, baby squid, octopus, spicy pork, brisket and a few more tasty treats that had all of us making those wonderful little moans you make when eating really good food!<br />
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I think it was after the third round of food from the server that all of us were stuffed and ready for a nap. I think we were there for almost 2 hours. Just cooking and chatting, enjoying the moment like only good friends can.<br />
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Yeah, it was a good time. :)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/incheonwon-bbq-house-garden-grove" target="_blank">Incheonwon BBQ House</a></b></span><br />
13321 Brookhurst St<br />
Garden Grove, CA 92843<br />
(714) 638-9292<br />
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I'm out.ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-41998355567936701852013-08-10T18:54:00.000-07:002013-08-10T18:54:08.223-07:00Haus Of Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What's going on people!?!? I hope all of you are doing well out there. I apologize for the extended gap between posts. Life has been throwing me one curve ball after another. While I don't like making excuses, I will say that my want to sit down at the computer and write has been fleeting. Until now, that is. Today, I feel like writing. Today, I want to sit down and share a little piece of my life with the world.<br />
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In my neck of the woods, most of the Italian food sucks balls. I'm not going to name names, but most of the Italian food in Garden Grove is bland, lacks any type of depth, and isn't worth the money you are spending. Because of this, I tend to just make my own Italian food.<br />
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A few weeks ago, a friend invited me to lunch at a small pizza place in Costa Mesa called<a href="http://hausofpizza.net/" target="_blank"> Haus Of Pizza</a>. She said it was really good, but I still had my reservations. With all the lack luster food I've tried recently, I wasn't expecting much.<br />
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I didn't know anything about this place, but when you walk in, it automatically has that feel of a place that's been there a long time. There is all kinds of shit on the wall, and I say that in the most lovingly way. The walls look like it started with one or two things, and over time, they just kept adding to it!<br />
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When we sat down, the server dropped the menus off and gave us a few minutes to look it over. I was in shock as to how low everything was priced. Especially in Costa Mesa! It seemed like most of the menu was around 5 or 6 bucks.<br />
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My friend told me the pizza was really good, but, I wasn't really in the mood for pizza. I saw that they had a meatball sub and wanted to order that. My friend, being the stubborn little stinker that she is, was very insistent that we try a pizza. So, we agreed to split the sandwich and the pizza.<br />
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When the food came out, I was surprised and excited with how good it all looked.<br />
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Can't forget about the pizza!<br />
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Personally, I'm very picky about meatball subs. There's only a few places I trust to make it right. But, if this place was any kind of decent Italian eatery, their meatball sub couldn't be that bad. Was I ever surprised! This sub was fucking ridiculous! The meatballs were tender and full of flavor. The sauce was on point. You could just taste the time and love put in to it. But, the best part was all the wonderful melted cheese on top. When they put the cheese on there and place it in the oven, something happens that just moves a sub from good to great. The cheese gets all stringy, the edges of the bread get all toasty and crunchy. GODDAMN that sub was good!<br />
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The pizza had artichoke, sausage, and....a bunch of other shit I can't recall. Yes, the pizza was good, and any other day, I would be going into detail about it. But that sub was a monster. Everything else got shoved to the side after one bite of that delicious meatball sandwich.<br />
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I can't remember much after diving into that sub. I know I thanked my friend for telling me about this place. After that, it's all a blur. Oh well.<br />
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I hope you enjoyed this partially remembered story. Next post, I'll try and write something I can remember better. No guarantee on that last part. :)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://hausofpizza.net/" target="_blank">Haus Of Pizza</a></b></span><br />
1500 Adams Ave.<br />
Costa Mesa, CA<br />
(714)751-8777<br />
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I'm out.ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-51943667549071621942013-07-30T00:28:00.000-07:002013-07-30T10:52:42.651-07:00Zito's Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back! This is the first post since completing the <a href="http://foodandsuchthings.blogspot.com/2013/06/thirty-straight-days-of-blogging-day-1.html" target="_blank">Thirty Straight Days Of Blogging</a> adventure. Let me tell you, that was quite the blogging work out! I don't know how people put out quality posts everyday and not go completely bat-shit crazy.<br />
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Since then, I've had time to live a little and let the battery recharge. In that time, I've tried some really good food, experimented with desserts in hopes of creating new dishes, was treated to Korean BBQ by wonderful friends, and have seen homeless people park their shopping carts like cars. Don't believe me about that last part? Check this out:<br />
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I'll probably burn in hell a few weeks for this, but I found this very amusing!<br />
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Anyway, this blog post isn't about how well homeless people can park their shopping carts, it's about pizza. Good pizza, for that matter! I just so happened to find some good pizza at <a href="http://www.zitospizza.com/loc_chapman.html" target="_blank">Zito's Pizza</a>. Let me tell you all about it...<br />
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During a day off from work, I hopped on my bike and let the wheels go wherever they wanted to go. I got on a major street and decided to ride until I found a decent place to hang out and rest. Whether it be a Starbucks or a strip club, I was going to find comfortable surroundings.<br />
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About 45 minutes in, I came upon Zito's. It looked like a decent place and the sign said it was New York style pizza. Plus, they had a "by the slice" deal for lunch. I didn't need anymore encouragement at that point.<br />
