So I realize that I haven't touched this blog in more than a year. The reason for this is that I am now attending University. Dorm cooking, though impressive and alluring, is nigh impossible. I have however managed to start cooking Indian cuisine, which I will be sure (maybe) to start posting soon.
I just want to say that Alton Brown's pizza dough recipe is the greatest foodstuff on the planet.
For reference:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_13823,00.html
Today, I took a swing at making calzones. Used the previously mentioned dough, and rolled it out into thin circles, about 10 inches in diameter. Fill with whatever you want, but nothing too wet (It'll boil out and give you steamed calzone dumplings).
For these lovelies, I used pepperoni, green pepper, anchovies, and provelone cheese.
Picture quality is shit, I know. They tasted great, though.
In other news, tonight Sam and I went exploring around town, looking to get a good scare in. Pics tomorrow.
So, after a couple months of wrestling, grunting, and crying, I've managed to completely shed my dependence on the Microsoft money-teat, and am now running my Gateway MT3422 Notebook completely on Ubuntu Linux. I'm loving it.
My gaming is better. Faster performance, faster launch-times, faster networking.
I can actually use my wifi card. The words Windows and Wifi should never be used together, unless in the sentence "Windows cannot use Wifi for shit." When I used windows, I used to have to toggle buttons, reassign ip addresses, flip switches, and pray to corn goddesses just to get a single connection. Ubuntu- first try, connected, full strength, great speeds.
I'm liking this penguin. I could get used to being his friend.
Oh! New food on the way. I've got some wicked pizza and calzone recipes to show off. Check back often!
So, I got the job at Subway.
And that's mainly why I haven't posted a thing.
I haven't cooked a thing...
I'm very tired of making teriyaki strips.
The job really isn't all that bad. I'm surprised to say that the ingredients really are fresh. The hours are decent, and the staff is nice. I'd still rather be designing websites, which was my original plan for the summer.
Teresa's web business is really taking off, and I'm really proud of her for that. Hopefully I'll be able to get something going to replace subway.
Until then, at least I'm still getting paid.
So tomorrow morning I go in for my job interview at Subway.
I really don't know what to think. I've worked fast food before, so I know how much of a hell it can be. I really hope Subway is better. With a lack of deep fryers, it looks a lot cleaner, and I don't think I would have to shoot myself should I be required to eat at work.
If Subway doesn't work out though, I applied last night to a local kitchen supply store....
Should I be worried that a kitchen supply store is my dream job?
... no. I need that pasta rolling attachment to my stand mixer, damnit.
Additionally, I've been playing Pokemon Pearl for the past month religiously. Right now, my team spans from lvl 30-50. I thought leveling them up evenly would be a nice change of pace, instead of having my traditional starter-tank. So if anyone wants to swap friend codes, I'd be very grateful.
... ok, maybe I should be worried.
So, as a part of my futile effort to best a Chipotle burrito, I tried playing with some chicken today. Raw Chicken Soccer wasn't so fun, but this turned out pretty good!
Burrito Chicken:
- Five chicken tenders
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- Salt and pepper :D
- 2 Chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1/2 Cup water
- 1 Tsp tomato paste
Oil a cast-iron skillet and bring it to medium heat. Salt, pepper, and chili powder your chicken tenders and brown those in your skillet. Once those are done, lay those aside and add your water to your skillet along with your (now minced) chipotles. Once that comes to a simmer, dice up your chicken and add it back to the skillet. Let the chicken simmer in your sauce for about ten minutes. Toss that in a burrito and enjoy.
So that's what I did today. Right now I want to explore casseroles, so if you have any inspirations or ideas, comments are greatly appreciated.
So right now I'm playing through the free trial for Burning Crusades. I missed my rogue...
If anyone else is on Destromath, hop on and play.
So...should I fork over the cash for three months?
...I miss World of Warcraft..
These are actually from my drawing and painting final last semester, just though you folks would like to see them.
Wow... It's been quite a while. I've neglected my blogger far too long.
Just today, I've started plans to get a website development company up and running. I hope that this could possibly bring in some cash, seeing as I'm woefully unemployed.
