Purple Rice Pancakes aka Alien Brain Fritters

Ok so yes you really do eat this purple alien with an afro.

Inspired by me previous success with chickpea crepes I decided to delve into the purple world. I mean play with rice, Thai Purple rice that is. Grind up a little bit and you can turn a gluten free treat into purple neat.

Now before I get into the recipe that I know you are all dying for let me say this, I am aware that my pan was too hot and had too much oil. These are things that I could correct next time. But.....Those conditions are what gave me these really cool shapes. And isn't the point of food that it should look cool?

Ok So the recipe; (as best as I can remember it from last week)

Alien Brain Fritters

1tbl Cashew Flour

2tbl Purple Rice Flour

3/4c Chickpea Flour

2ea eggs

2tbl Olive Oil

3tbl Agave Nectar

1c Scalded Milk

1/4tsp Baking Soda

Combine the flours, agave nectar,  and olive oil. Whisk in the milk while still hot. Allow the mixture to cool then whisk in eggs. Let the batter rest for about ten minutes. Stir gently and incorporate the baking soda. Cook like pancakes. These are very fun looking. Also they taste like cute crunchy purple donuts. Very Yum.

So now that you have put these cute purple things on a plate what ever should you do with them? Try topping them with; Scrambled Eggs with Yam and Lotus Root, or a wonderful Coconut Milk Chutney. Both of these recipes will show up but the end result was tasty too!!

Matilda Part 2008

So part one of my Matilda review. I was luck enough to find the one store in the area that still had the 2008 Matilda from Goose Island in stock!! I was even luckier that a few wonderful friends knew that this would be the perfect Birthday present for me.... Well third best but thats a discussion for later. Needless to say me = increadibly greatful. So onward to the review.

My beer drinking has I'll admit become a bit snobish. I shall, have, and will continue to shun the mega breweries. This has led to my palette developing a taste for ...well taste!! Hence a lot of belgian beers have come my way. And a ways back Goose Island whipped out four belgian clones.

Which brings us to Matilda. Matilda is a clone of Orval . A fairly nice one I'll admit. I think a little light on the caramel notes but the hops and brett are darn near dead on. So I took the time to saveor afour pack. I drank over three days and all tasted about the same. It poured unusually hazy the aroma was good, (being a relative term here since there is alot of brett), A little damp wool and orange peel. The body seemed lighter than I remember but the haze of suspended yeast helped to fill it out some. The aroma seemed to carry through the beer. Light on the caramel as I said, but the orange flavors played well with the fading hops. A few hints of brett that lingered on the tongue weere pleasurable.

Overall I would like to say that I found this beer quite tasty, (I will review both the 2009 and Orval later) Although from the haze and intensity of brett character I feel as though this may have been improperly stored for a period of a few months. Although I feel it as a tribute to the brewer that this misstorage did not create an unpalatable result.

Purple Polenta Eater.....

So here is the deal I get in the car after a hard days work to go and plan out some crazy cooking. Well my craziness is mostly done (see terrine). But anyway here is what I am told “we have some curried chicken fat for you”. Now this might not sound appetizing to some but my this is just the adventuresome thing I like to hear. It fires up the brain and gets you cooking on all gears (which can be a greasy mess but is fun anywhoo) So point being I need to think of what to do with this and well chicken Curry and corn all start with “C” and chicken tamales are good and blue cornmeal is gluten free fun, and I have been dying to play with polenta recently So there for here you go;

Curry Chicken Purple Polenta

1cup blue cornmeal
~3cups chicken stock
3tbl curried chicken fat
1/3 butter
1 dried chili
1/4cup chevre
optional ingredients;
    1/2tsp – 1tbl curry powder
    1/2ea – 1ea minced hot pepper
    2tbl peanut butter

Quick easy and spicy too!!! To start gently roast the cornmeal in a sautee pan until lightly aromatic. Similar smell to popcorn. Add chicken fat and ground dried chili, stir to coat the cornmeal. Slowly add the chicken stock (preferably warmed, but room temp will do). Stir and add, stir and add, repeat ad nausium per risotto. Once you have achieved a cream of wheat looking mush that is faintly purple in color you are almost there. Remove from the heat stir in the chevre in thumbnail size chunks. Spread the polenta into what ever clean dish you have available and refrigerate.

This was served shilled the next day a very fine treat much more tasty than the Epic Fail Terrine. We simple sliced as though it were a pie and enjoyed. A good lemon saffron yogurt sauce would be a fine accompaniment. Now my  thoughts though are always to improve upon what I have made so therefore the adjustments that I would make to this are;

Instead of curried chicken fat use a heavily curried vegetable stock. ( I know this defeats the whole original premise but that as just a starting point as all original premises are)

Add another tablespoon of butter.

Increase the Goat cheese to 1/2cup.

And as for serving, take on the second day cut into one inch cubes wrap with blanched leek leaves and flash fry.

Photo Credit; Lindsay Christians

Scratch that... Mustard?

The most under rated and generally poor quality condiment in the American pantry. Mustard you know that funny yellow colored stuff that is like ummm welll gross? So how about we do something easy for once? Mustard from scratch is easy simple and tastetastic.

