I've Been Quite Remiss...

...in posting on any of my blogs. We were quite busy these last few months, though. Since I last wrote on here my father passed away; our son went south to spend some time with my mother, so she wouldn't be alone for the holidays (including what would have been my parents' 49th anniversary in mid-December); we moved from Woodland, Washington (YES! AT LAST!) to Beaverton, Oregon; my wife and I have wrestled with several injuries and illnesses; I moved from the ICU at the Portland VA Hospital up to the Surgical Ward; and a partridge in a pear tree...

Things are finally sorting themselves out. The move was very costly, but has put us in a better position: its a much better house, but costs less per month, and shortened my commute from about 70 miles roundtrip to about 24 miles (or 13 if I carpool with a friend in her car). Additionally, my VA Disability payments increased and my health care is now completely covered. We're closer to friends, and the things we like here in the Portland area. We love the house and the property (its on about two-third's of an acre, with mature fruit trees, shade trees and conifers, as well as some (overgrown) woodland landscaping. The lilacs and rhododendrons should be pretty this year. The shift at work has reduced the wear-and-tear on my back, while making me more active, so I have lost close to 20 pounds in about 3 months.

I did find time to enter the 2010 Chocolate Adventure Contest with three separate entries, so I am eagerly (and impatiently) awaiting word on the winners, which is coming soon (I think...lol). We've been cooking, and exploring local food haunts. I enjoy writing, and have realized the lifestyle I'd like to have has that as an important facet, so will be much more active on my blogs from here on out.

The Rest of the Previous Post...

For some reason, my comments were deleted when I posted the link for the Chocolate Adventure Contest. I entered a couple of years ago in a last minute, spur-of-the-moment decision that unleased a weekend of insanity on my home. Actually had some contact with one of the judges afterwards, who indicated I'd narrowly missed out on placing with the semi-finalists. I was pretty pleased, all things considered. It was my first contest. Had good intentions last year, but let time get away from me. This year, with the cupcake theme, I've been consulting with my wife, Gina. She's more of a baker than I am. I've got three working recipes. Just have to get ingredients together and start baking. I'm going to be tormenting my coworkers with a lot of cupcakes in December, I suspect. Contests are fun, and what do most people have to lose. Might get lucky and win some prizes...

The Chocolate Adventure Contest!...

Blackberry Lemonade...

...is really tasty! Ran across a recipe for it a couple of days ago. We had a jar of fresh squeezed lemon juice (from a SoCal friend's lemon tree...she shipped us a box earlier this year) in the freezer and some blackberries, and I just had to make some. Thoroughly muddled blackberries, water, lemon juice and simple syrup, mint optional. Yummm...

I Realized the Other Day...

...while viewing the changes a friend had just made in her blog's layout that this blog didn't really feel like it fit me that well anymore. I wanted to use it. Meant to. And yet I wasn't. So I've decided to change things. The whole "Sun Bear" thing just doesn't work for me. It'll just be my kitchen from now on. I love to eat and cook food from all over the world. I'll be wandering far-and-wide here, I hope, looking into food that interests me. Feel free to come along, to drop by and break bread with me. We'll explore foods both familiar and new. Food is something that we can all share with one another. Food defies man's foolish boundaries...

Who Would Have Thought...

...a well-browned two-egg omelet with onions, pickled banana peppers, some hot sauce, and garlic-and-chive hummus all rolled up in a flour tortilla would make such a tasty sandwich?

Late Night Cookies!...

Gina almost always makes the cookies in our home (as well as the cakes, brownies, and fudge). Her gingersnaps are to die for. Tonight, though, was one of those rare occasions where I decided to bake a batch of cookies. Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies, to be exact. And they were GOOD!

I found a recipe for them online a while back, but we never got around to making them. Tonight seemed like a good night for it. Here's our adaptation of the recipe...

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1½ cups sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2-ounce bar unsweetened chocolate, melted
2½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream shortening and cream cheese together.

Add sugar and mix well.

