What's for dinner?

[Ravella and X]

Is it any good? We have an "Aloha Kitchen" here but it sure ain't "Da Kine" grindz. Da kine they ARE would get your OKOLE beat in Kalihi if you try sell um there...

Well ya know, JDub, I’ve never had any loco moco from one place that was just like another, and I suspect that if they know how to cook rice right, and use the same from-a-mix brown gravy, and remember to ask how you like your egg, and use real cow burger without additives, that it’d be a good enough loco moco for me

 

[Frood]

Left-over curry is great. I do the same, portion into ziplock sandwich bag and freeze when laying flat. Defrost what you need as needed. I like the medium-spicey roux generally, and it's great for using up whatever cheap cuts of meat you have left over in your freezer!

 

[JDub]

Well ya know, JDub, I’ve never had any loco moco from one place that was just like another, and I suspect that if they know how to cook rice right, and use the same from-a-mix brown gravy, and remember to ask how you like your egg, and use real cow burger without additives, that it’d be a good enough loco moco for me

Gurk... That place here doesn't even use garlic or ginger in their teri sauce... They use long grain rice too!!! Total fail. I'm headed home for a couple weeks at the end of the month. I've got some ingredient shopping to do. Let me know if ya need anything special. As for me, I'm totally out of red Alaea salt that's one of the big ingredients in my Pulehu grill seasoning. Gotsa get it! No shaka on the grill widout it ladat!

 

[JDub]

Left-over curry is great. I do the same, portion into ziplock sandwich bag and freeze when laying flat. Defrost what you need as needed. I like the medium-spicey roux generally, and it's great for using up whatever cheap cuts of meat you have left over in your freezer!

I generally use chuck or shoulder cubed into 1" pieces. Really braises nicely. Tender and delish. Pork butt is also good - my Mom's favorite version was with Butaniku vs beef. I do use the boxed roux (hot) sometimes to save time but amp it up with more curry powder and a bit of garam masala along w fresh garlic and ginger sautéed in butter during the initial simmering process and before adding the roux. Really adds flavor to the finished product.

Cheers!

 

[JDub]

Evening all. Another beautiful sunny Spring day! Full of fun things like Spring cleanup... Hoeing and weeding and other entertaining such. Things are really coming alive though. Won't be long till everything's in bloom. My perennials are already out. Lilies, Day Lilies, Peony... The Forsythia is covered in bright yellow. I really love forsythia for sentimental reasons and I always plant at least one wherever I live.

The deck plants are doing well too. The deck faces South about 3 feet off the ground and it's shielded from the North wind by the house so it's a lot warmer on average so I can get annual herbs and veggies out a little early. I was going to pick some spinach out of my box planter (see pic) to add to my dinner tonight but I uhhhhhhh - forgot. It's ready to pick though and some strawberries are ripening up too.

Anyway, dinner tonight was Friday night pizza. Mushroom, onion, and pepperoni on thin crust. The sauce was crushed Cento San Marzano stock tomatoes (I save the real San Marzano's for company) with EVOO, S&P, and crumbled home dried Basilico. Baked at 500 F in the oven on my cast iron plancha for 8 min. Turned out great! Pizza is actually really easy to make, homemade is just light years better then takeout. The dough is what's important.

Dough is simplicity itself - 3 cups of AP flour - not bread flour - too much gluten. You want a tender crust for real Neapolitan pie. I use imported Italian soft 00 flour for the right dough consistency but AP (unbleached) is just fine.

Add an envelope of yeast (or 2.5 tsp if using bulk yeast) to 1 cup warm (not too warm) water w 1 tsp sugar or honey added. Mix well and let stand to bloom for 5-7 min. Meanwhile, whisk 1.5 tsp of K salt and .5 tsp sugar into the flour, add 2 Tbs of olive oil, pour in most of the water ( so you can adjust if it's not enough but it's not too much) and knead on a mixer or by hand for 5 min adding more reserved yeast water if needed.

Form into a ball, Spray a bowl w Pam and roll the dough ball to coat. Cover and place in a warm spot for 1.5 to 2 hours till it's doubled in bulk. Punch down and let rest 15 min before using. Enough for 2 - 14 in pies. You can then add your favorite toppings and bake at 500 F for about 8-10 min. Or form the crust and grill on high on your BBQ grill till puffy turning once and then add toppings and cover and bake for 5-7 min.

