tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105394672024-03-11T12:41:52.423-05:00The Saga of RunolfrAssorted anecdotes in the life of Lord Runolfr Orthlokarr Ulfsson, a fencer, dancer, and brewer in the Society for Creative Anachronism.
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<br>Lately this has turned into more of a cooking blog, though.Lord Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05037511493835631150noreply@blogger.comBlogger1016125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-24407690080544340802024-03-11T12:41:00.001-05:002024-03-11T12:41:10.094-05:00Zucchini Squash Fritters<p>This is an idea that I came up with for breakfast.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7_2MBf9wf_9t0MJNbC2FmFmGRj5NtZPa469ARrjosSag9xiT9TXlbhqsIiRa3_ybgAq-9ncHW3abfkeaVexeKiWxuc4kqc3agoCuRXQQ3FoOuoVHjPz-JS7cLu3_0vOZK4BO-6gw0COv7NexHEsuU4g28f0dJylN4n0Reu4j_vgvabAGeJBz/s4000/IMG_20240309_073703591.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7_2MBf9wf_9t0MJNbC2FmFmGRj5NtZPa469ARrjosSag9xiT9TXlbhqsIiRa3_ybgAq-9ncHW3abfkeaVexeKiWxuc4kqc3agoCuRXQQ3FoOuoVHjPz-JS7cLu3_0vOZK4BO-6gw0COv7NexHEsuU4g28f0dJylN4n0Reu4j_vgvabAGeJBz/s320/IMG_20240309_073703591.jpg" width="180" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLaUQ2gY2O8pfCuAW7asVxSDThoCLI85ytvP_yFyNRKgL06pONIXVJmWHRpZ6CvIHWOtNRDL6xjdZMsFuPUWM2qdTE22VAbYChJ4s8RoC7qwQorVXOhFteqh2EwfALqNWlbAFZPvNsCYAPcrvVw2xISmZurCnjUVstf5pLkfjVbhfIh0DLq9Z/s4000/IMG_20240309_072347347_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLaUQ2gY2O8pfCuAW7asVxSDThoCLI85ytvP_yFyNRKgL06pONIXVJmWHRpZ6CvIHWOtNRDL6xjdZMsFuPUWM2qdTE22VAbYChJ4s8RoC7qwQorVXOhFteqh2EwfALqNWlbAFZPvNsCYAPcrvVw2xISmZurCnjUVstf5pLkfjVbhfIh0DLq9Z/s320/IMG_20240309_072347347_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7s5L1b3wHyxehLeCMDO5IYtmQR1BltcyT0F5qTK-QV3P75j2EzZ7FmdJcb0WehUh4cusIbJgoZM7IrkQxmChxPf3x43HC_5yroozBnbnNz4BlbYjyLGGyXqZJpKjUDgv5FxlyvIvDZc1sNITHePIBaxrFm5hKEroLwirYUTbza18oY9IfkWIm/s4000/IMG_20240309_072344282_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7s5L1b3wHyxehLeCMDO5IYtmQR1BltcyT0F5qTK-QV3P75j2EzZ7FmdJcb0WehUh4cusIbJgoZM7IrkQxmChxPf3x43HC_5yroozBnbnNz4BlbYjyLGGyXqZJpKjUDgv5FxlyvIvDZc1sNITHePIBaxrFm5hKEroLwirYUTbza18oY9IfkWIm/s320/IMG_20240309_072344282_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p>I have a "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L5D3QQ8" target="_blank">vegetable noodler</a>" from OXO that I originally got for making zoodles (that's not an affiliate link, I just like it). Tangent: zoodles quickly sautéed in olive oil are the best way to eat zucchini. On this occasion, I was wanting something breakfasty that would also give me some fiber and other nutrition, and the idea of a fritter or pakora came to me.</p><p>These consist of...</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>beaten eggs</li><li>zucchini strips and/or yellow squash strips (I used both).</li><li>almond flower</li><li>salt</li><li>pepper</li></ul><p></p><p>And the how...</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Peel the squash strips into a bowl. You probably need one zucchini per person. I prefer to leave the seeds.</li><li>Beat some eggs (probably two per person)</li><li>Add about a tablespoon of almond flower to the eggs.</li><li>Add salt and pepper to taste.</li><li>Mix well.</li><li>Pour the eggs over the zucchini.</li><li>Heat a pan pretty hot. On my induction stove with my pan, I had to set it to 8.</li><li>Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Let it get good and hot or the eggs will stick.</li><li>Use tongs to pick up some zucchini and drop it into the pan.</li><li>Cook about two minutes, then flip. Your time may vary.</li><li>Cook two more minutes and remove to drain on paper towels or your preferred draining rig.</li><li>Repeat until you run out of zoodles.</li></ol><p></p><p><br /></p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-91898917760832026222024-03-03T06:55:00.002-06:002024-03-03T06:55:21.856-06:00Lamb Burgers & Jicama Fries<p> </p><p>Got some ground lamb because I haven't had a burger in a bit, and I also like lamb and Greek-style stuff in general. Figure tzatziki was the way to go for sauce and jicama fries would be a side that worked with the low-carb diet plan I'm currently on.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsBtnGTul46chPRA4y-l4PQpYuztsucHujbAjCJLX_zCEfxjOk-4DRaCBYvUoIzzz2s1FHf52YBVk6mKviNVW7mcJE9bCTEfcBP8LIU0OB_PhU9lRkEf7mfZu0OsG01ZcKBQBgbacJh92grpA8VRN1wmAYmNKhYO9I-lrz76wWi-Bsg6-jhPB/s4000/IMG_20240302_184511827_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsBtnGTul46chPRA4y-l4PQpYuztsucHujbAjCJLX_zCEfxjOk-4DRaCBYvUoIzzz2s1FHf52YBVk6mKviNVW7mcJE9bCTEfcBP8LIU0OB_PhU9lRkEf7mfZu0OsG01ZcKBQBgbacJh92grpA8VRN1wmAYmNKhYO9I-lrz76wWi-Bsg6-jhPB/w640-h360/IMG_20240302_184511827_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7RzY0QbZ4M9CUoA_6T8vKXOEGmqgTrhKgRuJUEz5LHQOFyJMqo-dodd_NxzyVqCu07n7Cpybkw7i4n5-vV2ELQfecN-ZuynVXxofJGNtekQUwqOzsgCwvM0oTONgS8Mdoalqv-QSvQUTnlu-F2esvpJdD5djpq-qTTZV72gnVFMTBEAXKCjE/s4000/IMG_20240302_181402345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7RzY0QbZ4M9CUoA_6T8vKXOEGmqgTrhKgRuJUEz5LHQOFyJMqo-dodd_NxzyVqCu07n7Cpybkw7i4n5-vV2ELQfecN-ZuynVXxofJGNtekQUwqOzsgCwvM0oTONgS8Mdoalqv-QSvQUTnlu-F2esvpJdD5djpq-qTTZV72gnVFMTBEAXKCjE/w200-h113/IMG_20240302_181402345.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrgNJrMflTBC0ccPbB2fGYAY64ac4Y01i_7BUYLH7tuIlvk7vP5E4qM14Oa79dkAU2hfIgdeg8AClxS_8AJzU_6GWoPhNpQxmbdr6ag-qx72FT1PjN_ZoKDFIv18mTbRO1VpnrkdUMJuerMn1v-Qm733ogJ1YqDEjn8DNzSgXDV166beomjdq/s4000/IMG_20240302_173144568_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrgNJrMflTBC0ccPbB2fGYAY64ac4Y01i_7BUYLH7tuIlvk7vP5E4qM14Oa79dkAU2hfIgdeg8AClxS_8AJzU_6GWoPhNpQxmbdr6ag-qx72FT1PjN_ZoKDFIv18mTbRO1VpnrkdUMJuerMn1v-Qm733ogJ1YqDEjn8DNzSgXDV166beomjdq/w200-h113/IMG_20240302_173144568_HDR.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRayPGsuFplgyLG8prNVuDM-HCcskNl1ZmXAgq9Ut8ycQ9aqtD_mfXN255EgWidoyb_OryMxh1FJJW-hPdSEnPjClxzRl3iXjAmj5kBlsIZdSK_wQkmMO5zDQ_Hy3bq5YF7QZSzljwepA8NbVeJMw_Gnpz31b8UruIwguS1FqzStf8OjTH4ZJB/s4000/IMG_20240302_172834489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRayPGsuFplgyLG8prNVuDM-HCcskNl1ZmXAgq9Ut8ycQ9aqtD_mfXN255EgWidoyb_OryMxh1FJJW-hPdSEnPjClxzRl3iXjAmj5kBlsIZdSK_wQkmMO5zDQ_Hy3bq5YF7QZSzljwepA8NbVeJMw_Gnpz31b8UruIwguS1FqzStf8OjTH4ZJB/w200-h113/IMG_20240302_172834489.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div><p>I'll leave the recipe details to the original authors, but I prepped the cucumber for the tzatziki by first cutting strips with a widget I got for cutting zucchini noodles.</p><p>The burger is a lamb smash burger, and I can confirm that feta doesn't melt worth a damn.