Food

Beef Tongue

/ hsoi / 4 Comments

I tried beef tongue for the first time last night.

I liked it.

Good friends of ours introduced us to a restaurant called Taqueria Arandas. They rave about the place, and we went there for the first time this past weekend. It was th3 aw3som3 (and cheap! for a family of 5, my budget can appreciate this place!). Went back last night. Any time I try a new place I like to order various things to sample how they do stuff. Wife wanted their posole but it’s a weekend-only thing, so she got their caldo (mmmmm; the broth was heavenly). I opted to try a combo plate with their beef fajita meat and well… why not… I tried beef tongue.

In college I dated a girl who told me how as a kid she used to eat beef tongue sandwiches all the time and loved it. But you know… like my kids said “I don’t want to eat something that can taste me back”. 🙂 Recently a lot of my friends have been talking about beef tongue, especially when it’s prepared Mexican-style. So I figured why the hell not… try it. Life’s short. What’s the worst that could happen? I could not like it, and life moves on.

But it was good!

Tastes… well… like beef! The texture is a little different, a little smoother than muscle-flesh. Sure, I was a little off-put when I examined one piece and saw “taste buds”, but hell, it’s a tongue. The flavor was fine! Older 2 kiddos didn’t want to try it, but Youngest is adventurous and tried it… a little unsure at first, but after he ate a piece he shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal and tasted fine to him.

Really. I dig it. Now of course, I might have just dug how it was prepared, so I’m not ready to generally state that I dig it. I mean, I tried cabrito once and half-liked it, but as I look back I think that maybe it was the way they prepared it because it wasn’t bad but something in my head kept saying “no”. Need to try it more.

Just fun to explore life because hey… life’s short. Get the most out of it that you can, while you can. 🙂

Exploring rum

/ hsoi / 5 Comments

Beer. Wine. Liquor.

I prefer beer.

Some years ago I was at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference, and over dinner with a few co-workers — one of whom was well-versed in wine — I started to try out wine in a more serious mode. I came to appreciate it, and since then certainly enjoy exploring the world of wine. I like going to local Texas wineries, some of which produce good stuff, and sampling the wares. Once the weather warms up, I’m wanting to do winery excursions with Wife… pick a local one, drive out, sample, explore, enjoy. Something for us to do together. BTW, there are some red wines that Costco/Kirkland produces… run in the $20-$30 range. I’m pleasantly surprised at their quality.

But I’m still not that into liquor. Oh sure, I like some good mixed drinks. Bloody Mary’s I dig. I can go with Kahlua and Cream. A good margarita on the rocks. And then a few years ago I tried a mojito and loved it. Then… there was the time I tried a martini. Sure, the gin smelled really good to the nose, but drinking it tasted like turpentine. I just can’t do the “sippin'” thing. Maybe I haven’t been properly schooled.

I blame the mojito tho. I really like it, but any time I try to get one made for me it always comes out terrible. So I figure, if I want satisfaction, I’ll have to do it myself. Plus, I’ve kinda always enjoyed rum-based drinks for whatever reason. A simple Rum & Coke is a wonderful thing. So I finally got off my duff and figured it’s time to explore rum.

Trouble was, I did it on a whim and without any proper research I had no idea what on the shelf to buy. No, not going to bother with Bacardi. But thankfully I had my iPhone with me and stood in the aisle and researched a bit. A lot of positive feedback came for Flor de Caña, so I thought to try it out. I picked up a fifth of their 4 year old gold. I found that mixed very nicely. Right now, my mixing is rather limited: Coke, orange juice, apple juice, or just having it neat or on the rocks. It was alright. I found it mixed nicely with the Coke.

Since this is about exploration, next time to the store I picked up 3 bottles: Captain Morgan, just the original variety; Flor de Caña’s 7 year (originally I wanted to try their 12 year, but the store didn’t have it… they had 18 but I figure let’s start with 7 and work my way up… especially given how expensive the 18 year was); and finally Appleton Estate V/X.  I’ve been trying them all in the same way, e.g. have them all in the same amounts with Coke, or with OJ or whatever.

