Food | Idle Musings

Posts Categorized Food

Make your own In-N-Out Burger

In Food on Jul-24-2010 with
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It takes a little effort, but easier then you might think. From the wonderful site Serious Eats:

Ingredients

1/2 pound fresh beef chuck with plenty of fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 soft Hamburger buns, preferably Arnold brand
Freshly ground black pepper
8 dill pickles chips
2 quarter-inch-thick slices ripe tomato
2 leaves fresh iceberg lettuce, white core section removed, torn to bun-sized pieces
1/4 cup yellow mustard
4 slices deli-cut American Cheese

Everything else you need in detailed but simple to follow instructions are also included. Have some fun.

Sam Zien Cooks Pizza

In Food, Video on Jul-21-2010 with
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As something of a foodie I am a little stunned I’ve never heard of this guy who has a show on the Discovery Health Channel called Just Cook This with Sam. There seem to be a lot of things to like about the show. First it is filmed in his actual kitchen, not a set. Second he keeps it stupid simple and straightforward. And finally, he seems like a nice guy. Have to set my DVR to record starting yesterday.

The End of Bluefin Tuna?

In Food on Jun-22-2010 with
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Paul Greenberg at the New York Times explores the current state of fishing for bluefin tuna and it’s not looking good.

Tuna then are both a real thing and a metaphor. Literally they are one of the last big public supplies of wild fish left in the world. Metaphorically they are the terminus of an idea: that the ocean is an endless resource where new fish can always be found. In the years to come we can treat tuna as a mile marker to zoom past on our way toward annihilating the wild ocean or as a stop sign that compels us to turn back and radically reconsider.

This is depressing beyond words, but to be honest not remotely surprising.

Hasan & Partners Bread Packaging

In Design, Food on May-20-2010 with
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Review: IHOP’s Cheesecake-stuffed Pancakes

In Culture, Food on May-7-2010 with
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Look I love me some pancakes a few times a year. I mean who doesn’t. But my gosh, who the heck would order this stuff? Oh wait, most Americans. A review of IHOP’s Pancake Stackers:

Bite 1: Whoa, I think I just caught a crispy bite of pancake edge. That’s like the holy grail of pancake edges! That’s a good start.

Bite 2: OK, there’s not so much cheesecake in here, but it was weirdly, obviously squeezed on, like with one of those caulk guns Taco Bell uses for its “sour cream.” It tastes pretty good, though. Kinda tangy, kinda creamy. But man, that strawberry syrup is glowing lava red. And the crispy edge was pretty short-lived.

Bite 3: I never really want to eat as many pancakes as people will put on a plate, but this isn’t so ba… muh … exxxxcushe me, I jusht hit a geysher of cheeshcake. I can’t really open my mouth. It’s shtuck. Maybe forever.

Bite 4: Water, water, water. Clean it out. Focus. Concentrate. Oh look! I forgot about my side of sausage!

After you have this “gut bomb” for breakfast do you head to KFC and order a couple Double Down for lunch? And what the heck do you have for dinner after those two meals. A couple pizzas? No wonder Americans are so darn obese.

Moleskine Recipe Journal

In Food, Household on Apr-22-2010 with
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Moleskine recently introduced a notebook just for recipes.

Fully embossed cover, 3 ribbon place markers and double expandable inner pocket. Informative pages: food calendars, food facts, measurements and conversions. 6 theme-based sections to fill in: appetizers, first courses, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, cocktails. 6 tabbed sections to personalize and 16 blank pages in which to unleash your passion’s creativity.

As a huge, huge Moleskine fan I’ve already ordered one.

Thomas Keller On A Restaurant In Abu Dhabi

In Food on Apr-13-2010 with
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The French Laundry’s Thomas Keller is widely considered America’s finest chef. And like a lot of well known chefs, he’s had lucrative offers to open a restaurant in Abu Dhabi. But as he tells Eater.com, it didn’t work out, and for an interesting reason.

I was in Abu Dhabi a couple years ago with Daniel just looking around. What occurred to me is that they have no infrastructure for supporting restaurants. They all want restaurants but there’s no culinary schools, there’s no sourcing, I said, “Christ you guys put a frigging ski slope in a mall. Get fifty acres of land and make a farm! If you can do that for some ridiculous reason, you can make a sustainable farm. If you can make golf courses, you can create a beautiful farm.” Therein lies part of the infrastructure they should be creating and establishing if they want restaurants. They need to have schools, they need to have farms. With the wealth that they have, they can do it.