</p><p>Links</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.tastingtable.com/743937/best-lamb-burger-recipe/">https://www.tastingtable.com/743937/best-lamb-burger-recipe/</a></li><li><a href="https://www.loveandlemons.com/tzatziki-sauce/">https://www.loveandlemons.com/tzatziki-sauce/</a></li><li><a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/jicama-fries-recipe-23263203#post-recipe-298610728">https://www.thekitchn.com/jicama-fries-recipe-23263203#post-recipe-29861072</a></li></ul><p></p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-79463274295030480012024-02-02T09:06:00.004-06:002024-02-02T09:06:44.866-06:00Tandoori <p> Came back to Tandoori chicken again, and I think I did it better this time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7KRtzHp118lHGi_PXIcLwL0MXsSSUkLB5biZ5Lb0fIFVJj9Lfoe5U2KKggAeCPJcfzV-LZ2XkQxi0q0FZwnZIquTeokXo35NQKyzqAtIh3hr3uxX01rHsTNAIWz850E4RQWCsZuVu0dAvUJBizBZQ_uEWA8nx4v64LPmFoNCBWPjcr0h5tgF/s4000/IMG_20240201_190226989_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7KRtzHp118lHGi_PXIcLwL0MXsSSUkLB5biZ5Lb0fIFVJj9Lfoe5U2KKggAeCPJcfzV-LZ2XkQxi0q0FZwnZIquTeokXo35NQKyzqAtIh3hr3uxX01rHsTNAIWz850E4RQWCsZuVu0dAvUJBizBZQ_uEWA8nx4v64LPmFoNCBWPjcr0h5tgF/w640-h360/IMG_20240201_190226989_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>First thing up was the marinade...</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1 tbsp. garam masala</li><li>1 tsp. ground coriander</li><li>1 tsp. ground cumin</li><li>1 tbsp. paprika</li><li>1 tsp. turmeric powder</li><li>1 tbsp. garlic paste</li><li>1 tbsp. ginger paste</li><li>1 tbsp. yogurt</li><li>1 tbsp. sea salt</li><li>1/2 tsp. long pepper</li></ul>My garam masala and long pepper weren't ground, so they got a light pan toasting before going in my grinder.<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVmY_BAnluNgwVlEQ9VWl7Y7Cduj6tWNVFsciSlahTZFZTTIDOnKj50Lys2zY2zAdvQl5LehT8W0KGn3qr9hOTIYNNdAQo3B32LmEyZ4-NzeSHMsUihCugqfqT0McJDP1nbtHm9eLqS_t7JW4vtpq5YnqsNSj2Mw3vjbybnYytYod5fxNDsOA/s4000/IMG_20240201_161251065_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVmY_BAnluNgwVlEQ9VWl7Y7Cduj6tWNVFsciSlahTZFZTTIDOnKj50Lys2zY2zAdvQl5LehT8W0KGn3qr9hOTIYNNdAQo3B32LmEyZ4-NzeSHMsUihCugqfqT0McJDP1nbtHm9eLqS_t7JW4vtpq5YnqsNSj2Mw3vjbybnYytYod5fxNDsOA/w320-h181/IMG_20240201_161251065_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2NmQIKVvTnQfAClo3tBUNM-vz54SWo5RjdklGQW9rqN4OmMJGLn0_uZT5jUmt9kkXKUlzv11tu_ugMqkRTbL_lrontu0wDYcr2FOjvJ4WUoYzKBJq88E2931KFsiElItDdeQCNIdzeUAEKFhqOhuvoI8leWLxbHeuJISA0FKhJf19aRy3u-Q/s4000/IMG_20240201_162524523_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2NmQIKVvTnQfAClo3tBUNM-vz54SWo5RjdklGQW9rqN4OmMJGLn0_uZT5jUmt9kkXKUlzv11tu_ugMqkRTbL_lrontu0wDYcr2FOjvJ4WUoYzKBJq88E2931KFsiElItDdeQCNIdzeUAEKFhqOhuvoI8leWLxbHeuJISA0FKhJf19aRy3u-Q/s320/IMG_20240201_162524523_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTCyJCJE0CoAZJLAKu8pU4d8JULzskUQ_jEwwr0ph7SWt_C3PDdqF19v-UciwfFoi6XuX-tAnUiu-xdmDnLlBkPHMsHv1v0xBytJ9gjJ3miEK0OhBDmeCKadsufySPyHyET4STBDOhlmI_w6ftrnCuBOwjA9uOEi8mz8Wkn75kL_Bg_Ywz5hS/s4000/IMG_20240201_162522070_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTCyJCJE0CoAZJLAKu8pU4d8JULzskUQ_jEwwr0ph7SWt_C3PDdqF19v-UciwfFoi6XuX-tAnUiu-xdmDnLlBkPHMsHv1v0xBytJ9gjJ3miEK0OhBDmeCKadsufySPyHyET4STBDOhlmI_w6ftrnCuBOwjA9uOEi8mz8Wkn75kL_Bg_Ywz5hS/w320-h181/IMG_20240201_162522070_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><p>This mixes up into a pretty thick paste. In the past, I think I was using too much yogurt, and the result was too fluid.</p><p>So the full method:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Make the marinade.</li><li>Coat four chicken thighs in the marinade.</li><li>Put the chicken in the fridge for a few hours to marinate.</li><li>Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.</li><li>Cook the chicken in the air fryer for 25-30 minutes, turning half way through the cook time.</li></ol><p></p><p>We tried this with some Miracle Noodle Ready to Eat Rice from Publix, which wasn't bad, especially after it got some of that marinade from the cooked chicken mixed in.</p><p></p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-31622595460388599682024-01-26T19:12:00.004-06:002024-01-26T19:15:11.516-06:00Low-Carb Chicken Paprikash<p>Chicken Paprikash is pretty low in carbs already, but I generally like mine with pasta, so this one is just getting some low-carb pasta instead.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7qJo73O0jY8fb6Vy-a-pC2m6aYi3qKlz5t44AyTIdaiqQkE6Q9j0hRKD0pP34NmRLZRtRflslSqfmy0wXxvKbI8fLq_Vke-5HKoqRsyk4dhalU6tl6Alo8UHzwja1tzQqODKHy3dYl2-qQCR3IHSwsXZB6ER2MFno9MippQj1rVFOCtBCGsT/s4000/IMG_20240126_182657333_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7qJo73O0jY8fb6Vy-a-pC2m6aYi3qKlz5t44AyTIdaiqQkE6Q9j0hRKD0pP34NmRLZRtRflslSqfmy0wXxvKbI8fLq_Vke-5HKoqRsyk4dhalU6tl6Alo8UHzwja1tzQqODKHy3dYl2-qQCR3IHSwsXZB6ER2MFno9MippQj1rVFOCtBCGsT/w400-h225/IMG_20240126_182657333_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Ingredients:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Three chicken thighs</li><li>8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms</li><li>One small onion</li><li>About a tablespoon of almond flour</li><li>About five tablespoons of sour cream</li><li>One pouch of Skinny Pasta fettuccini</li><li>Enough chicken stock to deglaze (maybe 1/2 a cup)</li><li>Olive oil</li><li>Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtSoE_K6ogjw14gHqyXv2_ApzyrKbUC5BLPBl77OWqB4o7KF3zwy0avCaLEZx_m07YXrhkILuSbIPJJypGRwVKRwrkpr67jt2Defnx8EWkXJQM0EBYbuMR7x9G_dJ9ZqojYQGCWKViSY5n7sI2vGzq0FXtx0y0ugESyXL6_bLb51oTEEt1Pk1/s4000/IMG_20240126_172518488_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtSoE_K6ogjw14gHqyXv2_ApzyrKbUC5BLPBl77OWqB4o7KF3zwy0avCaLEZx_m07YXrhkILuSbIPJJypGRwVKRwrkpr67jt2Defnx8EWkXJQM0EBYbuMR7x9G_dJ9ZqojYQGCWKViSY5n7sI2vGzq0FXtx0y0ugESyXL6_bLb51oTEEt1Pk1/w400-h225/IMG_20240126_172518488_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Method:</p><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Salt and pepper the chicken thighs.</li><li>Brown the chicken thighs using medium-high heat in a deep pan in some olive oil, about 5 mins on each side.</li><li>Remove the chicken thighs.</li><li>Soften the onions in the pan.</li><li>Add the mushrooms and cook until soft and brown.</li><li>Deglaze the pan with chicken stock.</li><li>Take out about a quarter cup of pan stock. Mix it with almond flower. Return to the pan and stir.</li><li>Add the chicken back to the pan.</li><li>Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked (160°F on an internal temp probe).</li><li>Stir in sour cream.</li><li>Stir in pasta.</li></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqmQhdYa1hiKkQywp7ZKY9mpntwnrBvxz0dm0DCjG8lVuUO039QnreWIwUWgl-L6P4RCGWTZgIZ8nXPij-EBIa2Foh7361rXvsb5b7rEWwSik_62xIG2uN_TwIPoHB3_E87vL3pwPFHTVsLw7kymaeppa0X7DT769Z10N__7n0keuHDXZ85IX/s4000/IMG_20240126_181826584_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqmQhdYa1hiKkQywp7ZKY9mpntwnrBvxz0dm0DCjG8lVuUO039QnreWIwUWgl-L6P4RCGWTZgIZ8nXPij-EBIa2Foh7361rXvsb5b7rEWwSik_62xIG2uN_TwIPoHB3_E87vL3pwPFHTVsLw7kymaeppa0X7DT769Z10N__7n0keuHDXZ85IX/w400-h225/IMG_20240126_181826584_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-89461140826041828232024-01-26T06:30:00.001-06:002024-01-26T06:30:24.620-06:00Lemon-Caper-Dill Chicken w/ Fried Zucchini<p>This chicken dish gets an awkward but literal name.