tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7255653225664013072024-03-13T05:51:20.854-06:00Cook & RunJamoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09185303636386903655noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725565322566401307.post-13877384720226494712009-04-02T19:53:00.002-06:002009-04-02T20:01:33.621-06:00Chocolate.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SdVtE5U5buI/AAAAAAAAAFk/18bUBKgGluo/s1600-h/100_1524.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SdVtE5U5buI/AAAAAAAAAFk/18bUBKgGluo/s320/100_1524.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320278465683484386" border="0" /></a><br />I haven't been cooking too much lately. I've found a few go to dishes, and seem to lean on them quite heavily - eggs in purgatory being the prime example. I really can't get enough of that.<br /><br />I've been baking an awful lot though. I find baking extremely enjoyable, and a great use of a Sunday. The problem with my new found love of baking is that I couldn't possibly eat a few dozen cookies, or biscotti, or caramels (I guess that's not baking, but still sweets), or cupcakes. Fortunately, I have fifteen people working for me, and they're happy to gobble up whatever I bring in. I've also sent some out to my wife - mostly biscotti as it holds up so well - and some to my brother in Nova Scotia.<br /><br />I've mostly focused on chocolate based recipes (like <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/11/salty-and-sublime/">chocolate salted caramels</a> or <a href="http://www.lovintheoven.com/2009/03/chocolate-cupcakes-giveaway.html">chocolate cupcakes</a>); I gave up chocolate over three years ago as a New Year's resolution, and it has stuck. I eat chocolate once a year - January 1st - but abstain the other 364 days. So baking with chocolate works out perfectly; I get to bake without any temptation or calories. Occasionally I make something without chocolate and treat myself. This recipe is not one of those occasions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Triple Chocolate Cherry Cookies:</span><br /><br />1 cup butter, softened<br />3/4 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup packed brown sugar<br />2 oz. bittersweet baking chocolate, melted<br />1 tsp. vanilla<br />2 eggs<br />2 1/4 cups all purpose flour<br />1/4 cup cocoa<br />1 tsp. baking soda<br />1 1/3 cups white vanilla baking chips (I could not find these and used white chocolate chips - I'm not sure they would have been 'triple chocolate' otherwise)<br />3/4 cups maraschino cherries, coarsely chopped (forgot to buy these and replaced with Rice Krispies)<br />1 tsp. oil<br />24 maraschino cherries, halved (whoops!)<br /><br />Pre heat oven to 350° and lightly grease cookie sheets. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Beat in melted chocolate, vanilla, and eggs. On low speed, beat in flour, cocoa, and baking soda until mixed. Fold in 1 cup of the chips and the chopped cherries (or Rice Krispies!). Drop rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.<br /><br />Bake 9-11 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes and then move to cooling racks to cool completely. While the cookies are cooling, place oil and remaining chips in a small bowl and microwave until melted (recipe says high power, but I used low-medium power). Mix together until melted and smooth. Spoon a drop of the glaze in the center of each cookie and top with a cherry half; drizzle the rest of the mixture over the cookies. My batch made five dozen.<br /><br />Nobody really noticed the Rice Krispies. Oh well. These were a hit, and certainly looked delicious. Without white chocolate chips, I don't know how these would be triple chocolate - there's the melted chocolate and the cocoa.... that's only two chocolates.<br /><br />By the way - the cupcakes I linked to above were described several times as 'the best cupcake I've ever had'. They smelled amazing. I found out while frosting these that frosting is tough work. It's really hard on the forearms. There's a very good chance I was doing it wrong, though.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SdVtFfcIFiI/AAAAAAAAAFs/qCfaYoCtLNQ/s1600-h/100_1548.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SdVtFfcIFiI/AAAAAAAAAFs/qCfaYoCtLNQ/s320/100_1548.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320278475914352162" border="0" /></a>Jamoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09185303636386903655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725565322566401307.post-38263277403830131882009-03-23T19:43:00.006-06:002009-03-23T21:11:54.691-06:00Baked beans.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SchDi5aMG9I/AAAAAAAAAFM/LWq65FQp3tY/s1600-h/100_1529.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SchDi5aMG9I/AAAAAAAAAFM/LWq65FQp3tY/s320/100_1529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316573626916150226" border="0" /></a><br />When I was growing up, baked beans were a staple on my mom's side of the family. I don't really remember my dad's family making baked beans, but they may have. They were inescapable on my maternal side though. Aside from bread and butter, beans were surely the most common meal served at my grandparents' place. My mom made them frequently, using the recipe handed down from her mother.