Joy of Coffee

This coffee shop in Dublin Ireland (not to far from the famed Temple Bar) was a great little 'hole-n-wall' place to take a break and have some lunch.

Sandwiches, soups, and various other offerings.  Besides coffee there were plenty of tea choices...One that I remember right away was a green tea with mint and coconut.  That hit the spot as we were there during winter time.  Warming the cold body!

I  posted the picture to simply say the name of this place says it all for people like me~ Joy of Coffee!

What are some of your 'hole-n-wall' coffee places, joints that you like?  What makes them special?  And lets steer clear of the ones in Amsterdam!

Risky Business!

One the first things people tell you when leaving the country for developing or Third World countries is, "don't drink the water!", "don't eat raw foods" (like salads), and/or "make sure everything is cooked all the way!".  All this is good advice but sometimes you just can't be bothered.

When I sat foot on land after sailing on a ship to Central America (my first time out of the U.S. many years ago) I was so eager to go eat anything new and different that accepting a few days of diarrhea "in the name of culinary research and experience" was worth it!

Over the years I have ate quite a few things outside of the 'box' 

Where are the Mexican Bakeries?!

I was talking with Juan last week about Mexican food and Mexican stores in the Huntsville/Madison area (in Alabama) and he brought up a very interesting question, "Where are the Mexican Bakeries?".  Juan is a young guy about 21 and his family is from Mexico.

Juan was right, where are they?  We have restaurants and even small stores...But where are the bakeries?

I had a favorite bakery when I was living in Tyler TX working with a catering company.  I knew which days to go and when to get there so I could pick my still

Watermelon Carving

Have you ever carved something? This past week I carved 2 watermelons for a July 4th BBQ at Church. A lady that knows my wife figured out that I know how to carve watermelons. She then emailed me to see would I be willing to do them with the church logo, and the summer nights logo they use. I said sure. 

It had been over a year since I last carved one. There's not much high demand for carved watermelons in Monrovia Liberia, West Africa (where I was all last year). So as you can imagine I was a bit rusty...but things still seemed to go well. The pictures in this post were taken by one of there photographers then posted on Facebook at Westgate Church. 

Here is a link to an old Chef article that I wrote about watermelon carving. --> Watermelon Carving 

Not much has changed since I wrote that article. I bought some 'special' fruit carving tools from a site that are currently collecting dust. It took too much force to make cuts or work right. This is not the way to make precision graphics or any work you want to do on a fruit.

Moving on...Click on pictures to see them bigger.
  

Did you know we post cooking videos?

Please "LIKE" and SHARE our videos! (click on "thumbs up" under our videos)

Our goal is a weekly video post (or more) on simple "cookin" preparations for a variety of foods. We would love to hear from you! Email us at showtime@tyronebcookin.com

The Humorous Herb Garden (a fun idea)

The day I decided to start my herb garden I found a box of children's plastic yard, garden, or beach toys next to the recycle bin. I looked at them and decided that it would be fun to use the toys as ‘pots’ for growing my plants. So I took them back to the apartment and made holes in the bottom of them for water drainage like a proper planting pot.

I originally bought 2 pots and a rectangle planter with a bag of organic potting soil.  But now I have a wheelbarrow, a ship, a bucket, and a small plastic garden watering toy.

To make a long story short I planted mint in the ship by itself because supposedly I got to watch out for that thing going wild.  The rosemary has the same problem, growing out of control.  But I decided to plant it with garlic chives and Italian flat-leaf parsley in the wheelbarrow.  And in my rectangle planter, I have (from left to right) basil, cilantro, lemon thyme, and Greek oregano.  Now according to the ‘instructions/direction’ of the herb plant cards they all like direct sunlight.

Remember me saying I don’t particularly have a ‘green thumb’? At all? Yeah, so now the sun has been literally cooking some of my herbs in the pot, and no, that's not a food cooking pot. Although there has got to be all kinds of puns in that last sentence. I didn’t want to show the updated pictures till I have more time to redeem my plants so the pictures on this page are when I first got everything started. It now looks like my mint, cilantro, and half of the lemon thyme was cooked till the herbs dried out or got crispy on the vine!