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When you walk in, the place has a sports bar feel to it. All the TV's had some sort of sports show going on and there are team banners as far as the eye can see. All the tables are large and are made for a lot of diners. But, it didn't have a grimy feel like some sports bars. Definitely family friendly, as there were about 4 or 5 kids there when I was there, not to mention a mini arcade.<br />
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After checking out the menu, I ordered mini corndogs, 2 slices of pepperoni and a drink. I know it seems like a lot, but a lot of NY style pizzas can be on the thin side.<br />
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First up was the corndogs.<br />
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These things tasted like corndogs should taste. Crispy outside with a hot, juicy wiener in the center. I do love me some hot and juicy wieners in my mouth!<br />
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A few minutes after the corndogs came out, I got my pizza. I can easily say I was diggin' the way they looked.<br />
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I picked up the first piece, and I could feel that the bottom of the slice was nice and crisp. That is such a beautiful fucking thing with pizza!<br />
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As I took my first bite, I could feel the cheese pulling away from the rest of the slice. The pepperoni had the slightest crunch to it around the edges. The sauce was seasoned well and not too sweet. The dough did have a bit more chew than expected, but it wasn't tough. It tasted like real pizza dough, not the shit you normally get from the more famous pizza chains.<br />
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The overall taste was great. Everything tasted really good. There really isn't anything else out there like a fresh slice of pizza.<br />
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Of course, I burnt the roof of my mouth pretty good after that first bite. After a sip or two of soda and scraping the dead skin out, I continued eating.<br />
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This picture above represents the point in time in which I realized that I ordered way too much food and was going to have pedal my ass out of there. Like I said earlier, I ordered two slices in case they were thin. Well, they weren't. I wasn't going to waste it, so I finished the slice. Luckily, there is a Starbucks a couple hundred yards away. I rode there and hung out a while to let the food settle.<br />
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And there you have it. I know pizza is a really common thing, but good pizza is far from common. My advice for you is to tell the major pizza chains to go fuck themselves and find a place like Zito's to get a real slice.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.zitospizza.com/loc_chapman.html" target="_blank">Zito's Pizza</a></span><br />
1716 W. Chapman Ave.<br />
Orange, CA 92868<br />
(714) 939-1111<br />
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I'm out.ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-34874647087626609542013-07-09T21:22:00.000-07:002013-07-10T10:23:34.803-07:00T.S.D.O.B: Day 30 - CRONUTS!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's here. The final day of Thirty Straight Days of Blogging is upon us. While there is no Rocket Gibraltar to send these past blogs off to Valhalla, I figured the best way to end this journey would be with a sweet finish. And what better way to do that than with donuts. But these aren't just any donuts. These are deep fried rounds of croissant dough, better known today as Cronuts.<br />
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If you haven't heard, <a href="http://dominiqueansel.com/cronut-101/" target="_blank">Cronuts</a> are all the rage right now in New York. People are standing in line for hours just to get two or three of these things. There are reports of people paying up to $40 each on the "black market". But, in every article about these cronuts, there was one thing that everyone was saying: They taste absolutely incredible.<br />
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When I heard about them, I was surprised it took someone this long to deep fry croissant dough. I thought it would have been done by now. I like croissants, so I figured they would taste good. When I thought about making it myself, I quickly said "Fuck That!"<br />
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For those of you that don't know, croissants are extremely time consuming to make. Most bakeries these days just bring in frozen, pre-rolled croissants to save money on time and labor. The last time I had to make croissant dough, I was in culinary school. When I started talking to coworkers about making it, most of them said they hadn't made it since school either.<br />
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Realizing that this would also test my measure as a chef, I knew I had to step up to the plate at some point. To quote<a href="http://www.ratm.com/index.html" target="_blank"> Rage Against The Machine</a>, "<a href="http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/rageagainstthemachine/guerillaradio.html" target="_blank">What better place than here, What better time than now</a>?"<br />
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To begin, let me say that this is <b>NOT </b>a tutorial on making croissant dough. This is just my experience with making the cronuts.<br />
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Secondly, these didn't come out perfect. I made mistakes, but nothing so costly that it didn't work out at all. Hey, it's been over a decade since I've made croissant dough.<br />
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Lastly, if you are thinking about making this, make sure you start early and have no pressing plans for the day. From start to finish, it took me about 5 hours to complete. You will find out why later.<br />
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Since this is more about the experience, I'm not going to bother with the recipe. You can find a croissant dough recipe all over the internet.<br />
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Enough of the chit chat. Let's get down to business!<br />
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Since it is a yeast dough, you start off the way you would any other yeast dough. Bloom the yeast in a bit of water and a little bit of sugar to feed the yeast.<br />
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Once the yeast was ready, I added a couple eggs and some vanilla extract and mixed well. Then I added the flour and pinch of salt and mixed until it started to climb up the dough hook.<br />
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Now, it was at this point that things started to go askew. I could tell the dough was very firm. From past experiences, I know the dough shouldn't be that firm. So, I did the best I could to knead it a bit more by hand before resting it.<br />
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It may be a little hard to see, but you can tell the surface isn't smooth. It should be smooth with a little give to it. I knew it wasn't quite right, but I thought with all the rolling coming later, it might be salvageable.<br />