<br /><br />I didn't really go for the beans and always turned up my nose at them. I was a picky kid. Off the top of my head I "didn't like" beans, vegetables, onions, mushrooms, pork chops (at times), marmalade, gravy, yorkshire pudding, fish (still don't), coconut, pumpkin pie, or steak. I liked bread, with butter, peanut butter, cinnamon spread, or especially homemade jam. My grandfather nicknamed me 'Jamie Jam Can'. Now that I think of it, 'Jam Can' would have made a good old-timey baseball name, like Oil Can Boyd.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SchDJJ-6xPI/AAAAAAAAAFE/fd87WSeeORg/s1600-h/87F+OilCan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SchDJJ-6xPI/AAAAAAAAAFE/fd87WSeeORg/s320/87F+OilCan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316573184688571634" border="0" /></a><br />But I digress. With all the talk about the recession/depression, I was thinking about all the things my grandmother did to feed eight kids. She baked bread, cakes, cookies, made homemade jam, and I'm pretty sure there was a butter churn kicking around, though it may only have been for decoration. I'm not in any rush to churn butter or make jam, so I got thinking about beans. My mom was the third youngest of eight, so I can imagine a cheap meal of baked beans and homemade brown bread was rather appealing. My mom called from Australia last week, and I asked her for the recipe, despite never having liked it. I had a feeling that my tastes had matured; since going vegetarian I'm more adventurous and willing to try things again. On Sunday I whipped up a batch. 'Whipped up' may not be the best description - they took about eight hours. As with nearly everything else I've been eating, I served them up with a big chunk of bread, which helped to soak up the delicious sauce. I'm not sure how I could ever have claimed to not like beans. They smell wonderful, they're sweet and savory, and bread tastes even better after sopping up the sauce.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nan's Baked Beans</span><br /><br />1 lb. dried red kidney beans<br />1/2 C. sugar<br />1/2 C. ketchup<br />1 tsp. salt<br />1 whole onion, peeled with ends cut off<br />1 tbsp. shortening or butter<br /><br />Rinse the beans, and dump them in a large pot filled about 2/3 full with water. Bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat for a medium boil for about 3 hours. Do not stir, but pick up the pot and shake occasionally. Take off heat, and add all ingredients. Don't stir, but give the pot a good shake. Place in oven at 350° for about 4 hours. Serve.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SchOtX-f6FI/AAAAAAAAAFU/_DyfkeSVxno/s1600-h/100_1527.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SchOtX-f6FI/AAAAAAAAAFU/_DyfkeSVxno/s320/100_1527.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316585901548103762" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I still say it's not the best <span style="font-style: italic;">looking</span> meal, but it sure is tasty.Jamoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09185303636386903655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725565322566401307.post-5904825541003531502009-03-12T21:28:00.005-06:002009-03-12T21:43:09.287-06:00Epic failure.Recently I read a <a href="http://foodiesuz.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/cooking-and-baking-disasters/">post</a> about the failures we experience in cooking and baking. This reminded me that when I started cooking I expected to fail at least occasionally, and I expected some of those failures to be spectacular. So far, there have been two outright failures, and one <i>was</i> pretty hilarious. This week I'm away on business, though I was lucky or resourceful enough to steer the trip towards my wife so that I could spend the weekend with her. Three or four weeks ago I made some biscotti and sent it out to her. For this visit, I wanted to make some cookies for her to snack on and share with her friends. I decided on 'Brown Sugar & Sea Salt Cookies' from Mark Bittman. They looked interesting and different enough without being <i>too</i> challenging - this was a weeknight project and my time was limited.<br /><br />I whipped up the dough easily enough. Then things went a little funny. The recipe says to beat until barely holding together and that it may take several minutes but, when I was mixing the dough, it held together immediately. Now, being a baking neophyte, maybe I read this wrong. Did the recipe mean to beat it until it started to hold together, or that it would hold together easily and to beat it until it was falling apart? I'm not sure. The recipe said to shape the dough into a one inch wide log and then wrap it in plastic to chill in the fridge. Of course, I didn't think to shape the dough <i>on</i> the plastic wrap, so I had to do it twice. I chilled the log for the suggested thirty minutes, but it hadn't hardened up enough, so I left it another half hour. When I took the dough out, it was still quite soft and difficult to work with. Nevertheless, I sliced them into quarter inch thick pieces and plopped them down on the baking sheet, sprinkled on the salt, and slid them into the oven. I set the oven for fifteen minutes and left them to bake. Frankly, at this point, the cookies looked nothing like I had expected. When I read 'Brown Sugar & Sea Salt Cookies' I was expecting a sturdy molasses type cookie, and these looked like soft little blobs of cake batter. When the timer went off, I opened the oven and found this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SbnT7H5Fk0I/AAAAAAAAAEw/ahHJ7cQjhKo/s1600-h/100_1484.