Monday, October 26, 2009

Pause

Well, Dead Space didn't wrap up as quickly as I would have liked. A busy week combined with a busy weekend made the game difficult to plow through as I would have wanted. Hey, I could still post a review, but the last time I did that with a certain game I just felt dirty.



... Not that dirty, guys. :/

I will say this for Dead Space. I should have played it a lot sooner. I am getting a hell of a ride from this game. Nothing negative to really report in with. The game recalls the atmosphere and frights of one particular game for me, that being Resident Evil 2. In fact, a lot of what I feel has gone missing from the Resident Evil games has turned up here in Dead Space.



It's scaring the tar out of me, but the game play is solid, the look of the game is stunning, and the story? Well, it's not amazing, but there is a classic hook that has me by the nose. In sci-fi thrillers that take place in space, on a vast ship, the society changes. The dynamic is not the same as it was on Earth. Sure, there are ways society is maintained, such as necessary on-board green houses and then not-so-necessary posters, stores, and entertainments.

So, boom, you have your mini-society. What I love about sci-fi, in this setting, is watching the "society" fall apart, and eventually cave in. You show up, in Dead Space, after this decay. Granted, the crucible to this is when an alien artifact is brought on board. As you discover journal entries, audio logs, and visual feeds regarding the ship, it becomes clear that even without the giant mass of WTF mass... well, this ship was fucked from the get go.



Enough of that for now, though! I usually put the upcoming food event after my review, and since I don't have a review, I won't be an asshole and hold off on the meal. In the game, in order to kill your assorted baddies, you have to sever their limbs. In fact, you are punished quite violently if you do manage to pull of a head-shot. So, with this school of though in mind, I will be cooking my first bucket of fried chicken using the wings, the legs, and the thighs. Have to hand it to Andy on this one, I really like the idea, and I really like fried chicken, so this works out.



The posting may become a bit sporadic. This year I am participating in the National Novel Writing Month. I have until the end of November to write a 75 page (or 50,000 word) story. I'm sure I'll be fine.



Not crazy... at all.

After that, I will edit, make it pretty, and send it off into the world.

You can learn more about NaNo WriMo here! http://www.nanowrimo.org/
And you can start following my story, The Anchoress, here! http://thenanoanchoress.blogspot.com/

Nothing is up yet story-wise on The Anchoress, but there will be on Nov. 1st!

Can I make up a lack of review with a wonderful spicy pomegranate sauce and my mom's famous banana bread? Hmm?

Spicy Pomegranate Chipotle Sauce
(Makes About 2 Cups)



1 Pomegranate (cleaned!)
2 Chipotle Peppers
2 Cloves of Garlic
Pinch of Fresh Thyme
Pinch of Salt, Crank of Pepper
1/4 cup Olive Oil
(it's okay if you go over this a bit, just don't drown out your pomegranate and chipotle!)

Start by cleaning your pomegranate. Cut off the top of pomegranate as you would when preparing an onion, or a tomatoes. You'll find the red bulbs inside divided by thin waxy walls, literally providing you with 6-8 wedges. Use these partitions as a guide, and start cutting out your wedges. Shed the red bulbs in a bowl of water. Don't worry if you get some waxy bits in there, they'll float to the top for easy remove. Drain!

Throw your pomegranate bulbs into a blender with two chipotle peppers and two peeled cloves of garlic. Add the thyme, the salt, and the pepper.

As you blend all of these, start adding your olive oil slowly. By introducing it gradually, you encourage a smooth, very consistent sauce.

Great for marinating, also works as a sauce, and salad dressing (vinegar optional, but if you do go with it, maybe do about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar).

Mom's Famous Banana Bread

It's been in the family for a long time. It's super moist, and it's really easy to swap out these ingredients if you don't like them, or if you want to add something different.
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 Tbl. apple cider
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cooking spray
(if you don't have cooking spray, grease your pan with butter or shortening)

Preheat oven to 350 (F).

Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk to combine.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut. Bake at 350 (F) for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. Cool bread completely on wire rack.

That's it for now! Stay tuned for Dead Space and fried chicken.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Beef Eye of Round Salt Dough

It is no secret how much I love food... especially considering I keep a blog that is mostly devoted to loving it, making it, eating up every last crumb of it. There is not just an art to food, there is a science, or as Alton Brown would say: "There's a lesson here". I am an avid follower of Good Eats. Not only are the recipes innovative, but the history and science behind key ingredients is engaging. Also, the show is pretty funny, lively, and energetic, something you don't really get with every cooking show. Then again, that was the point. Alton Brown wanted to make the cooking show appealing, and this was made possible by his own original recipe: 1 part Julia Child, 1 part Mr. Wizard, and 1 part Monty Python.


