There's always time for cake

 A break from bakery remodeling to make a birthday cake for a friend. I'll be doing another for someone different later this week. Busy days!

 Devil's Food with Capt. Morgan's Black chocolate buttercream. Outstanding!
 

Sunday Afternoon Relaxation Risotto

So how many people do you know think that making risotto is a good way to relax on a Sunday afternoon?

 Mushroom Brown Rice Risotto. 

 

 

 



 I had some homemade chicken broth, and several partial bags of rice that needed to be used up, so it seemed like a good recipe for it. Throw in some onions and baby Portabellas, stir constantly for 45 minutes, while adding broth a ladle at a time and you've got risotto. Top with some fresh grated Parmesan, and feed to the hungry household. It was a hit with everyone, definitely a keeper.

A terrible confession....

 I have a confession. I have a problem. A liking, a fondness, even maybe an addiction, of sorts. Is it drugs, you ask? No, I'm too old, did all my drugs in my youth like you are supposed to. Alcohol? Nah, I seldom drink, maybe 3-4 times a year. Sex? Well, maybe, but no, not that either.

So what is it, you are asking yourself? What is this horrible secret I have carried for years and years? What is this thing, this monkey on my back, that I am finally willing to face, and put out there for all to see?

 

The faint at heart, look away now............

.....the horror, the horror.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mashed potatoes. Specifically, INSTANT mashed potatoes. Any kind, most any flavor. Expensive, cheap, doesn't matter, as long as it is instant potatoes.


 So what's the big deal? Well, I'm a chef, and I am also a supporter of non-GMO crops and Slow Food. And I have this horrible addiction to a plastic-like food substance.

I love them. I love them so much, that if I have a box, I will eat them every day, sometimes every meal, until they are gone. Breakfast, lunch and supper. Instant mashed potatoes. The Devil. Evil, evil stuff. How I love it. The ease of slapping some potato powder, milk, water and a little butter into a big Pyrex measuring cup, and nuking for 2 minutes. The wallpaper paste texture. The patently artificial taste. I love it all.

 My favorite meal is a mound of instant potatoes, some sort of veg, like peas or corn, layered with shredded BBQ meat of some sort. Maybe a little cheese if I feel like it that day/meal. Quick, easy and oh-so good!

 So you are sitting there thinking, 'So make some mashed potatoes, what's the big deal?' The hassle. The peeling, the chopping, the cooking. All of it. When I'm in the middle of a busy day at the bakery, this fast food abomination takes little time to fix, not too much longer to eat, and I can be on with my day. Yes, I know they are bad for me. But I still love them, and I will most likely continue eating them until I can't eat them any longer. Pray for me.

 

Radish Chips!

 We are trying to incorporate more veggies and fruits into our diet again. We got really meat/starch heavy for awhile, so I have been buying more vegetables. One of the things I bought is radishes. I used to grow them, they are super easy, and you can harvest a crop every 3 months year-round here. So I'd like to grow them again, but I needed something to do with them besides slicing them up and putting them on a salad. Roasting them turned out really good, very mild and turnip-y. I found this recipe and thought I would give it a try. Here's the results:

 
 The smaller chips in the front are radish, the larger ones are red potatoes. Slicing was a breeze with my mandolin slicer, I dredged them in olive oil, and sprinkled the chips with sea salt and pepper. The potatoes came out perfect, crispy and salty, with a bite of fresh ground black pepper. The radishes were good, a bit more spicy due to the radishes themselves, but they shrunk really bad, and since they have to be turned halfway through the baking, they are way more labor intensive than I have the patience for on a regular basis.

 All in all, the experiment was a success, I would give radish chips a C+, and the potato chips an A-, as they were easier to handle.

Happy Labor Day!

Day 3 of our Food Porn marathon!

 What do you do with the nut pulp after you make nut milk? Dehydrator cookies, of course!
 

 Lemon and Carrot Dehydrator cookies. These aren't your grandma's cookies! These little gems are flour free, raw and vegan, and are chock full of protein. They are great for low blood sugar, or just no time to grab a meal. They will last a week or more in the fridge, and if you want to be really decadent, you can put glaze on them.

 

     

 

Raw cookies and chocolate almond/cashew milk, a great way to start the morning!

And even more pork...

 And to wrap up today's mid-holiday weekend viewing: Pork Enchiladas!

 

Lovely Fresh Sausage!

 For the first time in many weeks, the HEB had packs of pork ends and pieces for $1.49/pound. One batch was browned up and destined to become enchiladas. The other batch became this:

 

 With the addition of some herbs and spices, the humble ground pork became this:

 

 

Italian sausage, and this:

 

 

breakfast sausage. No filler, not too much salt, made fresh and ready for the freezer. How's that for a productive Sunday morning?



 



 

 

 

 

Saturday Leftover Lunch

Leftover pan fried pork chop BBQ sandwich. 

 Served open face on garlic Texas toast with Gorgonzola, a side of steamed broccoli, and Wickles.