Cooking in the Fishbowl

I made some sous-vide duck legs so I could make duck carnitas tacos. Good eats, and would make again.  However, today's bonus brunch was even better. I'd never made hash before, but leftover duck carnitas + little gold potatoes + some of the remaining cherry tomatoes from the garden inspired me to try.  Not sure what Grandma Jane would have made of this rendition, but I loved it.  That's the thing about cooking for yourself...you can do things the way *you* want them.  Sous vide duck legs Duck confit is one of the foods of the gods. Since I have a chamber vac, thermo-circulator, and freezer, I don't need loads of duck fat to cook and preserve a reasonable facsimile. After this experiment, duck legs are my new favorite thing to sous vide. My primary goal was to make duck carnitas, so I seasoned the legs with salt, Chimayo chile, and a little Pimentón de la Vera and added some orange juice, smashed garlic cloves, and fresh lemon thyme. Sealed one leg per bag and threw ...

 This weekend brought the first significant fall storms to the Northwest. While they were among the strongest storms ever recorded off the coast, it's just been typical fall weather here in Kingston. The sun even came out for a bit this afternoon.  During one of the breaks in the rain, I harvested the rest of the tomatoes and chiles.  Overall, it was a pretty successful growing season: Mini bells were very mini, but were a good choice.  Padron peppers did much better than I'd hoped--curious to see if they got hotter as I let them get "too big".  Cherry tomatoes were, as expected, the tomato stars. The teeny ones were great for snacking while gardening, but will probably opt for a yellow pear or something instead next year. (Or, as a friend suggested, Sun Golds. I've grown them in the past & they were great.) The other pepper varieties struggled, mostly from deer predation. The few Numex, Poblano, and Jalapeno peppers that I did get were good, though. Now I k...

Figuratively and literally--and rather pleased about all of it. I even woke up in a good mood today. Like, bouncing around happy good mood. I have to say: I like this feeling. Not every day can be a happily manic Sunday, but I'll relish every one that comes my way.  Yesterday, I spent some time in the garden. It feels like fall fell suddenly this year, and it was time to accept that all those green tomatoes would rot before they ripened. I left some of the almost-ripe ones for salads this week, but we've reached the tail end of tomato & pepper season here in the Northwest. Which left me with this. On top of the blueberries that I still needed to do something with.  Good thing I got an early start on the day! First up, I made the lemon-blueberry tart I've been meaning to make since I harvested the rest of the blueberries. I basically followed this recipe , but I used Meyer lemons and a mix of gluten-free flour & almond flour for the crust. And am totally kicking mys...

Classic accompaniment to raw oysters on the half-shell. My version foregoes red wine vinegar for Yuzu juice and seasoned rice wine vinegar. I'm a big fan of Yuzu. It's a tart, aromatic citrus most often used in Japanese cuisine. Yuzu is one of the most cold-hardy citrus. It is not yet a member of the Fishbowl garden, but I have aspirations. In the meantime, I'm sourcing Yuzu juice in a bottle. Locally, Central Market/Town and Country carries it.  Recipe 3 tbsp Yuzu juice 1 tbsp Lite Seasoned Rice Vinegar 2 tbsp minced Shallot 1 tbsp minced Padron pepper  Fresh ground pepper

A planned two week retreat to the Big Island transmogrified into a staycation. Stupid virus. While I was truly sad not to be able to revisit the Kona coast this year, I seized the opportunity to explore local beaches and spend time on Puget Sound. I even threw myself in the water a few times. Brrr!  One outing was a kayak tour of Dabob Bay, near Brinnon, WA on Hood Canal. The trek included a primer in shucking oysters. I ate one, but didn't have to shuck any. But...I did buy myself an oyster knife that day. Today, I bought some oysters to practice on. Because I could just pick up a selection of local Johnson & Gunstone oysters from Central Market on the way home from foraging for Chanterelles. Living here does not suck. Dark season is coming, however, and that is not for the faint of heart.  Anyhow, back to the oysters. Straight up raw oysters are a bit much for me, so I topped them with a mignonette: yuzu juice, rice wine vinegar, minced shallot, a (not hot) minced padron...

You're probably wondering how you cook in a fishbowl. Or how fishbowls can possibly be associated with good eats? Actual fishbowls are often pretty gross, right?  Don't worry, the Fishbowl in question is actually a house. So nicknamed because it sits on a corner with windows facing both streets. It's bright and airy, which is important here in the Northwest. Sitting here with the blinds all open, however, feels a bit like being a goldfish. Especially early in the pandemic, when my only interaction with my new neighbors was waving as I looked up and watched them go by.  The Fishbowl kitchen still has much of its original 1929 charm. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with the house. But it's...compact. There's no dishwasher, no gas stove, no external ventilation. Re-learning to cook on an electric stove has been...interesting. Someday, I'll upgrade to induction. That said, I'm loving cooking in the Fishbowl!