Bison Horns

Cut open for you to see.

Though you'd never believe it, sometimes, when it comes to dinner, I'm very uninspired. Sometimes its just going through the motions to make your stomach quiet down.

But sometimes, a meal just makes your heart sing. Sometimes you create a masterpiece so magnificent that you strap on your brand new pair of TrekSports*, climb atop your roof, thrust your fists into the sunset clouds hanging in the air above, and shout "I LOVE THE GRILL FAR MORE THAN I HAVE EVER LOVED ANY SENTIENT BEING!"

Despite working in a lovely store that I am very proud of, I often get tired of the manufactured 'hype' surrounding any one product. One week its one feature, the next week it is forgotten for a thing. However, when Hatch peppers come into season in Texas, I can't help but get all giddy. So there I was, bumping into everything with my pushing my awkwardly shaped cart through a crowded grocery store in Fort Worth, Hatch pepper riding in the upper basket toward its destiny. I bought many things. Many strange things. I hadn't been in that store in a long time, and everything seemed to pique my interest and weasel into my cart. They had Elk! ($33.99, though, so I looked at it longingly and moved on.) Everyone was quite nice in that store, but I gotta say, I hate the way they package your seafood and meat. I despise plastic bags-- and these were not just ordinary 'annoying-level' plastic bags, these were the 'contaminated-by-raw-something-so-that-you-may-never-reuse-or-recycle-them-level' plastic bags.

I digress. Are you still here? Awesome. Because this is going to get good, fast.

Skip forward. I am home, and I have brought home ground bison and my little hatch, and a shallot. I already had cheddar & goat cheese in my refrigerator, as well as some garlic. I told you-- this is going to get good, fast.



Bison Horns

Hatch Pepper ... 2
Ground Bison ... 1/4 lb
Shallot ... 1/2 small, minced
Goat Cheese ... 1/2 TB
Cheddar Cheese ... some, chopped
Garlic ... 1 or 2 cloves, chopped
Butter ... just a bit, melted (or soft enough to smear)

Cut the tops off of the hatch peppers and use a spoon to get the cores and seeds out. You can choose mild or hot peppers-- I chose mild.

Mix the rest of the ingredients and massage with hands until well incorporated. Cilantro and black pepper are also good in there.

Stuff the peppers with the meat mixture. I used a chopstick to make sure it got all the way into the bottom! Coat the outside of the pepper in butter (real, yeah?) and wrall them up (I just made that up, wrap/roll. I'm so creative I'm going to pass out) to make sure they're really well sealed! Hang on... do this next thing too.
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Grilled Veggie Mix

Green Beans ... 2 or 3 cups, clipped and cut in half
Okra ... 2 cups, sliced long and short ways
Tomato ... 1 large, chunked
Garlic ... 3 cloves, minced
Butter ... 1 tsp-1 TB, cold, chopped

Put them all on a foil sheet and sprinkle the tiny butter chunks in there. Crack black pepper all over the top. Wrap it up in the foil and seal it really well, then wrap again, then wrap again. Three times, the wrapping. OK, now where were we?
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An Den?

You put your grill on medium or medium-low and you lay these foil packets on there. Cover the grill. I don't have cover, so I put foil over the whole thing... its a bit funny. Leave'um for 8-10 minutes. (10 mo bettah) Now, flip them, then leave them for another 8-10 nervous (maybe you think the first 10 minutes was too much and do 8 this time). Gingerly remove the foil packets, don't pierce them now, and leave them in a casserole pan or something to cool. I don't care where you put them. Get something good and cold to drink and clean up.

Now, break the foil and pull these guys open so excitedly. The smell leaking out of the veggie packet made, yeah, me weak in the knees. Good heaven almighty. Holy culinary amalgamation. Sweet baby Zorak. This is powerful good. I almost ate the entire packet of veg alone... and then is the bison horn. You know what? No descripción. You eat it.

