Sweaty Guinea Pig Goes Live

Bringing Rustic Bread Home from Home

I have been reluctant to get a cast iron pot because of my limited
storing space in my kitchen. But enough is enough...I just can't get
the perfect loaf of rustic bread without a heavy duty pot. With extra
virgin olive oil drizzled all over it...I am bringing home the
authentic country cooking.
 
A cast iron will also help me cook more succulent meat stew as well,
the perfect dish for the season. A heavy duty pot distribute heat
evenly and stays hot longer; therefore, food is cooked evenly and
flavor gets "pushed" into the food more gently. Next stop...beef tripe
stew.
 
Best of all, this versatile cooking tool, 7-quart in volume, costs
less then 50 bucks (smaller pot costs less), and all the cooking can
be done in there!

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Guinea Pig's Super Fluffy Pancakes

I have been following other people's pancake recipes. Although the
ingredients are similar in most of the recipes, every one of them has
slight differences in amount of flour, salt, sugar, or baking powder
used. Baking powder or baking soda is usually the leavening agent that
makes pancakes fluffy.
 
I love my pancakes moist and fluffy (who doesn't), I added beaten egg
white (until stiff peaks form) into the pancake batter this morning
and hoping the egg-foam would give it an extra lift on the griddle.
The result was incredible. Not only were the pancakes really fluffy,
but the air bubbles inside also trapped some steam to keep the
pancakes moist. With couple knobs of butter and drizzled Vermont maple
syrup...brilliant. I am happy!

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Childhood Favorite: Chicken Chow Mein

I grew up eating street vendor's chow mein almost everyday. I remember
that my nanny would buy me chow mein in the morning for breakfast when she
took me to farmers market. Although food from the street was grease
and salty, the flavor was authentic. I am a little more health
conscious now, but I won't give up chow mein, one of my childhood
favorites. For great flavors, I rely on spice, herbs, hot peppers,
aromatic vegetables, etc. I don't completely ignore soy sauce, but I
am careful with the amount added. I strike for balanced flavor that
will not make me or anybody else gulping down gallons of water
afterward (eating salty food always makes me thirsty).
 
What are some of your childhood favorites?

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Creamy Grits

Hot creamy grits is one of my favorite choices for breakfast in the
winter. I turned the dish up a notch this morning by adding sweet corn
for the extra bite. I also worked on my photography skills by using
different plates/bowls for plating and adjusting ISO on my camera for
different effect.

What would you like your grits to be served in? and any
recommendations for garnishing? I tried to drizzled a little bit of
apple syrup, but the color of the syrup didn't come out too clear.
Syrup brings a nice sweet flavor to the savory grits though.

Let me know if you like any pictures shown...open to critics!

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes with...

Broccoli and chick peas, drizzled with cheddar cream sauce.

Inspired by Melanie's broccoli dish served in our Sunday brunch.

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Sunday Afternoon

Working and eating roasted chestnut in Barrel Headquarter.

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Cooking Dinner at Barrel

Before heading out for the night, I cooked a dinner in the Barrel
office. The menu was: butternut squash brown rice, roasted beets,
sauteed rainbow chard, and chicken with crusty Jambon Serrano. We
definitely save a lot of money by eating "at home", and we even had a
bottle of Bordeaux!

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New Addiction

I have been addicted to eating roasted chestnuts. They are nutty in
flavor and grainy in texture...excellent combination! Just cut an "X"
on the round surface of raw chestnuts and toast them in an toaster
oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 425 degrees - hearty and delicious!

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Need Some Help with Photography

Other than making up new recipes and cooking nonstop, I have been
working on my photography skills...which is not great. I still can't
take great pictures of my food. I have been reading many food blogs
lately and trying to imitate the angles, but I can't seem to perfect
the angles and lighting simultaneously. Also, I lack plating skills,
as you can see from this picture. I made the mistake of using medium
size plate instead of regular dinner plate; everything seems so
crammed up. Food might still taste wonderful, but the appearance
counts just as much.

Oh and I overcooked my scrambled eggs by 10 to 15 seconds; therefore,
outside looks kind of rubbery. Ugh...can't seem to get anything right
for today's breakfast.

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Barrel Luncheon: Vegetable Curry with Basmati Rice

"Having the portable stove changes the game," said Peter. And I
couldn't have agreed with him more. I made vegetable curry (acorn
squash, potato, green beans, and great norther beans) last night and
brought it to office to share with my friends. I used the
portable stove top to cook fluffy basmati rice. Although the rice
didn't come out as fluffy as I had hoped for (still trying to figure
out the heat dial of the machine), the rice was still tender and
creamy - flavored with butter, shallots, and fresh thyme. Friday lunch
had come and gone by so fast...already contemplating what to cook next
week.

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