"I kept thinking, 'Somebody has to make a food show that is actually educational and entertaining at the same time... a show that got down to the 'why things happen.' Plus, I hated my job - I didn't think it was very worthwhile."

This year, Alton Brown and the Food Network celebrated Good Eats's 10 Year Anniversary, and I thought I would pay tribute with his Beef Tenderloin Salt Dough recipe on P&P. Not only did the recipe fit perfectly with Halo 3: ODST, but it would be a great way to show my appreciate for one of my favorite chefs.

Have a happy one, Alton Brown!

Enough gushing. Enough of that. Let's get down to business. Below is the recipe (along with another recipe for an optional creamy side!) for my own take on the Beef Tenderloin Salt Dough. Now, since a true-blue beef tenderloin cost $85.00, I decided to substitute the tenderloin with an eye of round instead. It's cheaper, and as I would soon discover, not lacking in deliciousness. Changes made in the recipe are noted below. Other than that, the recipe you have here is strictly Alton's.

The dish is inspired by this!


The H.E.V is the transport for all ODST. So, if the dough is the H.E.V then that makes the meat the... uh-oh. I've served with you, Rookie, but now I get to serve you! Mwhahahaha!

Beef Eye of Round Salt Dough H.E.V



* 5 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 cups kosher salt
* 3 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
* 5 egg whites
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, and/or sage)
* 1 (5 lb) Eye of Round Beef
(or a 6-7 lb Beef Tenderloin)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Place the flour, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.

**Hold on, hold on. Okay, I cannot stress this enough. Use. Kosher. Salt. If you use table salt, you will have a bitter, horrible meat.**

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites and water and add to the dry ingredients along with 2 tablespoons of the herbs. Combine with a potato masher until the mixture begins to come together.



Then knead with your hands for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large zip-top bag, seal, and let stand at room temperature for 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.



Transfer dough to a floured surface and roll out to 3/16-inch thickness, approximately a 24 by 18-inch rectangle. It doesn't have to be exact, just enough to wrap around the meat, and make sure that surface is floured or you'll lose dough! Trim away extra dough, if necessary. Sprinkle the remaining herbs on the center section of the dough and gently press down.



Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

**If you are working with BEEF TENDERLOIN, you big spender, you'll want to pay attention to this next bit!**

In order to achieve uniform cooking, fold over slender tail end of tenderloin and tie with kitchen twine.
**Okay, you got that? Moving right along!**

Set a large electric griddle at its highest setting; brush the meat with the olive oil and sear on all sides until well browned, approximately 10 minutes. Rest the meat for at least 5 minutes or until it is cool to the touch so as not to melt the dough.

Place the meat in the center of the dough. Fold top part of dough over, flipping back about 1-inch of dough onto itself. Repeat with the bottom half of the dough. Press together the 2 flaps of dough and seal. Make sure the dough is not too tight around the meat. At the ends of the meat, press together dough to form a seal and cut away any excess.


The... nerdy molding into the shape of an H.E.V (complete with hatch!) is optional in this surprisingly sober induced decision.

**'Scuse me, pardon me. Just one quick thing here. With that excess dough? Yeah, hold onto that to repair breaks in the dough around the meat should you happen to find any. I also made an extra bed of salt dough on the sheet pan in case there were any breaks beneath the eye of round**



Transfer to a sheet pan, place in the oven and roast to an internal temperature of 125 degrees F, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.


Seriously. Invest in a meat thermometer. I am very glad I did. You have to trust the food here. It will definitely cook! So don't fuck with it, believe in yourself and the recipe, and you'll do fine. If you get really nervous though, check it with the meat thermometer.

The meat will continue to cook 10 to 15 degrees more. Cut salt crust at 1 end and extract meat by pulling out of dough tube. Slice and serve immediately.





All right. That was Alton's recipe. He - and I - would recommend not eating the dough unless you like recreating that moment when you're swimming at the beach and catch a mouthful of ocean. Toss it, or compost heap it.

Broccoli Au Gratin

This dish is easy and so yummy. Cooking anything "au gratin" usually involves a brown crust achieved by broiling breadcrumbs and cheese, or butter and egg. You can also slow cook it, and finish it under the broiler. I made this dish way before I needed it, stored it in the fridge, and then brought it back to life in the oven as the meat finished cooking in the dough on the counter.