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pqq5ryZOuaC2t30jbaDalQQA_M8U75YbfRuOj38zrm2JEH09qp4Nlg_Rzbh5RD6i3vAt3k-cPmXm7vEbYCb2VJ90AgcMxRa0q2PejvEBJAHWrF6BEyWmvzJzxA6KTU9KEMFdvp2SxVi2_taxJ8d-8acT6-pLszhtq2G6fu5j5ai7Lp13IvP5/s4000/IMG_20240125_184836605_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pqq5ryZOuaC2t30jbaDalQQA_M8U75YbfRuOj38zrm2JEH09qp4Nlg_Rzbh5RD6i3vAt3k-cPmXm7vEbYCb2VJ90AgcMxRa0q2PejvEBJAHWrF6BEyWmvzJzxA6KTU9KEMFdvp2SxVi2_taxJ8d-8acT6-pLszhtq2G6fu5j5ai7Lp13IvP5/s320/IMG_20240125_184836605_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p>Ingredients:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>3 chicken thighs (thought the package would have 4, but one was extra large)</li><li>juice of one lemon</li><li>about a teaspoon of capers</li><li>about a tablespoon of fresh dill</li><li>about half a cup of dry white wine</li><li>salt & pepper</li><li>avocado oil</li></ul>Method:<p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Salt and pepper the chicken.</li><li>Brown the chicken on both sides in avocado oil.</li><li>Deglaze the pan with wine.</li><li>Add lemon, capers, and dill.</li><li>Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.</li></ol>I spent my 20-30 minutes making fried zucchini.<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>2 zucchini, cut into thin strips (I used a mandolin slicer)</li><li>salt & pepper</li><li>a cup or two of almond flower</li><li>two beaten eggs</li><li>corn oil</li></ul>Method 2:<p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Dip the zucchini strips in egg wash.</li><li>Coat them in a mix of salt, pepper, and almond flower.</li><li>Fry until golden brown.</li><li>Season with an extra sprinkle of salt.</li></ol>The low-carb zucchini turned out be a really good idea.<p></p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-32561895059830157852024-01-22T20:15:00.000-06:002024-01-22T20:15:02.754-06:00Gaza<p>Until now, I haven't said anything about Gaza. I really don't know what's to be done there. The Hamas attack on Israel was horrific. The ongoing Israeli response is horrific and tragic.</p><p>As an American, I think it would be hypocritical to criticize Israel. On September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda's attack killed at least 3000 Americans. I can't even calculate the hundreds of thousands of deaths that America's response caused. I don't think a lot of those deaths could be justified, but they can't be undone.</p><p>I believe one thing, though. All this death and destruction is exactly what Hamas wants. When they attacked, they knew Israel would feel compelled to strike back hard. They <i style="font-weight: bold;">wanted</i> a disproportionate body count. They <i style="font-weight: bold;">wanted</i> tens of thousands of Palestinians to die. They have never cared about the Palestinian people. They only care about weakening and destroying Israel, and the media coverage of all that carnage is causing an international backlash in public opinion against Israel.</p><p>I would love to see the killing stop, but I don't see the path. Even if Israel can be convinced to stop its campaign, Hamas will just do something to incite them to renew it. I don't know how this cycle of hate can be brought to a halt. </p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-89980300958534336952024-01-22T08:52:00.002-06:002024-01-22T08:52:11.260-06:00FårikålMiddle Tennessee got a pretty heavy snow recently, and I wanted something warm and comforting for this weather, so I returned to an old favorite: Fårikål -- Norwegian lamb and cabbage stew.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2UjBBYuN2PSs1nO19EbtBLC7ySLmXwBoYGsLVWzKNbrjhfnawd4LKpq_DxQQ1c-bmCIMMxYU5UYsnPLjLY6kK5TuG7VCwwYaVZX5Vj4z4IF0die5d8ATgBGN4WVVgiXDAmxG7URfPuPXOQfb-uuSdmWG9QF-laSRDLYwT2TkU7smeh28h61C/s4000/IMG_20240120_132226369_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2UjBBYuN2PSs1nO19EbtBLC7ySLmXwBoYGsLVWzKNbrjhfnawd4LKpq_DxQQ1c-bmCIMMxYU5UYsnPLjLY6kK5TuG7VCwwYaVZX5Vj4z4IF0die5d8ATgBGN4WVVgiXDAmxG7URfPuPXOQfb-uuSdmWG9QF-laSRDLYwT2TkU7smeh28h61C/s320/IMG_20240120_132226369_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><div><div>This involved:</div><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Three lamb shanks</li><li>A smallish head of cabbage</li><li>A quart of beef stock</li><li>About a tablespoon of peppercorns, ground (see below)</li><li>A few dashes of Maggi Würze seasoning</li><li>Salt to taste (I now use Redmond Sea Salt)</li></ul>And the procedure:</div></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Chop the cabbage very coarsely.</li><li>Wash and dry the cabbage in a salad spinner.</li><li>Add the cabbage to a pot.</li><li>Salt and pepper the lamb shanks, then add them to the pot.</li><li>Add beef stock.</li><li>Add the remaining pepper, Maggi seasoning, and some salt.</li><li>Bring to a low boil, then cover and simmer for an hour or more.</li><li>Remove the lamb shanks and cut the meat from the bones.</li><li>Return the meat to the stew.</li><li>Check seasoning and then serve.</li></ol>Fårikål does not normally call for grinding the pepper, but I wanted to grind it so I could rub it into the lamb shanks. The side effect is that this recipe speaks black pepper in a very loud voice; whether that's good or bad depends on how much you like black pepper.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYQ-WGmYKkBTXx64_33-eG6SX7_FYU618me6uJEeFzLE5AsmHB_IXOXX0iJ1q7YQyC2UgMQsSm7QlMkGBROdjQ0PFNFueFdCCxTT0Xacfx6ffDxtDY2abgI6FCM6lRc4Zt-ECgCzA0PVfBvUsapRvSAtHbI864sIft0byc9KqLiJID2CsOxxT/s4000/IMG_20240120_113147680_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYQ-WGmYKkBTXx64_33-eG6SX7_FYU618me6uJEeFzLE5AsmHB_IXOXX0iJ1q7YQyC2UgMQsSm7QlMkGBROdjQ0PFNFueFdCCxTT0Xacfx6ffDxtDY2abgI6FCM6lRc4Zt-ECgCzA0PVfBvUsapRvSAtHbI864sIft0byc9KqLiJID2CsOxxT/s320/IMG_20240120_113147680_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-48354057418361049502024-01-05T10:02:00.002-06:002024-01-05T10:02:17.867-06:00Fish Puttanesca<p>This is definitely not an authentic Italian recipe. As usual, I found a recipe on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/tedc/out-there-cookery/">Pinterest</a> and worked around any ingredients I didn't have on hand.