I enjoy cooking but I can be incredibly cheap and easily intimidated by recipes. Anything I make with regularity will be very simple to make and only require 2 or 3 ingredients that are not already stocked in the pantry. I thought I'd share my favorite finds from other blogs.
Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
This ridiculously simple sauce is always a hit. I like to make it in a large skillet so it reduces more quickly and I "chop" the tomatoes in the pan with kitchen shears.
http://orangette.blogspot.com/2007/09/start-with-tomato-sauce.html
Simple Rosemary Roast Beef
I usually skip the rosemary and use this to make beef dip sandwiches. A friend turned me on to "Better Than Bouillon" beef base. The combination tastes way better than you think it should!
http://jessthomson.wordpress.com/2007/11/08/
Pasta Carbonara
What's not to love! My only complaint is that separating the egg requires extra dishes. When I'm on a Carbonara kick I'll end up eating this for breakfast a lot.
http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2007/03/pasta_carbonara.html
English Cucumber Sandwiches
I was originally inspired to make them by "The Importance of Being Earnest" and later they were a big hit at our "Four Ingredients in 20 Minutes" cooking contest.
http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2006/02/cucumber_sandwi.html
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
May
An old friend of mine is back in town this week while he prepares to move from Korea to Hawaii. Although he's very dear to me he's not particularly reliable so I was surprised to receive a call from him inviting me to meet up for dinner. I was fresh out of the gym when I received the details and arrived at the restaurant a good twenty minutes after the rest of the party.
My dinner companions had just finished consuming their appetizer but had decided not to order dinner without me. I ordered a pint and quickly scanned the menu in hopes of minimizing the wait before food would finally arrive. I didn't have to wait long for my beer but the waitress managed to disappear before we could ask her about ordering. It was becoming evident that this dinner would drag on.
I like the people I was dining with but they are very awkward to converse with. We had all worked together at my last job but one of them was my boss - particularly disliked by my coworkers. The rest of the party consisted of her husband, my friend, and his brother. I met my friend through a role-playing game and his brother is by far the shyest person I have ever met. The food could not arrive fast enough - and they really made us wait. It was a good twenty-five minutes before we saw a plate which is not a reasonable wait for a Thai restaurant.
I allowed myself to order the Phad Thai - for purpose of comparison. I like to challenge myself to try new things but I have certain weaknesses. May's Phad Thai wins high marks for presentation. My dish arrived covered in banana leaf which the waitress peeled to the side. She spooned some chili flakes and sugar on to the noodles and tossed them for me. The other person who ordered Phad Thai was merely told to watch and copy her moves. As far as taste, it was acceptable. It wasn't too slimy, or too saucy, and ketchup didn't appear to be an ingredient. The downfall is they charge $14, almost twice what I'd normally expect to pay. For that price I'd expect to be blown away.
By the time we finished my friends had been there for two hours - and only about a quarter of that time was spent with food in front of us. The waitress was clearly trying to rush us out the door before some of our table had finished eating. We weren't exactly taking our sweet time!
My dinner companions had just finished consuming their appetizer but had decided not to order dinner without me. I ordered a pint and quickly scanned the menu in hopes of minimizing the wait before food would finally arrive. I didn't have to wait long for my beer but the waitress managed to disappear before we could ask her about ordering. It was becoming evident that this dinner would drag on.
I like the people I was dining with but they are very awkward to converse with. We had all worked together at my last job but one of them was my boss - particularly disliked by my coworkers. The rest of the party consisted of her husband, my friend, and his brother. I met my friend through a role-playing game and his brother is by far the shyest person I have ever met. The food could not arrive fast enough - and they really made us wait. It was a good twenty-five minutes before we saw a plate which is not a reasonable wait for a Thai restaurant.
I allowed myself to order the Phad Thai - for purpose of comparison. I like to challenge myself to try new things but I have certain weaknesses. May's Phad Thai wins high marks for presentation. My dish arrived covered in banana leaf which the waitress peeled to the side. She spooned some chili flakes and sugar on to the noodles and tossed them for me. The other person who ordered Phad Thai was merely told to watch and copy her moves. As far as taste, it was acceptable. It wasn't too slimy, or too saucy, and ketchup didn't appear to be an ingredient. The downfall is they charge $14, almost twice what I'd normally expect to pay. For that price I'd expect to be blown away.
By the time we finished my friends had been there for two hours - and only about a quarter of that time was spent with food in front of us. The waitress was clearly trying to rush us out the door before some of our table had finished eating. We weren't exactly taking our sweet time!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Sushi Maki
I believe that in order to properly appreciate a piece of sushi it should be consumed in one bite. There are several reasons for my distaste with over sized rolls:
a) You have to spend extra time getting just the right grip so you don't drop it while trying to bite through it
b) The piece of sushi may fall to pieces, possibly in your lap
c) It is unlikely that you will be able to evenly distribute the various components of the roll with your bite, therefore you will not experience the flavors as intended
I decided to give Sushi Maki a chance anyway. Sushi Maki should just rename all of their rolls "Godzilla Roll." My friend and I ordered 3 rolls and ended up taking an entire roll home. I foolishly attempted to fit a whole piece of the Volcano Roll in my mouth and had to work on it for the next five minutes. Thank goodness my friend was too nice to take a photo!
The sushi itself just wasn't memorable. It didn't satisfy my sushi craving so I felt like I hadn't even eaten sushi. I can't even think of anything to say about it except it was huge and cheap.
Sushi Maki clearly isn't the right restaurant for me but I do know many people who will love it. $5-7 for a roll big enough to be a meal has a lot of mass appeal.
a) You have to spend extra time getting just the right grip so you don't drop it while trying to bite through it
b) The piece of sushi may fall to pieces, possibly in your lap
c) It is unlikely that you will be able to evenly distribute the various components of the roll with your bite, therefore you will not experience the flavors as intended
I decided to give Sushi Maki a chance anyway. Sushi Maki should just rename all of their rolls "Godzilla Roll." My friend and I ordered 3 rolls and ended up taking an entire roll home. I foolishly attempted to fit a whole piece of the Volcano Roll in my mouth and had to work on it for the next five minutes. Thank goodness my friend was too nice to take a photo!
The sushi itself just wasn't memorable. It didn't satisfy my sushi craving so I felt like I hadn't even eaten sushi. I can't even think of anything to say about it except it was huge and cheap.
Sushi Maki clearly isn't the right restaurant for me but I do know many people who will love it. $5-7 for a roll big enough to be a meal has a lot of mass appeal.
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