Homemade Unorthodox Stock

Before
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

What I Did Yesterday With All My Freezer Bones

Yesterday I made stock from all the bones in the freezer. They were starting to scare my boyfriend, with whom I happily cohabitate. I can't say that I blame him - he knows I'm not normal, but all those baggies of bones can raise the question of just how far off the beaten path I've gone.

Plus, it was deceiving. The freezer looked full, but it wasn't exactly full of things to thaw for dinner!

Genesis of My Decision to Save Bones in the Freezer

Over the past year or so, I started saving chicken bones in a freezer bag until there were enough to boil away for a few hours with some herbs, garlic, and onion ends (and carrots and celery if they are on hand). The results are amazing - far and above any of that canned, cubed, or boxed crap they sell on supermarket shelves. It's true what has been widely said in the 'foodie' community: water is better than store-bought imitation stock.

What I Did Differently This Time in My Stock-making

This time, I did something quite unorthodox. On a rather recent trip to Hong Meas, a Cambodian-influenced pan-Asian restaurant in East Providence which I frequent and love (and about which I've written before http://whatstepheats.blogspot.com/2008/10/hong-meas-combination-rice-noodle-soup_25.html), the lovely owner Sofia told me a secret of her magic broth. She uses not only chicken bones, but a combination of whatever meat bones she has on hand, which mostly includes pork.

This caused me to start saving pork bones from all the takeout bbq ribs we've been eating from United BBQ, which opened a couple of months ago and now delivers.

I understood the risks involved. This method could have made a stock that tasted like bbq, which obviously would not be good!

Results of My Unorthodox Stock-making Approach

But that didn't happen. What did happen was something wonderful, and something I would definitely do again. I think it's important for the chicken bones to outnumber the pork rib bones, and in this instance I felt some brightening was called for, which came in the form of fresh cilantro (mostly stems).

It can definitely be argued that I am certifiably nuts, but what cannot be argued is the quality of my stock results. I only wish I had as much command over the stock market as I do the stock pot!

Shrimp 'Pil-Pil'

Shrimp 'Pil Pil'
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

Just to prove to you people that our dinners consist of more than 'beef one thousand ways', here is an appetizer that made us very happy one recent evening.

I had made a run to Whole Foods on Waterman for some fish, and ended up buying some of the most delicate and flavorful cod ever, plus some of their lovely mustard-flavored panko crumbs. (What can I say, it's become a habit of mine. Habit and routine lead to a dull spirit, I agree with Mr. Samuel Beckett on this, but I cannot help falling over into that abyss every now and then...I am weak, and severely lacking in the self-discipline department, especially in snowy, cold winter. But I digress.)

Whole Foods also had an array of unusual-for-them whole fish, some cleaned and gutted, some not. There were gorgeous smelts, whole halibut, whole sea bass, whole grouper, and the rarely-seen-in-these-parts whole sardines!

But what jumped out at me and whispered sweet nothings in my ear were the fresh Maine shrimp. I'd had them before and remembered the briny - almost nutty - flavor, the tender texture, the taste of the crisp winter sea.
Plus, they were I think $3.99 a pound. So, I bought a pound, thinking I'd figure something out - maybe lunch for me? Maybe an appetizer for us?

My altruism took over and I decided to share. (The man even offered to help peel the little buggers! I think perhaps he didn't expect me to say yes to this offer, but say yes I did.)

Inspired at the 11th hour, I chopped some fresh garlic, mixed it with some chili oil that we'd saved from a recent Little Chopsticks delivery (they have the best hot oil, by the way...and homemade Chinese mustard, and it's so worth it to eat their food even though it makes you so bloated for at least 2 days...plus they are lightning-fast in their delivery and so so nice...but this is clearly fodder for another post), and popped the whole concoction under the broiler. They were done in no time at all.

I called it 'Pil-Pil' because when we were in Spain last May, every seafood appetizer that was garlicky and spicy (and usually shrimpy as well) was called Pil-Pil. The man got sick of it, but that was then. This is now. Try it, if you can.

You won't be disappointed.

Broiled Steak Tips

Broiled Steak Tips
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

We had this last night: broiled steak tips with garlic cloves and jalapenos; spinach and onion salad with feta; mashed potatoes; Jonathan Edwards Zin.

I guess it's rather boring, but it's simple to prepare and easy to clean up. With all this plumbing bullshit that's been going on this week and the frigid temperatures, I want comfort and ease, please!

Breakfast on a Snowy Sunday...

Breakfast on a Snowy Sunday
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

That was last week.

This Sunday, it feels like monsoon season here in Providence. It's nearly 60 degrees and windy, sort of rainy, cloudy (now dark!).

