Amateur Food Porn (continued) [General]

2014 Mar 4
Tri tip with a quarter inch fat cap medium rare.

2014 Mar 5
salivating!

2014 Mar 8
Pork tamales with New Mexico chilies steaming.

2014 Mar 13
Where are you getting the tri tip from??

2014 Mar 15
Made this panino-style pressed sandwich for lunch today: Jarlsberg, avocado, salami, and spinach on homemade bread. Tasty combination!

2014 Mar 16
Sushi!

2014 Mar 17
We turned our house into an impromptu sugar shack on Sunday. Pancakes, sausages, beans, sugar pie (crust homemade but whipped cream from a can.. go figure). :-)

2014 Mar 17
Fresh Foodie That's an impressive panino you made. Do you have a panini press or did you use a regular indoor grill?

2014 Mar 17
Stewtine That sushi looks delicious. One of my coworkers tried making it a few years ago but she said she had a hard time getting the rice to stick together and never bothered to try again... Your photo is inspiring me to try sushi-making some time.

2014 Mar 17
Pasta lover, thanks! I have a panini press but it's underpowered and hard to clean -- got it at costco for ~$50 a few years ago and almost never use it. I was glad to have an excuse to dust it off! :)

2014 Mar 17
Fresh Foodie I have an indoor grill I bought at Home Hardware about 12 years ago or so and bought it for $40. It has gotten alot of love over the years and have even made panini with it although the grill marks are a little further apart. I'm glad I bought that grill since I can cook most things on it - chicken breasts, pork chops, steak, the works. Just as long as the meat doesn't have bones in it since it will scratch the grill.

2014 Mar 21
Seed to Sausage pepper bacon with apple cheddar beer pancakes (recipe from The Craft Beer Cookbook by Jacquelyn Dodd, great cookbook, books.google.ca). I used a Mill Street Pumpkin Ale which added a lot of extra flavour, more than I thought it would.
Yum!

2014 Apr 6
I saw Michael Olsen's recipe for pork belly wraps on Ron Eade's blog and got inspired. Here is the roasted pork belly.

2014 Apr 6
And here is the wrap - I used bib lettuce, hoisin, sriracha, lime, lightly pickled cucumber and parsley (out of cilantro). It was a pretty easy recipe and very tasty. My wife had some reservations, but enjoyed seconds and thirds. My ten year old daughter also enjoyed it.


2014 Apr 16
The tortilla chip. A very simple food yet why is it impossible to find a good chip in the Ottawa area. These On The Border café style chips soooo good!

2014 Apr 27
I went to Brian's Butchery and got some leaf lard. Well, I got the kidney fat and made my own. Sure this is from heritage breed Berkshire pigs, but for the price to go up from $1 to $5 is a bit much. I think this is the last time I'll be getting this from them.

2014 Apr 27
I made quinoa tabbouleh last night (organic quinoa tossed with tomato, cucumber, onions, parsley, lemon juice and pepper). I topped it off with homemade hummus and homemade falafel balls. It's not much, but I think it's pretty.

2014 Apr 28
I found some Meyer lemons at Metro and made lemon curd tarts.

2014 Apr 30
Tomatillo pork poutine.

2014 May 1
La Cucina's Farfalle with Lemon, Rosemary and Scamorza, recipe from The Ottawa Citizen in 2005. I picked up some smoked cacciocavallo from Luciano's last weekend to sub for the smoked scamorza that is called for in the recipe. I've never seen smoked scamorza in Ottawa. This is a quick, simple and very lemony pasta with a cream sauce. I didn't have enough farfalle (or rotini, my second choice) so I used some penne rigate. The peel is boiled in the pasta water (before adding the pasta) then removed and sliced for topping the plated deliciousness for added lemoniciousness!

2014 May 1
Can you post the recipe? Looks delish.....

2014 May 1
Can do.
dw suggested that it would be good with some veggies in it, like asparagus, broccoli, etc. I've only ever served it with a salad with a vinegary dressing (and crusty bread sometimes). When she starts doing the cooking she can add whatever she wants to it...lol

From The Ottawa Citizen, June 1, 2005
- reprinted from Cucina Italiana magazine

Farfalle with Lemon, Rosemary and Scamorza
Serves 4
Takes: about 20 minutes
- 1 lemon
- Salt
- 1 pound (450 g) farfalle
- 3 sprigs rosemary, divided
- 2 tablespoons (25 mL) butter
- 1 cup (250 mL) heavy 35 per cent cream
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 ounces (85 g) smoked scamorza (or smoked caciocavallo or mozzarella), finely grated

1. Bring pot of water to a boil.
2. Slice lemon in half. Peel half and add peel to water to boil 7 minutes to infuse the water with flavour. Remove lemon peel from water and reserve for garnish. Add salt and pasta to the lemon-infused water and cook until al dente.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop leaves from 1 sprig of rosemary. Grate lemon zest from the remaining half lemon and set aside.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add chopped rosemary and grated lemon zest and saute 2 minutes.
5. Add heavy cream, season with salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil and cook until thick.
6. Drain pasta and add it to cream sauce. Toss and transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with cheese and garnish with reserved lemon zest and 2 rosemary sprigs.