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SbnT7H5Fk0I/AAAAAAAAAEw/ahHJ7cQjhKo/s320/100_1484.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312510248144442178" border="0" /></a><br />One giant, fragrant, delicious failure. I considered cutting it into smaller pieces, but it pretty much crumbled when touched. So, regretfully, I scraped it up with a fork and dumped it in the garbage. I guess I had put two many cookies on the sheet and they just ran together. I sliced the remaining dough into cookies, but spaced them out much wider on the baking sheet and popped those in the oven, only realizing about eight minutes in that I had forgotten the salt. I pulled them out, salted them, and stuck them back in. This batch turned out much better than the first. The third and final round turned out perfectly.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SbnVDae2GdI/AAAAAAAAAE4/vvaInd3yyKI/s1600-h/100_1486.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SbnVDae2GdI/AAAAAAAAAE4/vvaInd3yyKI/s320/100_1486.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312511490085231058" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Second batch.</span></span><br /></div><br /><br />The cookies were not the thick, chewy, sink-your-teeth-into variety I was expecting (there was no reason for me to expect this type of cookie, it's just the image I had in my head); they were fragile, and broke when I picked them up. Even the ones that turned out well couldn't be taken to my wife - they wouldn't have survived a suitcase. In fact, they hardly survived my lunch bag when I took them into work the next day. But they tasted great. They were buttery, had the perfect sweet/salty mix and melted a bit in your mouth. Someone else may have great success with these but, despite how wonderful they tasted, they're just not for me.Jamoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09185303636386903655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725565322566401307.post-78939187148318298682009-03-01T18:41:00.005-07:002009-03-01T19:09:26.397-07:00Cake & curry.Not at the same time, natch.<br /><br />On Thursday I baked a cake. Prior to this, I don't think I'd ever made a cake that didn't come out of a box. It turned out quite well but, being chocolate, I wasn't able to taste it. I did take it into work where it went over quite well. I won't bother posting the recipe, as it can be found <a href="http://thelittleredkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/02/birthday-cake-for-my-sister.html">here</a>, along with a great story from Isabelle. She used icing sugar to decorate, whereas I was a tad less subtle and just covered the thing in real whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Mine started, but did not end, vegan.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/Sas6zO7wNZI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/gK356aZnnio/s1600-h/100_1443.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/Sas6zO7wNZI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/gK356aZnnio/s320/100_1443.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308401237642720658" border="0" /></a><br />I also made some curry today. Is it 'some curry' or 'a curry'? I'm not sure. 'Some' seems right, but in every <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irvine_Welsh">Irvine Welsh</a> book I've ever read, it's always 'stop to get a curry'. Regardless, Suz posted a <a href="http://foodiesuz.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/spicy-chickpea-and-spinach-curry/#comments">recipe</a> for spinach and chickpea curry, and I decided to try it. It was incredibly quick, easy, and flavourful. I'll definitely be making this one again. It tastes like something that took time to make, rather than 30 minutes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/Sas_L4C_OXI/AAAAAAAAAEY/QVptxVxmB3A/s1600-h/100_1475.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/Sas_L4C_OXI/AAAAAAAAAEY/QVptxVxmB3A/s320/100_1475.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308406059042290034" border="0" /></a>Jamoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09185303636386903655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725565322566401307.post-47326663489055639302009-02-25T18:54:00.008-07:002009-02-25T20:43:17.261-07:00Biscotti.I decided to do a little baking this past weekend. I had a few reasons:<br /><ol><li>I wanted to thank one of my staff for covering off a shift (on very short notice) for a coworker.