tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79972940561779940382024-03-13T04:00:40.419-04:00Squirrels & BeerDrew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-69212583180232041442010-10-27T20:00:00.012-04:002010-10-27T20:33:29.733-04:00The Problem With Pork<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0AfnG4Ooz0UNH69r4r_qQjicPgruBroqkyG31hzpattE0KIKMZuqFL0O_xDbutIbh_IhNNwZKGALnWwGtsTMEemMMuJ9n5zIdS5icQm-L0yBRqzrj7p1ZI7hVkfcLY2RbXdvEvL2-nA/s1600/DSCF4729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0AfnG4Ooz0UNH69r4r_qQjicPgruBroqkyG31hzpattE0KIKMZuqFL0O_xDbutIbh_IhNNwZKGALnWwGtsTMEemMMuJ9n5zIdS5icQm-L0yBRqzrj7p1ZI7hVkfcLY2RbXdvEvL2-nA/s320/DSCF4729.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Not a great picture... but hey, it was a great dinner. Ossabaw pork tenderloin, cooked to a rosy medium from Nature's Harmony Farm.</span></div><br />
<i>I'll preface this post by saying that though backed by a few factual bits, most of this post is editorial. </i><br />
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Most people have had a pork chop. Unfortunately many of those same people have had bad pork chops. It's not the pigs fault really, or even the cook's fault to some extent, it is the <i>sCaRy</i> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichina_worm" target="_blank" title="Trichina worm">trichina worm</a>. Trichinella spiralis to be specific. I along with millions of other home cooks, were raised with the thought that you had to cook pork thoroughly to kill this parasite. It just isn't true. Fortunately for those of you reading this, you can rest assured that I will help dispel this myth and help you cook a better pork chop.<br />
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Let me back-track a bit. Trichinosis was at one time a more significant concern than it is today. In decades of yore (let's say my grandparent's generation), the pigs that were raised for human consumption in factory farms were fed garbage. Food scraps, waste from restaurants, waste from food processing plants, and other tasty bits. Of course because they were pigs they didn't much care: if it was tasty, well then that was just fine. Trichinosis infection in people was somewhat common. According to my trusty interwebs netpages research, approximately 1 in 6 people were infected in the 30's and 40's. Today the pigs are still fed food scraps, but those scraps are cooked. Let's call it gourmet garbage, because <i>cooked</i> rotting beef parts and banana peel just sounds so much more appetizing. Partly as a result of this cooking, there has been a significant drop of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichina_worm" target="_blank" title="Trichina worm">trichina worms</a> in pigs raised for consumption during my parent's generation. We'll call this the 50's and 60's. This paragraph is where I should include a reference or two but hey, it's a blog not a research paper... Just trust me. <br />
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Old habits die hard. You can't expect people to change their cooking habits overnight, things like this take time. How 'bout we give people 60 years to rid themselves of the nasty habit of mercilessly overcooking pork? Done... and here we are today. Today we live in a world where pork raised in the US is virtually free of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichina_worm" target="_blank" title="Trichina worm">trichina worm</a>. Even if the parasite was present in pork, the US Department of Agriculture says that it is killed in under one minute at a temperature of 140 degrees F. At 140 degrees F commercial pork is often rosy pink and still relatively juicy depending on the cut, but in my experience there is a narrow window where this pork is done perfectly. Because of the lack of fat in <i>commercial</i> pork, going too far above 140 F and you can end up with that dreaded, dry hockey puck.<br />
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So now we have a new problem. While we were eliminating the parasites found in pork, we were also breeding the fat (and thus flavor) out of the meat. The perception was that leaner is better. The National Pork Board is proud of this fact. They often compare it to lean poultry when in actuality pork shouldn't be all that white or lean to the point where it has virtually no intramuscular fat. Real pork - pork with <u><b>flavor</b></u> - is varying shades of dark pink or red.<br />
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For a long time, pork fat was the enemy. The rain on our pork parade. While we shouldn't gorge ourselves on pure pig fat (please kindly disregard <a href="http://squirrelsnbeer.blogspot.com/2010/03/lardo-di-arnad-part-2.html">my previous posts on Lardo di Arnard</a>), there is a silver lining to that porky rain cloud. The fat in some pork, especially pastured or true, free range pork, rivals the levels of heart healthy oleic acid found in olive oil. Doesn't sound too bad does it? What if you heard that pork fat was lower in saturated fat than butter? It is. The pastured pigs found at an ever increasing number of farms dine on natural forage. Nuts, acorns, tubers, bugs, etc. This natural forage and the ability to roam freely (within reason of course) on wooded pasture is what lets pigs be happy and healthy. A happy and healthy pig produces happy and healthy meats for the consumer.<br />
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Now where can you, the "average consumer" find this pastured pork? You could take the time to drive out to a farm, talk to the folks who raised it, see the environment in which it was raised, ask a few questions, and eventually buy some pork and trek back home. Seriously, I would recommend it - but in reality not everyone has the time or the desire to do such things. We want convenience. So what if that same farmer instead came to your town and delivered that pork to you? Would that be convenient enough? You're in luck. How about you check out the new <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/farm-train/">Farm Train from Nature's Harmony Farm</a>. It is an easy way to buy direct from the farm on a fairly regular basis. Just go to the link above or visit <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/">Nature's Harmony website</a> and enter your email address in the bottom right corner. They will notify you of upcoming deliveries and send you an email when it's time to buy.<br />
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Go getcha some.<br />
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Oh they have chicken (and eggs), beef, cheese, lamb, rabbit, heritage breed turkeys and other meats too but perhaps those belong in a different post.Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-33586882932090707232010-07-22T18:34:00.051-04:002010-07-22T18:35:30.893-04:00Beer in Squirrels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCID7IDmanrAWRrPv3MTKVFTFAVzMxmCXECCRKQLwn5di_rQdyRMOdd-T0-oJEN2vDg8DdRO-tgYWbje_fmoPhS1KvbSYB6oJAvSx8urBp0cohYlL6zJm3-rLny-UtChZy9nDWjHdWa4/s1600/brewdog_taxidermy211_534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCID7IDmanrAWRrPv3MTKVFTFAVzMxmCXECCRKQLwn5di_rQdyRMOdd-T0-oJEN2vDg8DdRO-tgYWbje_fmoPhS1KvbSYB6oJAvSx8urBp0cohYlL6zJm3-rLny-UtChZy9nDWjHdWa4/s640/brewdog_taxidermy211_534.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
Yes, I said beer <i><b>in</b></i> squirrels. Just take a look at that picture for crap's sake. In what some people (like me) could describe as the single most perfect bottle of beer for this blog, the <a href="http://www.brewdog.com/beer.php">BrewDog</a> folks across the pond in the UK have developed the world's strongest beer weighing in at an ENOURMOUS 110 proof... 55% alcohol. The beer is called <a href="http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article.php?id=341">The End of History</a>. Click that link to read more about it or watch the video below. To top off this gargantuan feat, they have chosen one of the most hilarious bottling gimmicks of all time: they put that bottle of beer inside a squirrel. As a dedicated beer drinker and admirer of all things squirrel, I will take it upon myself to buy one of these bottles of beer. <br />
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What? What was that? You said it will cost $762 per bottle? Maybe I'll have to save my pennies for this one, or in what some people (like me) would describe as a very generous act of kindness, perhaps those fine upstanding fellows Martin Dickie and James Watt would send me a bottle for review. I'd be quite happy to report my findings here. <br />
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<object height="225" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13537656&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13537656&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/13537656">The End of History</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2479830">BrewDog</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you that my squirrel kill count is approaching a milestone - my current count is 190.Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-11698121717386564192010-06-12T18:15:00.003-04:002010-06-12T18:19:26.627-04:00Late Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6T7j9pkfEL9CJ2cAP0-6BLOzUdtLBID-HgdG9t6Pjl7L5UzXVdpZXmAI9HVgfVYPneVBByZh7S3LcmN4Sw-ftu_NIqjraGn_Ml04iTMaILq0aRSNNExhuUOrMlxYO5hHqywszu00UUu0/s1600/Yellow+Grape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6T7j9pkfEL9CJ2cAP0-6BLOzUdtLBID-HgdG9t6Pjl7L5UzXVdpZXmAI9HVgfVYPneVBByZh7S3LcmN4Sw-ftu_NIqjraGn_Ml04iTMaILq0aRSNNExhuUOrMlxYO5hHqywszu00UUu0/s400/Yellow+Grape.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Late Spring has brought with it hot temperatures and an explosion of growth in our little garden. As I write this, today's heat index is 100 degrees... and the chilies love it. Hopefully, here is a preview of what is to come from our little 8x8 foot garden. This year I planted 4 tomato plants (yellow grape, black cherry, sun gold, beauty heirloom), 4 chilies (serrano, jalapeno, chile de arbol, coloro cascabella) and some herbs. Based on the yellow grape tomato flowers (above) we'll be getting a nice bounty this year. The black cherry tomato (below) plant is winning the race on fruit production and I hope to get some tomatoes in the next couple of weeks. I can't wait!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BCFJAQrxqvMBH_Jb2Vw0aMuQ01Drr1uWEf3SKauQ0Is_VwUT150MoFrQijrZ0aqyXoTm151pNhKS1sY-7m8r5Xob1GiaXbFSCx-ksFAw5qQH0hEn2vY7rnqMs0iF7QPzCzlcXvruZEk/s1600/Black+Cherry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BCFJAQrxqvMBH_Jb2Vw0aMuQ01Drr1uWEf3SKauQ0Is_VwUT150MoFrQijrZ0aqyXoTm151pNhKS1sY-7m8r5Xob1GiaXbFSCx-ksFAw5qQH0hEn2vY7rnqMs0iF7QPzCzlcXvruZEk/s320/Black+Cherry.jpg" /></a></div>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-12745926270804711012010-05-16T12:34:00.005-04:002010-05-16T12:53:31.913-04:00Green Market on Green Street in Roswell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfsLvJjCFHGP0aO0xDq-jJXqHzeLA06irIgiEMj3mgG8XVHsF9vDskSkmC9pdXvmr2ZCjb9bczZp1wyeV3NE5k9zhJEbYAKJUOXblpOfSg0zz4Bl09I7guxmcEuhqnTvSSalz4kqRPU8/s1600/Magnolia+%26+Coles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfsLvJjCFHGP0aO0xDq-jJXqHzeLA06irIgiEMj3mgG8XVHsF9vDskSkmC9pdXvmr2ZCjb9bczZp1wyeV3NE5k9zhJEbYAKJUOXblpOfSg0zz4Bl09I7guxmcEuhqnTvSSalz4kqRPU8/s320/Magnolia+%26+Coles.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjMoNpYDpWB8YOfHcgWEUk5PTmbXgg4HCUbayfCZTHuu9FFwDZnjzzZj5Xfoc2hwK7-eZvkvlrUWlYNxMNPrvPvgRnCCkF1mQbo8KKNVQU2nzjq-3GsydddQU_27xZ8hLcwCGvt8sgYg/s1600/Little+Red+Hen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjMoNpYDpWB8YOfHcgWEUk5PTmbXgg4HCUbayfCZTHuu9FFwDZnjzzZj5Xfoc2hwK7-eZvkvlrUWlYNxMNPrvPvgRnCCkF1mQbo8KKNVQU2nzjq-3GsydddQU_27xZ8hLcwCGvt8sgYg/s320/Little+Red+Hen.jpg" /></a></div>There's a new farmers market in town. The <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M36553">Green Market on Green Street</a> in downtown Roswell is one of the newest markets in the Atlanta area but this past Thursday, market manager Kathy Mullen and the vendors looked like seasoned pros. The fact that the market is held on Thursday evenings makes it a great alternative to the grocery store. It is located just off Green Street on the grounds of <a href="http://theswallowatthehollow.com/">Swallow at the Hollow</a>. Not only is it in a great location, easily accessible from all points of downtown Roswell, but the fact that it is located on Swallow at the Hollow property means you can grab a glass of wine as you peruse the goods.<br />
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Opening day was cheerfully busy and vendors from within a 100 mile radius of Roswell came out to peddle their produce, cheese, meats, bread, smoked trout and salmon, eggs, fudge, honey, knife sharpening skills, milk, yogurt... just to name a few. The market is hosting vendors and farmers that are <a href="http://www.organic.org/">organic</a> or <a href="http://www.naturallygrown.org/">Certified Naturally Grown</a>. On select Thursdays when <a href="http://www.aliveafterfiveroswell.com/">Alive after Five</a> coincides with market days there will be specially themed events: <br />
<span id="listingbody"><span class="txt1"><br />
<li>May 20 - Strawberries Alive!</li><br />
<li>June 17 - Blues and Blueberries!</li><br />
<li>July 15 - HOT!HOT!HOT! - peppers and local microbreweries.</li><br />
<li>August 19 - Tuscany in Roswell - tomatoes, herbs, pasta and Pavarotti.</li><br />