Andy’s notes: No real need to cut the lemon in half as only the peel is used - grate half and remove the other half of the thin peel with a vegetable peeler or knife. The boiled lemon peel used to decorate the platter is deliciously mild in flavour and worthy of eating. Consider sprinkling some of the finely shredded cheese on half the pasta then topping with the rest of the pasta and the rest (or maybe some extra) of the cheese, especially if making 1-1/2 X’s or double the recipe. The amount of pasta is too much for 4 servings in our house - 300 or 350 g is more like it.

2014 May 1
Thanks Andy,
I found a similar one then lost it after doing it only once. Look forward to trying this over the next few days. I like the idea of asparagus.....

2014 May 2
Eatmore Bars. Homemade. Better than original - fresher!
Addictive.

2014 May 2
Andy, those look delicious!

2014 May 3
Ugly presentation, but it's my first attempt so I think it's alright! Homemade sushi, first time around! Nori, quinoa, cucumber, spinach, broccoli slaw and avocado! Covered in Sriracha sauce and dipped in Tamari! (unpictured). YUM. Definitely tastes 100% better than it looks. Glad I went to T&T last weekend, I was inspired!

2014 May 4
No worries lovealwayserica.

Just to remind all what this thread is all about. From the original entry:

"Let's define Amateur Food Porn as pictures (or videos) taken by ourselves of our own foodie creations, and not what we a see in restaurants etc. (Some OF foodies already do that in the Buzz section.)

And lets' say the photographer can be pro but ... please NO
- prepping the food for the shot e.g. misting, fake steam, wax sprays etc.
- no photoshoping ... lets' keep it raw (like real amateur porn)"

2014 May 4
Breakfast crepes with a strawberry reduction of butter and brown sugar, garnished with fresh whipping cream. Enjoy

2014 May 4
Cookie Monster cupcakes. Scratch cake covered with scratch icing and coconut fur. White chocolate disc eyes and chocolate chip cookies in their mouths. Yummo.

2014 May 4
Instant ramen with baby bok choi, bean sprouts, shrimps, shiitake mushrooms and a soft boiled egg.

2014 May 6
Nice to see the delicious works of some gastropornographers newly posting here. Yum!
I've got lunch, a really tasty soup with my favourite savoury buttermilk scones: a Hearty Red Lentil Soup with Smoked Sausage using some "Traditional Bosnian Sudzuk" I recently spied for the first time at Produce Depot on Bank St - it's from a North Bay meat business, www.bavarianlink.com/ and was a winner from the first whiff out of the packaging, a tasty all beef spiced smokey sausage, delicious in one of my favourite soups, adding a real nice beefy flavour. I was dying for some of those cheesy, cumin seed-studded scones as they are great with this soup (among others), so I made them as well.
Now entering food coma...

2014 May 14
Dinner last night, Spanish pizza, real good.

2014 May 14
Too warm to be bothered to cook tonight, so we had a mix of tuna salad sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches (made with local farm eggs), and salad. I fully expected the kids to complain and to be left with a bunch of leftover sandwiches, but everyone cleaned their plates! :)

2014 May 24
I made curry goat for the 1st time; it was easier than I thought it would be. I got the goat meat, scotch bonnet pepper, and plantain at M & J Tropical Supermarket on Merivale Road.

2014 May 25
Not something I made but something I bought - Ataulfo mangoes, the only fruit I buy by the case. 'Tis the season far, far away.

2014 May 25
'Tis also the season for some rhubarb scones, delicious on their own and delicious split with a dollop of Greek or strawberry yogurt and some of Jamie Oliver's Orange Stewed Rhubarb spooned over top. The rhubarb is really good this year but peaking quickly.

