How about steamed blood for dinner?, “I think that is quite an overexcited statement. I lost my motivation on page 85 when I found this recipe on how to cook a dish called ’steamed blood’:
* ½ litre of blood
* ½ teaspoon salt
* Drain the plasma from the solid blood. Add salt. Place the blood in a metallic container with a cover or wrap in a banana leaf. Steam for 30 minutes. Cut in nice dices and serve as a side dish,” writes a Danish development worker in Uganda.

Hoy llegando del SIG tuve que preparar algunas cosas pendientes de un evento para mañana. Buscando algo que necesitaba en la despensa me encontré con una botella de vinagre de vino que tenía mucho tiempo sin usar y donde se había formado una “madre”

Desde hace varios años estoy intentando crear una madre, para poder hacer mi propio vinagre artesanal. Alguna vez hice de kombucha pero nunca es igual. Esta vez la madre es de un vinagre, es decir la combinación entre levadura y la bacteria del ácido acético que fermentan en líquidos alcohólicos.

Muy fea la madre pero si cumple su función no me importa mucho, ya la coloqué en un frasco con vino blanco cubierto con una gasa (asi evito las drosófilas) para tener vinagre en apróximadamente dos meses.

Cambiando el tema, finalizó el SIG, faltan 365 días apróximadamente para el próximo.

Estupenda la intervención de Gastón Acurio y su equipo el viernes en el SIG (Salón Internacional de la Gastronomía, Caracas). Una nueva propuesta por parte del chef peruano: revivir la cocina callejera limeña o street food por medio de un concepto que agregaría un elemento más al atractivo gastronómico que tiene esa capital andina.

La presentación tenía varios componentes: video, slides, elaboración de los platos típicos peruanos y presentados en empaques prácticos para la venta en la calle, elaboración del mismo plato en la modalidad elegante, para servir en el restaurante, y elaboración de cocteles hechos con Pisco, uno distinto para cada plato propuesto. Fue una presentación realmente interesante, donde una vez más se reafirma el genio de Gastón, cuyo propósito es dar a conocer la cocina peruana en todo el mundo. Es muy grande lo que está haciendo.

Voy a dejar que el mismo Gastón lo explique con sus propias palabras como me lo explicó a mí y dejarlos con algunas fotos que tomé antes de la presentación:



El equipo que acompaña a Gastón: Rosita, Victoriano y el encargado de crear deliciosos cocteles

Gastón es entrevistado por una radio local

Ronnie, el diseñador de todos los materiales presentados durante el taller de Cocina callejera (observen el t-shirt)

Click on photo for larger image Last week, I posted photos scenes of a clear day. Today, I'm posting the same scenery, except it's a cloudy day. Despite the weather, I think there's something hauntingly beautiful about such settings. Gattina commented, earlier, that the trees should be changing colors. She's right. Some trees around the city have already completely turned colors.

So this morning,I checked foodieblogs.net this morning--I noticed that Emma of The Laughing Gastronome and host of October's Does my Blog Look Good in This? had posted this month's winners.

Imagine my surprise when I saw that I was October's overall winner.





I'm psyched, especially since everybody's photos were so lovely.

Congrats to the other winners:

Lisa of Homesick Texan, for her handsome photo of chile powder.

Anita of Dessert First, for her colorful and creative picture of sorbet in merangue nests.

and

Caramel Apple Cake by Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, which really does look good enough to eat.

And thanks to the judges--Bea of La Tartine Gourmande, Bron of Bron Marshall, and Mike.

Anyone interested in a little recipe swap? No postage needed.

A good friend has asked me for my favorite easy recipes. I'd like to start a mini recipe-swap so that she (and you and I) will end up with lots of new food to try! This week, we could do chicken. Next week, favorite appetizers. After that, there's cakes, cookies, vegetable dishes, salads, seafood, breads... you get it! So, if you want to participate, just post your recipe to your blog (and leave a comment here), or leave a long comment on this blog. I'll add your recipe to this post, and Voila! A list of yummy chicken recipes.

