House of Zeta

Good food, drinks, friends and ukulele!!!

Category: The Lab (Page 5 of 7)

This is where we do all our cooking, baking and experimenting.

Good for What Ails You

January 27, 2013 / / 0 Comments

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What Ails You Chicken Soup
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 chicken
  • 1 bouquets garnis
  • 3-4 quarts of water (enough to submerge a chicken)
  • 1 onion
  • 2 ribs of celery
  • 3 carrots
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, diagnosis peeled and chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Take out bag of innards from chicken
  2. Rinse the chicken and take any extra feathers off
  3. Place in pot with water
  4. Add salt, information pills pepper, garlic and bouquets garnis
  5. Bring to boil, then lower heat to medium
  6. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes
  7. Meanwhile peel and cut carrots into ¼" slices, set aside
  8. Chop celery and onion, set aside
  9. When chicken is done remove and let stand and cool
  10. While chicken is cooling off put veggies in the broth
  11. Bring to boil then simmer for 10-15 minutes
  12. When chicken is ready to handle, peel the skin, chop it up and set aside
  13. Strip chicken of all meat, tear into desired size pieces, set aside.
  14. Add chicken and skin when veggies are done.
  15. Bring soup back to a slow simmer and serve.
Notes
You can add rice, noodles, or barley, just make sure you cook these before adding them. I like to cook them just under the desired time so they finish in the soup. Bouquets Garnis is Oregano, Thyme and Savory wrapped up in Bay Leaves tied with kitchen string. I use this in all my stocks and soups. It is a great time saver and adds the perfect amount of flavor. You can make these yourself or get them at http://www.oliviersandco.com/ or at one of their stores.
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Image01052013152900 chickensoupstuff

Chicken broth and chicken soup are said to be good for what ails you.  So with the Flu being particularly bad this year, and Jason being struck down by it, I decided to make chicken soup.  Years ago I got a tip from a mother from Catalan Spain.  She said to boil a chicken with one or two cloves of garlic.   Strip the chicken of it’s meat and put back in the pot.  Then serve.  She also pointed out that the skin must be in there also.  It supposedly has healing properties.   Being one who does not argue with mothers, especially when they come from my ancestral homeland,  I nodded my head and said yes ma’am.  Of course I asked if I should add anything else?  Salt and pepper, nothing else was her short but firm answer.  Keep it simple, it’s what the body needs.  Well, if you know me, then you know I can’t help but tinker with a recipe.   I have added a few things, like bouquets garnis, onions, celery, carrots  etc.  I’ve also been known to throw in some ginger, barley, rice, cilantro and even alphabet noodles.   Now I understand the reasoning for keeping it simple, it makes sense, and I have made it that way and it is very good.  What I find when I am asked to make chicken soup  is that everyone has something special they like in it.  This last time was the alphabet noodles.  Whether you like it simple or complex, there is one thing that does seem to cure or at least make being sick bearable, that’s homemade chicken soup.  I feel the most important healing thing about making this soup isn’t just fresh ingredients, but the care that comes with it.  Maybe that’s what the healing properties are.

It all started with Meatballs

December 30, 2012 / / 0 Comments

balls potatoballs riceballs onionschicken

It started as a possible trip to IKEA for meatballs.  Then we realized we had some in the freezer, cure all we needed was the gravy.  A quick search on the internet and presto we had the recipe.  I then started to look at what else we had to go with these delicious round balls of meat.  We had left over mashed potato’s, rice, veggies, kimchi and beets.  It was beginning to look like things were shaping up. I had a flashback to when I lived in LA and my roommates and I had watch the movie Mermaids one too many times and started to have appetizer nights.  We called this a mermaid dinner.  If you’ve seen the movie you’ll understand.  If not, then watch at your own risk.  I started to imagine our dinner was all round and how fun that would be and what a challenge it would be with the ingredients we had.  So we started with the potatoes and took the left over onions and peppers and made Coroke,  a side dish a different roommate I had back in San Bernardino used to make.  Usually you would make them into small patties with meat and onion and fry them, but tonight it was veggie rounds.   I also had made Teriyaki chicken a couple night’s before(also a recipe from the same roommate) and used the chicken, added some ginger, red onions, garlic, egg and presto fried rice.  We used our  microwave egg poacher(more on that in another post) to make them.  Next the ice cream scooper and a spoon were perfect for the kimchi.  We now had everything, put it all together and  had a great time being silly, making our evening well rounded.