2014 May 25
My new soapstone Cave Plates. I put a few colourful ingredients on them to make the shot look pretty.

2014 May 25
Rizak, are you selling those plates?

2014 May 25
Why, yes. Yes, I am. My email is in my profile.

2014 May 31
After a crappy week at work I decided it was time for pure indulgence. Homemade poutine with St. Albert's Cheese curds, home made gravy, and Italian seasoning marinated chicken. Not healthy at all but satisfying.

2014 Jun 14
My lunch at the church bazaar across the street from our house -- I started out with three rolls and a much larger salad, but *ahem* SOMEONE got to it before I got out my camera.. ;) The woman who made it is from Thai Lanna (www.thailanna.ca/).

2014 Jun 16
PC Angus beef burger and melted cheddar cheese on a Rosetta bun (also bought at Loblaws). Then, plain old school dressings: onions, tomatoes, Heinz ketchup and mustard.

2014 Jun 17
Pecan smoked Memphis dry rub rib tacos.

2014 Jun 17
You guys 'n gals are making me hungry, especially after eating tonight's dinner, pictured - my dw moaned something about eating healthy food before eating but no complaints while eating Bombay hummus made with cashews, and sesame naan, hot off the bbq (and a salad - yay, greens from the garden, and beer to wash it all down). I made it while watching the exciting Mexico-Brazil World Cup match this afternoon. Ya gotta taste some bbq'd holy naan!

2014 Jun 17
Close up of the holy sesame naan - um, maybe it's more holey than holy?

2014 Jun 17
Andy - care to share your Naan recipe, please.

2014 Jun 18
Happy to, lovetoeat.
I got the idea and basic recipe from faizaali.blogspot.ca and have modified her recipe (and have also used other naan recipes to make this style of naan). I use a whole cup of milk added to the yeast (not 1/2 cup - that's way too small an amount for 3 cups flour, 1/3 to 1/2 of which is whole wheat in my naan), I add half the oil called for and double the yogurt called for (have also used sour cream or sour milk). Let the kneaded dough rise til doubled then gently punch down and divide into 4 to 6 roughly equal-sized balls.
To grill I heat the bbq on very low, both burners, til it is about 450F then oil the grills generously and slap the shaped doughs on as they are formed, closing the grill between each piece, then flip when browned and remove when done, and butter immediately, wrap in a tea towel and place in a plastic bag if you want them to soften and be moist. I made 6 naan yesterday and, when cooked, they were about 6 to 8" long. My holes are much bigger than Faizaali's, likely because my hands are much bigger.

2014 Jun 18
I have to try to make these this weekend on my new grilling stones. That'd be almost exactly like a tandoor, but more accessible to people like me.

2014 Jun 20
So here is a tandoor making naan. It looks like a large unglazed clay pot. I wonder if you could use a large clay pot with coals in the bottom ?

Maybe I'll start a thread for DIY tandoor ovens . . .

2014 Jun 20
Francis, I am actually fairly sure Alton Brown did so on an episode of Good Eats.

As seen here youtu.be/CRyDUUI1LX8?t=12m

2014 Jun 21
Thanks Andy

I know that you can order backyard tandoors. One of my coworkers brother has one. i'll see if I can find out where he got it.
The clay has to be able to stand high temps and I don't know if regular clay pot would.

2014 Jun 21
It will if you soak it overnight first.

2014 Jun 23
Bitter orange marinated chicken with annato. Cooked over charcoal indirectly.

2014 Jun 23
Mushroom & onion with Stilton cheese burger.
Grilled with hickory wood chips.
On a rosette from Parma Ravioli.

I was going to use my chipotle-mayo
but this burger did not need another flavour.
Sometimes simple = better.


2014 Jun 23
Close-up. For those who like detail.

2014 Jun 23
Nom, nom, nom... Yummm, Cap'n, and delicately placed stray onion and mushroom on the plate allow your pic to be entered here on the amateur page, just barely.

When she finished dinner my dw said this is her favourite salad...exactly my thought. Tortellini pasta salad (aka Festive Pasta Salad, posted previously here: Forum - Simple recipes for a crowd ). Especially good when made with 100 foot garden ingredients like spinach, lettuces, chard, arugulas, asparagus, green onions, garlic scapes, and ripe poblanos (yes, that's right, poblanos from the garden today! From a plant that spent it's 2nd winter in our sunroom and had about 30+ peppers on it when I planted it in the garden. A few have ripened and are excellent with crunch and good flavour but have no heat at all.)

2014 Jun 27
I've made this Chunky Mango Guacamole twice in the last week - it is sooo good! I topped it with some of the mango as well as some of those fresh poblanos and garlic scapes from the garden. Yum! Recipe from www.foodnetwork.com
It's a little sweet using a nice ripe Ataulfo so it needs more lime juice than one might ordinarily add to their own guac - I also added some finely minced lime rind for more limey goodness.
Fiesta time!