Pancetta Fancy Shrimp & Paprika Artichoke Hearts

Pancetta Fancy Shrimp
Originally uploaded by CaptainShen

On the dawn of my graduation, I found myself in the mood for an entirely planned, carefully contemplated, totally 'fancy' dinner. Of course, being that I was indeed upon the dawn of my graduation, I did have reports and things to do. So, it became a fancy lunch. But it was meticulously thought through, I promise. I delighted in making it for a friend and myself.

Fancy Shrimp

10 Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Pancetta (rolled type), 5 slices
Goat Cheese, a bit
Avocado, Sliced small
Horseradish root
Ground Black Pepper

These guys are very simple. More of the process can be seen on the flickr at the other end of that link, there.

Slice the pancetta peices in half. Spread some goat cheese on-- I just took a pinch with my fingers to warm and soften it, then smeared it a little. Lay down a shrimp right up beside a slice of avocado and roll him up in there, together, all snug. Oh my goodness, you're done. You quick thing, you.

Broil or grill the fancy buggahs until crisp or done, then top with fresh ground black peppercorns and freshly grated horseradish (seriously, go get a root and grate it!).

The artichoke hearts were simiple from a can (what?! I can only be so fancy at one time, on the dawn and all!), tossed with paprika, and grilled and broiled with the shrimps. Try topping them with good butter-- I didn't, I had already eaten them.

Have a happy dinner!

Hakusan Fancy Drink : Creamy and Sparkling

Hakusan Fancy Drink
Originally uploaded by CaptainShen

Simple drink. Truly, all you need to do is pour about a tablespoon of heavy cream into the bottom of a glass and pour sparkling water over it.

I usually drop in flavors of liquid stevia (like English Toffee).

This one was chocolate raspberry flavored with a frozen strawberry dropped in :).

Life is good, sometimes, from such simple delicacies!

Beef Bacon Review...

I just tried Beef bacon for the first time. Pretty good-- I couldn't get it to crisp up like pork, though.

Imagine Beef Jerky falling in love with Pork Bacon on a post-breakfast hike. Thats what this is like. Their delicious love child.

Its great as an ingredient (in stir fry, or like tonight, in my creamed spinach) but its a different thing than bacon... pork bacon still has its old crispy place in my heart.

Seriously though, two bacon posts in a row? A bit excessive, methinks.

...then again, if beef bacon is indeed a different thing...

In other news, I have recently tried Heavy Cream. I expected so much from it-- I expected glory in a spoon-- but really was let down. Until, that is, I tried creamed spinach-- and sparkling water with cream and vanilla stevia drops.

And I'd like to note that I feel I should apologize somewhat for the abrupt 'change' that this place has undertaken-- but I didn't feel that I should write it all off and start a new blog. My life has changed (as has my eating life) in a very real, very purposeful way, and I was inspired again to share the things that I discover and believe in. Come with me, yeah?

Awesome Morsels

Awesome Morsels
Originally uploaded by CaptainShen

OK, STOP EVERYTHING.
Prepare this.

I used:

1 scallop
2 chicken livers
3 Slices of bacon
3 Chunks Avocado
Wasabi
Rosemary Avocado Oil Mayonnaise

I soaked toothpicks in water for around 30 minutes while I went to the store, then came home and wrapped each meat morsel with a drizzle of wasabi (I mixed the powder so that it was thin) and an avocado.

I thin made a big flaming show of the grill outside and pulled the little morsels off, then feverishly looked for my camera and used my mayo as a little topping.

Bask in the glory of the awesome morsels!

FINALLY! Good Mayo.

I've made quite a few bad batches of mayonnaise, ever since learning to embrace fats. I was excited to have mayonnaise again-- 'real' deviled eggs and tuna salad seemed like an amazing prospect to me. However, as I think soybean oil, canola, and other various processed seed oils are kinda, you know, poison, I decided I'd make my own. I own great olive oils, right now being a Nazareth and Canaan (hahaha, well, thats kind of funny now that I realize it) and they made absolutely nasty mayonnaise. I was at a loss-- I love lemon. I love olive oil. I love egg! They emulsified themselves into an epically bad spread that made me sad. However! Tonight, I have done it.