The Flor 7 is probably the most “sippin'” of them all, but I just find myself not liking it. Maybe it’s my n00b palate. As if this writing, I haven’t mixed it much, but we’ll see. I was amazingly surprised to see how well the Captain Morgan blended in apple juice…. it was like they were made for each other. Fantastic taste.

But what hit me the most so far has been the Appleton. First, the smell of it stood out… way out. The scent of molasses really hit me, in a positive way. It smelled just delicious. But when I tried it straight, it was… harsh. As I let the burn die down, what was left on my tongue tho I really appreciated. I can’t describe it adequately enough, but I found myself going back and trying it again… and again. It was most interesting. And mixing it has turned out to be pleasant, and certainly it stands out differently in flavor from all others I’ve tried so far. Next up, I am going to try more Appleton, probably their Reserve…work my way up.

Anyways, it’s fun to explore what life has to offer. Don’t know where this journey will take me, but I’m sure it’ll be a fun one.

Updated: From a friend of mine, and recording it here in case I forget….

I recently discovered the Dark and Stormy. A cocktail with Ginger Beer, lime juice, and dark rum. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_’N’_Stormy) Really tasty. I recommend you give it a spin…

PS: Don’t waste the really good (ie: expensive) stuff on cocktails. You can get by with Whalers or Meyers.

It sounds good. I bet Spec’s will have good ginger beer’s.

Meyers is another I wish to try.

And for the record, I had some apple juice with the Appleton V/X. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t have that same “natural pairing” taste that the Capt. Morgan’s did.

Beer and donuts

/ hsoi

Ever had beer and donuts for breakfast?

My father-in-law and his brother were telling me about it. They learned of it from some German guy some long long time ago, and suggested I give it a try. So while on vacation a few weeks ago I tried it.

It has to be simple. No fancy donuts, no fancy beer. It was just a plain old glazed donut and a Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Damn if it wasn’t good.

You’ll just have to try it for yourself.

No, I won’t make a habit out of it (haven’t had it since that initial trial), but every so often, why not? It tastes pretty darn good.

The pork has been smoked

/ hsoi / 3 Comments

This morning I took care of the hog I shot a few days ago. Drained the ice water, brought the quarters inside, trimmed and cleaned things up. Since I’m taking the week off work, it was a perfect day to put something on the smoker for numerous hours. So I did.

I took both shoulders, cleaned them up, and put some Special Shit rub on them. Got the smoker going, initially with briquets but then went all oak wood once things got started. Temperature range was 250Âş to 350Âş… a bit of a wider swing that I wanted, but I’m still learning this smoker. It was mostly on the lower end of things, but the occasional 300Âş+ spikes. As soon as the smoker temperature stabilized, put the foil-wrapped shoulders on the grate. I opened the foil a bit for the first hour to ensure a good initial smoke. After the first hour I then mopped both shoulders with some apple cider vinegar and onion (each shoulder got half a yellow onion, sliced and broken apart). Sealed the foil up mostly tight… I want smoke to get in there, but retain as much moisture as I can. After a couple of hours I see one shoulder has less moisture than is desirable, so I baste both shoulders in half a bottle of Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Reseal the foil. After about 6 hours it’s evident the pork is done. I pull it off the smoker, leave it sealed until it cools enough to be handled by bare hands. Pull the meat off the bones, and all is good.

I even fixed a small plate for Sasha.

I think she was unsure of the rub spices, so I took the meat and ran some water over it to wash off the spices. She seemed to like it better. 🙂

If I do anything different next time, it’d be ensuring more moisture retention. One shoulder was great, the other wasn’t… there was a foil puncture due to the bone and while I tried to seal things up I think it wasn’t good enough (and I was out of foil). Still, that shoulder turned out fine, and it shows the key to the long smoke of lean meats is moisture retention.