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So if you're in the area, stop by on Thursdays from 5 to 8 PM at 1072 Green Street, Roswell, Georgia 30075. The market will run through October 28, 2010.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpV9H7AAY9Kl0K2bUQq3-QGG_pVTdqkCl6pCfNv__S7uCApIwgX2fNHgbSnYTOf8Ft8-npAQMOPU3TjnrxEm3PMU7uEwZw7gZseF3wXYsY05Nt55uOMRoAIdbcClRZeK9A9gcFA-7pbDw/s1600/Diana's+Specialties+Smoked+Trout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpV9H7AAY9Kl0K2bUQq3-QGG_pVTdqkCl6pCfNv__S7uCApIwgX2fNHgbSnYTOf8Ft8-npAQMOPU3TjnrxEm3PMU7uEwZw7gZseF3wXYsY05Nt55uOMRoAIdbcClRZeK9A9gcFA-7pbDw/s400/Diana's+Specialties+Smoked+Trout.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8C3taFA-vSPsW9LWTowlJj1_JJMWhMvQYVpogv3Br94c7GSCS8e8K9fs6CXcuxRYf5GzC-4gCgHC61JXloKXcXizhp-01Ywl3wJWjJ-wByB6fdDYH0IsEKhc0nP_rgOWoSQUb0Albnw/s1600/Market+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8C3taFA-vSPsW9LWTowlJj1_JJMWhMvQYVpogv3Br94c7GSCS8e8K9fs6CXcuxRYf5GzC-4gCgHC61JXloKXcXizhp-01Ywl3wJWjJ-wByB6fdDYH0IsEKhc0nP_rgOWoSQUb0Albnw/s320/Market+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-18588451873390149712010-04-01T08:18:00.068-04:002010-04-01T08:18:00.871-04:00No More No Knead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jchml7CpoKY2hsijWV5FhMTFlz5hElCKsDyoCOxqZ0T32DeM0Rmmg0XOwjoZJn3988d9-JQqPsT1cyw3CNrNXjYHiJ5kLW7DBiFVJinTbyL05e-fUyEYNA5YiTp4SA-8UGmeDnwmgi0/s1600/Artisan+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jchml7CpoKY2hsijWV5FhMTFlz5hElCKsDyoCOxqZ0T32DeM0Rmmg0XOwjoZJn3988d9-JQqPsT1cyw3CNrNXjYHiJ5kLW7DBiFVJinTbyL05e-fUyEYNA5YiTp4SA-8UGmeDnwmgi0/s400/Artisan+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html">No knead bread</a> was soooo 2006. What... you still like planning 18-20 hours in advance to bake and enjoy your bread? You like dealing with incredibly super-sticky dough? All that and sometimes you <i>still</i> end up with failure. Welcome to the future: <a href="http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/">Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day</a>. I started making this bread a few weeks ago after listening to <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/natures-harmony-farm-podcast/">Farmcast</a>, a podcast from <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/">Nature's Harmony Farm</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZEe6rbJodeoAFDslLxjSrcU3NTf3rB0O9Uhu4IyXNyrePMIc3IPfT0U8vU__1f3LLDKqdLbUkrBMgsSo5U52JA_bUOjQGXR_GZXpcVppCjEVytqkI_621vhzMuMYb5rdTY3D5o88JKI/s1600/Artisan+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>The process is incredibly simple. Mix together some flour, water, salt and yeast and let it sit on the counter to rise for about 2 hours. In this regard it is similar to the no knead method (no kneading required). After that cover it, refrigerate it, and use it within 2 weeks. <b>2 weeks!</b> How awesome is that? <br />
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Here's where the "5 minutes" part comes in: whenever you want some bread (say when you get home from work) take the dough from the fridge, cut off a grapefruit sized chunk, quickly form it and plop it on a pizza peel sprinkled with corn meal. It takes about 5 minutes (get it?). What do you do with the rest of the dough? Put it back in the fridge of course. You'll get about 4 loaves of bread from the master recipe.<br />
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Let the dough rest for 40 minutes on the pizza peel and preheat your oven to 450 with a stone on the top rack and a broiler pan underneath. After 40 minutes, slash the dough with a serrated knife, slide it onto the stone, and pour about a cup or so of water into the broiler pan. Careful, you're going to get lots of steam so don't burn yourself. 30 minutes in the oven and you get this... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZEe6rbJodeoAFDslLxjSrcU3NTf3rB0O9Uhu4IyXNyrePMIc3IPfT0U8vU__1f3LLDKqdLbUkrBMgsSo5U52JA_bUOjQGXR_GZXpcVppCjEVytqkI_621vhzMuMYb5rdTY3D5o88JKI/s1600/Artisan+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZEe6rbJodeoAFDslLxjSrcU3NTf3rB0O9Uhu4IyXNyrePMIc3IPfT0U8vU__1f3LLDKqdLbUkrBMgsSo5U52JA_bUOjQGXR_GZXpcVppCjEVytqkI_621vhzMuMYb5rdTY3D5o88JKI/s320/Artisan+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I won't reprint the recipe here, but the master recipe that I've described above can be found in the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Bread-Five-Minutes-Revolutionizes/dp/0312362919">Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking</a> or you can find it reprinted with permission on the web. I suggest looking at these websites, <a href="http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/cookbook/2009/artisan-bread/boule.html">The Global Gourmet</a>, or <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx">Mother Earth News</a>. I don't see the need to ever make no knead bread again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMLs6AjQysiiMZIN_9X1uN8NSgaWYmAMScNsjunwdhWW_c9vtW5a_MFzxNO-D6V6xgEZqkFgF8MonJJ8RUeOzs_S5XvboQQT63NhGPiJQ4QxejWlf80YD5xIJxs8oT-PTgGJfrn4r_do/s1600/Artisan+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMLs6AjQysiiMZIN_9X1uN8NSgaWYmAMScNsjunwdhWW_c9vtW5a_MFzxNO-D6V6xgEZqkFgF8MonJJ8RUeOzs_S5XvboQQT63NhGPiJQ4QxejWlf80YD5xIJxs8oT-PTgGJfrn4r_do/s320/Artisan+3.JPG" /></a></div>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-51612510130908045022010-03-29T19:45:00.029-04:002010-03-29T19:45:00.234-04:00Lardo di Arnad: Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5z014JMR2_5fyE89IL8k0rLwW0B-Jqr-Xe6QJlX6h7V7EFD3DdhbAzDWElKSNUQxHqtG3U5Bxv1iZZA7Z-sp8Fzk6ZeABnRM3QXlOc2DdL_vWCynxhMei1gDjDixasG__lSgFMw2PNg/s1600/Lardo+di+Arnad+on+side.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5z014JMR2_5fyE89IL8k0rLwW0B-Jqr-Xe6QJlX6h7V7EFD3DdhbAzDWElKSNUQxHqtG3U5Bxv1iZZA7Z-sp8Fzk6ZeABnRM3QXlOc2DdL_vWCynxhMei1gDjDixasG__lSgFMw2PNg/s400/Lardo+di+Arnad+on+side.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><a href="http://squirrelsnbeer.blogspot.com/2009/12/lardo-di-arnad.html">Back in late December</a> I started the process of curing a hunk of fatback from what I later determined to be an Ossabaw hog. The fatback came from <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/">Nature's Harmony Farm</a> of course... would you expect anything different at this point?! Originally I was going to cut the fatback into smaller pieces to make lard, but <a href="http://curedmeats.blogspot.com/">Jason</a> who I'll call an expert on the subject of curing meats, suggested that I make Lardo di Arnad. So I did. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPXduQTTvc6SxMm0U8WXldwAq7dAluGgQ9iCexh03qcB48VMHeI1IW2kqg1-1IqSWiCgxlVKzfRCIHCcsOhp5Mfx2J556WAJwd7kBGdbFdRp5HL_jPuwbmz6fofDvW2NXWiwJjB1YjZo/s1600/Lardo+di+Arnad+in+brine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPXduQTTvc6SxMm0U8WXldwAq7dAluGgQ9iCexh03qcB48VMHeI1IW2kqg1-1IqSWiCgxlVKzfRCIHCcsOhp5Mfx2J556WAJwd7kBGdbFdRp5HL_jPuwbmz6fofDvW2NXWiwJjB1YjZo/s320/Lardo+di+Arnad+in+brine.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The process was relatively simple: boil some water, dump in some salt and spices and, once it was cool, toss in the hunk of fatback. I guess the hardest part was waiting the 3 months for it to cure. The result? At first I must admit I was skeptical. The water had turned a dark brown (see above) and it smelled quite strong. Kind of like spices sitting in salty water for 3 months with a hunk of fatback. So I cut off a piece, toasted some homemade bread and laid thin slices of the Lardo di Arnad on top of the hot toast to partially melt (see below). Holy crap this is good stuff. Salty, silky, and hugely flavorful with a wonderful pork flavor. I'm quite pleased with the results. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30k2oQulalx71KMi86rzJ2rdK1iwvwkLCATTa7YPute3UrHPPkwp3Ukea7z4tjr7ApgDf5uNLX4hf-19FxJHEe-dLCZNV8YNhXNQcEyLPnNA46l22UFa3MogW611CIGeekxeModVkYtM/s1600/Lardo+di+Arnad+on+toast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30k2oQulalx71KMi86rzJ2rdK1iwvwkLCATTa7YPute3UrHPPkwp3Ukea7z4tjr7ApgDf5uNLX4hf-19FxJHEe-dLCZNV8YNhXNQcEyLPnNA46l22UFa3MogW611CIGeekxeModVkYtM/s320/Lardo+di+Arnad+on+toast.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So far I seem to be the only one in this house who eats the stuff... and I've got lots. Come on over and try some.Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-5595477807965819052010-03-15T20:00:00.068-04:002010-03-15T20:04:32.291-04:00Hog Butchering Class at Nature's Harmony Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouQ3Z6iiuFOgXBD_k4vDdnB_PvnuK6jjHpu0-Q0nxs9yB_1bpBA0ty-4C1SSMf7jsUqZXXpFU9zVvlS_cn-MSN5mA-zhzD8thkQnFCCmG6qgpsa1Bu1xHzL9VQOnMBH8kvLzt50PJChc/s1600-h/Head+Close+up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouQ3Z6iiuFOgXBD_k4vDdnB_PvnuK6jjHpu0-Q0nxs9yB_1bpBA0ty-4C1SSMf7jsUqZXXpFU9zVvlS_cn-MSN5mA-zhzD8thkQnFCCmG6qgpsa1Bu1xHzL9VQOnMBH8kvLzt50PJChc/s320/Head+Close+up.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Early Saturday morning I set out on a day trip to Elberton, Georgia to visit friends and farmers Tim & Liz Young at <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/">Nature's Harmony Farm</a>. This visit was quite different from past visits: this day we butchered half a Berkshire hog raised on the farm! <br />
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When I started telling people about the event, their <strike>visceral</strike> first reaction was to think we were actually killing the hog. This was not the case; the killing was done a couple days prior to our arrival to allow for hanging time and minimal processing like removing hair, taking out the internal organs and bisecting the hog into two halves. Below is the half hog just before we started.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV5HCRxoLfz_1-EepFTzMX_lM46vV8B_eoD-mb6DOT8SQoOqDO6v0o-ui51mbVVhPmdFJKJ-HH9KrSbcgf1WsMIfiFSh7J4Jz-E_kH1a6r3sM5w6ZxXQgEOyt6ipRL4aGgg8c9fZWtgs/s1600-h/Half+a+Hog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV5HCRxoLfz_1-EepFTzMX_lM46vV8B_eoD-mb6DOT8SQoOqDO6v0o-ui51mbVVhPmdFJKJ-HH9KrSbcgf1WsMIfiFSh7J4Jz-E_kH1a6r3sM5w6ZxXQgEOyt6ipRL4aGgg8c9fZWtgs/s320/Half+a+Hog.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The class began with lessons on how to render lard, how to make bacon, and how to use some of the less-used cuts of pork like the head. Tim explained the simple curing process for bacon and then we sawed off the hocks, all of which were placed in the smoker. Liz then showed us how she took the head to make porchetta di testa: a deboned, rolled, and cooked pig's head. Of course they were nice enough to share and we were more than happy to taste test. Everybody likes bacon, but the real treat was the porchetta di testa - good job Liz! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApfFzaUKpBOHiDK7y6TJGF-Zpx7KzCpISVjI120pN2_iH8WIECPS9FHmbyitTYS88f_vyC1PiLoFuDAM6XQd2HfWfKQuOCGVOKBAClkWzF79Izf9Ruv_GS7YMjagfcrp_-t7HOLSDB3c/s1600-h/Removing+Hock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApfFzaUKpBOHiDK7y6TJGF-Zpx7KzCpISVjI120pN2_iH8WIECPS9FHmbyitTYS88f_vyC1PiLoFuDAM6XQd2HfWfKQuOCGVOKBAClkWzF79Izf9Ruv_GS7YMjagfcrp_-t7HOLSDB3c/s400/Removing+Hock.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Removing the hock</div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQQ5nZoKKz6ydnklzZlOmHlSQEFvVGIjazZTPERMjAeGU89-RRcHNL6q2fFk0-_aAHe9dnq_f8YsqP19GIHGkl_J8v4Xaeg5DYJqcAGcoVnmAV06XA3ppJhGG1VZHJISbx31K-GVxA9s/s1600-h/Tim+at+the+Smoker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQQ5nZoKKz6ydnklzZlOmHlSQEFvVGIjazZTPERMjAeGU89-RRcHNL6q2fFk0-_aAHe9dnq_f8YsqP19GIHGkl_J8v4Xaeg5DYJqcAGcoVnmAV06XA3ppJhGG1VZHJISbx31K-GVxA9s/s400/Tim+at+the+Smoker.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Tim putting cured pork belly in the smoker to make hickory smoked bacon.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">For more information on porchetta di testa, check out the video below.</div><br />
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Around noon we took a break for a farm tour and a quick bite to eat, then class resumed - now it was time to get down and dirty. There are a few different schools of thought on what constitutes a section or primal of a hog, but today we focused on three sections: the shoulder, the loin and belly, and the ham. These primals are further broken down into smaller cuts that are more recognizable: the shoulder was separated into the Boston butt and the picnic ham, the tenderloin was removed, the loin was sliced into chops, and while most everyone will recognize a ham, we cut into ham steaks to fairly distribute the meat among the 8 attendees. Enjoy a few pictures.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2Mz_au02buJVydjT7mGX73M_KaMgPVUVMaTwv9OoA7HG_kdIPoYhu6k9WzFtdn_bs7SRxm9G2nL2Exdrne1_NsuGtMP1j43npF0vI31iAGw_kk5G6qdouaYI5kmHhihnaZJKc_px6dY/s1600-h/Separating+Head.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2Mz_au02buJVydjT7mGX73M_KaMgPVUVMaTwv9OoA7HG_kdIPoYhu6k9WzFtdn_bs7SRxm9G2nL2Exdrne1_NsuGtMP1j43npF0vI31iAGw_kk5G6qdouaYI5kmHhihnaZJKc_px6dY/s320/Separating+Head.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3kDijifZmU29XJn-bLYEwSco7fJ-aFRKVNXuVs2qe4XU0wWYp-fI4o-7m3v3BKrBzFYTSKD_pLvcLZwLEE49uo-7PUXxlNRcybecFLh4Xvgbk9vv4YzeAjgHeqwbj_UtdKenzMFAQNk/s1600-h/Shoulder+Separated+%281%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3kDijifZmU29XJn-bLYEwSco7fJ-aFRKVNXuVs2qe4XU0wWYp-fI4o-7m3v3BKrBzFYTSKD_pLvcLZwLEE49uo-7PUXxlNRcybecFLh4Xvgbk9vv4YzeAjgHeqwbj_UtdKenzMFAQNk/s320/Shoulder+Separated+%281%29.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3kDijifZmU29XJn-bLYEwSco7fJ-aFRKVNXuVs2qe4XU0wWYp-fI4o-7m3v3BKrBzFYTSKD_pLvcLZwLEE49uo-7PUXxlNRcybecFLh4Xvgbk9vv4YzeAjgHeqwbj_UtdKenzMFAQNk/s1600-h/Shoulder+Separated+%281%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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The class was really fantastic. While most of us were generally familiar with what cuts come from what part of the pig, actually breaking down this half of a hog was an amazing learning experience. There are several more classes this year that include chicken, lamb, and turkey butchering, as well as meat curing and cheese making classes. <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/farm-tours-events/">Details are here</a> if you're interested. Thanks Tim & Liz!Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-86051477937686139442010-02-02T19:16:00.006-05:002010-02-02T19:48:19.896-05:00Pilgrims & Oysters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLS73hm6gkLV8O3b0v5H8A3jRWyhreqHkiVsslhWpJGSno_afgk1amKNejp5PuyRYXgZ93KHUy8Hwpka4Y7wKRf1TGHQfe2lewxGyNzqChIxD2CulEvB47PF7p2Zw2kAGy2el-htOI2IM/s1600-h/DSCF4164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLS73hm6gkLV8O3b0v5H8A3jRWyhreqHkiVsslhWpJGSno_afgk1amKNejp5PuyRYXgZ93KHUy8Hwpka4Y7wKRf1TGHQfe2lewxGyNzqChIxD2CulEvB47PF7p2Zw2kAGy2el-htOI2IM/s400/DSCF4164.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Call it a pilgrimage. On the way back from a Lake Tahoe ski trip last week, I convinced my car mates to make a slight detour to see Thomas Keller's <a href="http://www.frenchlaundry.com/">The French Laundry</a>. We didn't have the time, nor did we have the cash to actually make it inside for dinner (4 people for dinner would have cost over $1,000), but it was a fun detour through Napa, Yountville, and then on to Sonoma. While we were there I ran into Culinary Gardener, Tucker Taylor tending to the garden with vegetables grown specifically for The French Laundry's kitchen. Pretty sweet deal. Tucker was at one time based in Atlanta at Woodland Gardens. His stall at the <a href="http://www.morningsidemarket.com/">Morningside Farmer's Market</a> every Saturday was always packed, often with a line of 10 people or more waiting to buy some prized tomatoes. Tucker was nice enough to let us walk through the garden and see the sights.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZHI03Ek_tgbQKEUUaxwAr45Tm75DkUSAl3kFqcZTsZYy6-BnujciGCpDP9bKwrDnw0sbaNtB6yDfOT9xr-KtrURvTC-MSCt4ehZtTX7BevL9BO6RXjA0VvvpGzlcdwGtppPJl2ioGi8/s1600-h/TFL+Garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZHI03Ek_tgbQKEUUaxwAr45Tm75DkUSAl3kFqcZTsZYy6-BnujciGCpDP9bKwrDnw0sbaNtB6yDfOT9xr-KtrURvTC-MSCt4ehZtTX7BevL9BO6RXjA0VvvpGzlcdwGtppPJl2ioGi8/s400/TFL+Garden.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Napa Valley scenery was really nice. To be honest it's really all I care to see in Napa. I've been on one wine tour in my life and from what I've heard, I've seen it all. Usually you're shown the vineyards (we saw them) then you're shown the storage tanks/barrels (didn't see them), and then you're shown to the buy-some-room, I mean tasting room. We can get Napa wines here in Atlanta for what is likely the same price if not cheaper when you add in shipping costs. So what did we miss out on by not touring any vineyards? We didn't see any wine barrels. OK I take that back, I saw a tractor-trailer full of new oak barrels driving down the road. So there you have it: the fastest, and cheapest visit to Napa Valley of anyone I've ever met. Here's a pretty picture from the car.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVOgjyLPm0q5G4er0_1K0xKtihyYKVGYYKSGTu0Y_re5SpoyLpoCdQuoxKtsDPoqGE20qeVaNBZsynzS325_ouEkNRHInSczn1AbQEYGUeK6PFUue8j0BA2jld8Vk0RDM72NZEQfKM7k/s1600-h/Napa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVOgjyLPm0q5G4er0_1K0xKtihyYKVGYYKSGTu0Y_re5SpoyLpoCdQuoxKtsDPoqGE20qeVaNBZsynzS325_ouEkNRHInSczn1AbQEYGUeK6PFUue8j0BA2jld8Vk0RDM72NZEQfKM7k/s400/Napa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