</li><li>I wanted to make some biscotti so that I could stop eating 2 bowls of cereal every night before bed. I really need carbs.</li><li>I had nothing else to do.</li></ol>So I made two recipes from Baked - Cinnamon Hazelnut (Chocolate) Chip Biscotti and Peanut Butter Bars. I had made the biscotti once already, but - as I don't eat chocolate - this time I altered the recipe. I took out the vanilla, hazelnuts and cinnamon. Rum butter and rum raisin are two of my all time favourite flavours, so I replaced those ingredients with rum (not extract), pecans, and raisins. They turned out well, but I think I should have maybe used some rum extract as I can't really taste any rum.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Rum Raisin Pecan Biscotti</span> -<span style="font-style:italic;"> adapted from Baked</span><br /><br />1 1/3 cups sugar<br />1 1/4 tsp. baking powder<br />1 1/4 tsp. salt<br />1 tsp. cinnamon<br />4 large eggs<br />2 tsp. rum<br />1 3/4 cups all purpose flour<br />1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour<br />1/2 cup pecans<br />2 cups raisins<br />1 egg white<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.<br /><br />Whisk together sugar, baking powder, salt. Mix the flours together in another bowl.<br /><br />Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachement to beat eeggs and sugar mixture together until uniform and thick. Add the rum and beat for 5 more seconds. Add the flour in two batches and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and mix for 5 seconds more. Add the nuts and raisins and beat until just combined.<br /><br />Here's where the recipe loses me. It says to turn the dough out onto the baking sheet and shape it into a 16 x 3.5" log, 3/4 inch thick, and then to use a spatula to smooth it out. My log does not resemble that size, and there is no way a spatula is smoothing it out. Mine looked like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaYLTWIqXTI/AAAAAAAAAEA/J3nYOMYRlkc/s1600-h/100_1389.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaYLTWIqXTI/AAAAAAAAAEA/J3nYOMYRlkc/s320/100_1389.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306941637890039090" border="0" /></a><br />So, shape it however you think works, I guess. Bake 20-25 minutes until firm, but not browned. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes or so. While it cools, mix the egg white with a little water and brush onto the dough.<br /><br />Cut into strips - I cut my log in half lengthwise first - and place cut sides up and down on the baking sheet. The recipe is unclear whether to continue to use the parchment paper or not, but I had hacked it up while cutting the dough, so I just placed them straight on the sheet. Cook for 25-30 minutes, let cool, and then move to a wire rack.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaYNKz78bRI/AAAAAAAAAEI/HfajfG5kzFk/s1600-h/100_1412.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaYNKz78bRI/AAAAAAAAAEI/HfajfG5kzFk/s320/100_1412.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306943690294193426" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So, they taste pretty good. I'm quite pleased that I modified a recipe and it actually worked. I will definitely make these again. I probably won't use pecans, but I'll try to increase the rum flavour.<br /><br />The Peanut Butter Bars didn't turn out exactly right. They taste wonderful, apparently, but I didn't have a candy thermometer and thought I could get away without using one. A more experienced baker probably could. I think I'll buy one this weekend.Jamoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09185303636386903655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725565322566401307.post-89296415608523924902009-02-24T19:35:00.005-07:002009-02-24T20:19:44.186-07:00Beans and coffee.A few weeks ago we stocked up on beans so that I'd always have something relatively easy to make. I figured that nearly every night I'd be chowing down on what we refer to as 'burrito in a bowl' - a scoop of rice, a scoop of black beans, some salsa, sour cream, maybe some avocado and you're good to go. However, as soon as I was on my own, I had the urge to actually <span style="font-style: italic;">cook</span> rather than just heat things up in the microwave. I haven't done the 'burrito in a bowl' thing in weeks.<br /><br />But now I have this pile of dried black beans that hasn't been touched. This isn't really a problem. There's no danger of them going bad. But I feel like I should do something with them. So I started flipping through <span style="font-style: italic;">How to Cook Everything Vegetarian</span> and came across a recipe for espresso black bean chili. I really, really like coffee, so I figured 'why not?' Also, within a few pages of the chili was a recipe for beer glazed beans, which I made Saturday night. They were quick and easy, tasty enough I suppose, but somewhat dry. For the beer, I used a coffee porter that was in the fridge which gave them a nice flavour. I'd cook them a little less next time and leave them runny; soaking the sauce up with cornbread could be pretty tasty. I should have left them like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaSyWcW3F2I/AAAAAAAAADg/z_4yG0ZQkSE/s1600-h/100_1334.