Basic Recipe to build from:

4pts Mustard Powder

3pts Liquid

But now let us work from there two variations to enliven your palette.

Mustard Numero Uno;

'Orange' Mustard

5tbl Yellow Mustard Powder

3tbl Crushed Brown Mustard

1tsp Sumac Berries

3tbl Agave Nectar

1tbl Orange Juice

As needed Cold Water

Combine all ingredients, store refrigerated overnight.

Numero Dous:

Spanish Mustard;

Here I really wanted a spicy fun and red mustard. Something to pretend to play the part of Rouille for my Terrine.... Hense;

1tsp Brown Mustard Seed

1 1/3tbl Crushed Brown Mustard

1 1/3tbl Oriental Mustard Power

5tbl Yellow Mustard Power

1tbl Hungarian Paprika

2tbl Smoked Paprika

3tbl Vinagre Viejo de Montilla

As needed cold water

Combine all ingredients, store refrigerated overnight.

These mustards were brilliantly hot. The flavors matured overnight and were great all over a fine Flax Seed Foccocia. Others will follow. Thoughts are running wild of herbal mustards, Absinthe Mustard, fig mustard... I don't know where to go.....

Deconstructed Bouillabaisse Inspired Terrine

This is an idea that come to me once when I was thinking of saffron. So what if ou take this wonderful soup pull in all apart slam it back together and do it in a way that is fun and interesting. Interesting, interesting is this fine recipe I found once diggin through cook books from the decade that killed cuisine (1950's). It was for Stain Glass Jello. Vso the idea has thusly been formed. I will now separate bouillabaisse by color, gelatinize it and reform in a smooth herbaceous cream.So this recipe is really four parts plus part five for assembly. Let us look at the word inspired, so for this inspiration I

Part one – Green

Ok so this is the least traditional part of the terrine. I choose to make it with a pesto like consistancy.

• 1/4c spinach
• 3ribs celery
• 3ea Green onions
• 1/3ea roasted green bell pepper (I used a jalapeno for spice, a poblano would be interesting too though)
• 3tbl Absinthe
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1pkt gelatin

Blanch and shock the green things. Puree with the absinthe. Would like to try this again in the future replacing the spinach with a combination of blanched fresh herb, savory, basil, etc. Next time may use a herb infused white wine redux to loosen the mixture and allow straining for a smoother texture.

Part two – Red

• 2/3cup crushed tomatoes
• 1ea medium tomato
• 5 deviend 16-20 shrimp
• 4oz misc mollusks
• 1/4cup Ruby Port
• 1ea very small chili mortia
• 1ea chili guajillo
• 2tbl Hungarian paprika
• 4tbl Spanish smoked paprika
• 3shakes Tabasco sauce
• 1pkt Gelatin

Sautee shrimp in olive oil until the shells turn and the smell aromatic. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree. Return to a skillet and cook stirring often to prevent scorching. After 10-15 minutes strain mixture to remove remaining shell, and pepper pieces. Place in a small pot and reduce to apx 1cup. Chill 1/4cup of the mixture and use to bloom gelatin. Combine with hot mixture and chill.

Part three – yellow

• 2cup chicken stock
• 1pinch saffron
• 1tbl turmeric powder
• 1tsp anatto
• 1med carrot small dice
• 1pkt gelatin

Bloom gelatin in 1oz tequila + 3oz cold chicken stock. Reduce to 3/4cup, strain, combine, chill. Note I did not puree the carrots into this mixture. Will consider for next time using parsnips and doubling the saffron. Then a puree would be more appropriate.

Part Four – White

• 5cloves garlic
• 1/2ea medium onion
• 2bay leaves
• 1tbl thyme
• 1tbl oregano
• 2tsp fennel seed
• 3cup cream
• 1/4cup milk
• 1/4cup half and half
• 3tbl firm fleshed white colored fish
• ~1/2cup cream
• 1pkt gelatin

Puree onion, garlic, milk, half and half, and fish, add to a pot with remaining ingredients. Reduce by half. Bloom gelatin in cold cream. Strain and add reduced cream mixture. Add additional cold cream to bring to 2cups of liquid.

Assemblage;

Remove your chilled an gelatinized colors from the cooler. Cut into roughly 1” cubes. In your larger container pour a thin layer of the white cream mixture chill for 3-5minutes. Add one third of your cubes of various colors. Pour in enough white mix at no more than 90f to cover the cubes. Chill for 5-7minutes. Add another third of the cubes again cover with white mixture. Chill 3-5 minutes. Then add the last third of cubes and all remaining cream mix. Chill overnight.

To serve dust with paprika, or mount with penguins!!

Ok so here is the post tasting problem. There was enough flavor in there for four terrines. So please add 3 cups of water and 2.75pkts of gelatine to the Red, Green, and Yellow. And multiple the fluids and gelatin in the white by four.

Pinot or No?