1/2 cup of broccoli
1/2 cup of water
1/4 tsp. of sugar
2 Tbl. butter
2 Tbl. flour
1/2 cup of milk
2 Tbl. olive oil
(you can also use melted butter)
2 Tbl. Panko breadcrumbs
(though any breadcrumbs will do)
1 Tbl. Parmesan cheese

Trim your broccoli and put into a pot of water with the sugar. Bring to a boil, covered, and then reduce the heat. Cook the broccoli for about five minutes, or until it is bright green and tender. Drain, and set aside in a shallow cooking dish.



In a pan, melt the butter over medium heat, and add the flour after a complete melt. Mix until smooth, and slowly add the milk. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until thickened. This will take roughly 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, adding a little olive oil (not the 2 Tbl. spoons) if the mixture looks very thick. We're going for a sauce here.

Pour the sauce of the broccoli. Mix breadcrumbs and olive oil (or melted butter) before sprinkling over the top of the broccoli. Also add the Parmesan for an even coat.

Cook in the oven at 350(F) for 30 minutes, and snap the boiler on if you don't have that brown crust you like. Keep an eye on it though, or the boiler will leave you with a black crust, and that is definitely not tasty. Hey, I like a little char on my food sometimes, but not in this case.

Bon App!



Stay tuned next week for a review of Dead Space.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Halo 3: ODST

Countdown.
Whoa! Hey, hey, hey - you're not going to puke in your helmet, are you? Lots of rookies do that. Think of it as... an extra RTE - HA! Okay, listen up because it's pretty easy to lose your head on the first drop. There'll be something like a hiss. Now, that's the hydraulics of the HEV and the shoot. After that, we're going to drop you out into the kind of height that skirts the edge of thin atmosphere and endless space. You look a little green...
3.
You will hit your mark. There is no such thing as “close enough”.
2.
If the crossfire does not nail you as you pierce the miles to earth, the snarling Brute behind the Carbine rifle aimed on you will. So, don't get all proud on me, you hear?
1.
Take a deep breath, hell jumper, you're an ODST now! Happy landing!



Did I leave... the gas on?

Halo 3: ODST
is a charming pet project by the makers of this little under the radar franchise you may or may not have heard of known as the Halo Series. The series has done pretty well for itself, and even secured a movie deal with the help of this guy!



Recognize him? He's the one with the pet T-Rex that ate Michel Ancel in the last installment of Pixels and Pies. Poor, poor little French man. Anyway, the project fell through, which was a bummer especially after seeing how excited the Bungie staff became on a tour of the WETA workshop where items like the classic Magnum and the Worthog were at their disposal. With a large window now open to them until their next project – Halo: Reach – Joseph Staten and his team found themselves with a lot of spare time. Thus, ODST.


(l to r) Adam Baldwin as "Dutch" and Alan Tudyk as "Mickey". A moment of brotherly love.

The ODST have been fan favorites for years, proving to be as popular with them as the Master Chief is with his own fan base. Although a video game never seemed obvious, at least from my perspective, the promise of ODST on store shelves was not only enticing, but also completely natural.

So, you start the game as the Rookie, the newest, quietest member of a ragtag ODST troop. You serve with Buck, Mickey, Dutch, and Romeo. The team is a typical ODST team, very verbal and tightly knit, which works because they are supposed to contrast the silent, stolid Master Chief. Anyway, this group of bro-mancers are shaken up when their team is put in the hands of new management – Veronica Dare. She also happens to be Buck's ex-honey. She also happens to be on a super, duper, maxi, ultimate secret mission! Before you can really get into any of that, you are in your HEV, and being launched through an aerial battle to the African streets below.

But, of course, it all goes horribly wrong, and you get knocked off course, and completely separated from your squad. No problem! Now, you have a game to play.



The game itself is an interesting idea that centers around the Rookie before veering off at the very end to pay more attention to the flat and uninteresting Veronica and Buck. This is a shame because I feel like ending the game on these two really cheapens the Rookie's place in the game as our protagonist. It's a shaky ground. With the exception of Veronica, you play as all of these characters too. I still feel like the Rookie is the main guy, considering the other characters have their story told through flashbacks triggered by the Rookie when he finds items coordinating to the other characters.


(l to r) Nathan Fillion plays "Buck" and Tricia Helfer plays "Dare"... two characters with nothing but love for each other and random acts of pettiness.

Tangent over! The interesting idea I began on up there sees the Halo universe in another light: the dim light of a film noir. Within the execution of a detective story, the Rookie works to solve the mystery of his missing team mates all the while accompanied by a jazzy, dark score that feels like it was written by a pair of venetian blinds, a stick of bright red lipstick, and a smoking cigarette. As the Rookie navigates through the beautifully rendered and realized New Mombasa, he is brought face-to-face with the enemy. You can decide to engage or avoid them at your discretion. Considering the flashbacks involve the rest of the ODST team in typical Halo combat, it seems the formula that was attempted here was the theme of a stealthy mystery game, cut with the gameplay you have come to know and love (or hate) from the Halo franchise.