From there we drove west through Sonoma (just about the same as Napa) towards <a href="http://www.nps.gov/pore/index.htm">Point Reyes National Seashore</a>. Culinarily speaking, I think Point Reyes is most famous for it's <a href="http://pointreyescheese.com/">Point Reyes Blue Cheese</a> but our immediate goal was to see the picturesque California coast. We certainly saw it and it's monster waves. The picture below doesn't do justice because there is no scale, but these were some pretty big waves. After wave watching we stopped for lunch at Priscilla's Pizzeria & Cafe in Inverness, California. Despite the name of the place I had some really good oysters from <a href="http://drakesbayoyster.com/new/">Drakes Bay Oyster Farm</a> - just up the road by about 2 or 3 miles. 6 raw and 6 BBQ oysters is what I ordered and they were really fantastic. These oysters were monsters with a deep bottom cup shape to hold all that liquor. Fantastic.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T_WHrIztbfl80bpCzKC5wQPP394OsVFiDu_IIHDt6Z-9Dcmb2ke35x3v37CB2usjoNyQtM8ZcdAniYQtnzF5Ai8RNrNo-r090pBLHe818VSflOuHW6KmCFXSWE3HPLZDjifQWZ-_ICE/s1600-h/Waves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T_WHrIztbfl80bpCzKC5wQPP394OsVFiDu_IIHDt6Z-9Dcmb2ke35x3v37CB2usjoNyQtM8ZcdAniYQtnzF5Ai8RNrNo-r090pBLHe818VSflOuHW6KmCFXSWE3HPLZDjifQWZ-_ICE/s640/Waves.jpg" width="481" /></a></div>When we arrived in San Francisco we were about pooped, but dinner was still to be had at <a href="http://www.zunicafe.com/">Zuni Cafe</a>: a well established standard for Californian cuisine in the city. Dinner was great but I think the <a href="http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/">Ferry Building Farmers Market</a> the next morning was more exciting. From cheese, to meats, to bread, to an incredible spread of vegetables, it was a fantastic market. I had a breakfast of <a href="http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/">Blue Bottle Coffee</a>, sourdough bread from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acme_Bread_Company">Acme Bread Company</a>, and oysters from <a href="http://www.hogislandoysters.com/">Hog Island Oyster Company</a>. The beauties below are <a href="http://www.oysterguide.com/maps/british-columbia/kusshi">Kusshi</a> (smaller, on the right) and <a href="http://www.oysterguide.com/maps/hood-canal-and-southern-puget-sound/chelsea-gem">Chelsea Gems</a> (larger, on the left). I haven't had oysters like these in probably 10 years. Cold, crisp, and sweet is the best way that I can describe them. If you don't like raw oysters after trying these, you're a sissy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDg1eygLVztLbmWmPxidYOQehkkHqCt1GTiqptSCOuIdrW5IRAc3AoPwcM9z0MbQXJQHmuvIxsIP1N7-h9aHvW_D9c5gl1DEtQ7cQDlRmT-rObC2NaBcRvdrDzYTvK2q1V6YZRx2_eJyA/s1600-h/Oysters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDg1eygLVztLbmWmPxidYOQehkkHqCt1GTiqptSCOuIdrW5IRAc3AoPwcM9z0MbQXJQHmuvIxsIP1N7-h9aHvW_D9c5gl1DEtQ7cQDlRmT-rObC2NaBcRvdrDzYTvK2q1V6YZRx2_eJyA/s400/Oysters.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ferry Building Marketplace</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhML5QlvPh8zBV2x6jm0Iiy-XSHF2psXgFMlgmsN_7mmetUSmeHZoTmWD357zVVy5J6Q4KlsEOi34AuRyY0-WH7TVCkfNSjMxUvriKQ7EZBSMMmiIcUonIrXW2PMNCaruAfx1nR00u9aN8/s1600-h/FBFM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhML5QlvPh8zBV2x6jm0Iiy-XSHF2psXgFMlgmsN_7mmetUSmeHZoTmWD357zVVy5J6Q4KlsEOi34AuRyY0-WH7TVCkfNSjMxUvriKQ7EZBSMMmiIcUonIrXW2PMNCaruAfx1nR00u9aN8/s400/FBFM.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overall, the trip was great. From the snowy slopes at <a href="http://www.skiheavenly.com/">Heavenly</a> and <a href="http://www.squaw.com/">Squaw Valley</a>, to the West Coast cuisine with it's great looking produce and pristine oysters, it is a great area of the country.</div>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-65119530588598440152010-01-07T19:32:00.069-05:002010-01-07T19:36:19.322-05:00Squ-EEL-ing Good Dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1A5j9FhQERHL_IQ272eGO4RIrK1q5zqXEhPdP5ghtMR4p-az1lzrQoShY0xsybwgpDFHavmk_eknrJ5vYodxVtJ49xGMkyurvC5XhpMQLdDx_09jU0vjck72HFHIUztKWj2PvPqXYtc/s1600-h/DSCF4118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1A5j9FhQERHL_IQ272eGO4RIrK1q5zqXEhPdP5ghtMR4p-az1lzrQoShY0xsybwgpDFHavmk_eknrJ5vYodxVtJ49xGMkyurvC5XhpMQLdDx_09jU0vjck72HFHIUztKWj2PvPqXYtc/s400/DSCF4118.JPG" /></a><br />
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Most people hear the word "eel" and get scared. I think dinner. Perhaps people's first experience with eel is at sushi restaurants? They see eel mentioned on a sushi menu and they immediately picture a slippery, slimy thing that squirms and swims around in deep, dark, <i>scary</i> water! People who think that are partially correct - it does swim in water - but in the simplest terms an eel is just a fish. In fact, all eel served in sushi restaurants is cooked (which means it is not raw, for those just starting out) so you can ignore any fears you have about raw fish.<br />
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Maybe you decide you don't care if it's cooked or not, you just don't want it... you'll have some "other" fish. That's fine, but realize that eel is a nice, firm fleshed white fish with good flavor. That flavor is enhanced even further when you pour or brush kabayaki sauce (also known as eel sauce) all over it and heat it up. The dark, sweet & salty kabayaki sauce is what makes the eel look brown and glossy, just like in the picture above. Kabayaki sauce is kind of like an Asian BBQ sauce: soy sauce, some sugar, sweet rice wine (mirin) and that's about it. It would be great on salmon or even chicken too, just pick up a bottle next time you're at an Asian grocery store. After all, most people like soy sauce, lots more people like sugar, and then you throw in some rice wine to top things off. It's quite tasty.<br />
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So eel over rice was our dinner last night. I simply pulled the pre-cooked, pre-sauced eel out of their vacuum packaging and broiled them in our oven for about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Served over rice with some sauteed shiitake mushrooms, radish sprouts, and green onions, it was quite nice. Try it next time you're out at a sushi restaurant.Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-41156480676308965882009-12-21T22:55:00.004-05:002009-12-23T19:08:23.861-05:00Lardo di ArnadBelow is a large hunk of skin-on fatback from either a Ossabaw or a "Crossabaw" (cross between a Ossabaw and Berkshire) from <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/">Nature's Hamony Farm</a>. Originally, it was destined to be rendered and turned into <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2219314/">lard</a>. That was until a fellow poster at <a href="http://www.285foodies.com/">285 Foodies</a> suggested I should make Lardo di Arnad... I agreed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvFVAHWx3lUPmKnb1GvN304xCT9XRSMRTHMQBXalX3AFkb51_753CizKl7qRkjc1QsgJwnq62IMVkjTepQ7yvq2KQ_aq1dJecA5QIUc64z3HDQn4360pXMeZcrepQuvysZX2D2K5WgLc/s1600-h/DSCF4105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvFVAHWx3lUPmKnb1GvN304xCT9XRSMRTHMQBXalX3AFkb51_753CizKl7qRkjc1QsgJwnq62IMVkjTepQ7yvq2KQ_aq1dJecA5QIUc64z3HDQn4360pXMeZcrepQuvysZX2D2K5WgLc/s320/DSCF4105.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>So I have started the process which is really pretty simple. According to <a href="http://curedmeats.blogspot.com/">Jason's</a> instructions, I took 1 liter of water and brought it to a boil. I used a bottle of spring water just to keep all the flavors super-clean. Once the water boils, add 300 grams of salt and stir until dissolved. Add in a hefty dose of herbs and spices and let the mixture steep until it is completely cool. Here I have used about 8 grams of rosemary, 2 cloves of garlic (crushed), 7 juniper berries (crushed), a tablespoon or so of black peppercorns, 7 sage leaves, 6 whole cloves, 3 bay leaves, a stick of cinnamon, and a few small stems of thyme. Once cool, pour the brine over the fatback and refrigerate... for a long time. From here, time does the work. Jason instructed to leave the fatback in the brine for 3 months, turning once a month, making sure everything is submerged.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnhGMXbwfryQ03joAEszlmGpsuM7ISgLxzgRtJGPqcpsnGhUutbynjUWHf8cLupBf_1bA8vYEXZvig-ujfvfHaAvL8kuYb_flzwjUev8Qu3AR2jNRtXHO5eROYvMJSGCIjHuOOkTjXWA/s1600-h/DSCF4106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnhGMXbwfryQ03joAEszlmGpsuM7ISgLxzgRtJGPqcpsnGhUutbynjUWHf8cLupBf_1bA8vYEXZvig-ujfvfHaAvL8kuYb_flzwjUev8Qu3AR2jNRtXHO5eROYvMJSGCIjHuOOkTjXWA/s320/DSCF4106.JPG" /></a><br />
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So, you have 3 months to figure out what Lardo di Arnad is. In 3 months (late March) I'll post again and of course show you the finished product. Below is the fatback in the brine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uT5RLXQaoh1xv3_CD_3rCl3eHZD2QABDD8wfyHLRrWxTUny52KdGyvqrnuMjXQNVwaxFYqzLQ0TOk5MqGGOvekxnf5jGGtuW_s0hxxSuDqHzGl5NU1hSssb4vy7m84LK78ufwKjfI3g/s1600-h/DSCF4108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uT5RLXQaoh1xv3_CD_3rCl3eHZD2QABDD8wfyHLRrWxTUny52KdGyvqrnuMjXQNVwaxFYqzLQ0TOk5MqGGOvekxnf5jGGtuW_s0hxxSuDqHzGl5NU1hSssb4vy7m84LK78ufwKjfI3g/s400/DSCF4108.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-54118379161718091772009-12-16T18:20:00.000-05:002009-12-16T19:36:41.163-05:00Terrapin's Hopsecutioner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8lQZAFBJZpt-5zlPxA_vScw13vtu8OWfts9IWoUIgJxvATDRhctR-b0b5McDk1Ov5RoDrs3nHUMvV5v5HEvnOkK0GyN96Y5NTc40iung4PT1oPR0mWQwyDjSUgwsOXIT2YuucK3EUvc/s1600-h/Terrapin+Hops.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 384px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8lQZAFBJZpt-5zlPxA_vScw13vtu8OWfts9IWoUIgJxvATDRhctR-b0b5McDk1Ov5RoDrs3nHUMvV5v5HEvnOkK0GyN96Y5NTc40iung4PT1oPR0mWQwyDjSUgwsOXIT2YuucK3EUvc/s400/Terrapin+Hops.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415972124277120178" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.terrapinbeer.com/">Terrapin's</a> newest addition to their year-round selection of brews: <a href="http://www.terrapinbeer.com/beers/28-Hopsecutioner">Hopsecutioner IPA</a>. It gives new meaning to "killer" IPA... get it? Executioner? Never mind.<br /><br />This beer is rumored to be one of the most expensive beers that Terrapin makes. Hops tend to be quite expensive and the mix of 6 kinds of hops including Warrior, Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo, and <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-dry-hopped-beer.htm">dry hop</a> finish of Cascade certainly make that rumor believable. Aside from the hops this beer has a hefty backbone of malt and it makes the finish less bitter and more sweet and floral. At least that's my best guess while drinking my first glass ever. With that said it does ring in at 78 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Bitterness_Units_scale">IBU's</a> so it's still a potent IPA for those who like the hop.<br /><br />The beer is a nice dark amber color and is quite viscous which makes for a nice mouth feel. This isn't a chugging beer. Congrats to Terrapin on their new brew. I'll be sure to partake often.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-mdKjfWkemIrSEFtvNNLsRXWFcCMF-TEzEecq35jSefi6OBiys6NqwteX3aHvsjazJZ2S5s5kISigi_0Tdanm1dnkY-LDVnjrSuA8RkDfi8Cabv6Uue_cJSMwhQiR8VZ6j6eEiYrDJE/s1600-h/DSCF4102.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-mdKjfWkemIrSEFtvNNLsRXWFcCMF-TEzEecq35jSefi6OBiys6NqwteX3aHvsjazJZ2S5s5kISigi_0Tdanm1dnkY-LDVnjrSuA8RkDfi8Cabv6Uue_cJSMwhQiR8VZ6j6eEiYrDJE/s400/DSCF4102.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415970338356690498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Hopsecutioner</span><br /></div>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-3633755292278115192009-12-03T19:15:00.000-05:002009-12-03T19:15:00.175-05:00Milling About<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0lduiMpSvgO3_EGyNHCKwCU6LSifef1XxIQv_zedApaAM1SrgRfJlK6tzxh5sLXEphn0ZsXEds9aOt6tkIuKu_1bF4HOrdrl9TmR_VCt6rMhaB5TE3Cvpli7fsAV42gbi-l6jAeBkn4/s1600-h/AM+Logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 277px; height: 70px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0lduiMpSvgO3_EGyNHCKwCU6LSifef1XxIQv_zedApaAM1SrgRfJlK6tzxh5sLXEphn0ZsXEds9aOt6tkIuKu_1bF4HOrdrl9TmR_VCt6rMhaB5TE3Cvpli7fsAV42gbi-l6jAeBkn4/s400/AM+Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411163149306233282" border="0" /></a><br />If anyone has stepped into a mid-scale restaurant somewhere in the South over the past several years you have probably come across the name <a href="http://www.ansonmills.com/">Anson Mills</a>. For those of you who have not - time to get out more... or time to pay more attention to the menu. Though I have had Anson Mills products sparingly over the years at restaurants, this is the first time I've mail ordered anything from them.