I did it!

It's official, people! I cooked my very first meal, all by myself. Now to some of you, this may sound absolutely pathetic, but I'm used to that reaction. My parents have always told me that they would rather do things for me, instead of me trying because "it's too painful to watch." Thus, I will be twenty years old at the end of the month and I can't do my own laundry, nor can I make anything other than Ramen noodles.

Anyway, back to the meal. So my last post was about jumbalaya. Something that I absolutely love. I'm originally from Virginia Beach and you can get a mean gumbo or jumbalya down there. Stocked full of seafood and fresh veggies. Therefore, I decided to try to bring the South to the North, for just a little while.

As my dad lingered around the kitchen, trying to check on me, I prepped all my vegetable. Washed them, cut them up and put them to the side. Next was the chicken. Okay, I have never in my life touched uncooked chicken. I cut the squishy mass into strips and then into cubes. Sick! But, I did it. Next was the polish sausage, not nearly as bad. And then, to add a little bit of seafood, I used some shrimp!

I browned the chicken, with some oil, then put in the polish sausage. Next came the vegetables, the chopped tomatoes and the rest of the veggies. Water and rice completed the mixture. Because I purchased frozen shrimp, that was pre cooked, I threw them in at the end so they could just get warmed up.

After about 45 minutes it was ready, and I couldn't have been more pumped. I made my entire family try it, and was even able to bring it to some friends, it makes a lot! It was a hit. And, the best part was, I did it, all by myself!

Jambalaya!

I've been looking through all my dad's cooking magazines, trying to find something that maybe I would be able to pull off. After consulting with my master chef of a father we came up with this!

Jambalaya, duh!
Yield: 8 Servings

1 lb smoked kielbasa, or smoked Polish sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can, 28 oz, diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups uncooked rice
2 cups water
1/2 lb fresh or frozen uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. In a dutch oven, saute sausage for 1 minute. Add chicken; saute 2 minutes longer. Add the celery, onion, green pepper and garlic; saute for 2 minutes or until vegetable are crisp-tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes of until chicken juices run clear. Stir to fluff the rice. Let stand for 5 minutes to absorb any remaining liquid before serving.

We'll see how it goes! :D

Starting off little..

Since my dad told me that I was on my own I decided that before I jump into anything wild and crazy, that I'd start off simple. I have never cooked a thing from scratch, ever. Therefore, I wanted to make something fool proof. What better than pizza? I know, I know. It's not fear factor food, but for me, it's the first true, real meal that I have cooked and completed from scratch.

I found this recipe online and it turned out really good.

Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

Prep time: 2 hours Cook time: 30 minutes
Pizza Dough: Makes enough dough for two 10-12 inch pizzas

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-115°F)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups bread flour)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar

In a large bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer, add the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Stir to dissolve completely if needed at the end of 5 minutes. Attach a mixing paddle to the mixer. Mix in the olive oil, flour, salt and sugar on low speed for about a minute. Remove the mixing paddle and replace with a dough hook. Knead using the mixer and dough hook, on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If you don't have a mixer, you can mix and knead by hand. If the dough seems a little too wet, sprinkle on a bit more flour.

These are the instructions from online. I don't have an electric mixer, I got to do it by hand. Fun at first, but got annoying really fast.

Place ball of dough in a bowl that has been coated lightly with olive oil. Turn the dough around in the bowl so that it gets coated with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place (75-85°F) until it doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

When my dough was ready I put it on a cookie sheet. I sprayed the cookie sheet with Pam so it didn't get stuck. I just used a tomato/pizza sauce you can buy at your local grocery store, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. I baked the pizza at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes. You can bake it for 20 minutes, or check on it to see when it turns golden brown.

The only problem I ran into was that the dough was uneven in some places, leaving it under cooked it some areas. It was the best pizza in the world but, I like it. I had a sense of accomplishment because I did it, all by myself! :)

Stumped

Well, I'm stumped. My dad has decided that this project is something that I should do on my own. The only problem is, he was the inspiration of this project in the first place! Recently at the bar he works at one of the bartenders left for a better job. Now, my dad is stuck working his shifts, which make him very tired. Instead of working occasionally, he's working four days a week.

