Ambitious Delicious(ness)

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is when a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Interested consumers then purchase a share to receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. The produce is fairly priced, local grown, and in my case, organic.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I thought I’d spare you from another what-to-do-with-Thanksgiving leftovers post. Instead, here is my latest simple yet yummy creation!

A while back, I received a shipment of pomegranate juice from POM Wonderful. Pomegranates are full of antioxidants that can help you fight free radicals, which are unstable molecules that damage the cells in your body.

As I was chomping on some dried figs, I got the idea to make a reduction using them. The sweetness of the figs contrasted well with the tartness of the sauce, resulting in this delicious creation!

Check out these gorgeous watermelon radishes from my CSA share! They deceitfully look like regular radishes on the outside, but once you cut them open, you will see the fabulous colors. I decided to eat them raw, plain and simple. Plus, it added a nice crunch to this dish.

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My chicken soup from last year tasted good but couldn’t figure out why I had a very cloudy broth. Then I learned why!

What I didn’t know a year ago was that keeping the temperature low is the key to producing a good, rich, stock! Boiling is not a good idea, and consistent boiling is even worse!

I found out on Twitter yesterday that Sean of Take Thou Food was making turkey stock as well. His stock was made pre-turkey day, while mine was with leftovers. We both agree that if you’re going to make turkey, please make your own gravy, as it is just one extra step after all of your hard work.

Just in case you’re wondering, stock is usually made with meats and bones, while broth is usually made with just the meat. The bones have a lot of natural gelatin in them so they give stock a richer feel and more body.

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As many of you know, I made my very first Thanksgiving turkey this past weekend! And because I’m so nice, I will impart on you the wealth of knowledge I’ve gained from this experience. =) Remember: there are many different ways to roast a turkey, and it’s really up to you to decide which method you want to go with!

Half-carved turkey for small group potluck dinner

There are so many things to consider when you are roasting a turkey. I’ll break it down into three parts with helpful links:

1. Types of turkeys. Kosher, organic, processed, self-basting, natural – what are the differences? What does it all mean? Real Simple, Bon Appetite, has all the answers you need (I went with a kosher turkey).

2. Brining. What does brining mean, and why should you consider doing it? Serious Eats labs did a little experiment and found that brined turkeys taste significantly better. Martha Stewart has a good brining recipe. Basically, you are adding moisture to the poultry so that it’s nice and juice once you’re done cooking.(Brining is the best thing that ever happened to chicken and turkey).

3. Basting. I always assumed you’re supposed to baste the turkey. But be careful, as frequent opening and closing of the oven can release a lot of heat. Suggestion – try basting during the last hour of cooking, every twenty minutes. (Note – I did not baste my turkey because I was preoccupied – but it turned out fine).

A word of warning: When the turkey is inserted at a high temperature into the oven, it will get smoky! So just be aware of it during the first 30 minutes of cooking. My apartment smells like turkey even today! (My sincerest apologies to my roommate and anyone else who has come over since Saturday).

Check out this awesomely comprehensive list by Cheap Healthy Good for more information on all recipes Thanksgiving!

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Who would have ever guessed that you could make anything else with the milk frother from your espresso machine?

I wish I could take credit for this marvelous idea but I can’t. I came across a post on Amateur Gourmet last week and decided to give it a try. Apparently, restaurants like Gottino make their eggs this way!

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This sweet and sour pork dish was easy to make. I dredged the pork in flour, then used that as a thickener for the sauce right in the pan. I would recommend letting the pork marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours so that it can be seasoned and tenderized.

And the secret ingredient for this dish? Read below to find out.

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Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is when a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Interested consumers then purchase a share to receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. The produce is fairly priced, local grown, and in my case, organic.

It’s hard to believe that in a few weeks, I will no longer be receiving fresh vegetables every week! I feel like it went by so quickly but am thankful that I won’t have to when it’s cold outside. It’s been a great experience for the most part; but more on that later!

I received leeks in my CSA share. Whenever I see leeks, I think “oh- it’s a unnaturally humongous scallion.” That’s only partially true, as leeks have a complex flavor, sort of a cross between onions and scallions.

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I read so many interesting food-related articles on a daily basis! I figured that it’s time I share with them y’all. Want to let me know about what you’re reading? Send an email to ambitiousdeliciousness at gmail dot com. Enjoy!

Image by Buzzfeed

*$47,221: What’s the most you’ve ever spent on a meal? $200? $500? $1,000? Now, multiply that number to fit someone’s annual salary, let’s say, $47,221. If you’re Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich, this is what you paid, after having lunch for 6 people! [Buzzfeed]

*Cake and Sandra Lee: Whether you love her or hate her, Cheap Healthy Good brings us this hilarious review of Sandra Lee’s Money Saving Meals. My favorite part: when Sandra Lee makes a cake with cake while hitting on Mario Lopez repeatedly. Go over there and see the clip! [Cheap Healthy Good]

*Kids compost: Kids in Chicago schools are learning to compost their lunches. What a great way to teach kids about waste! [Chicago Tribune]

*Store cheese the right way: Great tips on how to store cheese after you get home. How I love thee, delicious, stinky cheese! [The Kitchn]

*BPAs in cans:This study by Consumer Reports shows that ” Bisphenol A can be found in canned soups, juice and more.” Remember how we got rid of Nalgene bottles not too long ago for the same reason? Perhaps, another good reason to stick to fresh foods. [Civil Eats, via Bittman]

*White House garden: This week’s episode of The Biggest Loser was filmed at the White House garden. They ate a salad together, then Bob Harper went on and on about how it only cost $12 to grow everything. My question is, what else did they eat after that small plate of salad they called “dinner”? Also, Iron Chef America filmed an episode there with Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse; episode will air in January.[NBC, and New York Times]

At Starbucks about a month ago, I asked the barista what a pumpkin spiced latte tasted like, since I’ve never had one. She was kind enough to make me one to try. The combination of warm frothed milk, pumpkin, earthy cinnamon was perfect against the darkness of espresso laced with a slight hint of vanilla!

After that day, I was hooked.

I tried it again at two different Starbucks locations, but it never tasted as good as the first one I had. After some research, I discovered that the barista that day was filling in for someone else and nobody knew which store she was from!!! I don’t quite recall her face or name, and I’m not about to go to the 10Starbucks locations that surround my work office. =(

Plus, lattes are expensive. So I decided to try making one at home by using some freshly roasted coffee beans from Coffee Labs Roasters, Inc.

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I know that I’ve topped pizza with kimchi before, so why not pasta? It’s essentially the same thing as rice, as both pasta and rice are flavorless (yet delicious) carbs.

This would have better with pork belly but pork chops are all I had! I would totally make this again because it’s quite simple to make, not to mention, delicious!

The idea behind this dish is quite similar to kimchi fried rice, with the addition of gochujang (red pepper paste) mixed with a little bit of broth to give more flavor and liquid to the sauce.

And after I gobbled this up, I realized that an egg on top would have been even better. Makes for a quick, weeknight meal. You should give it a try!

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