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAjH3Rl3pgWtRZ5eY3cgJfuKkaxlH9dTFJ0kgBIt9hmrNy94TyUiuFpoYlZRfFENqYaqBU91296MWPEbB1hgUq5Me8ejr4Ynj7mcb0fZGByYc9zt91W1wTEVjFG1nWPxivJpR-SAxWOrnkUH6QXeT4zNKZb5ahkQmQ7y1T5ax_PJ5oaCcS10r/s4000/IMG_20240104_191031867_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAjH3Rl3pgWtRZ5eY3cgJfuKkaxlH9dTFJ0kgBIt9hmrNy94TyUiuFpoYlZRfFENqYaqBU91296MWPEbB1hgUq5Me8ejr4Ynj7mcb0fZGByYc9zt91W1wTEVjFG1nWPxivJpR-SAxWOrnkUH6QXeT4zNKZb5ahkQmQ7y1T5ax_PJ5oaCcS10r/w640-h360/IMG_20240104_191031867_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgHrjwfahUPZUcv6KKd2OYeRxMkNBC4xSuSjg6Qe-DpBti9-JlC_VDwS6FC26259ZQfgylqRXJLq3Vygh5gYlEN8QhTR-cYncKuhoSJwBblLlziadieClVfGuHbBZhLuuNeI4QMa4v5Lf1DOtr-oP0mKxDhosyN0BeT0NK4Yuqld-8aLPvn1u/s4000/IMG_20240104_182912641_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgHrjwfahUPZUcv6KKd2OYeRxMkNBC4xSuSjg6Qe-DpBti9-JlC_VDwS6FC26259ZQfgylqRXJLq3Vygh5gYlEN8QhTR-cYncKuhoSJwBblLlziadieClVfGuHbBZhLuuNeI4QMa4v5Lf1DOtr-oP0mKxDhosyN0BeT0NK4Yuqld-8aLPvn1u/w113-h200/IMG_20240104_182912641_HDR.jpg" width="113" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknmrpAFHZ5ddtuUnuWDjB4-lx8aszhBbxodWLJxjZjP7GL5GqG7G_lOWztxhHUtgar4Ubh2FJZoTdYfxt3mXpIhd8BMLWAH61fmwn5e89Aru3t_wmG8Ef7FJvUG724404w76IXEC8a7fURH92gBKwAqYASj265j1tW6Zc3IaArQt27Ug8qswr/s4000/IMG_20240104_185116517_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknmrpAFHZ5ddtuUnuWDjB4-lx8aszhBbxodWLJxjZjP7GL5GqG7G_lOWztxhHUtgar4Ubh2FJZoTdYfxt3mXpIhd8BMLWAH61fmwn5e89Aru3t_wmG8Ef7FJvUG724404w76IXEC8a7fURH92gBKwAqYASj265j1tW6Zc3IaArQt27Ug8qswr/w400-h225/IMG_20240104_185116517_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJYQr5PtC3MqGeWmua4uZXmDgL6urJQOTIXPkVu2Dtm_3qZKWnBUGjdxITWotnwH2DvsfXhcNPdiViNNTiqBhFmbQpQZZaCTqD8ZKez2E3xG7ImrhMEHevoNKTZyxIQNA1DbiE1VZ1Kbo8xyIOq0fhH6B483fkxsUprVs7PzAaWwRMCm_XCcv/s4000/IMG_20240104_185820052_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJYQr5PtC3MqGeWmua4uZXmDgL6urJQOTIXPkVu2Dtm_3qZKWnBUGjdxITWotnwH2DvsfXhcNPdiViNNTiqBhFmbQpQZZaCTqD8ZKez2E3xG7ImrhMEHevoNKTZyxIQNA1DbiE1VZ1Kbo8xyIOq0fhH6B483fkxsUprVs7PzAaWwRMCm_XCcv/s320/IMG_20240104_185820052_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>This <a href="https://themodernproper.com/fish-puttanesca">recipe</a> called for capers, but it turned out that I had no capers. No real substitution, here; I just figured that the olives would carry the dish in this case.<div><br /></div><div>Ingredients:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>About half a stick of butter</li><li>Six cloves of garlic, minced</li><li>Three anchovies</li><li>A generous pinch of Gina's Italian Seasoning (the recipe wanted rosemary, thyme, and basil, and this contains them all)</li><li>White wine (Chloe Pinot Grigio)</li><li>A can of whole tomatoes</li><li>Roughly a cup of pitted Castrelvetrano olives</li><li>White fish fillets (Greenwise Pacific Whiting from Publix, in this case)</li><li>Salt and pepper</li><li>Zucchini "noodles"</li></ul></div><div>My method:</div><div><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Melt about half a stick of butter in an oven safe pot.</li><li>Add the anchovies and garlic and sauté briefly.</li><li>Add a good glug of wine before the garlic burns.</li><li>Add tomatoes and herbs. Break up the tomatoes with a wood spoon while stirring everything together.</li><li>Simmer about ten minutes</li><li>Add the olives and stir everything together.</li><li>Add the fish and place the pot uncovered in a 400°F oven (204°C) for about eight minutes.</li><li>Sauté some zoodles in a small pot with olive oil, salt, and pepper.</li><li>Take the pot out of the oven, add the zoodles to the pot, and stir.</li></ol>This is the actually the first time I've really liked zoodles in anything (these came from the Publix produce department).<p></p></div><div>Please be smarter than me and remember that the pot just came out of a hot oven; don't grab the handle with your bare hand.</div>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-74946662408301347282023-12-24T13:50:00.005-06:002023-12-24T15:23:40.701-06:00Lamb and Lentil Soup<p>Second time making a lamb soup. It worked well the first time, so naturally I'm messing with the recipe and adding lentils.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSR2a8cSo_mtTf1XLwuTiufi4tOvF9vHgpGIaPGmETRKej71lmc-GA8B1cGwnkQCXqt86a_exOwWjMO1k1UEiIYDcXMDQbfktAgs1yESPPfVUEPja_iFXRdhtRESfUjhmuChjkHM91ZRFcsNKVFwgd3g_7B-26A1OSlB6bSZ5HEC_QxDSVQBv/s4000/IMG_20231224_120656500_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSR2a8cSo_mtTf1XLwuTiufi4tOvF9vHgpGIaPGmETRKej71lmc-GA8B1cGwnkQCXqt86a_exOwWjMO1k1UEiIYDcXMDQbfktAgs1yESPPfVUEPja_iFXRdhtRESfUjhmuChjkHM91ZRFcsNKVFwgd3g_7B-26A1OSlB6bSZ5HEC_QxDSVQBv/w400-h225/IMG_20231224_120656500_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFE7HHD1IOcEVq1rESzrvfj7ntpZ3KpwuY2_s_j41NYtk-REXnEvXjMH22Jha9THk5CQXAgMqp1STF4g_HX8eT6rgDxDy_xiyJMk4TYgY5O8nXcPq6Nu-253njPH51JPIBB6wQ4TxYGnjusSODRsuaa9vX6XzhwhGPv4IVn59kGXAskCerUU1X/s4000/IMG_20231224_120538082_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFE7HHD1IOcEVq1rESzrvfj7ntpZ3KpwuY2_s_j41NYtk-REXnEvXjMH22Jha9THk5CQXAgMqp1STF4g_HX8eT6rgDxDy_xiyJMk4TYgY5O8nXcPq6Nu-253njPH51JPIBB6wQ4TxYGnjusSODRsuaa9vX6XzhwhGPv4IVn59kGXAskCerUU1X/w400-h225/IMG_20231224_120538082_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /></div><p>Ingredients:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1 pound of ground lamb</li><li>1 tbsp of lamb tallow</li><li>3 celery stalks, diced</li><li>3 long thin carrots, diced (you could probably use two stout carrots)</li><li>1 large Spanish onion, diced</li><li>2 cloves of garlic, minced</li><li>1/2 stick of butter</li><li>Salt, pepper, dried thyme, and dried rosemary to taste</li><li>1 cup of brown lentils, rinsed</li><li>1 quart of low-salt chicken broth (beef broth or some wild homemade broth mix should work fine)</li><li>Ditalini and/or fregula sarda tostata pasta</li></ul><p></p><p>Procedure:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Brown the lamb in the lamb tallow over medium-high heat with some salt and pepper.</li><li>Remove the lamb to a bowl.</li><li>Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and sauté with salt, pepper, and herbs until softened.</li><li>Add the garlic and cook until its not terribly pungent.</li><li>Return lamb to pot and add lentils. Stir</li><li>Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.</li><li>Cover and simmer on low heat for an hour.</li><li>Add pasta and simmer another 20 minutes.</li></ol><div>Not an affiliate link, but here's a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BCC22YBP?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder_k0_1_7&amp=&crid=HAG6GV4HIG2E&amp=&sprefix=fregula">link to the pasta I used</a>.</div><p></p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-20235327723363257002023-12-06T19:27:00.006-06:002023-12-06T19:29:37.000-06:00Chili with White Beans<p>This was something of a fluke. I thought I had black beans in the cupboard. I was wrong, so Great Northern Beans it is.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9heSI1PiSGR600VyfKRaFrD7BY7tiu_9RxBF2Tzdw-d5kdBvmY3uvPihZ70xCqrqpn_99rkBXhKDrkY8amtl1fGyVhItZLOd340gw78CgLixv5VOUu4SEguY-_WuybYyv8o7GDY6BBLhXzM52DNN-WM0X4sKukGAwnCvbTgMdx5_fAWVJKuhr/s4000/IMG_20231206_182620237_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9heSI1PiSGR600VyfKRaFrD7BY7tiu_9RxBF2Tzdw-d5kdBvmY3uvPihZ70xCqrqpn_99rkBXhKDrkY8amtl1fGyVhItZLOd340gw78CgLixv5VOUu4SEguY-_WuybYyv8o7GDY6BBLhXzM52DNN-WM0X4sKukGAwnCvbTgMdx5_fAWVJKuhr/w400-h225/IMG_20231206_182620237_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPaVBpZG6zqUWJVZuASlkawtLImE3e7f9iKkU_HJG-7-YHerijMOcBmnEpDRzd6AdC47jxrbnpcqTpOGDoX_6uZeZjk6Dz8DJVJj592xFg9YjYjNZEVCukdT0cNA3dqsC9d4sfQNvhIQWv414EYMfZSTns22fAJ5we6iQjE6zb4JO4dLtqf5y/s4000/IMG_20231206_182350572_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPaVBpZG6zqUWJVZuASlkawtLImE3e7f9iKkU_HJG-7-YHerijMOcBmnEpDRzd6AdC47jxrbnpcqTpOGDoX_6uZeZjk6Dz8DJVJj592xFg9YjYjNZEVCukdT0cNA3dqsC9d4sfQNvhIQWv414EYMfZSTns22fAJ5we6iQjE6zb4JO4dLtqf5y/w200-h113/IMG_20231206_182350572_HDR.