I wanted to use avocado oil, but the only avocado oil I had was infused with rosemary. Well, boy howdy. Not such a bad problem to have, I thought. However, mayonnaising seemed to bring out the worst in my oils thus far, so all I could do was try...

And this is the tale of what I did.

1 egg yolk

1 TB white vinegar

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/8 tsp stevia

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

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5 or 6 Oz Rosemary Avocado Oil

I guess people have a lot of trouble with 'breaking' their mayonnaise. I've made it (even if it wasn't that great in the past) many times and have never had a problem. I have a teensy tiny mini red food processor (Farberware, looks like they don't make them anymore) that has dips in the lid for a grip, and in the bottom of that dip, there is a tiny air hole. I simply pour the oil into the finger-dips and let the air hole drip it in. Its a long process, but it works perfectly. So, I put all of the first ingredients in, gave it a pulse, and let it sit for a moment (because I thought the mustard needed to develop or something). After that, I just poured oil into the little well and let it go until the concoction 'felt' mayonnaisey.

AND IT WAS GOOD! Wonder of wonders. Now, for some salmon salad...

-El

Snack?!

For one month, I have decided to go without eating nuts. Or nut butters. This comes from the ridiculous amount of which I overeat them. I started yesterday, and I find myself hungrily wandering into the kitchen to find them, but alas-- I have bagged and frozen them.

Anyhow, in my nut-free wanderings, I needed a good little snack, and I came up with something... genius.

BISONS ON A LOG!

Thats right. Celery. Plus homemade mayonnaise (olive oil and lemon-- though next time I'll use vinegar) and tiny cubed bison steak.

Cold Coconut Chicken Tamales

This is a primal recipe-- no grain (masa) used! The texture of coconut flour lends itself perfectly to cornmeal/masa recipes. I needed a car/finger food for my 20 hour drive to Georgia and tamales sounded so, so good. I worked hard to develop this recipe. They're GREAT cold and the texture is just dreamy. However, the process is VERY involved, as tamales are famous for. So, set aside a few days and get the big kitchenware out. Be prepared to be amazed.

Note: I hardly ever add salt, but it was needed in certain areas of this recipe. I used fine himalayan pink salt for this one.

CHICKEN AND FILLING

Butter ... for browning

Garlic ... 4 or 5 cloves

Onion ... 1/2 of a huge one or 1 whole regular

Whole chicken ... Just one

Brown a whole chicken in a large stock pot with butter. Add Garlic and onion.

Boil the buggah for like 2 hours, maybe more. It should faaaall apart when you grab it with tongs. Let it cool right there in the stock, after you turn off the stove. When it is cool enough, put the whole thing in the fridge. Take it out the next day and skim off the fat, then remove the chicken. Shred the meat, you don't need the skin or bones anymore (but you can save them for soup and whatnot. I don't know, you have freedom to do whatever you like, I don't mind)

Put that chicken meat in a biiig mixing bowl and shred it like mad!

Coconut oil ... 1/2 Cup

Chili Powder ... 3 TB

Cumin ... 3 TB

Garlic Powder ... 3 TB

Black Pepper ... 1.5 TB

White Pepper ... 1.5 TB

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Salt ... 2 TSP

Red Bell Pepper ... 1/2 of one, diced EXTRA tiny

Green Onions ... 2 stalks, thinly sliced (including white)

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Unsweet Coconut Shreds 1/2 cup

Warm the first set of ingredients in a pot on the stove simply to wake up the spices with the oil and then add Red Bell Pepper and Green Onions until the green onions are JUST softening, then turn it off and add salt. Add this to the shredded chicken and knead with your hands (Uh, make sure its cool enough, dude). Knead it some more. It should be brilliantly colored and taste AWESOME. But it should be REALLY well mixed. Don't do anything with the coconut shreds yet.