<br /><br />To give a little background, Anson Mills is a producer of heirloom organic grains, legumes, and flours located in Columbia, South Carolina. They have products like oats, beans, rice, farro, cornmeal, etc. Yes, I'm going to make fancy grits. What makes Anson Mills special is first, the flavor that is achieved first by using only heirloom varieties of vegetables and plants and second, they grind everything to order and ship the very same day in frozen, insulated containers. Because they are just over the border there in S.C. regular ground shipping is basically the same as overnight. Shipping costs aren't too bad, I ordered 6 bags of various items and the total (with shipping) was just under $50.<br /><br />Below is our first order of Anson Mills products and I'm positive it won't be the last. <a href="http://www.ansonmills.com/">Please check out their website</a>; they have a great deal of information, history, and recipes designed specifically for their products.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hOWHUY2vTVXouWn587a-idtv3egqmTQQrEf7sSa2mQTv2wCXFeTZhyphenhyphen2j0WgR5T2k5sH4AUf7nQcjx87lgFC-EpcInDC3L7MRsZXkp-F8u0BCi9_Gm8ehMYMiyNHc3I2xnUQUtl7fdmA/s1600-h/Anson+Mills+Order.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hOWHUY2vTVXouWn587a-idtv3egqmTQQrEf7sSa2mQTv2wCXFeTZhyphenhyphen2j0WgR5T2k5sH4AUf7nQcjx87lgFC-EpcInDC3L7MRsZXkp-F8u0BCi9_Gm8ehMYMiyNHc3I2xnUQUtl7fdmA/s400/Anson+Mills+Order.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411163157141310050" border="0" /></a>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-85894901058049832492009-11-21T18:00:00.000-05:002009-11-22T09:30:05.713-05:00Our 2009 Heritage Thanksgiving Turkey from Nature's Harmony Farm<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-Kbyy9zZP8UgX4MIJInE5S-kpGDVVwnZ-OTscJdBxJXIu4H1Ok2oJZ1ajuC5hgtU1YC9xV9ir3olemJfJxZ4ue1jjZ3Upa5q7sdbmU5U9YGEVOsPk9xYWB8hqDqp89xcv_OwfHHBJz8/s1600/DSCF3984.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-Kbyy9zZP8UgX4MIJInE5S-kpGDVVwnZ-OTscJdBxJXIu4H1Ok2oJZ1ajuC5hgtU1YC9xV9ir3olemJfJxZ4ue1jjZ3Upa5q7sdbmU5U9YGEVOsPk9xYWB8hqDqp89xcv_OwfHHBJz8/s400/DSCF3984.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406668571708506866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Toms Struttin'</span><br /></div><br />Earlier today we drove to Elberton, Georgia for another visit to <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/">Nature's Harmony Farm</a>. Tim & Liz Young hosted turkey buyers from around the southeast for their second annual Turkey Harvest Day on the farm. As always it was great to see Tim, Liz and all the animals they have there.<br /><br />We began with our <span style="font-style: italic;">electric</span> alarm clock going off at about 7:00 am as opposed to the call and response of the farm's roosters at 4:30 am like <a href="http://squirrelsnbeer.blogspot.com/2009/10/dinner-on-farm.html">last month</a>. When we arrived after our 2 hour drive from Roswell, the Young's had music, cider, farm tours, and of course the guest of honor: heritage breed turkey. We picked out a 14.2 pounder which should be more than enough for the people we're feeding this year. Below are some pictures from our farm tour.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitb2ylrLTGmN4fTBNy7cFPo1aN-SLQH55xO4_vqCF02g-DutLIzbaap_yBFlbW9iohrvj-iGWcWHEbamE72gJr45uAiByLlMq-jbmxpdMp6MsB0iGXj3NrTWmoKEwkW5k6HM5r2VjF_Hc/s1600/DSCF3986.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitb2ylrLTGmN4fTBNy7cFPo1aN-SLQH55xO4_vqCF02g-DutLIzbaap_yBFlbW9iohrvj-iGWcWHEbamE72gJr45uAiByLlMq-jbmxpdMp6MsB0iGXj3NrTWmoKEwkW5k6HM5r2VjF_Hc/s400/DSCF3986.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406668574688830434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Toms & Hens</span><br /></div><br />Now, why buy a <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/features/heritage-turkeys.jsp">heritage breed turkey</a> versus a regular super market turkey? There is plenty of information out there on heritage breeds versus broad breasted white turkeys, but I think <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/24/opinion/about-a-bird.html">this New York Times article "About A Bird" from 2003</a> is a very good read. Please take the time to read it if you have not before; it will make you think twice about buying that supermarket turkey next year.<br /><br />Aside from the ethical reasons, I think heritage breed turkeys simply taste better. I like to cook and whenever possible I seek out ingredients that are of the highest quality, especially for occasions like Thanksgiving. The meats from Nature's Harmony Farm certainly fulfill my needs. The turkeys, and all the animals at the farm, are pasture raised on grass where they are free to run around, scratch at the ground, and live a life that mimics nature as closely as possible.<br /><br />For those of you who did buy a heritage breed turkey and now you're wondering how to cook it... be aware that these turkeys cook <span style="font-weight: bold;">FAST</span>. Last year we had a 13 pound turkey and it was in and out of the oven in about 1 hour and 15 minutes with an oven temperature of about 450F degrees. These birds are built very differently than a broad breasted white: the breast is much taller and elongated, and the legs and thighs are much bigger. That's what happens when a bird runs around on the farm as opposed to being cooped up in a poultry house. We followed <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/features/heritage-turkey-recipes.jsp">this recipe</a> which is similar (if not exactly the same) to the one Tim gave us when we picked up our turkey last year. Part of the reason that the turkeys are done sooner is because they are done at a lower temperature - or at least what is perceived as a lower temperature. I removed our bird from the oven when the thigh meat registered 150F degrees, and it probably should have come out at about 145F. While this might sound low, you have to take carry-over cooking into account which will take the bird into the 160+F degrees range. And, if you follow the <a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Lets_Talk_Turkey/index.asp">USDA guidelines on cooking turkey</a> you should only cook your standard grocery store bird to 165F degrees - not too much difference. The days of cooking turkey to 180F degrees are over, and whatever you do, <span style="font-weight: bold;">DO NOT EVER</span> use the plastic pop-up timer to determine the turkey's doneness. Your best tool for keeping track of the turkey's temperature is a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/ThermoWorks-Original-Cooking-Thermometer-IMPROVED/dp/B001MA8OKK">probe thermometer</a>.<br /><br />So while it might be a little late to seek out a heritage breed turkey for this Thanksgiving (Nature's Harmony takes deposits and sold out months ago) keep an eye out for next year, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the taste and you just might feel a little better about what's on you plate.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6p5zhCcWRVt2id8T5OMR-r8gICYJ2n9Pwhwsenxrrf4ZUD37JW5Tzxap4UStFM6CBQiDxl25pHl6EfeLjz1AtcAHTTfwNCWLlEThKGMDDDWCAuiN4WuVGRE9j9IBu1yNhpJugDohgQk/s1600/DSCF3974.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6p5zhCcWRVt2id8T5OMR-r8gICYJ2n9Pwhwsenxrrf4ZUD37JW5Tzxap4UStFM6CBQiDxl25pHl6EfeLjz1AtcAHTTfwNCWLlEThKGMDDDWCAuiN4WuVGRE9j9IBu1yNhpJugDohgQk/s400/DSCF3974.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406668561676842594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Mom & Piglets seen on the tour.</span><br /></div>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-61239700007590945492009-11-19T20:20:00.000-05:002009-11-19T20:20:00.348-05:00Thanksgiving Turkey from Nature's Harmony Farm 2009<div style="text-align: center;">Our 2009 heritage turkey from <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/">Nature's Harmony Farm</a> coming Saturday night...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcltzc8T9bYrceW2Sjf6ltmFdbbwrObeqsWKKz02cg5IVwk2ZTXgk4XakGSuL1zT1o-B42fTUI1WWf38aQ4izT8bULjYn1YDx78rZ-Vh5jSfPV6e9h_HHa9ylpiTk7U3j4Y5Pi4iluDGY/s1600/Inquisitive+Turkey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcltzc8T9bYrceW2Sjf6ltmFdbbwrObeqsWKKz02cg5IVwk2ZTXgk4XakGSuL1zT1o-B42fTUI1WWf38aQ4izT8bULjYn1YDx78rZ-Vh5jSfPV6e9h_HHa9ylpiTk7U3j4Y5Pi4iluDGY/s400/Inquisitive+Turkey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405986073795911074" border="0" /></a>Who, me?!?!?<br /></div>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-10096441248949672382009-11-09T20:40:00.000-05:002009-11-12T10:39:06.506-05:00'Avec Eric' with Eric Ripert<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqWV3qACGGIKoWK977XFCfVrr2M0EuJ96ZGtoPnAdmJFwKK7pTWJKi1vibEYyFhLWdYXEIHgNJXhQpUG2I87xveDn6y_8yHsBdyAwEwbsv6NpKyNzzMV_wuTNgiTGZOlbSIeJIXXwUdA/s1600-h/Avec+Eric.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 64px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqWV3qACGGIKoWK977XFCfVrr2M0EuJ96ZGtoPnAdmJFwKK7pTWJKi1vibEYyFhLWdYXEIHgNJXhQpUG2I87xveDn6y_8yHsBdyAwEwbsv6NpKyNzzMV_wuTNgiTGZOlbSIeJIXXwUdA/s400/Avec+Eric.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402278618327181426" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_y06Le19WYYk5t962M7IJVctVZjmXAxm1nYDfAwIKm2oZGkFcyH8L6wb9pujfloMPYH3OP-S_ixpyLl5jhd3XSeFHFhMkfWtHh_GY_GUZnEH3UBjmEmWPnFPh6Zl7qsSw_PIGRnsdSE/s1600-h/Eric+Ripert.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_y06Le19WYYk5t962M7IJVctVZjmXAxm1nYDfAwIKm2oZGkFcyH8L6wb9pujfloMPYH3OP-S_ixpyLl5jhd3XSeFHFhMkfWtHh_GY_GUZnEH3UBjmEmWPnFPh6Zl7qsSw_PIGRnsdSE/s320/Eric+Ripert.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402272923126606402" border="0" /></a><br />If you love watching cooking shows perhaps, like me, you've switched your allegiance from Food Network to your local <a href="http://www.pbs.org/">PBS station</a>. Filled with great ideas and cooking information, our <a href="http://www.pba.org/about/pba30/">Atlanta</a> <a href="http://www.gpb.org/">affiliates</a> (we have 2) air a near constant onslaught of shows every Saturday afternoon. One of the newest shows to be picked up here in our Atlanta market is <a href="http://aveceric.com/">Avec Eric with Eric Ripert.</a> Ripert, the silver haired seafood genius of <a href="http://www.le-bernardin.com/">Le Bernardin</a> in Manhattan is the host. The show is simply fantastic. Focusing on not only seafood but other ingredients as well, Ripert guides us through places like Italy, California, and New York to see how recipes are developed in Le Bernardin's kitchen. Be sure to take a minute and check out this gem of a show... if you're busy there's always your DVR.Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-29612120489344843642009-11-05T19:30:00.001-05:002009-12-19T17:15:17.926-05:00Manhattan Dining<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_uVUUgq12zw-3IzFHdne98l_INlHT3nIcBaWSdcB3p1fABqOvFWPtphRQ6D7YYzjLCoJjcrsUySqUIHdS6LPqlxJ887v8mF7f1c14w1vn7tKeCuTB_epHcCzwWDPW2X_rX9wDeysLpE/s1600-h/Kwik+Meal+1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400762833231093058" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_uVUUgq12zw-3IzFHdne98l_INlHT3nIcBaWSdcB3p1fABqOvFWPtphRQ6D7YYzjLCoJjcrsUySqUIHdS6LPqlxJ887v8mF7f1c14w1vn7tKeCuTB_epHcCzwWDPW2X_rX9wDeysLpE/s400/Kwik+Meal+1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 301px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
A couple weeks ago Liv and I spent a long weekend in Manhattan by traveling around to various New York landmark restaurants filling our stomachs and draining our wallets. It was a great way to celebrate anniversary #1. Aside from the draining our wallets part.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span><br />
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After arriving on Thursday mid-morning we walked around Times Square to see the lights and the sights. It was our first time in the city so there was lots of standing and looking up for the first few minutes. I was surprised at how big <a href="http://www.celebritybrands.net/fragrances/fragrances-male/diddys-i-am-king-mens-perfume-ad-towers-over-times-square/">Diddy</a> is in real life. Before long it was time for lunch. I had picked out a very casual lunch spot because I knew we were going to be out and about. <a href="http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/kwik_meal_1/">Kwik Meal #1</a> it was. The cart is known for it's marinated lamb served in a pita. The lamb was incredible. It had everything you want in a good lamb gyro plus more. This wasn't pressed and pre-formed mystery lamb meat, this was well seasoned and topped with tangy yogurt sauce. Excellent.<br />
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After lunch we walked some more, checked out Central Park and the subway system and before long it was time to check in to our hotel, relax and get ready for dinner at <a href="http://www.momofuku.com/ssam/default.asp">Momofuku Ssam Bar</a>. When we walked into Ssam Bar, it was evident we were in for a loud dinner. Not to worry though, if <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heston_Blumenthal">Heston</a> <a href="http://www.fatduck.co.uk/">Blumenthal</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Reichl">Ruth</a> <a href="http://www.ruthreichl.com/">Reichl</a> were able to handle it, so was I. That's right, a couple of professional super-foodies were in attendance that night.<br />
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We walked straight in at about 7:30 and got a couple seats at the bar. The menu is changed daily but there are some standards that have gained enough popularity to earn at least a semi-permanent spot on the menu like the steamed pork buns. David Chang, the brainchild behind the Momofuku family of restaurants is of Korean descent so while the menu has many Korean-Asian influences it is by no means a Korean restaurant. Our dinner was (from the menu descriptions: steamed pork buns (pork belly, hoisin, cucumbers, scallions), fried brussels sprouts (fish sauce vinaigrette, mint, delfino), montauk skate (old bay fingerling potatoes, spicy aioli, preserved lemon), and crispy pig's head (sauerkraut, pear mostarda). The pork buns were fatty and soft with an explosion of deep porky flavor. If you have any reservations about pork or fat, stay away -for all others, this is piggy heaven. The brussels sprouts were great too if a little bit greasy. The vinaigrette and the mint played nicely with this little snack and helped cut the fryer grease that inevitably was caught in the folds of the sprouts. The crispy pig's head was shredded pig's head meat formed into crab cake size cakes, breaded and fried. Again, if you're hesitant... if not, piggy heaven. The skate was also quite good. The spicy aioli really worked well with the potatoes and the few fork-fuls I snagged of the skate were fresh and light.<br />
