Ben Zanin @gnomon@kitch.win
Joined Feb 2021
meat, fish
Standard Tuesday evening meal again, but I've been teaching myself how to pick fish with more discrimination and boy howdy has that effort been paying off in meal quality.
Ben Zanin
boosted
Hot sauce
I did it finally
I used roughly this recipe: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/hot-sauces/fermented-aji-garlic-hot-sauce/ but I had red Anaheim peppers rather than yellow ají ones, and I fermented a mix of the Anaheims with red sweet peppers because I have a low tolerance
It's good! Very hot for me, still, but the strong garlic flavor I wanted too 🌶🔥🧄
I finally finished the last of that batch of slow cooker refried pinto beans! Lasted about a week and a half, and stayed delicious to the very end.
Tomorrow I'm going to try the recipe again, but black beans instead of pinto, and removing only the seeds from the jalapeños rather than the seeds and the ribs - it could stand just a little bit more heat. Still going with the slow cooker instead of the pressure cooker though, following the principle of changing (approximately) one thing at a time.
Ben Zanin
boosted
food pics, meat
sautéed up some brussel sprouts with bacon, apple, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and garlic and it was pretty delicious. tonight i had it with mashed potato and crumbed chicken.
i think i will make this one again
Ben Zanin
boosted
meat, pork
Cremini mushrooms, Brussels sprouts with bacon, fresh tomatoes, beef disc. Mostly just using up stuff in the fridge, but it made a pretty delicious pair of dinners!
Hmm, I think those Brussels sprouts in the fridge are destined to become dinner tonight...
Ben Zanin
boosted
@Alamantus I shall seek it out!
@Alamantus where might I get my grubby mitts on some cotija in Toronto to carefully evaluate this question..?
Ben Zanin
boosted
Valentine’s dinner, pic this time
Just to double down, added some smoked jalapeño and cheddar bratwurst on the side.
It’s the right smooth texture, with a decent, building kick; the pasta is on point; the sausage adds, obviously, heavy savor, and a more char-like smoke.
Happy Valentine’s Day, you fuckers.
Ben Zanin
boosted
Valentine's dinner, FOR ME
Half a strip steak, a pile of crispy lemon pepper broccoli, and 8 garlic shrimp, that's all I need in life
Ben Zanin
boosted
Gumbo picture
The lil crab. Still cooking. Crabs were frozen and I was recommended to pop em in early
It's Fancy Oatmeal Sunday!
Hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans; plus some nice rolled oats with cinnamon and vanilla. Honestly not much to it at all - maybe I should have toasted the nuts..? - but a nice tasty late morning meal to follow coffee.
Ben Zanin
boosted
Ben Zanin
boosted
Dinner
Maybe my favorite winter meal, roasted brussels sprouts and a little steak
Ben Zanin
boosted
alcohol
Dark rum negroni variation - just swapped out the gin for a nice El Dorado 12. Mostly an excuse to practice my ice carving, really. (Yes, the orange peel is a little over the top. Great for impressing while serving but a bit awkward to drink.)
- 30ml (1oz) dark rum
- 30ml Campari
- 30ml vermouth
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 2 dashes orange bitters
Stir with ice to chill, pour into a chilled coupe, garnish with an ice cube and orange peel. Make sure to spritz with orange oils from the less successful orange peel strip. Drink slowly.
Ben Zanin
boosted
alcohol
I've been working on my cocktail presentation a bit too. This is a clover club with muddled blackberries, mostly for colour but also for the lovely taste.
I used a reverse dry shake to tilt the egg white more towards foamy than silky, but it took almost a full five minutes to strain out the blackberry solids along with the ice! Lesson learned: use the citrus clamshell juicer with a layer of cheesecloth to extract the liquid from the blackberries well beforehand, don't muddle them in. Live and learn!
(My photo technique also needs work: I was trying to focus on the fruit garnish, not the tip of the nearest cocktail pick. Dangit!)
Ben Zanin
boosted
auto cw: could contain food
Mixing 30ml (1oz) of the syrup with ~100ml of club soda makes a delightful drink, and a lime wheel with a sprig of clapped mint brings a nice aromatic accent. This would be even tastier with some lemon in it.
3/3
Ben Zanin
boosted
Took Smitten Kitchen's one-pan Farro (onion, grape tomatoes, garlic, salt, red pepper), and added turmeric, carrots, ricotta, and kale for a creamy, heartier feel. Made a marinade with some lamb chops: lemon, olive oil, coriander, fennel, salt, garlic. Pan-fried the chops, combined, topped with a little more ricotta. Mmmm.
Joined Feb 2021
