I delight in cooking for others!

I love to cook.  We've established this already, no?!  I love to try new things ... also established ... even if I'm trying something new when company is coming, yet again an established 'fact' about moi.

But you know what, cooking for yourself - though a delight for sure (if you like cooking) - pales in comparison to cooking for others.  Sharing a meal with family and friends is such a great feeling.  I know I'm sounding like a giant dork right now (and I am one...) but it's true.

One of my younger cousins was staying with me for a few weeks, while he searched for an apartment, and there was something very satisfying about coming home, cooking dinner and then "calling him" to the table to share the meal.

Plus, all the fun and fancy kitchen items that I own are more fun to use when others are around to see them and share in their use - like eating a good guac out of my molcajete for example.

At the moment I am working on my Thanksgiving Menu.  It'll be just me and my folks at my place, so though the portions need not be large, it's not Thanksgiving without the staples...I'm sure more Turkey Day Posts will follow.

Banana Bread French Toast

One of the things I love about loving to cook, is talking with others who also love to cook.  Often these conversations result in my obtaining new ideas and recipes.

At work on Friday, joking about my two banana breads and not wanting either one to go bad, a co-worker suggested making Banana Bread French Toast.

So, I tried it this morning...

Banana Bread French Toast

With a little sprinkle of cinnamon on top ... I must say, it is a delight.  So if you like Banana Bread and French Toast, it is certainly a breakfast (treat) dish to try.

Banana Bread

Every time I have banana's that begin to turn I grin because it means I will soon be making Banana Bread.  Easy, quick and delicious!

Tonight I had enough Banana's to make two loaves - thank goodness I have two bread pans ...

It was the first time that I baked any type of bread in my oven since moving into my apartment, and that, combined with one slightly smaller bread pan than the other ... well the smaller one is the one I cut into and had a piece from it.  Very tasty, but I think perhaps a little over done - not super dry - but not as moist as many of my Banana Bread's in the past have turned out.

And that my friends, is all ... I'm sleepy.

"Mead-ow"

Yeah, ok so my Dad and my Bro are the "full-time" brewing machines - creating Darsky Brew's (Dad) and Barking Spider Brew's (my Bro)...but that doesn't stop me.  I have helped my father brew several of his beers, and then he helped me to brew my meads.  Two years ago we brewed a dry mead and called it HogsMead.  It was very good, and very potent.  But I was looking to make a sweet mead ... so I tried again.

18lbs of Honey (plus a few other ingredients) and a few months later we have "Mead-ow" a delicious sweet mead!

You can see, in the glass, that the clarification process went well - and that was between the second and third raking's with the fourth and final racking when I bottled it.  :)

If you're interested in trying it out ... I hope you know me, 'cause I'm not about to simply up and give it away to Joe Schmoe.  Hahaha...

But for real, the day I bottled it several family members tried it and all who did really enjoyed it!  I'll be sharing a bottle with some folks at work tomorrow, we'll see what they think.

Wasapea Encrusted Salmon

You heard me, Wasapea Encrusted Salmon!

Ingredients:
Salmon Steak
Wasabi pea's

How to make it:
Sprinkle a bit of fresh crushed black pepper on the salmon steak. Crush the wasabi peas (I've now officially used the mortar and pestle that I have owned for a few years) and then press the salmon steak on them, coating it as you would bread crumbs onto chicken (only you don't need any egg mixture).  Pan sear the salmon briefly, on both sides, on the stove top.  Then place the steak in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Take it out.

Eat it.

Enjoy it.

Crispy and fabulous!

It's not nearly as "wasabi" as I thought it would be, no sinus zingers.  In fact, next time I make it I think that I will add a little more to the spicing.  Perhaps a bit of actual wasabi paste on the steak before pressing it into the crushed wasabi peas.  I also think that I might try a little lemon juice in the oven portion of the cooking.

It was served with rice and steamed broccoli.

It was TASTY!!!!

Pepperoni Sauce

Mmmm...mmm...gooooooood!

A friend of mine gave me a sample of the Pepperoni Sauce that he made and it is darn good.  Now I need to acquire the recipe myself so that I may pass on this tasty morsel to others.

Thanks Gregor!

New Kitchen

Ok, that title is not nearly as exciting as it sounds!  I did not build a new kitchen, what I got was an apartment and so I am getting used to MY new kitchen.  I am happy to say it is all unpacked and everything weathered the 6 year stint in my parents basement (while I studied in London, returned to the states and proceeded to search - sometimes "desperately" - for work).  Having been in my parents (FABULOUS) kitchen for the past few years my cooking-dance routine needs a bit of time before it is once again refined.  Remembering where I put everything is amusing ... seeing what my kitchen "lacks" has made for a rather long list of "wants" ... and while it doesn't have very much counter space, it is actually quite large.

Ahhhh...old friends I have missed you!  :)

And once I get my act together - internet is not yet working in the apartment - I will update all these posts that are still missing their photos to go with the words.