Obscene food porn

I made biscuits and sausage gravy from scratch for breakfast today. I am going overboard with this vacation cooking thing. This is my first time cooking with shortening *shudder*, I think. I bought the "0 grams of trans fat" per serving variety by Crisco (I wanted to organic shortening by Spectrum, but forgot to buy it at the health food store, and they didn't have it at the local grocery store). I think it may be zero grams as a technicality, since there are partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients. Anyway, the biscuits were obscenely good, and the trace trans fats may be worth it.

Must...stop...cooking...

I have been cooking like crazy since I got out of school for the summer. Even during the weekend right after, when Picky's folks were here and we went out for every meal, I managed to drag everyone back here afterwards for crème brûlée.

I made chicken soup yesterday with broth from scratch, and chocolate chip pumpkin loaves. I baked a loaf of almost no knead bread today and can't stop munching on it. I need to save the rest for sandwiches for tomorrow's lunches.

I made a scrumptious wheatberry salad today, with sauteed red onions and wild mushrooms. I have had three servings already, and it was supposed to last the rest of the week. I am taking a break for dinner since I am so full from munching all day, and Picky had a luncheon after work.

Berry nice dinner

I cannot resist rhubarb.

I am supposed to be studying. Finals are coming up. I am two weeks from being done with my first year of med school!

But, when I was at the grocery store yesterday, they had rhubarb. I couldn't make it with strawberries, because Z is allergic. I love the raspberry rhubarb preserves from Robert is Here, Florida's quirkiest fruit stand. So, inspired by those, I decided to buy raspberries to go with the rhubarb. I had already grabbed some blackberries because they were a good price and looked delicious.

Tonight we had a wilted spinach salad with red onions, pomegranate balsamic dressing, toasted slivered almonds, goat cheese and the blackberries. After a fish with brown butter course, we are going to have these tarts. I threw in some blackberries, too. The constant chilling steps were annoying. Let's hope it is worth it. Pictures to come.

ETA: Picture up! Hey, my photo isn't half bad this time. Random!

Crossing my fingers

I have an experiment in the oven.

I browned a pound of crumbled Italian pork sausage. I microwaved a bag of baby spinach for a few minutes, in batches, and squeezed out the liquid. (Awesome trick, might I add.) I chopped up the spinach and some white onion.

I drained the pork and wiped out my Le Crueset pan. I sauteed the onions in butter, added the spinach and some diced garlic, sauteed it lightly, then turned off the heat. I had preheated the oven to 400.

I added cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese (a yummy aged American one I found - so tasty!) and four beaten eggs. Into the oven it went.

What should I name it? Spinach pork frittata pie thing?

Not a boring return

I made wild boar tonight.

No, for real!

My neighbor is a native Floridian (like Picky and me). He has hunted in central Florida for years. Today he gave me some wild boar that he shot with a bow and arrow.

I just had a recent conversation with someone about "eating meat that you know", so I figured I'd put my money where my mouth is. I just took a parasitology and mycology test in med school today, so it seemed fitting to eat some exotic wild meat with a questionable refrigeration history. (My neighbor swore he kept it on ice the whole time).

I butterflied the tenderloin (pictured) with a mojo marinade and fresh homemade mojo on the side (a Cuban orange juice and garlic sauce) on my cast iron grill pan. It was worth smoking up the house - it is a beautiful night tonight anyway, and now we have the windows open. Everyone loved it. After the kids had a bath and a shower, they saw me eating the cold leftovers of the boar, dipping it the sauce. They clamored for more - and ate it cold, too. It was a big hit. I think it helped that our neighbor shot it with a bow and arrow.

The hindquarter (picnic butt?) piece that I got is cooking on the stove right now, pulled pork style.

Mmmmmm taco night

I am on spring break! I finally have some time to cook.

I wanted to use my latest batch of roasted hot sauce, so I made some key lime chili marinated chicken, sauteed some sweet peppers and onions, and served warm tortillas, fresh shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, and we made our own soft tacos. Yum!

Since I can't drink a beer...

I am cooking with beer. My brother, sister-in-law and nephew were in town this week, and I bought some fancy white beer for them. They are gone, and i like the dark stuff. Besides, I am studying. Always.

So, I am making Sweet Italian pork sausage from Whole Foods, with shredded Napa cabbage, onions, garlic, salt and pepper and a Hoegaarden. It smells divine. I am resisting adding peppers or any herbs. I usually make sausage with tons of fresh fennel tops and bottoms from the garden, but I feel like dressing it down tonight.