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Dessert? Well how about we walk to the adjoining <a href="http://www.momofuku.com/milkbar/default.asp">Milk Bar</a>? We did. This is where the indulgence in pork turns to indulgence in cookies. We opted for a chocolate chocolate something or other, a cornflake chocolate chip marshmallow, and the famous compost cookie (the name is now trademarked). The compost cookie has pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch, and chocolate chips. Amazingly good and it was clearly the best of the 3. The salty and sweet cookie was a smack-your-face-and-hope-you-have-a-glass-of-milk revelation. As visions of pork buns & cookies danced in our heads, off to bed we went. Great first day.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />
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Friday morning started with a visit to the Statue of Liberty. We reserved crown view access and despite the overcast day it was well worth the extra $3 to be able to climb to the top. The stairs were not hard to climb but they were very steep and <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> narrow. I'm not a huge guy but my shoulders were nearly touching both sides of the stairwell as we climbed up. The view from the crown was great even though there were a few clouds off in the distance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jvf8a2zEMaCJPZ8v9tNonbxVfuFRP8fAdPIjgbHEUlTL84rF6r0u_P3d6cqEcIqipM-lHAA7ss2gT6pYCmxEHB7uCHdV1Ep4UdWOgKXapwffiHLjWQ4f6-aA1pWZ52PNJfHaqYg4WUE/s1600-h/Liberty+Stairs.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400762840030419010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jvf8a2zEMaCJPZ8v9tNonbxVfuFRP8fAdPIjgbHEUlTL84rF6r0u_P3d6cqEcIqipM-lHAA7ss2gT6pYCmxEHB7uCHdV1Ep4UdWOgKXapwffiHLjWQ4f6-aA1pWZ52PNJfHaqYg4WUE/s400/Liberty+Stairs.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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For lunch we were off to the famous <a href="http://www.katzdeli.com/">Katz's Deli</a>. You know, the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-bsf2x-aeE">orgasms and movie place</a>. Based on the movie clip, the place hasn't changed much. Of course I ordered a pastrami on rye with mustard. While it was certainly good, the place seems more like a tourist destination than a food lover's hot spot. Liv was unhappy with her egg salad sandwich. I'm glad we ate here but I probably won't seek it out in any potential future trips.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwWN7ZkbKT3ilOGMX5YgKSBF0ut2Hw5Q0KrJYKtuBJW-DwCVankUegUTizLpcDeEbsMzLQDJY7bhP98FkpWn0Av3_18o1o4pQQetKzXpQQiG8gaVdwihyphenhyphenEnb7GWNjR6okLdpvp8KNKWo/s1600-h/Katz's.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400762849229158402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwWN7ZkbKT3ilOGMX5YgKSBF0ut2Hw5Q0KrJYKtuBJW-DwCVankUegUTizLpcDeEbsMzLQDJY7bhP98FkpWn0Av3_18o1o4pQQetKzXpQQiG8gaVdwihyphenhyphenEnb7GWNjR6okLdpvp8KNKWo/s400/Katz's.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 301px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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Friday night we saw a hilarious <a href="http://godofcarnage.com/">God of Carnage</a> show with a few names you might recognize if you've ever seen The Sopranos or Dumb & Dumber. The play won the 2009 Tony Award for the best play and for good reason. The acting was superb and the laughs kept coming.<br />
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After the play we were off to <a href="http://locandaverdenyc.com/">Locanda Verde</a>. Chef Andrew Carmellini heads up this Italian gem in the <a href="http://www.thegreenwichhotel.com/">Greenwich Hotel</a>. We started with the highly lauded blue crab crostino with jalapeno and the burrata with peppers and fried rosemary. The crab is piled high and was super-fresh. The jalapeno gave a slight kick but didn't sear any taste buds. Excellent starter. The burrata sprinkled with crunchy salt and fried rosemary was a milky-cheesy godsend. If you've never had burrata, seek it out. It is incredible. After the apps I had the braised veal cheeks served over risotto milanese. The veal was tender and had a glazy, rich, succulent coating that makes your lips stick together. Everything you want in a great braised dish. Liv had a broccoli rabe sausage served over fagioli beans. Hers was good but I certainly liked mine better. However the real surprise was dessert. We chose the "La Fantasia for Two" and it was a big bowl of pumpkin gelato, brown butter gelato, apple cider granita, caramelized apples, and cinnamon sugar croutons. Wow. Paired with a fantastic recommended amaro by our waiter, the desert took our meal to the next level. The crutons were crisp despite being soaked in melted gelato and the apple cider granita was the crisp and cold yin to the brown butter gelato's yang.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />
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After getting a phone call on Saturday morning I was told that our childhood cat, Tinkerbell, had been put to sleep earlier in the morning (she was 20 1/2 years old). I was in need of some cheering up and NYC pizza was my medicine. We met my cousins Lindsay and Jennifer who live in the the city (albeit in different boroughs) at Luzzo's pizza. Nice place for a beer and some of the best pizza ever - great for cheering up! The restaurant has a "grandfathered" coal burning oven that has been around for 107 years. The pizza crust was crisp yet moist and held the topping of bufala mozarella wonderfully. Add in a couple Peroni's and I was good to go. We didn't gorge ourselves on pizza today because we were headed to Babbo for dinner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nl55NIKVHLcWh6ykBqMW-bWoXWXPqUzqXp_yQTIrXpHO7Lja7t7tQ1uocQj_s55EfnWMTXvBIGfxSzcvs44NEENG7RfCYo9vRoMmSGbgxO6CSeBmt_7vQiQNhZ-5jwq8uc3M_gfIFDU/s1600-h/Subway.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400762852443455154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nl55NIKVHLcWh6ykBqMW-bWoXWXPqUzqXp_yQTIrXpHO7Lja7t7tQ1uocQj_s55EfnWMTXvBIGfxSzcvs44NEENG7RfCYo9vRoMmSGbgxO6CSeBmt_7vQiQNhZ-5jwq8uc3M_gfIFDU/s400/Subway.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 301px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.babbonyc.com/">Babbo</a>, the powerhouse restaurant from Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, is one of the most popular restaurants in the city, and for good reason: our dinner was nothing short of fantastic. Reservations are taken 30 days in advance to the numerical date and if you don't start calling at 10 am you better not get your hopes up. It took me about 15 minutes of dialing on 2 phones simultaneously, non-stop to get through for our Saturday night dinner. I ended up with a 6:30 reservation which at first seemed a tiny bit early, but after we left the restaurant at about 9:45 it was clear that the 6:30 time was perfect. Back to the food, we chose the 8 course pasta tasting menu (see the menu below) along with the wine pairings. The pasta was amazing and the wine pairing put every course waaaay over the top in a good way. Kudos to Marla Priest, the sommelier. If you make it to Babbo and try this tasting menu, do not hesitate to order the wine pairings. I think our favorite was the garganelli with "funghi trifolati." The hand rolled pasta accented with porcini mushrooms, parsley and a light butter sauce was like nothing I've had before. One of the best meals I've ever had.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbieZps2pAWknxpKA-Ja5TKrDqnmgxV6rlnAE2oNy_-xn4Zt7Sq_qyCpZJwTVYP_drnOpHX6G1CmoDhZhZJtGZ5jH4OyF0xNBS1iocVEJoiQLcugViNxMjdcl9UGHyaIMwQkLogG3RiU/s1600-h/Babbo+Pasta+Tasting+Menu.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400793017371437794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbieZps2pAWknxpKA-Ja5TKrDqnmgxV6rlnAE2oNy_-xn4Zt7Sq_qyCpZJwTVYP_drnOpHX6G1CmoDhZhZJtGZ5jH4OyF0xNBS1iocVEJoiQLcugViNxMjdcl9UGHyaIMwQkLogG3RiU/s400/Babbo+Pasta+Tasting+Menu.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 245px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday</span><br />
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Sunday was bittersweet because we knew it was our last day. We woke up and went searching for a brunch/snack. Knowing that Hell's Kitchen wasn't far we walked to <a href="http://www.sullivanstreetbakery.com/">Sullivan Street Bakery</a> and picked up a croissant, and a "cubano" a cuban sandwich with an awesome garlic aioli & cheese and a San Pellegrino Aranciata. You've never heard of Sullivan Street Bakery? I bet you have... <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html">no knead bread</a> anyone? After more walking around on what was undeniably a beautiful fall afternoon in Central Park, it was about time to go home.<br />
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New York is certainly a fantastic culinary city, but looking back I know we only scratched the surface. There's so much to do and see that a long weekend is no where near long enough.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIDtLTMq9ZYXtnDIlr9pd3eDDoKi4Qdgff5H8GRHqG1RtJMYna6D34CWBuMKbGmSK1s9dQw9XfKb1hedNRELYeNQNZawK94I_zIVYXzoTQuqKmtnKyo-0fcy5gwi5dJU4T6uqzdmKZ7k/s1600-h/Central+Park.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400768153812612578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIDtLTMq9ZYXtnDIlr9pd3eDDoKi4Qdgff5H8GRHqG1RtJMYna6D34CWBuMKbGmSK1s9dQw9XfKb1hedNRELYeNQNZawK94I_zIVYXzoTQuqKmtnKyo-0fcy5gwi5dJU4T6uqzdmKZ7k/s400/Central+Park.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 301px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-14584210078808900012009-10-18T22:18:00.000-04:002009-10-18T23:05:20.733-04:00Pork & Beans<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbdec6oySKExzwxuKv9A0d4z2p0QnWIkY3wQ2y_01Fp36sq15Jo6rJjRoVLLz2gEFc5vIA_xUFf9-upmk2pxYLEzIA5eqWHt1GJEPQyob4lUmHBV5qcg-9KyGpiSJfQD5V6vv4rxq7Ko/s1600-h/Pork+n+Beans.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbdec6oySKExzwxuKv9A0d4z2p0QnWIkY3wQ2y_01Fp36sq15Jo6rJjRoVLLz2gEFc5vIA_xUFf9-upmk2pxYLEzIA5eqWHt1GJEPQyob4lUmHBV5qcg-9KyGpiSJfQD5V6vv4rxq7Ko/s400/Pork+n+Beans.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394130028479049890" border="0" /></a><br />Don't worry this is <span style="font-style: italic;">gourmet</span> pork & beans...<br /><br />Today is our first wedding anniversary so how do we celebrate? Pork and beans of course! This is real, homemade pork and beans with white beans soaked and cooked in homemade chicken stock and braised (fresh, not smoked) pork/ham hocks form <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/">Nature's Harmony Farm</a>. Noticing a trend with these last few posts? This pork was superb - <span style="font-weight: bold;">full</span> of flavor which was only enhanced by the chicken stock, garlic, and rosemary.<br /><br />Happy anniversary, sweet pea!Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-77009575277437428232009-10-16T16:48:00.000-04:002009-10-16T17:26:55.323-04:00The Last From a LegendIf you have been following the latest news from the food world you undoubtedly know that the November issue of <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/">Gourmet Magazine</a> is the legendary publication's last. It is truly unfortunate that a magazine like Gourmet has been scrapped, but I suppose it's not terribly surprising that a few of our favorite things, no matter how beloved and cherished, will succumb to the obvious economic pressures of our time. As is tradition, the November issue features a beautiful roast turkey fit for, well... the cover of Gourmet. While that may not be particularly noteworthy, the final Letter From the Editor by Ruth Reichl is hauntingly fitting for this final issue, considering it was written months ago (magazines have to plan ahead, you know).<br /><br />In the letter, Reichl reminisces about her childhood Thanksgiving celebrations and reminds us that the holiday shouldn't be so much about the glitz and glam of polished silver, spotless wine glasses, and picture perfect turkeys, but rather the memories created during the gathering of friends and family. To me it is a fitting reminder because even though the magazine often delved into unattainable, wild culinary fantasies, the thing we should cherish most about Gourmet is the legacy it has left behind. I can think of no other culinary magazine that has has such an influence on me and I'm sure countless others. Thanks to Gourmet for all the great inspiration over the years and good luck to all of its staff.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The final issue still in it's plastic packaging after arriving in the mail.</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz128csmUAvRpHf9jh0-u8Gss-bAiiz-XXd13o82f8wz9O_2esaZWA5GvN0BPZPm2tG9-ALnzTPL4k3oTqfHQECBXJuZL1dV64Wgnomd06gKoGe8QmZOeO8yTCm4DIJh2bY84L9C0mWpw/s1600-h/Gourmet's+Last.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz128csmUAvRpHf9jh0-u8Gss-bAiiz-XXd13o82f8wz9O_2esaZWA5GvN0BPZPm2tG9-ALnzTPL4k3oTqfHQECBXJuZL1dV64Wgnomd06gKoGe8QmZOeO8yTCm4DIJh2bY84L9C0mWpw/s400/Gourmet's+Last.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393301265774998802" border="0" /></a></div>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-15906178624436984792009-10-14T18:55:00.000-04:002009-10-14T19:24:52.348-04:00Poulet Rouge from Nature's Harmony FarmIf you cook whole chicken on a regular basis you will probably notice something different in the pictures below. The pictures show a chicken with a smaller, thinner breast and longer legs when compared to a typical supermarket chicken. Now, small breasts aren't always desirable in all aspects of life, but this is a chicken... get your mind out of the gutter! This is a Poulet Rouge (French for Red Chicken) from Nature's Harmony Farm. What is the difference aside from the appearance? For one, they are older chickens: typically twice as old (or more) than a standard supermarket chicken. They are a slower growing, hardier breed of chicken. They are also raised differently. As opposed to being raised in a packed, overcrowded chicken house, the chickens at Nature's Harmony are raised on pasture. To read more about how Nature's Harmony Farm raises their Poulet Rouge chickens, <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/georgia-poulet-rouge-chicken/">click here</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_Wa6lAbZw_AzYyY-bw5n1NV85A2F68AQcYUbeZ_OtP76i-41JMA49xwQc4uXE1zm4VwbkRD8307b4AnQ0tqBS25etsTyvkl6_KvuB0sYURtxwTr5swBitU9ahqv7JRPKbhuXDfsTW0E/s1600-h/Raw+Poulet+1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_Wa6lAbZw_AzYyY-bw5n1NV85A2F68AQcYUbeZ_OtP76i-41JMA49xwQc4uXE1zm4VwbkRD8307b4AnQ0tqBS25etsTyvkl6_KvuB0sYURtxwTr5swBitU9ahqv7JRPKbhuXDfsTW0E/s400/Raw+Poulet+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392599175615359154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5h5uvAysgO9Oal33k-c6UEsRrHQHsvlQkcAC7xH5cy9cUkwaou2-5GOhVYmyBrKQ_s_VTZ1QaHplGbe0Mi42ynnXiajIG9gy5vPMImRYFeppsuyPoQLvRgdC26g5hYr4SPDZBmBm6VmE/s1600-h/Raw+Poulet+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5h5uvAysgO9Oal33k-c6UEsRrHQHsvlQkcAC7xH5cy9cUkwaou2-5GOhVYmyBrKQ_s_VTZ1QaHplGbe0Mi42ynnXiajIG9gy5vPMImRYFeppsuyPoQLvRgdC26g5hYr4SPDZBmBm6VmE/s400/Raw+Poulet+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392599170676470242" border="0" /></a><br />Aside from the standards by which they are raised, I can tell you based on first hand experience that these Poulet Rouge chickens are an amazing change from what is often bought at the supermarket. The end result is a chicken that is full of flavor, moisture, and texture. Far more flavor than what you are probably used to. If you have the chance to purchase a Poulet Rouge chicken, by all means buy it! I'm certain that you will be pleasantly surprised at the difference. Shown below is a finished roasted chicken over a bed of turnip greens, fresh out of the oven.