Hump Day Food Quote

"Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper" - Adelle Davis

The Well Rounded Blog: Weekend Off

The Well Rounded Blog is the weekly post dedicated to things other than food. It is my effort to avoid turning into "That Guy That Only Talks About Food."

Sorry about no post yesterday. We took a mini vacation to the Lake. I did a little bit of cooking, but took no pictures (of food) (vacation from blogging too).

I did take some great pics of the family...

This weekend really recharged my battery. We even got to play some golf.

Dave is about a 5 handicap.... from the tips.

Showing me how to putt....

He really liked driving the golf cart. I kid you not, he screamed "Weeee!" the whole time. I have no clue where he learned that.

Best round I've had this year. It didn't matter that I played really poorly.

P.S. This is my new favorite picture (nice shot, honey).

Top Ten: Food(ie) Sites

Of the top ten list of things to write about on a blog, number one has to be a Top Ten post. If it's not number one, then its in the top 3 (possibly being beaten out by a "favorite things" post (similar) or Obama posts.  

The big question is whether to count them down David Letterman style, or start with the best.  I think Top Ten style is more dramatic, don't you?  So here to present Food(ies) For Thought's Top Ten food sites is Joaquin Phoenix :

10)  Chez Pim - LA food blogger that has one of the most visited blogs on the internets!  Recipes, reviews, and other food(ie) knowledge flows forth.  Best Recent Post: Thai Fried Bananas

9)  FX Cuisine - Spectacular Recipes and Memorable Food Experiences ... 'nuff said.  Best Recent Post:  Japanese Bladesmiths

8)  Food & Wine / Epicurious - Tie - My two favorite places on the 'net for recipes on the fly.  Yeah Food Network is fine... if you love Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee!  Ohhhhhh!

7)  Delicious Days - The only food blog to crack the top 150 on Technorati's Top 100 blogs (you know its serious when it's on a top 100 list).  German Foodie Nicky Stitch mixes her own recipes with cookbook adaptations and German efficiency and a cool, clean Bavarian web design.  Best Recent Post: Roasted Red Pepper Risotto with Chorizo

6)  101 Cookbooks:  One of the most established food blogs on the planet (over 5 years!  can you say Live Journal?).  She's got an addiction to buying cook books and who doesn't like reading the mindless rantings of an addict?  Best Recent Post: Brussels Sprout Salad (Brussels are so hot right now)

5)  Not Quite Nigella - Australian food blogger.  Great photography.  Fantastic photography.  I probably follow this blog for the pictures more than anything.  The fact that this is #5 should tell you a lot about the photography... seriously good food photography.  Best Recent Post: Taste of Sydney Media Launch (great photography!)

4)  Eat Drink or Die - Food video instructional website co-founded and frequently posted on by Tom Colicchio.  It is really fun to watch this guy cook.  He really does have the right to rip apart the contestants on Top Chef.  Fantastic cook.  Best Recent Post: Roasted Tomato Risotto

3)  Coconut & Lime - Another blog with fantastic photography.  This site is geared more towards recipes, fantastic all 100% original recipes.  Most of them are ethnic food recipes too.  Big plus for me.  Yes, there are bigger, more polished blogs out there, but this is an up-and-comer.  Best Recent Post: Hawaiian Pulled Chicken

2)  jamieoliver.com - If I could switch lives with one chef it would be Jamie Oliver.  He lives on an organic vegetable farm and has a house with 3 kitchens and an outside wood burning oven.  He has several award winning restaurants and television shows AND he dresses wacky and pulls it off.  I'd rather not have his teeth, he's British.  

1)  Serious Eats - Hundreds of updates a week.  Dozens of contributers.  Top Chef commentary.  Batali and Bourdain rappin' about food.  Burger reviews.  It is my one stop shop for food(ie) updates.  Best Recent Post: Too many to count... but if I have to choose, The McNuggetini HA!

There you have it folks!  Go forth, cook, eat, and enjoy!

Hump Day Food Quote

"Food is our common ground, a universal experience." - James Beard

The Well Rounded Blog: Shaggy Dog

The Well Rounded Blog is the weekly post dedicated to things other than food. It is my effort to avoid turning into "That Guy That Only Talks About Food."

This is Marley.  He is our dog.  He needs a haircut.

In true man fashion, he asked me to chronicle his haircut, noting the different styles along the way.  Enjoy!