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibp0iNHg6rO9KWVQUlG_bIDmAGi20odFK0_yXn3UgS6RhStVlsCa-OipPonycBmArzoJze1B9TufOpXZWRVOhbFkdDxtGxYR364q-XLXCg_Yd2VcES3_TgYQIlP6R3TfTQGSMaKxyuyeP26npQdS6KcPIOsK17B6NZRozas0PeH1Xw4rFp64CZ/s4000/IMG_20231206_174343416_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibp0iNHg6rO9KWVQUlG_bIDmAGi20odFK0_yXn3UgS6RhStVlsCa-OipPonycBmArzoJze1B9TufOpXZWRVOhbFkdDxtGxYR364q-XLXCg_Yd2VcES3_TgYQIlP6R3TfTQGSMaKxyuyeP26npQdS6KcPIOsK17B6NZRozas0PeH1Xw4rFp64CZ/w200-h113/IMG_20231206_174343416_HDR.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjA_FvG6jXijgnYXZIM8jq2EZtdkVIWP3gtnMfdrn_ww01mTvQntLP7U9MOR7TLh8sE30o9Yu98Z6PCc-C0kxhXj9yx_exBbJ8tWcWpnFINn5x723lq60ioDtOTaMUIWCvbmUscit68YHggGiZcyozYKIeU0xSWXo-OoiGk1ya1XBhy5r9LwO/s4000/IMG_20231206_172702276_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjA_FvG6jXijgnYXZIM8jq2EZtdkVIWP3gtnMfdrn_ww01mTvQntLP7U9MOR7TLh8sE30o9Yu98Z6PCc-C0kxhXj9yx_exBbJ8tWcWpnFINn5x723lq60ioDtOTaMUIWCvbmUscit68YHggGiZcyozYKIeU0xSWXo-OoiGk1ya1XBhy5r9LwO/w113-h200/IMG_20231206_172702276_HDR.jpg" width="113" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwkVdCmkcB9Y3bivxEJ7a2WonEpsJeHTlP4JFWDwCnAf43Do8yyIqoUFNS57nlejw4SZesC8a0bdy7iQYoW3x5GA5b6POCltEtjZP1YpBz_jUgVtJmlexstCKWt62TuxYC64pwqOwEAU52sUSvnEq-esISvsd7_8JZxVXuWSgPyaOLRVaXjrp/s4000/IMG_20231206_171550415_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwkVdCmkcB9Y3bivxEJ7a2WonEpsJeHTlP4JFWDwCnAf43Do8yyIqoUFNS57nlejw4SZesC8a0bdy7iQYoW3x5GA5b6POCltEtjZP1YpBz_jUgVtJmlexstCKWt62TuxYC64pwqOwEAU52sUSvnEq-esISvsd7_8JZxVXuWSgPyaOLRVaXjrp/w320-h181/IMG_20231206_171550415_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It's a chili, so most of this is improv.<div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1 lb of ground beef (roughly)</li><li>1 green pepper</li><li>1 onion</li><li>2 cloves of garlic</li><li>1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilis</li><li>1 generous tbsp of chili powder (I actually filled the cap of the container)</li><li>1 tbsp of cumin (the cap again)</li><li>1 pinch of Mexican oregano (not what you were thinking, you deviants ;)</li><li>Salt and pepper (too taste)</li><li>Beef stock (as needed)</li><li>Corn meal (as needed)</li></ul></div><div>On this occasion, I sauteed the diced onion and pepper over medium-high heat in a bit of grapeseed oil along with some salt and pepper, then added the garlic. I put that aside on a plate while I browned the beef, then everything went back into the pot along with the tomatoes, beans, and remaining spices.</div><div><br /></div><div>I added enough beef stock to deglaze the pot and cover the ingredients, then left it to simmer for an hour or so. I added the corn meal toward the end as a thickener and let it simmer another 15 minutes or so.</div><div><br /></div><div>Served with a spoon of sour cream.</div><div><br /></div><div>Chili is pretty forgiving, and this turned out quite nice.<br /><p><br /></p></div>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-88959506985614635062023-12-05T17:25:00.000-06:002023-12-05T17:25:00.135-06:00Whiskey and Lillet, Round 2<p> For a second attempt, I've just changed the ratios to see what happens.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>2 oz Tullamore Dew</li><li>1 oz Lillet Blanc</li><li>2 dashes orange bitters</li></ul><p></p><p>Properly stirred with ice this time before putting in a chilled cocktail glass.</p><p>As expected, this version features the whiskey more, which is good, but it's still mild ingredients. I think I'll try a different bitters next time to see what that does. Failing that, it might be time to try some real citrus.</p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-23767044337026563512023-12-05T08:48:00.001-06:002023-12-05T08:48:24.359-06:00Whiskey and Lillet<p>I suppose this will need a name once I finish tinkering with it.</p><p>I decided to do something simple with ingredients I had on hand, so I mixed Tullamore Dew with Lillet Blanc in equal proportions. It's not exciting, but it's certainly not bad. There's somewhere to go with this, but I haven't figured it all out yet.</p><p>A couple of dashes of orange bitters helped, but it needs something else. Might try some citrus next time.</p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-85766984449565543602023-12-01T15:01:00.003-06:002023-12-01T17:25:59.076-06:00Leftover Pilaf<p>I made a venison stew for Thanksgiving, and it went over quite well, but after it was over, I had a lot of broth leftover. Inspired by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@WILDERNESSCOOKING" target="_blank">Wilderness Cooking</a>, I figured it would make a good pilaf.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NQevmapxla5-LSwymtboBUcCbaWW3kF96no90ZV7wbNFUualFgQCsn2HFmNtHgIy25y2UbT683t9CYLAR-88ENMuzVT1jkKoCD0LQW0YeppMSpdU53VNQWb91gCWxvmoD9WFxwSOWg-HnhmvzzlGu2L8qJ2fhJ1gQkSfn0qeXxPuu05Qsjtd/s4000/IMG_20231201_090430500_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NQevmapxla5-LSwymtboBUcCbaWW3kF96no90ZV7wbNFUualFgQCsn2HFmNtHgIy25y2UbT683t9CYLAR-88ENMuzVT1jkKoCD0LQW0YeppMSpdU53VNQWb91gCWxvmoD9WFxwSOWg-HnhmvzzlGu2L8qJ2fhJ1gQkSfn0qeXxPuu05Qsjtd/w400-h225/IMG_20231201_090430500_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Making this required one cup of rice and two cups of venison broth (which happens to be how much I had). These went into the Instant Pot and got stirred together. Just to give it some meatiness, I added some frozen meatballs and little smokies.</p><p>From there, all I had to do was set the pot for rice and wait for it to be done. I wouldn't call this a fancy meal by any stretch, but it made a very nice lunch.</p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-67200853334607619152023-11-28T19:57:00.004-06:002024-01-31T12:21:50.842-06:00Chicken Tortilla Soup<p> This went rather well, so it should be shared. This is another Instant Pot recipe.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiP8KUgJ119qtT2Rsq0ivW-fvhw69ZODuib_6YAOInl9LQGvaw2MLZi2i5rflWu6j-I1nvCVQUaiI-iD74qP9LoHRNVPVvoUxd_fpd5MEZWmWHboa3KsEQYlM1ZPMRbWzwZVEEiSvf5LaXpzdKwdJLtZlFiqNMZrGbtALbEEJncXfUc1pMp_lB8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="498" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiP8KUgJ119qtT2Rsq0ivW-fvhw69ZODuib_6YAOInl9LQGvaw2MLZi2i5rflWu6j-I1nvCVQUaiI-iD74qP9LoHRNVPVvoUxd_fpd5MEZWmWHboa3KsEQYlM1ZPMRbWzwZVEEiSvf5LaXpzdKwdJLtZlFiqNMZrGbtALbEEJncXfUc1pMp_lB8" width="135" /></a></div><br />The ingredients aren't too complicated:<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>2 chicken thighs, well coated in salt and pepper.</li><li>2 celery ribs, chopped into thin bits</li><li>2 green bell peppers, diced (no cores)</li><li>1 onion, diced</li><li>Salt & pepper to taste</li><li>~1/4 cup green salsa</li><li>Chicken stock</li><li>~1 tbsp corn starch</li></ul><p></p><p>Started with the celery, peppers, and onions in the pot on sauté with some salt and pepper until softened.</p><p>As they were going, I also put the chicken thighs in skin-side down to brown that up a bit.</p><p>As the veggies were soft, I put the corn starch on them and stirred them around.