Chocolate-It's What's for Dinner

Are they still hard boiled eggs if the water isn't boiled? Or would you call them Sous Vide hard eggs? Well I guess this is really just a philosphical question. The end result is that you get an egg with a nice firm, but fluffly and perfect yolk center and a lovely white. It was simple enough. Sous Vide Eggs Eggs Heat water to 195. Gently add eggs. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove eggs and place in ice water.  Crack shells and place back in water for a few seconds to easily remove shells. Easy peasy. Yes you can have hard boiled eggs in less time by cooking them the traditional way, but will they be cooked perfectly - maybe yes, maybe no. I 'd rather go with the sure thing and use the Sous Vide. And yes I know I've been slacking. It's the summer and I've been crazy busy. I've been cooking, just not posting.

It was the beginning of the summer when I was espousing the wonders of  Sous Vide Steak and I haven't changed my mind yet. I thought why not close out the summer with a Flash Back Friday (I know Labor day was a week or so ago but I've been behind in my postings and this was actually what we ate on Labor Day). Although this time I did the same temperature, it was a little more done. Perhaps the Sous Chef let it stay on the grill a little longer?? Or perhaps it was because it was grass-fed beef? It was pretty lean without much marbling? I don't know but it was still a pretty darn good steak. Tender as all get out. I did the same but added Rosemary to the thyme this time around.

I will never make steak another way. This was one of those life altering food moments. Fresh pasta in Italy was another one but that's not as easy to have! I have read that steak Sous Vide is the best and I have to say I was thinking blah, blah, blah. But I'm here to say Steak Sous Vide is the best. I had a sirloin steak that wasn't the best cut of meat but certainly not the worst and it became this wonderfully tender, moist steak. OK so it is a little bit of work but it's really not a lot of hands on time. Just in time for the holiday weekend... Now I've told you before that I do not eat steak properly. I don't care! I like my steak on the well done side of rare. Is that a nice way of saying it? You can check out this website to see what temperature you should Sous Vide your steak to get the desired doneness. I cooked mine at 145. They said 150 was a turning point to badness but I thought 140 looked too rare for me. Sous Vide Steak 1- 2lb Sirloin Stea...

These ribs are so unbelievable. You will not believe that they were made in the oven or in this case Sous Vide. I've made them plenty of times in the oven and decided they would be an excellent candidate for Sous Vide. I've given the oven recipe too because I know not everyone has a Sous Vide. It does take a little planning ahead because you do need to let the ribs sit overnight with the rub. You also need to be around for the cooking which is low and slow. Not Barbecued Ribs (Adapted from Alton Brown ) 1 rack of baby back or St. Louis Style Ribs 5 T brown sugar 1 T garlic powder 1/2 T thyme 1 T Ancho (feel free to add more) 1 t allspice Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Set out a large piece of aluminum foil. Place the ribs in the center of the foil and rub the bottom side with half of the rub. Turn over and put the rest of the rub on the other side. Make sure you rub the spices into the meat well. Fold either side of the foil over the ribs and se...

I decided my first experiment with the Sous Vide would be chicken breasts. If things went dramatically wrong, it was not a huge time investment - a little over an hour and it was not an expensive cut of meat. I have to say it came out superb. They were moist and all they needed was a few seconds in the frying pan at the end. Thank goodness I have that vacuum sealer . It really came in handy. You can also use regular zipper bags but I do think the vacuum sealer is easier to use. Since I had 4 boneless chicken breasts, I decided to do a comparison test. I pounded two thin and sealed them up; the other two I didn't thin. I think the pounded ones came out better.  Although they both sort of puffed up a bit. Here's my first Sous Vide attempt: Honey Mustard Chicken (adapted from ANOVA ) 2 Chicken Breasts 1 T dijon 1 T spicy brown mustard 1 T olive oil 2 T honey 2 T Kressi Vinegar or white vinegar salt/pepper Mix the mustards, oil, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper tog...

I was hoping for a Mastiff Puppy for Christmas from Santa, but alas he let me down. He claims it's still coming (actually we are hoping to adopt an adult Mastiff). But Santa did come through. He got me a Sous Vide. This has made me realize that I have crossed a line here. I'm no longer just a foodie; I'm a serious foodie.  Making my own butter , pasta , and cream cheese , nor the amount of kitchen supplies I own,  convinced me of this but for some reason, the Sous Vide convinced me. I think I might be totally out of hand here. I don't want to be one of those hipsters who think they're cool because they are into artisan stuff (insert eye rolls here from daughters - "Mom you will never be cool") and make everything from scratch. I just think it is the science of it all that interests me. How does all this stuff meld together? How is it made? Why do the components go together like this or why don't they? My Mom always tells me I'm crazy for goin...