Add milk, vanilla, egg and melted chocolate and mix well.

Add dry ingredients in thirds until well blended.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Haven't Been Blogging...

...for months now. I just didn't feel like it. Its been a rough year. I had bouts of pneumonia and pleurisy, and shingles. Perenially tired. Financial worries. PTSD issues that I'd managed to dodge for quite some time caught up to me. Things are looking a bit better now, and I'm feeling happier and a lot more optimistic than I have in a long time.

We'll be moving down into the Portland Metro area at the end of the month. That'll take a big chunk of time off my daily commute, plus save on wear-and-tear on the car and fuel. We expect to cut our rent by several hundred dollars a month, which will translate into paid-off bills and money in savings. We'll also have much easier access to services for our son, friends, shopping, and entertainment. The breadth of ingredients available in Portland is awesome, and being closer will be great. There's a huge variety of restaurants, as well.

I've done a lot of cooking and eating and shopping for food over the last six months. I'll write about some of it in the weeks to come.

I Got High Marks Tonight...

...for dinner, from my wife! It was a Mediterranean trio of dishes influenced by the Islamic kitchen: an Andalusian-style stew of chicken with extra-virgin olive oil, flat-leaf parsley, garlic, crushed peppercorns, sliced lemons and cinnamon; roz bil shagria (better known to us as rice-a-roni) flavored with chicken stock, onions and flat-leaf parsley; and a salad of shredded zucchini with raisins, toasted pine nuts, garlic and dried mint, tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice. It was good. And I've been told I'll be making it again...

A Chilly, Wet Evening...

Warm and filling seemed a good choice. I made a big pot of Iranian bean-and-noodle soup. A thick pot of white beans and egg noodles, onions, turnips and Swiss chard, flavored with fresh scallions, cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, and tarragon, along with a little turmeric. A little yogurt, at the end, to add a little creaminess. It was just what was called for on a night like this. The tarragon was a substitution for fresh dill, and it seemed a good choice, as the Iranians use an anise-flavored basil.

Pasta with Seasoned Butter...

The "simple" theme is still in place. Tonight, we had a simple dish of pasta, cheese mini-ravioli, tossed in a seasoned butter sauce and topped with a little more grated Parmesan cheese...

PASTA WITH SEASONED BUTTER

1 pound pasta, cooked according to package directions
Seasoned Butter Sauce -

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small shallots, peeled and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• A pinch of dried sweet basil
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt, to taste
• A spoonful of the water from cooking the pasta

Grated parmesan cheese

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. About 8-10 minutes before the pasta has finished cooking, melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil.
3. When the butter and oil are hot, add the minced shallots and garlic, sage, black pepper, sweet basil, and cayenne pepper and stir, to mix well. Begin sauteing everything, stirring periodically. Reduce the heat to medium-low if the shallots and garlic are browning to quickly.
4. When the pasta is finished, add a spoon of the cooking water to the sauce and stir well.
5. Drain the pasta well and add to the seasoned butter. Toss thoroughly and serve, topping individual servings with the grated parmesan cheese. Makes 4-8 servings, depending on appetites.

Cooking Dinner (KISS Method)...

Gina's not feeling well, but neither am I, so dinner needed to be something simple. Here's what I came up with. I listed the onion as optional because I forgot to cut it up and put it in the stew...lol. Thing is...we didn't miss it. Include it if you want, but it was still super-flavorful and savory without it.

EASY SOUTHWESTERN-STYLE BEEF AND HOMINY STEW

1½-2 pounds beef round steak, thinly sliced across the grain
8 cups canned, drained hominy
1 27-ounce can mild green chilies, chopped
2 14.5-ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
1 large onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 cups beef stock
1 cup dry red wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Grated Cheddar, Monterey jack, or jalapeno jack cheese, for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a large pot or Dutch oven, mix well, and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until the meat is tender, 45-60 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Garnish individual bowls of stew with grated cheese. Serve with hot, buttered flour tortillas.