</p><p>When a fond was forming from the veggies and chicken, I added enough chicken stock to deglaze the pot. After that, I added the salsa and the rest of the chicken stock (enough to just cover the chicken) and stirred everything together.</p><p>I then put the lid on the pot, made sure the pressure valve was "closed", and set for Soup.</p><p>When all was done, I just ladled it into bowls and crushed some tortilla chips on top.</p><p>And I think this one was a winner.</p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-12981860150869766082023-11-28T13:20:00.004-06:002023-11-28T13:36:32.674-06:00Sous Vide Barbecue Ribs<p>Had some pork ribs, so I tried to make some sous vide barbecue. Not my best work, but lessons were learned.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaovp3eL55FYJPRjzNLclIaBMFoJPdTGi1rY3l7TfKUOHzxbzPnzJyjuo028I1yf7yYOWbEI_lPJZpTg8bE_-pld2PnykxccHmNPfGR0HLlrb_MD8PIozDnNDVfUN9Zbg_6LPoiLjDInLDOAMTxsklPZDm6Pc_cXaVe4kG19Thm3N8mQXbV59a" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1234" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaovp3eL55FYJPRjzNLclIaBMFoJPdTGi1rY3l7TfKUOHzxbzPnzJyjuo028I1yf7yYOWbEI_lPJZpTg8bE_-pld2PnykxccHmNPfGR0HLlrb_MD8PIozDnNDVfUN9Zbg_6LPoiLjDInLDOAMTxsklPZDm6Pc_cXaVe4kG19Thm3N8mQXbV59a=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidIvqfAYLMWp5CwmawHo4u_9IC8EMGPhLIgRMEYS8QJ2gO8ijvaODLhqUi-hxUDql9Q4TnSK4g8eYKqKXDIxdzE-0GLkE0miB8tbZ2OjRyrewnLAcsvqsmxN1njDkg4cuinRFXXsN9MEBEVLT3nz5YN79TxOMlX54CrGUZePYiAcna4U0UGh7L" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1234" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidIvqfAYLMWp5CwmawHo4u_9IC8EMGPhLIgRMEYS8QJ2gO8ijvaODLhqUi-hxUDql9Q4TnSK4g8eYKqKXDIxdzE-0GLkE0miB8tbZ2OjRyrewnLAcsvqsmxN1njDkg4cuinRFXXsN9MEBEVLT3nz5YN79TxOMlX54CrGUZePYiAcna4U0UGh7L=w200-h113" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7qrvVgyDWHmFt3TLqNyoHRqBiq0ndIHtVqTGwAg9zGaiP2TDgB8cX6F7uTizwWTmefJpHbpnAz0Vf4b3oIUXUj0ExD7orrDdQHVwxVJrla1i47Y4Zz6X3DQEj4X2JMthyquMPkxxh6G5CVnjcUR2ibdjeQPDNeomsPOekQJbsHAB1JFuxI2Jm" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1234" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7qrvVgyDWHmFt3TLqNyoHRqBiq0ndIHtVqTGwAg9zGaiP2TDgB8cX6F7uTizwWTmefJpHbpnAz0Vf4b3oIUXUj0ExD7orrDdQHVwxVJrla1i47Y4Zz6X3DQEj4X2JMthyquMPkxxh6G5CVnjcUR2ibdjeQPDNeomsPOekQJbsHAB1JFuxI2Jm=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></div><br /></div>The dry rub went into the bag with the ribs and got sealed a few days before the cook. Nice thing about sous vide cooking is that you can take a vacuum-sealed bag out of the freezer and put it straight into the water bath.<p></p><p>These cooked at 151 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours. I have no complaints about that.</p><p>I did not pay enough attention to the rub, though. Too much salt, not enough sugar. I'll need to properly measure next time.<br /><br /></p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-17374423501345173042023-11-23T12:02:00.000-06:002023-11-23T12:02:30.008-06:00Woodland Heights Sour<p>I was thinking of making some New York Sours to enjoy while prepping the Thanksgiving dinner, but I don't have any rye or bourbon on hand. I do have Irish whiskey (Tullamore Dew). Can't call it a New York Sour if you're changing the base spirit, so Nena looked up the name of the Irish neighborhood in New York. The internet says that Woodland Heights is "Little Ireland", so that's what we're going with until someone of Irish descent corrects us.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>2 oz Irish whiskey</li><li>1 oz Lemon juice, freshly squeezed</li><li>3/4 oz Simple syrup</li><li>1 Egg white</li><li>1/2 oz Red wine</li></ul><p></p><p>Going to go with adding the whiskey, lemon juice, syrup, and egg white to the shaker and doing a dry shake. Then we'll add ice for a second shake. We'll pour into tumblers and top with red wine (Yellowtail Pinot Noir -- it's what I have open for cooking).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoyzGn439AytLfOlDrAPOQVIBbTSlhg46UUm3aBuO6wt6ohFb5eKFNyDipzYp7KynwHoNkUVP6tepl8OVdeM8TOAy_K6CSrT4rrgM03EzZVZObeDgjMqcUMSTPnYzIW6N75pYO91UiIcYN4C2LlH1x1Afb7NZxF84sIlTCE19rqlc_GQaRmb-N" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="498" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoyzGn439AytLfOlDrAPOQVIBbTSlhg46UUm3aBuO6wt6ohFb5eKFNyDipzYp7KynwHoNkUVP6tepl8OVdeM8TOAy_K6CSrT4rrgM03EzZVZObeDgjMqcUMSTPnYzIW6N75pYO91UiIcYN4C2LlH1x1Afb7NZxF84sIlTCE19rqlc_GQaRmb-N=w225-h400" width="225" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-8051673747592914342023-11-21T19:44:00.003-06:002023-11-21T19:53:12.139-06:00Slow-cooked Lamb Shanks<p>I had an urge to make lamb shanks. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb6fzMQwGFeJ8SFxvGhb-3fAP1tPoPuReu24O5YbMF_19glPEQvhnYS4445qLW5iMIPAureZaRXhbVsJBB-jcV3fwXrxmaM1M3cV2_H5aG8b5fkVqK_HD-bfgpJ7RJ4Fesxh9ShMwmwulqVHY1t_5sSGpb7okEDWjch03-_BjY44KA_b6zxgGL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="1571" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb6fzMQwGFeJ8SFxvGhb-3fAP1tPoPuReu24O5YbMF_19glPEQvhnYS4445qLW5iMIPAureZaRXhbVsJBB-jcV3fwXrxmaM1M3cV2_H5aG8b5fkVqK_HD-bfgpJ7RJ4Fesxh9ShMwmwulqVHY1t_5sSGpb7okEDWjch03-_BjY44KA_b6zxgGL" width="320" /></a></div><br />About 2pm I did the preparation.<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>2 lamb shanks</li><li>2 carrots</li><li>2 celery stalks</li><li>1 onion</li><li>Konriko Greek seasoning (to taste, should have used more)</li><li>1 cup beef broth</li></ul><p></p><p>The vegetables got a very rough chop, everything got coated in seasoning and it went into the Instant Pot with a cup of beef broth on Slow Cook for 4 hours.</p><p>After the slow cook, I removed the lamb shanks and added:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1 cup beef broth</li><li>1 cup rice</li></ul><p></p><p>I put the beef shanks back in so they'd be on top, then closed up the pot and set for Rice.</p><p>I feel like this is a good approach, which gives a sort of East European pilaf result. That said, it could probably have benefited from even more Greek seasoning, or at least more salt.</p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-83771787389038068932023-11-17T20:02:00.004-06:002023-11-22T07:57:51.059-06:00Vividora Cocktail<p> After watching an <a href="https://youtu.be/VAK-A7laGuE?si=n8lqRov9LASiOBSS">Anders Erickson video on the Boulevardier</a>, I was intrigued enough to want to make something like it myself. I do not have bourbon or Campari in the house at the moment, but I do have Aperol, and I do have an Italian vermouth: Carpano Antica; it's old, but Wine Saver seems to have kept it good, so here we go.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1.5 oz Bumbu Reserve XO rum</li><li>.75 oz Aperol</li><li>.75 oz Carpano Antica</li></ul><div>I just poured these into a tumbler over a big block of ice and stirred. An orange twist would be a good garnish, but I didn't have one or anything I would consider a suitable alternative, so no garnish.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am pleased with the result. It needs a proper name.</div><div><br /></div><div>Update: I'm going with <i>Vividora</i>, which seems to be a more-or-less equivalent Spanish term.