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KsWzapaJR49l9LdOVLHzllO2sivOXqZ6KsUj3cn1CiEjrHrZDsOOiLtEAaHD4pVIIJkKjxw_B8tejzMFHPYRqDDeEzHFh5ydU9G85vro3PcqeHIZ4n3RzgjAZ8RAeqhQGTF8NfVuRqg/s1600-h/Cooked+Poulet.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KsWzapaJR49l9LdOVLHzllO2sivOXqZ6KsUj3cn1CiEjrHrZDsOOiLtEAaHD4pVIIJkKjxw_B8tejzMFHPYRqDDeEzHFh5ydU9G85vro3PcqeHIZ4n3RzgjAZ8RAeqhQGTF8NfVuRqg/s400/Cooked+Poulet.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392599161005285762" border="0" /></a>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-63876884655016024472009-10-12T19:50:00.000-04:002009-10-13T23:20:17.131-04:00Dinner on the Farm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_646sPYEvITv03u3rreg5bUdKDqUeXDOgABcSH4bgERAmSc4hvIq3KsEwOw-qO_s6sm85CmPH5EYkZFZyDLma4-KrySpd8wBE_WOE3jWz86ZnX8k7GrNYBZJUbbcL_X1RpUbpUI6L4FM/s1600-h/NHF+Logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 253px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_646sPYEvITv03u3rreg5bUdKDqUeXDOgABcSH4bgERAmSc4hvIq3KsEwOw-qO_s6sm85CmPH5EYkZFZyDLma4-KrySpd8wBE_WOE3jWz86ZnX8k7GrNYBZJUbbcL_X1RpUbpUI6L4FM/s400/NHF+Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392290091230789410" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Satu</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">rday 10/10/09</span><br /><br />Leaving Atlanta on Saturday morning under threat of rain, Liv and I attended the "Local Food Campout" at <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/">Nature's Harmony Farm</a> in Elberton, Georgia. We had to trust that the food gods would smile on us instead of... spit? Anyway, we weren't spit on - not even one drop. The following is a brief overview of our wonderful Saturday and Sunday on the farm.<br /><br />The event was a celebration of local food both from the farm itself and from other local farms like <a href="http://fullmooncoop.org/farm.html">Full Moon Farm</a> which provided seasonal organic vegetables and cheese from <a href="http://www.splitcreek.com/">Split Creek Farm</a>. All the food was exquisitely prepared by <a href="http://www.jbfawards.com/winners.html#restaurant">Chef Hugh Acheson</a> and his team. Check out the menu further down in the post. Aside from the food, there were ample adult joy beverages from <a href="http://www.terrapinbeer.com/">Terrapin Beer</a> and wine from <a href="http://www.boutierwinery.com/">Boutier Winery</a> gracing the tables.<br /><br />This was our second visit to the farm. Our first visit was in 2008 when we bought our Thanksgiving turkey from Tim and Liz Young. This November we're headed out to the farm for our celebratory turkey again... we can't wait! Below is a short video of some turkeys gobbling and the males strutting their stuff - notice the fluffed and fanned feathers on the toms (males).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw71z6zePTZTmd6fp9PCjXVeHxmVGcEAfuco1-vh1NwZlRakIw9MBcb7B_OkvpfaTEbKNTbkPQEKzs3W2pV1Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />Upon arrival in Elberton we set up our tent in the pasture. The farm tour would begin soon and we wanted to make sure we had our humble abode set up for the night. The farm's designated tent inspector made sure that everything was up to par.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKVjULQG-n9OoIk2RJVlGnRFbgjCaZ7Kne5Px_b6KBK3I9xpT1nBg91KStl7EtrI7dFcbQwueiUDD1JG-M9wy3TWEtP1dHFdWuiZCi31GzE5ZUAQ_j83_lkWnw-XSrithH5x3LKiyS4w/s1600-h/Inspector.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKVjULQG-n9OoIk2RJVlGnRFbgjCaZ7Kne5Px_b6KBK3I9xpT1nBg91KStl7EtrI7dFcbQwueiUDD1JG-M9wy3TWEtP1dHFdWuiZCi31GzE5ZUAQ_j83_lkWnw-XSrithH5x3LKiyS4w/s400/Inspector.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391850564043958258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Farm's Designated Tent Inspector</span><br /><br /></div></div></div>The tour was an all inclusive look at how the animals are raised and cared for. Tim and Liz are committed to animal welfare above all else and raising the animals in an environment that mimics nature as closely as possible. The results are some of the best tasting meats I've ever found. To read more about Nature's Harmony farm values, <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/our-farm-values/">click here</a>.<br /><br />Speaking of, what animals are raised at Nature's Harmony Farm? <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/georgia-poulet-rouge-chicken/">Poulet Rouge chickens</a> and other <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/georgia-pastured-poultry/">pasture raised chickens</a>, <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/georgia-grassfed-beef/">grass fed beef</a>, <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/grassfed-lamb/">grass fed lamb</a>, <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/naturally-raised-woodlot-pork/">naturally raised wood lot pork</a> (including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkshire_%28pig%29">Berkshire</a>, <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/grass-fed-meat-farm-blog/2007/9/7/the-ossabaw-island-pig.html">Ossabaw</a>, and <a href="http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/swine/largeblack/index.htm">Large Black</a>), <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/georgia-heritage-turkeys/">heritage breed turkeys</a>, <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/pastured-goose-christmas/">heritage breed geese</a>, and ducks. Oh, and they have a few honey bee boxes on the property too. Suffices to say they and their 3 apprentices have their hands full. One of the most interesting stories (and tastiest dishes of the night) was the story of the <a href="http://www.ossabawisland.org/">Ossabaw Island</a> pigs. If you are at all unfamiliar with Ossabaw Island pigs, I encourage you to click on <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/grass-fed-meat-farm-blog/2007/9/7/the-ossabaw-island-pig.html">this link</a>. It is a blog post by Tim at the farm and gives the history behind this <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> interesting and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">very rare</span> breed. Below are several pictures of the animals that were taken on the tour.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7UyEGs6Gd9ynjOmckSauoJrYlgb14vZAPlzFFTv0RABq7stB4az2z1oDRy6mWu0lSbEwYuQd0RDKZ_4KZl25fMkim3P8wN1zc6CToTJN-dspFsQhKz9OIFhyLJl5MUL2iUOuQBVda-E/s1600-h/Murray+Gray+Calf.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7UyEGs6Gd9ynjOmckSauoJrYlgb14vZAPlzFFTv0RABq7stB4az2z1oDRy6mWu0lSbEwYuQd0RDKZ_4KZl25fMkim3P8wN1zc6CToTJN-dspFsQhKz9OIFhyLJl5MUL2iUOuQBVda-E/s400/Murray+Gray+Calf.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391859803488522818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Pollyanna, a Murray Grey Calf born on 9/28/09. Pictured here she is only 12 days old!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVRpOatdyrV-nfZojFNvSj32a5kQFJz2rEpMyJ2YYgJLcMuab2aRB1ynYmBHgYL5PZjeHRmRDq3waNJWIvL9KmHqtT7WSuHYzulnS29mvByHi93EZ1c8UdxWAXB4lg8nxHUnDvrafM30/s1600-h/Mature+Cows.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVRpOatdyrV-nfZojFNvSj32a5kQFJz2rEpMyJ2YYgJLcMuab2aRB1ynYmBHgYL5PZjeHRmRDq3waNJWIvL9KmHqtT7WSuHYzulnS29mvByHi93EZ1c8UdxWAXB4lg8nxHUnDvrafM30/s400/Mature+Cows.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391859806690942514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Cattle relaxing in the pasture.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7Kryy6TIkUf8J9vD-62BeDXJQZu-xr7vsQEi6NYqwaV5DPx5aV88ChtMO9HhTzKROt5zCd6py6ewUi12bTsQ-dokyGo5pKCB8yLiU1UhHK6cOCszZGha04dTcz_J0n1zsHayZ3-25zM/s1600-h/Grass+Fed+Lamb.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7Kryy6TIkUf8J9vD-62BeDXJQZu-xr7vsQEi6NYqwaV5DPx5aV88ChtMO9HhTzKROt5zCd6py6ewUi12bTsQ-dokyGo5pKCB8yLiU1UhHK6cOCszZGha04dTcz_J0n1zsHayZ3-25zM/s400/Grass+Fed+Lamb.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391862617882722306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Pollyanna stealing the spotlight, with lamb and cows in the background.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWppwL_9EnyoP0eZo6GO_DOwP0cWBv5N9OnAHX3dSpNHiZDL6QNPRN637nmZ23JfkyBkGQjSyc3l_ykit1ybUPacJ_yTguHDhAnvloqao47RalB55NJt6vmz7DEDTNECuhRnKSljIBIRM/s1600-h/Ossabaw+1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWppwL_9EnyoP0eZo6GO_DOwP0cWBv5N9OnAHX3dSpNHiZDL6QNPRN637nmZ23JfkyBkGQjSyc3l_ykit1ybUPacJ_yTguHDhAnvloqao47RalB55NJt6vmz7DEDTNECuhRnKSljIBIRM/s400/Ossabaw+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391859817179107490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Ossabaw Island Pig (picture #1)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_7ADo0TeuFpnXfGYgwbKPcGchiq1QICBhjuQxZPsj6XoQujXreFJD_mZgDQIHyhtqqrmcEk_avgZud8cnjMDz42ytI0s-it2gT76zNSZ6IjHSO5vB_MEIqle0t681FUqXoMpbkCpyYw/s1600-h/Ossabaw+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_7ADo0TeuFpnXfGYgwbKPcGchiq1QICBhjuQxZPsj6XoQujXreFJD_mZgDQIHyhtqqrmcEk_avgZud8cnjMDz42ytI0s-it2gT76zNSZ6IjHSO5vB_MEIqle0t681FUqXoMpbkCpyYw/s400/Ossabaw+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391864376159619586" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Ossabaw Island Pig (picture #2)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfzT9mxXs5douiikToY2cIMf693Yqehnq6NbeEdHdcPbAXJWIxcW27kwgMQOs4W41gDPq82QV0UQwF7A3LpzRO_5TzpnOUkiG4VzdkSBkFCEiwywNGeq98xyeEqA2ioN2ov5ltCz-iE0/s1600-h/Ossabaw+3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfzT9mxXs5douiikToY2cIMf693Yqehnq6NbeEdHdcPbAXJWIxcW27kwgMQOs4W41gDPq82QV0UQwF7A3LpzRO_5TzpnOUkiG4VzdkSBkFCEiwywNGeq98xyeEqA2ioN2ov5ltCz-iE0/s400/Ossabaw+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391859834324527970" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Ossabaw Island Pig (picture #3)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2naAFQ7-CcSt7ASzgRFm5DN9SZ6fKxVIQqKkvhbwThTisbRzqel-KL-Kc6n5D3EMjzmi2OoH8t8H_VTIHVCPgJi8Q3UTOZCYFiPtI3Q0sD8xcqI1C84cNCFHdDlMff3mJb9ypC24yS8/s1600-h/PR+Chickens.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2naAFQ7-CcSt7ASzgRFm5DN9SZ6fKxVIQqKkvhbwThTisbRzqel-KL-Kc6n5D3EMjzmi2OoH8t8H_VTIHVCPgJi8Q3UTOZCYFiPtI3Q0sD8xcqI1C84cNCFHdDlMff3mJb9ypC24yS8/s400/PR+Chickens.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391860551466600962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Naked Neck chickens raised under Poulet Rouge standards.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBV5vd-HaKKWmynJJAOjxdsm09NI0ki9VorcM8lA1XVWrV4KReeD18_XCi8JdIh2BKEWB0EZXXJ3oQWB4cpS-Ht-V_XeSRK0CYnc0YDAc8kj0X9kKp7-UAvkBn_WAmL4YnMFCmyjwtlQ/s1600-h/Ducks.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBV5vd-HaKKWmynJJAOjxdsm09NI0ki9VorcM8lA1XVWrV4KReeD18_XCi8JdIh2BKEWB0EZXXJ3oQWB4cpS-Ht-V_XeSRK0CYnc0YDAc8kj0X9kKp7-UAvkBn_WAmL4YnMFCmyjwtlQ/s400/Ducks.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391860520474489634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Pasture raised ducks</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvxMY5yCJbiGK6u8P7haUvzKh0NDAmlPUTArcMWisCKX6Gkoc25ynhyphenhyphenNeKhmoRGPhJa4_Snje-ouaCoQovrzxGXkT0Y1wkTDWtKZwxhOq5efD__YW4OhKWjxHZx0GquKYA0bGIBx_IZM/s1600-h/Berkshire+Pigs.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvxMY5yCJbiGK6u8P7haUvzKh0NDAmlPUTArcMWisCKX6Gkoc25ynhyphenhyphenNeKhmoRGPhJa4_Snje-ouaCoQovrzxGXkT0Y1wkTDWtKZwxhOq5efD__YW4OhKWjxHZx0GquKYA0bGIBx_IZM/s400/Berkshire+Pigs.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391860927289649106" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Berkshire Pigs</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlODmdpKyxnBU26tGYeg0p4tOJyX8vo0X4lxnoQPXJv3dzVWjXaSyUWwMGmOWj8lC7Qx6ZSBSt4uMxdptODV33FzEBzW6JpAe6wOitqQxCJ9Vlt7it5LcTQfkHMRB82tQqHL2LUkov7k/s1600-h/Geese.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlODmdpKyxnBU26tGYeg0p4tOJyX8vo0X4lxnoQPXJv3dzVWjXaSyUWwMGmOWj8lC7Qx6ZSBSt4uMxdptODV33FzEBzW6JpAe6wOitqQxCJ9Vlt7it5LcTQfkHMRB82tQqHL2LUkov7k/s400/Geese.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391860936329834178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Heritage Geese</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_NnH-4JUddvPC9aaFZm9BOVj2g04HRBsKb13M75dLwfv0SdD3SQcwQOleGTnPhL1l7uFWAyiq780zqPoh_qH1KZ9clay2DNAxu3PZsCQ-AFF1EQUK4Or5FGVzDKY-fTjufq43-iWWVk/s1600-h/Thanksgiving+Turkey.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_NnH-4JUddvPC9aaFZm9BOVj2g04HRBsKb13M75dLwfv0SdD3SQcwQOleGTnPhL1l7uFWAyiq780zqPoh_qH1KZ9clay2DNAxu3PZsCQ-AFF1EQUK4Or5FGVzDKY-fTjufq43-iWWVk/s400/Thanksgiving+Turkey.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391848736070466082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Narragansett Turkey</span><br /></div><br />After the tour was over it was time for dinner! Chef Acheson (green shirt) prepared a killer multi-course dinner for 100+ people.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvqq7UOaAIa0vHestzw8EWvXHqVrmwod70JbjD9YJ6Ueo6kmhKlwWzSfPc8G_B-PgztBnXAkVSFhdccmuQBNvcBHW3k5J0tEfTfPTgB5rp6m5exaDpIzwQVjYTDcS-pQVuQioJc19vJk/s1600-h/Chef+Hugh.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvqq7UOaAIa0vHestzw8EWvXHqVrmwod70JbjD9YJ6Ueo6kmhKlwWzSfPc8G_B-PgztBnXAkVSFhdccmuQBNvcBHW3k5J0tEfTfPTgB5rp6m5exaDpIzwQVjYTDcS-pQVuQioJc19vJk/s400/Chef+Hugh.