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Just to be on the safe side, I went ahead and made a second batch of dough. I had all the ingredients, and if I was going to be doing this shit all day, I might as well do two batches.<br />
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I cut back on the flour with the second batch and it came out a lot better.<br />
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While the dough was resting in the fridge, it was time to make the butter block. The butter is the real key to croissant dough. You fold up all these layers of butter and dough to create all those little flaky layers that people love.<br />
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The butter itself needs to be chilled, but a little pliable.<br />
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Now, it's time to put in some elbow grease and start rolling.<br />
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I started with my first dough and tried to do a 4-sided fold to get the butter in there. It didn't work so well, to say the least. The block wasn't wide enough and I put too much flour on the dough, so it wasn't sticking to the other pieces of dough to form a seal.<br />
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Let me just say that the first roll is extremely important. If you don't seal in the butter properly, you will get a mess on your hands very quickly.<br />
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I opened the dough up and spread the butter to 3/4 of the dough. Then, I folded the non-buttered side over the buttered area. Then I folded the buttered side over the rest of the dough. I know, it sounds weird, but think of it as folding a piece of paper into thirds.<br />
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A soft roll, and then into the freezer for 30 minutes. After the thirty minutes, you take out the dough and roll it length wise until it gets to a thinner thickness. Then you do another 3-fold and back into the freezer. You have to do this 3 more times! Fuck!<br />
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Once you do the last roll and fold, you have to let it rest an hour before you can roll it out to cut your donuts.<br />
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I rolled out the dough until I felt I hit the right thickness. Somewhere around 1/2 inch.<br />
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I got a ring mold and cut out my rounds. I was able to get about 12 donuts from it.<br />
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The dough has to proof a little before frying. I didn't wait as long as I should have. At this point, I was getting impatient.<br />
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While waiting for the oil to get hot, I made a ganache and caramel sauce to dip the cronuts in.<br />
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When the oil reached 350F, it was time to get frying. If you want to flip the things with ease, use a cheap pair of chopsticks.<br />
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I first tested the oil by frying a few of the donut holes. It only took a minute or two, and they didn't seem like they were burning. With that, It was time to drop in the rings.<br />
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It took a minute or two per side and that's it.<br />
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With donuts, it's always best to glaze them shortly after you take them out the oil. The heat helps the glaze adhere.<br />
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After letting them cool a couple minutes, it was time to eat. I tried one with ganache first. It has a crispy outside, almost like an old fashioned donut. But, the texture inside is different. It's soft and rich. Not oily at all. I have to admit that it is a damn good donut! I wouldn't pay $40 for one, but it certainly worth a wait in line for.<br />
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Also, I fried up every bit of dough that was there. <b><i>NOTHING</i></b> was wasted! With that much time invested, you need to use every last bit of dough!<br />
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Since it was my day off, I figured I would be nice and bring some to my coworkers who knew I was going to make it. OK, that's not entirely true. If I didn't bring any to work, I would have gotten my ass kicked and locked in the walk-in freezer. So, I hopped in the car and made a special delivery.<br />
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When I arrived, it only took a matter of minutes before they were all gone. Everyone seemed to love them. And to make a bunch of pastry chefs happy with a pastry is no small feat. I was feeling pretty good at that point.<br />
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We couldn't finish the rest of the donuts at home. The next day, the cronuts resembled rocks more than donuts. They have a short shelf-life and should be consumed within the day of making them.<br />
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I wish I would have taken more pics, but by the time I got to frying them, I wasn't worried about that. I just wanted to be finished.<br />
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And there you have it. The end of this wonderful journey is here. The last 30 days have been a blast. I've talked about a lot of things I've had on my mind for a while. I've shared a little more about myself than I previously have. All in all, I hope you, the reader, has taken something out this.<br />
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I'd like to thank all my friends and family who have been supporting me throughout the years. All my friends on Facebook and Google+ who have taken the time out their day to stop by my little corner of the internet and read what I have to say.<br />
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With that said, it's time to take a short break from the blog. I'm thinking two weeks, but it might not be that long. I need a little time to recharge the battery and let life happen again.<br />
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So, the only thing left to say is....<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>I'M OUT!</i></b></span>ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-49631181208727635012013-07-09T13:25:00.001-07:002013-07-09T13:25:18.412-07:00T.S.D.O.B: Day 29 - Chefs I Like<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Only 1 post left of Thirty Straight Days of Blogging. I'm looking forward to the final post for a number of reasons. I think it's going to be a pretty good post, if I say so myself. More importantly, I'm going to complete a challenge I set for myself. As fun as it has been, it's also been a bit tough this last week and a half. Lots of work and outside issues have made getting these last few posts tougher to do. Even now, I have to finish this post asap so I can build a propane grill. All in all, it's been a hell of a ride that I don't regret for a second. If anything, I'd be willing to do it again.</div>
