Fyooooshun.

Talk about fusion:

Here's some Asian honey glazed ribs accompanied by a prawn infused goat cheese Mornay sauce pasta.
To tell the truth, not sure how I made it (Keith Floyd influenced dish) but will give it another shot and record the moments. The sweet and tartness of the ribs sit well with the sublime smooth creaminess of the Farfalle (I used Farfelle or bow ties to hold the sauce but I'm sure other pastas work).

Well, here goes, I think.

Marinade for ribs:

'Platinum' Soy Sauce (platinum is slightly sweeter and richer than normal - for a decent price too).
Grated Ginger
Garls
Ramps - chopped (in season only in April and some of May. If not - green onion or shallots)
Sushi Vinegar
Honey
Cumin
Coriander or Cilantro stalks - finely chopped
Wine

Marinade overnight if poss. As usual, amounts are not included so just eyeball it. I always, I alwa, I alwa, I always (© The Common Man) love to eyeball the amounts as that way it's kind of more free-spirited and towards art and creativity rather than physics and mathematics.

Anyroad up, the pasta. Farfelle holds cream sauces very well so that and or Penne will work. However, Linguini, Spaghetti and the long pastas are always fun (see Lady and the Tramp).

Make a Roux (does that have an 'X'?) with butter and flour and some cream or milk.
Usually Mornay is with Gruyère and Parm but I used Goat cheese and Parm. I think pretty much any cheese that melts and naps will do. You can buyPrawn paste only from IKEA, so go there, buy it and add to sauce. Alternatively, finely chop some Greenlanders and add. Take the pasta out earlier than normal because then you will turn it with the sauce on a medium heat for a few.

Meanwhile the ribs have been tightly packed in Aluminium (yes there is a second 'i' in that. How lazy can a language get when it takes one letter out of a word that pretty much reduces the pronunciation by about 1/3 of a syllable?). Let's say it people, "Al-oo-min-i-um". Well done, well done indeed. Now we'll move on to 'herbs' because it's got f&*^ing 'h' in it.

Anyroad, for the last 20 mins or so... oh by the way, the ribs have been in for about an hour and a half on 3 fiddy (maybe you should have read this backwards). Open up the foil and finish on 4 or 4 fiddy for the last 20. Let sit. I like a bit of Sri Racha on top of mine.

Cheers. Oh, these go great with Tiger beer - a sweet Indian lager, about $7.99 a six pack.

Love, Xtoff.

Mixteca-no Mixteca

A few months ago, or years, I went to this Mexican eating establishment next door to my favourite curry house (Kabobs on 76th and Portland). The name of the place is Mixteca, I think it means mistake. Actually, I have no idea and usually, I am curious and would look up what this means but feel, on this occasion, just leave it alone. Mixteca is no Mistaka. The best authentic Mexican in town, easy.

I used to get take out, but one day, last year, Johnny Hockeypants and I went to eat in. What greeted us this time was a great picture of a yeeeewge sammy - the Torta Cubano! There was violins, harps and a choir singing as we gazed at this pictures gastronomic potential. We both ordered one immediately. Watching the cook make it was an experience in itself. The owner looked over her shoulder and barked at her to do it right (correction: maybe barked, because it was in Mexican. He was 'telling' her something). Like grilling:

Several Chorizo sosijiz, a fried egg, seasoned chicken scallopini, cured ham, queso fresco, cilantro, lettuce, pico de gallo, pickled onions, sliced habeñeros, mayo and ranchero sauce and stuffing this in a large Cuban Bap, was doing it the 'wrong way'.

We enjoyed our meal immensely. A very large sammer that titillates the tastebuds and reminds you that, "Oh Yeh, I forgot, I eat for pleasure of palate - fuck subway". 'Scuse the language but this sammy can turn you into a God. Ask Johnno.

So, we have been back a few times. The Tacos, Burritos etc... are all brilliant, made to order bundles of bounteous, sexy future Boluses, or is it Boli? Today I had the three taco plate (Threw in a pork Tamale for good measure). I included Barbacoa, Pollo Verde and a gorgeous Carnitas Triumverate. See first pic. Johnno actually picked his carnitas Burrito up and refused to place it back on the plate. He went to put it down for a breather and it was gone? Copperfield would've been proud. this was all before we even go tot he table. A true Warrior.