Anyways, everyone seems pleased with how the pork turned out. So I guess it’s time for a beer and some pork tacos. 🙂

Twinkie Diet

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

A professor of human nutrition goes on a 10 week diet of eating Twinkies and other junk food.

Clearly eating all that unhealthy junk food should have made him balloon out and become obese, right? That’s “conventional wisdom”, right?

He lost 27 lbs.

For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too.
[…]
Two-thirds of his total intake came from junk food. He also took a multivitamin pill and drank a protein shake daily. And he ate vegetables, typically a can of green beans or three to four celery stalks.

So why did he lose weight? It’s all a matter of calories. If you take in fewer calories than your body burns in a day, the body has to find reserves somewhere to burn… so off goes that fat from your middle. It’s simple math. Haub did this to make the point that weight loss is a matter of calories, not necessarily perceived nutritional value of food.

But you might expect other indicators of health would have suffered. Not so.

Haub’s “bad” cholesterol, or LDL, dropped 20 percent and his “good” cholesterol, or HDL, increased by 20 percent. He reduced the level of triglycerides, which are a form of fat, by 39 percent.

“That’s where the head scratching comes,” Haub said. “What does that mean? Does that mean I’m healthier? Or does it mean how we define health from a biology standpoint, that we’re missing something?”

Despite his temporary success, Haub does not recommend replicating his snack-centric diet.

“I’m not geared to say this is a good thing to do,” he said. “I’m stuck in the middle. I guess that’s the frustrating part. I can’t give a concrete answer. There’s not enough information to do that.”

So before we all jump on the junk food diet, note this isn’t the new fad to try for weight loss. It’s merely a demonstration of calorie reduction. That’s why my current “up day down day” is working quite well. I have changed NOTHING about my diet other than portion size. I’m down almost 15# since I started.

Before his Twinkie diet, he tried to eat a healthy diet that included whole grains, dietary fiber, berries and bananas, vegetables and occasional treats like pizza.

“There seems to be a disconnect between eating healthy and being healthy,” Haub said. “It may not be the same. I was eating healthier, but I wasn’t healthy. I was eating too much.”

That’s something that I’ve long maintained, it’s not so much WHAT we eat but how much. People want to blame “bad foods” and force that we only eat “good foods” to help combat the “obesity epidemic”. But folks, if you eat a vat of yogurt, if you eat a bushel of apples, if you drink a gallon of milk, if you consume tons of “healthful food” you’re still going to get fat. It’s all about calories and portion control. You have to learn when to put the fork down, to push the plate away and say enough. I know it’s easier said than done, but that’s really all it comes down to — when it comes to battling obesity. Good nutrition is another topic.

“I wish I could say the outcomes are unhealthy. I wish I could say it’s healthy. I’m not confident enough in doing that. That frustrates a lot of people. One side says it’s irresponsible. It is unhealthy, but the data doesn’t say that.”

But we need more data.

Bottom line? It’s simple. If you want to lose weight, consume fewer calories than you burn off. You can eat less, you can increase your calorie burn, you can do both. It’s that simple.

Meat

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Dropped off the doe parts at Johnny G’s. Yielded about 63# of parts (meat and bones). Not a lot, really, but that one doe was pretty small. Getting backstraps cleaned up, roasts, a few ham steaks, the rest ground 90/10. If I want more venison to last through the year, I’m going to need to go back out and bag a couple more.

While at Johnny G’s I ordered one of their freezer packs. Good variety of meat, better quality, about the same price as at the grocery store. Their bacon is awesome. Also picked up an extra pound of bacon. Took some venison backstraps from last year out of the freezer (vac packed, so they will last longer in the freezer) and this weekend I’ll wrap ’em in bacon and put them on the smoker. Need to find a good marinade.

Wife and I surveyed the freezer this morning. It’s getting empty, so we figure once deer season is over and the butcher can handle it, we’re going to get a cow from Storm Ranch and have it fully processed. A full cow should last us a good long while… year at least, depending how much beef Wife wants to cook for me. 🙂  It’s a little more expensive than buying at the grocery store, but it’ll be hormone free, grass fed, aged, processed just like I want (e.g. thick steaks). It will be awesome. Never hand-picked my beef before… this’ll be a new experience.

