M.E.A.T.Y: Meat is Extremely Appealing Tasty and Yummy

The other night my Mama assigned me a glorious task--making meatloaf--a personal favorite. They key to a great meatloaf is proper moisture. If a meatloaf doesn't have enough tomato sauce or it has to many breadcrumbs then it will be crumbly and dry, not satisfying for my palate. Having said that if there is an excess of sauce or no binder or breadcrumbs, then the result would be a hot mess of a weird unappealing squishy meat-thing. I say "meat-thing" because if there's to much liquid then it wont stick together properly forming the desired loaf goal.

Aside from moisture one needs to create a good base with a variety of meats. I have something called the Holy Trinity of Meat. equal parts of ground beef, pork, and veal. The Beef gives the meatloaf or meatballs that classic meaty flavor. The Pork needs to be Italian, half sweet, half spicy, this adds a depth of flavor to the dish. However if you don't have the two different kinds of pork you can add a pinch of brown sugar or fennel seeds [for the sweet] and 1/2 tsp hot sauce [for the spicy.] Lastly, the Veal has a milder flavor and harmonizes all the different flavors together.

Meaty 3 Meat Meatloaf:
-1 1/2 lb. meat mixture [1/2 lb. each of ground beef, pork, and veal]
-1 onion, finely chopped
-3 cloves of garlic, minced or grated*
-1 celery rib, finely chopped
-1/2 carrot, shredded
-1 1/2 tbs. paprika
-2 tsp. dried, crushed rosemary
-2 tsp. dried, crushed thyme
-1 tsp pepper
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-3/4 c. tomato sauce
-2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
-2 tbs. Italian dressing
-1 egg
-1/2-3/4 c. plain or Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Preheat the hotbox to 350 F

In a large bowl, using your hand combine together the meat with the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and seasonings. Now add in the tomato sauce, Worcestershire and Italian dressing wih the meat mixture. beat the egg then combine with meat. Pour in the bread crumbs, making sure that the mixture is moist and sticks together.

Dump the meat into a greased bread loaf pan, distribute evenly. Make sure to push the edges of the meatloaf away from the sides of the pan, leaving an inch of space for the fat to drain into. Brush the top with tomato sauce to retain moisture, if you want wrap in bacon for extra moisture and flavor.

Put in the oven and bake for an hour and a half.

Take out, cut into slices. EAT.

Goodnight ;)

No Need To Be Sloppy

Oh how wonderful today was. I had my first day at the Chesterfield Technical Center, It's where i get to go every other day to study culinary instead of school. This place is spectacular, my teacher, Chef Kimmel, Is amazingly nice, and the kitchen is awesome. The gas stove has 20 burners, 10 in the front, 10 in the back; not to mention the pantry is filled with so many spices! After Chef Kimmel tested our knowledge of kitchen and culinary tools, he got us working on our cooking project of the day, Sloppy Joes. First Chef demonstrated mise en place basically having everything ingredient you need prepared and ready before you begin the actually cooking. Once we got started it was hectic,the 22 of us running around with pots, knives etc etc. It was exhilarating. The clang of the cooking spoons against the pots, the sizzle of the ground beef, the swift chopping noises; I was in my element.

After we had finished making the sloppy joes, we began to clean up our station a little before we went off to the cafeteria to eat.It was awkward since i didn't really know anyone to sit with, thankfully this one girl from my class invited me to sit with her friends. They were all girls so i mean i didn't have much to talk about with them, I'm more into talking about video games, not listening to pointless gossip. I appreciated it none the less.

When we returned to the culinary room,we began the clean up process. There were two super large sinks, each divided into thirds; one part for cleaning, another for rinsing, and the final one for sanitizing with water mixed with bleach. We also had to sweep and mop the floors, clean the stoves, take the garbage out, make sure all of our supplies were accounted for, turn in our knives, and was the tables with water and bleach. Sounds like it might be dull, but trust me, it's never boring in the kitchen, there was always something to do.