DOUGH

Coconut Flour ... 2 Cups

Eggs ... 3

Paprika ... 1.5 TB

Salt ... 2 TSP

Cumin ... 1 TB

Chili Powder ... 1.5 TB

Garlic Powder ... 1.5 TB

Coconut Oil ... As Needed (I started with 3/4 cup and went from there)

Chicken Stock ... Some

Knead all together. Add chicken stock if you need to, I believe I ended up using about 1/2 a cup. Knead it like mad! Knead it more than you did the chicken. This is going to take a while, and also be kind of an organic process, by which I mean you'll add more coconut flour, more coconut oil, a bit more chicken stock, until you believe it is JUST right and enough. It should be doughey-sticky. This didn't work at ALL for me until I added my 3rd egg (I started with 2) so don't be afraid to add more eggs, either.

COMBINING

Originally, I was using Ti Leaves to wrap these guys, but my plant didn't produce enough large ones. I'm sure you'd be OK using corn husks (though, they need soaking in advance, I think) but I used FOIL and it worked just fine. I may have felt less cool, but they worked great. Just lay a little rectangle of foil down, greased (I used coconut oil spray... mmm). Then, spoon the dough down and spread it with the back of the spoon. I had never done this before, but I grew up making sushi and stuffs, so I used a sushi roller under the foil and that method. Lay a beautiful layer of chicken down (not all the way to the edges) and-- hey, remember the coconut shreds from up the page?-- Add a line of coconut shreds to the center of the chicken! Now, roll this up and peek in to make sure the dough seals all around, then fold it up and set it aside! Everyone will probably catch on to their own method of rolling these guys after 3 or 4 tamals. Thats it! I made lots of tiny ones and a couple big ones.

When you are done, steam them. They're "supposed" to all be on end in a big steamer, but I didn't have that kind of space, so I just laid mine in my chinese steamer inside of a huge pot. They were a magnificent mound. Steaming takes far longer than I thought it one-- I think it was an hour or more-- but I just kept checking the tamales. They're done when you can peel the foil away from the tamale without it crumbling.

I froze these and took them on my trip-- they worked magnificently! Eat them nice and cold (but thawed) a dipped in Greek Yogurt and Guacamole! ENJOY!

Eons, Changes (and Trout)

I suppose a lot of time has passed! I'm still eating, and I just made something totally blog-worthy. I have got to tell you though, I have changed the way that I eat. I realized that I wasn't getting sufficient fats in my diet and that I felt sluggish and tired every time I ate grain, so I began eating in the way Mark Sisson outlines on www.thedailyapple.com. I started this a little while back-- I'm not sure when, exactly, but I feel great.

Anyhow, I'm calling this amazing meal the World-Isn't-Ready-Yet Trout (Wiry trout? Hmmm...) because it was so good that I couldn't take a picture and post it, for that very reason. It is VERY easy. I had some wild steelhead trout (1oogm) and when I had previously grilled it, it was.... good... but just wasn't 'there' for me. I grabbed a little spice bag of 'Fiesta Mixed Spice' and my mortar and pestle, as the spices were whole (looks like fennel, cumin, peppercorns... I don't know what else). I ground up about 2 TB and then added in a half clove of garlic, mashed that in, added a small squeeze of lemon juice (from a lemon that thought it was already spent), and then last of all I added enough coconut oil to give it a kind of more 'pesto' texture. I gave the fillet (flesh up, skin down) a small drizzle of olive oil (because I'd be cooking it, you know, and that destroys it...) and basically just covered the flesh in the 'spice paste.' I stuck it in a container in the fridge and it was there for two days before I decided to use it.

