Wait, Fritos and Triscuits have about the same amount of sodium?
Triscuits: 170mg per 28g = 6/g
Fritos: 300mg per 50g = 6/g
Excuse me while I go get some more Fritos.
* * *
Archive for the ‘Food and…’ Category
Surprise of the Day
Posted in Food and..., tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, food, guilty pleasures, Thoughts on August 22, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I’ll Take It
Posted in Food and..., tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, food, recipes on August 19, 2023| 2 Comments »
Good news, Peoples of Earth! I am happy to report that the recent chocolate cheesecake experiment was a success.
Difficulty rating: easy, except for questions around the pan and the ingredient updates, but now I’ve got the process figured out. Also, my current pan makes cutting difficult.
Appearance: not terrible, despite the cracks caused by over-baking. Next time I’ll stick to the temperature guides and ignore the jiggle factor. The 9” x 3” pan made that less than reliable. Also, next time I’ll fancy it up with whipped cream and fruit.
Flavor: Mr Man’s assessment, and I quote, “F’ing delicious.”
I’ll take it.
* * *
Again, here is the original recipe and my version of the updates, recorded here for posterity (and by that I mean the next time I make this, which will be soon!):
Epic New York Cheesecake From BraveTart
Chocolate Version
Crust:
225g Biscoff cookies
57g melted butter
pinch of salt
Cheesecake:
905g full-fat cream cheese, brought to about 70°F/21°C
112g fresh goat cheese (not pre-crumbled), brought to about 70°F/21°C
32g Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tsp espresso powder (didn’t have this so I steeped 6 coffee beans in the cream, remove after boiling)
15g vanilla extract
1g Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
250g plain sugar
300g/6 large eggs
170g heavy cream
225g semi-sweet chocolate, added to the cream after boiling and stirred until melted
* * *
Adventures in Baking
Posted in Food and..., tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, #fuelforwriters, baking, home on August 17, 2023| 2 Comments »
I am trying something new today: cheesecake. I am sure that I have made a cheesecake at some point because my lizard brain remembers the pain of a hot water bath slopping up against my forearm, and the annoyance of a leaky springform pan. That said, I don’t remember many other details because I’ve been avoiding this kind of cake for years.
But I had a special request. Mr Man wanted a cheesecake. And not just any cheesecake, he wanted it to be chocolate.
Ok, I said. I can do that. (Pretty sure I can do that.)
After much research and a number of modifications, I am doing it.
If you are unfamiliar, cheesecake is typically a multi-day affair. It requires a bake and then a cool and then a chill, preferably overnight. If you’re in a hurry, you can try some of the no-bake variants out there, but they still tend to require significant time in the fridge.
Here’s the base recipe I’m using: Epic New York Cheesecake From BraveTart. (No water bath! My forearms are thanking me. And how did I not realize that there is no flour at all in cheesecake?)
Modifications are required because my pan isn’t quite the right size and the original formulation is for a lightly citrus-flavored version. For Mr Man’s chocolate extravaganza, I’m using some of the changes posted by GregLasky in the recipe comments, along with most of his ingredient list: Chocolate Cheesecake.
The bad thing about a recipe like this is that I have to wait before I know if it worked. The good thing about a recipe like this? I have a whole day to imagine how great it’s going to be.
* * *
Lime Sublime
Posted in Food and..., Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, #frostyadultbeverages, #notwriting, home on August 16, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I’m on a day job vacation at the moment and I’d hoped to get to some actual writing today. Instead, we juiced limes. Lots and lots and lots of limes. Eight pounds of limes, in the end, which is what happens when one shops at Costco’s Business Center.
On the plus side, our Lime Freeze future is assured, and the Breville Citrus Press is still one of the best presents Mr Man has ever given me. Spendy and single-use, yes, but worth it.
* * *
Mmm, Tastes Like Garum
Posted in Food and..., Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, #foodforwriters, fun with history, inspiration, Writers, writing on August 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I love food and I love history, so imagine my excitement when I ran across this article:
How recreating ancient recipes helps one food buff bring the past to life | CBC Radio
I explored the linked video channel here:
Tasting History with Max Miller – YouTube
The recipes include a lot of interesting food, like medieval mead, garum, pirate rations, and the fascinatingly named “Hardtack and Hellfire.” Some of these items are still familiar, others not so much.