Now to us that doesn't sound like a lot really. I would love to work four days a week and call it good, but it is a lot more difficult for those with a brain injury. The commotion of bar/restaurant leaves him tired after a short shift, so he usually goes to bed almost immediately after getting home. With his work schedule the way it is I'm going to have to take on this whole cooking/eating project on by myself.

I'm planning on cooking tomorrow or Saturday. So I was wondering if any of you guys had a good idea for me! Like I said in the beginning of the blog I'm down for anything so wild suggestions would be great! If not, no worries, I'll find something myself. :)

Sushi should be spelled d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r..

Once, I begin this I do apologize for the lack of blogging, onto the story!

Sushi making was a complete disaster! I can't even begin to explain how badly this went. My father and I have sworn to never try this again.

We were going to try to make the simplest of all the recipes. Vinegared, steamed white rice with salmon, wrapped in seaweed. Sounds simple, right? Wrong.

Everything that could go wrong, did. First, the rice was absolutely dreadful. We tried everything completely original, so we didn't try minute rice. That was a mistake, it turned out hard, and super vinegary. Yuck. Secondly, the fish we bought was not the best thing I've ever tasted, and I usually like salmon! Just not, raw, I suppose. Lastly, the seaweed wrap we used was the stringiest, most vulgar thing that has ever passed through my lips. And the best part about it all? It didn't even stick together. It crumpled. I'll be uploading pictures later, so you all can see exactly what I'm talking about.

But, the best part about this all was the laughter. My dad and I were literally, almost crying at how terrible these turned out. Even though the recipe was a complete bust, which I won't put up here, because no one should waste their time with it, he and I had the best time together. I couldn't ask for a funnier night.

Back in the game!

After a long week dealing with health issues, my dad and I are back in the game. There were a few scares in there, but we're all doing just fine.

Now, back to the food. And I have one word, Sushi! I've wanted to try authentic Japanese sushi for years, but living in the UP you can't get a decent Japanese, or Chinese, meal to save your life, so my father and I are taking that into our own hands.

I don't know a lot about sushi, but I think it's interesting. So, I researched it, intensely, I want the best sushi, ever. Not some nasty fish guts.

Sushi began as a method of preserving fish, but soon changed into an interesting dining experience. In its earliest form, dried fish was placed between two pieces of vinegared rice as a way of making it last. Seaweed, or nori, was added later so people's fingers wouldn't get sticky. The word sushi refers to the rice, the Japanese word 'su' means vinegar and 'shi' is from meshi, the Japanese word for rice, so basically, sushi is 'vinegared rice.' But as time has went on sushi went from meaning 'vinegared rice,' into the colorful and distinct pieces of edible art we see today.

I cannot wait to try this! Wish me luck. :)

It's more than food now..

So this week, I'm in charge of my own food experiment. My Dad has decided that he doesn't feel like it. This may sound harsh to some of you, but in all honesty, it's not. It's something that I've dealt with for the past 5 years. After our short trip to Miami, my Dad's brain just decided that it was tired, so it was done. That's what happens, in some cases, when you have a brain injury. Hurting your brain isn't like hurting your arm, if you break your arm, you can fix it. If you break your brain, there's no turning back.

Think back to your morning. You probably got up, showered, had breakfast, made your way out of your dorms, or drove to class. Thoughts probably ran through your mind of what you have to do today, what happened last night, or about that asshole that just cut you off. Now, imagine that once you had those thoughts, you could never recall them. Imagine reading a book, then picking it up later that day, and not recognizing a thing. This is what my dad deals with every single day of his life, and will deal with this until the day he passes.

My dad has a cognitive brain injury, and short term memory loss. It takes months of repetitive practice to make something "old memory." So, when his brain "tires out," or things get too hard, he quits. Our vacation was too much for him to handle, so he quit. That means my mother and I have to pick up what he lacks and move on. This happens once or month or so. I'm grateful though because he is still here and I can still see him, but sometimes it's so hard it's unreal. And what kills me even more is that I wish I could help him. Just give him a pill to fix his brain, or some surgery, but there is absolutely nothing we can do. And as he grows older his brain will deteriorate, causing his moods to change, completely changing the man I know as my father.