Then, our Pals Bry and Todd went for (their second visit) the Torta Cubano. This one was special. Todd's adrenaline helped him demolish his in maybe three breaths. Bryan's was perfectly executed and I had the honour of sitting next to the sandwich at the time. Doesn't matter what you are eating, you are always jealous of someone with a Torta Cubano in their hands. Second pic. Oh mIxteca is right by Fantasy Gifts, so you'll probably have no trouble finiding it. Say no more.

Bout time for a new blog.

I haven't blogged for so long, I forgot how to post a blog... until now.

My brother entered us into the Wayzata community Chili making competition. Unfortunately his daughter Sophie Rae came down with a fever pretty much leaving me to concoct this dish at me Ma's house in Wayzata.

It's funny, a dish can sometimes, unrelentingly, reflect exactly what is going on around it as it is being created. This was a prime example:

I have cooked many different 'Chili Con Carne's' in my life but had not done one for a while. When I lived with Ali in Northampton we would cook a chili which was more like a bolognaise - a Chilinaise, if you will, as it were... Beans, ground beef onions, peppers, garlic, garlic, wine salt pepper, tom paste, more wine (of the Hirondelle vineyard nature). Anyway, we wanted to change it up so I bought 5lbs of beautiful short rib meat from the Wedge - locally raised, organic etc... Wasn't sure about timetable but showed up early afternoon and we went to shop for the rest of the grub. Ali and Mum had to leave at 430 to go to some soup party(?). This left me alone, at Mum's, kind of not in the frame of mind to cook this chili as my mind eye had seen a different set of circumstances. However, I got to the task at hand:

First, braise the meat in wine (a cheap valpolicella if you can find one), we used Franzia in honour of Jodge. Add salt, pepper, garlic, star anise, myrtle leaves, cumin, finely chopped coriander stems, and leave to braise for a hour or so, stirring occasionally so it doesn't take. I used a Balti style pot which worked very well for the heat disbursement. Chop onions, red peppers, hot chili peppers, and sauté in separate pot with butter and garlic. This is where I add the chili powder, couple of heaped tbspns. I also added extra ground meat to this portion for depth. Anyroad, long one short, I plopped it all together and started watching Mum's only dvd in the house (besides Oliver's Travels), Mary Queen Of Scots with Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson. G and T's were introduced a this point (not a great idea). They still weren't back and I, along with the Chili felt discombobulated. This is where the Chili was taking on my frame of mind, karma, psyche, mataphysicality... ness. I added black beans. They disappeared into the void of what the chili had become. I was getting too close to the chili. I added balsamic for a bit more sweetness, then some Garbanzo beans. Ali and Mum arrived later and I discussed how I really wasn't sure about the chili. They seemed to like it though, so I trusted their opinion. Anyway, gin is always bad for the taste buds. I felt a bit better about the chil.

Next day - the day of the comp rolls around and we're all running around like blue-arsed flies. I go home, get changed and then realize I wasted a lot of time in doing so. Who the hell needs to get changed for a chili competition? Kaz was running around getting Sophie's medication and the drugstore was giving her all kinds of trouble. So Ma, Ali and I made it down to the pond hockey championships and the great chili competition. I did feel better about the chili and actually it didn't taste too bad. Sweet, spicy, complex and a perfect reflection of my evening's feelings: flustered and unfocused. All along I was thinking about friends, their lives, Ali having to depart from the chili, Mary Queen Of Scots... a disjointed mind stream with too many plots - just like the chili.

We had fun. There were quite a few entrants. It was nice to hang out and watch all the (ex) hockey players, posturing, trying to look tuff, a glint of 'what they could have been' in each eye, a couple of lost teeth...

Our chili came third. It kind of made me feel better about the chili's life. My life. My family. My friends. How a dish can grab hold of you and command you, but factors like love, family, community, a decent pot and Mary Queen Of Scots can overcome and become a 'part' of the dish and it's persona.

I saved a bowl for Kathryn, she was taking her Mum to the Mayo. I hope she gets the bowl before it's too late. That chili took on many persona's through it's life. Her bowl is its swan song, it's final reminder to me of what a great crowd my family and friends are.

I won't forget that chili.

Chicken Bolognese Pie

A Sunday night classic. Add football, a brand new HD large screen, a coupla brews and Bob's yer Auntie's live in lover.