Easy as ... Well... Pie (Pizza)!

Have a great evening all. Hope the weather is nice wherever you are. Stay safe and take care of yourselves in these crazy times.

Cheers!

 

[Ravella and X]

JDub, your meals always look so much more ambitious than mine. Which translates to more delicious, too.

I need nothing from Hawaii right now, thanks. My girl there has supplied me well. She is right now relocating from Kauai to New Mexico tho, so i’m losing my source for the little comforts. So just go to Longs for me. No need to get anything— just go cause it’s a Longs in Hawaii and that’s a special thing

 

[WanderingRose]

JDub, your pizza made me hungry for some, so yesterday in a run to WalMart I picked up a Jack’s frozen cheese pizza.

These are inexpensive @ about $3.50, have a nice, thin crust, and as a Kraft product use real cheese that melts properly.

I added some extra cheese, preheated my oven and round cast iron griddle to 425 degrees and had pizza in about 20 minutes, total.

I have at other times added pepperoni, mushrooms, Italian sausage, etc., to these but having none of those it was cheese only.

Pretty good, and satisfied my craving.

 

[GypsyJan]

Everytime JDub and Ravella duke it out recipe-wise, I have to get up and fix something to eat!

​

 

[JDub]

JDub, your meals always look so much more ambitious than mine. Which translates to more delicious, too.

I need nothing from Hawaii right now, thanks. My girl there has supplied me well. She is right now relocating from Kauai to New Mexico tho, so i’m losing my source for the little comforts. So just go to Longs for me. No need to get anything— just go cause it’s a Longs in Hawaii and that’s a special thing

Long's! Da home of da .99 cent Rubba Slippas! I always keep a pair in my luggage in case I have a blowout on one of my Reef's ala Jimmy Buffet .
There's a big one coupla blocks Diamond Head of where I stay and I always go there instead of the (hideously) overpriced ABC Stores that infest Waiks. I'll make a pilgrimage just for you.

I doubt my meals are more delicious than yours (ref your Sourdough boules). Just more complex and driven by utter boredom at times ( the level of complexity of my meals directly correspond with my level "if I spend one more minute here I'ma gonna sprout wings and go BAT CRAP crazy .

Cheers!

 

[JDub]

JDub, your pizza made me hungry for some, so yesterday in a run to WalMart I picked up a Jack’s frozen cheese pizza.

These are inexpensive @ about $3.50, have a nice, thin crust, and as a Kraft product use real cheese that melts properly.

I added some extra cheese, preheated my oven and round cast iron griddle to 425 degrees and had pizza in about 20 minutes, total.

I have at other times added pepperoni, mushrooms, Italian sausage, etc., to these but having none of those it was cheese only.

Pretty good, and satisfied my craving.

I do the same Rose. When I've got no time and have a craving for pizza, I get one of those Sam's Choice Deluxe or whatever at Wally World and add a bit of this and that. Comes out just fine! At 5 bucks, you can't beat the price and it's way better than takeout because you can customize it. Real cheese is important as you noted. It's gotta melt. NOT retain structural integrity like the fake stuff...

 

[JDub]

Evening all! No post last night due to company but I'll rehash tonight. Steak was on the menu - Several months ago I had bought a whole short loin of T Bone cut to order @ $4.99 a pound on sale and I've been husbanding those trays. Have you SEEN the price of steak??? Holy Moly Doughnuts!! Anyway, I (grudgingly - Sorta...) pulled a tray out and did the BBQ thing. Not a lot of time to take pix but grilled up the meat for 12 min ( pretty thick) on the grill, then finished in a 400 F oven for another 5 min for medium (per guest request - I like medium rare).

Served with my homegrown Swiss Chard and Spinach sautéed in olive oil, S&P, and garlic pulled out of the garden along with fried red potatoes, and some decent store bought yeast rolls and a peach/apple pie desert brought by my friend. Very tasty and Sam had a field day with steak scraps (rotten spoiled mutt). A nice bottle of Gnarly Head 2017 Zin finished it off along w fresh ground Community Dark Roast w desert...