When I started this whole shenanigans I expected to eat some gross food and try to remain composed, but this is completely different. It has made me grateful for the simple things I can do in my life. Never take life for granted, ever. Though I've grown up with these issues for the past five years, no one will ever "get used" to this situation. My brother and I try to work with him as best we can. He can function completely fine by himself. Driving, cooking, whittling, he can do it, but when he's tired, he's done. Now for those of you married, or in relationships, imagine the man, or woman, that you're with changing in an instant. They're not longer the person that you fell in love with, welcome to my mother's life.

My mother has taken this all in stride and I couldn't be more proud of her. She's one of the strongest people that I know. This experiment has opened up my eyes to the things that I didn't want to realize, the things that I didn't want to think about. It was just easier to cover it all. But, you guys wanted my dad in this blog, and here he is.

Change in Scenery

Being in Miami was a very different experience for my family and I. The trip was hectic and unfortunately we didn't get to try any different food! What a bummer, hey? But, what I did get to see was the change in price from here to there, and a few other food related details.

First, I was able to see how different things are down there. The food that they offer has more of a Cuban feel to it. I thought it was really cool, and I'm so pissed I didn't get to try any of it. I thought it'd be an interesting experience.

Also, there food is more seafood based than up here. Obviously because they have the resources, living next to the ocean and all! I saw signs offering shark fins and alligator. Something that we were never imagine seeing up here.

The variety of restaurants down there is almost overwhelming. You have your plain Jane McDonald's and Burger King. But then you also have places like Pollo Tropical, a Mexican chicken based fast food restaurant. It just shows how isolated we are up here.

Lastly, the food was so expensive it was mind blowing. My family, including my aunt, had a meal that served five people, 110 dollars! And that's not the worst, we reviewed different menus and there was a place offering a Kobe steak, imported from Australia, for 100 dollars alone! And the saddest thing was? People were actually buying this crap! I'm sorry, if I'm going to eat a $100 steak, it better be covered in gold.

I'm just glad to be home, with my cheap, lame food. And my Dad and I have been working on a recipe for this week, so I'll be back in the ball game!

Hiatus

I apologize for the hiatus that I'm on. When in Florida there was no crazy eating, I actually found out via text and Facebook that my friend died. I'll soon update. It's been a very long week. Once again, I apologize.

It tastes like..squishy ass.

Eggplant Parmesan
Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small eggplant, peeled & cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Combine oil and garlic; brush over both sides of eggplant slices. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes; turn. Bake 5 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Place half of the eggplant in a greased 1 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the basil and Parmesan cheese. Arrange tomato slices over top; sprinkle with remaining basil and Parmesan, layer with half of the mozzarella cheese and the remaining eggplant; top with remaining mozzarella. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Okay people. I'm a wimp. I will completely admit it. I thought that coming into this I had the strongest palate and what not. Nope, I'm throwing in the towel. I've discovered through out this entire thing that I'm a texture person and I never thought I would be. I usually can eat just about anything, I'll give it a shot, but my dad, he knows my weaknesses. That's for sure. Texture is my kryptonite. You can cover a squishy eggplant with cheese and call it good, but once that eggplant hit my tongue it was all over with.

"IT TASTES LIKE SQUISHY ASS, DAD!"
"How would you know what squishy ass tastes like, daughter?"
He's such a brat.

My family and my boyfriend all laugh as I wince trying to put it down. I forgot to mention that part of this experiment is that you MUST finish the meal. Screwed over by my own rule, damn! Now, I must let you all know that my dad scoured everywhere, but eggplant is a hard thing to find in the winter, so the one we ate could have been of better quality. So, I believe that this recipe could be better if your eggplant doesn't end up like squishy ass. Just a warning if anyone would like to try this recipe. I'd have to say that this one was a bust, thanks to the eggplant.

Pshh, what went wrong?

One of my first memories is in a kitchen. My dad would prop me up on a chair next to him and I'd "help" him cook. And by help, I mean make a nuisance of myself. From spilling flour all over the kitchen, to getting the rolling pin stuck in a measuring cup. I have done it all. But, not once did he ever give up on me and cooking.

Cut to today, I'm not a very good cook, at all. I spill milk making cereal, boil over my mac'n'cheese. My mother says watching me try to construct anything in the kitchen is painful. But, yet again, there's my dad helping me along.

