Rippin' Another Blog: Ox Tail Soup

The Lowdown:

As a kid I always wondered what ox tail soup was. Using an actual ox tail seemed more like a tall tale. Of course, now I've realized that ox tail soup is actually made of ox tails. A suiting name I suppose. Really, what else could you call a soup that is made of ox tail other than ox tail soup?

Up until now, I've passed by ox tails everytime I went to the grocery store since time began. Of course time began approximately 10 years ago. I'm going to refer to this era as PP, or the post-parental era. It was the beginning of this era when I started figuring out that grocery shopping wasn't as much fun as it used to be. When you were young, you could sneak whatever you wanted into the cart. This of course was assuming you were sly enough to avoid detection. The only consequence was that pseudo feeling of guilt when you got busted at the checkout line. But in all seriousness, who could blame us? Count Chocula was in fact a food group back then. Well, maybe not for me. I was forced to eat Harvest Crunch because it had less sugar.

The years from 0 PP to 5 PP were tough years. Learning the ropes in the grocery store was a new skill that I had to acquire... Budgeting. Damn you budgeting! They were tough lessons indeed. I mean really, how much Mr. Noodle can you eat before your sick of it. Actually, I still love it, but still. However, things have changed for the better, and now during 9 PP I am finally going to tackle ox tail soup. Well, perhaps it took Noelle from The Joyful Table to teach this not so ol' dog a new trick.

The Playlist:

1 kg Ox tails

2 cups Red wine

2 Onions, quartered

3 stalks Celery, chopped

3 Carrots, chopped

2 tbsp Salt

3-5 Bay leaves

Pepper, to taste

Water

1/2 cup Barley (optional)

The Skinny:

1. Add all the ingredients, except barley, into a large pot and cover with enough water to fully submerge all the ingredients, then some. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling lower heat and simmer for 6-8 hours.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, skim the layer of fat off of the surface then strain, saving the liquid broth and the ox tails. If desired, you may remove the meat from the ox tail bones. If not, put the ox tails back into the broth.
3. Add barley and reheat. Simmer until barley is cooked. Serve warm. 

Stay Rad -h
Featured on: Premeditated Leftovers, 33 Shades of Green, Chef in Training, Food Renegade, 

Thank-ya Solyanka

The Lowdown:

There were two reasons that I wanted to start wasting my time with this blog. One was to prove Kristy wrong. If you get to know me, you'll soon understand that this is a common theme in my life. I once ate an entire pack of expired bacon just because my lovely girlfriend said I couldn't. Well, I did... and paid dearly (Kristy can tell you all about it as it effected her birthday). But the point is that I did it! Proving a point is much more important than the consequences that follow. 

Secondly, it was an excellent way to expand my repertoire. Obviously it expanded my repertoire of recipes and cooking techniques (not to mention useless dishes and place settings... ugh). But an unforeseen result of this blog is the expansion of my musical repertoire. Often while I'm writing these posts I'll throw on youtube and search for a song, any song, that happens to come to mind. Then, I'll listen to the recommended songs on the sidebar. Often, I'll put these in the posts. I'm sure you've noticed.

To continue on with that tradition, Wyclef Jean - Knockin on Heaven's Door, is a great place to start. It suits the theme of this post, as it is a remake of Bob Dylan's classic hit. Likewise, on our schedule, this week's post is a remake of another blogger's recipe. Yes, I've actually started following the schedule.

Being that summer has seemed to have forgotten about Victoria, I was craving a cold weather favourite. For me, this is usually soup. Then I remembered a soup that my Nan once made a while back. Dill pickles in soup? I'd thought she'd surely become senile (I'm still not fully convinced that she isn't). But as it turned out, I loved it. Who'd know that tomatoes, dill pickles, and onion would make a delicious soup (other than the hundreds of millions of people who have enjoyed solyanka before me).

If any of you are interested in other Eastern European dishes, or the original post that this came from, you can find it at russianchef.blogspot.ca. If any of you are interested in another amazing remake, check out Wyclef Jean - Wish You Were Here. This is, in my opinion, is an amazing remake of one of Pink Floyd's greatest songs. Most of the time you hear a cover, it sounds as if the artist is just trying to make easy money off of another artist's hit. However, Wyclef's covers seem as if they are paying homage to great artists that have since been forgotten by the majority of today's people, while adding his spin on modern issues. I hope I can pay the same sort of homage to solyanka. Enjoy.