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For now, I'm just going to give a little insight to a few chefs that have inspired me along the way. The chef above is<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mrchocolate.com%2F&ei=H3HcUbztMuLXygG4o4HoBw&usg=AFQjCNEinOQpPzPZ25yMFMIdM_L4aym-Xw&sig2=JVnyZHhcbPiS0E_Dp42_DQ&bvm=bv.48705608,d.eWU" target="_blank"> Jacques Torres</a>. He's a pastry chef that just fucking rocks. His medium is chocolate, and he just makes it look so easy. I first read about him when I was in school and was lucky enough to meet him years later. He was very laid back and liked to laugh whenever possible. Just a good guy.</div>
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Another chef that inspired me in school was <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=16&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CIIBEBYwDw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fpub%2Fewald-notter%2F12%2F885%2Fb25&ei=OnHcUc74FeaqywHJkYDwCw&usg=AFQjCNGug4w17f9ckjxOQlyziTT6LU3Dhg&sig2=WojREbsI8dMYJ4iiGVhcVg&bvm=bv.48705608,d.eWU" target="_blank">Ewald Notter</a>.</div>
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While Jacques was the king of chocolate, this guy was the king of sugar. His sugar work can best be described as art masterpieces. The way he works with sugar is the way guys like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai work with a guitar. I always thought he did spectacular work, but I didn't truly appreciate it until I started working with sugar myself. When you begin to understand how much time and practice it takes to get comfortable with it, you start to understand just how much time and dedication it takes to reach that skill level.</div>
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Another pastry chef that I really like is <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FElizabeth_Falkner&ei=cnHcUcfCLsK6yQG-QA&usg=AFQjCNFbXjbvlKlwta9k1DJ_kmV3fgq46A&sig2=u8x6pPAaHi2IzhCMJxrODA&bvm=bv.48705608,d.eWU" target="_blank">Elizabeth Falkner</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJ9fg9br31lXEZ33F76vJ_QsdECSw2S1wFI8ykl0wE10m72twIi7X4-y-AflCSTDnSOGSs8Cf6qFcDu5_3WljZ_wBUk5JC1lnYMNkUoRverToM-zHBpYVPCCOyf3PJwNuiB2JMfZDiZU/s1600/elizabeth-falkner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJ9fg9br31lXEZ33F76vJ_QsdECSw2S1wFI8ykl0wE10m72twIi7X4-y-AflCSTDnSOGSs8Cf6qFcDu5_3WljZ_wBUk5JC1lnYMNkUoRverToM-zHBpYVPCCOyf3PJwNuiB2JMfZDiZU/s400/elizabeth-falkner.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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You may recognize her from numerous appearances on Food Network, which is where I first saw her. It wasn't until I read her cookbook in which I gained a lot of respect for her. Her ideas and presentation of the food is truly inspiring. She is taking classic desserts and bringing unique twists to them in a very modern approach. Her plate-ups are clean and elegant. Just knowing that there is a chef like this out there makes me want to step my game up.</div>
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When it comes to having a passion for cooking, the first chef that comes to mind is<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rickbayless.com%2F&ei=lnHcUZOmGsTCywHProCYBQ&usg=AFQjCNFAmDfVd_SY69QHSBip4ke31RquPw&sig2=q205SNBFbl152nEXtwKxww&bvm=bv.48705608,d.eWU" target="_blank"> Rick Bayless.</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-8017NXMvU4UJrBwqpwShKy9jsoTrXR6Y9TlO1Ur5KZ4lu0EwKgjj-39WsFWWsdnpRfPXISW1FPMnK42AOOfbsUmk6ENkDpBFiEfHQyPRWukABRiVccI0OKEY3TGs9a9qCDv5N1pxw4/s1600/rick-bayless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-8017NXMvU4UJrBwqpwShKy9jsoTrXR6Y9TlO1Ur5KZ4lu0EwKgjj-39WsFWWsdnpRfPXISW1FPMnK42AOOfbsUmk6ENkDpBFiEfHQyPRWukABRiVccI0OKEY3TGs9a9qCDv5N1pxw4/s400/rick-bayless.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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While Mexican food is not a strong suit for me, seeing this guy throw down in the kitchen always gets my fire lit. The love he has for cooking and creating dishes just pours through the screen. A blind man could see how much he loves what he is doing. He is another one that makes everything he does look so easy. Plus, he has a crepe recipe that works so well, I'm extremely hesitant on using other recipes.</div>
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These are not the only chefs that have inspired me. In fact, the chefs that have helped me become the chef I am today, you have never heard of. I have been lucky enough to have been taught by and worked with some great people. People that have taken the time to show me the right ways to do things. People that have challenged me to be a better chef because they felt I had the skills to do so. People that have shown me what it truly means to be a Chef and how to lead a kitchen with integrity and maintain respect from all the cooks.</div>
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To all of the people that have helped shaped my culinary career, I say Thank You. Your lessons haven't been forgotten. </div>
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That's it for this one. Come back tomorrow for the big finale of Thirty Straight Days Of Blogging!</div>
ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-56792160068952177052013-07-08T13:12:00.000-07:002013-07-08T13:12:01.652-07:00T.S.D.O.B: Day 28 - The Green Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1XP7CRU6u6JbDJKhmePU7fHbVe0GfWcPt5qRsecx0ElwHOAM91nvTE4cwsmiieamFKSzBxZFnTObDbFDyjsJvUjTNp4mMQ6THvJFXyec0lowCAh-ztZMeUupYNCkFOtfxJs40F8KBzk/s1600/IMAG2007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1XP7CRU6u6JbDJKhmePU7fHbVe0GfWcPt5qRsecx0ElwHOAM91nvTE4cwsmiieamFKSzBxZFnTObDbFDyjsJvUjTNp4mMQ6THvJFXyec0lowCAh-ztZMeUupYNCkFOtfxJs40F8KBzk/s640/IMAG2007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Only 2 more posts after this one of Thirty Straight Days of Blogging. While I can't say that this month has flown by, it's a bit shocking to see how much writing I have done. I don't think I wrote this much all during high school. I was that kid sleeping in the back of English class that would occasionally wake up to say "I don't need this shit. I know how to speak english!" Who knew that years later I would actually <i>want</i> to write!<br />
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What I have for you today is my version of the green sauce I had at the Peruvian restaurant<a href="http://foodandsuchthings.blogspot.com/2013/07/tsdob-day-21-aires-del-peru.html" target="_blank"> Aires Del Peru</a>. The official name for this stuff is Aji Verde. I'm just calling it The Green Sauce.<br />
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Now, to make this stuff is actually as easy as it gets. You throw everything in the blender and blend away. The only part that can vary is the consistency. Some recipes will call for a tablespoon or two of mayo to thicken it. Recipes that say they are more authentic will only call for water and oil. In this case, I used a little mayo to get the consistency I wanted.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Aji Verde</b></span><br />
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1 Cilantro bunch<br />
2 Cloves of Garlic<br />
3 Jalepenos, seeded and deveined<br />
1/4 cup Olive Oil<br />
1/4 cup Water<br />
Mayo (as needed)<br />
Salt and Pepper<br />
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I don't have any pictures of actually blending it because.....there just isn't that much to see.<br />
