My Friend Caitlin Made Baked Mac & Cheese

          I finished my CIA essay so I figured I could squeeze in one more post for the day. My longtime friend/8th grade secret admirer Caitlin from Northeastern University sent me a photo of the baked macaroni and cheese she made earlier so I'm going to post it because (SPOILER ALERT) it somewhat resembles one of my upcoming project dishes! I will try to finagle the recipe from her and add it to this post for those who want to make it. Until then, just look at the photo and drool! 

Look and drool, the way I do at the Cindy Crawford commercials...what?

I'm An Idiot Part Deux

Okay so I said the pic of my Indian lunch got deleted before I could email it to my computer, well I guess it didn't. Today I went to Bollywood Bistro for lunch and ordered chicken takhni (had orange curry cream sauce), zucchini w/ potatoes, and rice on the side. It was a pretty ambitious portion size and didn't even come close to finishing it, but the chicken takhni was divine. Side note: I was reluctant to go to Bollywood Bistro b/c a girl I dated sophomore year used to take me there and when that went sour I thought the food would too. Anyway, here's the photo, check it out:

Came w/ Indian pita called naan.

I'm An Idiot, etc

          hey guys! I was going to post my Indian lunch to "Campus Eats" today but deleted the picture from my phone before the email I sent to my computer went through (I'm an idiot). I'll try to recover the deleted photo but if worst comes to worst I'll just eat there again tomorrow an take new pics so all is not lost.
          Also, I'd like to point out that I don't really know what the focus of this blog will be about other than that it'll be about food (no derr). What I mean is this blog isn't really designed to deliver one type of cuisine or culinary view point. I follow a few other much more professional food blogs than mine an they seem to have a certain viewpoint whether it be healthy, hearty, or mostly one type of cuisine. See I'm kind of spontaneous in nature and my blog and the things I post will reflect that. It will not be uncommon for me to post something about take-out and then turn around and post a fancy dinner I prepared blah blah blah read the description of my blog and you'll understand. It's not all going to be fancy and it's not all going to me stuff I ate on campus (although it seems that way so far).
          With that being said, I'll be finishing my culinary application for the CIA tonight and the next few days so that will take up most of my time; along with my everyday college agenda. This does not mean, however, that I am not thinking of new dishes to post for you guys. I have a dish for the pesto mayonnaise all set and I am still trying to conceptualize my Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier project b/c I really want to nail that one. Once I get to the grocery store I will send lots of tasty new posts your way. Expect to see something over the weekend, peace.

Recipe for Asian Meatball Subs With Hoisin Mayonnaise

In the post below, I talked about Asian-style meatball subs I made for the Superbowl. Here is the recipe courtesy of the Food Network magazine, or you can search for it on foodnetwork.com to see pictures of their finished product along with reviews and comments. Enjoy!
 Cook Time: 30 mins          Level: Intermediate          Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 slice white sandwich bread
• 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 5 scallions, white and green parts separated
• 1 1/4 pounds ground pork
• 3 large cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled ginger (about a 2-inch piece)
• 1/3 cup water chestnuts, drained, rinsed and chopped
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 to 4 teaspoons Asian chili-garlic sauce
• Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 4 7-inch-long pieces baguette, split open

Directions

Tear the sandwich bread into small pieces, then toss with the milk and soy sauce in a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mince the scallion whites. Cut the scallion greens into thin 2-inch-long strands. Put the strands in a bowl of ice water and refrigerate while you make the meatballs.

Add the scallion whites, pork, garlic, ginger, water chestnuts, egg, cilantro, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the bowl with the bread; mix until combined. Gently form into 16 golf ball-size meatballs. Put the meatballs on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours.

Stir the hoisin sauce, mayonnaise, 11/2 tablespoons lime juice, the chili-garlic sauce and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Heat about 1 1/2 inches peanut oil in a large, wide saucepan over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Add the meatballs in batches and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Drain the scallion greens and toss with the bean sprouts, the remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Spread the hoisin mayonnaise on the inside of the baguette pieces, then fill with the meatballs and top with the scallion-sprout mixture.

Photographs by Con Poulos

Asian Meatballs With Hoisin Mayonnaise

        So during the Superbowl I tried this recipe for mini Asian-style meatball subs b/c anyone can go out an buy French Onion Dip, even if it is, "heluva good". The meatballs were standard pork but were packed with diced ginger, garlic, fresh water chestnuts, sesame oil, soy sauce, you name it. "I could go on forever baby!" (I just referenced Home Alone II if you didn't notice. Also, what was the name of the black and white movie that guy was from? Rat Bait? Yeah I'm going to go with Rat Bait. "Alright I believe ya...BUT MY TOMMY GUN DON'T!"....ok what was I saying? oh yeah...) They were served on 7 to 8 inch-long baguette pieces split lengthwise with this deliciously tangy hoisin mayo, and topped with fresh bean sprouts and scallions. They took a little while to make b/c the ol' saying: "too many cooks in the kitchen" when really it was just 3 of my college buddies crammed in our hobbit-sized kitchen. In the end they turned out looking so-so but to my surprise actually tasted fantastic!
        Clearly I wasn't going to let the leftovers go to waste, so I heated a few back up and put on a paper plate with the hoisin may and bean sprouts. These ones were not in the perfect meatball shape but hey, its leftovers, and I'm a broke college kid. Check it out:

Superbowl leftovers...YUM!

      

Things To Come

yes, THAT IS a usb-powered "beverage chiller"

What's up world? I just got back from lunch on campus again but didn't photograph the turkey chili bread bowl I ate (bread bowls are still in right?) b/c it looked more like Mt Saint Helen's just blew her top. It tasted alright, but I would've changed a few things about it; mainly the opening that was smaller than the peephole in my old apartment. Regardless, i have no shame and ate it all. Before I forget what it is I was going to say, I was thinking during lunch today about that pesto mayo and what I want to do with it. I've come up with a dish, but bear with me, I will post it once I actually make it. Also, since this post wouldn't be the same without a picture or two and I'm all done for the day, I decided to crack open one of my new favorites in the Samuel Adams collection: Blackberry Witbier! The flavor is subtle, and compliments the beer instead of masking it (sorry Cheery Wheat). In dedication of the Witbier, expect to see something that pairs well with or incorporates the beer into it in the near future. Maybe I'll infuse the Witbier into something? Sauce? Marinade? I'll play with it and post it in the next few days. Cheers to you Jon Koch!

On Campus Eats

So I go to the University @ Buffalo and our campus has a wide array of eateries from the conventional Subway and BK to the more unconventional Rachel's Mediterranean and Bollywood Bistro. Today for lunch I went to Johnny C's NY which serves up both breakfast and various NYC deli style lunch items including a whole list of deli sandwiches to choose from. I ordered the "Park Avenue" on a Italian sub roll. This behemoth is loaded with thick slices of turkey, smoked Bacon, provolone cheese, lettuce, and tomato. What really got me though, was the pesto-mayo (in this case I did not mind the liberal lathering of a condiment)! I mean if I could fill a bathtub with this pesto-mayo and bathe in it I would...please don't picture that for your sake and mine. Anyways it got me thinking of ways to use a pesto-mayo into something of my own; so in the near future expect me to post something incorporating pesto-mayo. A small note: when I ate this sandwich I had a fork handy b/c all the things that fell out while eating made a nice little side salad.

Look at the Pesto mayo and all it's glory

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