This is Why I'm Fat

Smoked Potato Soup

When BBQing, I usually throw whatever I can on the grill to collect smoke. In this case, it was some leftover baked potatoes which were then pureed with cream to make a tasty and interesting cherry smoked soup. This was actually a while ago - I just found it on my HDD.

BBQ Prime Rib

I finally managed to cherry smoke and then sear off a steak perfectly, without overcooking it. This was really good.

BBQ Burgers

This is the first time I've actually done burgers on the BBQ. I find burgers a pain because I have to have all the toppings on hand.

Chicken and Roasted Pepper Sauce

Another sous vide chicken breast, 140F for 2 hours. And a sauce made from roasted peppers and herbs from the planter.

Lobster on Sale

When lobster goes on sale, I usually get a couple, cook and shell them all, and eat them with melted butter and pieces of toasted bread.

Summer BBQ

Everything here was BBQed, except for the basil, which came from plants that I've since killed.

320 Laps

I really stepped up the swimming this week, even though my favorite pool was closed. Over 5 days, I did 320 laps, which is 8km.

But conversely, my weight is actually UP. Sigh.

Sous Vide Salmon and Lentil Salad

I made this after coming back from swimming, it was really good!
Sous vide salmon (120F, light brine to prevent albumen), French green lentils dressed with shallots/olive oil/balsamic, dehydrated salami croutons.

New Kitchen Light

This weekend's project was replacing the builder globe light with a nicer (but cheap! $25!) fixture that is a lot brighter - because it has 3 bulbs. I'm not very handy though... The installation looks better from a distance :)

Farmer's Market Bok Choy

Monette let me know that on Thursdays there is a Farmer's Market right beside our office! I only had $10 on me but prices were pretty good. I ended up getting a big bunch of asparagus and this bok choy, which I stir fried with hickory grilled chicken.

And also bought a fried meat pie and donut. Sigh.

Temporary Backyard

This farmer's field has been in my backyard since moving here 8 (!) years ago. Unfortunately, I've received a notice of intent to rezone it to residential :( I'm hoping for a couple more years while they get their act together!

Sous Vide Chicken Breast

Sous vide will yield the moistest chicken breast you've ever had. This was in at 140F for about 2 hours, then pan seared.

Serious Eats/Kenji has an interesting chart that describes the nature of temperature and salmonella. Basically, you can cook meat for a longer time at a low temperature and get the same bacterial result as higher temperatures for long times. At 165F, salmonella is killed instantly, while at 140F it will take about 40 minutes.

However, when cooking conventionally, you can't tell how long it'll take the centre of the meat to reach the temperature. Therefore, you have to cook it to 165F. However, with sous vide, you can ensure that the centre reaches 140F, and then leave it at that temperature for as long as you want to ensure that it stays at 140F for at least 40 minutes.

Frozen Sous Vide Ribs

I had seasoned, vacuum sealed and frozen a small package of pork back ribs. They went straight into (frozen) the sous vide cooker at 125F for 25 hours. I didn't BBQ these, just broiled them with BBQ sauce. My broiler isn't very powerful, though, so I had to hold the pan close to the element.

The thing with ribs is that when there's a bit of loin meat (lean) attached to the ribs, it kinda gets crumbly, as opposed the juicy meat around the bone.

Salad

Salad with all the BBQ leftovers in it. Under-dressed, slightly.

Maple BBQ

Tried BBQ with maple wood instead of cherry. While I still like cherry best, this was really good. I roasted peppers, asparagus, pineapple and chicken thighs.

I'm supposed to swim in 20 minutes... how's that going to go, I wonder?

BBQ Chicken

Cherry wood smoked BBQ chicken, with a homemade ketchup based BBQ sauce. My base for BBQ sauce is ketchup, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. I like to season it with cayenne, cumin, paprika and whatever else is on hand.

Balsamic Salad

When using the BBQ, it always pays to roast extra red pepper and pineapple, which are good in EVERYTHING.

Asian Beef Salad

I actually like salad when it's good. Mix-ins are the key. This one has sweet lychees, red peppers, tender beef and walnuts. It's dressed in Kraft Asian Sesame dressing - which is on the sweet side, but I really like it... enough that I don't bother making it from scratch.

Herbs

I'm growing herbs in a pot on my deck. Unfortunately, a chipmunk has been digging it up, raiding the cilantro seeds! Grr.

BBQ Prime Rib

My oven has been broken forever. But between sous vide, bbq and large convection pizza oven, my motivations for getting it fixed has been low.