2014 Jul 5
From a few weeks ago, padrones peppers fried in olive oil, seasoned with kosher salt and served wih garlic mayo. I liked these because you can eat everything but the stem. Tasty!

2014 Jul 5
Very nice Sparrow Seed - where did you find the fresh padrons? Were they typical, wrt heat, of padrons?

2014 Jul 7
Thanks Andy! I found them at the Westboro Superstore, and I was kind of surprised to find them in a grocery store. It was my first time trying them but I must say I didn't find them spicy at all (I tend to like spicy but not burn-your-face-off spicy). They blister and fry up nicely regardless, and I will buy again if I come across them.

I used the simple video found here as a guide: foodwishes.blogspot.ca

2014 Jul 7
Thanks! That's good news, and they'll likely become more available as people learn about them, buy them and enjoy them.

2014 Jul 7
Got the munchies at 7 pm. Quartered up chicken with bonedust rub and beerlicious BBQ sauce, Korean beef short ribs, corn, asparagus and corn bread in the cast iron pot. Mmmmmm...

2014 Jul 11
Just off the BBQ on my new CavePlates™. Oh, my dog. This is the first of probably a very long line of pizzas that will come off the BBQ from now on. This was a test, so I didn't go crazy with toppings. Just as well, because I didn't put enough corm meal down on the peel and the dough stuck a bit.

It ain't too pretty, but it is going to be delicious. It's resting before I cut into it.

2014 Jul 11
Followup: Yummy. A definite repeat.

2014 Jul 20
Portuguese style grilled pork!

2014 Jul 20
A satisfying yet healthy salad, dressing turned out well: lemon juice, Greek oregano, olive oil, white truffle oil, deli mustard, salt and pepper.

2014 Jul 21
Fresh basil, tomatoes and mozzarella.

2014 Jul 22
Shakshuka.

2014 Jul 22
Hummus plate.

2014 Aug 1
Caprese salad, or "why I love summer."

2014 Aug 1
Candied bacon: bacon dipped in brown sugar and cinnamon powder, baked in oven for 20min at 375F.

2014 Aug 11
Charcuterie at home. Top to Bottom;

Spicy Genoa Salami
Extra Strong Gouda
Peppercorned Paté
Smoked Mango Jelly
Cendrillon Ash Covered Goat Cheese
Baguette brushed with spicy chili rosemary olive oil

2014 Aug 11
Valley Pizza donair (Coldbrook, NS). :)

2014 Aug 11
Yeah, baby. Now THAT'S a donair!
I'll be getting my fix in a couple of weeks.

2014 Aug 12
Lettuce on an East Coast Donair ???

WTF ?? ... Are they trying to make them healthy or something ??

(Oh. I miss stinking of Donair the following morning)


2014 Aug 12
Too much lettuce, not enough meat!

Have you donair fans tried the ones at the halifax donair place on Bronson (Centertown Pizza i think?) They're decent well for the sweet sauce and lingering stink anyhow. The meat could be better, I find it a little dry. I try to ask the guy to please toss the meat in the sauce, but I think he gets offended.

2014 Aug 12
Trust me, there were about 4 little shreds of lettuce on top. ;) It was almost entirely meat and a bit of chopped tomato and onion.

As it should be.

I still haven't found an Ottawa donair that approaches what I enjoy down East. ;)

2014 Aug 13
Okay, folks. Here is the recipe for sweet donair sauce. Make your own.
www.cfa.harvard.edu

I especially like the preparation instruction to 'put on some old clothes'.

2014 Aug 13
My eldest decided he liked my donair sauce better than theirs. ;)

2014 Aug 13
Dulse, drying on the lawn this afternoon after we harvested it this morning. This is about 1/3 of what we picked.

To be fair, I did not eat any today (fresh dulse is pretty gross), but I intend on eating some of the partially dried stuff in the morning before we put it out to finish!

2014 Aug 17
Favorite time of the year field tomatoes for salsa.

Jun 24
I think we need to have a Butter-Tart-Off.
Here is our contribution.
By 'our', I mean that these were made by my partner (the Dragonlady) and I ate a few to inspect for quality.

Yes, I'm resurrecting a long-dead thread. At least I didn't add a spammy link.

Jun 24
To note: I had not made this recipe for years, and it needs tweaked. Still better than the ones from Frank's Baked Goods...Also, Raisins!