Thanks for watching! I hope you liked it.
Monday, 30 May 2011
Monday, 23 May 2011
Cooking
Tonight was a good night. We may have lost our soccer game, but we won in the effort department. Today was a strange day for Dean and Jenna. We ate at Opa! this afternoon. It was good. Good enough to keep us full till we got home. When we got home, we had a 4 hour nap.
After the 4 hours, it was soccer. And now here I sit at 11pm. I am hungry. So instead of eating ichiban or some other horrible choice, I had decided to make my dinner for tomorrow right now. It doesn't make much sense, but neither does a 4 hour nap.
I made some spaghetti. Instead of using spaghetti noodles, I used rottinni and I will never do that again. I want to tell you how I make my sauce. Maybe one day you will try it.
I generally work in half portions. That is because I have just 2 people.
First Stage
1/2- onion chopped
2- cloves of garlic. I try to use the bigger cloves in the head. If you are down to just small cloves, use 3.
Italian seasoning- This has many ingredients. I use it because it is easy. Plain old dry oregano would work as well. Season to your liking. I dont really like to measure out seasoning.
In a large sauce pan add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Heat it for about a minute or two and add onions. Cook on medium high heat. While the onions begin to cook mince or crush the garlic and add it to the pan. cook together for just a few minutes. Add the seasoning and mix together. It should almost make a little paste within the onions and garlic.
Second Stage
250-500 grams ground beef or turkey. Turkey seems to pick up flavour quite nicely. However, beef is more versatile, and seems to heighten the taste of the sauce. it depends on what you like. I usually use turkey as the sauce has a lot of flavour.
1 tablespoon of red wine
Add the meat to the onion/garlic mixture. Brown meat. Make sure you brown until there is some run off cooked to the bottom of the pan. This is important as it will add a lot of flavour to your sauce. Dont burn it. Just make sure its cooked and browned. At this point add the red wine to the sauce. It may take more wine then I listed. It all depends. This wine is meant to deglaze the bottom of the pan.
Third Step
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine (sweeter the better)
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp basil
When the meat is all done, which should be seconds after you add the wine to deglaze, add the crushed tomatoes. I use these because it has nothing added to it that will take away from what we have done so far. It is ok to use any store bought sauce at this point as well, if you are more comfortable with that. Once the crushed tomatoes is mixed well with the meat, add the wine. You can use more if you would like, it all just depends on preference. Add the red pepper flakes. Let all the ingredients bubble nicely. At this point you should be no higher than medium heat. Add the vinegar and sugar. My Mom showed me this step, and she calls it the "ying and the yang" of the sauce. I tend to agree. However, if you like more tangy sauce, add more vinegar than sugar. If you like a sweeter sauce add more sugar to vinegar. Let cook for a good 10 minutes, then add the basil. The basil will add some additional sweetness, and will give it a nice unique taste. It also adda a fresh taste as well. Turn down to simmer. The longer is sits and simmers, the better it tastes. If you simmer for a long time, you may need to add water to thin out the sauce if it reduces too much.
This isn't the last recipe for sauce that I will ever come up with. However, it is the one I like the best. It is a combo of my mom's recipe with a little touch of Dean. The most important ingredient is to take your time, and love what you cook. Thats the thing my Mom has always taught me with cooking. Do these things with great joy. You get to have fun making food, and having people eat it. I find that this year some of Jenna and I's best moments have been around food that we have made. It has helped us have a time and place to sit down and talk, and also has helped us learn to work together. I think that is what God had in mind when he created us to cook. I hope you enjoy :)
I generally work in half portions. That is because I have just 2 people.
First Stage
1/2- onion chopped
2- cloves of garlic. I try to use the bigger cloves in the head. If you are down to just small cloves, use 3.
Italian seasoning- This has many ingredients. I use it because it is easy. Plain old dry oregano would work as well. Season to your liking. I dont really like to measure out seasoning.
In a large sauce pan add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Heat it for about a minute or two and add onions. Cook on medium high heat. While the onions begin to cook mince or crush the garlic and add it to the pan. cook together for just a few minutes. Add the seasoning and mix together. It should almost make a little paste within the onions and garlic.
Second Stage
250-500 grams ground beef or turkey. Turkey seems to pick up flavour quite nicely. However, beef is more versatile, and seems to heighten the taste of the sauce. it depends on what you like. I usually use turkey as the sauce has a lot of flavour.
1 tablespoon of red wine
Add the meat to the onion/garlic mixture. Brown meat. Make sure you brown until there is some run off cooked to the bottom of the pan. This is important as it will add a lot of flavour to your sauce. Dont burn it. Just make sure its cooked and browned. At this point add the red wine to the sauce. It may take more wine then I listed. It all depends. This wine is meant to deglaze the bottom of the pan.
