A Soup A Week

broderic on November 24, 2019

Cooked another soup this afternoon. It’s a continuation from the last few weeks: soup on a Sunday to take to work for the first few days of the week. Today’s soup is lentil and sausage soup.

I made use of the beef stock I made last month. And the andouille sausage I had socked away in the freezer from some chili I had made a while ago. Also, I always have some lentil beans in the cupboard because I sort of like lentils.

In a 3 1/2 quart pot, I brown the sausages in a bit of olive oil. I sprinkle them with a bit of cayenne for some extra spiciness. Took them out then threw in onions and carrots to cook in the nice fond. Seasoned with salt and pepper then when they were cooked (about 5 minutes) I added some garlic. I’ve learned to put the garlic in after doing the first set of vegetables.

In goes the lentils and the sausage. Maybe next time the sausage goes in after 30 minutes. Bring to a boil and then knock it down to a simmer. After 30 minutes of simmering I threw in some zucchini. Simmered again for another 20 minutes. Done.

It wasn’t bad. I think it may get better as it soaks overnight.

Quote of the Day [11.20.19]

broderic on November 20, 2019 

I want nothing
I want nothing
I want no quid pro quo.
Tell Zellinksky
to do the
Right Thing.
This is the final word 
from the Pres.
of the U.S.

Donald Trump

Mizuki-maru!

broderic on November 13, 2019

Just thinking. This is why I follow idols. Yamashita Mizuki… she makes me happy.

Beef Broth or Beef Stock?

broderic on November 10, 2019

I usually make chicken stock. This weekend I’m trying beef stock for the first time.

Chicken stock seems to be more versatile. I’ve used it in all my soups even if it is in a beef-like French onion soup. It’s just easier to make a chicken stock, because it isn’t as intimidating. Buy chicken. Boil with some vegetables. What more?

Beef? It’s like figuring out what cut of meat to get. Rump? Roast? Sirloin? I don’t know. Yet, I now find out that get bones. BONES!

That’s simple. Get a cut with bones. Short ribs. Marrow bones. Ox tail. Ribs? Sure.

So the stock I’m making… stock? Or is it broth? What’s the diff?

I think broth is just the meat. Stock is broth made with other ingredients such as vegetables. I may be wrong, but I think that’s how I would describe them.

First, I roasted the beef bones I had. It was marrow and short ribs. I heated the oven to 450. Placed the meat on sheet pan, oiled up, salt and pepper then let it roast for 20 minutes.

When done, I put them in a pot and filled it up with 8 cups of water or until the meat is under water. Now, I should’ve washed the bones off with water because the blood would make the broth cloudy. Which is what was happening here. The scum was there, but the broth was getting cloudy. Will this make it terrible?

I planned to let this broth go for 12 hours. After I would add some leeks to make this a stock. It smelled great as a broth, but once the leeks went in, it lost its smell. And there was still scum to skim.

I was done this morning. I’m using it for a soup. It was good, not as beefy as I expected. I’m only going to get better at this. Hopefully.

Culinary Cuts

broderic on November 7, 2019

It seems that I made a decent dinner tonight, a pasta dish, shells in tomato sauce with whatevers-in-my-fridge. The whatevers is a half a breast of roasted chicken and some spinach. I think I did it well tonight!

First, I did what they called a mise-en-scene. I cut a quarter onion, diced a few cloves of garlic, washed and drained a handful of spinach, and scored a small pint of cherry tomatoes. I got the pot of water boiling and then started in a non-stick skillet the onions and garlic.

I put in more than usual olive oil for the onions and garlic. Once they were cooking, I threw in the cherry tomatoes and a squeeze of tomato paste. The chicken went in to het it up. I covered it all up and cooked them at a medium heat setting, stirring occasionally.

Seasoning? The standard: salt and fresh cracked black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and oregano. Salt it to taste. I thought I salted mine too much, but it turned out perfect. I guess its some of that cheese I grated into it later on.

When the shells were done, I drained them reserving some water to help along the sauce. I put the shells into the pan with the water and grated the cheese into the dish. Stirred and served.

Yumm-o!

I think I finally cracked that pasta dish. Most likely its the amount of oil I used. I also tried not to over cook or burn the onion or garlic which I was surprised that I didn’t.

If I get to repeat this recipe, then I’ll be happy.

Joker

broderic on November 2, 2019

Joker.

Again I find myself baffled at the accolades this one receives. I get it. It’s no MCU fun superhero romp. It’s dark. As dark as other DC movies have been. And yet these dark DC films always seem so ridiculous because of their attempt at the darkness. It’s like some goth girl telling you how dark her outlook on life is. You just got to laugh. Too earnest in darkness is just some funny adolescent shit.

It was fine. But still. The darkness.

3 of 5 stars.

IT Chapter Two

broderic on October 28, 2019

IT Chapter Two is a continuation of IT.

I didn’t know IT was a science fiction story.

IT wasn’t too scary. I did cover my eyes on a few occasions, but at the end I was wide-eyed staring wondering why I was frightened.

I guess clowns are scary.

3 of 5 stars.

Judy

broderic on October 23, 2019

I’m not the main audience for a film like Judy. I don’t think I was a fan of hers at all. And yet I found myself watching this biopic on a lazy Saturday afternoon in the fall. Must’ve been because I was dragged here by my mom. Seems that she’s a fan of Renee Zellwegger, who played Judy Garland, if not a fan of Judy Garland herself.

Judy details the last year of Judy Garland’s life as she had a show in London. It was a tumultuous time for her. Separated from her children. Working and busying herself at the show, but strung out on pills. She was far from being the star of the 40s and 50s. She was almost washed up. But she still had a show in London, and the gays loved her.

I thought Judy Garland died in her 50s. I found out later from the movie she died at the young age of 47. All throughout the film, I thought she was 50 some year old. I was shocked to see she was so young. The years were tough on her.

3 of 5 stars.