Thanksgiving Double Rib Special

Cranberry Ribs with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Multigrain Rice

With another Thanksgiving in which I would have to make myself a feast, I decided to indulge myself with some ribs, especially since it had been a while since I last made myself a rack or two.  Having spotted a sale on fresh cranberries, the experimental side of me kicked up a gear and decided to somehow marry them with the ribs.  Though I'm sure there are recipes for ribs using cranberries, I decided to stay away from searching for recipes and just use whatever was available in my kitchen that weekend.

My First Risotto Attempt

Risotto... one of the great comfort foods courtesy of Italian cuisine.  I definitely enjoy eating risotto.  Done right, risotto is creamy and flavourful, with each grain of rice fluffy yet al dente.  I realized, however, that I have yet to try making risotto, so I resolved to attempt making one this weekend.

"I'm Proud of You, Andrew"... for Making Ribs

My Maple, Grain Mustard and Thyme Ribs (top) and Ginger-Soy Ribs served at the potluck.

A few of my theatre buddies and I had bandied about the idea of a potluck a few times over the past year or two, but for some reason we never really took it up seriously.  However, discussion somehow turned to food (surprise, surprise!) during a rehearsal break a week before the Louis Riel Day weekend, and we all eventually agreed to have that potluck on Louis Riel Day after all.  As my discussion that precipitated this event involved ribs, and since I had recently bought two racks of pork side ribs, also known as spareribs, during a sale a few weeks beforehand, I was assigned the duty to make ribs for the potluck. I've previously made ribs, including the Maple, Grain Mustard and Thyme Ribs, but, realizing I had a full day off virtually at home before the potluck, I took advantage of the situation to try cooking ribs more slowly for the first time.  I also decided to use both racks of ribs I had in my freezer and marinate them differently.  One of them was a tweaked rendition of Maple, Grain Mustard and Thyme Ribs, while the other rack was given a ginger-soy marinade.

Ginger and Green Onion Beef

Like Stir-Fried Shrimp and Eggs, this dish was also reminiscent of my childhood.  However, not only was this a quick and easy dish to make, it was also quite belly-warming.  My mother usually would've used a stovetop-safe earthenware pot to make Ginger and Green Onion Beef, and it would've been served piping hot on the dinner table.

Though I wouldn't (and still to this day won't) eat ginger slices or green onion sprigs, I still appreciated the flavours they brought to the beef.  This dish is great to have on a cool evening.

Combining Three of My Favourite Food Items into One Dish

Some of my favourite food items include smoked salmon, pasta and mushrooms.  With all of them in my fridge and freezer, I decided to combine them into a one-dish dinner, Smoked Salmon Pasta in a Creamy Tomato Sauce.  The smoked salmon I used was sockeye prepared in what I call the "East Coast" or lox style, whose texture is closer to that of raw fish rather than fully cooked fish, a trait seen in the "West Coast" style, though the "West Coast" version could just as easily be used.  Sockeye is a particularly flavourful variety of salmon, and its flavour shone in this dish.  Atlantic smoked salmon can also be used, especially if one prefers a milder taste.

A Quick Dinner Dish from Childhood

I'm sure my faithful readers will have noticed that there has been quite a time gap since I last wrote an entry related to a dish I made or cooked.  Unfortunately time just hadn't been on my side and I mainly cooked dishes that were already made familiar in earlier posts, or variations thereof, or that were probably not worth of mention (yet) for various reasons.  However, a recent splurge on eggs thanks to a sale, along with a relative lull in my schedule, allowed me an opportunity to cook a dish I hadn't had in years, Stir-Fried Shrimp and Eggs.

Beef Short Ribs in Black Pepper Sauce

With a Saturday evening free, I decided to clear out my freezer a bit, which meant despatching of some frozen beef short ribs.  Since I didn't have a BBQ grill, I had to cook them by way of my next favourite short rib dish: with black pepper sauce.

Chinese Eggplant Casserole

With my recent cravings for Eggplant with Yuxiang Sauce Casserole, I was inspired to attempt to make my own eggplant casserole.  Until now I've only done stir-fries with eggplant, and even then I've found stir-frying eggplant to be a bit challenging.  Eggplant stuck easily to the wok, but adding more oil to cook eggplant would have made the dishes less healthy.  Steaming was possible, but not suprisingly the pieces closer to the bottom cooked more quickly than the pieces near the top.  To convince myself to try making an eggplant casserole, I rationalized that the pieces should cook more evenly and in a fairly healthy manner as all the pieces would be equally immersed in a liquid.

White Asparagus Experiment

I've bought white asparagus a few times in the past when they were on sale.  Since I'd no experience nor exposure to cooking with white asparagus, cooking this vegetable has been more of an experimental experience for me, even though recipes are available everywhere.  I decided this time around to cook something less conventional, Stir-Fried White Asparagus with Shrimp and Mushrooms in Green Curry Sauce.

