レモン接吻 (Lemon Kiss)

COOKIES!

2010-03-08T17:10:00.000-05:00

Oreo Cookies are gods gift to man. He brought forth a heavily creation that was this chocolate cookie twin with sugar cream in the center. While moderately expensive compared to many other cookies, the Oreo Cookie isn't going anywhere anytime soon. People will always buy, eat and dunk their Oreo Cookies as long as they little things still get made.

History of the Oreo Cookie @ About.com

Oreo Wiki

Tuesday, December 29, 2009, that's when the last post on this blog was created. That is a long chunk of time to go between posts, it is.

A blog about food is a good idea but without things to talk about, whatever is there a point? So, we add a point and do things like post food like things on said blog. Then we, perhaps, link it to a different blog that has more viewers.

Leftovers?! Oh no!

2009-12-29T12:35:00.000-05:00

Yes, we all know leftovers get boring. Any time you have a big (or not-so-big) feast, there could easily be leftovers, right? We demand variety! None of that feast after feast after feast crap! Let's say you had turkey and stuffing left over. All you need is some mayonnaise, some dill, shredded cheese, and a tortilla or two...or three.

What you'll need:
Turkey
Stuffing
Mayonnaise
Dill
Shredded Cheese (optional)
Spinach (optional)
1-3 tortillas (or more if you're THAT hungry...)

What to do:
Warm up the tortilla(s), the stuffing, and the turkey to the desired temperature.
Plate the tortilla(s)
Spread the mayonnaise over 1/3 of the tortilla (starting at an end. This will be in the middle when this is done.)
Add a few pinches of dill (not too much or it'll taste like turkey and pickles) through the center of the mayo.
1/6 of the way up the tortilla (mayonnaise facing you, so halfway up the mayonnaise) add the stuffing.
Up to the next 1/3 of the tortilla, place a few pieces of turkey (too much and it'll fall out when you roll it)
Add a few rinsed leaves of spinach over the turkey and stuffing.
Add cheese over the spinach.
Roll the tortilla. I find it works best with one tight roll at the mayo end, then fold in the sides, then tightly roll the rest of the way, making sure the sides stay parallel (if they don't, which they probably won't, just fold in what's left until they are).
Eat and...well, it's leftovers. What can you expect?

Soup(s)

2009-11-02T02:50:00.000-05:00

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

It's getting cold, at least in some places, and it's time to make soup!

Soup has to be one of the easiest things to make, and possibly eat, on this entire planet (With the exception of the PB&J). One of the best things about soup is you can put just about ANYTHING into it. Go digging! Let's see what is hiding in our fridge and, with the exception of desert type stuff, throw it in! You take a really big pot, fill it with a ton of water then start dropping whatever it is your found, into it.

I've seen some rather interesting things come from this event, not all of them good, but watch out for problems. A common being that fruit must be paired correctly with its veggies and meat. Most veggies and meat can just randomly get thrown together with other things to have no harm but fruit, don't work that way. (Yes, you can put fruit in soup.)

Simple Warning: Bake or broil your fruit stuffs before throwing them into a soup, or stew, to prevent from problems of the health nature. Anyway, this post had a main point but it seems lost.

EAT YOUR SOUP!

How to Eat A Star Fruit

2009-10-21T23:21:00.001-04:00

3 weeks since the last post, huh? Well, why not explain something? We haven't had many how-to's that aren't recipes.

<-- It's a little early to eat this unless you want sour star fruit (some recipes call for it)

A ripe star fruit is yellow with a little bit of brown. The points of the star are brown. Cut those off (just the brown part). Cut the ends of the star fruit off (the stem end and the opposite one). Slice it so you have lots of stars (as many or as few as you feel like cutting in it). Remove the seeds. You can just push them out with your knife if you cut the slices thin enough. After that, you can enjoy them. If you've never had one before, they're between the texture of a granny smith apple and a watermelon and between the flavors of a kiwi and a red delicious apple. And they look cool.

Trend?

2009-09-28T23:55:00.001-04:00

I'm sort of staying with the trend with this one, but my lunch today was all leftovers: Rice (leftover onigiri), baked beans (with onions and such), butternut squash, and honey. I could have sworn there was more, but...yeah, not sure what the last one was. It's not really a recipe, but here's how everything was prepared individually:

Rice: rice cooker...that's about it...after that, it was formed into a triangle with wet hands with some sea salt.

Beans: cooked in a pot on the stove.

Squash: cut in half, put in the oven in a pyrex...thing...with water about halfway up.

Honey: bees.