I have a 'thing' for mugs. I am completely in love with them and have collected quite a few favorites over the years! That said, I still drink out of my Taylor and Ng 'Le Lapin' rabbit orgy mug most mornings.
My grandmother gave me four of them years ago. I don't know if she knew what those bunnies were doing! (Who am I kidding? Of course she knew. The woman lived a jam-packed 81 years on this planet. She knew a lot more than she ever let on!)

This Gary Larson 'Midvale School for the Gifted' mug is a close second in the frequency-of-use department. Or perhaps it's a tie between this one and 'The Scream'. Either way, this is one of my favorites.

Maybe I will photograph my collection soon. Every now and then I will pull an oldie out from the recesses of my cupboard and I'm like a kid on Christmas, or a pig in shit!

The man has been working every day, and we've both been battling sinus issues, so things have been rather monotonous and subdued around here. Plus, the holiday season always throws me into this holding pattern where I have to think twice to even know what day it is.
I don't deal well with either monotony or subdued - or the holidays, it would appear!

Today was easy - too much football is on for it to be any other day but Sunday...

Big Fat Pillow for my Great Big Bed!

Great Big Bed
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

We got a ginormous Bob-o-pedic, and it's not bad! I suppse it's part of our collective holiday presents to ourselves - the other being a trip to Cozumel in February.

I can't tell which thrills me more! I've always been an instant gratification kind of gal, but this bed we bought from "Lucky" is (effectively) forever. I guess it's a win-win situation. Do those ever happen in my life anymore? Maybe you should reach out and pinch me...

The man sleeps better, and therefore so do I. Once his sinuses clear and he gets a day off, it will be a veritable nirvana around here.

(Oh, yeah, then there's the issue of the motherfucking smoke in my motherfucking condo; the issue of the holes in the crotches of all my favorite jeans; that of my constant puffiness of my ageing face; my sagging everything; the depressed economy and my depressed psyche, the heaviness of the holidays...)

"You just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again!"

That's my focus.

My First Picanha - Why We Love Casa Brasil

Dinner: December 16, 2008
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

As all three of my regular readers may know, the Dinnerman and I frequent a fantastic rodizio restaurant called Casa Brasil, just over the bridge in East Providence.

Owned by Joe and Rose Barros, the family-run Casa Brasil has been open since 2002, and a regular haunt of ours since 2004. They feature a plentiful hot and cold buffet (for sale by the pound to go if you want) and if you desire, the full-blown 'churrascaria' thing - that Brazilian display of pageantry where meats are carved onto your plate at your table until you flip your 2-sided spool from green to red.

The usual procession includes bacon-wrapped chicken, turkey, and sirloin; chicken wings; smoky kielbasa; pork loin; pork ribs; beef short ribs; big pieces of sirloin; something called 'flap meat'; garlic-rubbed tri-tip; and if you get lucky, rarities such as chicken hearts and home-made Brazilian sausage. But the star of the show, at least in the Dinnerman's mouth, are the big hunks of the Brazilian cut known as 'Picanha', which is not a common cut of beef in this country.

According to Wikipedia, Picanha is also known as 'rump cover' steak, and is considered quite a delicacy in South American countries, especially Brasil. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rump_cover

We go through phases with Casa Brasil - we can go for months without a single visit, but then we'll venture out for an early dinner one Sunday and we are hooked. Like true addicts, we then return each week. We dream about the meats, we can't take our minds off of them!

And the buffet! It offers the perfect sides to all that animal protein: the delicious and authentic feijoada; the tutu beans; the rice; the Brazilian salad of tomato, green pepper, and onion over which we have been instructed to sprinkle farofa (toasted manioc flour with crumbled bacon) - these are the perfect accompaniments to this hedonistic feast.

Joe is the front man - the jovial native of Rio de Janeiro who happily greets and informs his hungry customers. He has been known to bring us a dish of this or that, telling us how he made it, where he got the ingredients, how it should be eaten. Rose, his lovely and beautiful wife, is just as present and integral but not as overtly so. She creates many of the dishes on the buffet, and keeps everything running so smoothly. Their daughter Amy waits tables and is sweet as can be. And interestingly, their son Jason works at the same hospital as the Dinnerman, who sees him often. This is a solid family who pour themselves, heart and soul, into all they do. They are in the perfect location too, as East Providence has such a large population of Portuguese. At Casa Brasil, you hear more Portuguese than English.

Back to my point - not that I ever have a single one!

This past Sunday, per our prior request, Joe brought out 3 beautiful slabs of Picanha for us to take home and cook - complete with instructions and baggies full of just the right amount of salt and flour to execute the operation to perfection.

