Pass the 'Roo

You never forget the first time you eat kangaroo for dinner.

I gather weekly with my Bible study for an evening of food, fellowship and scripture. Each of us takes turns cooking dinner and preparing a study topic. I love the opportunity to cook for my friends - especially because they'll let me explore some themes and ingredients that I normally wouldn't try at home. My friend James uses the opportunity to randomly pick a country and prepare an meal from their local cuisine. He's served up dinner from Ethiopia, rocking hot jerk chicken from the Caribbean (the best I've ever had) and even pemmican from the South Pole (technically not a country, but I'll give him this one). Recently, he decided to make an Australian dinner for the lot of us. We had absolutely no idea how far he was prepared to go in search of some authenticity!

Actually, thanks to the internet, he didn't have to go very far. He was able to purchase various exotic meats at, well, ExoticMeats.com. Curious, I found their site and had a look. They're certainly not kidding when they say "exotic". They even go so far as to post nutritional information on their selections. That way you can find out how many grams of fat are in your quarter-pound goat burger (2).

James provided the group with a "sampler" of Australian meats. From left to right, we have Asian-inspired ostritch, kangaroo sausage and blackened alligator (James said they didn't have crocodile).

Many people have had gator, and I guess there's not much to say except that it's a little like a rubbery tilapia fillet.

The kangaroo, which I might remind you is a rodent, tastes like giant rodent. Seriously, it was chewy with this insanely gamey flavor. Despite James' best efforts (he's an excellent cook), the 'roo wasn't exactly flying off the platter.

James' ostrich, on the other hand, was moist, flavorful and of terrific texture. It was so good, in fact, that we were fighting for every morsel. He prepared it according to this recipe with a sugar-soy glaze and broiled it in the oven. It's of course a little cheesy to say that it tasted like chicken...but it tastes like chicken. Sorry, but you knew going in that this post would eventually degrade to that. Actually, ostrich meat is a little, well, "meatier" than chicken, with the texture of white meat poultry and the juiciness of beef.

I think I might try this recipe at home, although I'll probably cave and make it with lean beef, since it's cheaper and I won't have to spend 20 minutes convincing my wife that she is really eating a fast-running, oversized bird from down under. Jenny and I cook a lot of lean beef and chicken, and this simple recipe seems like a good way to jazz up the occasional dinner.

Summer to Finter Pie

Fall comes pretty late in Atlanta. It's nearly November and we're only now starting to see some really cold temperatures. This is fine with me, because as I've lost weight I become less and less tolerant of the cold. This translates over to my wardrobe and my cooking. Just as I'm loathe to hang up my awesome Hawaiian shirts, I hate having to stop cooking gazpacho, hot dogs and the other savory treats of summer.

When some friends came over recently, I decided to pay homage to the end of summer and bid a cheery "hello" to coming Finter (the Atlanta hybrid Fall and Winter season) by cooking up a transitional dessert. The two stars, nectarines and raspberries, are an odd pairing, but I was betting that I could meld the two into some kind of fruity dessert.

At the same time, I wanted to try and make the dessert compatible with a calorie-conscious lifestyle. Not easy when I'd planned on making some kind of "rustic pie". I'd seen something similar on Party Line with Dan and Steve (one of my favorite new cooking shows). They used a pie crust without a pie tin, blind baking or any of the other complications of traditional pie making. I thought this would yield a pretty cool dessert, something a little different.

So I was off to the races, making the filling by dicing the nectarines and cooking them with a reduced calorie "syrup". The picture below was taken after the addition of the raspberries. I added them a bit too soon and they disintegrated while heating up.

No bother, since they lent a fantastic kick to the filling, and this late in the season the nectarines are firm enough to give the filling the necessary chunks. I used corn starch to thicken the mixture, stirring well to incorporate. It's easier to mix the "sugar", cornstarch and water together before adding them to the pan, but I was tasting and making the filling up as I went along.

I made the pie crust according to Alton Brown's method, substituting light butter for the real stuff and using low cal "butter spread" instead of the lard (that sound you hear is Julia Child rolling over in her grave). Big mistake. The whole mess got soft really quickly, and the spread gave the whole thing a wierd "butter-like" taste. To make matters worse, I overpulsed the mixture in my food processor yeilding a tougher crust than I'd desired. The finished pie was still delicious, so let's just call my first experiment with making my own crust from scratch a draw - saved by the filling.