The beans and rice went into the microwave for about 2 minutes (occasionally stirring) to reheat. When they came out, the squash and honey got mixed in. If you plan on making this, make the amounts to your liking. In mine, they were all roughly the same portions...except the honey...'cause honey is powerful. I love honey ^_^

Something Interesting

2009-09-25T01:19:00.000-04:00

Tomato soup, elbow noodles and hot dogs with some cheese.

Really, cook the noodles but stop right before "how you like them" then strain them noodles, turn down the stove top and start to warm up the soup. The hot dogs, well I nuke them cause I'm lazy but generally cook them however you like. Chop up the dogs and toss everything together then let the soup get warm. I'd assume it not to take to long if you used the same pot you used for the noodles.

It wasn't the prettiest meal and for fun I threw in some Parmesan cheese we had chilling in the fridge. It was just that cheap powdered stuff you throw on spaghetti but it added something excellent to the whole meal. Generally, it was a quick and pleasantly tasting magic concoction of math and science. Okay no math and science but it was tasty and very much a concoction.

Honestly, my favorite type of foods are those that people "made up", provided it still tastes good. Its got a nice personal flavor to it (not literal) and makes the meal, even if simple, special. Make things up as you go and if it don't turn out "right" then no biggy. It was just left overs, right? So, honestly, who cares?

GOT GOLDFISHES!

2009-09-17T01:08:00.000-04:00

The best little snack cracker you can get at the grocer and most people don't know they can make their own. (Note: This is a personal "recipe" and I've only done this twice and its been years. They will also not taste/look exactly like Goldfish Crackers.)

What You Need

Salt
Block Cheese
Cheese Slicer
Baking Sheet
Time

Optional

Small Cookie Cutter
Powdered Food Coloring

First thing you need to know is that to make these you have to slow bake and you've got to do it at a LOW temperature. The thing with cheese is that it burns fast so you need to watch it, hence the need for time. This isn't something you can "slam in the stove" on a baking sheet and forget about with a timer cause these babies will go QUICK. The problem is that you need a lot to make a little cause a good chunk of them will burn no matter what you do.

Lightly grease the pan with PAM or something of that nature. It really needs to not be to much otherwise the cheese will soak it up and your result will be rather gross and soggy. Have fun if you don't grease at all.

The oven temp depends on a lot of things but you don't want it over 350 and it has to be over 100. There isn't a set temperature mainly because the things cook to fast one way and to slow another... and the balance is always oven-to-oven different. Sadly, you must experiment with this.

Take the cheese and make REALLY, REALLY THIN and REALLY SMALL slices. I'm talking right before they are impossible to pick up. This is because they wont turn "crispy" if its thick and they wont cook fast enough if they are large. Instead they get gooey and gross. The cheese slices should be practically see through and only about 1inch all way round. (If you want to use a cookie cutter, make slices bigger in size but keep slice thickness)

Take the slices and put them on the pan, VERY SEPARATED. If the slices touch, they'll NEVER turn crispy and instead turn into a cheesy mess. It is at this point that you can use the cookie cutter. Yes, you have to use it on the pan because the slices are too flimsy and weak to be moved about so often. I'd really suggest against this, however, as it makes things too complicated.

At this point you sprinkle salt (not a lot, just a pinch) on the shapes. The salt is a catalyst and helps keep from melting and instead makes the cheese want to bake (Actually it makes it want to burn but that's why you are watching it). It is at this time that you may also lightly sprinkle with powdered food coloring. This is only to make the things all "pretty". You can't use anything other then the powdered because, again, it results in "gooey cheese" and not "cheese cracker". Warning: A lot of powered food coloring has salt or at least crystals that react the same way. Thus, use less salt. I'd suggest against food coloring at all but it can be done.

From here you just slide the things in and watch. The trick is that what you are doing is actually trying to burn the cheese slices "solid" but at the same time "catch them" before they actually burn. If the oven has been preheated this will happen within a couple of minutes or even sooner (assuming you made small slices, didn't soak the sheet with grease/etc and added the salt). At first, the cheese starts to melt but then the salt gets in there and it starts to burn. This is where you'll need to grab the sheet and pull them out. Anything around the edge might be extra burnt and anything in the center might be gooey.... this I've yet to "fix" as I'm not exactly a chef.

I am always happy with the outcome of this odd food experiment regardless of what burnt what went "gooey" and what turned into actual cracker. Its like an extra "surprise" snack! Once you let everything cool its got a random consistency and taste that bleeds well, I think, together. During the "cool down" you can add any other powdered seasonings you want. At this point, what you have will work basically like popcorn made of cheese.