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391860534527064130" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Menu for 10/10/2009<br /><br /><u><span style="font-weight: bold;">Passed hors d'oeuvres</span></u><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pimento cheese sandwiches with pickled okra</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Deviled egg salad with caviar</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Chilled sweet potato soup with chive cream</span><br /><br /><u><span style="font-weight: bold;">On the table</span></u><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Roasted beets with avocado, Split Creek feta, and arugula</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Tians of eggplant, sweet peppers, and basil and Split Creek goat cheese</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Savory swiss chard tart</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Red Mule polenta with melted leeks</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Grilled Nature's Harmony Farm Ossabaw pork chops with agrodolce</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Roasted Nature's Harmony Kathadin lamb leg with salsa verde</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Nature's Harmony Poulet Rouge chicken bog over rice</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Pumpkin and pecan pie</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Following dinner was a warm bonfire and lively music from the North Georgia Bluegrass Band. The food and company was really, really great and Liv and I enjoyed every minute of it. After the band was finished, it was time for bed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgkUD7yf6D0nwRm-Nv0CMM4boDLMEmabH8G9YPjQG7gv7CT1ncYm12Prpo1MbVRV4Vf3tJhDE2_t0L-sjhPX7KbKkfrCyWsH7lTYEi799115wMAb3W8QAfGahPNWEeuarXsZah3pu1Ns/s1600-h/Bon+Fire.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgkUD7yf6D0nwRm-Nv0CMM4boDLMEmabH8G9YPjQG7gv7CT1ncYm12Prpo1MbVRV4Vf3tJhDE2_t0L-sjhPX7KbKkfrCyWsH7lTYEi799115wMAb3W8QAfGahPNWEeuarXsZah3pu1Ns/s400/Bon+Fire.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391860944469539938" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Sunday 10/11/09</span><br /><br />Morning on the farm comes early, especially with what seemed like hundreds of roosters cock-a-doodle-dooing at sunrise. For anyone who thinks roosters don't cock-a-doodle-doo when the sun comes up, you can kiss my ass... they do. Jokes aside, the wake up call was fully expected considering we were sleeping only several yards from the chickens. After we opened the tent and saw the cool morning mist and the animals up and about, we put on our shoes and walked the farm watching some kids help with morning chores before breakfast.<br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KN9Eff6EMBvAAfyyxg3ebCJUeygB28tVX1tbhSYELSqaJy08ykkP-FU9cOSfH3l-dGx4BTlx1czewOz5hIjydrPV8SVONyUJBg92-I1oBuv8A_5v454M9Qq6H4rkBq4w-jnVWo5g4Vs/s1600-h/Sunrise+Over+Farm.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KN9Eff6EMBvAAfyyxg3ebCJUeygB28tVX1tbhSYELSqaJy08ykkP-FU9cOSfH3l-dGx4BTlx1czewOz5hIjydrPV8SVONyUJBg92-I1oBuv8A_5v454M9Qq6H4rkBq4w-jnVWo5g4Vs/s400/Sunrise+Over+Farm.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391860540366429394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Sunrise over Nature's Harmony Farm</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3azg4eJBR4iB0CMjVFUJZN5dObvSZuTMKaMXFQ8oUbkBe1mSxptZ7ntz35y73dkRN1WN7o3oZq6iVBKfa_AoUcjFKvqLujPGmdr6bxO6vskhdpkMBnNDtNq_4URIi7Tdm14h9u_Ub5s/s1600-h/Awake+Yet.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3azg4eJBR4iB0CMjVFUJZN5dObvSZuTMKaMXFQ8oUbkBe1mSxptZ7ntz35y73dkRN1WN7o3oZq6iVBKfa_AoUcjFKvqLujPGmdr6bxO6vskhdpkMBnNDtNq_4URIi7Tdm14h9u_Ub5s/s400/Awake+Yet.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391875970689792146" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Awake Yet? This was my first view when I unzipped the tent.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Breakfast was pancakes with honey right from the farm's bees and sausage made from the farm's pigs. Tim took the helm and made everyone a wonderful breakfast.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxUeFaPIhI-ILKl1Z4ZIakgFHLgjn0UP8URkuJdGpcF5_xHUdtARhuLZ8qzIvnf3f383B8PbGOfPFU0CZjaDY_CJeN8Vk3UVzbkZXsFOF20s_O9lZrYFJAOmxWO7cJffauKEfymuinFE/s1600-h/Bees.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxUeFaPIhI-ILKl1Z4ZIakgFHLgjn0UP8URkuJdGpcF5_xHUdtARhuLZ8qzIvnf3f383B8PbGOfPFU0CZjaDY_CJeN8Vk3UVzbkZXsFOF20s_O9lZrYFJAOmxWO7cJffauKEfymuinFE/s400/Bees.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391880536437622482" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Honey bees hard at work.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks to the apprentices (Mario, Kerry & Amanda), Chef Hugh and his team, but most importantly Tim and Liz for a wonderful weekend. We look forward to similar events in the future and if you are interested in attending tours or events, or simply want to learn more about the farm, visit the website and blog by <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/">clicking here</a>.<br /><br />See a great video recap that Tim and Liz put together (below), and check out Tim's blog post about the event <a href="http://www.naturesharmonyfarm.com/grass-fed-meat-farm-blog/2009/10/13/local-food-camp-out-recap.html">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/qleBp4gXAg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="300"></embed><br /></div></div></div></div>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-71158340272096852502009-09-25T10:44:00.000-04:002009-09-26T11:06:29.399-04:00A Monster Among Us<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-V_zxoRy6Yzs8E8MNUyftZTYGrInFfenoECfbDXnHKbHh2EtYcl-frsHB7Kji037ccvD3q73lpQhsL1ynDHSWvE28PkOFYHMqtWqYYXiQviwThM_5ZG5YlVpMk7y_ximRHBvgRkY1-ZQ/s1600-h/Monster+Top.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-V_zxoRy6Yzs8E8MNUyftZTYGrInFfenoECfbDXnHKbHh2EtYcl-frsHB7Kji037ccvD3q73lpQhsL1ynDHSWvE28PkOFYHMqtWqYYXiQviwThM_5ZG5YlVpMk7y_ximRHBvgRkY1-ZQ/s400/Monster+Top.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385422063039375538" border="0" /></a><br />Just when you thought it was safe to walk on your lawn, one of these jumps out in front of you. This is the definition of a <span style="font-weight: bold;">monster</span> mushroom. This makes your average grocery store portabella look like an amuse bouche. The mushroom is almost certainly a result of the massive rainfall we've had at the beginning of the week.<br /><br />I'm not sure what kind of mushroom this is, but if anyone out there can help identify, please post a response here. In the meantime try not to get too scared by these monster mushroom pictures.<br /><br />EDIT: After some internet research I think the mushroom in question is a huge puff ball mushroom. They are evidently known to grow to giant proportions and they are in fact edible! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMOf-PdKXldlX3AaoppqE5FebdjknS6LooO5Dxg8h-anM5Esi67FT9fipzHdwTyA02ZsVDmQXgIIXeFydu4_PolF61rTXue2uud7yrzNrQ8_tRacySYRRNEa-GpDkxWDhJePNRY2kmUU/s1600-h/Monster+Bottom.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMOf-PdKXldlX3AaoppqE5FebdjknS6LooO5Dxg8h-anM5Esi67FT9fipzHdwTyA02ZsVDmQXgIIXeFydu4_PolF61rTXue2uud7yrzNrQ8_tRacySYRRNEa-GpDkxWDhJePNRY2kmUU/s400/Monster+Bottom.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385422072697856546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupOL146K_t6vG8PmRDsZ-1vg2Qj-7qwLzB4CjQdOQb_nq08BXEi662fQw2wR8sh13_3F1fzkshWKtYkY2fiYvZRKdeFslCGUc3LDngC65EMVzSApSadOqhNqYg01cJm8825UXdEi6lFw/s1600-h/Monster+Measure.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupOL146K_t6vG8PmRDsZ-1vg2Qj-7qwLzB4CjQdOQb_nq08BXEi662fQw2wR8sh13_3F1fzkshWKtYkY2fiYvZRKdeFslCGUc3LDngC65EMVzSApSadOqhNqYg01cJm8825UXdEi6lFw/s400/Monster+Measure.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385422082972889746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoLGJ_BKzeB2TMPDP0VLFsBIFcqL4UgohhSvCPKYe-U65zAIvtYby7q8B35wv76KoIrCXqCVkNNoHBZkhfVnJmTnNTFhWYhht36fsb0nHoofOylaVUVWRpGjTMImfzE8z3xz5Ukfu2g8/s1600-h/Monster+Cut.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoLGJ_BKzeB2TMPDP0VLFsBIFcqL4UgohhSvCPKYe-U65zAIvtYby7q8B35wv76KoIrCXqCVkNNoHBZkhfVnJmTnNTFhWYhht36fsb0nHoofOylaVUVWRpGjTMImfzE8z3xz5Ukfu2g8/s400/Monster+Cut.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385422087323030370" border="0" /></a>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-66564419822122130042009-09-20T15:02:00.000-04:002009-09-21T23:32:40.484-04:00David Chang's Bo Ssam<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Vegetarians: please kindly disregard this post. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br />Everyone else: ready for some pork?</span><br /></span></div><br />This pork shoulder recipe from David Chang of <a href="http://www.momofuku.com/restos.asp">Momofuku</a> fame, is a popular dish at Ssam Bar in Manhattan. The process of curing overnight and slow roasting the pork is a semi-lengthy process, but it is also extremely easy. Here I have taken a 9 1/4 pound whole picnic shoulder, removed the skin, removed the shank end, cured it according to Chang's directions, and roasted it. While the butchering on this picnic shoulder is more work than is truly necessary, it's kind of fun at the same time if you're into practicing some minor knife skills.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXt3d3wq5WiTdXSiujM-LXlXQmhd3VeZfzgzLbASiglzOnungpW43NzHQmuN7dgkPjTexu576AqhYxQls8WSLu2V4D0rHh61nsv9ytRYbLoLkal8Ll9OEJ0uRRrG59G1QtSy2YHR6ocxY/s1600-h/Pork+Picnic+Shoulder.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXt3d3wq5WiTdXSiujM-LXlXQmhd3VeZfzgzLbASiglzOnungpW43NzHQmuN7dgkPjTexu576AqhYxQls8WSLu2V4D0rHh61nsv9ytRYbLoLkal8Ll9OEJ0uRRrG59G1QtSy2YHR6ocxY/s320/Pork+Picnic+Shoulder.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383262642726140162" border="0" /></a>Above is a whole picnic pork shoulder. Why is it called a picnic shoulder? I'm not really sure so I dug around online. After all, at a little over 9 pounds its hardly the first thing I would consider lugging to a Sunday picnic. I found <a href="http://www.ochef.com/877.htm">this website</a> that I will quote from because it isn't the kind of thing I can take credit for coming up with on my own. The website says "<span style="font-style: italic;">generally, the shoulder is smoked... which gives it a very ham-like flavor. Since picnic shoulder/ham is an inexpensive substitute for real ham (which only comes from the hind legs), [it is speculated] that it would have been considered a good cut for casual dining — such as a picnic — rather than for use at a formal family dinner, such as Easter or Thanksgiving.</span>" I'll accept that as an answer. Anyway, on to some kitchen counter butchering.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNaN771-NXOJLHOvG45bdIVuMNHxJozsSmKsZbXXsk85N7-uBxC_x6iWlqB8cGBBtcy44DJqRMBSJD6Kcwe6e8nopbaoUsZtOv5bThk6O_AhVUwNe-atiOesqDhGGlciJyLZeAQYioNk/s1600-h/Pork+Skin.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNaN771-NXOJLHOvG45bdIVuMNHxJozsSmKsZbXXsk85N7-uBxC_x6iWlqB8cGBBtcy44DJqRMBSJD6Kcwe6e8nopbaoUsZtOv5bThk6O_AhVUwNe-atiOesqDhGGlciJyLZeAQYioNk/s320/Pork+Skin.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383262649078115330" border="0" /></a>The first step is to remove the skin. This isn't necessary for all dishes that call for a pork shoulder/picnic shoulder/pork butt, but for this recipe I wanted good contact between the curing agents (salt and sugar) and the meat. Removing the skin is easy enough - just tease away at the layer of fat under the skin with a sharp boning knife. The skin comes off fairly easily.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxO90VKOgY7UTOfDh5idEVIDpxsD6hD2KLWz-eQziY6w12bX7YLrftknYvJ0ydcuCCvVa3dOvnaJd_9gvg3gpu-dvuIOWkl_cf_d1OzTRNKsAZy19asLDFKRP31S8CGK4OVuDiU_KxUA/s1600-h/Hannibal.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxO90VKOgY7UTOfDh5idEVIDpxsD6hD2KLWz-eQziY6w12bX7YLrftknYvJ0ydcuCCvVa3dOvnaJd_9gvg3gpu-dvuIOWkl_cf_d1OzTRNKsAZy19asLDFKRP31S8CGK4OVuDiU_KxUA/s320/Hannibal.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383262658450662290" border="0" /></a>Once the skin is removed it can be used in a couple different applications. You could fry it in the style of chicharron (fancy way of saying pork rinds) or you can let the kids play <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silence_of_the_Lambs_%28film%29">Silence of the Lambs</a> and make a mask out of it. Who says cooking isn't fun for the whole family?!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWSg3pICRcIDGLWGQji4YQRdX_vYwk9GZ3ctm9dP364ySC49PeZqpsgoFPV5NuUyAgZtuXqZIOAq9foFC2BGJOUIwqZY8OBgVZt-wWcYJWgu2t3G8d-50LY8c8TGVry_PaG_hCEzoymM/s1600-h/Shank+Cut.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWSg3pICRcIDGLWGQji4YQRdX_vYwk9GZ3ctm9dP364ySC49PeZqpsgoFPV5NuUyAgZtuXqZIOAq9foFC2BGJOUIwqZY8OBgVZt-wWcYJWgu2t3G8d-50LY8c8TGVry_PaG_hCEzoymM/s320/Shank+Cut.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383262666082780562" border="0" /></a>Here I have decided to remove the shank or leg end from the shoulder itself. This is an optional step but remember the whole thing now weighs about 9 pounds so you're probably not going to be missing the extra weight unless you're having a party. Removing the shank allows it to be used for another dish too, like soup. Cutting off the shank requires a little knife wiggling and exploring but it makes you kind of proud once you've accomplished it.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCW-2QR-PPps1yPx2puJsntd_ELArq_moZr22fpiNwsIjxooO4R8RfjYFcGIz2lW3gZWpLn7x2N-8Gqk8jfUF6nU_3ya9k5m4mMQBtFsShW2ILVZnFM509h8eJZaHWhAO4RcXsnjJl_U0/s1600-h/Shank+Separation.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCW-2QR-PPps1yPx2puJsntd_ELArq_moZr22fpiNwsIjxooO4R8RfjYFcGIz2lW3gZWpLn7x2N-8Gqk8jfUF6nU_3ya9k5m4mMQBtFsShW2ILVZnFM509h8eJZaHWhAO4RcXsnjJl_U0/s320/Shank+Separation.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383262671186706258" border="0" /></a>After a slight mis-cut, I'm almost done...<br /><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lMd2Iy86FsnbbZaa7BlDori36UYcqrhj3v4Uu1xVMGj1lwhjQdzqyQX_zpPvCSEe0uYB1aWEFyjJZ4hz5Sxb10Ei7vOi_u_OKZ_Dir3gMJ3Zu5HegP_Di_ybhKyVI6WTwNPE1Io9z8g/s1600-h/2+Pieces.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lMd2Iy86FsnbbZaa7BlDori36UYcqrhj3v4Uu1xVMGj1lwhjQdzqyQX_zpPvCSEe0uYB1aWEFyjJZ4hz5Sxb10Ei7vOi_u_OKZ_Dir3gMJ3Zu5HegP_Di_ybhKyVI6WTwNPE1Io9z8g/s320/2+Pieces.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383263418383593586" border="0" /></a>Done! Above are the separated shank and shoulder. The shank along with some trimmings from the shoulder are going into a freezer bag for a later date.