It could not have been more simple - one hour before roasting, I rubbed the gorgeous meat with salt from baggie number 1. Then, right before shoving into a 350 oven, I tossed the meat in flour. So simple - 45 minutes later, we had dinner.

Granted, my beans and rice don't compare to Rose's feijoada, and I don't think I've ever seen brussel sprouts at Casa Brasil. But the man and I were so damn happy with that Picanha!

Thanks, Joe! And happy birthday to Rose (yesterday, December 18th, was her 50th, but she looks younger than my 35 years). I hope Joe was able to fulfill his desire of getting her drunk. He makes the best Caipirinhas, so I don't know how he could have failed...

Go to Casa Brasil. If you appreciate meat and family, you'll love it. And seriously, the Caipirinhas can't be beat. They have the perfect balance of sour to sweet. I abhor drinks that play to the idea that the American palate sways toward the overly sweet. These are not that way. They are great.

We'll see you there on Sunday.

Casa Brasil
545 North Broadway
East Providence, RI 02914
(401) 434-8500

My Casa Brasil pics on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21569696@N07/sets/72157606892082954/

Jumping on the Bed

Jumping on the Bed
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

I was going to wear this dress for last week's party, but it was too cold, and my boobs were too big.

No, I'm not pregnant.
Yes, I am crazy.

Cod with Pesto and Mustard Panko Crust

Cod with Pesto and Mustard Panko Crust
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

I made this for dinner the other night. I went to Whole Foods early in the morning in the driving rain - so early that not all the fish was out yet. The cod looked fantastic, though, so it was a no-brainer.

I've become such an afficionado of this fish-cooking process. At Whole Foods, there is a display of flavored panko crumbs and spice rubs at the fish counter. One day, the fish guy suggested that I rub pesto on the fish and then top it with some crumbs. He said the mustard flavored crumbs went well with cod. The first time, I didn't listen and bought the pistachio crumbs - I'm such a rebel. Without a cause. Scratch that. I have a cause. More than one, actually. But I digress...

The pistachio/pesto combo was fabulous. This time, I tried the mustard, which was good too. But I must say I prefer the pistachio.

Try this! The potential combinations of fish and panko crumbs are multitudinous, and it's such an easy thing to do!


(Apologies, folks, for the disjointed nature of this post and the angry nature of last night's. Tonight there are 2 rather intoxicated people in the room who will not stop talking to me, and last night I was the drunk person experiencing an unfair, unpleasant, over-a-year-long-now scourge and it was the 'biggest' full moon. I guess that means it was the closest full moon, as I can't imagine that the size of our lovely satellite has changed...)

Bienvenidos a Motherfucking Rhode Island...

It is unbelievable how this can go on - a cigar bar in a residential building? Where I smell this acrid fucking stench 24/7 in my residence? Where I breathe in toxic fumes as I sleep at night?

Welcome to fucking Rhode Island. Breathe at your own risk. Oh, and go fuck yourself too. That is, unless you know somebody...

I hate it here.

To you City Officials, and the embarrassingly impotent, defiant, and self-righteous RI State Department of Health - all you assholes have blood on your hands. May you never get a good night's sleep - ever again.

I will never, ever let this go.

Angry Pork Chops

Dinner: December 10, 2008
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

I've been pretty uninspired of late. This is no doubt in part related to the cold, the rain, and the darkness that falls earlier each night.
I'm sure it's also because of the situation in my condo building involving a certain business that fills our halls (and homes, in our case) with acrid cigar smoke each night. But I digress...

The pork chop moniker comes from the party we had last Saturday night. We'd picked up the catering, laid out the booze, and everything was all set to go. That is, until Kenny came by and said that we needed to put out some nuts or some chips or something. This, of course, was something I had suggested as well, but, you know how it goes.
So, I furiously popped pan after pan of popcorn, and instead of just a sprinkle of kosher salt, doused it with curry powder and cayenne pepper! Angry popcorn was born. A mistake? Maybe. Will I do it again? Probably not. Did it work on the popcorn? Not really.

But it worked just fine on pork!

Hope your week has been less angry than mine.

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts

Dinner: November 12, 2008
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

This is a very simple meal, of which I make a version most weeks.
Sometimes I use a whole chicken, but this time I just did breasts.

I rub kosher salt into the chicken several hours before cooking and let it sit in the fridge as I find this makes the meat tender and the skin crisper.

I've begun to roast brussel sprouts, garlic, and cubed potatoes ahead of time so I can haul my butt to the gym and not have to rush to get everything done when I get home. I just douse them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and throw them in a 375 degree oven until they start to brown. The brussel sprouts tend to brown more quickly than the potatoes so I use separate pans - unlike when I roast potatoes with carrots, for example.

