Monday, January 20, 2014

A Good Day For A Walk

As we have had somewhat bearable temperatures in Peoria the last few days, I thought I would take a walk.  I figured during half time of the Broncos-Patriots game would be just as good of time as any.  So, I headed over to Le Grande Dame of Peoria's Public Parks...Glen Oak.

I love wandering around here.  The lagoon, the views, the history if you take the unbeaten path.  I would have loved to see this place in its prime which would probably would have been in the 1920-50s.  Since places like this were the entertainment of the day instead of Peyton, X-Box and Facebook, the adventurous would find much stuff to do.

Walked around the lagoon except for the part that is fenced off.  I hope when this new section is done, one can walk completely around it.  Thought I would stop for some winter sun-tanning.






Dang my face looks fat.  No, I didn't put the weight I took off, back on.  I guess I'm a bad selfiephotographer.  Anyway, behind me is the new section around the lagoon that is being built.  It is home to the 1890s Spanish-American War cannon that has sat there for decades.  A view of the lagoon from the parapet behind me:


I wandered around for awhile and was amazed how many like minded people were out taking a stroll on a pleasant (for the middle of winter) day.  Then I decided to wander over to the old bridge.  I don't remember the specifics, but this bridge is rare for some reason.  Either its design, its architect, its significance, how few are left, something, but it is in sad shape.  It had been restored at one time, but supposedly incorrectly.  You can't cross it now.  And if you could, it no longer really goes anywhere as the new zoo almost blocks its exit on one end.







Well, from this view one could take a sharp left, follow the zoo fence and end up on the service road that goes under said bridge.  However, if you took the service road away from the park and went towards the woods and down the hill, you would almost come to the stone bridge that is in the picture at the top of this blog.  Loooong forgotten as is that part of the park which has some cool things.  OK, cool in my book.

So, I headed home after about 45 minutes.  The Broncos held the ball most of the third quarter while I'm sure Peyton Manning changed the play after they got up to the line, so I didn't miss much, but got a nice healthy dose of fresh air.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Since it is "nice" outside....

The last few days I've noticed it....it is the pre-season for lollygagging/meandering/roaming wherever/whenever/however through the streets of the East Bluff.  Screw cars and other vehicles...they'll stop.  Got to get our training in before the real season of nonchalant jaywalking occurs around the first week of April.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

French Onion with Shiitake Mushroom Soup



So, I mentioned on Facebook the other day that I was in the mood for/was going to make French Onion Soup with the addition of Shiitake Mushrooms.  So, bored on a Sunday morning (yes, I could be working on organizing the basement or going to church), I thought it would be a good time to do so.  And while I was at it, thought I would document it.  And keep track of what I put in it…GASP…a recipe!!!  And PICTURES!!!!

First, we need proper “cooking on a Sunday morning music”.  In the CD player we have on random play Extreme’s “Pornograffitti”, Elton John’s “Elton John”, Guns and Roses’ “Use Your Illusion 2”, Indigenous’ “Live at Pachyderm Studios” and Jennie DeVoe’s “Strange Sunshine”.  Make sure this is all played through 750 watts of Yamaha powered Cerwin Vega H-15 (or the like) to completely annoy your neighbors just like they did to you last Sunday morning with their 7:30 am snowblowing.

Back to the soup.  Here is the ingredient list:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon margarine
3 medium sized yellow onions, thinly sliced and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, mashed and minced
8 large dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water, sliced 1/8” thin*
1 ½  tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
1 ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 large or 4 small bay leaves
Salt to taste
3 pints (48 fluid ounces) roasted vegetable stock#

Over medium heat in a very heavy bottomed pan or pot, add the oil and margarine.  Wait until the margarine browns a bit.  Add the onions and garlic.


This can take awhile, but infrequently stir the onions and garlic until medium golden in color.  Add the mushrooms.  Cook until onions, garlic (if you can even distinguish it at this point) and mushrooms until they are a dark golden brown.  This ensures that the color and flavor of the soup will in part, come from the caramelization and not just from the stock.


Not yet.  We want this:


Add seasonings (yes, we already added the mushrooms, but I didn't feel like taking the time to edit them out with my horrible photo manipulation skills.  I cook, remember?)


and stir for just a moment or two.  Add stock.   


Bring to a boil then to a light simmer.  Let this cook for 30-45 minutes until the liquid barely covers the vegetables. 

 
Play air guitar solo along with Nuno Bennencourt during “Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee”.

Add 2 cups of water and reduce to the aforementioned “barely covers the vegetables”.

OK, the soup is done.   


At this point, adjust the seasonings.  I added a tablespoon of salt at the beginning and think it did an appropriate job.

But now, I’m going to “Uhmerkicanize” it.  Uh, huh…2 ounces of Bourbon Whiskey.  Add it, leave it out, use Applejack, sherry, red or white wine, port, whatever….I’ve seen ‘em all.  But use something decent.  Unkle Bart Bathtub Bourbon doesn't cut it but using Eagle Rare 17 Year Old is overkill.  Buffalo Trace does well.



Pull out the bay leaves.  Nobody wants to choke on them.

At this point, the soup is vegan.  Ain’t that nice.  It was actually the driving force behind the recipe and creation of the soup.  Geez, now you’ll have to eat vegan food.  In my best Fran Drescher “Oh, ain’t that hoooorrrrribblllllle”.

