Skip to main content

Seven Years.... Frak!

Seven Years since my last post. Let's take stock...

First off, I've renamed the blog and given it a new address. I didn't think the old title was reflective of who I am now... (Shit, did I just go woke?)  Anyhow, the new title and address are much more simplified. Plus I've changed the format. I'm going to repost some of the recipes and delete the old posts over time as the blogger components I used have bit the dust.

Second... Life has changed. After my last post in 2013, I fell into the black hole of chronic migraine. I could not successfully work outside the home, and while I did endeavour to become self-employed, the pain I was in kept me down. In 2017 I found a new neurologist who started me on Botox treatments and after a year, the migraines all but stopped. Without much thought of what I now wanted to do with my life, I walked into my local hardware store and was offered a position in the Appliance Department. I've since developed some great friendships with colleagues and customers alike. That said, I still feel like Rip Van Winkle and wonder where all the time as gone.

Third... Looking back at the postings, I'm thrown by how everything has changed. The kitchen was remodelled twice since 2013. First, in 2013 and then again in 2018. The old appliances are gone and I finally got the double oven I wanted. Plus the dishes aren't so garish! Ugh! And Photography... Let's just say I've come a long way...

Anyway, stay tuned. More to follow.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Thomas Keller's Roasted Turkey Breast

In October of 1999, Beth and I packed up our things and moved two Dallas, Texas. Three days earlier we had been offered positions at the worlds largest software company and that was after telephone interviews a few days earlier. That was the pace of the dot.com era. On the flight down I grabbed a couple of magazines, one on vintage aircraft, the other was the current issue of Esquire. It was their yearly "Genius" edition, Charlize Theron was on the cover, and somewhere near the back was recipe that I first made for a bunch of American co-workers with no place to go on American Thanksgiving that year. Thomas Keller is a man who needs no introduction in food circles. He is a chef, restaurateur and owner of Napa Valley's The French Laundry which has been named one of the world's top fifty restaurants. His inclusion in the Genius issue was a "duh yeah" moment in my mind. But alas, I digress. Cook this. Go on, do it. It is fan-fraking-tastic. Period. Ph...

Roast Beef

There isn't anything more English than Roast Beef for Sunday Dinner. The dish was so stereotypically English that the French have been using the word "rosbif" to describe their cross channel neighbours from at least the Napoleonic era. Photo Gallery by QuickGallery.com  Here is how I do it, without the Yorkshire pudding sadly. My wife has taken a gluten free approach to eating and as such,  I can't be bothered making it just for myself. But if company is coming... You'll need: 3lb rib roast 2 medium Onions 2 Celery stalks 2 Carrots 3 Garlic cloves Rosemary Thyme Sage Balsamic Vinegar or Red Wine Or Guiness or a dark ale Salt Pepper Olive Oil Tablespoon of flour, corn starch or Arrowroot powder for thickener Lard - Optional, read on... Preheat your oven to 350 F. Base for the Gravy:  Roughly chop your onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. No precision here. Just get a large knife and start chopping. Then grease your roasting pan or dish...

Shepherd’s or Cottage Pie

First established in the 1700s when potatoes became a staple of the poor, this dish was typically made of leftover meat and vegetables, covered with mashed potatoes and baked. Today it is generally made from scratch and has several variations.  The meat for example can be ground beef, cuts of stewing beef, ground chicken or turkey, ground pork or lamb while the potato covering can be made with white, golden or red potatoes, sweet potatoes or entirely replaced with rice. For the vegetable mixture, almost anything goes. As always, here is how I have made it recently, and by that I mean it is rarely ever the same. Ingredients Meat Mixture: 1  to 1 ¼  lbs ground beef 2 medium onions 1 largish carrot ½ cup peas 14oz can of Diced Tomatoes Three cloves (or more) of Garlic Sprig of fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon of thyme Dash or three of Worchester Sauce or Braggs Seasoning Sauce (gluten-free option) Arrowroot powder or corn starch Salt and ...