I am so down with this.
Previously, I’ve mentioned Krista Ball’s What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank, on how to feed your fantasy adventurers, but seeing these recipes come to life takes historical food to another level.
Enjoy (or at least feel happy that we have more on tap these days than sweet potato coffee)!
* * *
Happy Father’s Day!
Posted in Food and..., Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts on June 18, 2023| 2 Comments »
When I was a child, my father discovered a lime freeze drink that I absolutely loved. I don’t have the recipe and only remember that it was frothy, creamy and sharp with fresh lime juice. I’ve tried to replicate the drink a few times but never quite managed it, until now.
This recipe is based on a Brazilian limeade recipe. The original version is very good but it’s harder to find organic limes than I’d like, and it can be a little fiddly to balance a thorough blending while avoiding the bitterness of fresh pith.
Using sweetened condensed milk makes it quick and easy with no risk of curdling. Being me, I also wanted a recipe we could make with frozen juice. This is the result.
Lime Fluff
- 700g/just under 3C water, whey, or a combination* (we’re using 1C yogurt whey, the rest water)
- 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (~190g)
- 1 to 1 1/8 C+ / 250–275g lime juice (to taste, fresh or frozen)
Blend and enjoy.
* I know that grams (mass) don’t always equal milliliters (volume), but it’s close enough. We also make a lot of strained yogurt so we have whey on hand; ours is tangy enough that we use 250g of lime juice.
* * *
Wildly Optimistic, Or, This Is What Happens When I Caffeinate
Posted in Food and..., tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, Thoughts, whee! on June 12, 2023| 1 Comment »
Today, for reasons, I am attempting to put in a full day’s work, work out, edit a story, and make not one not two but three different desserts. I don’t usually drink coffee or tea but decided that if there is a time to caffeinate, this is it.
Will I achieve my goals or watch my plans careen into a topsy turvy tower of uncompromising reality?
(cue dramatic music)
Tune in tomorrow to find out!
* * *
TANSTAAFL
Posted in Food and..., Funny, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts, whoops on June 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »
For those of you unfamiliar with the acronym used as today’s post title, it stands for “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” The exact origins of this phrase are unknown, but I was introduced to it by Robert A. Heinlein in his novel The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.
The phrase came to mind today as I attempted (emphasis on) a new recipe for a no-knead high hydration baguette recipe. I’ve used this approach for a version of Mark Bittman’s bread recipe with great success, so why not try it here?
This is why not:)
I won’t name the recipe I used because it seemed to work fine for the author, but it in no way shape or globulous form worked for me.
Next!
* * *
Do You Ramen?
Posted in Food and..., tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, food, Thoughts on May 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »
The answer to a recent Wordle was “ramen,” which brought me back to after-school second lunches and some of my first creative attempts at cooking. Ramen is salty and delicious and while I don’t eat the instant version much anymore, the memories remain fond.
If you also enjoy ramen, may I suggest this interactive idea generator:
Inspiration Wheel | Shin Wheel
* * *
First Time
Posted in Food and..., tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, bread, creativity, experiments, recipes, Writers on May 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Today, for the first time ever, I made baguettes.
I have made sandwich loaves, no-knead bread, Swedish braids, cinnamon twists, lemon loaves, pound cake, blueberry lemon bread, banana bread, and many other kinds of bread in my time, but never baguettes.
After an enlightening conversation with S.M. Stirling about writing and baking, I was inspired to give it a shot.
Baguette pan: purchased.
Initial recipe: selected. I’ll likely test out a few more but this looked like a decent place to start.
/insert hold music of your choice
Results? Pretty good! The finished loaves aren’t quite as pretty/large/browned as I’d like and I have a list of process items to tweak, but the taste and texture were both excellent.
* * *
-
Recent Posts
She Said, He Said
-
-
Favorite Posts
Archives
Categories
It’s All So Random
What I’m Reading
You must be logged in to post a comment.