I have been away far too long again, and it took the right meal to make me sit down and write again. Last night's dinner was that meal. A month or two ago, I experimented with using egg roll wrappers with something of a Tex-Mex filling, and last night, I think I hit it spot on. While the prep and cook time for this was longer than the usual half hour I try to allow, it wasn't by much, surprisingly. I started with ground beef and black beans sauteed with a couple of different chili powders, some garlic salt, pepper, ground cumin, and coriander. I rolled these into the wrappers with a bit of shredded sharp cheddar, and browned them in peanut oil. Simple, crispy, and again, surprisingly quick. A bit of rice in the cooker, and that was it.
The Verdict
When three of the four in our family go back for seconds, it is a good sign. The crispy, flaky egg roll wrappers are a great substitute for the more traditional corn platform I associate with this kind of protein concoction. With a dollop of sour cream and salsa on the side for dipping, the result was unquestionably successful. I also think I have finally beaten my aging and well-used rice cooker into submission, as it has been plaguing me with poorly-cooked rice of late. Last night, it was almost perfectly cooked. I chose jasmine rice, and it had just the right texture to complement the main course.
The idea of fusing cuisines is really a balancing act. It is a matter of picking ideas that work well together, and not just cobbling together random ingredients, hoping something will click. It's not unlike what I've been feeling about parenting these past few busy months. Taking a step back and seeking balance goes a long way toward preserving the sense of self that parents still desperately cling to, while happily sinking deeper and deeper into their other identity of mom or dad. I don't know any two parents who were raised identically, and as such, we all bring different experiences and ideas about how to guide our children to our parenting experience. Really, parenting is a kind of fusion as well, when there are two folks doing the job. And when we are lucky, or thoughtful, or careful, or all of these things, going back for seconds can be really satisfying.
Showing posts with label cumin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cumin. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Wild boar tacos
Yes, it has been another long lapse since my last post. A second daughter in the house consumes the time that I had finally carved out after dinner as our first daughter was becoming increasingly independent. Now that the younger child is about four months old, we are finally beginning to find some routines once again, and tonight's dinner was special enough to write about. I don't know if I'll be lucky enough to get another one of these done any time soon, and frankly, I'm just glad I still get to make dinner most nights. Writing about it is just a bonus, anyway.
My wife picked up an online deal for Artizone recently; not that recently, actually, but recently enough that she passed it my way before it expired. Some of the speciality shops here in Chicago would be regular haunts for us if we lived closer to them, but parking is an ordeal without the kids; with them, it's just a royal pain. Artizone let's us order from several of the shops we like (and some we have yet to try), and have the goods delivered to our home. I have been to Gepperth's Meat Market in the past, and was impressed with their shop. When I found that they had some game meats available via Artizone, well, I was giddy.
The bottom line - having the little ones around makes us appreciate having things delivered.
The wild boar I had them bring had to wait in the fridge for a couple of days before I was able to cook it. We had a few other things on our family agenda this week, but tonight I was finally able to bring it to the table. I knew when I ordered it that I wanted to make some kind of tacos with the meat. I browned the meat with some chopped cilantro, garlic, and green onion in a smattering of olive oil. It was clearly lean meat, and I knew I'd need a bit of extra oil for this to work. Once browned, I added a splash of liquid smoke, followed by a blend of corn starch, chili powder, cayenne, ground cumin, garlic salt, kosher salt, and smoked paprika. Unfortunately, I was out of guajillo chili powder, and I think that may be on my next Artizone order (or my next trip to the spice place in Old Town). To create the sauce, I opted to use Pepsi tonight in place of water. I wanted a bit of sweetness, and the cola seemed like a nice idea.
I chose corn tortillas for my tacos, and my wife opted for whole wheat. We topped things with more of an American spread - lettuce, sour cream, salsa, green onion, cilantro, and cheddar tonight.
