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Tri Tip – Tip #3

The gang was coming over for dinner.  I wanted something simple and tasty.  The weather was perfect.  I had just purchased a full tank of propane.  It was time to grill again.  For decades our go to marinade has been the Iki Marinade.

My next thought was chicken.  But the local store was selling tri tip steaks for $4 a pound.  So I bought a package.  If you’re familiar with  this particular cut you know you typically get irregular pieces of steak in any given package.  Butchers are smart.  They will flip a piece of meat so that the side facing the buyer looks awesome.  You buy, take the package home, and open only to discover one of the pieces is really, really small and someone will get the pipsqueak.   When you see a picture of this steak you’ll  understand what I’m talking about.

Irregular shaped steaks are a pain in the ass to cook.  So I cut each steak in half and pounded the hell out of them until they were about a half inch thick.  The flattening helps tenderize the meat and grill more evenly than when left whole.

You’re welcome.

 

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Random Thoughts 02.28.16

My problem is that with the two of us, I just need more people to feed. – Sue Lau

It took some time and effort but I think I’ve finally broken some old habits.  When I shopped for groceries if I found something, anything on sale I’d buy it.  Ten pounds of boneless chicken thighs at $1.77 a pound?  Bought it.  Organic carrots five pounds for $4.00?  Bought it.  Dried pasta on sale for $0.99 a pound?  There was a time when I didn’t have to buy pasta for six months.  I was particularly bad with fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy.  But when I started tossing stuff in the garbage because it went bad before I could use it I knew I had to change.

The other habit (which was easier to break BTW) was making enough of one dish to feed eight or more.  Gradually I reduced the quantities of the dishes I cooked so that the leftover collection in the freezer got to a manageable level.  Besides, I got real tired of eating leftover leftovers.

I shop more frequently but buy less.  I’m not wasting as much food due to spoilage.  The cupboard remains well stocked but not overflowing.  I have adjusted to just the two of us and it wasn’t easy.

The half and half in the fridge says use by February 26.

Unopened.

 

 

 

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What Would Seinfeld Say?

A recent study revealed that some young adults feel that eating cereal for breakfast is too much trouble.

Source: Will Millennials pass time crunch or breakfast munch on to their kids? – CSMonitor.com

Nearly 40% of the survey respondents stated cereal was a poor choice for breakfast because you had to clean up afterwards.  Let me think about this.  One bowl and one spoon.

This appears to be the Gladwell Tipping Point.  We’re doomed.

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Eat More Nuts

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Blogs/LifestyleMedicine/55500

 

I have to admit as a child I rarely ate nuts.  The closest I got to a nut was peanut butter…on pancakes.  I added more tree nuts to my diet when I drank beer in bars.  The good bars always had good nuts.  That’s where I discovered my love for cashews.  I would pick all of the cashews out of a bowl of mixed nuts.  Still do.

This Medpage article offers up a short summary of the clinical evidence for higher nut consumption.  I eat a small handful of nuts daily.

Cashews and peanuts.

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Baked French Toast

“I’ll take a loaf of challah please.”

“Sorry, we just ran out 10 minutes ago.”

“You must have had quite a few people buying challah this morning.”

“No.  We only made one loaf for the morning.”

This really happened at a bakery contained within one of those fancy we sell you everything type of grocery stores.  It was a Saturday morning.  I came to the store specifically for this type of bread.  So this little story explains how a loaf brioche got into this recipe now adapted from a recipe of nearly the same name by the Steep Acres Farm B&B somewhere in Oregon.

Seriously.  Why does a bakery make one loaf of bread?

  1. One stick butter
  2. Half cup brown sugar
  3. Half cup pure maple syrup
  4. One cup chopped pecans
  5. Eight large eggs
  6. One and a half cups of half and half
  7. One and a half tsp cinnamon
  8. One tsp vanilla extract
  9. One loaf brioche sliced thick

Heat butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth.  Transfer to a 13 x 9 x 2 glass baking dish.  Sprinkle pecans.

Whisk the eggs, half and half, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Dip bread slices into the mixture and arrange in a single layer in the baking dish.  Pour the remaining egg mixture over the bread slices, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, take the dish out of the refrigerator a minimum of thirty minutes prior to baking.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake the dish uncovered until it becomes golden brown and puffy.  This will take between 35 and 40 minutes.  It will be done when a knife stuck in the center of the puffiest part comes out clean.

Serve warm with more maple syrup.  Sit back, savor, and enjoy the compliments.

Tips

Pure maple syrup and pure vanilla extract.  Any usage of maple flavored sugar syrup or imitation vanilla will destroy this dish and you’ll never be invited over for anyone’s pot luck brunch ever again.  In a pinch, a loaf of soft French bread will work.

 

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Happy Holidays 2015

Biscuit08

I haven’t been a very good boy this year Santa.  It seems every year is the same.  I want to write more and dig some more recipes out of my brain but life gets in the way.  This year was both good and bad for me.  While I’d like to blame aging and memory loss, the truth behind the lack of words was something else.  A child leaves the nest. My best friend died this year.  Around the same time I was adjusting to additional hours needed for a second work project.  I look back, especially at this online journal and can see when the writing stopped.

But as it always does we humans change and adapt.  The words are flowing again.  The recipes are popping up and asking “Did you write me down yet?”  I’ve adjusted to my new normal and changed my shopping and cooking habits.  There are more slimmed down recipes to serve two.

Santa, I will be a better person next year.  I need to finish writing the book I promised the boys when they were in high school.

 

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