Master of Disaster!*

(Posted by Kyle)
*Title suggested and approved by Steph.

A year and a half after finishing her coursework, Steph decided it was time to apply for graduation. Her diploma came in the mail last week! I wanted to throw her another graduation party, but she wouldn't let me. So we just had a little ceremony here at the house. Steph walked across the living room balancing a book on her head while I hummed Pomp and Circumstance.

Eating with St'yle: Halibut Veracruz

(Posted by Kyle)

HALIBUT VERACRUZ

from recipezaar.com

We have prepared our summer catch of halibut in a few different ways, but by far our favorite is this recipe for halibut Veracruz that we found on the web. The web search was prompted by a tasty version of the dish made for us by Joe while we were in Alaska.

Ingredients:

5 ripe tomatoes

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons seeded and minced serrano chilies (more if wanted)

1/4 cup sliced Spanish olives (stuffed with pimentos)

2 tablespoons capers

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

6 halibut fillets (6 oz each)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 teaspoons unsalted butter or butter substitute


Place tomatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake at 450°F for 20 minutes. Turn tomatoes; bake 20 more minutes or until skins are blistered and lightly browned. Pulse tomatoes and pan juices in a food processor until roughly chopped.

Sauté onion in 2 tablespoons hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and serrano; sauté 15 seconds; adding olives, capers, and chopped tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in oregano.

Sprinkle halibut with salt and pepper. Melt butter with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add halibut; cook 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with sauce, fluffy white rice and a green vegetable. (We usually use basmati rice, and serve with steamed green beans or broccoli.)

Eating With St'yle: Kyle's First Pizza

(Posted by Kyle)


According to Steph's New Year's post, we will be presenting some of the kinds of meals we eat, for the entertainment of some, and the edification of others who sometimes wonder what exactly we do eat. So here's the first installment.

GREEK PIZZA WITH WHOLE WHEAT CRUST

From Moosewood Restaurant Cooking For Health

Unless my memory is completely on the fritz, I believe this is the first pizza I have ever made by myself from start to finish. I'm pretty sure it's the first time I've made pizza dough, anyway.

The dough: Mix 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast and 1 tsp sugar in 1 cup warm water and set aside until yeast is dissolved and is bubbly. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 tsp olive oil,  and 1 tsp salt. Cover and place in a warm spot to rise for 45 min.

In a food processor, puree one 15 oz can garbanzo beans (drained), 3 Tbs water, 4 tsp lemon juice, 1 Tbs olive oil, and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.

In a skillet, cook two cloves of minced garlic in one Tbs olive oil for a minute. Add 10 oz (5 cups) chopped fresh spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted and still bright green. Set aside.

Oil a 14 or 15 inch pizza pan. Use a spatula to scrape the dough onto the pan. Flour your hands and push and pat the dough evenly over the pan, forming a ridge at the edge.

Spread the chick pea puree over the dough, and top with the spinach, 2 cups chopped tomato, and one 14 oz can of drained and chopped artichoke hearts. Sprinkle with 1 tsp dried oregano, ground black pepper, and 3/4 cup grated kasseri, feta, or asiago cheese.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crust bottom has browned.

We used a goat's milk feta cheese, and added kalamata olives to half. The garbanzo base is just a Tbs of tahini away from being hummus, so you could probably use store bought hummus if you're like me and don't like cleaning the food processor.

We were very pleased with how this turned out and will be making it again for sure.

Willow's New Favorite Toy

(Posted by Kyle)

Willow's Grandma Cromer gave her a new toy for Christmas, and she's taken to it like I've never seen her take to anything. Willow, for as long as I've known her, has not engaged in very much dog like activity. I try to get her to chase sticks and tennis balls and get nothing. But now she goes crazy over these three little squirrels. She carries them around in her mouth, brings them back to us when we throw them, and can't wait to get back into the house after a walk to play with them.

The squirrels came in this plush tree trunk. You are supposed to put them in the trunk and let the dog get them out. It increases your dog's intelligence, so the box claims. Willow is still struggling with this part, and loses interest pretty quickly. She can get her whole head in the trunk, though, and that's pretty funny to watch.

That's me in the back timing her.

Willow says, "Thanks, Grandma!"

Potato Bologna

(Posted by Kyle)


While in Muscatine for the holidays, I was able to observe the Cromer family tradition of making potato bologna (or is it baloney? It's got a swedish name I can't remember, spell, or pronounce).

Getting the meat and potato mix ready.

Finding the end of the intestine.

Using a metal funnel to stuff the intestine.

Ta da!

Keep the comments clean, people. I've shown great restraint in captioning these photos; all I ask is the same from you all.

Happy New Year!!!!

Provided the zombie apocalypse doesn't happen this year (dramatic recreation above), it should be another interesting year:) We've got holiday blogs coming in the near future, as well as a recurring special segment for 2010 called "What do Kyle and Steph eat?" with recipes and pictures!

Enjoy the first day of a new decade, and know that we are thinking of you, our closest friends and family- the only people who would find this blog even remotely entertaining. Love, peace and happiness to you all!