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I followed this recipe when I made it. Next time, I'm using serrano peppers. I don't care for jalepenos that much because they don't pack enough heat for me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKph67XDWWmjdRjwIWieavXCSKdkJUWm8z82aFkESpiFLx2Dx34ziRe4MQfoWxrEVhvmIlkY4k9zMDpFFs-XJ8aNTsf3QJ1X0sV5ByP24xw6dqQCt0CaegxUho1doax6WDl1SyIRCmTg/s1600/IMAG2004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKph67XDWWmjdRjwIWieavXCSKdkJUWm8z82aFkESpiFLx2Dx34ziRe4MQfoWxrEVhvmIlkY4k9zMDpFFs-XJ8aNTsf3QJ1X0sV5ByP24xw6dqQCt0CaegxUho1doax6WDl1SyIRCmTg/s400/IMAG2004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This sauce wasn't as smooth as the one I had at the restaurant. I guess I could have strained it out, but I liked the little bit of texture it had. The taste was pretty close to my restaurant experience, just not as hot. Even without the heat, this stuff is still fucking delicious. I just want to cover an entire plate of food with this stuff! It really is that good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzqGbHXS88b3hTxwl_P_JEOEjthjhHtGK_acQtzpbGZC3Iftw3sD1ZC8QSULDW-Ou0z3hWwWnTSOguSjx2Sw0HPF1ZKqIDdAYyJ5jZEvMzto-SiaRk6dPe2JgzzCBTXWbrmvkT1l0rKk/s1600/IMAG2008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzqGbHXS88b3hTxwl_P_JEOEjthjhHtGK_acQtzpbGZC3Iftw3sD1ZC8QSULDW-Ou0z3hWwWnTSOguSjx2Sw0HPF1ZKqIDdAYyJ5jZEvMzto-SiaRk6dPe2JgzzCBTXWbrmvkT1l0rKk/s400/IMAG2008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Lately, I've been throwing it on my potato chips. This stuff can even up the taste of a fucking potato chip! How cool is that?!?!<br />
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That's it for this one. Were almost to the end here! Make sure you come back to see this journey to the end!<br />
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See you tomorrow!ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-84640690438423059052013-07-06T22:13:00.000-07:002013-07-07T09:23:27.658-07:00T.S.D.O.B: Day 27 - Grill Mates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2_uxo2vtWJHwwnVT3tkwA8fnKh524Wi-b94TEwUVkq7HJXkEWLrcKWoGvLUPFBHxB59ZerRuLST00dD6tBo4seADFHy2Z7qdT72tDPOW9bpzOBM67UfHP3z41hNq7FAJuSqBtxN5vdc/s1600/P7060058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2_uxo2vtWJHwwnVT3tkwA8fnKh524Wi-b94TEwUVkq7HJXkEWLrcKWoGvLUPFBHxB59ZerRuLST00dD6tBo4seADFHy2Z7qdT72tDPOW9bpzOBM67UfHP3z41hNq7FAJuSqBtxN5vdc/s640/P7060058.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Only 3 more posts left of Thirty Straight Days Of Blogging! While I want to make each blog post special, sometimes you just have put one out there that is a bit more straight forward. With that being said, what I have for you today is just something that helps me make a quick dinner taste that much better.<br />
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Like most people, there are somethings in cooking and baking I'm just not that good at. One of my biggest weaknesses in the kitchen is making spice rubs. For some reason, I just can't seem to get the damn things right! I either add too many ingredients and the flavor starts to get muddled or it just won't taste that good to begin with.<br />
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After my last fuck up attempting a spice blend, I decided I would try a few pre-made blends. I'm always hesitant buying this sort of thing, but I figured I could cough up a few bucks and try something new.<br />
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I'm not sure how I found the<a href="http://www.mccormick.com/Spices-and-Flavors#grill_mates" target="_blank"> McCormick Grill Mates</a>, but I'm glad I did. These things are flavorful, and each different blend has it's own unique taste and perfume.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIS4niPWFB-ENHzQvEu_ICEM6KcXMkToSUPGH6zCGydgulJsMX_xi4pg6wMjW2aPgZ30StimoMOlXHpWbz1ywMxKH4WaWPWDV-LplJKZwfTOYaCSVDADL3y93mdP6DYJc8XfaiP9pZJuA/s1600/P7060057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIS4niPWFB-ENHzQvEu_ICEM6KcXMkToSUPGH6zCGydgulJsMX_xi4pg6wMjW2aPgZ30StimoMOlXHpWbz1ywMxKH4WaWPWDV-LplJKZwfTOYaCSVDADL3y93mdP6DYJc8XfaiP9pZJuA/s400/P7060057.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are the flavors I have on hand right now, but I've tried other as well. My favorite by far is the Smokehouse Maple. It's a little sweet and a little smokey. Whenever you cook with this one, the entire house will have a wonderful aroma. I love mixing it into ground beef before it hits the pan. It just kicks the taste up so much!<br />
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While a few of the flavors I wasn't crazy about, like the Montreal Chicken and Hamburger, most of them are pretty good. If you are going to make dinner and aren't sure how you want to season your protein, give one these blends a try. You might be surprised with how much you like it.<br />
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That's it for this one. Make sure you come back to see this 30 day blogging adventure come to its amazing finale.<br />
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See you tomorrow!ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-82726624927114391412013-07-05T20:54:00.000-07:002013-07-06T09:36:54.071-07:00T.S.D.O.B: Day 26 - The Ninja Blender<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQyxvnTW5dofTk9PISbjQFOjEKcraENMY1eDUZYV0jSXSZctwMLFyKeWozW0ODExy58GErDGVbxDOtIDOzEwD-ToD-SyJyM6egqEKenLt825Yde4Us8p0c2XD04Xhnkkbh6NS7wC-cIw/s1600/IMAG1997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQyxvnTW5dofTk9PISbjQFOjEKcraENMY1eDUZYV0jSXSZctwMLFyKeWozW0ODExy58GErDGVbxDOtIDOzEwD-ToD-SyJyM6egqEKenLt825Yde4Us8p0c2XD04Xhnkkbh6NS7wC-cIw/s640/IMAG1997.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Only 4 more posts left in this Thirty Straight Days of Blogging adventure. It really does feel like it's coming down to the wire at this point. I have the last post thought out, but the next few are really going to be me shooting from the hip.<br />
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What I have for you is a simple product review.<a href="http://www.ninjakitchen.com/Ninja-NJ600-Professional-Blender.shtml" target="_blank"> The Ninja Blender</a> in all its glory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaNexqXKHwrgkL1nhATyxGJJXYRUTKlKKv_NH6gvqRlW_ey-dS7tuFei_SAHCdfV1cmjdaiexE3T75pRbifljNnd0c4zM34GndOfPGXn9krU56mzHGFCzpblw9CwCLlXwPU6HqitQA3M/s1600/IMAG1990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaNexqXKHwrgkL1nhATyxGJJXYRUTKlKKv_NH6gvqRlW_ey-dS7tuFei_SAHCdfV1cmjdaiexE3T75pRbifljNnd0c4zM34GndOfPGXn9krU56mzHGFCzpblw9CwCLlXwPU6HqitQA3M/s400/IMAG1990.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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I'm not going to bother with all the bells and whistles. If you want that, you can sit through that god-awful paid programming show that they have.<br />