Eggs Benedict

2009-09-10T12:11:00.004-04:00

I like eggs benedict. They suck to make if you're lazy, but they're well worth the effort. I'm sure at least a few people don't know what they are (Eggs Benedict, not the readers themselves), so it's RECIPE TIME! This recipe is from the Food Network Kitchens, so it must be good.

Eggs Benedict
From Food Network Kitchens

Prep Time:45 min

Inactive Prep Time:--

Cook Time:--
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

Water
1/2 cup distilled vinegar, divided
12 large eggs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
12 slices Canadian bacon
6 plain English muffins, split
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE, recipe follows
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives or finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions
Pour enough water into 2 large skillets to reach a depth of about 3 inches, and divide the vinegar between them. Bring both skillets to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Crack an egg into a cup and carefully slide it into the hot poaching liquid. Quickly repeat with all the eggs. Poach the eggs, turning them occasionally with a spoon, until the whites are firm, or to the desired degree of doneness, about 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs and transfer to a kitchen towel. Lightly dab the eggs with the towel to remove any excess water.

While the eggs are poaching, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Canadian bacon and cook until heated through, about a minute on each side.

To serve, toast the English muffin halves and divide them among 6 warmed plates. Top each half with a slice of Canadian bacon, and set an egg on top. Spoon the hollandaise sauce over the eggs and garnish with the chives. Serve immediately.

Hollandaise Sauce

1 1/3 cup unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon strained freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper or a pinch of cayenne pepper

In a medium pan, completely melt the butter over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and set it aside for 5 minutes. Skim and discard the white foam that rises to the surface of the butter. Carefully ladle or pour the clear golden butter into a container with a pouring spout. Take care not to add the milky solids and watery liquid at the bottom of the saucepan. Set the butter aside in a warm spot.

Pour enough water into a medium saucepan to reach a depth of about 2 inches. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the egg yolks and the cold water. Whisk until the yolks are light and frothy. Place the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly and vigorously until the yolks are thickened and light, about 3 to 4 minutes. (If the eggs begin to scramble, or the mixture is cooking very quickly or gets too hot, remove the bowl from the heat and whisk to cool). Remove the eggs from the heat and whisk for 30 seconds to cool slightly.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and set the bowl over the hot water. Slowly drizzle the butter into the eggs while whisking constantly. Whisk in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper, to taste. (If the sauce is very thick, add a few drops of warm water to adjust the consistency so it is creamy and light.) Serve immediately or keep the hollandaise sauce in a small bowl set over warm, but not hot water, for about 30 minutes or in a warmed thermos for about an hour.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, GP. All rights reserved

9/16/09 - I have recently tested this recipe; it IS good.

B-O-L-O-G-N-A =/= Baloney

2009-08-31T00:13:00.001-04:00

Recently, while traveling to get groceries and the like, I have noticed that the "common brand" or "generic" bologna has been spelling its products name incorrectly.

Baloney =/= Bologna and never will. This is just, STUPID! Why are people not only ENCOURAGING THIS but also stating that the other (bologna) spelling is actually wrong?

That's just, annoying! I eat bologna, not "ball-oony".

One of my favorite little slices of meat gets tainted by stupid. This is not something I am amused to hear or see!

There is a very glad look on my face, however, when it turns out that they are chemically the same. Thus just making it a "merchandise puck up" on the sellers point. I just hope that people realize one is not how the thing is actually spelled and is a slang term.

McDonalds

2009-08-23T03:08:00.013-04:00

Sure, it's not good for you (not even the salads or apple slices for the kids...ESPECIALLY not those), but people still develop near-addiction to the food here.

"Hey, it's cheap!"
You sure about that? Let's see, something cheap...The classic Hamburger: 89 cents (at the McDonalds' around here). Let's see: 1 hamburger bun (top and bottom, of course), one 1/4 lb burger, minced onions, three pickle slices, and maybe half an ounce of ketchup (being generous here). Here are some prices I found for these on GroceryGoGo.com:

Arnold Select 8 Hamburger Rolls - 8ct:        $3.19
Fresh Ground Beef - 80% Lean apx 2 lb:        $8.40
Onions White - 1 lb:                          $2.59
Vlasic Whole Original Dill Pickles 46 oz jar: $4.89
Heinz Ketchup Squeeze 32 oz sqz:              $2.69
---------------------------------------------------
TOTAL:                                       $21.76

MATH TIME!