Japanese Market

December 3, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Another Turkey day has come and gone and we are sad to see it go. Unfortunately we  arrived at our destination late so we didn’t get any pictures of what was made.  There was the usual suspects, more about Turkey, cost green beans stuffing cranberries but  with a few new items.  I made Jason’s famous smoked sweet potato/potato mash, there was a refreshing fennel salad, more sweet potatoes with paprika, and Anna’s butternut squash with parmesan cheese, thyme and fresh parsley.  Luckily for us Jason did take pictures and made a fabulous pumpkin pie that disappeared faster than giblet gravy!  Or was it a pumpkin pie?  I told everyone I would let them know what was it it but not til after.  So without further ado the secret ingredients in the the pies were Butternut Squash and Brandy.  No pumpkins were harmed in the making of this pie.  We got the recipe from The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/video/2012/11/14/dining/100000001903215/pumpkin-pie.html  We thought, hmmmm interesting lets do it! The results speak for themselves.  Two pies gone in no time.  We also had an actual pumpkin pie and it was also delicious.  But I think from now on it’s Butternut Squash Pie that will be made in The Lab.

So for my birthday we did a couple things, view one of them was go to our favorite Japanese market the Mitsuwa Marketplace in New Jersey.  The prices are amazing and the selection is always interesting and different.   We usually end up with half the store and very full bellies.  This time we actually ate before we shopped, viagra
but not before taking a quick spin around.   We had a great meal of Spicy Melty Pork Ramen and Pork Don.  Then went in for the kill.  We started in the produce department grabbed some Kyo Ninjin carrots from the local Suzuki farm, along with some daikon radish, and Chinese cucumbers we pickled using a Miso Pickling Mix.   We also grabbed a jar of Teriyaki mushrooms,  a package of dried mushrooms for soup,  some saki, wasabi peas,  instant miso soup and instant curry for those long busy days at work  when you have little time for lunch.  We always pick up something we have no idea of what it is,  this time it was a package of unusual veggies in water.   To me they are screaming soup!!!  We actually showed great restraint this time.  With only two bags of goodies we walked away happy and not over burdened with what we purchased.  All in all it was a good Birthday outing.

Pumpkin Pie. Or is it?

November 27, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Another Turkey day has come and gone and we are sad to see it go.  But we have great memories.  We arrived at our destination late so we didn’t get any pictures of what was made.  There was the usual suspects, stuff Turkey by Joe, decease green beans, side effects stuffing, cranberries along with a few new items.  I made Jason’s famous smoked sweet potato/potato mash, there was a refreshing fennel salad, Brian’s sweet potatoes with paprika, Anna made butternut squash with parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and thyme, while Kirk made a lovely whiskey cocktail that had everyone thankful.  Luckily for us Jason did take pictures and made a fabulous pumpkin pie that disappeared faster than giblet gravy!  Or was it a pumpkin pie?  I told everyone I would let them know what was it it but not til after.  So without further ado the secret ingredients in the the pies were Butternut Squash and Brandy.  No pumpkins were harmed in the making of this pie.  We got the idea from The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/video/2012/11/14/dining/100000001903215/pumpkin-pie.html  We thought, hmmmm interesting lets do it! The results speak for themselves.  Two pies gone in no time.  We also had an actual pumpkin pie and it was delicious.  But I think from now on it’s Butternut Squash Pie that will be made in The Lab.

Comfort Food

November 16, 2012 / / 0 Comments

As the week ends, information pills we start focusing on Thanksgiving, seek   the ultimate in comfort food.   While Mexican is my main food of choice, I would have to say I have a favorite from almost every region , from Ethiopian stews, Italian pastas, Japanese, Thai, Greek, German, Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, Polish, New Zealand meat pies, Indian, anything curried and of course French, mmmm butter, mmmm cheese. But for most of us, what we grew up with is what truly makes a meal or dish comforting. This time of year though, it’s Thanksgiving.  Turkey, gravy, mashed potato’s, stuffing, cranberries,  green bean casserole and pie.  I’m getting full and sleepy already!!!  We always add new dishes and keep old favorites but it always ends up with friends and family enjoying a day and a meal together.  To me, that is the ultimate in comfort food.  Food for the soul.  I usually make two or three dishes to take with me and as usual I wait till the weekend before to decide what I am bringing.  Hopefully you have your game plan and can stick to it.  If not, don’t worry, in the immortal words of Hudson & Halls have another glass of wine and it will all work out.  Well, that may not be exactly what they said but I like to remember it that way.  In any case, I will be doing a bit of both.  So as you go into the wonderful day of tradition and new experiences remember to take comfort in all that is around you and eat all you can!