Seeing as it was a rainy day, I couldn't grill, so I used the stovetop for the first time in ages. I don't have a skillet so I used a pot and got it nice and preheated. I then took the fish (without greasing the pan, because I knew there was plenty of oil in the spices) and dropped it in, flesh & spices down. I let it sear for a good while and get nice and black before flipping it and leaving it until it was done.

Elsewhere...

A fantastic bowl of romaine, green onion, avocado, pine nuts, fresh cilantro, green bell pepper, and the worlds teensiest cherry tomatoes was being prepared. Topped with olive oil, it was ready for the trout... and as I slid the trout from the pan onto the salad, sweet glorious beams of heavenly light hit me in the face and knocked me on my back. When I awoke, I consumed the best trout ever.

Arlington/Metroplex Market Guide (Drop a comment if you read!)

I've been working on these reviews for quite some time now, and I decided this morning to finish them up. Everything happens for a reason though, right? Wonder of wonders, as I was getting the address to my own main grocery store (Saigon Taipei), I checked their website and saw that, lo and behold, they are moving two days from now. I had no idea! I've been going there for years! What an oddity that I was just to randomly check the website that I didn't know they had. I'm excited for them-- hopefully a new place means a better place-- but I suppose this puts a stop on the bicycling to shop there that I was going to do.

Anyhow, this is a large list and I almost didn't post it yet because I wanted visitors (all one of you) to see the beautiful mussels two posts down, but alas. This is needed. Enjoy!

El'S HUGE ASIAN MARKET and JAPANESE SHOP
GUIDE AND REVIEW!
Kazy’s Gourmet
9256 Markville Dr., Dallas, TX 75243
972-235-4831
Mon-Sat 10:00am- 7:00pm Sun 11:30am- 6:00pm
[note: If you're coming off of 635, going south on Greenville, get in your left lane. It's a tiny little street that seems like its an alley of warehouses, but Kazy's is at the end.]

GO HERE FOR: Japanese, Hawaiian groceries, lunch supplies, the food counter, general groceries.
Kazy’s is a large grocery store with a good frozen section. It’s charming and the people are helpful enough—generally. Jun is a nice guy and there was a very very knowledgeable (and SO VERY nice) Hispanic girl there for a number of times I went. They have fish (I’ve never gotten them here, I go to Seabose for my fish) and pretty much anything you’re looking for. Be sure to check the back hallway, which is tucked out of sight, for bento things like sauce bottles and onigiri presses. However, the most exciting thing that I found there isn’t Japanese at all—but Hawaiian. They had Hawaiian Sun, Hawaiian salt, Aloha Shoyu, and even frozen bags of poi and sometimes ti leaves. They said just call ahead to make sure they had poi. Their food counter is great, too-- i've gone there for lunch before. So delicious :) and cheap too. I love Kazy's so much that I hav a Kazy's tshirt.
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Seabose
2760 Trinity Mills Road #102
Carrollton, TX 75006
214-483-5839
TUE-FRI 11:00-7:30, SAT 8:30-7:30, SUN 11:00-6:00
Tel: 214-483-5839, Fax: 214-483-2196
[note: this place has the teensiest sign in the world. It's next to a tanning salon in a shopping center with a 24-Hr Fitness.]

GO HERE FOR: Fish fish fish fish, Japanese, Fresh and high quality veggies, Sushi, korokke, General groceries
I love love love Seabose with all my heart. Just typing about it makes me want to go tomorrow.
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Minoya
3115 W Parker Rd
Plano, TX 75023
972-769-8346

GO HERE FOR: Japanese, things, non-food items, snacks, inexpensive stuff
This isn't a restaurant at all, but a shop. Kind of a 100 yen shop. They have various housewares, magazines, stationary and school supplies, as well as some bento stuff and dishes. They do have some food, too, like packaged cakes and snacks. There is a pretty good freezer wall in the back full of goodies. They're very nice here and usually have some kind of .15 cent candy in a bowl on the counter.
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H-Mart
2625 Old Denton Rd
Carrollton, TX
972-323-9700‎