The Playlist:

500g Meat (I used leftover turkey, but any mixture of meat is good).
6-8 Tomatoes, chopped*
2 cups Pickles, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 Lemon, juiced*
1 tbsp Honey (sugar if you don't have honey)*
2 Bay leaves*
2 tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup Canola oil
750ml Water
Salt & Pepper, to taste

OPTIONAL - Vegetarian:
1 Carrot, chopped
1/4 head Cabbage, chopped
1 Potato, cubed

*A can of tomato sauce can be used in place of these ingredients.

The Skinny:

1. In sauce pan: stew tomatoes with bay leaves, parsley, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook on a low simmer for 20 minutes (I mashed mine). Alternatively, you could used a can of tomato sauce to save time.
2. In frying pan: brown onions, garlic, and meat in oil.
3. In large pot: bring water to a boil.
4. While water is heating, combine onions, meat, pickles, and tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Put mixture into boiling water, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to set for 10 minutes.
6. Serve warm.

Featured on: Chef in Training, 33 Shades of Green, Premeditated Leftovers, Spain in Iowa, Food Renegades, This Chick Cooks, Lady Behind the Curtain, What's Cooking Love,  

Stay Rad -h

Strange Brew Diaries #1 - Driftwood Brewery

The Lowdown:

["This movie was shot in 3B - three beers - and it looks good, eh?" - Bob McKenzie.]

Remember being a kid in a candy store? All those choices. All those, seemingly, difficult decisions. Well, this same feeling can be recreated when you're 19+ in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. I've heard a rumor on more than one occasion that we have more micro-breweries per capita than anywhere in the world. With a population of 344,000 for the greater Victoria region (a mere 80,000 for Victoria), we support five breweries, four brewpubs, and two cider houses. Needless to say, we love our local brew. I am no exception to this. 

Unlike a lot of cities that boast abnormally high amounts of beer-snobs, Victoria is fairly mellow. We know what we like and we have no desire to defend or push our opinions (at least while we are sober). That, and we don't have the urge to produce the hoppiest beer ever (that a lot of west coast American Breweries seem to do). Don't get me wrong, I love me a good IPA and the distinguished bite that it gives. But seriously, extremely hoppy does NOT always equal extremely good. I'm sick of going to beerfests and listening to people only talk about the hoppiest beer they've had. News flash, there are dozens of varieties of beers for a reason. So get off your high-horse, get rid of your pompous attitude, try thinking for yourself (aka not just following fads), and explore the amazing variety of craft beers that your local region has to offer.

[(To Pam in a beer tank that's being flooded with beer) " My brother and I used to say that drownin' in beer was like heaven, eh? Now he's not here, and I've got two soakers... this isn't heaven. This sucks" - Bob McKenzie.]

This, as the title kinda sorta states, is my first ode to one of my favourite local breweries and one of my favourite movies. This episode features three beers from the all-star line up that Driftwood Brewery offers. I personally love their desire to create west coast variations of traditional beers (excuse for for 5 minutes while I refresh my refreshments). Yup, that was good.

I've never cooked with beer before. I mean, how could you possibly have the will power to let a beer sit in the fridge all lonely, begging you to consume it, while it waits for the day that it can be used in some (hopefully) glorious experiment. Mmmmmmm beer. I mean, it's the only alcoholic beverage that is acceptable to drink for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Seriously, I'm sure Captain Crunch even has a beer pairing (although,that shit will still cut the roof of your mouth). Anyway, this is the first three course beer-oriented meal plan that I have produced. I hope you enjoy all, or one of these recipes, and that they maybe inspire you to try this with your local breweries. I will definitely be doing this with the remaining 10 local breweries so check out the Strange Brew Diaries periodically.

[(Bob Mckenzie to his dog) "Eh... Hosehead, once you get there you can have all the free beer and sausages you want" - Bob McKenzie.]