However, you are not rolling with Master Chief these days in ODST. Before you can meet up with your team, fantastically characterized by the boys of "Firefly", you are relying on a 3D rendered map of the city that now replaces the HUD so common in the Halo games. Also, you have the option of switching over to night vision, which will enhance objects in a yellow highlight, and the bad guys are red. You have some new weapons, a new shield to consider, and for the first time ever - health packs!



As beautiful as New Mombasa is, the fighting arenas within it can become somewhat repetitive. There are places where the streets converge on a concrete oasis, and that's usually where you'll find your Convenant waiting for the bus... or to kill you. Either one. When there are patrols marching the streets, there is an element of excitement to that, but these patrols were rare, with the Oasis Teams winning the majority of conflict areas. You could usually expect the same numbers as well. So, these became predictable, and there were even periods with little to no fighting. As this gripe pertains mostly to the night levels with the Rookie's... when most Covenant are probably resting or something, I suppose the point is moot on a logistical level. On a technical level I would like to fend off more Covenant. Not just at the end, game!

... Though that was pretty sweet.


Wee!

There was an interesting concept with the city in that it served as a guide for the Rookie. Signs indicating "Detour", "Keep Left", and "Dead End" are supposed to be a signal to the players of conflict or destination. There are also small audio files you can find around the city that put together a story about a girl who has also picked up on the city's urban lingo. The idea of the city itself trying to help you is a really cool one, but done a little too subtly to fully appreciate right away.

Eventually, the concept of Halo 3: ODST wears off on me. I had this problem in the last two Halo games as well. The universe is appealing to me, I really am drawn into the stories and backgrounds of the good and evil in it, but there is something extremely repetitive that kicks in about five hours into a Halo game. I'm usually repaid by a cut-scene full of plot that encourages me to grind through the next level to find out what happens next. Luckily for me and the game, when I'm about to hit my stopping point... it ends!


Zzzzz... wake me up when the exposition is over.

This one wraps up in about... 10 minutes, so it's short and sweet. Playing the game on-line - especially in Firefight! - is an added plus. Also, the Bungie team includes a Halo 3 multiplayer disc that has all the updated maps as a consolation prize. So, even if you don't like the game, you can take out your aggression on ten-year-old prodigies in Sweden, and teabag till the Covenant come home.


Look out, Red! It's one of those chupa-thingies!"

Replayability: 1

Story: 1

Sound: 2

Design: 2

Game Play/Mechanics: 1

SCORE: 7 out of 10

It's definitely worth checking out, but with little replay value, it only serves as an interesting peak at the lives of the ODST and a fun fan service. Hey, at least you get access to Halo 3 multiplayer without having to pick up Halo 3, as well as Firefight.

Stay tuned for the dish inspired by the game - Beef Tenderloin cooked in a Salt Dough HEV!

Monday, October 5, 2009

King Kong Mofongo



The last breath of summer before the cool entrance of autumn. Fall is already in the air, so as a nod to the latest game - Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie - and a fond farewell to summer, here is...

King Kong Mofongo!


My really good friend Christine came down from VA to spend the weekend! Together we managed to whip up a feast that included:
Marinated Chicken with Smokey Chipotle Goat Cheese
Avocado Aioli
Fried Mofongo
Peach Salsa


That's a lot of ground to cover, so let's get started!

What's great about the mofongo, marinade, aioli, and salsa is that you can make it the night before you even need to worry about putting the components of this meal together. Also, they pretty much make themselves. You'll be putting your blender (or food processor) through its paces, believe me.

MOFONGO
1 Sweet Red Pepper
2 Med. Onions
3 Cloves of Garlic
3 Plantains
(look for the really ripe ones, because if they aren't you'll have to cook them to soften them up a bit)
3 slices bacon
1 Tbl. fat
(you can substitute this with shortening, butter, or canola oil)
1 Tbl. cilantro
1 Tbl. parsley
2 Chipotle peppers
(if you're picking up the canned chipotles, feel free to throw in a couple teaspoons of the adobo sauce for more kick!)
2 Cups breadcrumbs
(Recommend: Panko/Japanese bread crumbs)
2 Eggs

* Chop the bacon, and cook over medium heat. Reserve the tablespoon of fat. If you are squeamish about cooking with fat, replace with margarin, shortening, butter, canola oil, the list goes on. You get the idea though.