Tonight, I don't think I'm going to do much, I had a big lunch of leftovers for lunch since it's Sunday and JDub's rule is "Empty da Fridge" by Sunday. - It's Rule # 4. Rule 1 is "Cardio", 2 is "Double Tap", and 3 "Always Check the Back Seat" I love that movie, it's hysterical but has truth to power...
Any whoooo here's a couple of pix and JDub is probably gonna get a shower and a beer then head to LaLa Land. Manana is always another day... If you're lucky... Stay safe all!

Cheers!

 

[JDub]

Update... Know that "Best Laid Plans of ..."? Well, 2 min after hitting post here, I realize I still had half the pizza dough left from Fri night... Crap... Had to use it, no way am I tossing it... Too late to freeze sooooooo. What to do?

I dug around and still had odds and end of veggies and such I was going to toss into a salad tonight if I got hungry. Some Portobello shroom sliced, chopped onions, half a Roma mater, a little Mooz... Totally meated out from last night so none of that. Went out to the deck with a pair of scissors and cut some Swiss Chard and spinach along with a sprig of rosemary (It's nice to have that little planter garden out there). Saw the first firefly of the year too! Spring is now officially here!

I decided to run with a white Northern Italian version of Southern Italian pizza. More of a flatbread than pizza really. No red sauce. I stretched the dough, spread the Mooz on it, add slices of Muenster (standing in for Fontina which is used on these on the Italian/Austrian border region - adds a very creamy and dense texture... Threw all the toppings on, drizzled with EVOO and sprinkled w powdered garlic (more subtle than fresh) S&P, and a touch of Korean Chili Flake (sweeter and less heat then our crushed kind).

Into the oven on the plancha @ 500F - 12 min. VOLARE! (that's Italian you know!). Really turned out well. Thin and crisp, just the right amount of toppings (cause it's ALL I had!)... Not a dang thing wrong with a fifteen minute throw together. So there you have it. Pizza Rustica and Quicka!!!

OK... Now I REALLY am dun... See ya guys later...

Cheers!

 

[Frood]

Dough is simplicity itself - 3 cups of AP flour - not bread flour - too much gluten. You want a tender crust for real Neapolitan pie. I use imported Italian soft 00 flour for the right dough consistency but AP (unbleached) is just fine.

I use bread flour, mainly because I actually LIKE the chewiness from the Gluten. If I am ambitious I'll let it rest overnight to build up even MORE gluten... Mmm. Chewy, crispy, and slightly sour from fermenting overnight.

For the food nerds/geeks amongst us:

A quick google on the name Nathan Myhrvold will send you down a rabbit hole that talks more about the science and chemistry of food and cooking than you are likely ever going to want to know.

Likewise, checking out the Modernist Kitchen YouTube channel (not affiliated with Nathan Myhrvold from what I can tell) will give you some fascinating applications of high-techness and chemistry in the kitchen with some innovative uses.

I've read pretty much everything I can find on Modernist Pizza without actually buying the books. As much as I would like them, I can not justify spending that much money on a set of cookbooks. Now I'm going to have to go review some of my favorite cookbooks. Haven't done much bread baking since moving into a parked motor-home, maybe it's time. Well, flatbreads and pizzas anyway, and anything else I can cook on a charcoal bbq.

 

[Ravella and X]

Everytime JDub and Ravella duke it out recipe-wise, I have to get up and fix something to eat!

​

Oh no! I’d never go toe to toe with JDub in the meal department! I’d just add a couple small kine things like bread and maybe dessert. JDub wins the meal category by default I might be a contender in the weird but edible healthy foods category though!

 

[Ravella and X]

Long's! Da home of da .99 cent Rubba Slippas! I always keep a pair in my luggage in case I have a blowout on one of my Reef's ala Jimmy Buffet .
There's a big one coupla blocks Diamond Head of where I stay and I always go there instead of the (hideously) overpriced ABC Stores that infest Waiks. I'll make a pilgrimage just for you.

Cheers!