The Playlist:

Driftwood Ale Onion Soup

4 Red onions, sliced thinly

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 cup Butter

3 cups Driftwood Ale

4 cups Beef stock

3 tbsp Red wine

1 tbsp Grainy mustard

1 sprig Rosemary

Parsley, chopped for garnish

Driftwood Farmhand No-Knead Bread

4 cups Wholegrain flour

1/2 cup Wholegrain flour

1/2 cup Water (as hot as your tap goes)

12 oz Driftwood Farmhand Ale

2 1/2 tsp Yeast

1/2 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Salt

Cornmeal

Driftwood White Bark & Lemongrass Muscles on Pappardelle Noodles 

2 lbs Salt Spring Island muscles

1 lb Manila Clams

2 cups Driftwood White Bark Belgian-Style Wit

3 Shallots, diced

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 stalk Lemongrass, inner core only minced

1 tbsp Parsley, minced

2-4 tbsp Butter

1 tbsp Olive oil

1 tsp Red mustard seed, freshly ground

1 tsp Orange zest

1/2 tsp Chili flakes (optional)

1 box Pappardelle noodles

Salt & Pepper, to taste
Cornstarch & Water, to thicken sauce if desired.

Beat Caprise Insalata w/ Driftwood Ale Balsamic Reduction

3 Beats, boiled and pealed

250g Buffalo mozzarella*

3 Tomatoes, sliced in disks

10 - 15 Fresh basil leaves

10 - 15 slices, Spicy smoked meat**

1/2 cup Driftwood Ale

1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar

2 tsp Orange zest
1-2 tbsp Honey, depending on sweetness desired

*I prefer a sharp cheddar though.
** Capicollo works well, or any spicy salami.

The Skinny:

 Driftwood Ale Onion Soup

1. Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Add the onions and garlic and saute for about 40 minutes.
2. Add wine to deglaze pan for about 3 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove rosemary sprig and serve warm. You may also serve with crusty bread and Gruyere cheese to make it a more authentic French onion soup.

Driftwood Farmhand No-Knead Bread

1. Mix water, yeast, sugar, and 1/2 cup flour into a large bowl. Cover with a dampened cloth and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
2. Mix in Driftwood Farmhand ale. Once mixed in, add the remaining flour and salt and mix until a tacky ball forms. If it is too dry add more beer, and if it is too tacky (sticking to bowl and not forming a ball) add more flour. This is not a science.
3. Cover with a warm damp cloth and allow to sit for 4 hours. If you want to speed up the process, place in an oven that is around 70*F for 2 hours. It works best if you turn on your oven and set it to 150* then turn it off for about 10 minutes (of course, every oven is different).
4. Form dough into a ball by scraping the outside of the bowl with a non-stick rubber scraper and putting in towards the centre. Take this ball and place it on a well floured surface. Form it into the desired shape (I prefer the shape of a French loaf). Sprinkle flour on top.
5. Put cornmeal on a heavy baking pan and place the loaf shaped dough onto the baking pan. Cover with a dry towel and allow to rise for another hour. Take a sharp knife and put a long slit down the centre of the loaf.
6. Place an oven-safe dish half full of water on the lower oven rack and the baking pan (with the dough) on the middle oven rack. Bake at 425* for 35 minutes.
7. Place bread on a cooling rack and allow to cool.

Driftwood White Bark & Lemongrass Muscles on Pappardelle Noodles

1. Rinse and de-beard the muscles and clams under cold water. Discard any of the muscles or clams that do not close, as they are dead. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta as directed on the packaging. Set aside.
3. In a large, shallow pot add the oil, shallots, garlic, salt & pepper, and lemon grass. Cook on medium heat until shallots start to become translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the Driftwood White Bark and bring to a rolling boil, then add the clams and muscles and cook until they open (about 5-10 minutes). After cooked, transfer the muscles and clams into a separate bowl.
4. To the pot: add parsley, 2 tbsp of butter, chili flakes, orange zest, and mustard seed. Bring this to a boil and add more butter if desired (helps reduce the bitterness).
5. Place the muscles and clams onto the noodles and drizzle sauce onto the pasta.
6. Crusty bread can be used to soak up the remaining sauce.

Beat Caprise Insalata w/ Driftwood Ale Balsamic Reduction

1.  Slice the beets, tomatoes, and cheese about 1/3 inch thick. Layer the salad so that equal amounts of each ingredient are present (IE: beat, tomato, salami, cheese, basil, etc.)
2. In a large, shallow sauce pan combined the Driftwood Ale, honey, orange zest, and balsamic vinegar. On medium-high heat bring to a simmer and allow for the mixture to reduce to a syrupy texture (about half of the volume).
3. Add 2 tbsp more Driftwood Ale to the reduction and mix well (this will make the beer's flavour more pronounced).
4. Drizzle on the caprise insalata and enjoy.

Featured on: Food Renegade, Chef in Training, 33 Shades of Green, Premeditated Leftovers, 

Stay Rad - h