Pac-Manwhich [lolpun!] photo cred to http://www.insanewiches.com

Sloppy Joe Sandwiches:
-8 oz. ground beef
-1/4 onion, diced
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-2-3 un-pitted green olives, minced [optional]
-1 tsp flour
-1/8 tsp. dry mustard
-1 tsp.paprika
-1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
-1 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. ground black pepper
-1 tsp. honey
- 1/3 c. ketchup or tomato sauce
-1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
-1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

First heat a pan on medium high heat.When hot enough to the point where the meat sizzles when it touches the pan, brown the meat with the onions, garlic, and olives. Drain some of the excess fat, but not all of it. Stir in the dry ingredients, simmer for 5 mins. Mix in the wet ingredients, simmer for another 5-10mins. Serve the sloppy Joes on toasted hamburger buns, a warm bun always tastes better.

It was a nice tasting Joe, or Jane in my case I suppose. Making these from scratch always tastes better, and you know whats in it, not to mention you can pronounce the ingredients. So basically, this recipe demolishes "Manwhich." Manwhich is for pussies! Whoopzie Doodles, i need to mind my mouth.

Its a basic recipe, but that's what this place is all about, learning the basics, knife skills, how to handle certain ingredients, etc. etc. So basically its legit awesomesauce to the max. I also have to wear a chefs uniform, which is freggin sweet, cant wait till the order comes in for it.

OH,on top of all that i had my first ever interview,for a job at "Party City", I nailed it. The manger said he put me in the "hire" pile. So in 1-3 weeks ill be working at one of my favorite stores! Excitement!

May the force be with you...

<3

First Day Of School,I Need Stew.

Today was the first day of school; hectic to say the least. My best friend, Mary, pulled up in her cherry red, beat up, convertible, not as good as the 73' Maverick she bought but now isn't functioning. That Maverick is straight up gorgeous, Mary and I have a thing for old cars. As i was saying she picked me up and as we approached the stoplight just on the outskirts of our neighborhood, I realized i had forgotten my book The Kite Runner, in my room. I freaked out and Mary turned around ASAP. I made a picture of me freaking out, on paint.

And yes, my jacket is that colorful.

I was so panicky because I had two books [one being the Kite Runner] due along with essays for the first day of my AP English course. Now i had both of my books, but somehow i winded up not having my papers with me. I was fucking pissed to say the least. Thankfully, my teacher was understanding and allowed me, well my dad, to email her the essays as soon as i could without taking off. Dodged a bullet there, I'm always forgetting things, and it sucks because even though i procrastinate, i always end up getting my work done, so if I forget to bring something I flip out.
Not to mention i lost my schedule after only my 2ND class causing me to embarrassingly ask someone in guidance to print me off a new one. However I think I'll like my classes, especially chemistry, I'm a major science geek.

The time has come, for the subject of food! HUZZAH! Now I did some research on Brazilian cuisine because it's the country from which Ive chosen to cook from today. Awesomesauce? I think so.

Brazil is the largest country in South America, and probably the 4Th largest in the world. Around 1/4 of the known plants can be found in Brazil, not to mention the Amazon River runs through it and has the largest rainforests in the world.

In the 1500's the Portuguese landed in Brazil, bringing with them their various cooking techniques and food preferences. They brought sugar, citrus fruits, and recipes for some sweet treats, European influence is what developed Brazil's undeniable "sweet tooth." However, a long time before the Europeans even thought about the new world, Indian groups lived and Brazil and grew manioc, which is a root similar to the potato. Manioc is now one of the staples of Brazilian cuisine, along with: rice, garlic, parsley, beans, pork, and beef. The national dish is actually a meat stew called Feijoada, me being me, I decided to prepare it. [I wanted to make Ambrosia which is a sweet custard like desert, but i didn't have enough eggs.]

This stew is flavorful and hearty, packed with the bold smoky flavors of the meats blended with the sweetness of the tomatoes. Furthermore, the beans gave it a most pleasing texture. Traditionally this dish is served with white rice, manioc, orange salad, and kale, but i just had it with a nice piece of crusty bread.