GO HERE FOR: Everything?!
Do I really need to review H-Mart? I don't think I have time. It's huge, clean, and I'd trust it more than a run-of-the-mill American grocery store any day. They have shops inside, the best vegetable selection I've ever seen, a huge pickle-corner, fresh (WHOA amazing) fish (I still go to Seabose over them), housewares, endless rice and noodles, a great bakery right there, and anything else you want. Seriously. Appliances? Sure. An entire Lock & Lock aisle. Food court, with TAIYAKI! The handmade mango popsicle from the bakery is just to die for-- creamy, beautiful, delicious, and cheap. I go here on the way back from Denton.

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Saigon Taipei
2206 S Collins St
2430 E. Pioneer Parkway
Arlington, TX 76010
817-460-3428

GO HERE FOR: Bahn Mi, Everyday Asian Market Shopping, Common Japanese things, Cold Drinks, Vegetables, kitchen items.
This market is my main place. Cheap sandwiches when you're hungry, freshly made at the front. Boba tea and ice cream to the side. It's the best one in Arlington and it has pretty much everything I need. Their food is fresh enough and I haven't gotten anything spoiled there. I see live crawfish and crabs in the back sometimes, so if you're in need, go there. The security guard is a nice lady named Millie. I can't believe it's moving!

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Hong Kong Marketplace
2615 W Pioneer Pkwy
Grand Prairie, TX
972-988-8880‎

1816 E Pioneer Pkwy
Arlington, TX
817-265-1488‎

GO HERE FOR: Cell phone items, bulk rice, NOT quail eggs
[Arlingoton] I made the main move as a shopper to Saigon Taipei from here after I got some bad quail eggs here. I mean, really bad. But I still go here if I can't find something at Saigon Taipei or May Hao.
[Grand Prairie] This is a whole different world. It's clean, large, bright, and new. It reminds me of the Asian Market behind Joyluck BBQ in Plano, TX. Good stuff, but just far enough away so that it's not my main shopping center.
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May Hao
2525 E Arkansas Ln # 235,
Arlington, TX
817-261-8061‎

GO HERE FOR: Fresh fruits, snacks, small items
This is a good, tiny, locally owned shop. It's the best to go to for fresh fruit, I think. It's really no frills with a convenience store feel, and the owner is always there behind the counter, likely watching football. He's a really nice guy and it's a good shop. I go here if I can't find something at Saigon Taipei-- usually before I try Hong Kong Marketplace.

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(I wrote the following reviews and already posted some of them on www.justhungry.com.)

Note: On a recent roadtrip through the southeast, I found a great shortage of Japanese shops or information about them. I’m from Texas where I suppose I’ve been spoiled.
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MISSOURI
Fox Farm Whole Food
2639 E 32nd St # E
Joplin, MO 64804
417-623-3276

An odd little health food store, they have many Japanese things to choose from. A stop here is required when visiting my Hawaiian family in Oklahoma before a party. They have tako and other fish in the freezer and have inarizushi no moto, seaweed, a variety of rices (in bins that you can scoop from) and noodles, as well as fresh vegetables. And they’re honest about their veggies—if you ask for one and they don’t think its up to par, they’ll tell you and discount it. Its an interesting place… try it out.
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MISSIPPI
Little Tokyo
872 Avery Blvd. N.
Ridgeland, MS
601-977-0844

This place is an oasis in the middle of a Japanese shop void which is the southeast USA. It was small, but had exactly what we went for (mochiko, daifuku, tonkatsu sauce, and inarizushi no moto) as well as plenty of other things. They had mochi ice cream which I desperately wanted but I didn’t think it would fare too well on the road trip. They have a Restaurant two suites down which was QUITE delicious, too. Very cute shop.

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Aaaaalright, that seems to close our grocery store tour. Next up in reviews and guides, at some point: Boba.