Eternal/Infernal Leftovers.

Three weeks in to consuming the leftovers. And I've managed to plan every meal to finish them, lasting up till the first week of August. Yeah. Rly. So, a breakdown of the perpetual leftovers!

1.














What: Lentil Shepherd's Pie
Ingredient Salvaged: Sheep [Lentils]
Outcome: Not terrible - not much substance from the lentils themselves, but the buttery [I used little!] mashed sweet potato topping is quite delectable, and the fact I was too lazy to cut the "sofritto" finer means there's some nice texture. Too much tomato paste.



2.














What: Smoked Mackerel Quiche
Ingredient Salvaged: 1 year old+ Smoked Mackerel
Outcome: Sweet. Oddly. Possibly a honey cure in the mackerel then, but quite nice and combines very well with the leek in the quiche, whereas the peas and capers are largely decorative. Quite enjoyable, though my heart cries, despite my tongues elation with the buttery shortcrust pastry. Very short.




3.














What: Smoked Mackerel Tart
Ingredient Salvaged: Same 1 year old+ Smoked Mackerel
Outcome: Essentially identical to above, just a different shape and less fillings. I think perhaps sweeter still with the addition of the Jarlsberg cheese in the egg "filler". Likewise, the shortcrust pastry is lovely but bad mkay.




4. [Eated it]

What: Apple & Blackberry Crumble
Ingredient Salvaged: Apple Sauce, Blackberries, leftover Crumble Topping
Outcome: Some apprehension was natural as I tossed in the blackberries, some with a light dusting of mould, into the ramekins but overall they came out as per usual, seeing as barring the typical ingredients of a crumble, I merely added the blackberries, a splash of Vin Santo and a couple of cloves. And it did not taste of Stilton. Cloves kind of add an interesting touch, not so much infusing flavouring than announcing itself quite rudely,"OH HAI, I'M HERE!" as you chew into an errant pod. Worked well with the mascarpone cream. Very lazy one, as everything was essentially laid out.





5.

What: Apple Charlotte
Ingredient Salvaged: Moar Apple Sauce
Outcome: Baked in a flower pot. And mood set. But it's not terrible - rather boring, yes, but not terrible. Just apple sauce and buttered Vogel Linseed bread [Vogel wins at bread, that is all]. Using some Low Fat Custard with it to add a semblance of interest.

6.















What: Bread & Butter Pudding
Ingredient Salvaged: Mountains of leftover bread scraps from the Apple Charlotte
Outcome: Quite frankly. The most boring thing ever. Almost entirely my fault, as, I only realised I omitted to include anything other than bread. And butter. After it had done baking. What little sugar I did add, and the couple of sultanas coupled with the egg-based binder made little difference. However, add in the pineapple ice-cream I made previously. REDEMPTION! Works quite well with what spices I added as well as the sultanas. Otherwise, still bland.

7.

What: Torta Amalfitana
Ingredient Salvaged: Pears & Ricotta
Outcome: If this summary were to be based on the conformity to the original recipe, it would be the abomination of abominations. As obviously when a recipe asks for the addition of an Italian Meringue, and to set the mixture with Agar Agar jelly, and you end up adding raw egg white and raw strands of Agar Agar, something has gone awry. So it tastes, well. Bland really. However, I find it very hard to stop scrounging away at it. Despite the errant chewy Agar Agar strands. The far too small meringue discs meant to form the top and base of the cake are also amusing, as they are essentially half the size of the tin used >_<.

8.

What: Baked Cheesecake
Ingredient Salvaged: Pears & Mascarpone
Outcome: Took about a year to make, the entire process completely blind, death, mute, clueless. Quite moreish though. My arteries hardened from just watching the amount of clarified fat floating on the surface during the baking, but the taste is nowhere near as decadent - eggier than it is creamy. Disaster was semi-averted in the making of too little pastry, though it was oddly sticky. Said salvation was partly thwarted by the addition of the pears, releasing moisture and thus making the pastry a sponge. Not cheesy enough.

And with these eight. I'm done. Christmas is too near to keep making guilt food >_>

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Delicious Excess after the Drought

So.. For the spam bots and 1 other lonely individual that read this - me - the lack of any life is sure to indicate the obvious waning sense of purpose for this blog. However, I should really follow it through. I am also abhorrently bored.

More of the same on the front of creating food out of what would have been wasted, which will suddenly come to use in the next couple of weeks as I find myself in an empty household. Really pulling together obscure ingredients, I shall sustain myself with the inclusion of the following dishes:
- Smoked Mackerel Quiche [Not bad - oddly sweet]
- Smoked Mackerel Tart
- Lentil Shepherd's Pie
- Torta Amalfitana [Disaster]
- Baked Cheesecake [Greasy]
- Apple Charlotte [Baked in a flower pot]
- Bread & Butter Putting [Forgot to actually include anything other than Bread and butter]

I will probably give quick indications in a separate post. Maybe from a hospital bed. Or the dead. Onwards. In the latest news, I also ventured out of the security of my room and had dinner out. So yes, I did go to Boisdale, but only for desserts, also sampling the culinary eccentricities/delicacies/non-distinct healthiness of Umu, Tombo and Jak's respectively. However, one of these events issued an absolutely delightful discovery.