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I bought this for my mom as a Christmas present last year. I really wanted to get her a Vitamix, but those things start at $300, and I couldn't afford it. <a href="http://www.ninjakitchen.com/Ninja-NJ600-Professional-Blender.shtml" target="_blank">The Ninja</a> was about $200 cheaper and looked like it was of decent quality. I figured it had to be a step up from the normal $30 to $50 dollar blenders that usually suck balls.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFhYWWjYL9RExHaFu1ADeeIPi3FDomKzwDM7Upaq2jYR0npUm-8OcNRTn384HDeHm48hXmragMCG4D0gPQts4KrrMaH5rC6INU7m9raW5PdxPlMgI2zueO8vWuN5t36LeuL0B7KvEU50/s1600/IMAG1988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFhYWWjYL9RExHaFu1ADeeIPi3FDomKzwDM7Upaq2jYR0npUm-8OcNRTn384HDeHm48hXmragMCG4D0gPQts4KrrMaH5rC6INU7m9raW5PdxPlMgI2zueO8vWuN5t36LeuL0B7KvEU50/s400/IMAG1988.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My mom was happy with her Christmas present and couldn't wait to break it in. When she took it out the box, I have to admit that the blender itself is kind of cool looking. It looks almost like something you would see at a smoothie shop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM70P2lHipSS3b1ENnSF6Z5mSDZ2Kr5EDTbUstJdSGqjK116-rSyZtvaMeZBrT7bDp5fP-iUhZtcyTgKyAJkerQA-K-6WQqQNK78TixVPROopgzvq1xkzeLyHI5h9yX4i4dN4lWRbmHPc/s1600/IMAG1992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM70P2lHipSS3b1ENnSF6Z5mSDZ2Kr5EDTbUstJdSGqjK116-rSyZtvaMeZBrT7bDp5fP-iUhZtcyTgKyAJkerQA-K-6WQqQNK78TixVPROopgzvq1xkzeLyHI5h9yX4i4dN4lWRbmHPc/s400/IMAG1992.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What you see above is the 3 level blade this thing has. Let me tell you, this thing is no joke. You start this fucker up and it pulverizes what ever you put in there. It's got 3 speeds and a pulse button, but I mostly use speed 3.<br />
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It's got a strong motor, and all that strength equals to a good bit of noise. In my opinion, I'll deal with the noise, it's not that big of an issue.<br />
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The nick name for the this blender should be "Lock & Load", because it will not start until everything is securely set and locked tight. It's not a bad thing, but it does take a little getting used to.<br />
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The lid has a corner that can open up so you pour your drinks out a little cleaner. While that feature is ok, the lid can be a little tricky to clean. With the square design, it has a lot of nooks and crannies that need more attention to clean.<br />
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The 6 blades aren't exactly fun to clean either. I always feel like I'm going to lose a finger cleaning them! The simple solution is to just throw it in the dishwasher, but I usually clean out the blender immediately after use so nothing gets stuck at the bottom or on the blades.<br />
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My overall feeling about this blender is that it's well worth the few extra bucks. It will outshine all the other moderately priced blenders near it.<br />
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If you can't afford a Vitamix, look into getting a Ninja.<br />
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Since we are here, I might as well share with you my favorite smoothie recipe to make. You don't need much and it tastes great.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Smoothie!</u></b></span><br />
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2 Bananas<br />
1-2 Teaspoons of peanut butter<br />
3-4 Ounces of apple juice<br />
1-2 Ounces of milk<br />
2-3 Handfuls of ice<br />
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You throw all that shit in a blender and blend until it's as smooth as silk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw60rmrbY3chUzIH8HfDovpchxwKv3aFTy7SBBu395tqQQPr2_aIfAyc0RjscVcjaMopQHmdK9TFeq5uLCA_hfzdFYQR1tqzpv564zZ1XsGSI8_cxhjFZOo7jfceYB8XduQOv11PqAlrQ/s1600/IMAG1994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw60rmrbY3chUzIH8HfDovpchxwKv3aFTy7SBBu395tqQQPr2_aIfAyc0RjscVcjaMopQHmdK9TFeq5uLCA_hfzdFYQR1tqzpv564zZ1XsGSI8_cxhjFZOo7jfceYB8XduQOv11PqAlrQ/s400/IMAG1994.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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I could drink this stuff by the gallon! Honestly, I don't measure any of it, I just eyeball it. That recipe is a pretty good guess.<br />
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And there it is, my simple smoothie in a plastic 1-quart container. I added the straw just for the picture, so it looks more like a drink. Once I took the pic, the straw got tossed and I drank my wonderful little smoothie.<br />
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That's it for this one. I hope you guys are diggin' the blog posts. Please feel free to leave comments on what you are reading.<br />
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See you tomorrow!ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-7524654286812721582013-07-05T15:27:00.000-07:002013-07-05T15:27:52.062-07:00T.S.D.O.B: Day 25 - Food Obscenities <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Only 5 more days left in this Thirty Straight Days of Blogging extravaganza! What I have for you today is something I think all of us have come across at least once. You see a food item, or plate of food, that is so outrageous that is ceases to remain as simply "food" and becomes something you might call a crime against humanity.<br />
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As long as we still need to eat to fuel our bodies, food will always have significant place in our lives. It seems, as of late, food isn't just holding a place in our lives, it's completely encompassing our entire being. This tight grip from food is causing creations in the culinary world that are down-right monstrous!<br />
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Let me start you off with a few examples:<br />
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The Luther Burger<br />
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If you have never heard of it, the Luther Burger was supposedly created by Luther Vandross. It's basically a burger that has donuts for buns.<br />
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I don't know if Luther created this thing or not, but goddamn! Donuts? I'd have to down a bottle of Black Label before getting the 'inspiration' to create something like this. It's just too much for my blood.<br />
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Next up, The Mother-In-Law sandwich.<br />
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I first saw this hellish creation on a show called <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foodnetwork.com%2Fsandwich-king%2F&ei=VR_WUbPiLeqP0QGHq4GgBg&usg=AFQjCNHDWq2cDv_zgWrY1_6KieFf2dQ2XQ&sig2=UWhsoLE-kviZvZa01gX8EA&bvm=bv.48705608,d.dmQ" target="_blank">The Sandwich King</a>. The host is from Chicago and reps his city to the fullest. I can respect that.<br />
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As I'm watching the intro to the show(which is the most important part of any cooking show, so you can see all the food that's going to be made), he shows the Mother in Law sandwich. This fuckin' thing is a tamale laid in a hot dog bun and covered in chili. Really???<br />