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaSyWcW3F2I/AAAAAAAAADg/z_4yG0ZQkSE/s320/100_1334.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306562359588231010" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Regardless, on to the chili, adapted slightly from Mark <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bittman's</span> How to Cook Everything Vegetarian:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Espresso Black Bean Chili</span><br /><ul><li>3 tbsp. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">grapeseed</span> oil (I used 2)<br /></li><li>2 onions, chopped</li><li>2 tbsp. minced garlic (I used 5-6 cloves)<br /></li><li>3 cups chopped ripe tomato (I used a 796ml can)</li><li>1/2 to 1 cup fresh espresso, or 1 to 2 cups freshly brewed coffee (I used Kicking Horse 454 Horse Power, which is quite strong)<br /></li><li>2 tbsp. chili powder</li><li>1/4 cup dark brown sugar (I'll use 3 tbsp. molasses next time, which is the other option)</li><li>one 3-inch cinnamon stick (I used two, and I'll mix some ground cinnamon next time)</li><li>1 pound dried black beans</li><li>salt and pepper</li></ul>It seems like every <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Bittman</span> recipe I make starts the same way - put the oil in a pot over medium high heat and, when hot, cook the onions about 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook a minute longer. Add everything else, plus enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, so the chili just bubbles along nicely. Cover, cook anywhere from 40-90 minutes until the beans are tender. Season to taste with more sugar, salt, or pepper. Serves 6-8.<br /><br />This was really great served with a bit of sour cream and some cornbread, which I made in the cast iron skillet. I'm going to make this again, I'm sure, but I'll use a little more coffee, more sugar and/or molasses, some ground cinnamon, and maybe increase the tomatoes by half.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaS2f4fAJ3I/AAAAAAAAADo/3HqF44fMMxc/s1600-h/100_1395.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaS2f4fAJ3I/AAAAAAAAADo/3HqF44fMMxc/s320/100_1395.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306566919803905906" border="0" /></a><br />Two days, two coffee infused bean dishes, both tasty.Jamoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09185303636386903655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725565322566401307.post-18872011824457443712009-02-23T18:19:00.006-07:002009-02-23T19:02:47.771-07:00Chickpeas, more bread.This weekend was a fairly busy one in the kitchen. I cooked all three nights and all day Sunday and everything - with one exception - turned out well.<br /><br />On Friday I tried a recipe from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/">Serious Eats'</a> <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/dinner_tonight/">Dinner Tonight</a> series - <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/10/vegetarian-lemony-chickpea-stirfry-stir-fry-recipe.html">Lemony Chickpea Stir-Fry</a>, which doesn't really resemble a stir fry at all. Regardless, it had some of my favourite foods - chickpeas, roasted red peppers - and was a chance to try something new. I really liked the idea of cooking the chickpeas until they were golden and crispy; <a href="http://www.manduco.biz/">Culina</a> serves fried chickpeas and they're amazing.<br /><br />I think I made a few mistakes. I should have chopped the kale into smaller pieces. I probably should have cooked the chickpeas on lower heat; I found mine were charring more than they were slowly changing colour - the smoke detector agreed. Good news - our alarm company doesn't wait long to call when something is burning. Despite those two problems, I still really enjoyed this dish. It was filling, light, fun to make and for someone with a bit more experience, probably quick and easy. It was a very <span style="font-style: italic;">lemony</span> meal, and was missing a little something, though I'm not sure what. Maybe some garlic or more peppers? Perhaps just a little more salt and pepper? I'm going to try again soon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaNQ1-fCwLI/AAAAAAAAADI/Siq-eKRiDJs/s1600-h/100_1330.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaNQ1-fCwLI/AAAAAAAAADI/Siq-eKRiDJs/s320/100_1330.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306173674209067186" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I also baked a loaf of no knead bread Friday night. I had prepared the dough Thursday, so it raised for close to a full twenty four hours. This was my second time baking bread. The first loaf looked like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaNSOnkG2hI/AAAAAAAAADQ/tNrUaOrYzgg/s1600-h/000_0031.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaNSOnkG2hI/AAAAAAAAADQ/tNrUaOrYzgg/s320/000_0031.