Bamboo - Part 2 of 2

After making the Bamboo, Preserved Vegetable & Beef Stir-Fry one evening, the following week I opted to use the remaining unused segments of bamboo shoots.  Having at the time recently returned from my latest Winnipeg daytrip on Louis Riel Day, I decided to marry the bamboo shoots with another one of my favourite vegetables, mushrooms.  I'd managed to buy a decently-sized package package of fresh oyster & shiitake mushrooms at a Winnipeg Chinese supermarket and was looking forward to cooking them that week.  The result of this inspiration to cook with bamboo was Stir-Fried Beef, Bamboo Shoots & Oyster Mushrooms.

Bamboo - Part 1 of 2

I've always enjoyed eating bamboo shoots since I was a kid.  They have a nice crunch to them which, unlike most other vegetables, isn't lost when cooked.  They are also usually found in canned form in supermarkets, which makes them good vegetables to use when fresh vegetables are in shorter supply.  I remember how my mom would, usually due to lack of time, create simpler dishes for dinner on weeknights, and sometimes that involved using cans of bamboo shoots.  One of those dishes I remember well is Bamboo, Preserved Vegetable & Beef Stir-Fry.

An Ultimate Potluck

I'm sure I mentioned in some earlier post that I love potlucks.  I love how people can put their best feet forward and make dishes to please people's taste buds and appetities, how people can get together and enjoy the fruits of each other's labour, and how people can have a good time without exhausting only one or two people being responsible for feeding so many mouths.  The evening after my lunch with friends at Lady of the Lake, I had a party with some fellow Ultimate players to attend, and once again (oh, joy!) it was a potluck.  The hosts were the same people who had a potluck dinner with me last August, and with half of the total guests in attendance being vegetarians of varying degrees, I had to make a dish that could be enjoyed by most if not all the guests.  A richer, belly-warming dish was in order as it was still wintertime, so I opted to make Shrimp Penne with Mushrooms, Sundried Tomato and Red Onion in Cream Sauce.

Shrimp Penne with Mushrooms, Sundried Tomato and Red Onion in Cream Sauce.

A Weekend of International Indulgence

So, to follow up on my last post... for Chinese New Year, with what little time I had that evening before running off for some extra-curricular activities, I made myself a dinner with two dishes, Salt and Pepper Shrimp and Braised Nappa Cabbage in Milk Sauce.  Well, my sister beat me to the post (pardon the pun) in posting about Salt and Pepper Shrimp, and since we both used the same recipe (minus the ginger juice on my part), I won't write the recipe here.

Winter, Season for Stews

Though stews can be enjoyed at any time, I personally enjoy them more during winters.  Stews easily can bring warmth to one's body thanks to the piping hot meat, vegetables and thick broth as well as the hearty nature of these dishes.  Stews can also bring warmth to one's home as they simmer on a stove for a length of time.  Stews can take some time before they're ready to eat, especially if you use more ingredients, but they are comfort food and worth the time spent in making them.  Also, for a bachelor like me, making one batch of stew guarantees at least one or two more dinners later in the week.  With windchill hitting the -40's on Tuesday and with limited time to make dinner the next few days, it was a good time to make some stew.

Refreshing Summer Memory

Earlier this week, it was hot and muggy here, and a colleague offered some cucumbers fresh from the garden as there were more than she could handle.  At that moment, my thoughts instantly turned to a refreshing, cool and light dish I had once at a Korean supermarket north of Toronto, naengmyun.  I took some of the cukes in the hopes of making this dish, along with attempting to make some sweet and spicy pickles, over the weekend.

Pesco-Vegetarian Potluck Feast

A couple of friends I met playing Ultimate this year agreed to have a dinner-and-movie potluck this weekend, and with the movies of choice being Red Cliff & Red Cliff II, I thought of cooking Chinese dishes for my friends.  Cooking for people with dietary restrictions can be a challenge, but fortunately for me, with my friends being pesco-vegetarians, I was given some latitude.  With that in mind, I decided to cook three dishes, a noodle dish, a vegetable dish and a tofu dish.

BBQ for a Day

Nothing says summer like a barbecue dinner, but alas, such a dinner is a rarity for me since I've moved into an apartment with no balcony on which to place a barbecue. Imagine my excitement when a colleague of mine decided to open his house for a BBQ potluck dinner last Saturday! At long last I was able to work a grill again, and I decided to make the best of this opportunity. Partly because I hadn't barbecued for a while, and partly because I knew others were bringing dips, salads and other starter items, I decided to make grilled vegetables as my potluck contribution. Of course, I'm getting ahead of myself for a moment.

Non-Fried Fried Noodles

Last Friday I decided to make myself a vegetarian fried noodle dish for dinner, partly since I was going to a BBQ potluck dinner the following evening (which meant there was likely going to be a fair amount of meat), and partly to clear out a bit of my fridge. Until recently I'd only known to make a fried noodle dish by, well, frying the noodles. However, when my mother visited me recently, she taught me a substitute method to make fried noodles with considerably less oil.

Mother's Day a Week Early

My parents were in town for the weekend in the midst of their cross-country road trip, so I thought I should treat my dear mother to a decent dinner of my own making. Yes, there are some decent restaurants here in Brandon (yesterday we enjoyed a nice lunch at Lady of the Lake), but I believe nothing says "I love you, Mom" better than making her a nice dinner instead of taking her out for one.

Brunch Leftovers for Lunch

Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral baked meats
Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.
William Shakespeare, "Hamlet"