Sunday, February 14, 2010

Woooaaaah.... Flavor Trippin'

Miracle fruit is an evergreen plant. It produces berries that effect one's taste receptors... making sour foods taste sweet! The active protein in the plant is called miraculin (obviously named by an adorable biologist) and it is believed to interact with the taste receptors causing this change in flavor perception.

Meet David Nguyen; he will host your unique culinary experience for this evening. Naturalist and miracle berry purveyor, David organizes these flavor tripping tastings and promotes a natural soap—a fruit that IS soap... I think. David will explain to you how the berry works, and then issues a warning: although the food tastes different, it will effect you the same. I mean, if you suck a whole lemon and drink a shot of tabasco...

To get the maximum effect, swish the skin and juice of the berry around your mouth for about two minutes. Be sure not to bite the pit, as it is bitter and disgusting. Spit the pit out, and for the next 30–60 minutes, you will experience sour foods like never before. 


The best part of my experience was the lemons—sucking lemon and lime slices tasted like candy! Guinness was a close second; although I read it tasted like a chocolate shake on the Interwebs prior to the tasting, I didn't quite get that sensation. It was exceedingly delicious, but difficult for me to put into words. Salt and vinegar chips—one of my favorite snacks—was horrid. A sweet and salty potato chip was not quite my cup of tea.

The tab was $20, which included the miracle berry, some wine and Guinness, and an assortment of sour treats. It was a great experience, and friends and I really enjoyed doing a little something out of the ordinary. A highly recommended unique experience!

Lamb Chops with Red Wine Reduction and Red Kale


Kapes and I recently had the treat of shopping at Newflower Market, a new, independent organic-ish grocer in Austin.
We walked away with lamb chops and kale, two things we had never cooked before, but I was determined to make them amazing. I really think we succeeded.

Lamb Chops with Red Wine Reduction

1 large glass of red wine
2 large shallots
3 large rosemary sprigs, chopped finely.
2 midsize (6-8oz.) lamb chops
2 tablespoons of butter
salt and pepper

Marinate the lamb chops in the red wine with some salt and pepper for a few hours in the fridge. When you remove the chops, save the wine.

Preheat your over to 300.

Heat the butter in a saucepan. Chop the shallots finely and add them to the pan, cooking them until they are translucent. Add the red wine and bring to a simmer. Reduce the red wine slowly.

Rub the lamb chops with the rosemary, salt and pepper. Heat a pan to a very high temperature, preferably a cast-iron skillet. Sear the chops for 2 minutes on both sides, creating a slight char on the surface. Transfer the chops to a oven dish and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the chops are pink and tender throughout.


By now your sauce should be thick and dark. Pour over the chops and serve immediately.

Serves 2

Red Kale

Cut the long, stemmy ends off of the kale. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and drop in the kale. Boil for ten minutes, or longer. You pretty much can't overdo this.

Drain the kale, and pat it as dry as possible. Heat some oil in a pan and add a touch of garlic, frying it until it is aromatic. Drop in the kale, and saute for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

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I also made green beans with almond slivers. I just cooked them both in butter until the almonds toasted up. They were unbelievably delicious.

I've found that pan searing and baking is a good option for making steaks and chops at home, as it tends to produce a more tender final product that is pink throughout. It is my understanding that many top steakhouses cook their steaks this way, as well. So far, I have had nothing but success with this technique, and it's great for people who live in apartments or can't grill outside for whatever reason.

Bon appetit!

Bleu Cheese Encrusted Baked Chicken


Tonight, MikeDub said to me "I love parmesan crusted chicken. I wish we could do the same with bleu cheese," at which point a culinary experiment began... The result was a fantastic, yet simple baked chicken dish. Enjoy!

Bleu Cheese Encrusted Baked Chicken

The Crust

1 c. flour
Bleu cheese crumbles (just less than 1/4 cup)
Chopped almond slivers
Salt and Pepper

Encrusting
• Remove most of the skin from about eight chicken drumsticks using a kitchen knife. Although the skin is "nature's oven bag" for keeping the moisture in baked chicken, this dish doesn't need it at all.
• Beat two eggs
• Dip the chicken in the egg, and then quickly into the Crust mixture
• Coat with egg and Crust again, if desired.
• Bake on a lightly greased pan at 375 ºF for 30 minutes
• Flip the chicken. You may need to free the drumsticks from the bottom of the pan using a spatula, so that the Crust doesn't peel clean off!
• Bake about 20–30 minutes more (cooked chicken internal temperature=165 ºF)
• Serve and enjoy!