The verdict
I was quite pleased with the result. The mild game undertones were present, but with everything else happening in the flavor column, that was a welcome and expected taste. We kept things pretty simple tonight, skipping wine or beer. It was a nice end to the family time after a wonderful weekend together, and a real treat having a few minutes to write about it. We were also glad to spend some time celebrating a milestone birthday with a neighbor last night. Our older daughter really appreciated the chocolate fountain at the shindig (I have NEVER seen her so hyper), and I was pleased to contribute some chicken marsala to the festivities. I wish I had a bit more time to write about it, but I'm sure I'll make that dish again and again. Wild boar isn't the kind of thing I'm likely to make quite as often, but after tonight's meal, I wish it was more readily available (and less expensive). If I ever move back to Florida, I'll have to befriend some boar hunters, I suppose...
My wife picked up an online deal for Artizone recently; not that recently, actually, but recently enough that she passed it my way before it expired. Some of the speciality shops here in Chicago would be regular haunts for us if we lived closer to them, but parking is an ordeal without the kids; with them, it's just a royal pain. Artizone let's us order from several of the shops we like (and some we have yet to try), and have the goods delivered to our home. I have been to Gepperth's Meat Market in the past, and was impressed with their shop. When I found that they had some game meats available via Artizone, well, I was giddy.
The bottom line - having the little ones around makes us appreciate having things delivered.
The wild boar I had them bring had to wait in the fridge for a couple of days before I was able to cook it. We had a few other things on our family agenda this week, but tonight I was finally able to bring it to the table. I knew when I ordered it that I wanted to make some kind of tacos with the meat. I browned the meat with some chopped cilantro, garlic, and green onion in a smattering of olive oil. It was clearly lean meat, and I knew I'd need a bit of extra oil for this to work. Once browned, I added a splash of liquid smoke, followed by a blend of corn starch, chili powder, cayenne, ground cumin, garlic salt, kosher salt, and smoked paprika. Unfortunately, I was out of guajillo chili powder, and I think that may be on my next Artizone order (or my next trip to the spice place in Old Town). To create the sauce, I opted to use Pepsi tonight in place of water. I wanted a bit of sweetness, and the cola seemed like a nice idea.
I chose corn tortillas for my tacos, and my wife opted for whole wheat. We topped things with more of an American spread - lettuce, sour cream, salsa, green onion, cilantro, and cheddar tonight.
The verdict
I was quite pleased with the result. The mild game undertones were present, but with everything else happening in the flavor column, that was a welcome and expected taste. We kept things pretty simple tonight, skipping wine or beer. It was a nice end to the family time after a wonderful weekend together, and a real treat having a few minutes to write about it. We were also glad to spend some time celebrating a milestone birthday with a neighbor last night. Our older daughter really appreciated the chocolate fountain at the shindig (I have NEVER seen her so hyper), and I was pleased to contribute some chicken marsala to the festivities. I wish I had a bit more time to write about it, but I'm sure I'll make that dish again and again. Wild boar isn't the kind of thing I'm likely to make quite as often, but after tonight's meal, I wish it was more readily available (and less expensive). If I ever move back to Florida, I'll have to befriend some boar hunters, I suppose...
Monday, January 2, 2012
Pork and Pierogi
Pork loin chops are frankly just a bit too lean for any kind of good slow-cooking, but are wonderful for a good breading and pan-frying. Tonight, I wanted to make them in a way I hadn't tried before, so I figured a good, logical way to make this work was to bring some mustard to the plate. I wanted it to permeate the dinner, so I figured why not add it at the source and not after the fact, and incorporate it into the breading process.
I'm not much for sharing a "recipe" (perhaps because I generally don't look at them much), but this one is simple enough to share at least the basics, and worth me doing so in case I decide to give it another whirl.
I brought out the basics - the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs - and while I usually add flavor into the dry stations, I decided this time to add a bit to all 3. I pretty well always add a bit of salt and ground pepper to the flour. Done. And I always keep unseasoned breadcrumbs around. You never know what you are going to cook, right? So why keep only some cardboard tube of Italian seasoned stuff on hand? I mean, the seasonings are likely old, and someone else's idea of "good," to boot. I added some ground mustard, ground cumin, and onion powder to mine tonight, and that combination would have failed in the face of basil and who knows what else in the usual mix. To the egg, I added some prepared spicy brown mustard (although I'd considered a spicy Dijon I had on hand, too).