There are several ways to make a Bolognese, the original with Mirepoix, the English ground beef, wine onions, green peppers and garlic, the US'ian, tomato sauce and ground beef (they call this spaghetti sauce) and then any variant you may choose. Mine is this original version, sans mushrooms (too many people don't like shrooms, weird?) and utilizing chicken instead:

2lbs Chix thighs

Anchovy paste or sea salt and pepper

Rice vinegar

One sweet yell onion

2 Tblsps of: Tarragon, basil, sweet marjoram and Thyme

4 Cloves of garlic

1 Crescent roll original flattened out because I am no pastry chef and this works great, it's light and easy to work with

Tomato sauce, strained and paste

Butter to rub on top of pastry

Wine, some for you and some for the bol

Parmesan cheese, add as you simmer

Honey

Cream add at end

Marinade chicken in oil, salt (or anchovy paste), pepper, garlic and rice vinegar.

Sauté onions and garlic, in butter and EVOO and add one tblspn of each herb, salt and pepper. You may add some beer if you have some PBR left in the fridge that you could not choke down and only purchased because one of your friends likes it, to help caramelize. Add chicken, brown, simmer, uncovered for tennish.

Add tom paste, sauce and a little or lot of wine. Simmer for 15 mins to reduce. Add parmesan cheese whenever you want (remember this is salty too). Add rest of herbs, simmer, more cheese for about 20 mins.

Take off heat and cool a bit. Take baking tray, pour bol into tray and add cream, stir until folded in. Place flattened Crescent rolls on top, brush generously with butter, put in oven at 375 degrees for about 20-25 mins. I go 20 because I like the pastry to be a bit soft/guey like a steak and kidney pudding from Yorkshire.

Alright, last night I went to Wholefoods to pick up some ground veal, thyme etc... not sure what i was going to do but anyroad, they had no ground veal. Huh. it's veal season, grind that chuck.

So, instead I picked up some ground chicken, thyme, basil, cream, garlic, honey, HDP, rice vinegar, balsamic, tomatoes, black pepper, anchovy paste and some freshly baked baguettes. Tha tis my round about way of roviding the recipé of what was concocted last night.

Heat some oil with Ghee, oh yeh and I acquired some Ghee, garlic pepper and anchovy paste (or salt if yer a ponce). Brown the ground, add thyme and onions, oh yeh, I also acquired some sweet onions or shallots (cue my bro', inside joke) and the basil. Stir until slightly browned. Add the honey, put the oven on three fiddy, chop the tommys, slice the bread and take out most of the dough. Pour the cream in and stir on high for a minute. Turn stovetop off. Let rest. Shlurp wine. Oh yeh, I add wine with the cream. Ten mins later spoon the ingredes into the bread receptacles and top with slices of Fontina cheese, oh yeh... I already had that. Bake in oven for about 20 mins. Eyeball/try to see if more or less.

Anyroad, I did not manage to take a picture of this dish, so here's a pic of a bolognese I did a couple of nights ago.

Cheers, Andre (for today).

Captain Xtoff's first blog, stirdate October 29th 2009

Well, here it is. My first ever blog, ever. I'm going to start with a curry. A very good place to start.

It's a well known fact, sonny Jim, or not, that the best curries come from England. Seriously, ask any Indian or Pakistani that lives in the Leeds/Bradford area or the beautiful city of Birmingham (armpit of Britain. If Britain were to have an enema, they would shove it in Birmingham).

Anyroad, long story short. Back in the day, Britain owned India (and some other countries that did not have flags too). India was poor. Curry spice was the country's main food flavour enhancer (side note: The Flavour Crystals are awesome). It was added to enhance the flavour of the mostly boring vegetables available to the Indian culture i.e. lentils, cauliflower, potato (aloo) and pretty much their only meat, mutton, to name a few. Well, since they all became 'British', the people went over to the North of England and worked in the Woollen Mills (no jobs back in India). They started earning more money and were able to afford meats indigenous to their adopted country; chicken, shrimp, 'shrooms, lamb and such became integrated into the curry culture (along with Garam Masala - that's for another thyme. Yes, I spelled that that way on purpose, it's a food blog). Anyroad, hey presto, good, tasty, meaty, creamy and bright curries became the norm. So, now you have it. The best and tastiest curries are from the north of Ingerlund. So, in the famous words of Blue Peter, "Here's one I prepared earlier". This was created in Colly with ma Cuz's.

Until next time, Cheers - Xtoff