* Meanwhile! Dice your pepper, onions, and garlic, and add this to the pan with the bacon. Cook until the veggies start to soften.

* Cut your plantains into 1 inch pieces. If you avoided the brownish/ripened plantains at the market, you'll need to cook the unripened (or green) plantains to softness. After that, you'll be ready for...

* Blender! Add everything from the pan into the blender. Bring in about a tablespoon each of the cilantro and the parsley. Everything from bacon and the fat to the veggies to plantains to herbs had better be in there! (don't forget a dash of salt and pepper)

* Pulse! Stop every once and a while to stir up the contents to ensure an even blend. Check your batter.

* If it's runny, add one egg and one cup of panko breadcrumbs. Check the consistency again. Christine and I found you really need to add two eggs and two cups of breadcrumbs. What you are really looking for a is a batter that will bind and cling to your finger, instead of dripping off.

* Chill that in the fridge after dumping your batter into a container.

TO COOK
* Add 1/2 - 1 inch of oil to a pan. It doesn't have to be exact, just enough to get a good bed of oil for the mofongo patties.

* Heat over medium heat

* Mold the batter into small patties. A good way to tell if your oil is ready is to grab just a bit of the batter and toss it into the pan. If you get a good sizzle and starts to brown, you're set. If you get a loud sizzle and the smell of smoke, you need to turn your heat down. Hey, it beats trying that same trick out with water, and you won't be wasting too much batter.



* Add the patties, lifting them from their edge to check. A good, brown bottom (it's okay if there's a little char!) is what you are looking for before you flip. Also, check the sides and see if the color has changed with cooking too.

* Distribute onto a paper towel lined dish.


"Peek-a-b - " CHOMP!

That's the main recipe for this week. Christine and I cooked so much more with our mofongo though, and it was so delicious I've included those recipes below.

Avocado Aioli

1 Cup of Mayo
Juice of 1 Lime Wedge (about 1/4 of a lime)
2 Avocado (pitted)
Pinch of Cilantro (about a Tbl.)
Salt and Pepper to taste

* Blend the mayo, lime juice, avocado (my icecream scoop worked great in cleaning these bad boys out!), cilantro, and salt and pepper.

* Store in a container, and 'fridgerate it.

Next!

Peach Salsa




2 Peaches
1/4 Cup of Corn
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 habanero (optional - more heat!)
1/2 Med. Onion
1 Container of Grape Tomatoes (we used Yellow ones)
1/2 Tbl. Mint
1 Tbl. Cilantro

* Pit and dice the peaches, add to blender

* Add the corn as well, and then the garlic, habanero, onion, and tomatoes after a rough chop

* Add the herbs, as well.

* Blend and store in the fridge.

Peach Marinade

2 Peaches
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 Clove of Garlic
2 Chipotle Peppers
(with about a teaspoon of adobo sauce!)
1 Tbl. Brown Sugar
1 Tbl. Apple Cider (optional, in case you don't have apple cider vinegar... woops!)

* Dice your peaches after pitting them, and chop your garlic and peppers. Add the ingredients all together in the blender once again.

* Store! Fridge

Marinated Chicken Rolled with Smoky Chipotle Goat Cheese


2 Chicken breasts
(look for the big ones ;) )
1/2 Cup Peach Marinade
1/2 bar of Chipotle Goat Cheese
(If you don't have readily available flavored goat cheese, pick up a plain bar, and roll it in a rub made primarily of chipotle, but also cayenne and chili powder)
Butcher's Twine
(This is to hold your rolled meat together as you bake it. Christine and I did not have twine, so we pinned it shut with uncooked spaghetti noodles.)

* Tenderize the chicken. Wrap the breasts individually in plastic wrap. Take your tenderizer - or in my case, an empty wine bottle - and start whacking the chicken in an outward motion from the center. This will spread and flatten the meat, which will come in handy when you need to roll up the goat cheese inside.

* Soak in the peach marinade for about a half an hour, to an hour, or even to the next day.

* Don't be afraid to use your fingers! Start spreading the goat cheese across half the breasts.

* Roll the breasts from the goat cheese tip to the un-goat cheese tip. Tie the rolls enough so they won't come undone, or pin shut with toothpicks (or uncooked spaghetti noodles.)

* Sear in a pan over medium heat.

* Bake at 350(F) for 25 minutes.

* Let sit for ten minutes after removed from the oven. Remove twine, toothpicks, or spaghetti noodles. Cut into medallions, serve.



Stay tuned for Halo3: ODST!