I made something I always wanted to make from scratch, well
at lest the sauce. That was rice noodles in Thai peanut sauce. It was good, but
the recipe is not the right one for me. I found another that does not use quite
as many salty ingredients and I plan to use unsalted peanut butter the next
time. My second attempt at Filipino pancit and my third attempt at Grandma’s
zucchini casserole were spot on. I perfected both of those dishes, which is
good since they are childhood favorites. I am glad I now have great versions to
make from now on.
I bought two of the Hungarian sausages from the German
delicatessen. They were a tad steep in cost, so that will be something I do as
treat every great once and awhile. I got a little burned out on the hummus,
salsa, and tzatziki sauce. I toned that down the last few months. I still have
the fixings for hummus and tzatziki sauce.
I did use the Veggetti to make cucumber noodles with a
tzatziki like dressing, I liked it. I also used it to make cucumber noodles
with tonnato sauce. I preferred it with the cucumbers. I made zucchini noodles
with marinara and Thai cucumber condiment salad with cucumber noodles. The
Veggetti is turning into a well used device.
I learned that veggie pizzas take longer to cook, otherwise
they will get soggy. Last time I made Filipino adobo I thought the rice wine
vinegar was too mild, I am going to try white or cider vinegar next time. When
I made the zucchini noodles with marinara sauce they got too soft after blanching.
I sautéed the zucchini noodles in the sauce as I warmed it. That infused the
noodles with the flavor of the sauce and the zucchini noodles had the right
amount of body to them.
I was really happy with my first attempt at my own chili con
carne recipe. I added chipotle powder, ancho, powder, and Hungarian hot paprika
to the recipe. I also added more cumin and paprika to it. The second attempt I
used the identical recipe. It was a homerun. Next time I may add some guajillo
chile puree. I started making bean and cheese burritos as a snack or meal. I
use beans, cheese, salsa or taco sauce and pickled jalapeños. I ended up buying
two jars of pickled jalapeños in December. My getting reacquainted with chiles
continues. I used to eat pickled jalapeños on nachos growing up, but stopped in
the last 30 years. That is when my tolerance for spicy foods started to wane.
The last four or five months I have really increased how much heat I can
handle. I tend to get things in the medium range.
I finally did a holiday dinner. In the past I have made it
following either my family’s traditions or that of my ex’s family. This year I
went with Mexican dishes or Mexican inspired dishes. I made turkey breast
roasted in banana leaves with guajillo marinade, pipián rojo de pepitas (a Mexican
red pumpkin seed sauce), masa stuffing (stuffing made from masa harina
{tamale/corn tortilla flour}), and esquites (Mexican roasted corn salad). There
were a few tweaks needed to prefect the dishes, overall it was a huge success.
The turkey breast was very moist. Next time I will use a little less lime in
the esquites, more stock or broth in the stuffing, and guajillos instead of
ancho chiles in the pipián.
January had some speed bumps. I made a salumi pizza (pizza
with Italian cured meats). The first attempt stuck to the rack. The second
attempt stuck to the baking sheet. The third worked out well, however the edges
were a little on the dark side. The fourth was still a little dark but I think
I got it ready for next time. I made Puerto Rican arroz con gandules (rice and
pigeon peas). I was confused by the cooking direction and scorched the dish.
Luckily I had enough to make it a second time. The second attempt the rice was
a bit overcooked. The pegao, the crispy layer of rice at the bottom of the pot
or pan, was a tad dark, but my mom loved it. Third time, I hope will be the
charm.
Since I started cooking again I have done the following
family/childhood favorites: Quaker Oats meatloaf, Grandma Mac’s zucchini
casserole (this one I perfected), 10 layer salad (a variation of Grandma Mac’s
7 layer salad), Filipino chicken pancit with mung bean thread noodles (AKA
pancit sotanghon), Filipino chicken adobo, Filipino pork adobo, chile relleno
casserole, Rick’s taco meat, shoyu chicken, and beans with smoked pork shank. I
created my own chili con carne recipe. I found recipes for dishes I have loved
as an adult: rice noodles in Thai peanut sauce, sopa de lima (Yucatan style
chicken and lime soup), tzatziki sauce, roasted garlic hummus, picante sauce
style salsa, pork chile verde, pipián rojo de pepitas (Mexican pumpkin seed
sauce), tortilla Española (Spanish tortilla: egg onions, and red potatoes),
Puerto Rican arroz con gandules (rice and pigeon peas) and enchiladas Suizas. 2015
was a banner year for my cooking journey. Yes, it was only 8 months of the year
that is still two thirds of it.
The one thing I had missed with cooking from scratch is the
constant experimenting. Be it with flavors or the cuisines of other cultures. I
plan to expand my culinary horizons. There are other Filipino recipes other
than the two I know how to make, adobo and pancit with mung bean thread noodles,
and Filipino lumpia (AKA Shanghai egg rolls: a taquito sized egg roll), which I
do not know how to make. I need to look into what else is out there. I plan to
explore more with Mexican cuisine, Thai cuisine, Indian cuisine, Indonesian
cuisine, Cuban cuisine, Puerto Rican cuisine, and so much more.
November 2015
Filipino chicken adobo with rice.
December 2015
Rick’s veggie pizza (marinara, mozzarella, parmesan,
mushrooms, olives, green bell peppers, and pickled jalapeños), Hungarian
sausage with mashed potatoes, quesadillas with chipotle powder, bean burritos
(beans, green taco sauce, cheese, and pickled jalapeños), Filipino chicken
pancit, rice noodles in Thai peanut sauce, tangy chilled avocado soup, smoked
turkey sausage and mashed potatoes, turkey Polska kielbasa with mashed
potatoes, toasted cheese sandwiches, zucchini noodles in marinara with parmesan
cheese, Grandma’s Zucchini casserole, gazpacho Mexicano with lime and cilantro,
cucumber noodles in tonnato sauce, toast points with tonnato sauce, zucchini in
pesto, 10 layer salad, turkey breast roasted in banana leaves with guajillo
chile marinade, pipián rojo de pepitas (Mexican red pumpkin seed sauce), masa
stuffing, esquites (Mexican corn salad with roasted corn, cotija cheese, lime,
cilantro, mayo, and Mexican hot chili powder), Rick’s red rice (rice, dice
tomatoes, diced mild green chiles, guajillo puree, black beans, onion, garlic,
and corn), Indonesian sweet pork with jasmine rice, and quesadillas.
January 2016
Quesadillas, bean and cheese burritos, Rick’s homemade chili
con carne, California roll nachos, salumi pizza (salumi means cured or salted
meats in Italian/ prosciutto, Genoa salami, capicolo, and pepperoni with
mozzarella, parmesan, and homemade marinara), Puerto Rican arroz con gandules
(rice and pigeon peas), quesadillas tradicionales (corn tortillas, Oaxaca
cheese, and Spanish chorizo), zucchini noodles in marinara, and Thai cucumber
condiment salad with cucumber noodles.