At said restaurant I was partaking in a Tasting Event, to which I had invited a couple of friends so as to not appear completely out of place, though my pre-pubescent facial foliage certainly tried hard to nullify that effort. At this event, I was introduced to an item, that has completely altered my admittedly, but unashamedly utter ignorant streak on certain topics, and, actually changed my life. Not to any actual degree worth measuring mind - I liked it, basically, and it now occupies a lot of my mindframe. Ironically, I poopoo'd [teehee] the speaker when he declared the same phenomena of when  he first sampled a true tasting of this same item and how it was a distinct moment he will forever remember. Only to issue myself a facepalm a nanosecond later as soon as I sampled it.

What on earth am I on about?

RICE!

Steamed white rice. IT. Was. AMAZING.









Ok, not quite. And I couldn't actually think of any cleverer segue. However, this item does involve rice. And steaming. I'll leave you on that.





Ok, it was Sake'. What I initially thought was a warm cup of rice water digestive, has completely altered my perception on this drink within the occurrence of the this tasting event. However, more on this epiphany in its own dedicated post kkthx.

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Damn you Ekmek, and such

So. It Continues. The excuse this time was to use up some leftover Tahini.

One has been eaten. It is supposed to be Tahinli Ekmek, a Turkish Sweet Tahini Pastry. It was delectable, and my first attempt at baking. It was enjoyable. However, so. Much. Badness. Not even the fact that I used less than half the stated amount of sugar, and about 2/3 of the butter requested can stop this rather girlish carbs-are-bad-mkay guilt I'm experiencing.

But it was nice.




BAH!

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Devil Makes idle Hands Chubby [>_<]

Suffice it to say.. That I had lost a lot of will to keep adding posts. Primarily as I rarely venture forth from my room in these penny-pinching days of non-expenditure for other commitments, that and, I hate thinking about food. As it makes me hungry. And also, water is wet.

This past month has added negatively in that intense spurts of boredom have caused me to unfortunately meander towards the kitchen, whereby in a mission to salvage a small portion of epic food waste that occurs in the household, decided to make some dishes. However, these have obviously taken their toll on me, compounded by the recent amassing of desserts and other foods of questionable health benefit, though obviously noms. So, what have I made/whining about having made?

- Ricotta Polenta Cake; to get rid of a year old tub of Ricotta in the freezer
- Quinoa Pudding; the intention was to use up some very old nectarines, which were almost all made of mould
- Butternut Squash cake & Jack Sabayon; used up an old butternut squash
- Zucchini Souffle'; some very unlovely smelling zucchini formed these
- Watermelon Souffle; yet to be made, but the ingredients have been prepared for a while
- Pineapple Ice-cream; used up some old pineapple slices, blended with some cream, stuck in freezer, done.
- Melon Sorbet; as above, but to use melon. Tasted. Funky.

After which, I will now refrain. As I have gained a startling amount of flab, not compounded by the Tiramisu' that I solely seem to be consuming, and Muhallabia, that were both made for Easter. Argh.

Addendum: Just made Sutlac. Ish. Kind of just winged it on measurements. And I made it too dry. Again. This time to use up some white rice in the fridge, and Jersey milk.

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Part Deux: Zonzomnomnom

Ugh, whatever. Take two of the Zonzo - it is astounding what a difference just a little added seasoning can make. And a whole Mozzarella ball. Whilst I hesitate to add salt to anything nowadays, formerly being a Salt Water creature in a previous life, it has brought out a creaminess from the butter and cheese.

I also made sure the puree was a lot finer this time round, and added more parmesan, and. Well. I've banned myself from looking at it, as I know I'll find it hard to stop eating. It's not mind-blowing by any means, and certainly no credit of culinary skill - it's just mashed cassava - but, Jeebus is it more-ish...

Proof shown by the fact I couldn't refrain myself for the sake of an unspoiled photograph ^_^

Addendum: Microwaved a small slice the other day for that bit too long, so it got crunchy. Um. Wow. Amazing? I would think that is why its predominantly barbequed, as it comes alive when the cheese has melted through. ARGH.

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Zonzobar!

Well, actually, more of a Zonzodish. HAH!

I know, weak.

Anyway I got bored, there was a plate of leftover boiled Cassava in the fridge - which relentlessly mocked me as it knew I cannot resist it when finished in the tempura my mother so casually happened to have made in her attempts to fatten me up - so, I figured, may as well do something with it, that's ever so slightly healthier.

Still haven't a clue what I'm on about? Wait, that's redundant, no-one does. Anyway:

I made some Zonzo. Which is basically a Bolivian Mashed Cassava [Basically Mashed Potato, except, its Cassava] dish - usually on a stick, but, I did it the idiot-proof way. And I don't have any sticks. Mine lacked enough mozzarella as I couldn't be bothered to defrost some more, and I probably should have seasoned it a smidge more. However. It is very addictive. Dangerously so. A bit bland, but this newly introduced root/tuber/vegetableofpwn owns me quite so.

I also tried making some Kheer a month or so ago. I'll just say, with one having bits of ceramic in it, and the other having an industrial amount of Saffron in it, they could've been worse. Far worse. No, I didn't poop out a yellow vase.

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