Feijoada:
-3 strips raw bacon, cut into fourths, width wise
-2 yellow onions, chopped
-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
-1 lb smoked sausage
-1 lb boneless beef, any cut. Flank steak, or stew beef are good choices
-14 oz. can of stewed tomatoes
-1 tbs. Dijon Mustard
-1 c. hot water
-4 c. canned black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper

In a large pot fry the bacon at medium-high heat. Once fried, reduce to medium. Add in the chopped onions and minced garlic and cook for 2-3 mins so they are soft. Slice the sausage and beef into 1" pieces, then add them to the pot. Brown the meat on all sides, then stir in the tomatoes, mustard, hot water, and the salt & pepper .Cover and reduce heat to a simmer; simmer for 45mins. Be sure to stir it often, around every 10 mins or so. If it starts to get to thick or dry, add in an extra 1/4 cup of hot water. Now pour in the beans, cover once more and cook for a final 10mins or until the beans are to your liking.

Sorry there are none of my pics, my cameras on the fritz. Lamesauce, but here is a picture of it [courtesy of http://travelingbastards.blogspot.com]

I'm a sucker for soups and stews, and for bacon and sausage, so to me this dish was a winner. It made my insides smile, and yes I'm the kind of weirdo who enjoys stew when its still burning hot outside...my house is cold okay.

Goodnight good fellows.

Meat Is Neat

A very low-key day indeed. I actually don't quite remember what i did...rode my bike, swam? I'm uber wiped out so im gonna keep this short and sweet.

I made an Australian meat pie. Which was yumminess to the max! I didn't have any ground beef so i had to mince a boneless steak i had. It took forever, but it tasted just the same, if not even better.

Now Australia is the smallest Continent, so its the 'country' of the day. The English were the first to establish settlements, however, agriculture there was a mega fail. So the depend on a lot of food from England. The Irish and some Asian countries migrated down under and had an influence on their cuisine as well.

I made a meat pie because it's the national dish of Australia. More than 260 million pies are eaten every year there.

Australian Meat Pie:
-3 tbs. of olive oil
-1 medium vidallia onion, finely chopped

-1 lb. of ground, lean beef [80% meat to 20% fat is preferred]

-1 tsp oregano

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp black pepper

- 1 tsp paprika

-1 tbs. corn starch

-3/4 c. beef stock

-1/3 cup tomato paste

-1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
-1 tsp Vegemite or 1 vegetable stock cube

-2, 8" pie crusts [homemade is always better]

-1/2 tbs butter, melted

Preheat hot box to 430 degrees F ; 220 C.

In a medium skillet heat the oil, add in the onions and fry until translucent, 3-4 mins. Toss in the spices and beef, cook until browned. Combine 1 tbs of the stock and the cornstarch in a small cup or bowl. set aside. Now add the remaining beef stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and Vegemite. Bring to a boil. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, and simmer for 10 mins, or until thickened. Pour the beef mixture into one of the pie shells, now cover with the remaining crust. Brush with the beaten egg. Then make slits in the middle of the pie to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 20 mins.

Take out and enjoy. yum diddly dum dum.

"Beauty Will Buy No Beef"

After my sister left to take all her crap back to her apartment, I went to work in my backyard. Scrubbing the deck, pulling weeds, raking, etc. I was out there for around two hours so i worked up quite the appetite. I was Ready to start cooking some Argentinean food. However, I lack the proper ingredients so i waited for Mama to get home to let me drive to the store. The two of us took it upon ourselves to holler out the windows when we drove under the overpass. As always, it was fun.

A fairly large country on the southern part of South America lies with the Andes mountains on its western border. It's Argentina, the country of the day!! WOOT!

Now in Argentina, beef is ranked highest of all foods, Argentinians also eat more fruit than any other country in the world. So wouldn't it make sense for them to combine the two? Oh it does, its yummy, and its flavorful. Not to mention the addition of potatoes and sweet potatoes with it. Perfect.

BTW potatoes come from the Andes mountains, they didn't originate in Ireland.

Many immigrants came from Spain and Italy, but others came from Britain, Germany, and there were some Jewish immigrants too. The Italians introduced pizza, and various pasta dishes to the country, while the British brought over tea and established tea time in Argentina.

