Still no pictures - when I cook I want to eat, not take pictures.
I made some delicious pork chops last night. I intended to make Tonkatsu, a Japanese pork cutlet pounded thin, dredged in flour, egg & panko bread crumbs and fried. It's served with rice and shredded cabbage & is delicious.
But when I got home I did not want to go through all those steps. Instead, I channeled my sister and made something based on a dish she made for me once. She roasted chicken in the oven and glazed it with honey & mustard. Awesome!
Because it was nearly 90 degrees yesterday I did not want to turn on the oven. Instead, I cooked the chops in a skillet. They were cut very thin and were boneless. All I did was season them with a seasoning blend, sliced an onion thin, sauteed the onion in oil and added the chops. I turned them until they were well browned all over and nearly cooked through.
A plop of grainy, spicy brown mustard went into the pan along with a hefty dribble of honey and a goodly splash of whiskey. I stirred it all together and kept turning the chops until they were coated with the glaze and cooked through.
These would be good with anything - rice, scalloped or mashed potatoes, and any kind of green vegetable. Try them and see if you like them. A quick and easy week-night main dish!
Quotable quotes; in the category Don't Talk With Your Mouth Full, Just Keep Eating!
"You can never put too much pork in your mouth as far as I'm concerned." Lewis Black, Comedian
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Sourdough
I've always been fascinated by sourdough bread. Not sure why as I've also never been successful in keeping it alive or making good bread from it. That has all changed.
I decided to try again and, as is my wont, threw all the instructions out the window. I mixed up a little bit of flour and about the same amount of water with a tiny pinch of yeast and a bit of sugar. No measuring.
I let it stand awhile then stuck it in the fridge. Every couple days I took it out, let it warm up, stirred in another spoonful of flour and of water and stuck it back in the fridge.
After about a week, I decided it was time to bake. I removed the starter from the fridge, added approximately equal amounts of flour and water, about the same amount as was already in the bowl, stirred it up and let it work while we went to church.
When I got home I put about half the starter back in the fridge and to the rest added more flour, water, oil, salt etc. I meant to add a little sugar but I forgot. Since bread really needs only flour and water (yeast helps it rise and salt makes it taste better) I figured I was okay. Also, I pulled out a cookbook and read that I should have removed half the starter first, then added the fresh flour & water to the remainder to "feed" the starter. I already told you, I was doing this my way. I forgot about the book.
I kneaded the dough briefly, covered it with oiled plastic and let it rise all day in the (turned off) oven. Finally, I shaped it into a loaf (sort of) and plopped it into a greased bread pan. I wanted to make sandwiches with the bread and figured it would be easier if it was regular loaf shaped rather than "rustic" as is most sourdough bread.
Let it rise again, turned on the oven and baked until done & golden brown. it worked. The loaf did not rise substantially (note to self: more flour & water next time for a larger loaf) but it did brown nicely, sliced nicely and made nice sandwiches and toast. I have been eating it for breakfast & lunch all week.
I wish I could show you a picture but alas, I never think to photograph my food until it's pretty much eaten so . . . maybe next time.
This weekend I plan to make another loaf of bread and, if I have enough starter, pizza dough. I'll let you know how it goes.
If you'd like to give sourdough a try, read up on the subject. Most cookbooks that have bread recipes at least give a nod to sourdough and websites featuring sourdough abound. I cannot vouch for their authenticity or accuracy. If you want to try what I did, just read this post again and give it a go. All you have to lose is a little flour & water, time & patience.
Quotable quotes; in the category I Prefer Butter & Jam!
"'A loaf of bread,' the Walrus said, 'is what we chiefly need: Pepper and vinegar besides are very good indeed.'" Lewis Carroll from The Walrus and The Carpenter
I decided to try again and, as is my wont, threw all the instructions out the window. I mixed up a little bit of flour and about the same amount of water with a tiny pinch of yeast and a bit of sugar. No measuring.
I let it stand awhile then stuck it in the fridge. Every couple days I took it out, let it warm up, stirred in another spoonful of flour and of water and stuck it back in the fridge.
After about a week, I decided it was time to bake. I removed the starter from the fridge, added approximately equal amounts of flour and water, about the same amount as was already in the bowl, stirred it up and let it work while we went to church.
When I got home I put about half the starter back in the fridge and to the rest added more flour, water, oil, salt etc. I meant to add a little sugar but I forgot. Since bread really needs only flour and water (yeast helps it rise and salt makes it taste better) I figured I was okay. Also, I pulled out a cookbook and read that I should have removed half the starter first, then added the fresh flour & water to the remainder to "feed" the starter. I already told you, I was doing this my way. I forgot about the book.
I kneaded the dough briefly, covered it with oiled plastic and let it rise all day in the (turned off) oven. Finally, I shaped it into a loaf (sort of) and plopped it into a greased bread pan. I wanted to make sandwiches with the bread and figured it would be easier if it was regular loaf shaped rather than "rustic" as is most sourdough bread.
Let it rise again, turned on the oven and baked until done & golden brown. it worked. The loaf did not rise substantially (note to self: more flour & water next time for a larger loaf) but it did brown nicely, sliced nicely and made nice sandwiches and toast. I have been eating it for breakfast & lunch all week.
I wish I could show you a picture but alas, I never think to photograph my food until it's pretty much eaten so . . . maybe next time.
This weekend I plan to make another loaf of bread and, if I have enough starter, pizza dough. I'll let you know how it goes.
If you'd like to give sourdough a try, read up on the subject. Most cookbooks that have bread recipes at least give a nod to sourdough and websites featuring sourdough abound. I cannot vouch for their authenticity or accuracy. If you want to try what I did, just read this post again and give it a go. All you have to lose is a little flour & water, time & patience.
Quotable quotes; in the category I Prefer Butter & Jam!
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