Third Step
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine (sweeter the better)
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp basil
When the meat is all done, which should be seconds after you add the wine to deglaze, add the crushed tomatoes. I use these because it has nothing added to it that will take away from what we have done so far. It is ok to use any store bought sauce at this point as well, if you are more comfortable with that. Once the crushed tomatoes is mixed well with the meat, add the wine. You can use more if you would like, it all just depends on preference. Add the red pepper flakes. Let all the ingredients bubble nicely. At this point you should be no higher than medium heat. Add the vinegar and sugar. My Mom showed me this step, and she calls it the "ying and the yang" of the sauce. I tend to agree. However, if you like more tangy sauce, add more vinegar than sugar. If you like a sweeter sauce add more sugar to vinegar. Let cook for a good 10 minutes, then add the basil. The basil will add some additional sweetness, and will give it a nice unique taste. It also adda a fresh taste as well. Turn down to simmer. The longer is sits and simmers, the better it tastes. If you simmer for a long time, you may need to add water to thin out the sauce if it reduces too much.
This isn't the last recipe for sauce that I will ever come up with. However, it is the one I like the best. It is a combo of my mom's recipe with a little touch of Dean. The most important ingredient is to take your time, and love what you cook. Thats the thing my Mom has always taught me with cooking. Do these things with great joy. You get to have fun making food, and having people eat it. I find that this year some of Jenna and I's best moments have been around food that we have made. It has helped us have a time and place to sit down and talk, and also has helped us learn to work together. I think that is what God had in mind when he created us to cook. I hope you enjoy :)
Monday, 16 May 2011
Hello
I got spooked off my last blog. I have always struggled with writing. To put it better, I struggle with finding my voice in words. That seems deep, but its actually quite frustrating. I will be hiding this blog. I dont care about views or notoriety, that I will not gain. I am also not going to B.S my way with some hyper conservative religious talk. I veered that way in my past blog, and I have grown past that now.
I want to talk about the Canucks. I want to discuss with you how my heart is hurting over a lack of respect for my team.
The last time the Canucks made it to the third round of the playoffs I was in Kindergarten. Thats a long time ago. 1994 to be exact. To some of you that is just a blink of an eye. But for me, I was just a small boy. Since then I have sat through the years where they sucked. I have sat through the "West Coast Express." What a disaster. Now I am sitting through this team.
I want the Canucks to win the Stanley Cup. I want to have that feeling that my team is the best. However, I will not stand by and cheer against the Sharks if they beat the Canucks. That is gutless. Let me explain to you a few things.
I am a real hockey fan. I love the game. I love skating and feeling my face get cold on a winter day from skating into the wind. I like the sound of my skates against the ice. I like the feel of the puck on a newly taped stick. I like the feeling of snapping my wrist and shooting the puck. There is not a single thing I like doing more in the world. I have done my best thinking playing hockey. I have had my greatest pain playing hockey. I have had my greatest triumphs playing hockey. This sport runs deep in me and is etched in my DNA.
I have learned not to let it consume me.
That is what I see happening here this playoff. I see fans flooding facebook with absolute hate towards my team. I have seen fights go on over how the Canucks suck. It is despicable.
Dont get me wrong, every fan deserves the right to cheer, but this is going too far. Putting facebook pictures of the team the Canucks are playing against. Hatred on message boards. Its just ridiculous. Here is the problem.
People need to be defined by something. People need to be able to belong to something. Hence sports teams. What is truly sad is here we see groups of people who define themselves as a fan of a hockey team. Love the game for what it is, not who plays it. Grow up and define yourselves by the content of your character and not how much you "love" your team. In other words, its to be enjoyed, not lived.
I love hockey. But I hate living it.
I want to talk about the Canucks. I want to discuss with you how my heart is hurting over a lack of respect for my team.
The last time the Canucks made it to the third round of the playoffs I was in Kindergarten. Thats a long time ago. 1994 to be exact. To some of you that is just a blink of an eye. But for me, I was just a small boy. Since then I have sat through the years where they sucked. I have sat through the "West Coast Express." What a disaster. Now I am sitting through this team.
I want the Canucks to win the Stanley Cup. I want to have that feeling that my team is the best. However, I will not stand by and cheer against the Sharks if they beat the Canucks. That is gutless. Let me explain to you a few things.
I am a real hockey fan. I love the game. I love skating and feeling my face get cold on a winter day from skating into the wind. I like the sound of my skates against the ice. I like the feel of the puck on a newly taped stick. I like the feeling of snapping my wrist and shooting the puck. There is not a single thing I like doing more in the world. I have done my best thinking playing hockey. I have had my greatest pain playing hockey. I have had my greatest triumphs playing hockey. This sport runs deep in me and is etched in my DNA.
I have learned not to let it consume me.
That is what I see happening here this playoff. I see fans flooding facebook with absolute hate towards my team. I have seen fights go on over how the Canucks suck. It is despicable.
Dont get me wrong, every fan deserves the right to cheer, but this is going too far. Putting facebook pictures of the team the Canucks are playing against. Hatred on message boards. Its just ridiculous. Here is the problem.
People need to be defined by something. People need to be able to belong to something. Hence sports teams. What is truly sad is here we see groups of people who define themselves as a fan of a hockey team. Love the game for what it is, not who plays it. Grow up and define yourselves by the content of your character and not how much you "love" your team. In other words, its to be enjoyed, not lived.
I love hockey. But I hate living it.
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