Carbonada Criolla:
- 3 tbs. olive oil
- 1 1/2 lb. flank steak
-4 large tomatoes, thickly chopped
-1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
-1 large onion
-2 bay leaves
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tsp. oregano
-2 c. chicken stock
-2 potaoes, cut into 1" cubes
-2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
-2 ears of corn, cut into 1" thick circles [or 2 cups frozen corn]
-2 zuchinni, diced into 1/2" pieces
-2 peaches, diced into 1/2" pieces
-2 pears in 1/2" pieces

Heat the oil in a heavy pot on medium-high. Sear the steak a 2 mins on each side mins per side. Remove from pot cut into desired size, most likely 1" cubes and set aside. Now in the same pot, add in the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and pepper until softened. Throw in the oregano and bay leaves. Pour in the chicken stock; bring to a boil. Return the Beef to the pot, add potatoes and sweet potatoes, Cover and simmer for 15 mins. Stir in the corn and zucchini. simmer for 10 mins or until the veggies are just soft. Throw in the cubed fruit and cook for a final 5 mins. Serve piping hot to your family, friends, or both.



This was a truly interesting dish, one bite you have savory beef with tomatoes, then the next bite you get a sweet cube of fruit with corn, or sweet potato and zucchini, and if you can manage to get all the parts of the dish at the same time its a melody of flavors that make your taste buds smile. Aside from that, it's a very colorful dish and looks beautiful when you stare at it face to flavor. You can also tell the Italian influence with the use of oregano, garlic, and bay leaves, and i like that about this dish. You're not to sure what to expect.

Other popular dishes include the, empanda which means little meat pie, which is served with hot chimicurri sauce. There is also something that is similar to chicken fried steak called, milanesa, which is beef that is dipped in eggs, crumbs, and then fried. Also I like Argentina because it's South America's largest honey producer, and I love me some honey.

Goodnight, sleep well, feast on.

[English Proverb For Title]

Ohio Grows Their Corn In Love

Ohio was most excellent, fabulous weather,farmers market produces, Boeuf Bourguignon, Cherry Pie, Laning's Restaurant, Shopping, Family, and the most delicious plump sweet corn i have ever devoured.

This simple vegetable picked up from the farmers market, was so juicy, sweet, delectable, tantalizing, scrumptious, taste bud rapping deliciousity. By Far the best corn i have ever had off the cob, no butter or salt needed, and that's saying something. I also think it has to do with how my Grammy cooks it, she adds a tablespoon or so of sugar into the boiling water when she adds the corn and it makes the flavor explode.

Aside from that mind blowing corn, I enjoyedBoeuf Bourguignon i made using the new cookbook i got in Ohio called The Cook's Bible: the definitive cook's guide [recipe follow]. It was entirely incredible, My mother, brother, Grammy, && Grandpa Joe all loved it. My Grandpa even did the dishes, which he only does after an exceptionable meal.


Boeuf Bourguignon:
-2 tbs. olive oil
-6 oz. unsmoked bacon or fatback, sliced into thin strips
-3 lbs. stewing beef, cut into 2-inch pieces
-2 large carrots, sliced
-1 onion, chopped
-2 cloves minced garlic
-3 tbs. flour
-4 c. red wine
-1 c. beef stock
- 1 bouquet garni sachet
-2 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. pepper
-1 tsp. marjom
-pinch of cinnamon
-12 oz. pearl onions
-12 oz. white mushrooms

Heat the oil in a large, oven proof casserole dish or dutch oven, over medium heat. Add and brown bacon for 2-3 mins. Remove with slotted spoon, and set aside. Add the beef in batches to cook until browned, then remove and keep warm with bacon. Add the carrots and chopped onions to casserole and cook for 5 mins. Add the garlic and cooki until just colored. Return the meat and bacon to the casserole . Sprinkle on the flour and stir, while cooking, for 1 min. Add the wine, enough stock to cover, the boquet garni, and the salt, pepper, and marjom. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently for 3 hours on a low heat.

Heat half the butter in a skillet. Add pearl onions, cover, and cook until softened. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Heat the remaining butter in the skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook briefly. Remove and keep warm.

Strain the casserole liquid into a clean pan. Remove the surface fat from the coking liquid, simmer for 1 to 2 mins. to reduce, then pour over the meat and vegetables. Serve in a big bowl with scalloped or roasted potatoes as a side.

Enjoy with a nice big piece of crusty bread!