Enchiladas!!!!

November 15, 2012 / / 0 Comments

This wonderful heartwarming dish is the anchor in our comfort food week.  Originally from Mexico, adiposity in an area called Valley of Mexico, salve the practice of rolling meat(usually fish) in tortillas dates back to the Mayans.  But it was Hernan Cortes from Coyoacan who first shared this with Spanish Conquistadors, who gave the rolled maize it’s name, Tortilla.   The definition of enchilada is “a rolled maize tortilla stuffed with meat and covered in a tomato chile sauce”, according to the Real Academia Espanola.  Sound familiar?  Not much has changed.  For a while it was street food and consisted of tortillas dipped in chile sauce, not quite the same thing if you ask me.  To me making enchiladas is another family moment of  coming together sharing knowledge and enjoying a meal.   My dad would cook the chicken, and when it cooled we would tear the meat off it’s bones.  As a kid that was the fun part.  We would then grate the cheese and  chop the onions.   Eventually combining these with chopped black olives, to make the inside of our enchiladas.  We would then heat up the tortillas in oil and dip theme in sauce, fill with chicken mixture, roll them up, put them in the baking pan and wait for the goodness to cook.   I still make them the same way except the oil part.  Now I microwave the tortillas, it’s much quicker and makes for easier cleanup and added bonus, less fat.  Pair them with beans and rice and you have the makings of one of my all time favorite comfort foods.

Mole, Ole!

November 13, 2012 / / 0 Comments

I love Chicken Mole, order it is a staple in my house.  Growing up I always loved the smell of it, more about the cinnamon and chocolate, clinic the earthiness of it, I could eat it almost every day.   We never made it from scratch as that was considered way too much work.  Thankfully chefs have been able to shorten the normal 2-3 days it takes to make this chocolate, cinnamon goodness.  Unfortunately I have not done this, but one day I will conquer this mammoth task.  Until then I refer to my childhood version, or the closest I can come to it.  Being on the East Coast has made life a little more challenging to make my Mexican comfort foods but I have and continue to seek out the ingredients I need and the foods I crave.  Usually  I end up making it myself, like west coast Chorizo.  Here in NYC the Spanish version is popular.   It’s good but its a hard, almost salami like sausage, as apposed to the crumbly spicy sausage I am used to.   I grew using  a can of dry Mole spices that you add to stock, here on the east coast it’s a jar of paste.  I had seen it on the west coast when I lived there but always went for the dry can.   I usually add a little more cinnamon and a small amount of sugar, just to get it the way I like it.  I have also come to the conclusion that onions are key to helping get that sweetness that I remember.  Now I’m not big on super sweet Mole but there should be a hint of that sweetness in there.  Also a little heat is nice.  I find when I order it at restaurants they skip that part and I am usually disappointed.  So last night to continue with my comfort food week,  I made Chicken Mole!!!  I paired it with the beans I  made on Sunday along with some flour tortillas and had a great flashback to my childhood and the comforts good food can bring.

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Mole, Ole!
Author: 
Recipe type: Main dish
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Whole Chicken
  • 3 Quarts of Water
  • 1 Tablespoon of Salt
  • ½ Tablespoon of Pepper
  • 2 Medium Onions chopped- divided
  • 1 Clove of Garlic chopped
  • 1 Jar of Mole paste
  • ¼ teaspoon of sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
  • Pinch of chile flakes(optional)
Instructions
  1. In a large stock pot add chicken and water.
  2. Add one onion, garlic, salt and pepper
  3. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low/medium
  4. Simmer for about 20 minutes or till chicken is done
  5. Set chicken aside in colander in sink to cool
  6. Save broth
  7. When chicken is cooled off enough to handle, strip meat from bone, set aside
  8. Keep bones and skin for stock.
  9. Measure 4 cups of broth and save the rest
  10. Combine stock and mole paste in stock pot
  11. Simmer on low to medium heat till paste is dissolved(use whisk)
  12. Add sugar and cinnamon
  13. Add chicken and second onion
  14. Simmer for about 10 minutes or till onions are translucent
  15. consistency should be thick but not too thick.
  16. Serve immediately
Notes
You can omit the sugar and cinnamon if you want a less sweet sauce. You can add chile flakes if you want some heat. But be careful. Serve over rice with beans on the side. Don't forget the tortillas!!!
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On a Sunday Afternoon