</div><p></p><p><br /></p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-32103772269471056852023-11-17T09:48:00.003-06:002023-11-17T09:49:32.387-06:00Chicken Paprikash Soup<p>Surely I am not the first to think of it, but the thought of Chicken Paprikash Soup occurred to me, and I decided to make it in the Instant Pot.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjX8BD29gC-58u8Hp5ZgQhxDLeS0USkzKzAkBEmm7AYLlLTzG7V9thCCngVgSjhJswr2r7m8CDrCy1xrDPf0DDc8cG6z9yUji2xzuaDj0W0cchvois2yPhgXZ-6G9ZSLq9ZcghYyFHHxRdBsOK2MhND33-OO4KvxaTxUH6F4DzYgDkzecS0Vgou" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1234" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjX8BD29gC-58u8Hp5ZgQhxDLeS0USkzKzAkBEmm7AYLlLTzG7V9thCCngVgSjhJswr2r7m8CDrCy1xrDPf0DDc8cG6z9yUji2xzuaDj0W0cchvois2yPhgXZ-6G9ZSLq9ZcghYyFHHxRdBsOK2MhND33-OO4KvxaTxUH6F4DzYgDkzecS0Vgou" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I used...</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>4 chicken thighs</li><li>3 carrots</li><li>3 celery stalks</li><li>1 onion</li><li>about 3 tablespoons of sweet paprika</li><li>plenty of salt and black pepper</li><li>olive oil</li><li>chicken stock</li><li>pasta</li><li>sour cream</li><li>white wine (optional)</li></ul><p></p><p>I first put the chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl with salt and pepper and tossed them until well coated. I covered the bowl and set them aside.</p><p>I then peeled the carrots and chopped all the vegetables into smallish chunks and put them in the Instant Pot with some olive oil, salt and pepper and cooked them on sauté until they were softened. It probably wouldn't hurt to add some mushrooms at this point, but I didn't have any on hand.</p><p>When the vegetables were ready, I added the paprika and stirred it all well. I then added the chicken thighs. I added enough chicken stock to almost cover the chicken, then I added wine to finish covering the chicken.</p><p>I put the lid on the Instant Pot and set for Meat/Stew. When that was done (default of 45 minutes), I removed the lid, added some pasta, put the lid back on, and set for Soup.</p><p>When done (default 30 minutes), I let it stay on Keep Warm until dinner time.</p><p>Stir in some sour cream at serving time. We also had some French bread with ours.</p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-67997108945301578282023-11-15T09:33:00.001-06:002023-11-16T06:05:07.992-06:00Grandpa Got Devoured by a Shoggoth<p> To the tune of "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"...</p><p>There was something in the forest,<br />Set the dogs to bark and bay,<br />Grandpa loaded up his shotgun,<br />And went to see himself what lay that way.</p><p><i>Grandpa got devoured by a Shoggoth<br />Trying to prevent catastrophe<br />People say there are no Elder Horrors<br />But as for me and Grandma... we believe</i></p><p>Grandpa came upon a clearing<br />Where some men had built a fire<br />They were dancing 'round a statue<br />Of something evil hideous and dire</p><p>The men's chant opened a portal<br />To a dark and awful place<br />Grandpa realized with horror<br />They had just betrayed the human race</p><p><i>chorus</i></p><p>Something started through the portal<br />A foul pseudopod that smelled<br />Grandpa fired with both his barrels<br />Hoping he would blow it straight to hell</p><p>His shots only made it angry<br />And it hastened through the gate<br />Grandpa knew he must act quickly<br />Else the world would meet an ugly fate</p><p><i>chorus</i></p><p>So he struck one of the chanters<br />With the butt end of his gun<br />As the cultist fell unconscious<br />All their evil magic came undone</p><p>But before the monster vanished<br />Grandpa felt its cold embrace<br />It engulfed his struggling body<br />Then it disappeared without a trace</p><p><i>chorus</i></p><p>Now you listeners may wonder<br />How I learned of Grandpa's end<br />I was chanting in that circle<br />Pity Grandpa didn't understand</p><p><i>Grandpa got devoured by a Shoggoth<br />Fighting to defend humanity<br />People say there are no Elder Horrors<br />But as for me and Grandma... WE BELIEVE</i></p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-12032930158017329892023-11-15T07:49:00.004-06:002023-11-15T07:51:37.182-06:00Instant Pot Lamb Stew<p> I figured I might as well write down some of these recipes somewhere.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7yil5d-40KmFF3eqKU3deY0vjCGaoGowRLH919rhq_-mnEaEd0Oy-fURGiE1n5sOLu354xW7oYBMk-GGDlSAS0RTkuEv2DbGSjfw8_qFjNnscRVeEZMLt5NiGohNNU0idB7jsjnZrAcEBGffSqrUPRsCTzFncoxPBrdVabupcO6ZiDYPg9cYR" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1234" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7yil5d-40KmFF3eqKU3deY0vjCGaoGowRLH919rhq_-mnEaEd0Oy-fURGiE1n5sOLu354xW7oYBMk-GGDlSAS0RTkuEv2DbGSjfw8_qFjNnscRVeEZMLt5NiGohNNU0idB7jsjnZrAcEBGffSqrUPRsCTzFncoxPBrdVabupcO6ZiDYPg9cYR" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>I was originally planning to make lamb shanks, but although I had seen them at the grocery store recently, they weren't available on the day I went shopping. Here's what I ended up using.<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>3 round-bone lamb shoulder chops</li><li>2 carrots (one was quite large)</li><li>3 celery stalks</li><li>1 medium onion</li><li>2-3 pinches of salt</li><li>Several generous grinds of black pepper</li><li>A pinch of dried thyme</li><li>A pinch of dried rosemary</li><li>Enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the Instant Pot</li><li>Red wine</li><li>Beef stock</li></ul><p></p><p>Roughly chop and dice the vegetables into a bowl. Add salt, pepper, and herbs, and toss them around a bit.</p><p>Set the Instant Pot to sauté. When it's hot, add the oil and vegetables and cook until they've softened up bit.</p><p>While the vegetables are cooking, de-bone and cube the lamb into bite-sized pieces. I saved the bones to make stock later.</p><p>When the vegetables are ready, add the lamb. Put the cover on the Instant Pot, make sure the pressure valve is in the closed position, and set the pot to Stew. When the cycle is complete, it's ready to serve.</p><p>I served mine with some take-and-bake French bread, and I recommend putting the bread in your bowl first and ladling stew over it.</p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-89549588065626348392023-03-02T12:39:00.004-06:002023-03-02T12:39:26.837-06:00Bethesda Game Rant<p>This is nothing new, but I hope Bethesda gets its act together for future RPG releases, like Starfield, Elder Scrolls VI, and the ever so distant Fallout 5. I'm far from the first to say this, of course, but I'm going to rant anyway.</p><p>The big issues are factions that you can choose to work with or join. In Fallout 4, the factions tend to become mutually exclusive after a point, and that's a good thing. Not so much in Skyrim. The Empire and the Stormcloaks are enemies and mutually exclusive, but that's about it.