There are now many options.  You can use toasted bread rounds, croutons (easiest to eat), bagel chips or an array of bread products.  And for the cheese, I like a blend of finely shredded Emmentaler Swiss and good Provolone to provide a good balance of tangy and gooey.  Heat the soup to boiling.  Place the bread in individual bowls, ladle the soup over it and then top it all with the cheese.  At this point, hopefully the soup is hot enough to melt the cheese.  Or you can pop them in the oven.  Or you can take a blow torch to it (to which you must make Beavis and Butthead voices of “FIRE! FIRE!”).  If you really want to get all fancy pants and impressive you could go the route of Paul Bocuse’s famous Truffle Soup V.G.E. where the top of the soup cup is topped and sealed with buttered and egg washed puff pastry and baked until a dome of glistening crust appears (notice the cup…it is labeled especially for the soup.  I guess you could take a magic marker to your grandmother's antique Noritake china....)


Me, no cheese or bread. 

You should get about 6 8 ounce servings out of this.

*  I usually have dried shiitakes around and you can use fresh ones if you want.  I poured about 1 ½  cups of boiling water over them and let them sit partially covered overnight.  The next day, I squeeze all of the liquid out of them into the bowl in which they were soaking.  I use that soaking liquid as part of the stock….speaking of which…

#  “How much roasted vegetable stock is there on the planet?”.  Well, I make mine.  I save all the veggie scraps and freeze them.  Brown them up with a little oil in a pot, barely cover with water, add some bay, thyme, pepper and garlic and let it simmer very lightly for two hours refreshing with just enough water to barely cover.  Strain, cool, reserve in the ‘fridge.  If you don’t have veggie stock, you can use chicken or beef, but make sure it isn’t that GAWDAWFUL overly salted fakey flavored crap or it will drown out the flavor of the onions.

So there you have it.  Don't expect this to be a regular column. 

Friday, January 10, 2014

The Perfect Job For Me? Hmmmm....

As a lot of Americans have experienced over the last few years, I am facing being unemployed.  While I am somewhat enjoying the time off to work on a few home projects, I worry about being unemployed, finances, job hunting and the like.  I check about 3/4 dozen employment sites twice a day hoping something I'd like to do, rather that have to do, pops up.  To ensure I don't miss anything, I've signed up for several job alerts.  I use keywords like Chef and kitchen manager.  I put in, if applicable, a 30 miles radius of 61614.  This is what showed up this morning in my e-mail from one of them:

US-Nationwide Technical Service Personnel - Offshore FMC Technologies Apply Now
US-Nationwide Mechatronics and Electromechanical Engineers Altec Apply Now
US-IL-Peoria Construction - Kitchen Installers - Cabinet Installers Absolute Construction Apply Now
US-IL-Peoria Plumbers - Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Construction Absolute Construction Apply Now
US-IL-Peoria Carpenter - Construction Carpenter Absolute Construction Apply Now
US-IL-Peoria Carpenter - Construction Carpenter Absolute Construction Apply Now
US-IL-Peoria Construction - Kitchen Installers - Cabinet Installers Absolute Construction Apply Now
US-IL-Peoria Plumbers - Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Construction Absolute Construction Apply Now
US-Nationwide Marketing Manager CardPayment Solutions Apply Now
US-Nationwide Account Manager CardPayment Solutions Apply Now
US-Nationwide Marketing Manager CardPayment Solutions Apply Now
US-Nationwide Account Manager CardPayment Solutions Apply Now
US-Nationwide Account Manager CardPayment Solutions Apply Now
US-Nationwide Account Manager CardPayment Solutions Apply Now
US-Nationwide Account Manager CardPayment Solutions Apply Now
US-Nationwide Account Manager CardPayment Solutions Apply Now
US-Nationwide Marketing Manager CardPayment Solutions Apply Now
US-Nationwide Marketing Manager CardPayment Solutions Apply Now
US-Nationwide Marketing Manager CardPayment Solutions Apply Now
US-Nationwide Marketing Manager CardPayment Solutions Apply Now
 
 OH MY GOD!!  From which one do I choose!?  Damn!  No welding jobs?  How about diamond cutting?  Assistant needle threader?  I guess this is my fault, though.  I should have put in kitchen + manager.  But how they come up with electromechanical engineer for chef and kitchen manager is beyond me.  Think I'm better off with my manual searches. Now go back to work and quit reading my blog so you don't end up next to me at IDES.


  

Thursday, January 9, 2014

New Asian Market

There is a new Asian Market in Peoria on University Street in the old Napa Auto Parts store just south of the University Street and Forest Hill intersection.  I love Lin Hing on Main Street, but I had to check the place out.  Gotta love another locally owned, non chain business!

I don't know the official name, but the sign says:  Asian Market

First, the place is bigger on the inside than it appears from the street.  They've used up most of the space, but a back room does have plenty of space for more retail if they so desire.  It has a pretty decent produce section although a few non traditional Asian items (asparagus) were pretty pricey and you could probably do better at Kroger.  However, things like bok choy, etc., are comparable to Lin Hing.  Lots of frozen foods from fish to Asian style sausages to dumplings.  The dry foods boasted several different kinds of nori for all your sushi wrapping needs.  While they have your usual sauces, etc. I did find some things like lemongrass soup paste that were a bit unusual.  They also had a large variety of rices which some, like brown basmati, fall somewhat into a different ethnicity.  They had a huge selection of chips, candy, etc. and lots of different ramen/noodle bows for the instant crowd.

It is definitely worth the browse.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Here Comes The Snow

Just curious.  The last snowfall we got was about 2 inches.  Anyone in Peoria get their street plowed?  I didn't.  I'm wondering if/when they will get plowed this time.  I'm guessing late Monday, if ever.

Something I've always wondered.  Why do they plow the major traffic roads first?  If you can't get out of your subdivision/minor side street, what good are plowed major roadways?  I know, I know, emergency vehicles, delivery vehicles and yahoos in their 4 wheel drive trucks.