November 12, 2012 / / 0 Comments

What did you do this last Sunday?  Jason went camping and I stayed at home to learn computer stuff.  Sounds boring doesn’t it?  Not really.  I expanded my brain with knowledge and did some, physician (a long time coming) slow cooking.  I made chicken stock and pinto bean soup.  It may not sound like much but both are long, but relatively easy tasks.  I had the makings for stock sitting in the freezer for way too long and finally had the time to make it.  There’s a reason most people buy their stock from a store.   That’s not to say I don’t like homemade stock, quite the opposite.  I love it!  But don’t always have the time to make it.  Another issue is I don’t cook mine as long as some people, or chefs, simply because I’m too impatient.  That’s probably why my stock is very strong and usually cloudy.   I did come across an article on how to make a quick chicken stock and can’t wait to try it.  I will let you know how it turns out.  If it’s as good as it looks then I may never buy chicken stock again!!!  Hahaha, not likely, but maybe I will make more at home.

Now, what did I do with that chicken stock you ask?  I made cauliflower soup!!!  I took six cups of stock, a couple ribs of celery, two carrot’s, a medium onion and a head of cauliflower chopped them up and put them on the stove to simmer for 20 minutes(after bringing it to a boil) and next thing you know lunch was served!

One of the other things I did  was make Pinto Bean Soup.  This is something I had learned from my grandparents.  It was my grandfathers favorite soup and my father’s least favorite.  I first got to taste this hearty goodness when we were living with my grandparents one winter when I was young.  I remember paying attention to how it was made but not really understanding what I was seeing.  It all happened so fast.   My biggest memory is that when it’s done you must add pepper and very finely minced onion.  Something my grandfather took pride in doing.  My father always said it was tasteless soup.  I beg to differ.  The earthiness of the beans and the cloudy stock made smokey from the bacon and the tender cooked onions melt in your mouth, while the fresh onions provide a nice crisp sweet freshness that is to me, pure heaven.  I don’t have the exact recipe just what my father told me as he finally made it one day, after months of begging.   He made it from memory and since he only made it once I had to learn quick.  It’s a very simple soup and there really is no measuring, which is probably where I get my cooking method from.   I’ve asked lots of friends and family about this soup and how they make it.  Everyone seems to make it mostly the same way, soak the beans overnight then rinse them, put back in the slow cooker and cook for several hours.  Some of the other ingredients people added were bacon, onions,  celery, carrots, garlic, a ham hawk or what ever there mother/grandmother use to use to get it just right.  My version is simple with bacon, onion and garlic.   I like to make a couple times so I have  it  on hand all winter for those long cold days and evenings.  Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.

 

 

Another Beer!!!

October 22, 2012 / / 0 Comments

What did you do during Tropical storm Irene or Hurricane Sandy? If your like us, price you trekked to Chinatown and played the theme song to Gilligan’s Island at Dub Pies or trekked to Chinatown and performed at a un-ukuklele cabaret as Rocky Horror Picture Show and made kimchi. Chances are your not, story but lucky for you we actually braved both storms to make this fermented gold. Here are some pictures of our crazy adventures.
BEER Update. Second batch of beer for the season is fermenting as we all go about our business. This one is an IPA. this weekend we will do two more, healing
another Christmas one and the second is unknown at this time. Will keep you posted.

$3 Grab Bag!

October 9, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Look what you can get for $3 at the farmers market! We got 2 bags!! We made a cucumber salad, try added the carrots, treatment celery and some onion to our roast chicken, advice then with the leftover chicken, the veggies and drippings from the pan we made Chicken Pot Pies! The potato’s will go great in the morning with eggs and bacon. The parsnips and yellow beets we will roast with other root veggies later this week and the peppers we will probably stuff and make an appetizer out of them. So the next time you stop by your local farmer’s market and see a grab bag don’t walk away. With a little imagination you can make some really amazing dishes, and you’ll be supporting local businesses.

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