</p><p>There's the Companions, and they have the rival Silver Hand organization, but the Silver Hand are just bandits by another name who happen to have silver swords in their inventory. There is one named Silver Hand character, but he has a randomly generated appearance and no dialogue. You can't choose to side with the Silver Hand instead of the Companions, and there's no backstory to explain their rivalry. Many gamers have inferred something, but there's nothing official.</p><p>Siding with the Companions isn't much of a deal, either. There's a quest, but it has little to do with the stated purpose and goals of the Companions as an organization. Furthermore, the game fast-tracks you into it; you don't have to do anything special to join the "inner circle" and get involved in the Companions quest. Completing it and becoming the Harbinger doesn't really give you any authority, either; the Companions don't treat you any differently.</p><p>The College of Winterhold quest is likewise fast-tracked, not requiring any demonstrable mastery of spell-casting to start or complete. Completing it makes you the Arch Mage, but it's a title with no authority; none of the mages treat you any differently. All you really get out of it is a nice bedroom.</p><p>The Thieves' Guild has an extremely elaborate quest line, and starting it does actually require doing some thievish things, at least. Becoming the Master of the Thieves' Guild confers no authority, of course. Everything proceeds the same. Also, there's no option to oppose the Thieves' Guild as a quest, despite the fact that there's a character -- Mjoll the Lioness -- who sounds motivated to join such a quest.</p><p>The Dark Brotherhood is little better. As with the Thieves' Guild line, it's almost as if the developers want to reward evil behavior. As usual, becoming the leader of the Dark Brotherhood doesn't really confer any authority. There is an option to oppose and destroy them, but it's short and offers no substantial rewards, so why would anyone do that?</p><p>The Dawnguard offer a nice option to be good or evil, even if the paths are pretty similar and end exactly the same way. At least neither faction pretends to put you in charge without any meaningful authority.</p><p>Back in Fallout 4, there's the obvious example of the Minutemen. You can easily become the General, but it's a position with no authority; you don't assign people to missions, you just get them from Preston or the radio and do them yourself.</p><p>Neither the Railroad nor the Brotherhood of Steel ever pretends your in charge, although it would be nice to see characters like Rhys show more deference when you start out-ranking them (if you complete the main quest with the BoS, he apologizes once, then goes back to being a dick).</p><p>The Institute, on the other hand, DOES pretend to put you in charge, but that allows you to make one decision that has no significant effect on the game. The Institute's actions in the game don't even make much sense, given their stated motivation. They want to be left alone in their ivory bomb shelter to pursue their research, but they can't resist meddling in things happening on the surface. They occasionally need materials, but they could get those quietly instead of acting like raiders with clean clothes. They grow food, they make medicine, they have a variety of high-tech tools: they could easily trade for the things they need from the surface, and no one would know where they were hiding out. Nonetheless, they're dicks every step of the way, and even when you become the Director, there's nothing you can do about it.</p><p>In short, when I join an organization in the future, I want it to mean something. If I become the leader, clients should come to me with requests, which I can then do myself or assign to members of the organization.</p><p></p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-4964078656253388692021-08-30T08:27:00.007-05:002021-08-30T08:27:47.598-05:00Meme Time - The Frog of Judgment<p>Blogs aren't the thing they used to be, but I suppose it's a place to drop new memes.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://imgflip.com/i/5la5vl"><img src="https://i.imgflip.com/5la5vl.jpg" title="made at imgflip.com" /></a></div><div><a href="https://imgflip.com/memegenerator">from Imgflip Meme Generator</a></div>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-63684981560305938272021-02-12T12:34:00.005-06:002021-02-12T12:34:43.286-06:00The Real Bad Side of Joss Whedon<p>Looking back through old posts, you can see that I defended Joss Whedon against allegations of being a wife-beating rapist based on the content of <i>Firefly</i>. I'd say those defenses are still sound.</p><p>It has, however, come out that -- at least on the set of <i>Buffy </i>and <i>Angel </i>-- Joss Whedon was quite the creepy asshat. These are allegations that I find credible. Joss may be decent at the creative writing stuff, but he seems to be a horrible person behind the scenes.</p>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10539467.post-85346651062527616142021-02-01T10:48:00.006-06:002023-11-26T12:58:23.161-06:00"Hungarian" Cabbage Roll SoupI'll have to see about getting pictures to add to this later. This ended up being a soup because I was feeling too lazy to deal with steaming and wrapping cabbage leaves. Since I went with a soup instead of rolls, I also left out the rice, which also makes this low-carb.<div><br /></div><div>You will need:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1/2 pound of ground beef</li><li>1 onion</li><li>Garlic (3 cloves for me)</li><li>1 quarter of a head of cabbage</li><li>1 can of diced tomatoes</li><li>Bone broth</li><li>Olive oil</li><li>Salt</li><li>Pepper</li><li>Paprika</li></ul>I used <a href="https://www.auntiearwenspices.com/store/p239/Paprika%2C_Hot_Hungarian_.html" target="_blank">Auntie Arwen's Smoked Paprika</a>; it's the good stuff. You can also add some mushrooms if you feel like it; we'll get to that.</div><div><br /></div><div>It went like this:</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Heat a saucepan.</li><li>Dice the onion.</li><li>Add some olive oil to the pan and heat that.</li><li>Add the onions to the pan. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.</li><li>Chop up the cabbage. Save one leaf.</li><li>When the onions are translucent, add the garlic and let it cook until the raw smell goes away.</li><li>Add the ground beef and brown thoroughly.</li><li>Take out some of the mix and wrap it in the cabbage leaf for a snack.</li><li>Add diced tomatoes and cabbage to the pan.</li><li>Add enough broth to just cover everything.</li><li>Add additional seasonings to taste.</li><li>Simmer for an hour or so.</li></ol>At this point I realized I had an open container of mushrooms in the fridge that I needed to use, so I sautéed them in olive oil with salt, pepper, and paprika and add them to the soup. If you're eating vegetarian, you could go with mushrooms instead of ground beef.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a tasty soup just as it is, but adding a spoon of sour cream when you serve it doesn't hurt at all.</div>Runolfrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09337704025168965482noreply@blogger.com0