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I paused the TV and yelled "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS???" Who would intentionally put a tamale in a hot dog bun??? I was shocked! I know it doesn't seem that crazy, but I know every Mexican I work with would probably whoop my ass if they saw me do that!<br />
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Lastly, a creation that was surely created by one of the devils bastard children. That creation is......<br />
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DEEP FRIED BUTTER<br />
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The idea of eating a stick of battered and deep fried butter is just horrifying. I know bacon and deep frying are as popular as ever these days, but...what the fuck! Butter?!?! You can't do that! You shouldn't do that! This abomination needs to go back to whatever depth of hell it arose from!<br />
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In rare cases, the problem with one of these food obscenities isn't the fact that it may be crazy. The problem is that it wasn't crazy enough to make it special.<br />
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Sometimes, when something is so crazy, so deranged, that it defies all logic, it becomes a masterpiece. This is what the guys from Epic Meal Time have managed to do.<br />
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I could sit here and write what these guys do, but it's simply easier for you to see for yourselves.<br />
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It's....I mean....for real?<br />
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I'm speechless. I got nothing left after seeing the meat tank.<br />
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See you tomorrow!ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-15202562741869172422013-07-03T23:36:00.000-07:002013-07-04T10:30:24.623-07:00T.S.D.O.B: Day 24 - Hot N Juicy Crawfish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's day 24 of Thirty Straight Days of Blogging, and I have something for you today that will get all the seafood lovers excited.<a href="http://hotnjuicycrawfish.com/" target="_blank"> Hot N Juicy Crawfish</a> is bringing you seafood by the pound and heat levels that you have to take seriously.<br />
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I had heard about this place on various cooking shows, but they always showed their Las Vegas restaurant. When I realized that they had a spot only a few miles away, I knew I had to check it out.<br />
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As soon as I walked in, I felt comfortable. I know that's an odd perspective, but to me, the place had a really inviting feel to it. There were a few big screens on the wall showing Sportscenter and other sporting news. The decor was cool. I'm not into decorating, but I know bad decorating when I see it.<br />
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The server showed me to my table and asked if I had been there before. I said no, and she then went through how the menu is set up and the ways I can order. She was very polite and genuinely seemed happy to help me out. Big ups in the customer service department!<br />
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A good number of their seafood offerings go by market price. Normally, I hate seeing that because it's always a mystery of how much you are going to pay. Hot N Juicy takes the mystery out of the equation. They have a chalk board with all the market prices per pound. This chalkboard alone earned them a ton of brownie points for me.<br />
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When it came time to order, I went with a pound of clams. I don't have clams that often, and it seems like more places tend to push mussels instead of clams.<br />
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When you order your food, you get to choose the seasoning style and the heat level. I went with their house seasoning and spicy heat level. The server warned me that the spicy level was no joke. I stood up out of my chair and said <em>"Bitch, do you know who you are fuckin' with?!?! I ain't afraid of no fuckin' spicy food!!</em>" Actually, I didn't say that. I liked my server and wouldn't disrespect her like that. I told her I can handle most spicy foods and she said "ok.." with a 'you've been warned' smile on her face.<br />
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When you get your food, all of it comes in a plastic bag with all the seasoning sauce it was cooked in. You get a plastic bib and gloves, and the whole table is covered in plastic. It's made for you to get down and dirty.<br />
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When I took a bite of one of the clams, I immediately got hit with heat! I'm no pussy when it comes to spicy foods, but this stuff was spicy! Not that bullshit, spicy for a 5-year old stuff most places offer. This was no joke, and I loved it.<br />
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The clams were good and the sauce was deliciously hot. You can't beat that.<br />
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As I was eating, the manager came by and asked if everything was good. I said yes, and then he noticed I had ordered the clams. "Have you tried the crawfish yet?" he asked. I shook my head no and he said "I'll be right back." A couple minutes later, he came back with a small cup and said "Here's a few for you to try. I can't get enough of these things." For real, that was some cool shit. Again, big ups on that customer service!<br />
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I can honestly say that this place had me sold. I'm lucky they weren't selling cars, because I would have left with something I couldn't possibly maintain the payments on. Great food, great service. You can't go wrong.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://hotnjuicycrawfish.com/" target="_blank">Hot N Juicy Crawfish</a></b></span><br />
15972 Euclid St #D<br />
Fountain Valley, CA 92708<br />
714-775-4465<br />
Sun-Thurs: 12:00 pm -10:00 pm<br />
Fri-Sat: 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm<br />
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See you tomorrow!ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-46923126985642543932013-07-02T22:14:00.004-07:002013-07-03T10:33:07.447-07:00T.S.D.O.B: Day 23 - Vietnamese Coffee Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's day 23 of this thing called Thirty Straight Days Of Blogging. What I have for you today is something that I've wanted to unleash to the world since I first started this blog. I've held off for a long time now because I wasn't sure if I could really do it justice. After a lot of thought, I've realized that there is no way I can truly do these places justice on my blog. Well, I can't do it justice without making this blog for adults only. :)<br />
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If you don't know, Vietnamese coffee bars are essentially bikini bars. You have women wearing very little clothing serving up coffee and sometimes smoothies, depending on which one you go to. Sounds pretty damn good to me!<br />