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306175197064649234" /></a><br /><br />Encouraged by how that loaf turned out - it was delicious! - I decided to play with the recipe a little bit. I used two cups whole wheat flour and one cup white, rather than all white. I also mixed in quarter of a cup or so of ground flax and dusted the loaf with corn meal instead of wheat germ. It looked like this:<br /><br /><a on blur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaNTmzPifNI/AAAAAAAAADY/7apm4m8u5fQ/s1600-h/100_1331.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SaNTmzPifNI/AAAAAAAAADY/7apm4m8u5fQ/s320/100_1331.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306176712028093650" /></a><br /><br />I think the second loaf <span style="font-style:italic;">looked</span> a little cooler, but both were delicious. I think splitting the flour 50/50 might be the sweet spot. I'm interested in mixing in some raisins to see how that would turn out.<br /><br />I'll post more tomorrow about the rest of the weekend.Jamoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09185303636386903655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725565322566401307.post-72467028636686392152009-02-19T21:08:00.007-07:002009-02-19T21:44:11.143-07:00Shoes and a sandwich.I need new shoes. I'm not particularly happy about this; running shoes are really expensive, and I've grown quite attached to this pair. This was the first winter I've ever run through and I opted for trail shoes. They seemed a touch heavy when I first got them, but I got used to the weight quickly. In addition to being extremely comfortable and supportive, I've been really pleased with the grip offered by these runners; I'm not sure I could have navigated our awful sidewalks with regular running shoes. But really, running in -30°C weather can't be good for a pair of running shoes. They barely had a hundred miles on them - they're at about 550 now - when they started to split and crack. The cracking seemed to be purely cosmetic and never caused any problems. These guys only have two runs left - I'm off to <a href="http://www.fasttraxskishop.com/">Fast <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Trax</span></a> on Saturday to replace them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SZ4vHIq5ObI/AAAAAAAAACw/DckCboi5mug/s1600-h/101_1274.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SZ4vHIq5ObI/AAAAAAAAACw/DckCboi5mug/s320/101_1274.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304729210722007474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SZ4vlm8NfXI/AAAAAAAAAC4/VcmMLWwucAY/s1600-h/101_1275.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SZ4vlm8NfXI/AAAAAAAAAC4/VcmMLWwucAY/s320/101_1275.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304729734243777906" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I haven't done much cooking this week, unfortunately. The paella I made on Monday provided me with a lot of leftovers for the week. I've been living off prune paella and smashed chickpea sandwiches on homemade bread all week. The sandwiches have been absolutely delicious and are bound to become a lunch staple.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chickpea Salad</span><br /><ul><li>8 cups cooked chickpeas</li><li>1/2 medium carrot, shredded</li><li>2 tbsp. capers</li><li>3 or four cloves garlic, finely chopped</li><li>3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil</li><li>oregano</li><li>salt</li></ul>I threw everything in a large bowl, mixed everything together thoroughly and mashed with a fork. I served about 1/2 a cup of the salad between two slices of delicious, thick homemade bread - Mark Bittman's No Knead Bread - with a little bit of HP Sauce.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SZ40eOQM9ZI/AAAAAAAAADA/esMEwYNEa3g/s1600-h/100_1295.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SZ40eOQM9ZI/AAAAAAAAADA/esMEwYNEa3g/s320/100_1295.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304735104915797394" border="0" /></a><br />This weekend I'm hoping to try a few different dishes, and maybe even do a little baking.Jamoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09185303636386903655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725565322566401307.post-44686122743698782862009-02-17T22:17:00.003-07:002009-02-17T22:54:23.071-07:00Half-Marathon.In my first post I mentioned that I recently ran my second half marathon. This race - the 'Hypothermic Half' - is put on by the Running Room and has versions all over Canada. My brother ran the Halifax version and I took part in the Edmonton run. <br /><br />I had been training for this all winter; after my first marathon I decided to register just to keep motivated through difficult -30° mornings. I no longer find a 13 mile run to be any great challenge as most of my weekend runs are at least that distance. Regardless, as I drove to the race my stomach was churning just like it did prior to my first 25km race, first half, first 5k, first marathon.