Friday Night Stars

There was a fortuitous break in the clouds Friday Night, and we were able to get a little stargazing in.  Samurai brought his new 90mm AstroView Refractor over.  So it was kinda, oh, look, new toy.. night too...  We were able to see Orion, Sirius, and Mars for a couple hours.  Just about perfect for that New Telescope experimental viewing session.  Here's a shot...

Chili Noodle Soup

I love me my Noodles, especially when I'm feeling puny (sick).  Well this time I have a really different idea that will be very familiar, yet in execution is very different.  A popular food that is sort of a staple in the South is Chili Mac, sort of a casserole.  Well some people change that up, and make Chili Mac Soup.  These are normally made with one of those boxed foods from the Grocery store.  I'm not one to use the prepacked foodstuffz.  So, I'm changing this to Chili Noodle Soup where I make some of my homemade Chili, then turn it into Soup.

Start with the Chili.  Brown some ground Beef.  Throw in some diced Onion, and Jalapeno, and let it simmer a while.  Add some spices like Cumin, Paprika, Chile Powder, Garlic powder, Red Chile Flakes, and Sea Salt.  Add some canned Tomatoes, and Tomato sauce.  Then let that simmer down into actual Texas Red, mmmm...

Then take all of that and dump it into a stockpot.  Add a quart of Chicken stock, and bring it up to a boil.  You can use any Pasta you want really.  I've been using a fancy imported Egg Noodle lately, which were admittedly a little long for the Soup Spoon, but that is part of the fun.  After the Chili Noodle Soup comes to a boil add some Noodles.  A little, a lot, whatevar you like.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, and let the Noodles cook to tenderness that you like.  I like mine cooked a litter softer.  Harley was really whiney during this meal...

Super Wolf Blood Moon 2019

This is the Super Wolf Blood Moon 2019.  It is Super because the Moon is at its Perigee, the closest point in its orbit around earth.  It is a Wolf Moon because in Indian Lore the Wolves are having a hard time finding something to eat during the Winter, and will sometimes go after children.  It's a Blood Moon because it is a total Lunar Eclipse.  Altogether it is clear outside, and I can actually see the sky, which is really cool.  It is a very starry night, rare for a Full Moon.  Usually the Full Moon blots out all the stars because of its intensity.  Beautiful...

Black Eyed Pea Chili

Happy New Years!  There is that tradition about Black Eyed Peas on New Year Day brings Good Luck.  Well, plain 'ole Black Eyed Peas just ain't very good.  I'm sick, it's cold outside, I haven't got anything better to do then experiment with food in my kitchen.  Yeah, of course I got a pound of dry Black Eyed Peas at the Grocery Store last week, that is an impulsive New Year staple.  The challenge is to make them into something I actually want to eat, being sick, and all I don't really feel like eating.

Well, lets see here.  I have a can of stewed Tomatoes.  There is also a half pound of roasted New Mexico Chiles.  We can kick that up a notch with some Red Onion, and Garlic.  Now gotta have some Chili stuff like Paprika, Red Chile Flakes, and Cumin.  Throw in some Sea Salt, and Cracked Black Pepper.  I used some Chicken Bullion with the Water when I hydrated the Black Eyed Peas.  After experimenting with this for a day, New Years Eve, I think I have achieved Black Eyed Pea Chili perfection.  Then after setting for a while to let the flavors meld, I had the Black Eyed Pea Chili epiphany, Waaah...  Nomlishous nomnoms...

Christmas Kimchi

Kimchi is one of my favorite Asian foods.  I have a need for fermented vegetables, but there is also the need for heat.  What better way to integrate heat into fermented vegetables than Kimchi?

I have experimented with Kimchi a few times, so this is an attempt to get it closer to the way it should be.  Before I have tried different chiles, I think one was made with Guajillo chiles.  One I made with Jalapenos.  This time I tried to get all the correct ingredients.

There is one exception this time, I'm adding Thai Basil.  I really don't think there is a master recipe for Kimchi, and it's something that is open to personal taste, and cultural interpretation.  There are some ingredients that seem to be present in all interpretations like Napa Cabbage, Garlic, Red Chile, and Ginger.  I seen a lot of recipes that do not use Fish Sauce, or any sort of Seafood component.  For me the fishiness in an essential component, but some people just don't like it.

