Our Food Baby

Oh Nuts!

Posted on 29 April 2009 | No responses

Patrick has recently started reading a new blog: Roasted Peanuts

The author of the blog has been posting old Peanuts’ comic strips. Awesome.

Patrick sent me one today.  I feel like I’m right with Charlie for the first three frames.

I feel like the last frame should plainly read “POW!!!!”

-Linda

Sexploitation

Posted on 27 April 2009 | 1 response

I’ve never been to Scarecrow Video, but it used to be a hangout of Linda’s back in the day. After visiting TUBS one last time, since they are tearing it down soon, we decided to walk a few blocks to the Video store.

We first walked through the previously viewed videos (DVD, VHS, and Laser disc) and picked up Ironman, Zak and Miri make a Porno, and RockandRolla. This place is amazing. Most video stores don’t sell the extra features disks with their previously viewed movies, but Scarecrow does!

From there we went straight to the Sexploitation section where they have the largest collection of porn from every era and theme you can think of.

More can be found in my flickr gallery here. We are going to start up a friday pizza and porno night to have a laugh at a few of these. Go and wander through yourself one of these days.

It’s not Swine Flu

Posted on 27 April 2009 | No responses

Linda and I were holed up in the house this weekend sick and dog sitting. Friday night we stopped at the video store and Safeway for a few provisions. They had a sale on 7 bone steak, 6 bucks for 3 1/2 lbs. Linda wanted to make some Carne Asada so we could not pass up a big piece of cheap meat.

The 7-bone steak is a cross cut steak of the shoulder blade. It gets its name from the cross cut of bone that is shaped like a “7″. It is a bit tough, so it is best to braise it, but instead we tried marinating it.

Carne Asada -Food Network

The steak was perfect for Carne Asada and the leftovers made a good steak and egg breakfast the Sunday morning.

Saturday we decided to grill up some chicken thighs before the Sounders game. Linda marinated and grilled the thighs then served them with some smashed and baked potatoes and asparagus. The sounders went up 2-0 early, but we ended up passing out in a food coma before the game ended.

Coriander Lime Grilled Chicken Legs -Food Network

All in all it was a great weekend of rest, relaxation and good food. All the things you need to get over a cold.

-Patrick

For the Love of Ham

Posted on 21 April 2009 | 1 response

After dinner, I cut the big chunks of ham off leaving some meat on the bone.  I wrapped the bone in tin foil and put it in the freezer to save for soup the next weekend.  We preceded to eat ham for the next week.  You can make ham sandwiches, eggs and ham, ham and marinara sauce (mattricina), and ham fried rice.  Everything tastes better with ham.

On Saturday morning I pulled out the frozen ham bone from the freezer to defrost and poured the dried beans into a bowl of  water and covered it with  plastic wrap.  By mid afternoon, I was ready to get started.

Ham and Bean Soup

Servings – a lot (freezes nicely)

1 ham bone (substitute a couple of ham hocks if you don’t have a ham bone)
10 cups water
3 bay leaves
1 T peppercorns
1 T dried oregano
2 T italian herbs
1 T kosher salt
2 tsp pepper
1 yellow onion, quartered and cut into slices
4 cloves of minced garlic
4 stalks of celery cut into quarter inch pieces.
1 pkg of dried beans reconstituted and rinsed (I used a pkg I found at TJ’s that had mixed beans, lentils, and barley in it)
1 cup diced ham

Bring ham bone, bay leaves, peppercorns, and water to a boil in a large stock pot.  Cover and turn down to medium low heat for one hour.

Strain out the home bone and extra bits from the broth.  Place the broth back on the stove and bring back to a low boil adding the beans, herbs, and garlic.  Cover and simmer for one hour. Stir from time to time.

In the meantime, shred what is left of the meat on the bone and discarded the bone.

After an hour has passed, add the the remainder of the ingredients and cook at a medium simmer for one last hour. Remember to stir so that the beans do not stick to the bottom of the pot.

Taste and adjust with salt and pepper after the hour is over. Garnish with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and serve with grilled rosemary bread.

Grilled Rosemary Bread

1 loaf rosemary bread (My favorite is from Essentials Bakery.  It’s dusted with sea salt.)
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 cup olive oil

Get the grill nice and hot.

Add garlic to olive oil.

Cut bread into one inch slices. Brush olive oil and garlic onto one side of each slice and place olive oil side down on the hot grill. Close the lid, but keep a close eye on the bread adjusting the temperature if you are having trouble with flames and oil.  Try not to move the bread around so that you get nice grill marks.  After about four minutes, brush oil on the other side of the bread and flip. Close the lid and remove bread once you have grill marks on both sides.

I love this soup so much that it is arguable whether or not I make the ham for just the bone. However, my real measurement of soup success is the four thumbs up I got from Patrick and Adam. Adam dubbed it “God DAMN and Bean Soup.”

I’m glad you liked it guys. 

-Linda

Hot Dog and Salad

Posted on 21 April 2009 | No responses

Linda was a sicko yesterday, but it was so nice out that not using the BBQ would have been a crime. These are chicken sausages split and bbq’d with toasted buns and salad. I chopped up some pepperoncinis and put them down the center along with some Cleveland Ballpark mustard.

We ended up entertaining ourselves with No Reservations – Chicago.  The food that stood out to me was the Mother-in-Law Sandwich, a tamale in a hot dog bun, topped with chili and the Three Little Pigs sandwich consisting of 3 types of pork (Ham, Bacon, and a Fried pork cutlet), two fried eggs served on a brioche bun is one we might have to try to make ourselves.

No Reservations – Chicago

-Patrick

First of all, it needs to be said that I know that I’ve meet the man of my dreams when he makes me tubesteak for dinner when I’m sick. 

Now, I’ve got to elaborate about the origins of this mustard.  It’s really good mustard.  The real story is not about where it came from as much as how Patrick got it.  Apparently, Christmas gifts at the McClard’s include food products (mainly condiments).  Along with the mustard were a cast of charaters including BBQ sauce, white white vinegar, and salmon.  When I asked Patrick if it was an inside joke, he said that it wasn’t.  I always got candy canes and chocolates.  I love this family.  I can’t wait to see what I get next year!

Lastly, for me, there really is nothing like eating a meal along with your favorite food television show.  It’s something about ingredients coming together in a recipe, new ideas on mixing flavors and textures, and watching people enjoy food that makes whatever I’m eating tastier… or it may just be the digestive juices talking.

-Linda

Hello world!

Posted on 20 April 2009 | 2 responses

Welcome to OurFoodBaby.com!

This name of this site was inspired by the bump around my midsection that I have gained over the course of the last year.  After many great meals created at home, at the homes of our friends, and in this awesome city we live in, my tummy has become known as “our food baby.”  Patrick insists that he has one too, but everyone knows that men don’t have babies (nevermind this: not a link to a man having a bady).

We hope to use this medium to share with all of you the things that we love the most: food, photography, movies, video games, music, and adventures.  We look forward to your comments and hope that you enjoy visiting us here.

-Linda

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