Not Rocky Mountain Oysters

Back when I was 12 I had steamed oysters for the first time.  My dad bought a dozen or so at Pikes Peak and my Aunt Mary Helen (and my mom or dad) steamed them.  They were horrible.  Texture, taste...no redeeming value.  Then there was oyster stew...milk (sometimes potatoes) and oysters.....worst soup ever. I also had raw oysters twice...both times were traumatic.

Well, when I was in Seattle in April, I discovered that oysters don't completely suck.  Not completely.
So when we were traveling this weekend I ordered fried oysters. Twice.  And I liked them (mostly.)

Joy (me) with Buffalo Style Fried Oysters. The Pumpkin is for decoration.

I also found that when oysters are fried, sprinkled with buffalo sauce and served with blue cheese...I don't hate them.  I also have swayed Kelli over to the "Oysters do not completely suck" Team. We wear our nebulousness regarding oysters with pride. 

Indaroma: A Review

Last year, I read about a Bakery/restaurant that specialized in French pastries and Indian dishes in Alexandria. Intrigued, I wanted to try it. I finally had the chance to eat there this evening. Although I didn't have a pastry, the sandwiches were delightful. I had a spicy cauliflower curry wrapped up in a toasted flatbread....less than $5.00. Not bad for the DC Area. Not bad at all.

6548 - C Little River Turnpike
Alexandria, VA 22312-1443
(703) 354-1812

http://www.indaroma.com/#

Have a Very Ninja Christmas!

Ninjabread men for less than $9.00? How fun would these cookie cutters be?

Via

This is pretty great

http://www.underconsideration.com/fpo/archives/2010/05/travel-leisure-2010-food-issue-mailer.php

Wordless

Recipe: Blueberry CheeseCake Bars

Last weekend, I had a couple of pints of Blueberries that needed to be used up. The only thing that appealed to me after eating blueberries for a week was cheesecake and pie. The recipe below for Blueberry Cheesecake Pie fitted my tastes perfectly.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Blueberry-Cheesecake-Pie/Detail.aspx
However, after starting the recipe, I realized that it lied. This recipe wasn't a pie, there was no way that this pie would fit in even a deep-dish pie tin. No, this recipe was a bar recipe. So, I made a few changes and clarifications as the recipe was fairly vague and came up with the recipe below. Enjoy!

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

INGREDIENTS
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
8 tablespoons butter, melted (1 stick)
1/2 cup white sugar

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
2/3 cups white sugar
3 eggs

1 quart fresh blueberries
1/2 cup water
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, eggs and 2/3 cups sugar. Beat until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture over crust.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 20-25 minutes. Don’t take it out of the oven until the middle has set. Cool for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile For the blueberry filling: In a large sauce pan, combine blueberries, water, corn starch and 1 cup sugar. Cook and stir until thick. Cook for about 10 minutes at medium-low heat until you can draw a line in the back of the spoon coated with the mixture.
Spread blueberry filling over baked cream cheese mixture. Let cool. Once cool, refrigerate overnight before cutting into squares and serving.

Corn Chowder Nirvana

I love corn chowder.  Corn chowder is one dish that has it's place in the dead of winter and the heat of summer.  In winter, it serves as the ultimate comfort food using frozen corn.  However, in summer the dish showcases fresh corn just off the cob.  I've been in search for the perfect corn chowder recipe for over a year now, one that's not too time consuming but tastes like I've slaved over the stove all day. 

Today, I decided to try the recipe found in the July/August edition of "Everyday Food."  Because I seem to improvise every recipe I make, I didn't do it exactly as follows.  The results though?  Best attempt at Corn Chowder yet!  Corn chowder nirvana!

 

 

Corn and Shrimp Chowder with Bacon
July 2009 Everyday Food

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings .

• 6 ears corn, husks and silks removed
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips (I used 3 slices)
• 8 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced (I used 1/2 yellow onion)
• 2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used 3 medium red potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning (I used 1 TBSP of Old Bay.  That might've been a tiny bit too much)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (I used some fresh thyme and rosemary)
• 1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp (I didn't have any shrimp.  I put in a cup of frozen cooked kidney beans which tasted great)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Crackers, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Cut off tip of each cob. Stand corn in a wide shallow bowl; using a sharp knife, slice downward to release kernels. Scrape length of each cob with a spoon to release pulp. Discard cobs. (After I finished removing the corn from the cob, I used my immersion blender on the corn for about 20 seconds, just enough to blend about a third of the corn.  Mark Bittman uses the corncobs to create a stock while you're boiling, and then discard before you serve.  I threw in a couple of cobs in as it gives the soup more of a corny flavor. )
   
2. In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium-high until crisp and browned, 4 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels.
3. Add scallion whites and potatoes to pan; cook, stirring, until scallions have softened, 1 to 3 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add milk, seafood seasoning, thyme, and 2 cups water.
4. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn, shrimp, and scallion greens. Cook until shrimp are just opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Season chowder with salt and pepper. Serve topped with bacon, with crackers alongside if desired.

 

Anyway, this recipe doesn't take too long to prepare, tastes great and is hearty enough that you're not feeling hungry 20 minutes after the meal. 

You Completo Me

I’m passionate about hot dogs. There, I said it. I like hot dogs. Oh, I’m not advocating all dogs, all the time, but a good dog, done right is a glorious thing. There’s Chicago Dogs, the hall-mark of all dogs, then there’s a good brat on the proper German bread—nothing but the “Hans and Franz” of the Hot Dog family.
Recently, a friend of mine told me that Hot Dogs belong to North America, and should never be exported South of the Border. This friend obviously has never had a Completo, Chile’s version of the Hot Dog. A Chilean Completo is arguably one of this South American’s Country’s greatest gifts to cuisine. A hot dog on good bread (American roll doesn’t work), topped with tomatoes, onions, mashed avocado, mayonnaise and ketchup is a glorious concoction. If my words haven’t won you over yet, here’s Anthony Bourdain on his show “No Reservations” encountering a Completo in Chile.