And remember the BLT contest due by the end of August 28th? The other two pots that I started my heirloom tomatoes and lettuce in…haven’t seen them yet.  It's not looking good for me to be a contestant in the competition, but we’ll see what happens.  I have a few more tricks up my sleeve.

Once again, Green Thumb FAIL! 

-------------------------------------------

A tasty trip to San Francisco

We took one more trip to San Francisco to try a couple of places and visit an old favorite before the baby comes.  We visited Dynamo Donuts & Coffee, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and for lunch, we went to Rocco's...in the video, you may need to increase the sound to hear my voice sometimes.  It's a work in progress, I am an amateur at any kind of video making.  Enjoy!

Update to Culinary Mystery!

Remember when I wrote this post with pictures:

Culinary Mystery (you need to read this to understand the rest of the post)

Well after almost 2 years someone wrote in with a link to the answer!  But first I want to ask why Arthur from Sheffield England DID NOT KNOW what it was when it came from his neck of the woods!

Joe writes this:  I have come across one of these and Googled to find out what it is. I can confirm, it's a double-sided fork/skewer for serving steak...Hope this helps!

Here is the mystery solved Link.

It's funny because at the time I had exhausted all kinds of Internet searches including Google and had not come up with anything...but first, you got to know what you looking for!  And it was almost 2 years ago!

Thanks, Joe!

Lou's Cafe

If you ever find yourself  somewhere in between Los Gatos, Campbell, and San Jose you should stop by Lou's Cafe for some coffee.  And of course a bite to eat!

My wife and I have managed to go about once every other week (more like every week lately!) when both our schedules afford us a midweek day off together.  I love the coffee and old-timey diner feel (and the food) and Steph loves the French Toast and Belgian Waffles, not both at the same time though.

Breakfast is probably going to run you about 6.50 to 10.00 dollars, but you'll probably eat two times off of one plate so financially that is a good deal.  I always have to get the rest of my plate to go...Coffee is good!

Personal recommendations are the Banana Nutella French Toast, Eldorado Potatoes (which is like home-style fried potatoes with blackened chicken, avocado, Monterrey jack cheese...), and the Coffee Cake which is the size of a small child's head!

Equipment 4 Small Kitchens and Small Budgets

There was a question posted at SeriousEats.com (of which I am a member) which garnered at least 64 comments:

What does a young foodie/recent grad need in his kitchen?

First, we will review my answer to the above question as I responded on the site - add suggestions and pictures to help visualize how this would work for anyone. (of course, if you are extremely messy and uncoordinated then there may not be a 'happy' medium for you and your kitchen)

A few thoughts:

The knife (as one person said) may be a more personal purchase, but maybe not if you spend more money on it than he would!

*Good forged metal well-known and trusted brand knives can be found at Marshall's, Ross, and TJ Max in the 'kitchen' section at great reductions...knife sets are a waste of money unless it's a chef's, paring, serrated/bread knife set. You don't need 7 to 14 knives.  These three do most of the jobs you are going to do in your home kitchen with some exceptions.  Kitchen Aid, Cuisinart, Chicago Cutlery also have good starting knives at Target and Wal-Mart.  Most in the 30$ or less range.

Cast Iron skillet (as somebody suggested) would usually be a good recommendation, but being in an apartment with a small kitchen, those things tend to smoke too much...and it's not about controlling the heat. It's about 'seasoned' cast iron heating up and smoking.

But consider this, I bought 2 twelve inch COMMERCIAL non-stick pans from Sam's Club (because at that time they came in two AND Sam's has a commercial restaurant supply section now - BUT NOT COSTCO DARN IT!) pretty cheap and they are made from thick aluminum under the non-stick coating...2 years later they still have the coating. I pulled the rubber handles (good for oven temps up to about 350) off and threw them away, cook on top, finish in the oven. Works wonderfully. Heavy-duty, lighter, and less smokey than cast iron.

Someone suggests getting a mini-processor from Cuisinart, but I say get the KitchenAid mini processor (3 cups model) not the Cuisinart. The reason being is because the 'catch' for making the motor work is a long piece of plastic protruding down from the lid, prone to breaking off! Kitchenaid, not so much small 'catch' on both sides of the lid that doesn't protrude past the lip much, even if you manage to drop the lid on the floor and break one, you can still swivel the lid to the other.