My family comes from a long line of cooks, chefs or whatever you'd like to call us. But the line stopped short of this girl. My grandfather was the founder of many restaurants around the Marquette County area, one of the most well known is Johnny's. Being the son of a restaurant owner my father has worked in a kitchen a large majority of his life. It's in my blood. So, what the heck? Why can't I get my shit together?

After coming so close to losing my dad I realize now how important those small memories are to me. The cooking, the hope, the help. How he has never once given up on me. So, here we sit, at the dining room table, relaxing. I watch as my mom and dad laugh with one another reminiscing about when they first met and how they loved to cook, then Jack and I came along and put an end to that. We're too picky for them, I suppose. I hope one day I can share these same memories.

The eggplant that I helped cut up, poorly, is now cooking in the oven, and the smell of Parmesan is filling the house. And I can't help but think, damn, I'm actually part of that, I helped with that. So maybe this experiment will do more than open up my taste buds, it'll open up my mind to realize what I could be missing out on, and maybe it'll make me a good house wife some day. We'll just have to see.

What kind of balls?

Matzoh Ball Soup

6 eggs
2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. oil
1/2 c. water
4 qts. water
1 tbsp. salt
1 1/4 c. matzo meal (gourmet section of grocery store)

Beat eggs thoroughly. Add salt and oil and beat again. Add water. Beat again. With spoon, slowly pour in matzo meal and stir thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Boil water and salt in large pot. Measure 2 tablespoons of batter in a wet hand form into balls. Drop into rapidly boiling water for 30 minutes. Put lid on pot, but leave a slit for steam to escape. Dip out with a slotted spoon. Pour a small amount of the liquid over the matzo balls. Allow them to simmer in the soup for 15-20 minutes.


Matzoh Balls! A Jewish Tradition. Who said anything about my experiment being limited to just countries? If I really want to expand my food horizon I have to open my palate to new countries, cultures and religions.

The Jewish religion has been one that I've always been interested in. I remember vividly from my middle school days studying the terrible tragedy, the Holocaust. As we learned more and more about Hitlers reign of power, I couldn't help but wonder, what's so wrong with being Jewish? I have the utmost respect for those of the Jewish religion, and I enjoy learning the history their culture. The reasons for holding a Bar Mitzvah, or the eight days of Hanukkah. It all fascinates me. So, of course, I have to try the food.

My best friend, Amber, and I waited patiently as the dough we had just mixed and rolled to simmer in the pot of chicken broth.

"These look like, really nasty," she said. I couldn't help but to laugh. She has the worst stigma against new foods.

My dad looks over and shakes his head, laughing at her. He's used to Amber's antics. After fifteen minutes the soup with the Matzah balls was ready, and so were we. We sat down at the table, and I let Amber take the first bite, the true test. Five weird, awkward facial expressions later, she smiles. She loves it! I look down at the milky broth and wrinkle my brow. I split the first dough ball in half and shovel it in my mouth. Definitely not as bad as I thought it was going to be. The parsley and the pepper come through the strong, but I don't mind. I can't stand eating dull, tasteless food. I'd have to say that this may have been one of the better meals of this whole experience and I would eat it again any day.

So, the soup sits in my fridge and my entire family has tasted it, all approving which is the most surprising part to me. This whole food experiment might change more people than I originally thought!

Food For Thought

As Americans we're taught to do things the "American" way and eat the American things. You know, hamburgers, apple pie, etc. But, have you ever sat down and thought about what other cultures view as their "normal" food? Like for instance, could you ever imagine eating a cat or a dog? I have two cats of my own, and love them very much. I couldn't ever imagine cooking them up and eating them. Countries like China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Korea still consume dog meat. What makes an animal "off limits?"

Or even parts of our country? What's acceptable food to eat? The south you could find yourself eating pigs feet, or frog legs. Never up here! But who knows, maybe people find pasties disgusting. My dad and I were talking about food phenomenons while watching the Travel Channel. Andrew Zimmern has a show where he travels the world and eats all sorts of food. Anything from the stomach of a goat, to rancid fruit. This man, God bless his crazy soul, is my idol. As long as I have watched this show I have never once seen him hesitate to try anything, and that's what I'm striving to do.

Andrew Zimmern of Bizzare Foods


Thanks to being located in the Upper Peninsula, our resources for disgusting food is very limited. So, my dad and I are trying really hard to think out of the box. If anyone has any suggestions of food you think would be interesting, don't be shy. Comment and let me know!

