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Bitter Melon

By Lionina - 11:15 PM
Goya with shrimp and black bean sauce, recipe from Saveur. I didn't follow the proportions exactly, but used all the components. My melon slices were still quite crunchy. Stir fry a bit longer to diminish the bitterness, or parboil the slices in boiling water for a minute and drain well before stir frying. The added step makes for a softer texture and less...

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On Heirarchy

By Lionina - 6:19 PM
"Peggy Olson: The Smuggest Bitch in the World. When a man like Stan Rizzo calls you that, you should go out and buy yourself something pretty as a reward." -- Tom and LorenzoWish I'd heard this back when... "Peggy Olson: The Smuggest Bitch in the World. When a man like Stan Rizzo calls you that, you should go out and buy yourself something...

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Gateau a l'Orange et aux Amandes

By Lionina - 1:43 PM
Or orange almond spongecake from Julia Child. My first cake! This is not half-eaten per usual, but rather, I had a hard time getting the cake out of the pan because I let it sit too long. The lag also made the cake a little soggier towards the bottom than I would like. I had no issues with the cake falling, nor did...

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Egg Nerd

By Lionina - 5:06 PM
If there ever was too much information on how to make a perfect soft boiled egg... And why this is important according to Tampopo. ...

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Ramen Dojo

By Lionina - 10:06 PM
From the owners of Santa Ramen, San Mateo. Firm egg noodles, fatty pork slices with caramelized garlic clove and pork broth at low volume, served regular spicy with quail egg and a side of bamboo. I prefer a good milky tonkotsu usually, but Dojo has a slightly bitter, dark broth which is certainly rich, deep and unique. I also definitely dig Dojo's "q-q"...

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Lamb and Mash

By Lionina - 6:21 AM
Rack of lamb with crust using leftover caper sauce mixed with mustard, pistachio and panko. Buttermilk mashed potatoes with blue cheese. Roasted french green beans. No recipe because this was a slightly repurposed meal and my first time cooking lamb like with the bones in. Next time with thicker piece of meat, I'm going to use a slightly lower oven, 425 degrees, and...

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Useful Compy 411

By Lionina - 6:37 PM
From Tom's Hardware: Graphics Card Heirarchy Chart CPU Heirarchy Chart Useful for determining Compy upgrades. Plus, basic pedantia, How To's, benchmarking, and tested builds. Balanced Rig Computing Power ...

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Scallops with Basil Caper Sauce

By Lionina - 9:45 PM
Brown butter seared scallops with lightly salted quinoa and french green beans. Use the extra butter sauce to flavor the quinoa when plating. Either finely chop or blitz the dipping sauce and serve on the side. Basil Caper Sauce 3 tbsp fresh basil, minced 3 tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, finely minced 2 tbsp capers, crushed 2 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp...

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Applesauce Pie

By Lionina - 7:21 PM
My first attempt at pie crust came out quite light, halfway between crumbly and flaky with an oiliness that put me off slightly. Recipe tips from Cook's Illustrated: The New Best Recipe, lead me to believe that I over heated my fats (working by hand here) and underworked my dough a bit, causing the pie to shrink back from the pan. The applesauce...

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Braised Short Ribs

By Lionina - 1:08 AM
Not the most attractive picture, but we were hungry for our dinner so I took this on the fly.  This braising sauce is basically a mole fakery. olive oil 4 long flanken cut beef short ribs salt and pepper 1/2 onion, large 4 green onions, large, or leek 1 green bell pepper 1 jalapeno 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp black cumin...

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Lemon Chicken

By Lionina - 8:35 PM
Followed this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens nearly faithfully except for substituting the lasagna noodle, which I didn't have on hand, and an added  leek that needed to be used. The quality of the ricotta is key in this dish, so choose wisely. Followed this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens nearly faithfully except for substituting the lasagna noodle, which I didn't...

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Alevropita

By Lionina - 7:48 PM
Recipe from Saveur. Use two pie pans or a large baking sheet for a nice thin brown, crispy layer. Mine is a little too puffy and tall here. I would be more generous with the feta, almost like a pizza cheese layer. This a really simple recipe that can be whipped up as a side or snack fairly quickly and I imagine would...

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On Vampyres and the Big Bad Derth

By Lionina - 4:28 AM
I felt compelled to muse given the renewed interest in vampires via the Twilight phenom, but to my now arguably matured and slightly more pop culture aware eyes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the TV show, represents, well, good TV. In a post HBO world, I believe Buffy holds up remarkably well despite the dated references and unique sensibility. Typically the series was well...

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Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Cheese

By Lionina - 4:06 AM
Candied Pecans 2.5 tbsp butter 1 cup pecan pieces2.5 tbsp brown sugar1/2 tsp salt Melt butter in a small pan. Add pecans and sugar. Fry on medium heat for 3 minutes till sugar is melted. Spread on foil till cooled. Roasted potatoes 2 large sweet potatoes cut into thin wedges or fries1 small onion cut into strips one inch in lengtholive oilsalt and...

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