Category Archives: Dining

Dining, Technical, Ye Olde Garden

Adventures in cloud hosting

Free hosting drama has brought my site postings to a virtual standstill in the last 6-8 months. It took me a long time to decide on a new home for my websites, which is why there haven’t been too many entries on subjects such as gardening or cooking.

But I think I’ve found at semi-permanent home at cloud hosts Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Both cloud services offered a free tier on which I could flex my Linux muscle and try self-hosting WordPress remotely.

After several weeks of experimentation and false starts (notably a Bitnami solution that was a headache to learn on top of all the other things I need to be familiar with), I can report that my sites are back up and running. At least temporarily. If administration doesn’t suck up too much of time, I hope to catch up on all the posts from the past year, which I will likely compress in weekly or monthly summaries.

Suffice it to say, my current hosting set up consists of Ubuntu 16.04 running Apache/PHP/MariaDB, with Webmin control panel for client administration. There’s obviously more under the hood, but these are the major aspects.

Let the blogging continue…or restart.

Dining, Recipes

Recipe: Basic Bone Broth

I’ve been having a blast lately making soups with my homemade bone broth, mostly derivations of Vietnamese pho, minus the banh (or rice noodles). It made for a more mindful and healthier start to 2017.

Bone broth is so easy to make, it makes me wonder why I ever bothered buying cartons of the store-bought stuff (e.g., convenience). But studies have revealed the healthy benefits of collagen, gelatin and all the minerals and electrolytes that go into bone broth (hello, gut health, reduced inflammation, alleviating joint issues, hydration for post-workout and the list goes on) that it’s an easy decision to skip the commercial boxed or bouillon types.

So for my very first bone broth (back in April 2016) I needed only 3 ingredients: about 3 pounds of center-cut grass-fed beef marrow bones (found at Whole Foods Market), 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and enough water to fill a 5 quart slow cooker.

Dump all ingredients in the pot and cook low and slow (BBQ types know this phrase well enough) for 12-24 hours.

Now because these bones were sourced from Whole Foods, they were relatively picked clean and “not so scummy/bloody” while they rendered out during the slow cooking process. Some food blogs suggest parboiling before simmering the rest of the cook time. But, in future posts, I tried different cuts of meat and bone with the result of a less transparent broth. Nevertheless, in all endeavors, it was worth getting a mini fine-mesh strainer with rubberized silicone handle to stream the liquid through as I prepped the broth for storage. Obviously, I didn’t want to refrigerate anything suspended in the broth that risked altering the flavor in the long term.

Yep, there’ll be a small amount of fat in this collagen-rich broth. It’s part of what gives this broth that mouth-coating feel when sipped straight out of the cooker. Some folks can’t tolerate it which is why I suggest storing the broth in the refrigerator overnight, then removing the fat that gels on top of the broth the next day. SAVE THAT FAT, though! Store it in the refrigerator and use it in sautes and stir fries later!

If you’re curious, this is an unseasoned broth so it will taste bland right out of the slow cooker. I intended to use it as a base for other dishes like stews and sautes.

Thanks to Nom Nom Paleo, Wellness Mama and The Kitchn that shared instructions and plentiful tips on how to make and store bone broth.

Dining, Reviews

Best of BBQ: Smoked Brisket

This list comes long overdue. Here’s my best of bbq featuring smoked brisket that can be had in Dallas and surrounding neighborhoods:

Pecan Lodge: Intense, smoky, melt-in-your-mouth fatty beef brisket. This is the best of the best in Dallas, found in Deep Ellum. The parking may be inconvenient, the lines may stretch out the door, but I head over to the express counter where I’ll purchase 5lbs or more of all the smoked barbecue goodness. Wanna amp up the flavor? Try the brisket burnt ends!

Hutchins BBQ:  Steer clear of the Frisco outpost and make the commute over to McKinney, where the original Hutchins perfected their marbled smoked brisket. Moist, flavorful brisket will make your tastebuds dance–the best in the ‘burbs!

Black and beautiful brisket from Hutchins

Cattleack Barbecue: So they smoke their ‘que with gas, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that from their brisket, which possesses the same smoky flavor that can arise from wood. Cattleack sources their brisket from premium meat suppliers, and it’s evident in every tender, marbled, juicy bite!

The Slow Bone: The only barbecue joint on my list that smokes/grills with hickory, and the sharp tanginess of this wood shines in every bite of their brisket. If you’re looking for a different flavor profile from pecan and oak smoke, try the tender brisket at The Slow Bone.

Honorable mentions:  Meat U Anywhere BBQ

Revisits needed: Ten50 BBQ, Lockhart Smokehouse, Bartley’s BBQ, Mike Anderson BBQ, 3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House, North Main BBQ

Dining, Recipes

Recipe: Lamb Meatballs in Pumpkin Marinara

I had leftover pumpkin from my blondie recipe so I had to find a creative use for it. A coworker previously mentioned adding pumpkin to spaghetti sauce for extra fiber, and it sounded like a great idea. The natural sweetness of the pumpkin will take the edge off the acidity, while adding a little volume to the sauce.