*BUT now you can order thru amazon.com or go to target and get an Oster blender with 3 cup processor attachment...here is a picture of what that looks like.  The one at target is cheaper than mine because its sold as a combo and my blender is the more expensive one. AGAIN, if you already own a Hamilton or some kind of Oster blender you can order the processor unit separately on Amazon.com.  Why is this important?  Because it doesn't create another electric appliance that needs a plug/outlet. AND saves space.

As someone mentioned, electric hot water kettle. Starts things that need hot or boiled water much quicker.  The one pictured is about $20 at Target.

Is he a serious tea or coffee drinker? Bodum (french press) goes good with that electric water kettle. $16 Target or Wal-Mart.

Small microwave as already said. $30 to $50 depends on how good a sale you find!  Good for melting things, heating things, mostly good for leftovers & quick fixes!

Coffee bean grinder for grinding spices or coffee $15. (I have 2, one for coffee, one for spices)

I buy bar towels in bulk from Sam's or Costco's, there just like the ones in commercial kitchens I use...and they're cheap. $10 for 20? (approximate)

Immersion blender, as already said. This thing should be a must. It's terrific. $15 at some Longs Drugs or $19 on Amazon.com with a 4-star rating or higher.  Procter-Silex.

My pasta roller still comes in handy for (duh) pasta, and also: pita bread, rolling thin tortillas, flatbread...etc. $30 for most brands.  This one $22 Amazon.com 4 stars (out of 5).

If you going to spend some money, then buy a nice kitchen cart with storage underneath...then you can roll a 'chopping' island around to use and store these small appliances underneath when not in use.

OK, I'll stop here...I cook professionally as well as not letting my small kitchen in my apartment keep me from cooking extensive and 'fine dining' meals at home.  This list is not made to be comprehensive of all things needed, but a help.  Just like using 3 knives in the kitchen pots & pans need not be in 20 piece sets...good cutting board, tongs, whisk, grater...

I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about my suggestions, stuff you currently using, or your own recommendations for this list!

How do you Hotdog?

Most of you know by now (if you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or this site) when I get a craving I usually try to indulge in it, go for it,  or 'do it' the next time I get a chance.  For example one day last week I had Butterfinger Ice Cream for breakfast.  It's just that simple.

The newest craving I had that came on real strong was something I first learned about years ago (like when I was 16) when I worked at A&W Rootbeer or Restaurant (as ours was called A&W Family Restaurant).  But first I want you to know it was not one of those new modern A&W restaurants.  It was an old one.  Women working the 'car hops', a fireplace in the center of the dining area, little league/softball/baseball pictures hung everywhere from their sponsorship.  And we still made the Rootbeer syrup before linking it in with the CO2(soda machine for carbonation).  Yeah, 'back in the day'.

A good friend of mine from high school was working there told me I needed to try one of his favorite hot-dog combinations.  You melted American cheese on top of a hot-dog in a bun, then add chopped onion, pickles, ketchup, and mayo, then top it with coleslaw (the white coleslaw, not that ketchup or vinegar coleslaw).  I thought he was crazy, but the flavor combination really surprised me.  I loved it!

Slaw-dogs with cheese, onion, pickle, mayo, & ketchup.  For some reason that struck me yesterday and I really wanted to have it, so I did.  I bought the ingredients at the store (much cheaper) with a bag of Kettle Sour Cream and Onion potato chips.  Kettle chips are the greatest, all flavors are good...Crispy, thick, and crunchy.  And for dessert, I finished off with Caramel Caribou ice cream.  Delicious.

You're probably wondering what's wrong with me and why I didn't eat BBQ?  Why not make your own rules?  July 4th can still be a day of celebration no matter what you eat or how you enjoy it (even if it's your birthday)!

Did you know we post cooking videos?

Please "LIKE" and SHARE our videos! (click on "thumbs up" under our videos)

Our goal is a weekly video post (or more) on simple "cookin" preparations for a variety of foods. We would love to hear from you! Email us at showtime@tyronebcookin.com

Dutch Crunch Bread

Recently I tried my own Dutch Crunch Bread as I have had it several times and love it in 'loaf' and roll form for straight consumption or to build a massive sandwich!  What is it? You may ask...