<br /><br />This wasn't a particularly large race, probably under 200 runners. I'm always shocked when I attend a race. Runners come in all shapes and sizes; you can never tell the fast from the slow based on appearance alone. Still, most of the runners here <span style="font-style: italic;">looked</span> the part - you have to be hardier than the average weekend jogger to make it through a winter running season. There were a good number of beards at the starting line.<br /><br />The route was fast and flat, though I would have preferred a full loop rather than running two laps. Fortunately, the route was scenic enough, with some great views of the river and some nice older homes, the type of small character houses I could see myself living in when I'm older. The course was road from start to finish which, in this city, means terrain ranging from bare ice to packed down snow to dry sidewalks. Throughout the race, I locked in with a few different runners who helped push me to keep up a hard pace. For a solid stretch I ran head to head with the eventual 2nd overall woman. She pushed me hard for three to four miles before falling off and finishing three minutes behind me. I don't think I could have put up as good a time without her.<br /><br />In the end I posted a 1:39:48 time - a full four minutes faster than my goal, and nearly eight minutes better than my personal record. When I came down the home stretch and saw I was still in the 1:30s I could hardly believe it. I'm really proud of my time and all the hard work that went into it; I ran the highest mileage of my running 'career' and did it through a brutal Albertan winter. I feel that after this training cycle I'm ready for just about anything. I have a marathon coming up in a few months with my brother - his first, my second - and my weekly mileage is going to be even higher. I can't wait.Jamoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09185303636386903655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725565322566401307.post-3101885796910530332009-02-16T20:23:00.000-07:002009-02-17T09:13:28.414-07:00Two weeks in.<div style="text-align: left;">I've been a renewed bachelor for about two weeks now. I dropped my wife off at the airport on the morning of February 3rd. She's training for her new career, which is very exciting for both of us. She'll be gone for six months.<br /></div><br />Six months is a long time.<br /><br />I've decided that a few things will fill up my time:<br /><br />1. Cooking.<br /><br />2. Running.<br /><br />Cooking is new; running is not. I refer to myself as a runner. I'm no longer on the outside of that world looking in; in fact, when I compete in a race, I'm now one of the fast ones. That's a good feeling. I don't refer to myself as a cook, however. Before I was married, I frequently made meals out of peanut butter. Not PB&J sandwiches, either. Peanut butter and a spoon. My 'go-to' meal - when I wanted to get serious or impress someone - was pineapple chicken. This consisted of frozen chicken breasts and canned pineapple tidbits in a frying pan. If one of my roommates had some teriyaki, I'd throw that in. I don't remember what I served it with. Rice? Pasta? Possibly neither; I was terrified of carbohydrates at the time. Since I met my wife, she's looked after all the cooking.<br /><br />Over the past two weeks I've surprised myself a bit. I completed my most ambitious training cycle and absolutely crushed my personal record in the half marathon. I cut my previous time by eight minutes. I'm thrilled. Equally surprising is the success I've had in the kitchen. Armed with a select few blogs (<a href="http://www.thepauperedchef.com/">The Paupered Chef</a> and <a href="http://www.smittenkitchen.com/">smitten kitchen</a>) and books (<span style="font-style: italic;">How To Cook Everything Vegetarian</span> by Mark Bittman and <span style="font-style: italic;">Baked: New Frontiers in Baking</span> by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito) I've tackled a few dishes I never would have considered if I wasn't on my own. I've made marinara sauce from scratch, polenta, lentil bolognese, some delicious hash browns, eggs in purgatory, prune paella, hazelnut cinnamon chip biscotti, chick pea salad, millionaire's shortbread, and even some wonderful crusty bread.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SZo9B6VJS8I/AAAAAAAAACQ/i-eCTNUEL5Y/s1600-h/000_0035.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_76BSpo7If4Q/SZo9B6VJS8I/AAAAAAAAACQ/i-eCTNUEL5Y/s320/000_0035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303618614229289922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mmmmm.... bread.<br /></span></span></div><br />I plan on keeping this up. I miss my wife terribly, and the cooking has really helped to keep my mind occupied. I've also found that it's just really enjoyable to cook and see everything come together. I don't get to cook every night - cooking for one leaves a lot of leftovers - but I find myself looking forward to the nights when I do get to whip something up.<br /><br />For at least the next six months or so I plan on detailing my culinary and athletic triumphs and failures. I hope it's interesting. If it is, I'll keep doing it.Jamoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09185303636386903655noreply@blogger.com1