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I actually found out about these places from watching the news. A couple of years ago, the city of Garden Grove decided to "crack down" on these places because there were rumors of prostitution and other sorts of fun things going on there. The owners, of course, said no wrong doing was happening and that it was more about race, because they weren't targeting the white bikini bars. I think both sides probably had some truth to it.<br />
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Cafe Di Vang was the first place I had ever gone to. My initial visit was before the crack down, and let me tell you, it was a little crazy. First off, I saw nothing but thongs and tiny bikini tops. Very nice! The place had a huge cloud of smoke resting on the ceiling. I saw a table of wide eyed teenagers who were clearly impressed with the view. The music was loud and the vibe was upbeat.<br />
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No, I didn't get offered a hand job. To this day, I've never been approached for anything like that at any of the places I've been to.<br />
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These days, Di Vang is a bit tamer. No more smoking and the girls now have short skirts. The music is still loud, but I guess they keep the crowd to 18 and over now.<br />
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The Starz Cafe is located about 50 or 60 yards away from Di Vang and it's pretty much the same deal. Scantly clad women serving up coffee and smoothies.<br />
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I've been to this place 3 times, and each time was pretty chill. The employees are friendly and will chat with you a bit, and, their coffee tastes good!<br />
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Half-naked women aside, these places do serve Vietnamese coffee. If you have never had it, be careful! This stuff is very strong and will get you wired.<br />
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I've been to about 5 different coffee bars, and the coffee at Starz is by far the best.<br />
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If you ever make your way to Garden Grove and decide to check one of these places out, there are some things you should know:<br />
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<i>Most of these places have the name "cafe" in them.</i><br />
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<i>Signs to look for are loud music and blacked-out windows, like this place.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzR5BDAT-GkApJdWyI7Qro6fIQWElmfqhxLwJfpCZcFnWQva3ET0HzCwyeWsoA8fFu9GH5TUaFj65V4jbKs4zRNW4sA1w_N2P-RBPH1xFNR4pobVaE0Xjtirzn700XoIizbv_fcY7VqQ/s1280/IMAG1948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzR5BDAT-GkApJdWyI7Qro6fIQWElmfqhxLwJfpCZcFnWQva3ET0HzCwyeWsoA8fFu9GH5TUaFj65V4jbKs4zRNW4sA1w_N2P-RBPH1xFNR4pobVaE0Xjtirzn700XoIizbv_fcY7VqQ/s400/IMAG1948.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The drinks are about $5 and it's cash only. Remember, it's more about the view than the coffee.</i><br />
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<i>I've never seen a menu, so don't bother asking for one.</i><br />
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<i>Treat the employees with respect and you will get it back. This rule applies to everywhere, but I thought I would just put that out there.</i><br />
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I wish I could have gotten more pics for you, but I'm not going to take a picture of someone without them knowing it and post it on here. I do have a few morals.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-di-vang-2-garden-grove" target="_blank">Cafe Di Vang 2</a></b></span><br />
14221 Euclid St<br />
Ste B<br />
Garden Grove, CA 92843<br />
(714) 636-5107<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/starz-cafe-garden-grove" target="_blank">Starz Cafe</a></b></span><br />
14241 Euclid St<br />
Garden Grove, CA 92842<br />
(714) 554-4978<br />
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See you tomorrow!ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221677549469747043.post-89196398525352440232013-07-02T09:56:00.000-07:002013-07-02T09:56:05.441-07:00T.S.D.O.B: Day 22 - Lunch At The Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAfXrVawsRfaa-vllLtbB3j2Tft6UHIYofL_bJS6xPOOVZS6_aTX6_E9I4bU9HUovzVLYICETAvle-veBMrZ5k8CQ-PT5LWr7JO7nGj9HRqQAOIERgtOw410dlSz-juqTh_bdBL_lcn8/s1600/IMAG1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAfXrVawsRfaa-vllLtbB3j2Tft6UHIYofL_bJS6xPOOVZS6_aTX6_E9I4bU9HUovzVLYICETAvle-veBMrZ5k8CQ-PT5LWr7JO7nGj9HRqQAOIERgtOw410dlSz-juqTh_bdBL_lcn8/s640/IMAG1944.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's day 22 of Thirty Straight Days of Blogging, and to be honest, I'm really busy right now. I'm actually working on what is probably going to be post #30. It takes a lot of time to make, but should have great results. All I can tell you now is that you will <b><i>not</i></b> want to miss it!<br />
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Today, I am going to show you a little bit more about me. Every now and then, I'll hop on my bike and head down to one of the local parks. I'll pick up a Bahn Mi and, maybe a water or gatorade, and have a relaxing lunch. Since it's been heating up lately, it seemed like a better time than ever to do this.<br />
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This is the spot I stopped by yesterday to get my bahn mi. I live in an area where I don't really have to go too far to find a decent bahn mi. I've been to about 5 or 6 different places, and I think I can say that I like this place the best. So far...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sIi0TI5sALbV-fA_OqchYFgRS-Bsb9ElCkIIf876gHUOye86jl-kBLLuGmVxyCVGCDTyZ5tiHej0Bx_Et8ATTTF6sWytMwKZvZhjf2zhbklCrRqpxf0tX_48capJtqmjeusaQFtL-7s/s1600/IMAG1938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sIi0TI5sALbV-fA_OqchYFgRS-Bsb9ElCkIIf876gHUOye86jl-kBLLuGmVxyCVGCDTyZ5tiHej0Bx_Et8ATTTF6sWytMwKZvZhjf2zhbklCrRqpxf0tX_48capJtqmjeusaQFtL-7s/s400/IMAG1938.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The damn tree got in the way for this shot. Oh well, you get the idea, right?<br />
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Once I get to the park, I'll find a nice, shady spot and enjoy my food. Since I was there, I thought I would take a few pictures.<br />
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Say cheese dummy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sTl7tq_DeheRyZ8y4oXc2V4UDWZvBPxBISTzFyRa-NNZE8oIVASon1FM_syeoRJ_AjczEZnJxAS0Fpl0f2urum0Md4pPhHjp_Gi326P3hUqFdokLftiq7oTuxtabd6W8XYUMxFGm-4Y/s1280/IMAG1947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sTl7tq_DeheRyZ8y4oXc2V4UDWZvBPxBISTzFyRa-NNZE8oIVASon1FM_syeoRJ_AjczEZnJxAS0Fpl0f2urum0Md4pPhHjp_Gi326P3hUqFdokLftiq7oTuxtabd6W8XYUMxFGm-4Y/s400/IMAG1947.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ugh, that last picture blows. Whatever. That's it for today. I'm coming back tomorrow with a doozy. You don't want to miss it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/tan-hoang-huong-bakery-fountain-valley" target="_blank">Tan Hoang Huong</a></b></span><br />
15972 Euclid St<br />
Fountain Valley, CA 92708<br />
(714) 775-7422<br />
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See you tomorrow!ChefJason726http://www.blogger.com/profile/03912522204811718186noreply@blogger.com2