And to think…. about 13 years ago I tried a vegetarian diet.

The know what’s best, part deux

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

Continuing from my previous post, this MSNBC article discusses it further.

The decision of San Francisco city officials Tuesday to crack down on restaurant meals that include free toys unless they meet particular nutritional guidelines is — depending on whom you ask — either taking away a parents’ right to choose what to feed their children, as some msnbc.com readers have commented, or a gift to frazzled parents up against a massive marketing machine.

What it most likely isn’t, however, is a solution to the childhood obesity epidemic.

Indeed. It’s not going to solve obesity. So, what is?

That’s fine if the child is eating a Happy Meal only for special occasions, not every day. But studies have shown that fast food makes up a substantial portion of kids’ calorie intake, and research suggests that children and adolescents who consume fast food tend to consume more total calories, fat, and sodium and have less healthful diets than those who do not.

So perhaps the first thing we can start with is WHY is fast food making up a substantial portion of kids’ calorie intake?

Furthermore, and I know my father and grandfather wouldn’t necessarily agree with this, but we need to get away from the notion of “clean your plate”. Back when portions were small and we didn’t have much food, no, food shouldn’t go to waste. I still don’t think food should go to waste, but the trouble is portion sizes are huge. If you can’t order smaller sizes, then don’t eat it all. Or, don’t get it all. For instance, I’ll order a “small drink” and be given a bucket… there is nothing saying I have to fill that bucket all the way up and then nothing saying I have to drink it all. Yet, that’s what we do. We are given this vat and feel a need to fill it up and consume it all. Why?

Nevertheless, we’re not getting to the heart of the matter. If the problem is too much caloric consumption, why are kids (and people in general) consuming too many calories? If it’s too many calories because of eating calorie-dense food like fast food, then why are people eating so much fast food? Then what can you do to improve upon that?

Sure, parents can, and do, have a say about what their kids eat, but it’s increasingly tough for them to ignore all the temptations out there. Kids are bombarded with food marketing: in 2006 about $870 million was spent on advertising meals to the under 12 set, the prime target for Happy Meals, according to a 2008 Federal Trade Commission report.

Oh…. pity. It’s TOUGH to ignore all the temptations out there.

Boo-fucking-hoo.

Learn to ignore it. Stop being a wuss. Toughen up.

But, the article attempts to offer some solutions:

“What about a grilled chicken sandwich instead of fried nuggets?” asks New York nutritionist and Bonnie Taub-Dix, author of “Read it Before You Eat It.” “There’s no grilled chicken sandwich for kids at McDonalds. And what about a fish sandwich that’s not breaded and fried with breading that’s thicker than the fish?”

Well, there are grilled chicken sandwiches on the menu. Why not order that for your kids? Oh.. .it’s not “for kids”. What does that mean? If the kid doesn’t want the sauces and veggies on it, ask for it plain and dry. If it’s “too big” for your kid, cut it in half and take the other half home to eat later… or maybe split the sandwich with Junior to save a little money and save yourself some caloric intake.

The trouble is, there’s far greater lifestyle choices involved here… you have to ask people to change how they live and function in a day. No law is going to affect that. People need to have the motivation on their own to care about such things.

See? They know what’s best.

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

You may be a parent, they may be your children, but you don’t know how to best care for them.

Let government do it for you. Government — and our benevolent “leaders” — know best.

San Francisco has become the first major U.S. city to pass a law that cracks down on the popular practice of giving away free toys with unhealthy restaurant meals for children.

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors passed the law on Tuesday on a veto-proof 8-to-3 vote. It takes effect on December 1.

The law, like an ordinance passed earlier this year in nearby Santa Clara County, would require that restaurant kids’ meals meet certain nutritional standards before they could be sold with toys.

I grant that McDonald’s food is pretty crappy. I try to avoid eating there merely because it’s so bland and there are far better burgers out there. But why should McDonald’s (or any restaurant) be forced to play nanny to your children?