$3.19 / 8 buns = apx          $0.40 ea = $0.40
$8.40 / 8 '1/4' lb patties =  $1.05 ea = $1.05
Onion = (guess)               $0.12 ea = $0.02
Pickles = (guess)             $0.02 ea = $0.06*
$2.69 / 64 '1/2' oz ketchup = $0.04    = $0.04
----------------------------------------------
TOTAL PRICE PER BURGER                   $1.57*

So, yes, it's cheaper for you to go to McDonalds. BUT for 68 cents more*, you can get an even BETTER burger that was made when you made it and seasoned as you like it (preferably with panko and a "secret family recipe" of herbs and spices...or steak sauce. Not to mention, you do have to factor in the drink...and why not drink some water...or as Dudel suggested, Kool-Aid.
Oh, and if you think about it, they're paying probably less than 10% on that. I actually DID choose a slightly more expensive way, as I didn't include frozen meat or bulk quantities.

*EDIT: I didn't change it in the math, but the price of the pickles wouldn't even register, as I put my price guess for a WHOLE pickle. So...yeah...the final is 6 cents off, but it's still a lot.

"They have healthy options, too, don't they?"
I'll let you believe that. It's mostly wrong, but go ahead and believe it.

"So I take it you don't go there often?"
I try not to, but like White Castle, I ate there once and get random STRONG cravings. I usually get the Cheeseburger or Double Cheeseburger...which is a little strange as I don't like beef...but then again, that's not beef ^_^

Dudel Accepts... WITH KOOL-AID!

2009-08-21T23:19:00.001-04:00

Graciously accepting to be co-writer of "Lemon Kiss" (Which is an odd/funny blog name, English or not.) I shall open this up with a talk/discussion on Kool-Aid.

Sugar, water, food coloring and a bit of artificial flavors add up to a rather interesting drink, in my opinion. A lot of people have this preconceived notion about Kool-Aid being "bad" as its "only sugar water" but actually that is good for your body. Now, everything is indeed "bad" if done in excess even the wonder of "vegetables", but what is "good" about "colored sugar water"?

Cost Effective: That's right, the whole things is cheap! Costing free water from your tap and a fifty cent packet of "sugar flavors" you have something that will last for a week, or more, and has more flavor to it then the lead of your pipes.

Basically Water: Indeed, Kool-Aid is just water with sugar and some other "Junk" but it is about 90% water. Your body NEEDS water and few people actually drink the amount the body wants/needs. Supplementing with "other drinks" that have less water leads to dehydration and digestion "issues". (Three glasses of milk and something like nine glasses of water each day are needed for a proper healthy system.)

No Caffeine: Soda is, on average, the most popular "drink" for young kids and even adults. This is worse then drinking "just sugar water" as you add caffeine and all kinds of sugary syrups. Not to mention that, on average again, soda lasts less then Kool-Aid. (Yes there commercials are correct and not just stuff they are trying to force feed you.) The price of one GALLON of Kool-Aid is less then one twelve once can of soda/pop/soft drink.

Body Needs: Your body NEEDS SUGAR and drinking Kool-Aid as just the right amount to give you what is needed, of course adding extra stuff is being ignored here. With the addition of water the sugar is quickly used so the chance of a "buzz" wears off quickly and has little to no "crash", unless you hyper consume the stuff.

Now, I'm going to throw out some "personal thoughts" about how Kool-Aid could "help".

If you are/were a vegan, do you know how much sugar you are missing from not eating ANY animal products? I mean, more power to you you but there is a SEVER lacking of sugar intake. Now most supplement this with an odd "candy habit" but that is BRUTAL on the teeth and digestive system. (Especially chocolate as it is a natural laxative, if not a weak one.) Adding just a few glasses of Kool-Aid does no harm in killing animals or using them against their will while giving you that sugar you need without creating a bad "candy habit".

Teens/young adults all are "go go go" and if you don't "get water" you lose energy. A lot of misconception is that you need an "energy boost" but about half the time your system is just dehydrated. This is "fixed" by your body saying "I'm thirsty". Most would pick a soda and others water but lets meet in the middle and have fun with it! (Gatorade type liquids are good too as they are basically salt water.. which you lose salt and sugar while working so both are good but Kool-Aid should be drank less often then the other.)

Kool-Aid is only the enemy of Soda and actual Juice and both are more expensive. While one would be "better" (Juice) it can't be ingested as often as Kool-Aid due to natural sugars making your body find itself as "full" instead of "quenched". Juices of the Apple, orange and others that are "citrusy" don't actually remove thirst but instead remove hunger. The body doesn't recognize the juices as "juice" but more like "liquid food".

Well my point is "KOOL-AID AIN'T EVIL!"

Lemon Bars

2009-07-19T19:21:00.000-04:00

This lemon bar recipe comes from About.com's "Cooking for Kids" section. I take no credit for this recipe, nor do I claim ownership (can't necessarily do that anyway...). These bars should take roughly an hour to make.