There's no site yet, but I'm working on it. Expect links in a few days. This seems like a much more useful waste of my summer, and a good way of making connections with local businesses as well as getting my name out there.
The company is called Dust's Quintessence Web Design, kudos for anyone who picks up the reference.
First and foremost, I am very sorry I have neglected my blogger. I've been attempting to move to my own server, mainly because blogger's template system in futarded. Unfortunately, I've come to find that running a blog without blogging software is testy enough to make you want to kill small, simple creatures. (Speaking of which, this morning I made a lovely breakfast burrito including scrambled eggs, salsa, and breakfast sausage. Very satisfying.)
With that being said, I'm just waiting until blogger fixes their template system to accept html again.
Also, if any of you have any thoughts of content you'd like to see, or anything else to attract readers/ad revenue. Do feel free to comment or send me an email. Geekswithchocolate@gmail.com if you would.
Additionally, I prepared some wicked veggy egg rolls today, recipe to come sometime soon.
My fullest apologies that I haven't been posting much at all.
I am currently: working on a new layout (majority being done by Teresa)
obsessed over my brand new Wii.
I'd love some comments to know I'm not just talking to myself. Ah well, Back to touching my Wii.
So, in an act of paranoia regarding our government's food supply, I've started packing my own lunch. This week is.... Mission:Tuna.
Simple Salad assemblage, so here's the simple recipe:
4 cans of tuna, scraped with a fork
5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 a red onion, chopped fine
2 stalks of celery
2-3 tablespoons of salad dressing (or mayonnaise if you prefer)
A heavy covering of Tabasco sauce.
Mix, and eat. (Rye bread is always good)
On a geekier note, I recently started playing a private server of Phantasy Star Online.
It just makes me remember how much of a blast this game was on the Dreamcast. Right now I'm running three characters, including a level 3 HUmar, a level 6 HUcast, and a level 3 FOnewn.
SCHTHACK. Great server, little downtime, and busy. I'm usually playing on my character "Liisto", so if you spot me, gimme a wave.
After rising from my bed, I proceeded to do as I do once every weekend. I made sawmill gravy.
Starting off with my favorite breakfast sausage, I browned that up nicely. After sprinkling on a tablespoon or two of chili powder and paprika, I stirred that and scooped it into a bowl to the side.
Adding a couple tablespoons of butter and flower, I scraped and stirred the pan with a wooden spoon. After the flower-butter mixture turned a nice amber, I added a cup or two of milk. Letting that thicken up, I added the sausage back in and enjoyed over some toasted, left-over thanksgiving rolls.
Thinking back on this, I wonder why pre-made gravy packs and cans work so well. After all, this whole ordeal took me maybe half an hour, and I know it tasted better than anything found in a pantry. Just another example of why quality is a dieing virtue in today's life. Oh well, atleast I had a good breakfast.
Today, seeing myself without an appointment or obligation, I saw it fit to make up a batch 'o Chili Con Carne.
Now, Chili can and will be done a million different ways, each claiming to be the original and the best. Mine is neither, but it's how I like it. It tastes good, it's hot, and it makes you feel manly. Really, that's all you need to make good Chili.
I started off with a pound or two of stew beef, cubed and seasoned liberally with salt, pepper, and a run-of-the-mill grill seasoning. After that was browned up in my favorite pot, I took that out and (bless you Alton Brown) poured a can of beer into the pot to dissolve all the little burnt bits.
Then came about four chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, diced well, along with about half the can's worth of the adobo sauce.
Spice-wise went a handful of Paprika, and small palm full of curry powder, and a heavy handful of chili powder.
A can of chipotle salsa nearly sealed the deal, missing only a little touch that makes the entire meal meld together: Dark chocolate. Half a bar, that is, chopped and tossed in to the pot.
It boiled for a few minutes, and then lightly simmered on my stove for a couple hours. I would have preferred three, but at this point members of my family had sneaked down and already taken bowl-fulls away.
A good adventure in all, warming me and the family from the cold commercialism of this Friday.