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSsE2A-54fbvL0tsYsbr2Z0BHDsEuW1aY8bmrTRoDTki0O5Dp1lWznmUKR-fSBc8UBV0KQg_4fxTO-YzJbbRHeqi8LRU8ru80GQ6syyqCfSrF8IE80PaUGMIuy0RY5p0ajGMRYckZmjk/s1600-h/Pork+Rub.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSsE2A-54fbvL0tsYsbr2Z0BHDsEuW1aY8bmrTRoDTki0O5Dp1lWznmUKR-fSBc8UBV0KQg_4fxTO-YzJbbRHeqi8LRU8ru80GQ6syyqCfSrF8IE80PaUGMIuy0RY5p0ajGMRYckZmjk/s320/Pork+Rub.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383263427597172226" border="0" /></a>Now comes the first real step of the recipe: Mix one cup of coarse salt (I always use Kosher salt) and one cup of regular white sugar in a bowl. Thoroughly rub the salt/sugar mixture ALL over the pork.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiemw96ao1zOG15_DdfasVAhPs5WWms64coOt38VIc2APJrjOHDEWO0w05P-zMzPPgwR-miXoQsbEPt6GAhmrLhUaBe4FBm_6PGRfUC3uwHR0Sh8o_eIn-Rpb9_DaeagkXIslCkp_UIKxw/s1600-h/Rub+Done.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiemw96ao1zOG15_DdfasVAhPs5WWms64coOt38VIc2APJrjOHDEWO0w05P-zMzPPgwR-miXoQsbEPt6GAhmrLhUaBe4FBm_6PGRfUC3uwHR0Sh8o_eIn-Rpb9_DaeagkXIslCkp_UIKxw/s320/Rub+Done.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383263434200014754" border="0" /></a>Once you are sure you have covered everything, lay the pork shoulder in the bowl, cover everything with foil, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to overnight. Sounds pretty easy right? Now go grab a beer, scan the backyard for squirrels (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Squirrel Kill Count: 138</span>), and enjoy the weekend.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span>Day #2</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;">6 or 7 hours before you're ready for dinner preheat your oven to 300 F degrees. Take your now cured pork shoulder from the fridge and set it in a large roasting pan. In the oven it goes... Every hour or so baste the pork with the rendered pork fat accumulating in the bottom of the pan. If you notice the pan drippings starting to burn in the bottom of the pan add a 1/4 or a 1/3 cup of water.<br /><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIJa9ByyAHL4UpmJ10YhRloOR2_mDyID4I6zfhmrpOTvx5NOgFoihrxZDhZYcA7tp8JUK77IqBIds_XwOwZkbS7JsTj2j8xhrJnwlUukcBwzteumFPpBNayVybporT6LMbV06QBAwvLQ/s1600-h/Fat+Side+Down+Cured.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIJa9ByyAHL4UpmJ10YhRloOR2_mDyID4I6zfhmrpOTvx5NOgFoihrxZDhZYcA7tp8JUK77IqBIds_XwOwZkbS7JsTj2j8xhrJnwlUukcBwzteumFPpBNayVybporT6LMbV06QBAwvLQ/s320/Fat+Side+Down+Cured.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383636073038102450" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYCqdZtBdUdI0_aw2qVxOU-kzax4t4eRskKkquk84nr6QCRZOtE5jpxw0bCM3XoNpe3b0nFfOOOsRmf586oNeaO4ISHOr4XHHMmzNv9g4vrwveudg5goARzSTVcWwVbDTCHJs1lGLH-M/s1600-h/Fat+Side+Up+Cured.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYCqdZtBdUdI0_aw2qVxOU-kzax4t4eRskKkquk84nr6QCRZOtE5jpxw0bCM3XoNpe3b0nFfOOOsRmf586oNeaO4ISHOr4XHHMmzNv9g4vrwveudg5goARzSTVcWwVbDTCHJs1lGLH-M/s320/Fat+Side+Up+Cured.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383636302382435170" border="0" /></a>To the left you can see the cured pork shoulder, fat side down. I took a picture of it to show how the color has changed. It has turned a dark, glossy red because of the salt and sugar.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />To the right is the pork shoulder fat side up, the way it will be roasted. This way the melting fat will help baste the meat as it cooks.<br /></span></div></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />When the pork is tender and shreds easily with a fork (think southern BBQ) it is ready. Remove the pork from the oven and ramp it up to 500 F degrees. Meanwhile mix up about 7 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of coarse salt. I know, I know, you ask MORE sugar and salt? Yes. When David Chang says do something to pork, you do it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ixWwqXWMd8CIz9G9RYsaOZ-aPtjZdc9u8MV1uctXe39O0Q8KJU1AZgeB9YtJtWKJ9DB1SiF1hMvoIRtr2vYxVqW2XfHlxZy-A-eT5BvKMBkfbr9AamPSP5aSjc-seEZxeWLD13cVGJs/s1600-h/Sprinkled+Ssam.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ixWwqXWMd8CIz9G9RYsaOZ-aPtjZdc9u8MV1uctXe39O0Q8KJU1AZgeB9YtJtWKJ9DB1SiF1hMvoIRtr2vYxVqW2XfHlxZy-A-eT5BvKMBkfbr9AamPSP5aSjc-seEZxeWLD13cVGJs/s320/Sprinkled+Ssam.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383723598480676146" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Sprinkle this mixture of sugar and salt on the pork and put the whole thing back in the oven until the sugar has melted and turned a dark, caramel, crispy brown, 10 to 15 minutes more - tops. You might have to use the broiler, or if you want to play with fire use a blow torch to melt the sugar. Above is the sugar sprinkled over the nearly finished pork.<br /><br />Now after all your hard work... wait it wasn't that hard, was it? Your oven worked harder than you did. Anyway, now you're <span style="font-style: italic;">finally</span> ready for dinner. I'm serving this bo ssam pork with some Jasmine rice, red leaf lettuce, sliced cucumbers, sauteed shiitake mushrooms, kimchi, ginger-scallion sauce, and ssam sauce. Use tongs to pull apart the pork shoulder and mix and match the sauces, vegetables, and the pork, and eat it on folded lettuce leaves like tacos.<br /><br />The David Chang recipe invites raw oysters to the party, and while I'm always on board for raw oysters, the wife and our good friends (including one shellfish allergy) weren't going to have it. Of course, the dish was wonderful even without the bivalves.<br /><br />All of the recipes for the pork and the sauces can be found at various sites/blogs around the net, but I referred to <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/bo-ssam">Martha Stewart's site</a> most often because David Chang himself appeared on her show to demonstrate the recipe. A video can be found on the Martha Stewart site by clicking on the picture above the recipe. Enjoy this with your friends; I can tell you from experience they will like it! Below is the final product - a great Sunday dinner.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHJxZ2jS-wGwW-yTJO-LSUrg2wQ4_BvuJDP8ud_RsDgpcHHdtRUYJOMXWBU6MbcW4Bcd1DKHskZdrmW0gmMLAoolUif0gCS00KmJo81LraMBkqASAMS3hsYdqFrKt74OwZm63YVKyr1U/s1600-h/Finished+Bo+Ssam+Pork+Shoulder.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHJxZ2jS-wGwW-yTJO-LSUrg2wQ4_BvuJDP8ud_RsDgpcHHdtRUYJOMXWBU6MbcW4Bcd1DKHskZdrmW0gmMLAoolUif0gCS00KmJo81LraMBkqASAMS3hsYdqFrKt74OwZm63YVKyr1U/s400/Finished+Bo+Ssam+Pork+Shoulder.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383723744145815218" border="0" /></a>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-90212022384719137062009-09-10T21:45:00.000-04:002009-09-11T09:02:58.549-04:00New Word: "Cheftestant"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibivyFvzym6KpVGaj64h-vEyo5gD_nMhAQaVFTIQp_WOTJW44utmWJUYgtmVtz86P1fuZmDwnM1m0fN8enEvApRVFsPSXmoxMeXp9oe52d8Vr342bYBLHqesNRrzG5Urfa3iURsQEkK58/s1600-h/top+chef.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibivyFvzym6KpVGaj64h-vEyo5gD_nMhAQaVFTIQp_WOTJW44utmWJUYgtmVtz86P1fuZmDwnM1m0fN8enEvApRVFsPSXmoxMeXp9oe52d8Vr342bYBLHqesNRrzG5Urfa3iURsQEkK58/s400/top+chef.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380028076965543650" border="0" /></a><br />In the world of food TV (not to be confused with the now, mass market, blase Food Network) there is now a ridiculous new word: "cheftestant." This word will need to become part of your vocabulary if you want to talk to your friends/neighbors/coworkers about such TV shows as Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen. The word refers to the contestants on these chef reality shows, of which Top Chef is certainly my favorite.<br /><br />This newish season of Top Chef is especially fun because there are <del>three</del> two chefs from right here in Atlanta. Hector Santiago, chef & owner of Pura Vida was recently kicked off but there is still hope with Executive Chef Eli Kirshtein of Eno Restaurant and Wine Bar, and the powerhouse from Woodfire Grill, Executive Chef & Partner Kevin Gillespie. Check out the remaining Atlanta guys on Bravo TV, Wednesdays at 10:00 EST.Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-47237110456011202352009-08-29T21:26:00.000-04:002009-08-29T22:45:48.552-04:00Lobster Bowl<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbQSARn_UijAckpcmuKfL3BceJEdfvfTNKBzGp5Cs3YQdMCd1tw1QPua4QRj74_6yTnmQkeBHfBBnXFaQ3PpyxNT9CI97TJNRpriI_yQ9kno4SJU5uGrPlJeWLSeNwx0oRnjcYjbg24E/s1600-h/Lobster+Eye.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbQSARn_UijAckpcmuKfL3BceJEdfvfTNKBzGp5Cs3YQdMCd1tw1QPua4QRj74_6yTnmQkeBHfBBnXFaQ3PpyxNT9CI97TJNRpriI_yQ9kno4SJU5uGrPlJeWLSeNwx0oRnjcYjbg24E/s400/Lobster+Eye.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375568267458977874" border="0" /></a><br />For Liv's 30th birthday today (and my 31st birthday tomorrow) we decided to splurge for some lobster. As it turns out we didn't have to splurge much at all. This afternoon I went to our nearest <a href="http://www.hmart.com/ourstore/ourstore_main.asp">Super H Mart</a> to scope out the seafood/lobster selection and much to my very pleasant surprise they were having a one day sale (you'd think I was at Macy's) on lobster! I picked up a few of the big live bugs for only $<span style="font-weight: bold;">4.99</span> per pound. Incredible. At prices like that I felt at ease experimenting a bit tonight for dinner and I did an Asian-style lobster bowl with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashi">dashi broth</a>, <a href="http://www.hakubaku.com/">organic udon noodles</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobiko">tobiko</a> (flying fish roe), enokitake mushrooms, scallions, and baby bok choy. Dashi broth is kind of like the chicken stock of the Asian world. It is used often in all kinds of dishes and you have most certainly had it in miso soup.<br /><br />I steamed the lobsters over a bed of seaweed. Seaweed is very cheap and very easy to come by in any Asian grocery store. Steaming is a little cleaner than boiling them because you don't have to deal with large amounts of hot lobster-y water and steaming produces a better final product as well, in my opinion. I steam for 10 minutes per pound and these lobsters were all about 1 pound each. You can do the math.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzeevK0NUSgSoopZWP7bAbAn-7nRGn1d9GlinoSi8MJvHYQ61pOw9wvV9ATJ__t-lMDCkbIlB6Xlqr7VC6t9UvpJtBdBHM4Mq7qHTHwHJoXyCesI0hjXS8FQQsGXUFjCLgCvtTnkeOo4/s1600-h/Lobster+Cooked.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzeevK0NUSgSoopZWP7bAbAn-7nRGn1d9GlinoSi8MJvHYQ61pOw9wvV9ATJ__t-lMDCkbIlB6Xlqr7VC6t9UvpJtBdBHM4Mq7qHTHwHJoXyCesI0hjXS8FQQsGXUFjCLgCvtTnkeOo4/s400/Lobster+Cooked.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375568274040333314" border="0" /></a><br />After steaming I separated all the lobster meat from the sharp, menacing shells. Little bastards can give serious cuts sometimes! Fortunately I escaped with no bloodshed tonight.<br /><br />After the meat is removed from the shells and the shells are tossed in the trash, be sure and double or even triple bag your garbage. If you have never smelled shellfish stink after a few summer days in your hot garage... well... just take my word for it and double bag the garbage and seal it <span style="font-style: italic;">well</span>. After the cooked lobster is separated, you're free to do as you please; it is really quite a versatile protein.<br /><br />For our dish tonight I sauteed the bok choy with some scallion whites and garlic while the udon noodles boiled. At the last second I reheated the cooked lobster meat in the homemade dashi broth and when the noodles were done, everything was ready to be plated. I took the lobster knuckles and the little leg meat and placed it in the bottom of the bowl. On top of that came the noodles and then I ladled the dashi broth over everything. The tail meat, the claws, the enokitake mushrooms, the orange tobiko roe, and the bok choy were placed on top. A drizzle of sesame oil and some soy sauce if you please and you have a really nice dinner.<br /><br />We paired our lobster bowl with a <a href="http://store.consiliencewines.com/category/19">Grenache Blanc from Consilience</a>. The wine was recommeded by my good friend Lloyd Irving at Old Milton Package in Alpharetta.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLRC8wth0ci26aAjKxlQ7yb6eNo_KiKMAwvyN5ty9Plxnm21rnh1V-vBMTWrHY0ez3oTQ-YuGgj00wrK5Ug1jKaRD0dTw3J2NiWGhup3UJU_5MTDtRl3NCVBgmZN-ARVb_KnWTmLhBpg/s1600-h/Lobster+Bowl.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLRC8wth0ci26aAjKxlQ7yb6eNo_KiKMAwvyN5ty9Plxnm21rnh1V-vBMTWrHY0ez3oTQ-YuGgj00wrK5Ug1jKaRD0dTw3J2NiWGhup3UJU_5MTDtRl3NCVBgmZN-ARVb_KnWTmLhBpg/s400/Lobster+Bowl.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375568278027969794" border="0" /></a>Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997294056177994038.post-28525235920426998472009-08-22T21:00:00.000-04:002009-08-22T21:25:26.300-04:00Garden Time #4: ignitarious de mouthus<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAKBhxCT2QU1DndEmIqfQMztoskXi4ESNGdPvdUXg6EI-TZJ-DynfvIpaiVZHLfGCEZujybCKgewotc9-VWBbFpmkJskXSbAjVGTaUqH8NEN4rrlayDSoRWuMQFOjIyCXSvXucVMLJuA/s1600-h/chili+de+arbol.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAKBhxCT2QU1DndEmIqfQMztoskXi4ESNGdPvdUXg6EI-TZJ-DynfvIpaiVZHLfGCEZujybCKgewotc9-VWBbFpmkJskXSbAjVGTaUqH8NEN4rrlayDSoRWuMQFOjIyCXSvXucVMLJuA/s400/chili+de+arbol.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372963269082581442" border="0" /></a><br />I never took Latin in high school but if I did, I might know a better way to say "a hot pepper will singe your mouth." As it is, I'll stick to my best guess. <br /><br />Anyway, here's an update on our prolific chile de arbol plant. It was giving us so many little red fiery chiles I had to do something with them or else I would risk spoilage before I had a chance to use them all. I contemplated pickling, which is certainly an easy and a worthy thing to do with peppers of all kinds but it required more work than I wanted to do at the time. The next best solution was to dry them. I knew that de arbol chiles took well to drying so all I needed was a needle and thread. I simply picked the ripe chiles and strung a needle and thin thread through the stem end. It is as simple as that. These are hanging over our kitchen sink area but are well out of the way of daily chores. <br /><br />As you can see in the picture, the chiles are quite wrinkled already but they aren't quite dry enough to crush and crumble into a jar. When they are I will have my own jar of crushed red pepper for use in all kinds of dishes.Drew Kleinhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703082642480259064noreply@blogger.com1