What is in your cup?

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by cromag

Starting mug #4, fortifying myself for some serious shovelling!

Maybe you should have brandy before shoveling! Isn't that what's in the St. Bernard's neck kegs?

[CRussel]

No, no. What shoveling calls for is something smoky and peaty. A nice bit of Laphroaig, perhaps?

[Stitchawl]

Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing
Ring ting tingle-ing too
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you

Outside the snow is falling
And friends are calling "Yoo Hoo"
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you

Giddy-yap giddy-yap giddy-yap
let's go
Let's look at the snow
We're riding in a wonderland of snow

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co7ZGOjGV4A )

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Maybe you should have brandy before shoveling! Isn't that what's in the St. Bernard's neck kegs?

Originally Posted by CRussel

No, no. What shoveling calls for is something smoky and peaty. A nice bit of Laphroaig, perhaps?

What shoveling calls for is either a ticket for a cruise to the Bahamas or a condo in northern Thailand!

Good morning, everyone! The sun is just about to climb over the mountain tops on the other side of the valley, and today there is no ground fog at all to block the view. Camera's ready.... So is my cup of East India Company's "Royal Breakfast" tea! Good stuff for sunrise viewing! I'm getting excited waiting... Odd... I see it every morning and yet every morning it excites me. I guess sunrise is like that!

Stitchawl

[dreams]

End of a very long day and coffee in my cup.

I think I need some of that daily excitement that Stitchawl has.

[cromag]

Seriously, I was just getting ready to shovel -- in fact, I had one shoe on one foot and one boot on the other -- when there was a knock on the door. A couple of college kids in a pick-up truck with a heavy duty snow blower asked if I'd be interested in having them clear the driveway for me. I decided that this must be why I had an irresistible urge to go to the ATM Sunday afternoon!

The snow was about 8 inches deep. Unlike our previous "dry, powdery" snows, this was wet and dense -- about like shovelling a path through deep mud. Best money I ever spent!

And I still get to relax with a glass of zinfandel, as if I'd done it myself!

[CRussel]

Smart, cromag. Very smart!

End of a very, very, very long day. I'm going to pour a couple of fingers of Talisker, read a few pages, and crash head first into my book.

[bjones6416]

Hazelnut coffee and a banana/brown sugar scone. (Yes, I play fast and loose with the ingredients I put in scones!) Reading all the fallout from last week's storm, political and otherwise. I'm pretty sure a few people will be job-hunting...

[Stitchawl]

Banana-mango lassi as an after-dinner treat!

Originally Posted by bjones6416

.....a banana/brown sugar scone. (Yes, I play fast and loose with the ingredients I put in scones!)

Oh, the rebel in you! Keep it up and KK is going to have to share her 'adventuress' title with you soon!


Stitchawl

[ProfCrash]

Genmaicha in my cup.

I know we have some good cooks here so a question for you all.

LM sometimes likes meat but mainly doesn't. I know this is perfectly normal but I want him to get protein from something other then milk. He happens to enjoy tofu. Loves it in fact. Scarfs it down like no tomorrow when we are at our favorite Japanese restaurant.

I bought some firm tofu but how the heck do I prepare it? I am looking for quick, reasonably healthy, and without making a huge mess. Last night I tossed it in a pan with some olive oil. It warmed it up but didn't look all that exciting. He ate 1/4 of the package cooked like that so the kid isn't exactly picky. I would like to do better with the tofu if I can.

Please and thank you

[Dylrob]

Smirnoff Ice.


In my defense, some of my ancestors did come from Russia.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Genmaicha in my cup.

I know we have some good cooks here so a question for you all.

LM sometimes likes meat but mainly doesn't. I know this is perfectly normal but I want him to get protein from something other then milk. He happens to enjoy tofu. Loves it in fact. Scarfs it down like no tomorrow when we are at our favorite Japanese restaurant.

I bought some firm tofu but how the heck do I prepare it? I am looking for quick, reasonably healthy, and without making a huge mess. Last night I tossed it in a pan with some olive oil. It warmed it up but didn't look all that exciting. He ate 1/4 of the package cooked like that so the kid isn't exactly picky. I would like to do better with the tofu if I can.

Please and thank you

A site that often has good discussions / recipe ideas is Chowhound.

This should be a link to a search of their recipe database for tofu (if i've done it correctly).

[Stitchawl]

Enjoying a small glass of Capt. Morgan rum!

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

I would like to do better with the tofu if I can.

We eat a LOT of tofu. I prepare it so many different ways, depending on which ethnicity I feel like serving. But my all-time favorite is a Chinese dish called Ma Pwo Tofu (sometimes spelled Ma po tofu.) It's originally a Szechuan recipe, but if you leave out the red pepper and the spice bean paste, it won't be too hot for your little man. It uses just 100gm of ground beef as part of the flavoring, but it's the Tofu that's the main ingredient. Here is my recipe for the dish.

MA PWO BEAN CURD

4 squares soft bean curd
4 oz lean beef, finely minced (ground)
4 small scallions (white and green parts)

2-3 TBS frying oil

1 tablespoon fermented black bean, finely chopped (Find in the Asian isle of most US supermarkets)
2 teaspoons hot bean paste (Use just 1/4 tsp for the flavor. It won't be too spicy
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger (fresh, not powdered)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh red chili pepper or chili sauce (leave out for the boy)
1 teaspoon Chinese brown peppercorn powder (for topping before serving)

SEASONING:
1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce (Chinese, not Japanese)
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 cup (8 fluid oz) chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Cut the beancurd into 1/2 inch cubes and drain until needed. Trim and cut the scallions into 1" pieces. Heat the frying oil and stir-fry the beef until lightly coloured, then add the scallions and stir-fry a further 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, chopped black beans, the bean paste, garlic, ginger, and chili pepper of chili sauce and stir-fry for a further 30 seconds, then add the pre-mixed seasoning ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute.

Drain the bean curd and add to the sauce, reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is well reduced and the flavor thoroughly permeating the bean curd (about 10 minutes.) Transfer to a serving dish and season with Szechuan pepper. Serve over rice.
----------------------------------------

Another few more dishes...
slice tofu into slabs, coat with soysauce, dredge in flour, then fry until golden brown on both sides. Quick and easy!
---------------------------------
Cold Tofu with soy sauce and grated daikon
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Crumbled tofu used like ground meat with Mexican seasonings. Even mild salsa works well!



Stitchawl

[ProfCrash]

Thanks! Little man loves the stuff so what the hey. I have never cooked with it before.

[dreams]

cromag - What great luck about the knock on the door and the urge for the ATM visit. Didn't it feel great to see someone else move all that snow?

Early morning Sumatra coffee in my cup.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Thanks! Little man loves the stuff so what the hey. I have never cooked with it before.

It's not in my main cooking comfort zone, but just keep in mind that it doesn't have a whole lot of flavour of its own, but takes on the flavours of the dish it's in, you won't go far wrong. Dishes like Stichawl's work well - they use a very small amount of meat for flavour, and the tofu picks up that flavour, along with the other flavours in the dish. (And don't be afraid to put a bit of spice in LM's food.)

Beautiful sunny day, but COLD. Lapsang Souchong in my cup -- I need something hearty.