This recipe provided an opportunity for me to clear out some fridge space as well. We had ample leftovers of bbq sauce and spaghetti sauce that needed to be used. About the only thing that I needed to purchase was the ground protein and the cheese; I stocked everything else in my pantry.

You’ll also notice that these meatballs are grain-free…no breadcrumbs. In the cooking instructions, I explain how to keep the meatballs together while it slow cooks. It does take an extra cooking step, but the results are worth it!

  • 8 oz(s), Canned Pumpkin
  • 4 fluid ounce, Bbq Sauce
  • 8 fluid ounce, chunky garden (tomato, onion & garlic) spaghetti sauce
  • 1.50 oz(s), Garlic, raw
  • 13.50 ounce, Onion
  • 2 ounce, Kraft Parmesan Finely Shredded
  • 56 g, 2% Mozzarella shredded
  • 0.50 tsp(s), Spices, ground cumin
  • 2 tsp(s), Spices, chili powder
  • 1 tsp, ground, Spices, pepper, black
  • 1 tsp(s), Spices, parsley, dried
  • 1 tsp, leaves, Spices, basil, dried
  • 1.75 cup (121 g), Diced Basil, Garlic, & Oregano Canned Tomatoes
  • 1 egg, jumbo egg
  • 2 Tbsp (14g), Coconut Oil (Virgin, Unrefined, Cold Pressed)
  • 0.25 tsp, Sea Salt
  • 16 oz, Ground Chuck Beef 90/10
  • 16 oz, Ground Lamb

Add half of the dried spices, pumpkin puree, bbq sauce and spaghetti sauce to a slow cooker turned to high. While these ingredients start simmering, warm coconut oil in a saute pan over medium heat.

Chop the onions and garlic, add to saute pan. Cook until translucent and aromatic about 3-5 minutes. Take off heat and add 3/4 of the garlic/onion mix to the slow cooker, reserving the rest for meatballs.

Meanwhile, mix beef, lamb, egg, cheese, and half of the dry spices in a bowl and knead until thoroughly incorporated. Add the garlic/onion mix and continue to knead. Divide into 12 portions and hand-form the meatballs.

Add meatballs to heated saute pan or cast iron skillet and sear on all sides. The idea is to sear the outside but not cook the meatballs through. Transfer meatballs to slow cooker, taking care to drain fat.

Cook low and slow over low heat for 1-2 hours in the slow cooker.

Yields 12 meatballs + sauce. My preferred serving size is 2 meatballs, garnished with chopped green onions.

IMG_20160826_231056321

Nutrition calculator:
Calories 291 (per meatball/sauce)
Total Fat 17 g
Total Carbohydrate 16 g 5 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugars 9 g
Protein 19 g

Dining, Recipes

Recipe: GF Pumpkin Walnut Blondie

Earlier this summer I experimented with a gluten-free dream bar/coconut bar recipe that used a homemade condensed coconut milk sweetened with stevia. Sadly, I didn’t consider it a success as it didn’t really have the sweet, rich, mouth-coating flavor that I associated with dream bars. I also mistakenly added baking chocolate to the bar which made it hard to eat.

In researching ways to tweak the dream bar recipe, I stumbled upon a paleo-friendly recipe for pumpkin blondie,  using almond butter to achieve the moist chewy texture that I was looking for.

Before I embark on testing the concept with my cococonutty dream bar recipe, I recreated the pumpkin blondie to make it gluten free and with walnuts. I also went with coconut sugar instead of stevia to see how I would like it. And you know what, it turned out great!

  • 0.50 Tsp, Cinnamon
  • 0.50 tsp, Baking Soda
  • 0.50 tsp, Spices, pumpkin pie spice
  • 3 tbsp(s), Chopped Walnuts
  • 180 gram, 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree
  • 96 gram (2 tbsp), Almond Butter, Smooth (unsweetened)
  • 2 tsp, Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 0.50 tsp, Baking Powder
  • 96 gram, Gluten Free Multi-purpose Flour (King Arthur)
  • 2 tablespoon (21g), Organic Wild Forest Raw Neem Honey
  • 18.75 tsp, Coconut Sugar

Preheat oven to 325F.

Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and grease with a little bit of coconut oil. I left some paper overhang on my pan so that I could easily lift the blondies out.

Warm the honey and almond butter in a microwave-safe bowl, then add to a stand mixer.  With the mixer on low speed, add all wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Meanwhile, sift cinnamon, baking soda, pumpkin spice, baking powder, gluten free flour and coconut sugar in a bowl. Then slowly add these dry ingredients to the stand mixer, and continue to mix, scraping the sides of the bowl every once in awhile.

Pour batter into the pan, and smooth until even. I prefer jiggling the pan until the batter is level. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over batter, then place into oven to bake for 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into 16 squares (I used a pizza cutter).

IMG_20160818_102521054

The recipe instructions explained the low-and-slow bake time to achieve different textures. The latter bake time resulted in a medium moist blondie that was soft in the middle, crispy at the edges. When I bake this again, I’ll be sure to try the shorter bake time for a softer finish.

Yields 16 bars.

Nutrition calculator:

Calories 97
Total Fat 4 g
Total Carbohydrate 14 g 
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 7 g
Protein 2 g