Round Steak with Kishka, Brussels Sprouts and Yams.
This is not my first post, but I have not properly introduced myself either.
My name is Rich, and I first learned to cook from my father who himself acquired the skill by force when my mother had a stroke in 1980. I spent many years building on those lessons, teaching myself from Betty Crocker and Moosewood and by dissecting and imitating the flavors of dishes tasted in local restaurants. My style tends to be very blue-plate-special: meat, starch, green thing. Had some breakthrough moments with the Silver Palate Cookbook, from which I learned to make a good roux based sauce.
My cooking has taken a turn for the more pleasurable since I adopted the discipline of doing myself the kindness of setting up a mise-en-place before turning on a flame. This has saved me from chopping onions in a blind panic while meat burns in the pan. I've been told about the joys of this in the past, but it took mamadeb's "Knives and Fire" series to convince me to actually do it.
Photos are taken with an Olympus Epic digital camera with on-camera flash, which is why my plates look like crime scene photos. Maybe someday I will take more pains with the lighting.
This was Dinner on Saturday night.
For the steaks I began by carmelizing the onions with honey. Then removed the carmelized onion and browned the steak. Deglazed with a random homebrew beer. I think it was a stout it may have been as old as a decade. Re-added the onions. Simmered for about 25 minutes. Thickened the gravy with rice flour.
The yams are basically Home Fries. Saute Onion with S+P in oil, add sliced yams, toss until yams onions and oil are well blended. Cover and reduce heat. Let cook for 20-30 minutes.
For Kishka, see here. It was sliced and fried for serving, as one would do with polenta.
The sprouts were just nuked with some water. Butter/Margarine/Oil to taste.
In the background is sliced radish - a treat for my wife and a palate freshener.
My name is Rich, and I first learned to cook from my father who himself acquired the skill by force when my mother had a stroke in 1980. I spent many years building on those lessons, teaching myself from Betty Crocker and Moosewood and by dissecting and imitating the flavors of dishes tasted in local restaurants. My style tends to be very blue-plate-special: meat, starch, green thing. Had some breakthrough moments with the Silver Palate Cookbook, from which I learned to make a good roux based sauce.
My cooking has taken a turn for the more pleasurable since I adopted the discipline of doing myself the kindness of setting up a mise-en-place before turning on a flame. This has saved me from chopping onions in a blind panic while meat burns in the pan. I've been told about the joys of this in the past, but it took mamadeb's "Knives and Fire" series to convince me to actually do it.
Photos are taken with an Olympus Epic digital camera with on-camera flash, which is why my plates look like crime scene photos. Maybe someday I will take more pains with the lighting.
This was Dinner on Saturday night.
For the steaks I began by carmelizing the onions with honey. Then removed the carmelized onion and browned the steak. Deglazed with a random homebrew beer. I think it was a stout it may have been as old as a decade. Re-added the onions. Simmered for about 25 minutes. Thickened the gravy with rice flour.
The yams are basically Home Fries. Saute Onion with S+P in oil, add sliced yams, toss until yams onions and oil are well blended. Cover and reduce heat. Let cook for 20-30 minutes.
For Kishka, see here. It was sliced and fried for serving, as one would do with polenta.
The sprouts were just nuked with some water. Butter/Margarine/Oil to taste.
In the background is sliced radish - a treat for my wife and a palate freshener.