Fishy Noodles 2

You know that Ramen Noodle square package?  The brick of skinny noodles that you boil for five minutes with the dehydrated vegetable package?  Every college student know this miserable package of might be food.  I know my digestive system doesn't like it.  With a little skill you can make wonderful Noodle Bowl that far surpasses the miserable block of noodles.  First use actual vegetables...

Whole vegetables are the cheapest food you can get.  If they are processed in any way they only get more expensive.  It might seem cheaper if you are only buying one portion, but that is only perspective.  I'm going to start this with some butter, diced Onion, and sliced Mushrooms.

 Gotta has the Spice, so adding diced Jalapeno, and sliced Serrano Chiles.  Don't forget salt...

Then we need to add "the" savory, lots of Garlic.

It's Fishy Noodles...  In this case it's a 7 oz. can of Salmon, cheap, maybe like a buck...

I had the Wide Egg Noodles cooking on another burner, drain, and dump those in...

The "fishy" water from the can of Salmon is the "gravy", and we'll mix all this together...

They I'll add a bunch of chopped Cilantro, mix, and dump it into a bowl...

Sure it's a little more expensive than Ramen, but a million times better...

Fishy Noodle Bowl...

Texacali Salad

The date I first made the Texacali Salad was 06/17/2007.  Wow, seems like a long time ago.  Well, now it's in a package, and some people are going to try it tomorrow.  This is a TexMex "Salad" which is a mix of foods that composed of Rice, Beans, Salsa, and Barbeque.  The idea is Lunch in a bucket.  It's also designed to be ready to eat cold, or hot.  In this case the flavors I have used are Cuban Black Beans with Oregano, Pico de Gallo with Cilantro, Brown Rice with a Chicken flavoring, and Live Oak Smoked Pork Chops.  Uh uh uh, Nomlishous...

Well I started with the Pico de Gallo.  Fresh Tomatoes, Tam Jalapenos, Red Onions, Cilantro, and Sea Salt.  Easy right?  Well the Salad part is a Vinaigrette which sort of adds a "salad flavor" rather than a Bean based sauce.  The Vinaigrette is Red Chile infused Olive Oil, and Bragg Vinegar.  This gives the Pico de Gallo a Mexican flavor because of the Red Chile.

Then to give it more of a Salad essence I am adding sliced Black Olives.  This also adds the "Cali" aspect to the "salad"  I was sort of trying to find a balance between Tex Mex, and Cali Mex.

Next I wanted to add some more vegetation for the "this is a salad" aspect, so I roasted some Corn, and separated from the cob, added that to the mix.  Finally I have Black Beans, and Brown Rice to reinforce the Southern, and Mexican vibe to this concoction.  This is really Americana Fusion cooking.

 So, the batch I made tonight, which is really cooking from several days, which culminated in 11, 12 oz. portions, which some lucky people will get to eat tomorrow.  I've got more source food, so I can make more.  This is a little side venture I have been pursuing lately.  The New Barbarian Kitchen cooks for a select group of people, and so far I have had very favorable reviews.  I think the Texacali Salad is going to be a Hit Too!  LOL!  Totally Nomlishous...

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...