The Simba. 

a.k.a. The Lion King, 

a.k.a. The Ghost in the Darkness

The Simba required a lot of hair to be shaved.  Most of it in one big sheet... like a sheep.

Yes, that's his tail at the bottom.

Later we made a blanket.

The Anti-Pedro.

a.k.a. My Body was so hot I shaved it.

a.k.a. My head is to big for my body.

The Lumberjack.

a.k.a. The Zac Brown Band

a.k.a.  Pitt

The Fu Manchu.

a.k.a. Dog Quixote

a.k.a. Splinter

The Final Product

Looking good dog!

One last pic....

The Aftermath.

a.k.a.   A pile of hair.

a.k.a.  A mess.

Monday Morsels: Apple Pandowdy

Monday Morsels is my weekly recipe post. It will not have exact measurements nor will it have exact cooking times. So if you are looking for that kind of recipe, go raid your grandma's recipe rolodex.

I am not a big baker.  It's too precise.  Too many measuring instruments.  Too many mixing bowls and other stuff.  It just doesn't float my boat.  

I'd love to get into it but i just never do.  Thats why I was surprised at how easy this Apple Pandowdy was.

It was one pan the whole time, minimal measurements, and just a few ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 pounds apples (half tart, half sweet) cut into slices

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup apple cider

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbsps. lemon juice

2 tsps. cornstarch

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 sheet puff pastry

1 egg white

3 tbsp. white sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F.  Saute apples with the butter until they are soft (10 min).  Mix cider, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cornstarch.  Add to apples and cook for 5 more minutes.  Cover with puff pastry, brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake at 400 for 20 mins.  Let it stand for 10 minutes after baking (hardest part).  

Serve with vanilla ice cream and thank me later.

This Week in Food!

We've been cooking so much at home the blog hasn't had time to catch up.  So many meals, so little time to blog.  So without further ado, "This Week in Food":

This week in food started off with an amazing creation from my wife.  Cauliflower Mac'n'cheese is my new favorite side dish.  Thanks love, it was a wonderful start to the week!

Gourmet Grilled Cheese: 6 types of cheese and grapes with honey mustard.  This was a snack made for my lady.  I may have overdone it.

Valentine's Day Meal: Asian Apps

We are not big Valentine's Day people.  We do, however, use the day as an excuse to cook a nice meal or go to a really nice restaurant.  This year, we cooked.  Appetizers are great because you can eat 5 different mini meals and not feel like a tub of lard afterwards (definitely a must on V-Day). 

Assembling pork pot stickers.

Cooking said pot stickers.

Grilled Chicken Satay.  I know, they look delicious.  Even better with peanut sauce.

Rounding out the finished plate are egg rolls (homemade!) and chicken stir fry spinach salad.

I'm not big on making desserts, but that may change.  This is an Apple Pandowdy.  It's cooked in a skillet and it is as tasty as it is beautiful.  Recipe coming soon.

Hump Day Food Quote

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.  ~Voltaire

The Well Rounded Blog: Baseball Cards

The Well Rounded Blog is the weekly post dedicated to things other than food. It is my effort to avoid turning into "That Guy That Only Talks About Food."

This is Honus Wagner.  Handsome fellow, huh?  I especially like the top button... fastened tight.  Honus, you ladies man, you!  This particular baseball card is one of the rarest and most expensive cards ever.  You see, back when Honus was swinging lumber, baseball cards were included in cigarette packs to entice younger male smokers (it was believed they could smoke up to 4 cigarettes at once... not).  Well, ole Honus was so opposed to tobacco that he asked his card be removed from production, thus making a great story and driving the value of cards that did make it out to the moon.  

Baseball cards were a big part of my childhood.  I would cover my bedroom floor with baseball cards, piling them according to team and position.  I've come to the conclusion that Paul someone should do a blog about baseball cards.  Until then...

This is Don Mossi.  He is very ugly.

Jay Johnstone demonstrating the attitude that gave the Chicago Cubs the timeless moniker "Lovable Losers"

Little known fact: Black Mickey Mouse played pro baseball in the late 70s under the pseudonym Bake McBride.

When Slammin' Sammy entered the MLB, it was 1989. Enough said.

The next few photos make a serious argument that baseball is a pastime and not a sport and those who play the game are idiots.