Kimchi is a Fermented Vegetable food, which means it starts like Sauerkraut, or Sour Pickles with Salt.  The salt is the preservative, and also the reactionary agent.  As I peel off the leaves of the Napa Cabbage, and chop them, I sprinkle them with salt.  The salt draws the moisture out of the Napa Cabbage, and this becomes the Brine for the Kimchi.  As the Kimchi ages, and ferments, Osmosis will balance the Salt in the Brine with the Water in the Napa Cabbage.  The flavors that are added to the Kimchi will also get drawn within the Napa cabbage cells creating the nomlishousness that is Kimchi.

I'll let the salted Napa Cabbage sit for several hours to let it wilt, and produce the brine.  You will see the Napa Cabbage sweat, and eventually form a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.  This is the liquid that will "pickle' the Kimchi.  We'll add some more liquid later in order to keep all the Napa cabbage submerged.

While the Napa Cabbage is getting ready I'll prepare the flavorings for the Kimchi.  There are many things that could possibly be used.  One thing that I am omitting this time is Radish.  I just don't have any here at the moment.  What I have used are Ginger, Garlic, Scallions, Red Chile, Thai Basil, Camarones (little dehydrated shrimp), and Fish Sauce.

 I'll finely dice the Ginger, and Garlic, then dump it in with the Napa Cabbage.  The Scallions are bias sliced, and then into the bowl.  The Camarones go in whole, and will get hydrated by the Brine, and Fish Sauce.  At this point there is four pounds of Napa Cabbage, and most of the flavorings in the biggest mixing bowl I have.  It is very difficult to mix without getting it all over the place.

But, Mix I do, and do a lot.  The Kimchi needs to be thoroughly mixed together to get those flavorings in every crevice of the Napa Cabbage.  The last two things that I add are the Red Chile Flakes, and the Fish Sauce.  The Kimchi is already very pungent, but when the Fish Sauce goes in it finally has that complete smell.  At this point it is assembled, but it will take some time before it tastes complete.  It has to ferment for a couple weeks before the Umami is there.

The Umami is what I can Nomlishousness.  Now you can just go buy Kimchi, but it is not nearly as good as what you make at home with your own hands.  I presume that most foods are like that.

So, Merry Christmas, and a Spicy New Year...

Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas

I totally love Sugar Snap Peas.  They are perfect fresh, just as they are.  But I have been exploring ways to integrate them with other foods.  Asian Stir Fry seems to be a good starting point.  I see Snow Peas in Stir Fry all the time.

I've used the jumbo Argentinean Red Shrimp.  They are so large I cut them into three or four pieces.  Then I stir fry them with red Onion, Garlic, and Snow Peas.  I've also been experimenting with Brown Rice.  The Sugar Snap Peas take the heat well, and retain their crispiness.  This one worked out really good.

Chile Harvest 2018

Freezing weather is in the forecast, time to harvest the Chiles.  I have massive Chile plants this year.  I grew a lot of Capsicum Chinense plants, and they get huge.  They are also prolific, and make lots of Chile Pods.

It actually caused a problem in the garden because the plants got so large that they were casting a shadow on other plants which couldn't grow correctly because they weren't getting enough light.  Two in particular were the problem the Poblanos, and the Bhut Jolokias.  The Poblano is a really big plant, and they overshadowed the Cherry Pepper plants.  I did get some Cherry Peppers, but the plants were light starved, and didn't grow like they should have.

The plants that are abnormally prolific are the really hot Chiles like the Bhut Jolokias, and the Carolina Reapers.I only planted two Bhut Jolokias, and I have a whole pan full of Chiles.

I planted a lot more Carolina Reaper plants, but some of them were light starved at the back of the garden, and didn't produce much.  The four plants at the south end of the garden produced plenty.

I also planted some Orange Habaneros, and Red Savina Habaneros (Caribbean Red Hots).  One of these plants produced Chiles that look different, and after spending a little time trying to identify them I think they are Trinidad Morunga Scorpion Chiles, on the right.

Then the Poblanos are also prolific.  They were also the largest Chile plants in the garden this year.  They have relatively large fruits so they were all bent over at harvest time.  They grew three feet past the top of the the support cages.  They are easily the Largest Chile Plants I have grown.

I also grew Thai Dragon Chiles this year.  They were one of the last things I planted, and got planted at the back of the garden, so they were light starved, and generated a lot of Chiles anyway.  Along the trellis I planted Cherry Tomatoes, and they also did not do very well.  I did get a lot of little Tomatoes, but they never ripened, and were diminutive compared to what they were supposed to be.