Strong fried rice with porkbelly

Strong refers to the flavor, not your usual fried rice, double black soy sauce and dark sesame oil. Of course a bit of heat in the pork belly prep.. The rice was a secondary effort after preparing the pork belly. 

Cut the pork belly so that the layers are intact. I don’t trim the rind.

Started with a basic salt , pepper blend and grated ginger root.

The marinade was a concoction of stout beer , double back soy sauce , Indian  spice mix, hot pepper paste and sugar all adjusted to taste. 

After the pork belly has marinaded for several hours it was broiled first close to the fire and then midway in the oven. The sugar content made for easy  caramelisation. 

The flavor was excellent, a touch of heat,  the morsels melted in my mouth , the combination of fat layered with the meat was tender along with a slight chew. The double black soy sauce marinade gave the pork belly a very dark color.

Next came the addition of  fried rice. A good amount of mushrooms along with pea pods, chives, lemon grass, celery and fried egg. 

Saute the rice (cooked), with the mushrooms, chives and lemongrass.

Add the pea pods,  celery. 

I used the drippings from the broiled pork belly , added and stirred fried. 

Finally dress with sesame oil and the egg, add the pork belly.

The best !

Shopping

Shopping a new venue, Good Fortune Supermarket

Good Fortune

Pork shoulder

Chicken breast, boneless

BBQ 2018

A small amount meat for the first BBQ, 2 pork ribs and a chicken breast using a standard dry rub That I usually make every season. BBQ DRY RUB. I do make some substitutions as adding  my own blend of hot pepper. 

The BBQ sauce is of the homebrew concoction. 

Dry rub the meat for at least several hours. Also using a small amount of meat means less cooking time. Time spent relaxing while the meat smokes. A quick stir fry of veggies in a perforated steel frypan over the start of the hot coals. I dampened the fire after and added wood pellets that also had been wetted to slow combustion to the range of 325 degrees covered.

The last several minutes the BBQ sauce is applied , and as some may spill on the hot embers, reigniting flames for a char finish of the meat. 

Toasted cornbread

From the blog post   Corn Bread or Corn Bread or your favorite cornbread recipe.
Fried in butter in a fry pan.

shopping

recent shopping, not included items that have been split purchased by shopping on-line. Items, non perishable are obtained on-line and shipped.

barbecue Satay

• 2 pounds pork loin, cut into strips (or chicken)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoon molasses
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger root
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Place wooden skewers in a pan and cover with water to cover and let soak about an hour to prevent the skewers from burning during grilling. You could skip this step and broil the pork on a broiling pan instead.

Combine the water and brown sugar in a pan and over medium heat, simmer till the sugar dissolves increase the heat till the mixture reduces to a syrup.

Remove from the heat and add in soy sauce, lime juice, molasses, onion, garlic, ginger root, coriander and pepper, mix until well combined.

Marinade the pork in the sauce reserving about 1/4 cup for basting. Refrigerate for about one hour.

Thread the pork onto the skewers, grill untill tender or broil without the skewers till tender.

Served with couscous and large leaf lettuce.

 

 

 

Split shopping

Grocery big box retailers are quickly adapting to the online shopping experience , with offers of free shipping, items that are not perishable can be purchased online and shipped to your door, avoiding the hassle of carrying items from the market to home. The shipments arrive at your door and can be tracked fairly accurately as to the delivery day by the tracking information given. Those already adapted to online shopping are familiar with this.

For fresh groceries items, in certain locations, some retailers will offer a combination of  pickup at the store, and/or delivery some of the services at no cost. As persons lifestyles may change, the convenience of having parcels delivered may appeal to them.  Also it shouldn’t be overlooked that some segments of the population choose not to operate a vehicle or are unable to and instead of requiring a friend or family member to do the shopping they may choose to be more independent.

One other factor is that when online purchases are completed, the transaction method will provide an accounting of the date, time, and amount spent, one can have a clear and accurate picture versus a cash transaction with shoebox full of receipts. Financial software can be integrated if necessary and usually the retailer, the payment provider, and bank (or credit card company) will also have record of the purchase. If a problem arises there can be several ways to dispute the purchase and request a refund.

Of the years I’ve made purchases even before the internet, by mail order, the delivery and now the convenience of a store (website) open 24 hours, shopping can be conducted anytime to fit anyones schedule.

This is only a small view of ordering online, the internet giants have added more services in some locations and other technical features.

 

 

Two plates for dinner, gnocchi

Had the time to make some gnocchi during the week, not fancy but a good use for potatoes and flour, frozen, ready for use.

One plate, no picture,  was small scallops sauté , side of spinach and gnocchi, the other was brocolli, mushrooms and gnocchi. Parsley, oregano, and butter garnish.

Grille/pizza night

Light the grille ! both propane and charcoal, pizza was the goal, I ended up also making flatbread, and spinach pies, my daughter manned the propane grille for her pizza, I’m the charcoal guy, if you don’t mind the char. 

It’s also in the news today a report of a famous foodie that took his life, we must always be reminded that no matter what industry,  it may take it’s toll,  we don’t know or may never know the details and respect the privacy of persons involved. Some  social media postings are too quick to judge , slander and defame someone who is unable to defend themselves.

Chocolate Shortbread olé

A chocolate type cookie , easy to make, cinnamon and a bit of chili powder. I choose to use smoked chili powder and it is way in the background in the taste of the cookies.

From a Nestle recipe book, instead of pecans , walnuts were used.

• 8oz chocolate bits, ghirardelli chocolate chips used
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 inch cayenne pepper (smoked dried chili flakes used)
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 sticks butter
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans, (walnuts used)

Melt the chocolate

Mix the sugar and butter till fluffy, add the melted chocolate.

Combine the flour, cinnamon and chili pepper, and stir into the above.

Stir in the nuts.

Shape into 1 inch balls (or use a scooper)  and then press them to flatten with a glass bottom coated in sugar.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

My cookies were a bit dry but none the less, very good.

prep, toast the walnuts, melt the chocolate

cookie dough

press with a sugar coated cup

ready to bake

cooling