Cynthia's Roasted Chicken
from Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader

2 TBsp extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large roasting chicken, (soak in brine* if you have time, hours before)
1 lemon
fresh rosemary
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

*How to Brine a Chicken: Remove the chicken giblets and rinse the chicken inside and out. Place 1 cup salt and 5 qts. water in a large container and stir to dissolve the salt. Submerge the chicken in the brine, and make sure it is completely covered. Cover and 'fridgerate for at least 3 or up to 8 hours. Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse well. Pat dry.
Brining ensures meat that is juicy and not dry.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rub the olive oil and 3 of the crushed garlic cloves over the chicken. Cut the lemon in half and place in the cavity of the chicken, along with the remaining 2 garlic cloves and a sprig of rosemary. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken and stick one of the rosemary stalks under the skin. Place the chicken on a rack in a black iron skillet or heavy roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional hour, or until the instant- read thermometor inserted in the breast portion registers 150 to 154 degrees.

I usually put some onion slices on the bottom of the pan, too. And, if I have an extra lemon, I put lemon slices under the skin. This is really yummy served with mashed potatoes and fresh green beans! Or, sometimes I roast potatoes in the pan along with the chicken.

Jeremy's favorite chicken recipe:

One Great Gumbo with Chicken and Andouille Sausage

from Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2

2 cups white enhriched rice, prepared to package directions

2 TBsp olive oil

3/4 lb. chicken tenders, diced

3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced (3 thighs)

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tsp poultry seasoning

3/4 lb. andouille sausage (4 links, casings removed) diced

3 TBsp butter

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced

1 large onion, peeled and diced

2 bay leaves

2 TBsp cayenne pepper sauce

3 TBsp flour

1 quart chicken broth

1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomotoes

1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes

2 to 3 fresh thyme leaves, chopped

5 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add 2 TBsp oil, twice around the pan and the diced chicken. Season with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of poultry seasoning, Brown on all sides, 2 or 3 minutes. Chop your veggies while it's working. Add the sausage to the pan and cook another minute or two. Transfer chicken and sausage to a dish.

Return pan to heat and add butter. When the butter melts, add chopped celery, peppers, onion and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Add hot sauce. Cook 3 to 5 minutes to begin to soften the veggies. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Return the meats to the pot and stir in the tomatoes and half of your fresh thyme. When it's bubbling, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes to combine flavors, then adjust your seasonings.

Scoop cooked white rice into the center of bowlfuls of gumbo using an ice cream scoop. Setting the rice on top of the gumbo will keep it from getting too wet. Top with remaining chopped thyme and lots of chopped scallions.

This is soooo good. I would suggest taking it easy on the hot sauce, though. Last time I made this, I used way too much!

**** I'm crossing my fingers a few people will post their own!

Remember how I said I was on hiatus until my kitchen got put back together? Well, I still am. I have another week or so left until the countertops arrive and my sink and dishwasher can be hooked back up. I can't wait. I miss having water and counters in the kitchen.

I was going through my photos, though, and I noticed that there were a few dishes I hadn't written up yet. This seemed like as good a time as any to do so.

And so, Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes.

This dish just so happens to be a good one for people whose kitchens have no water--it's quick, simple, and delicious, and doesn't muck up many pans or utensils (especially if you have a ton of paper bowls and plates brought in for the occasion).

I've seen variants of this dish in France and Greece and Lebanese food, and I'm sure there are many many more. This version comes from China, where it's popular everywhere from Canton to Beijing. Served with rice and some stir fried vegetables or tofu, it makes a good spur of the moment meal for two.

Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes

4 large eggs
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 ripe tomaotes, seeded and diced (use the best, ripest tomatoes you can find for this)
2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutrally flavored oil
Salt to taste
Thinly sliced cilantro for garnish (optional)

Break the eggs into a large bowl and beat them with a fork until combined. Add the sesame oil and a pinch of salt, and beat until the oil is incorporated into the eggs.

Heat a wok over high heat. When the wok is hot, add the grapeseed oil, then the scallion. Stir fry the scallion 30 seconds, then add the tomato. Stir fry 30 seconds more, then add the egg. Stir fry until the egg is just set. Garnish with cilantro, if using. Serve immediately.