Lemon Bars
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

For the Filling:
5 large eggs
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Add flour to mixture just until it comes together as a dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead a few times. Press into bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan.

Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let crust cool on a wire rack.

For the filling, beat eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest together. Whisk in flour until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 30 minutes or until filling is set.

Let lemon bars cool to room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Makes 36 lemon bars.

Basic White Bread

2009-07-17T17:59:00.000-04:00

Don't skimp on anything in this recipe, ESPECIALLY the kneading. Do the full 10 minutes, no less. Also, PLEASE don't use substitutions...or a bread machine thing.

Basic White Bread

Makes two 9" x 5" x 3" loaves

1/2 cup scalded milk
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons butter (yes, butter.)
1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115^oF)
1 packet active dry yeast
about 6 cups sifted flour
1-2 tablespoons melted butter (optional)

Mix milk, sugar, and butter in a small bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves and cool until lukewarm.

Pour warm water into a large warm bowl, sprinkle in yeast, and stir until dissolved. Stir in milk mixture, add 3 cups flour, and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Use your hands to mix in enough flour (adding a little at a time) to make a soft dough. Mixture should be sticky, but leave the sides of the bowl relatively clean. Knead for 10 minutes on a lightly floured board or counter, adding as little extra flour as possible.

Shape into a smooth ball, place in a greased large bowl, turning bowl to grease all over. Cover with a cloth in a warm, draft-free spot and let rise for an hour or so (until it has doubled in size).

Punch down, turn onto lightly floured board/counter and let rest 5 minutes. Knead lightly for 2 minutes. Halve the dough and shape each into two loaves that are 7" x 4" each (not sure about the height), place in greased loaf pans, cover, and and let rise again until they double in size (about an hour) again. About 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400^oF. When both loaves have risen, brush tops with melted butter (for a softer crust). Bake 35-40 minutes (times vary by oven) until golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped. Turn out immediately and cool on wire racks.

Cookies

2009-07-16T00:17:00.000-04:00

Doesn't everyone like cookies? While I know some people can't eat cookies, and a few people don't, I still love cookies equally as much as I love lemons. My favorite are oatmeal chocolate chip (made with any oatmeal raisin recipe, sans raisins and avec chocolate chips), but I have a soft spot for regular chocolate chip (as I've baked them many times, starting with my first time baking them with my grandma and my dad on our family farm [which has gone to pot since we sold it] when I was 2 years old.)

Now, people often debate whether hard and crunchy or soft and chewy cookies are better. I say that if they're buying them from a store or a vending machine, neither is better, as they're automatically crap unless they're homemade, since homemade ones aren't made with as many partially hydrogenated oils, if any at all. But when it comes to homemade cookies, I prefer chewy cookies. Hard cookies are a sign of the cookies being burnt or old. The longer a cookie stays soft, the better the cookie is. Personally, my chocolate chip cookies can go months before they go hard (tested with cookies I forgot about in a sealed container) and I have yet to see them get stale (the tested one was still quite yummy).

So, if you like cookies, feel free to tell me your type preference and favorite level of hardness.

Hmm...

2009-07-11T00:59:00.000-04:00

Not sure why I made this blog. I might as well say something, though. Let's see...

I like lemons. Lemons are yummy. It's not often one gets to say whatever they want, especially when lemons are involved, especially lemon kisses. Lemon flavoring, on the other hand, usually isn't too good. There has to be just the right balance of sweet and sour. Speaking of sweet and sour, I'll say something about Asian food that I noticed on Rachel Ray: SHE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT IT. She thinks you should have more meat and almost no rice, but the dish she made should have been mostly rice with a tiny bit of meat and sauce on top to add a little flavor.

On that note: The Japanese word for meal, gohan (御飯), is also the word for cooked rice. なぜか (Why?)。 Because RICE SHOULD BE THE MAIN DISH. Except in America, of course. I'd love to see people from America try to find the stuff we call Asian food ANYWHERE in Asia from a place that isn't influenced by Western dishes. Even in India (at least going by what Buddhist monks there have prepared here), the main dish is the rice with curry on top (and not what most Americans call curry).

On a related note, when my mother and I made food alongside the monks (we made the dinner that night), the curry they made was the best food of any kind I've ever eaten. Maybe I'll put the recipe on here eventually...but...well...they didn't exactly follow a recipe and no measurement went on. It was merely a list of ingredients.
And I had pizza for dinner today. VERY cheesy pizza. Hospital pizza, but it was good, nonetheless. Maybe some other time I'll rant on hospital food.