The following quote is credited to Bacon Press, (as I try to keep it short and sweet here on my site for you) I find this paragraph to sum up its origin. ->

Like your typical sourdough loaf or baguette, Dutch Crunch didn't originate here, although the name probably did. In the Netherlands, it's known as Tijgerbrood and sold in the UK as "Tigerbread". It gets its name from the color and texture of the crust, which is striped with dark brown crunchy spots with light blond bread peeking out from underneath. The crust gets its flavor and texture from washing the top prior to baking with a mixture rice flour, butter, yeast, sugar, and salt. The final product is a mildly sweet, light, and fluffy white loaf with a somewhat crunchy, savory crust. ~ Bacon Press 

In addition, I find that Dutch Crunch Bread is a 'bay area' California thing and does not reach far out of this area...as in its prevalent in all our grocery stores and bakeries.  Supposedly the name originated from San Francisco when the bakeries there started making it.

My attempt to make it did produce a good tasting product, BUT I found two mistakes in my own rendition:

1. I made my dough too soft and I was not using a baguette pan, so my bread was a little 'flatter' in shape than I wanted. (but that's my own perfectionism kicking in)


2. After looking at several recipes I was led to believe I needed to coat the top of my dough with a much thicker coating than I thought was necessary for the 'Crunch' effect and taste.

I used my own Easy White Dough recipe and went HERE for the topping recipe.

*I researched Dutch Crunch Bread only to find most information about it was not referenced or researched extensively, so for that, I apologize in advance to my Dutchy friends if you find me in error!

Did you know we have videos now?

Please "LIKE" and SHARE our videos! (click on "thumbs up" under our videos)

Our goal is a weekly video post (or more) on simple "cookin" preparations for a variety of foods. We would love to hear from you! Email us at showtime@tyronebcookin.com

Basil Overload!

Here on my site and on Facebook, I posted my findings from my first 'Farm Fresh to You' home delivery organic food box.  Which was noted as having at least ten bunches of Basil in it!

Well of course even I couldn't use that much without getting sick of it!  So I cut the stems off and processed all the basil down with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a few heads of garlic.  Then I scooped the mixture into a Ziploc bag and cut the corner off.  I piped the whole bag into two ice cube trays and put them in the freezer for future use!

I would have made pesto but I don't like what the freezer does to cheese (Parmesan) and nuts (pine nuts, or in my case I like to use roasted sunflower kernels, their cheaper too!) which are both ingredients of pesto.

Later when you want to cook something with a little garlic and basil 'zip' you just throw in a cube or two while cooking or sauteing.  They also use this ice cube trick with stock (chicken, beef, pork...) too, so if you are only cooking in small amounts you can throw a few frozen 'stock' cubes into the pan or food to meltdown and help the flavor.

Did you know we have videos now?

Please "LIKE" and SHARE our videos! (click on "thumbs up" under our videos)

Our goal is a weekly video post (or more) on simple "cookin" preparations for a variety of foods. We would love to hear from you! Email us at showtime@tyronebcookin.com

Make Ricotta Cheese: its easy!

Over at Stumptown Savoury, Gareth has an excellent blog that I enjoy.  He also has a post about making ricotta cheese at home, which is great because I can share it with you! (without having to write about it again myself)

I have tested doing it the way he says and it came out as good as his pictures show.  Here is the link  Home Creamery: Whole Milk Ricotta.  Come on people, it has four ingredients: Milk, Heavy Cream, Citric Acid, & Salt!

What can you make with Ricotta?  Lasagna, Manicotti, desserts...Gareth has already listed two more ideas on his site to go with his ricotta recipe. (just click Stumptown Savoury above)

Also, there is a link on his site for ordering citric acid which is one of the ingredients...But if you don't want to wait maybe this will do the trick for you:

I have had great success in finding Sour Salt (brand ROKEACH) in the Kosher section of Safeway food stores. Sour Salt IS citric acid, check the ingredients there is only one – citric acid.

About 5 1/2 ounces for $2.19 – plenty of cheese making citric acid.

Did you know we have videos?

Please "LIKE" and SHARE our videos! (click on "thumbs up" under our videos)

Our goal is a weekly video post (or more) on simple "cookin" preparations for a variety of foods. We would love to hear from you! Email us at showtime@tyronebcookin.com