I created a sort of "mega turnover" with most of the filling and popped it into a 350° oven for 30-40 minutes. I brushed a little egg wash (1 beaten egg + 1 tbsp. water) over the top halfway through baking (I forgot) to give it some color.

The finished product leaked a bit, but was incredibly tasty. The whole tart is about 6 servings at 6 points apiece.

In final analysis, I think the effort to reduce the calorie content in the crust was a little misguided. The whole tart is 36 points, 29 of which are in the crust. The filling was awesome, but I needed a better (and lighter) delivery method. If I had to do it over again, I'd make the same filling and the "full fat" version of the crust. Instead of using the crust as shown, I'd roll it out and cut circles in it using a ramekin as a cutter. That way I could fill the ramekins with filling and have a perfect mini-crust to cover the top. Call it a fruit pot pie. I'd get all the flavor and texture of the crust without the billion points it adds to the dish.

I'm sure with more practice I'll get better at crust-making. Until then, I've got a dynamite filling recipe for pies, tarts and cobblers, or just scooped on top of ice cream. Maybe Finter won't be so bad after all...

Nectarine-Raspberry Tart Filling

3 firm Nectarines, peeled and cut into a 1/2" dice
8 oz. Raspberries, cut in half
Approx. 2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
3 tbsp. Equal SugarLite (Equal/sugar mix)
1 1/2 tsp. Corn Starch
1/3 cup Water

Toss freshly diced nectarines in lemon juice to coat to prevent browning. In a non-stick pan saute nectarines over high heat until they begin to soften. Mix the equal, cornstarch and water until dissolved and add to pan. Reduce heat, add the raspberries and simmer gently until the sauce starts to thicken.

The batch is 7 points.

Pancakes Pancakes

Sometimes you just wake up in a pancake mood.

The urge hit me early Saturday morning. My eyes snapped open, and after realizing that I wasn't in my old high school in my underwear, I snapped into seldom-used pancake mode.

I am fortunate to be the son of a pancake guru. My dad makes perfect pancakes, the likes of which have only been surpassed once. Having such a maestro in the family would normally induce a bit of anxiety, but the great thing about Saturday morning breakfast is that no one's there to tell you that your skillet's too hot, or that you added too much milk.

Pancakes are the best morning food because they're wholesome, filling and more than appropriate for partially-dressed cooking, unlike their yummy breakfast cousin bacon. This time, I wanted something between IHOP-style 6 million point cakes and tasteless rubbery frozen pancakes.

I'd like to say that I came up with the best light pancake recipe ever, but the fact of the matter is that I was groggy and tired and I just reached for the box of reduced fat Bisquick. I prepared half of a recipe (1 cup RF Bisquick, 1/2 cup+ skim milk, 1/2 egg) and stirred in a large banana, smashed. Prepared this way, a batch yields about 6 4 inch pancakes and weighs in at 13 points.

Experienced flapjackers will notice that my skillet was too hot, as evidenced by the lace-like pattern of brown on my cakes. The box says that the skillet should be 375°, but my skillets don't have built in thermometers. The other tip, that a drop of water will "dance" across the skillet, is equally worthless. Truth be told, I make a sacrificial pancake and just tweak the temperature as I go along. My dad has followed this method, and now he's got a little notch on the knob on his stove to mark the correct spot.

Come to think of it, why don't all stoves come with a "pancake" setting? Microwaves do come with a "popcorn" button, after all. Someone should get on that...

After waking up to the smell of breakfast, Jenny suggested that I make a giant batch and freeze them so we can reheat them at will. This is a smashing idea, and I think I'll do just that soon.

It'd be a crime to mention pancakes and not mention syrup. My family is all over the map with this one. My sister, bless her heart, likes the generic synthetic stuff that's less "New England forest" and more "Monsanto laboratory". My dad and I love the real stuff.

There are certainly sugar-free and reduced fat versions of maple syrup, but I find these to be seriously lacking. Weight management is all about choices, and I'd rather have a little high octane syrup than a lot of the fake stuff. But that's just my opinion...

NTSCBlog 23:5

I was absolutely thrilled to be tagged for the 23rd post meme by Alanna and Chronicler. For those who aren't into blogging, a meme a form of friendly chain letter, where people are "tagged" for a post about whatever subject is in the meme. The rules for this meme are:

1. Delve into your blog archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to)
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to)
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions. Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas...
5. Tag five people to do the same.

