Sous Vide or not Sous Vide? That is the Question.

Ok, my friends. Of all things, I've been reading up on this crazy sous vide tech(nique) and I'm a little intrigued. If you haven't heard of or read up on it, here's the gist: seal the food to be cooked in an airless plastic bag and immerse it in water that is at the final internal temperature you want the food to reach. No overcooking, no undercooking, no loss of juices or flavors.

 I'm also unwilling to shell out $200+ for yet another kitchen gadget that I may or may not use beyond the initial experimentation stage. For instance, this little darling runs $237, used. I like my toys, but please.

2 Bean and Cilantro Protein and Fiber Bomb Salad

It's been sweaty style hot lately, at least for Central Pennsylvania. I'm usually fine with sweating over the wok or counteracting the flames from the grill with liberal doses of Duclaw Brewing products, but sometimes you've had enough. The solution? Salads.

Stay with me, hold on. I enjoy green salads as much as the next guy (meaning sometimes), but if one looks up salad definitions, the main properties seem to be:

• Usually cold, or at least not hot
• Contains vegetables or fruits, not necessarily greens
• Often mixed together
• Dressing

3 Reasons Curry is Great & Easy

 There's nothing quite like a good bowl of steaming curry. I've ordered it at pricy spots in D.C. and at a sweet little local place in PA called Pakha's. My personal fave is the green, cranked up so hot and spicy that I cry as I shovel it into my face. As with many a dish I love, it never occurred to me that I should just make it at home. Then, thanks to my friend Jake and a conversation during one of his barbecues, I found my newest cheap and tasty go to meal.

Art or Science?

Do you want to have a jam session or do you want to write a song? This is the eloquent way a cooking buddy of mine asked the question. It encapsulates the tension between playing in the kitchen, essentially "Throwing food at other food" or creating actual dishes. For a few years I've been a big supporter of innovating, so I thought I fell into the Jam Session/unfettered creativity camp. But then I started thinking--a "dangerous pastime at best," as Gaston from Disney's Beauty and the Beast would say--and realized that innovation and experimentation need a solid grasp on some basics.

Sweet and Spicy Super Thick BBQ Sauce

I went to a BBQ/Solstice/Bonfire this past weekend. It was potluck and other folks were already bringing amazing meats and libations. One guy built a smoker on site for brisket, salmon, and the best smoked pork loin I've ever tasted. I was already bringing cold noodles with peanut sauce, but I felt the need to experiment and hopefully impress.

I figured it was time to make my own BBQ sauce. If you think BBQ sauce is easier to just purchase, please stay with me here. There are some amazing off-the-shelf sauces, no doubt about it. Bone

And Sometimes, You Screw Up

Back at the very 1st post, I said I wouldn't hide the failures. This one was a pretty good one. I was in between things, had a little time before going to a friend's place to grill pork and drink beer. I figured I'd try the classic ramen w/ Greenoodle. The mistakes just piled up:

• I put the egg in before the noodles
• I put the egg in before the water was hot enough to quick cook it
• I put the pork in while the noodles cooked, instead of pre-heating and adding at the end
• I went to get my phone while the gas was still on high and came back to this

It was actually bubbling up above the pan's rim a good inch or three, but I had to turn it down before I could snap a picture. I used too much water as well, so I had little hope left. I resigned myself to strain it and see.

All told, it could have been worse, but by boiling everything together I killed any distinct flavor profiles and was only able to save it as a meal by dropping the habanero sauce bomb. I did eat it, but I wouldn't have asked anyone else too. 

Interlude - New Wok

Years ago, I had a wok. I loved it. It got left behind when I moved to Maui, so I hope whomever got to keep it loves it as well. The heat distribution in a good wok beats out everything else and makes it awesome for use as both a pan and, when needed, a pot. Only problem with the one I had back then was that the handle was wood, so I couldn't put it into the oven. My new toy solves that little issue.

This 13 inch wonder from Excel Steel is lightweight cast iron and fully oven safe. With those riveted steel handles and the flat bottom, I'm expecting my Greenoodle experiments to be far more fun than I originally expected. Perhaps best of all, I can use it with my induction plate, so temperature control is going to be an exercise in precision.