Have you read https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1495787.Folks_You_Meet_in_Longs_and_Other_Stories. ?
I knew Longs in Hawaii had a kind of magic, but didn’t know how to define it til I read this book. Out loud. With many ROFL interruptions. If you haven’t read it, JDub, do. It’ll bring home to you on the mainland

 

[JDub]

I use bread flour, mainly because I actually LIKE the chewiness from the Gluten. If I am ambitious I'll let it rest overnight to build up even MORE gluten... Mmm. Chewy, crispy, and slightly sour from fermenting overnight.

For the food nerds/geeks amongst us:

A quick google on the name Nathan Myhrvold will send you down a rabbit hole that talks more about the science and chemistry of food and cooking than you are likely ever going to want to know.

Likewise, checking out the Modernist Kitchen YouTube channel (not affiliated with Nathan Myhrvold from what I can tell) will give you some fascinating applications of high-techness and chemistry in the kitchen with some innovative uses.

I've read pretty much everything I can find on Modernist Pizza without actually buying the books. As much as I would like them, I can not justify spending that much money on a set of cookbooks. Now I'm going to have to go review some of my favorite cookbooks. Haven't done much bread baking since moving into a parked motor-home, maybe it's time. Well, flatbreads and pizzas anyway, and anything else I can cook on a charcoal bbq.

Oh yeah, if I'm making NY (actually Ct style in my family - Dad was from Norwalk and they have a very specific regional style in the Fairfield county area) pizza (or generally any American style) that you eat a slice folded over (a test of the dough in itself is the foldover as you know), I use King Arthur Unbleached Bread Dough for that chewy, crunchy, tough (in a good way) crust - preferably a little charred on the bottom. I'll take a look at your channel recommend - sounds interesting - I've got a LOOONG flight in a couple weeks.

If you work mostly on a charcoal grill, have you tried this no knead, overnight rise and ferment bread recipe? I make it in cast iron heated in the oven but it also works fine over charcoal or wood. Bet Ravella could give us some tips on the methodology.

https://www.startribune.com/recipe-no-knead-bread/11461321/
Fantastic crackly crust and a dense chewy fermented structure inside...
Easy to make but it's really sticky dough so be patient. I use a flour dusted silicon mat to do the second rise (cheap at Wally World).

Cheers!

 

[JDub]

Oh no! I’d never go toe to toe with JDub in the meal department! I’d just add a couple small kine things like bread and maybe dessert. JDub wins the meal category by default I might be a contender in the weird but edible healthy foods category though!

Stop it willya! You're KILLIN me with Aloha here!

 

[JDub]

Have you read https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1495787.Folks_You_Meet_in_Longs_and_Other_Stories. ?
I knew Longs in Hawaii had a kind of magic, but didn’t know how to define it til I read this book. Out loud. With many ROFL interruptions. If you haven’t read it, JDub, do. It’ll bring home to you on the mainland

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Bo...n=9780910043717&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title2
Sound great! Ordered.

 

[JDub]

Evening all. Yet another wind and rain and tornado episode headed our way tonight and tomorrow. Actually it was supposed to start tomorrow night but it's been pulled forward so I had to spend time putting all the plants away, clearing the deck, getting covers over my little seedlings in the ground etc... Bother... Luckily I have broad eves on the house so there's lots of shelter available

It was such a nice evening it's hard to imagine pounding rain and wind in a few hours but HEY! Mama Nature can be a Biyatch (probably deserves to also the way we've been treating her...). Sam is unimpressed with my hard work and wants to know where his Munchie Bone is (No Munchie Bone? Think Dustin Hoffman's RainMan character without "Wapner"...) I think I've got everything stowed away and I guess we'll have another session down in the cellar (very few homes here have basements - I'm lucky. Solid concrete...).

Any how, I just had the leftover pizza bread from last night for dinner and a cuppa tea. Perfect. This sounds like really bad weather in the Four Corners region tonight, so, if you're in the area, make sure you keep your heads down and stay alert. Make sure you've got somewhere to duck into even if it's just a culvert!

Stay safe out there all!

 

[WanderingRose]

I make that no-knead, Dutch Oven bread, JDub.

I use a piece of parchment paper under the dough for the second rise, score the top before baking and don’t flip the dough over.

The parchment paper sling makes it easy to get the dough in and out of the Dutch Oven.

It’s one of those doughs that is nearly impossible to ruin, and always tasty.