My 23rd post, coincidently enough, is the post containing my weight loss journal. The fifth line reads

"I'm not perfect, but publishing my results will help keep me accountable for my performance."

I was a little shocked to find this, because I have been meditating for weeks concerning just this line. This passage has come to be a real thorn in my side over the last few months as I question the wisdom of making such a bold statement!

Let me be frank. For someone who spends an incredible amount of time blogging about losing weight, I sure am short on results. Now let me make it clear that I never intend to turn this into a "I want to lose weight but can't" blog. My goal has always been to explore the world of food from the context of someone who's lost a ton (actually 1/20th of a ton, give or take) of weight.

I publish my weight tracker for two reasons:

1. To add credibility to my blog by showing my successes.
2. To add credibility to my blog by showing when I slip up and eat a quart of Bryers SugarSmart Peanut Butter Tracks ice cream (2 pts. per 1/2 cup, or 16 pts. per quart).

As much as it's been a bit embarrassing to be blogging in the midst of a serious plateau, I believe in the value of communicating the importance of soldiering forward even when when you feel like you're failing.

There have been some long periods of weight plateaus for me over the years, and I've often had to face the fact that sometimes you just have to keep doing your best to follow the program and wait for your motivation to catch up.

Personally, I do feel that I've been more than a little "off" with this blog lately. I'm aiming to steer my posts back on track, featuring more light and low-fat explorations. I find that when I work on posts that focus on sensible eating and weight management, success usually follows. Writing about trips and beer is fun, but the really rewarding stuff comes from helping myself and others.

To pass on the meme, I've tagged some of my favorite food blogs...

• Iheartbacon.com - MegWoo's bacon-centric blog is a hoot!
• Words to Eat By - Debbie's a woman after my own heart. I've enjoyed her food blog, and I appreciate the soul she pours into her writing.
• Lex Culinaria - Lex's posts and photography are top-notch!
• Life Begins @ 30 - This a great blog featuring tons of local eats...

and one from outside the food blog world...

• Nampaz.com - My friend Jason's blog on travel, religion and all things Jason.

Food of Ireland

The Irish palate seemed precisely tailored for my particular tastes. I eagerly dined on Irish stew (a homestyle chunky stew of potatoes, lamb and tons of flavor), soda bread, beef and Guinness stew, and a host of traditional meats and pastries. I'm big on hearty comfort foods, which the Irish have mastered to an extent not seen in my travels. I did end up gaining a bit of weight on the trip, but it was worth it to sample every delicious dish!

After our delightful stay in Kenmare at Virginia's Guesthouse, we ventured further up the coast to Glin, to spend the evening of our first wedding anniversary at Glin Castle. To say that it's a 5 star hotel is a gross understatement. We were showered with luxury from the instant our tired, traveled feet crossed the front stoop to the moment our stuffed stomachs plopped back into our rental car.

We decided to have dinner at the castle, which was a very good idea. We feasted on our 5 course dinner in the gorgeous dining room for almost 2 and a half hours. The castle was extremely romantic, and we'd recommend it to any couple venturing around the west coast. From a foodie standpoint, it's also a really neat place to visit. Much of the food is grown or raised on the estate. Our expansive and delicious meals prove the philosophy that good food comes from good ingredients.

Based on a tip from Sam at Becks and Posh, Jenny and I made a stop to the funky Avoca Cafe. Located near the Temple Bar in Dublin, the flagship store of Avoca Handweavers had a seriously busy, and seriously good cafe. I expected more Irish food, but in reality, the fare was more French-inspired Irish grub. Not that I'm complaining!

My panini, filled with cheese and bacon, was absolutely sublime - especially when dipped in the sweet homemade ketchup on the side. Jenny's arugula salad (with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes) really hit the spot, and we split both entrees. We capped off our meal with a soft luscious scone, complete with jam and clotted cream, which is infinitely better on sweet baked goods than plain old butter. Every plate we saw in the cafe was gorgeous, and I'm sure they tasted as good as they looked.

From a food standpoint, our trip abroad was a smashing success. Jenny and I sampled lots of bits of local cuisine in both London and Ireland, without completely breaking the bank. I feel like we really got the grand tour, culinarily speaking, of the British Isles, and we look forward to our inevitable return trip!