The loin chops were a bit thick on the cut (typically we pick up the big loin and I cut my own at home; this time I was relying on the local grocery store), so I butterflied them, gave them a light pounding, breading, and bath in the oil until "light-golden-brown-and-delicious." It is important to watch the heat with such lean meat; too much, and you get brown and under-cook, too little, and you may get a juicy middle with a charred outside. I suppose I mention this for those who fear frying foods. Most of the oil stays behind if you are doing it right, folks - don't fear the vegetable oil!
I confess that part of the motivation for cooking the pork was to have something (other than kielbasa) to go along with the frozen pierogi I had picked up last week. I'm a sucker for those things, and have long considered them quick comfort food. This batch was filled with a spinach and feta blend, something a bit unusual, but really pretty tasty. I think I may need to step up my game (on a night when I have more time for prep work) and make some from scratch, but time is what it is. I added in some spinach to round out the meal, and it ended up being a nice, simple way to spend the first Monday of 2012.
The verdict
Simple and tasty. I'm a sucker for crispy pierogi cooked in butter any day, but served alongside some juicy pork warmed my soul as much as my belly. The cumin really drew the mustard flavors up through the breading. I think I might consider a whipped goat cheese alongside this next time I make it. I couldn't help but think that it would have been a nice addition.
Tonight was one of many recently where I had thought about opening a bottle of wine for myself to enjoy with dinner. My wife is pregnant, and I'm trying to be supportive of her abstinence. (But man, I sure do miss the grape!) That said, I'm not really sure what I would have opened tonight. If you have bothered to read this, I'd love suggestions.
I'm not much for sharing a "recipe" (perhaps because I generally don't look at them much), but this one is simple enough to share at least the basics, and worth me doing so in case I decide to give it another whirl.
I brought out the basics - the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs - and while I usually add flavor into the dry stations, I decided this time to add a bit to all 3. I pretty well always add a bit of salt and ground pepper to the flour. Done. And I always keep unseasoned breadcrumbs around. You never know what you are going to cook, right? So why keep only some cardboard tube of Italian seasoned stuff on hand? I mean, the seasonings are likely old, and someone else's idea of "good," to boot. I added some ground mustard, ground cumin, and onion powder to mine tonight, and that combination would have failed in the face of basil and who knows what else in the usual mix. To the egg, I added some prepared spicy brown mustard (although I'd considered a spicy Dijon I had on hand, too).
The loin chops were a bit thick on the cut (typically we pick up the big loin and I cut my own at home; this time I was relying on the local grocery store), so I butterflied them, gave them a light pounding, breading, and bath in the oil until "light-golden-brown-and-delicious." It is important to watch the heat with such lean meat; too much, and you get brown and under-cook, too little, and you may get a juicy middle with a charred outside. I suppose I mention this for those who fear frying foods. Most of the oil stays behind if you are doing it right, folks - don't fear the vegetable oil!
I confess that part of the motivation for cooking the pork was to have something (other than kielbasa) to go along with the frozen pierogi I had picked up last week. I'm a sucker for those things, and have long considered them quick comfort food. This batch was filled with a spinach and feta blend, something a bit unusual, but really pretty tasty. I think I may need to step up my game (on a night when I have more time for prep work) and make some from scratch, but time is what it is. I added in some spinach to round out the meal, and it ended up being a nice, simple way to spend the first Monday of 2012.
The verdict
Simple and tasty. I'm a sucker for crispy pierogi cooked in butter any day, but served alongside some juicy pork warmed my soul as much as my belly. The cumin really drew the mustard flavors up through the breading. I think I might consider a whipped goat cheese alongside this next time I make it. I couldn't help but think that it would have been a nice addition.
Tonight was one of many recently where I had thought about opening a bottle of wine for myself to enjoy with dinner. My wife is pregnant, and I'm trying to be supportive of her abstinence. (But man, I sure do miss the grape!) That said, I'm not really sure what I would have opened tonight. If you have bothered to read this, I'd love suggestions.
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