So I will admit it, much like Merlot I am not a huge fan of Pinot Noir. I have had a nice attractive Italian Pinot, $22.49/btl Not a huge wow wine but nice. What then am I here to talk about? How about Babich Winemakers Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir. I got the chance to sample a bottle of the 2005. And I do say if Pinot tasted this way more often I would be much happier. A full jammy nose, similar to a light cali zin came through.The color was much darker than I had expected. The body was nice and full. This is a Pinot Noir that would go amazingly well with duck.
Not to say that pinot shouldn't go with duck, but...... This wine shows wonderful hints of oak on the nose. The body is medium with not much at all in the way of legs. Please note though that I don't find this a fault just factual. The flavor has some nice berry flavors, overripe strawberry bordering on raspberry with hints of cherry. The tannis are still a little forward for me, I really would like to try this wine again in about two years, should be almost velvet by then. Currently available in the Madison Wi area for $17.99 a bottle.

Dinner on Sunday Night

So the day was steady and bleek at work. Instead of visions of sugar plums dancing I had visions of plates of savory crepes. Something about lemongrass and creamy sauces has been stuck in my head for days now. So I sent a little txt birdy off to my favorite kitchen owner. And back they came with a message of Yum.................. So here goes;


Emily was so very kind to find a pair of pretty crepe recipes for me for inspiration while I was at work. Though when I looked them over they seemed more crape then crepe. Who lets people post these things. (man am I going to hear it for that). Any way they did give me a good ratio for oil to liquid and liquid to flour. I just adjusted from cold water and/or creme fraiche to Milk and egg. And here we go then;

Chick Pea Crepes
1ea egg
2ea egg yolk
3tbl Olive oil
1/2c milk

1cup Sifted Chick Pea Flour

Vigorously whisk together liquid ingredients. Incorporate flour 1/4cup at a time. Set batter aside until fillings are ready. To cook pour batter into a very hot skillet. Should take about a minute on the first side (until you see bubbles 1/2 way towards the center) then flip and ten seconds on the second side. Note that since these are gluten free they do not roll as nicely as most crepes. I will have to modify for rollability. Will try increasing eggs and using steamed rice flour......

Lemon Grass Sauce
2 egg whites
1tbl lemon grass puree
2 strips cucumber peel
1/2c yogurt
salt, pepper

Place all ingredients except yogurt into a food processor set on high and run until frothy. Add yogurt and puree until smooth. Store chilled.

Cucumber filling
1ea Leek
1ea Cucumber
1/4c White Wine
1/2tsp Poppy Seeds
1/4tsp Salt
Dice the leeks. Peel seed and medium dice the cucumber. Sautee the leeks in a hot skillet until they begin to caramelize. Add cucumbers, poppy seeds and salt. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and reduce while stirring. Should take 4-5 minutes on medium high. Reserve warm.

Now that that is all done we shall plate. Layers of crepe, Lemongrass sauce, then Strained Cucumber filling. Repeat. Then eat. Yum Yum.

Turduchen pt2

So now that I have kept ou all in susspence over the week end let us contine with the feast that was Turduchen. The "bird" was in the oven. The stuffing was prepared, the green bean bake waiting to go. What was left? Well we still needed potatoes, gravy, and something with chanterelles.

So we took the stock that was gentle rolling and bubbling just simmering away. And with it I began to play. Two pots a ladel and a way to go. I slowly reduced the stock from just over one gallon that had simmered for 3 hours now to how much? 3 cups. But what to do with my remaining carcai and such? I dug through the flake mash of remaining poultry. For there was gold in the bottom of that pot. I had tossed in the magic little package that they include with all those birds. I found it and into the blender it goes, giblets, hearts, and livers with a cup of reduced stock. This mix was pureed then added back to the gravy pot. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids!!).So with three cups of three bird stock I thickened it up with a little brown roux. (1.5tbl of butter and 2 tbl of flour simmered to gether in a pan until it drys browns and smells like toasty hazelnuts.) Now our gravy was almost done it sat aside to warm, the finall ingredients was the fond from the turduchen pan deglazed with plum wine.


Ok back to the turduchen, three beers and 4 and a half hours later out she comes. Out and to the counter tented with foil. Internal temp 155. And into the oven goes the stuffing and green bean bake. The pan is deglazed and add to the gravy. Which is heavily whisked and brought to a boil. This leaves but two dishes to go. The potatoes had been boiled (how dissapointing) but they were soft nonetheless, add potato masher, elbow grease, half stick of butter, a cup of heave cream and a half cup of sour cream ( Maybe next year, yogurt & cream cheese.....) Salt pepper done. Creamy and fluffy and no one knows how I did it.... Oh wait except I just told everyone.

Turduchen still reasting, side dishes still baking at 375f. ten minutes to kill.... Sautee pan three sliced of minced bacon medium high heat. Washed and chopped kale, 4oz cleaned chanterelles, three tablespoons of red wine vinegar.(<-----shameless plug for my work) Render bacon add kale and vinegar, cover for 5 min and reduce heat to med-low, turn heat to high uncover add chanterelles salt pepper and cook and toss until au sec. Allright everything is done now: Serve and enjoy, as always comments or questions welcome.