Grilling at Work II: LBE Maximus

Last week we had another get-together after work for our co-workers, spouses and a few invited guests. Once again we attempted to push the envelope with what is possible to do with a couple of low-cost gas grills and a skeleton kitchen.

This time, I brought out the big guns. I lugged my Little Brown Egg from home to work and tripled it's capacity to suit the crowd.

This was accomplished by outfitting the LBE with a rib and potato rack from my local hardware megastore. This $8 device is perfect for holding 3 whole (butterflied) chickens upright inside my little smoker. It worked beautifully, smoking all three birds to hickory perfection.

Now that I have chickens down pat, I want to experiment with more challenging BBQ fare. Perhaps I can develop a low-fat homemade sausage for smoking. We'll see...

I also tried something a little new. Knowing that grills can get MUCH hotter than my oven at home, I decided to try and make some pizza under the hood. My first pizza was cooked on a stone on the main grate, and it ended up like an Apollo heat shield on the bottom. Using the pizza pan on the warming grate under full heat had the best results. Once you get the timing down, you can churn out pizzas every 10 minutes or so. The flank steak is just a bonus.

I made 3 different kinds of pizza, but the one that flew off the grill the fastest was a white pizza, made with Alfredo sauce, tons of roasted garlic (mashed into a paste and spread in with the sauce) and six-cheese shredded blend. I'm a student of the "less is more" school of pizza construction, so I generally don't load the pie down with sauce and toppings. By controlling the load on the crust you reduce the risk of dreaded soggy pizza and you make the whole thing a lot lighter.

Thanks to Shane Byler for taking the pictures while I was cooking.

Guinness is Good for You

It's a common cliche to say something is "as American as apple pie". In the hills and valleys of Ireland, the metric to which all Irish classics are measured is a tall pint of the dark stuff. If Guinness is really good for you, then there is a whole lot of good going 'round Ireland.

If you're looking for an objective evaluation of Ireland's national drink, go somewhere else. I love the stuff above most every beer on the planet. In fact, when selecting the itinerary for our trip Ireland made the cut because I wanted to experience a stout in the home of my ancestors before I pass from this earth.

At the Guinness Storehouse, I learned that over 10 million pints are brewed and consumed every day. I firmly believe that at least 20% of the world supply is consumed in Dublin. I'm serious! If pints were soldiers, Dublin would be their Gettysburg. While we're on the topic, the Storehouse tour was a bit of a let-down. It's a little hard to follow, and aside from some interesting features about Guinness advertising, it was a bit boring.

The rooftop bar, on the other hand, was fantastic, offering a panoramic view of beautiful Dublin. Jenny hates beer, so she gives me her free samples whenever we go on a brewery tour. This is yet another reason why she's the perfect wife. Actually, Dublin is hideously industrial and drab, but viewed through the fog of two free pints, even the homeliest town looks like Rome.

This is the last of my two pints. Notice the foam shamrock at the top of the head, a signature of the beermeister that poured it for me. Brilliant!

I left Dublin so heady over my stout binge that I decided to get into the import business and bring back my own supply. I lovingly bore 10 pints of canned Guinness Draught over thousands of miles and hundreds of feet of airport, customs and immigration checks.

It was a labor of love, but it was also for a higher purpose. For years I'd been told that the Guinness in Dublin tastes SO MUCH better than the "substandard" stuff they import into the US. I've determined that pineapples do indeed taste better in Hawaii than they do on the mainland, and I was equally determined to prove to myself that Guinness from the homeland is indeed better than our Yankee version.

So I gathered 6 of my bible study partners, all Guinness lovers, and decided to put the question to their seasoned lips by doing a back to back taste test with local Guinness purchased at the supermarket. Unfortunately for my back, the effort was in vain. Both samples were identical, with no difference between the oceanbound imports and my oppressively heavy air shipment.

The Irish believe that Guinness is good for you, and I'm inclined to agree. Even if there is only a weak argument for it's healing and strength-giving powers, I have to believe that Guinness offers an emotional benefit to the consumer. Holding a pint will always remind me of the cramped, dark pubs of Ireland and the rosy souls that shared the experience with me.

In case you're wondering, a pint of Guinness Draught is 4 WW points. Well worth it in my opinion...

Update 11/28 - The photo of my pint was entered in this month's Does My Blog Look Good in This photography contest!