Ay Dios Mio!

Definitely not what I was expecting! Biting into the green pepper, my mouth was set ablaze. Whereas, Kaylee's was not, who proceeded to laugh at me. After making my dad and Kaylee try my pepper, we were all in agreement that mine was the hottest. Bastards! Of course, I would get stuck with the hottest one. That's just my luck. But, this experiment is really getting interesting. I enjoy seeing where I think I stand compared to my friends. I owe a big thank you to my boyfriend, and my two best friends, for taking on this challenge with me. I also owe a thank you to my dear old dad. Who's taking the time to relive some of the food he has eaten and to help me make these foods.

It's a really great experience being able to do this. I love that my dad can relive memories that he can fully remember in detail. Cooking is something that he still knows, and that his brain can still do. So, it makes me happy that I can spend some time with him, enjoying his memories, learning how to make different foods. I've learned things I didn't know. Like, did you know that clams are completely muscle, so that's why they are so hard to chew? Or that the longer you cook a pepper, the milder they become? I had no idea. I'm very thankful that I can do this with my friends and my family.

Smoky Jalapenos

Smoky Jalapenos
Yield: 14 appetizers.

Prep: 25 min, Bake: 20 min.

14 jalapenos
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
14 miniature smoked sausages
7 bacon strips

Cut a lengthwise slit in each pepper; remove seeds and membranes. Spread a teaspoonful of cream cheese into each pepper; stuff each with a sausage. Cut bacon strips in half widthwise; cook in a microwave or skillet until partially cooked. Wrap a bacon piece around each pepper; secure with a toothpick. Place in an ungreased 13 in x 9 in x 2 in baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes for spicy flavor, 30 minutes for medium and 40 minutes for mild.


Spicy stuff, yikes. This is going to be an interesting one. I'll try anything once, but this is one thing that gets to me. My friend Kaylee, is a texture person, this is the girl that doesn't eat rice because it reminds her of maggots. So the slime of the jalapeno mixed with the cream cheese, and the crunch of the bacon is definitely going to send her for a whirl. We're in the midst of preparing them right now, and the house is flooded with the smell of bacon. And Kaylee's nerves are rising, as are mine. So let's see how it goes!

Clam..Stuffed.. What?

Clam Stuffed Mushrooms

2 pounds of medium sized mushrooms
1/2 cup melted butter
3/8 teaspoon garlic powder
6 1/2 ounce can minced clam, drained, reserve juice
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parsley flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper

Remove stems from mushrooms and mince. Stir garlic powder in warm butter and coat mushroom caps with mixture. Arrange on baking sheet. Combine clam juice, stem pieces and remaining butter in small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until tender and juices are reduced two-thirds. Add clams, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Divide evenly among caps. Cook at 350 until tender, or approximately 20 minutes.

This experiment is going to be a little bit tougher than I thought. I'm not picky, but I've learned that I am definitely a texture person. My first bite into the clam covered mushroom is one I will never forget. The strings of the fungi wiggled their way through my front teeth as the juice dripped down my face. Needless to say, I was startled, but I will admit - if you get past the texture, this recipe isn't so bad. But, the true test was my boyfriend, Tony, the mushroom and seafood hater. He popped the mushroom in his mouth, whole, and bit down. Tears wiggled their way down his face. Bracing his elbows on the table, he put his head down, shaking. My entire family burst out in laughter. That was a dinner that we'll never forget. My dad giggled as he bit down into his, fulling enjoying the masterpiece he had just made. I have a feeling that his blog is going to make for an interesting couple of weeks, and I am fully looking forward to it!

Expanding my Food Horizon

Everyone has a food that they don't like. Whether it's broccoli, sauerkraut, of whatever. There is some food out there that makes your skin crawl and your stomach turn. I have decided that I'm going to put that all to the side and take on a challenge - expanding my food horizon. This is going to be a no limits experience on enriching my palate. And along this journey I will be accompanied by my father, the chef, and three of my close minded friends, who will take turns once a week trying these new foods with me.
My father was in the military for twenty two years and has sailed the seven seas, and then some. He's eaten food from across our nation, and across the world. He is going to be the one helping me lead this experience. We will find recipes from all over the U.S. and the world to try, and put our taste buds to the test.