Nice mullet there at the bottom of this one.

And to finish... Best. Baseball. Moment. Ever.

Monday Morsels: Barbecue (Flavored) Chicken

Monday Morsels is my weekly recipe post. It will not have exact measurements nor will it have exact cooking times. So if you are looking for that kind of recipe, go raid your grandma's recipe rolodex.

Yesterday was such a beautiful day that I decided to get out and grill some meat. We had a whole chicken and some a lot of my homemade barbecue spice mix. The above picture is the result.

My spice mix is a great thing to have around. It's basically a mixture of everything in our spice cabinet: salt, pepper, paprika, brown sugar, white sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, celery seed, dried oregano, dried thyme, powdered mustard, cayenne pepper, cumin, and coriander seed.

I make a ton of it and keep it around just for days like yesterday. It's a quick way to put a lot of flavors into foods. On another note....

Food(ie) Soap Box: Why has our country become so willing to throw away money and flavor for convenience? It is really sad to me that most Americans would chose this:

6 ounces of meat for $3.50

over this:

$7.00 for 48 ounces of meat

2 - 6 ounce portions of white meat

PLUS 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings

not to mention a whole neck for making stock.

Which would you rather have: overpriced, dry, hormone laden "Chicken Breast Strips with rib meat " or a relatively cheap whole bird, that with the proper treatment can shortly become all this:

(onion sold separately)

Thursday Morning Musings: Leftovers

Do you know how much I love leftovers? A lot. A ton. As much as the food that is not left over.

The other night I forgot my leftovers in a to-go box on the table at the restaurant. I got home and soon realized my folly. I screamed. Literally. Ask my wife. I screamed. The dog hid under a chair. THAT'S how much I love leftovers.

Do you you know how much I love leftovers? So much I wrote a haiku.

How do I crave thee. 

O temple of tupperware.

Late night calories.

Verrrry awesome.

Hump Day Food Quote

Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you! ~Tommy Smothers

The Well Rounded Blog: Star Wars

The Well Rounded Blog is the weekly post dedicated to things other than food. It is my effort to avoid turning into "That Guy That Only Talks About Food."

Why do Star Wars nerds get a pass for this?

I mean, I liked Star Wars.  It was a good movie.  

HOWEVER, I do not feel the need to teach my children the difference between a Wookiee and an Ewok.

Yes, this book is for 1 year olds, but somehow I think there is an adult man in his parent's basement who has a copy (in plastic wrap).

George Lucas, two questions:

1)  How embarrassed are you of your creation?  You single-handedly took nerdliness to a whole new level.  You couldn't have possibly thought that your movie would inciting such a display of irrational, irresponsible, and truly geeky behavior.  You do realize that there are super-nerds that have started a religion based on Jedi principles?  I bet you have trouble sleeping in your golden bed, inside your palace, paid for by the life savings of freaks, geeks, nerds, and losers from all over the world.

2) Wookiee has two e's?  Seriously?

Monday Morsels: More Tacos Please

Did I mention I love tacos?

These lovely creations were the focal point of "Man Night: January '09."  Every once and a while my son and I are left to our own devices.  This past weekend my baby's momma was going on a church retreat setting up another edition of "Man Night" (technically my toddler is not a man... however, he is THE man, so it works).  It is always a rockin' good time and almost always involves plenty of spicy food.  

This week "Man Night" featured:  beef tacos with white cheddar, pineapple and red pepper salsa, finished with some cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

The best part about cooking on "Man Night" is we can take as long as we want!  Man food deserves 100% effort.

This salsa just became a regular edition to my taco repertoire.

I think the best part of "Man Night" cooking is getting the seal of approval from THE man himself.  What says you little man?

Like I said, the best part.

The Best Thing I Ate This Month

I love tacos. Excuse me, that does not do it justice .... 

I LOVE TACOS!  That's better.

I love them all: hard, soft, flour, corn, beef, chicken, pork, fish, chorizo, steak, traditional, street, upscale, fusion.  I have nary found a taco I did not love.

I'm sure that tacos will show up constantly as the best thing I ate this month.

This month:  Beef tacos with julienned golden delicious apples, mojo onions, sharp cheddar cheese, and cilantro relish.

The combination of the spicy beef, sweet apples, rich cheddar, tart onions and fresh cilantro is heavenly.