The San Francisco law would allow toys to be given away with kids’ meals that have less than 600 calories, contain fruits and vegetables, and include beverages without excessive fat or sugar.

Backers of the ordinance say it aims to promote healthy eating habits while combating childhood obesity.

Sorry, but that doesn’t really work to combat obesity nor promote healthy eating habits. Parents are still going to drag their kids to McDonald’s, the kids are still going to eat the crappy burger and fries and soda, but now just not get a toy. That people feed their kids this food is far beyond the worthless toy. But hey… we’ve got to do something, right? We’ve got to feel like we’re making a difference, because you know… it’s all for the children, and we’re certainly thinking of them whereas you evil corporations just care about your profits.

“Our children are sick. Rates of obesity in San Francisco are disturbingly high, especially among children of color,” said San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar, who sponsored the measure.

But amongst all those transparent children…. well, we can’t see them anyways so we don’t know how fat they are.  I hate the term “children of color” because even “white” children have color… and this “well-intended” comment is also pretty bad because it’s implying all those poor dumb Blacks and Hispanics really can’t take care of themselves so here’s big daddy whitey to take care of them because he knows best. *sigh*

That slope… it’s so slippery…. and how far we have slid.

Sherried Sardine Toast

/ hsoi / 4 Comments

The notion of sardines has always either amused me or turned me off. It’d be amusing when used in cartoons for comedic effect. The notion of eating them? Gross.

Why gross? I don’t know. Concept? As a kid they looked gross to me for whatever kid-influenced reason, so it always just stuck in my head that way.

But the other night… that all changed.

Flipping channels on the TV. Food Network. Good Eats. I dig Alton Brown. He made a Sherried Sardine Toast. Nutritionally it looked good (the show was about how Alton changed his diet and lost 50 lbs, and I’m in a weight-loss mode). And gosh, but something about it just looked appetizing.

So I tried it. It so happened we had 2 tins of brisling sardines on the shelf (Youngest wanted to try some some time ago, but they were bought and never consumed for whatever reason). Made the recipe as best I could (no sherry vinegar, used red wine vinegar instead; no fresh parsley so used dried instead; no lemon zest so a little bit of RealLemon had to do; no sourdough so large potato bread slices).

And gosh, if it wasn’t good.

Sure, a little strong fish-wise, but I liked it. The dressing helped to cut and complement the fish taste, and the avocado really blended nicely with everything.

Yes. I’m going to have it again. Wife didn’t like it as much, a little too fishy for her.

Just the other day I was telling Wife how I was growing less and less fond of fish… my palette wasn’t going for it any more. But now this comes along. I’ll take it. 🙂

Recipe, just in case Food Network’s copy ever disappears:

 

Sherried Sardine Toast
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2009

Prep Time:15 min
Inactive Prep Time:–
Cook Time:5 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 (3.75-ounce 2-layer) tins brisling sardines in olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves, divided
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, reserve the lemon and cut into 4 wedges
Freshly ground black pepper
4 (1/2-inch) thick slices crusty bread, such as sourdough, country loaf or rye
1 ripe Hass avocado
Coarse sea salt

Directions

Drain the oil from 1 tin of sardines into a small bowl and set aside. Drain the oil from the other tin into another small bowl and whisk in 1 tablespoon of parsley, vinegar, lemon zest, and black pepper, to taste. Add the sardines, stir to combine and set aside for up to 1 hour.

After 45 minutes, put a rack 3-inches from the broiler and heat the oven to the broiler setting on high. Brush each slice of bread on 1 side with the reserved oil. Put the bread, oil side up, onto a cooling rack set inside a half sheet pan and broil 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Halve the avocado and remove the pit. Smash the flesh in each half with a fork.

Spread the avocado evenly onto the toasted bread. Top evenly with the sardines. Pour any remaining dressing on top and garnish with the remaining parsley.

Season lightly with sea salt and serve with lemon wedges.