The chicken gets a quick pass under the broiler until the skin starts to brown, and then I turn the oven to 375 for about 20 minutes or until done.

Simple! I usually serve this meal with a salad including bitter greens, red onion, and sheep's milk feta.

Plan B

Dinner: November 13, 2008?
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

Look at what we will be nibbling on for a while!

This was so easy it doesn't really warrant instructions. Rub kosher salt into a 2-3 lb pork loin roast. Let sit in fridge all day. Wrap with bacon and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in a 375 degree oven (I used the convection setting).

I left it in for approximately 45 minutes, then let it rest for about the same amount of time before cutting into it. The center was a little pink, which I love, but freaks some people out (including one who lives with me). Those people can eat the ends!

Winner, Winner, Chicken (Liver) Dinner!

Dinner: November 13, 2008
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

I've been lacking confidence in everything about myself all week - especially my cooking ability. The title of this post is really stupid, too, I think.
In reality, everything I've made has been delicious: the oven-roasted salmon, the asparagus, the roast chicken, the potatoes and brussel sprouts.

But that didn't stop me from worrying yesterday about my first attempt at chicken liver ragu - so much that I cooked a bacon-wrapped pork roast as a backup!

The ragu over pappardelle was delicious, by the way, and very easy to do. I think cleaning the livers was the hardest part; it was not straightforward to me exactly what needed to be cut away.

Whatever I did worked, and that's all that matters in the end I suppose.

To make this, I took a pint-sized container of chicken livers and cleaned them. One of the livers had the gall bladder still attached, which had to be removed. I trimmed the shmutz and blood vessels and hard things off the liver lobes as best as I could. I was struck at the variation among the different livers in size, texture, color - everything.

Anyway, then I sauteed the livers in olive oil with some minced garlic and onion, salt and pepper until they were no longer raw-looking.
I added a splash of red vermouth and a splash of dry red wine and simmered for a couple of minutes. Then I cheated by dumping in a quart of my meat sauce I had thawed from my freezer stash. I suppose it's not really cheating; I'd made that meat gravy from scratch. It just seemed too easy. I then simmered the concoction for about a half hour. It smelled so rich and delicious and tasted even better!

I wanted to make this with dried porcini mushrooms and not have it so tomato saucy. But my man has both an issue with mushrooms and a strong affection for pasta with red sauce, so, you know, I have to please my audience! He's a customer who is worth keeping satisfied, for sure.

Don't be afraid of liver!

Pistachio-crusted Cod

Dinner: November 6, 2008
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

I made this for dinner last Thursday. Originally I had meatloaf planned for that night, but the rainy warmth called out to me for something less 'cold-weather hearty'. Plus, the man was feeling bloated, he said, and we really haven't been eating as much fish as I like to.
This couldn't have been more simple. I approached the fish counter at Whole Foods and asked for a couple fillets of cod. As I was perusing the selection of seasoned panko crumbs next to the seafood case, the fish guy said that the mustard variety went well with cod. But they were out of that flavor, and I already had the pistachio panko in my hands. He said a customer reported that the pistachio crumbs went especially well on fish with a layer of pesto underneath, so our dinner fate was sealed in that instant.

It could not have been more simple. I simply placed the cod in a foil-lined baking sheet, salted and peppered it lightly, then spread it with a thin layer of store-bought pesto, and sprinkled with the crumbs. Into the oven it went - convection set to 375 - until it looked done. (Sorry about that, maybe 20 minutes? I use my senses and not the clock to cook.)

Meanwhile, I made a pot of brown rice. I sauteed garlic, a shallot, and a jalapeno in some olive oil until it started to brown ever so slightly. I then added a splash of cider vinegar, some home-made chicken stock, and the brown rice. This simmered away for a while, and when it was almost done I threw in a drained and rinsed can of black beans.

The broccoli was simply steamed.

This entire meal was ready in well under a half hour with minimal prep work. It was light but filling, and the leftovers tasted great the following day!

I can't take full credit for the pesto-pistachio combo, but that's what it's all about - the give and take of bits and pieces that lead to the creation of your own thing - in cooking and in life!

Fried Egg with Pesto

Fried egg w/pesto...
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

Just thought I'd offer you a view of what I ate this morning, on top of some leftover brown rice and black beans.

In other news, my abs are really sore from taking a Pilates class last night - my first one in months. I used to go 4 times a week, but seem to have replaced that with spinning of late.

I do love the burn, however.

Hope you all are having a fantastic Friday and enjoying the brilliant orange maple leaves as much as I am.