Tormented Kitchen

There is something about Chinese food that has always held a sort of fascination for me. The ingredients are so simple, but sometimes it amazes me that such simple combinations can be so delicious and taste so complex. I think the nature of Chinese food has always been something regionally adaptable, simple, using a combination of fresh vegetables and a small amount of meat, to make a really satisfying meal.  My earliest memories of eating at a Chinese restaurant are of a little place back in Woodward, OK.  Of course, my favorite was Broccoli Beef and lots of steamed rice doused in soy sauce. Tonight, I made this for my family.  It has been quite a while since I've made Chinese at home.  There are so many take-outs nearby, and the convenience of eating there over at home, has really put my recipes for similar foods in the back of the cookbook. Dear hubby Justin took a bite tonight and asked me where I hid the takeout box. He said it was great.  Eve...

I have never been a die-hard banana lover. My attitude used to be "take them or leave them" but since having children, my taste for them has changed. For anyone who has not experienced pregnancy, there is really no way to describe the ways it can change you. It's more than just physically carrying a baby. Your senses change. The baby has a strange way of letting you know what he or she wants or needs through cravings. Oddly enough, some of these changes don't go away. Both kids love bananas and I think it has permanently changed me. For example, I now really like banana desserts with cooked bananas. I'm still so-so with eating a banana from the peel, but something warm and sweet gets my attention. Also, I used to like donuts a little bit. Now I can mow down donut after donut (which is not so good for my mommy pooch). A few nights ago I was inspired. What could I make with some ripe bananas? I thought about how I could fry them. In an eggroll wrapper? Maybe. ...

The results are in  for the 2010 Best in the West Rib Cook-Off. I agree that they made some tasty ribs. 1st place - Bone Daddy's 2nd place - Kinder's 3rd place - Rasta Joe's 4th place - BJ's Bone Daddy's and Kinder's have been our favorites for years now. We have bottles of their sauces at home too. If you are lucky, some Costco's sell Kinder's ball-tip roasts in a two pack. They are a good deal and easy to prepare so if you find them, give them a try. I'm going to disagree that the best sauce belongs to Johnson's BBQ. I'll stick to Kinder's, thank you very much.

2010, another year, another rib glut! For years, we have made it a point to attend this annual festival devoted to pork ribs. I have to say this year, it was bigger and busier than I have seen, ever. Around Victorian Square, there have been many changes this past year in terms of buildings being demolished and turned into parking lots. The city bus system opened a new station as well, so there were just general improvements for access to the cook-off. We arrived mid-afternoon and walked to see what was available, end to end. It was a long, slow walk because the amount of people was incredible. We checked out the vendors. A whole area was set up in front of the theaters, row upon row of tents of vendors, more than I have ever seen there before. They even had a tiny carnival set up for kids with a midway where you could win a hermit crab. They thought of everything this year. We returned to the Nugget to relax in the hotel room before dinner time. We had pr...

Rice pudding is one of my favorite comfort foods. It's funny to think that most of the people I have met weren't familiar with it. The best comparison is that it's like tapioca pudding. It's custard with rice. I have fond childhood memories of coming home from school to find the same rectangular covered glass dish in the fridge filled with this heavenly treat. It was almost torture to have to wait until dessert to eat it. I think knowing it was there made whatever we had for dinner disappear faster. Once I left home for college, this became a special-occasion treat for me. I didn't get to make it very often. It's time consuming and requires constant attention. If I went home to visit Mom and Dad and found some in the fridge, well, it was history. At some point, I was shopping for grocieries and noticed Kozy Shack rice pudding in a tub by the refrigerated Jell-o. I was curious. So I have to say, Kozy Shack is a reasonable substitute when I don't have the...

If someone told you to eat eggplant because it's good for you, what would you do with it? I've tried regular globe eggplant and it just doesn't taste that good to me. I've tried frying it, stuffing it, dicing it and adding it to casseroles and it has always fallen a bit short of my expectations. In my Thai cooking class, we made this dish using the thin Japanese eggplants. I've never eaten those before. And believe me, I was skeptical because my past eggplant experience was sketchy. But we made it, we all ate it and I was in utter disbelief! Eggplant that really tasted good! Even my husband liked it and he doesn't like regular eggplant at all. OMG! This is now one of my new favorite recipes. I even shared it with Grandma Rose. Pla Nuea Makreua Orn Ingredients 3 small Japanese eggplants canola oil for frying 1 lb beef tenderloin (same as filet mignon) 1 Tablespoon sliced shallots 1/4 teaspoon sugar 1 Tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla) juice of one lime 2 - 5...

I recently attended a cooking class just for Thai food. I think unless you have a real talent for exploring ingredients, it can be beneficial to have someone show you what to use or how to use it. I've been to Asian markets before and wandered around wondering what exactly was that stuff in a jar. Then, I pretty much only bought things I could recognize without having to read the wrapper, like rice, noodles, produce, or certain condiments. Thankfully, being told name brands to look for also makes a huge difference. My cooking instructor suggested Three Crabs Fish Sauce.  If you can't read the label, at least you can find one with 3 crabs. But then at the store, they also have Five Crabs Fish Sauce. Seriously? Is 5 better than 3? I went with 3 because that is what she told me. My instructor pointed out one thing about Thai food is that it requires a lot of prep work, but cooks up quickly. She said it's really perfect for busy weeknight dinners if you can get the prep wo...